When have you faltered or looked back during your journey of faith?
by Mary Sellars MalloyI almost always have a song in my mind and heart, and today I just can’t help but sing, “I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.” (Source unknown)
Maybe we need to live a few years before we can understand the truth of that song, or maybe we need to come through a hard time or two. What I know, the more I walk the road of discipleship, is that Jesus’ call is to keep moving forward; to daily pick up the cross—whatever that may be in our lives—and to keep following him as he leads us forward to the heavenly kingdom.
The second verse of the song, “The cross before me, the world behind me. The cross before me, the world behind me. The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back. No turning back.”
The world behind me—the poor choices I’ve made, the words I spoke in anger, the opportunities to serve that I ignored, the relationships I’ve bruised by my actions, the sins of my past—behind me as I look to the Cross of Christ and realize that his suffering and Death have freed me, and in his Resurrection is hope and confidence that one day I will live forever with him in Heaven.
If you find yourself faltering, doubting, and looking back today, spend a few minutes with Jesus. Put the world behind you by confessing your fears, doubts, and sins of the past to him. Better yet, if possible, celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Then face forward, and set your gaze on the one who says to us today, “Follow me.”
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on the topics of prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. In addition, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.
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by Mary Clifford Morrell
Most writers and presenters have favorite stories or folktales they like to share with others. One of mine involves a pastor who decided to hire a gardener for the poorly kept parish grounds.
Year-round, the wizened gardener worked diligently, preparing the soil, weeding, planting, pruning, and nurturing the plants with great attention. One fine day, the pastor strolled out into the flowering wonderland with a neighboring priest, anxious to show off the magnificent new creation.
Gesturing to the many different plants and flowers, the pastor said, “I praise God for all of his handiwork!”
With clippers in hand, the gardener stepped out from behind a bush and chastised the pastor, saying, “Don’t you go giving all the credit to God! Just remember what this place looked like before I got here and God had it all to himself!”
At an educator’s conference, I used this story to stress the importance of the work Catholic educators do on God’s behalf, preparing the soil, planting seeds of faith, and nurturing their growth as co-creators with God.
But I’ve realized the story has another lesson: You tell the world what—and who—you love by giving your attention.
Henry Miller wrote, “The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.”
Imagine the change that would take place in our lives if we gave that kind of attention to other people; if we listened when they talked, if we remembered what they liked and disliked, discerned what they needed, and were as present to them as we are to our favorite pastimes.
In an April meditation in which he reflected on the coronavirus in light of Jesus’ Resurrection, Pope Francis spoke about the strength of the women who followed Jesus, reminding us that they found ways to overcome all obstacles simply “by being and accompanying.”
This kind of presence is not always easy, especially during times that challenge us mentally and physically, but it is possible when we open ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Father encourages us to remember it is “the breath of the Spirit that opens horizons, sparks creativity and renews brotherhood and makes us say, ‘I’m present’ in the face of the enormous and urgent task that awaits us.”
Still, there are days when I honestly feel like I don’t have the energy to give attention to anything or anyone, even myself. Through prayer I’ve learned to give myself the time I need to be restored, and am encouraged by words attributed to Mother Teresa which remind me that even the smallest of efforts can make a difference: “I don’t have to change the world all by myself, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.”
Mary Regina Morrell is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.
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Praying with Scriptures is now available on Flourish! This downloadable, lectionary-based resource is designed to support catechists, religion teachers, and parents who lead others in learning and reflecting on the Sunday Scriptures in the classroom and in the home.
What could you do to encourage someone who is feeling hurt?
by Mary Sellars Malloy“There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul” (Traditional Spiritual). I’m humming this to myself this morning as I consider the question. For a balm is something that has a healing, restorative effect.
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve witnessed many varied examples of applying healing balm to those with anxious hearts, living in fear. Drive-by processions on birthdays, emails and letters to nursing home residents, concerts from the back of pick-up trucks, green and blue lights in our windows, and church bells ringing in chorus every afternoon are but a few examples.
In addition to these physical acts that help heal the hurts of this time, we who profess faith in Jesus the Healer possess the powerful balm of prayer. Our pattern of prayer—for the world and its leaders, for the Church and her leaders, for those in need, and for the sick and dying—calls for the pouring of the healing balm of Gilead upon all, including ourselves. Every day we have the power to heal the hurts by being faithful in prayer. Pope Francis says it simply: “Prayer makes miracles” (January 2016).
During the stay-at-home weeks, I’ve been encouraged by phone calls, letters, surprise packages in the mail, and surprise gifts at my door, but one of the most memorable gifts of encouragement was given to me when, at the end of a phone conversation, a friend simply asked, “And how might I pray for you?”
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on the topics of prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. In addition, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.
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by Mary Clifford Morrell
I’ll be completely honest and admit that one of the things I miss most about celebrating Mass in the church building is watching the children.
If there is anything that will bring a smile to my heart it’s the antics of young children doing what they consider their best to get through an hour of confinement with adults talking at them and no opportunity to talk back.
Having managed to get through many years of Masses with six children in tow, I fully appreciate my vantage point from the choir loft. Believe me, I’ve seen it all.
But nothing tops the Sunday when a young family with several young children took their place in one of the first pews, visible to both the entire assembly and the presider. Their first tactical error was seating their most gregarious child in the most coveted end-of-pew seat, providing him with ease of escape.
I noticed as they entered that this little boy, maybe five years old, was carrying rosary beads in his hands. I winced a bit, remembering even rosary beads can be an unintended weapon in the hands of a young child.
The Mass began, and at first the young boy was fine, running the beads in and out of his hands as if he were actually praying. But before long, he discovered the “rosary bead spin.” Propelled by the weight of the crucifix, the beads circled faster and faster in his rotating hand.
Suddenly, he jumped out into the aisle with what looked like a small propeller in his little fist and yelled, “Hang on Jesus, we’re going for a ride!”
It was priceless! A delighted laugh rolled through the assembly and even the presider laughed out loud.
On the way home from Mass, with a foolish grin on my face, I considered how the whole scene was like a metaphor for our daily lives. With so many ups and downs, and things often spinning out of control, any of us could be the one yelling, “Hang on, Jesus!”
That memorable incident happened years ago. Today, during a time of incredible challenges which seem to grow exponentially every day, we are more likely to be asking Jesus to help us hold on as life seems to be spinning out of control.
It took a lot of prayer and spiritual growth to understand that’s exactly what God does – makes it possible for us to hold on. God doesn’t always make things better. But the Spirit of God is our strength, our courage, our wisdom and understanding, making all things possible – even hanging on when life takes us on the most challenging ride of our lives.
There are many Scripture verses that encourage us to find our strength in God, but one that I have come to rely on is one that I learned as a child, Psalm 23. I memorized it when I was young, never realizing how powerful the first line would be in all the most difficult times of my life:
“The Lord is my shepherd.”
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What does it mean for you right now to be bread for others as Jesus was?
by Mary Sellars MalloyFirst of all, if you are now able to worship with your parish community, isn’t it wonderful to be able to once again be a part of the procession to the Table of the Lord and receive the Body and Blood of Christ? What a Lent and Easter fast we’ve had from this most precious gift of Jesus! This solemnity is most certainly a day to express our gratitude to him for the lifegiving gifts of his Body and his Blood.
Even though we have come through or are still coming through a long fast from the Eucharist, this is also a day to reflect on the many ways we have been fed by the bread of others’ generosity, thoughtfulness, prayers, and support during the pandemic. I think of three friends who sewed hundreds of masks for healthcare workers, chemotherapy patients, and clinic staff members. And there’s the crafty friend who made joyful Easter bunnies, delivering them to friends’ doorsteps to bring Easter cheer.
A new friend in Arkansas wrote that in her neighborhood, which is mostly Catholic, neighbors agreed on a time to stand in their driveways and pray the rosary for the protection of the world. In a southern community, members of a Baptist church stood on their front porches on Easter Sunday and sang “Amazing Grace.” That same morning, we opened our door to find a container of dark chocolate-covered pretzels on our doormat.
Things may still seem unsettled, frightening, or discouraging, but all around us are hopeful and uplifting examples of generosity and goodness. On this solemnity, let’s pause and ask Jesus how he is asking us to continue to “be bread”—be encouragement, be light, be of service, and be the presence of Christ to others.
Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. Saint Teresa of Jesus (of Ávila)
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on the topics of prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. In addition, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.
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by Mary Clifford Morrell
James had the heart of an artist. If I had let him, he would have spent the entire day in my preschool class drawing or painting. His art was full of color and imagination – purple trees, flying red dogs, and squirrels reading books.
One day another teacher came into the room and noticed the children making art, some creating collages and others using crayons or paint. She leaned over James’ shoulder as he was putting the final touches on his tree of many colors and reminded him, “Leaves should be green, not purple.”
James looked up at me with a worried look on his face. I picked up his picture, smiled at him, and said to the teacher, “I think it’s absolutely wondrous!” I then proceeded to hang the picture in the middle of our art gallery wall.
If I were still teaching today, I would have a picture of a rainbow squirrel, the Indian Malabar squirrel, hanging up in my classroom. Painted by the hand of the Artist in bands of purple, indigo, and orange, they are a testament to the wonder of God’s creation. I can only imagine how delighted James would have been to see something he had only imagined in his mind to actually be alive and running through the trees.
Our spiritual and religious selves are built through experiences and through wonder.
To be curious about bugs under a rock or fascinated by how water flows from a faucet over our hands are steps to learning about the world God created. Wonder leads to questions and other opportunities to learn about and appreciate the gift of creation – lessons in math, science, communication, and faith all rolled in to one.
Right now, families continue to try and navigate meeting the educational, social, and emotional needs of children, often while trying to work from home. It may help to eliminate some worry if, rather than trying to educate our children, we become co-learners and co-discoverers, inspired by their curiosity.
Many years ago, when I was studying the Montessori method of education, I read a quote from Dr. Maria Montessori that stayed with me: “When the child was very small it was enough to call him by name for him to turn around. Now we must appeal to his soul. To speak to him is not enough for this; it is necessary to interest him. What he learns must be interesting, must be fascinating. We must give him grandeur. To begin with, let us present him with the world.”
The end of every day of discovery is the perfect time for us to model for children what it means to pray for the world they live in. Grace at mealtime, prayers of gratitude for the wonders of God’s creation, love for family and friends, and healing for those who are sick or who have suffered loss are opportunities for children to develop their relationship with God and unity with others.
“Prayer,” said Pope Francis during his May 27 General Audience, “sows life —simple prayer. That's why it's very important to teach children to pray.”
He acknowledged, “It hurts when I see children and say, 'Make the sign of the cross.’… They don't know how to do it correctly. Teach them to make the sign of the cross. It's the first prayer. Children must learn to pray. Maybe they'll forget or choose a different path, but that prayer will remain in their hearts, because it's a seed of life, the seed of dialogue with God.”
Mary Regina Morrell is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.
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How could God’s mercy and love for the world be revealed through you this week?
by Mary Sellars MalloyRight where you are, today, in this moment, join me in singing, “He’s got the whole world in his hands. He’s got the whole wide world in his hands. He’s got the whole world in his hands. He’s got the whole world in his hands” (Traditional Spiritual).
Place your hands, cupped, before you, and meditate on one of the most-beloved and most-quoted Scripture promises of all time: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16).
We’ve all come through, and are continuing to come through, a very challenging, uncertain, life-changing time. But the truth of the spiritual and the truth of the Gospel still stand. God’s got the whole world in his hands, and he so loves this world that he continues to give us the gift of his Son—Savior, Healer, Teacher, Prince of Peace, Lord, and King.
In the name of Jesus, as an expression of our faith in Jesus, let’s make this a week of pouring out mercy and love upon those who most need it in our corners of the world. Let’s pray with our hands cupped before us, placing into God’s hands all people who live in fear and doubt, the most vulnerable, our neighbors, our family members, our coworkers, and our friends. Let’s pour out over the world prayers for healing, restoration, and unity.
And when doubts and tiredness and discouragement fill our minds and hearts, let’s hum a truth we’ve known since childhood, “He’s got the whole world in his hands.”
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on the topics of prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. In addition, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.