by Mary Sellars Malloy
Question of the Week, November 29, 2020, First Sunday of Advent, Year B
Happy New Year, everyone!
In the days and months we have spent working from and going to school at home, wearing our masks, and keeping our distance from each other, it has been easy to lose all sense of time. However, here we are, on the first day of the new Church year.
New years of any kind invite us to look ahead. New calendar pages are ready to be filled with things to celebrate, select dates we want to remember, and appointments to keep. New years are also times to think about new goals and hopes for ourselves, inspiring new year resolutions. As we continue to wait for the vaccine and life to take on a more familiar look and feel, doing so may seem pointless or a waste of time. Nevertheless, our question for this week invites us to reflect on our relationship with God, a relationship that is not limited by outward circumstances and restrictions.
This first day of the new Church year is a beautiful day to put ourselves into the Gospel story (see Mark 13:33-37) and to ask ourselves these questions: What is the work God is calling me to do? Is that the work I am doing with my life, my talents, and my treasure right now, today? After answering those questions honestly, take time to sit in the quiet and ask God to show you what his plan is for you this Advent season and at this time in your life. Consider what changes you may need to make to align your life with what you hear the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. For example, do you need to spend more intentional time in prayer? Do you need to take more time to listen to and encourage others? Is there a parish-wide or community-wide Advent/Christmas “call to action” to which you need to respond?
Happy New Year, everyone! No matter the minute, the hour, or the day, may God find each of us doing the work he has called us to do.
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. Also, 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.
by Mary Clifford Morrell
During a recent visit to spend time with my grandsons, the three-year-old was incredibly animated, physically and vocally, jumping from couch cushion to couch cushion, passionate in his attempt to engage the visiting nurse in his antics instead of making notes in her journal.
Finally, I told him to stop and let the nurse work. I asked if he wanted to come and sit with me. He rolled around on the floor a bit, pouting, so I left him alone. A few minutes later, he was standing in front of me, staring at my face.
I smiled at him and asked, "Would you like to come up and sit here?"
He shook his head yes and climbed up, getting into a snuggle position next to me.
He said nothing for a good five minutes, a long time for a young child.
I looked at him and asked, "Would you like something? Do you want me to read a book?"
He shook his head no. A few minutes later, he said, "I sit here."
That is all he wanted. I put my arm around him, and we sat.
Parents of young children know the experience of trying to leave them alone to play while the parent tries to get some work done in another room.
Without fail, even if a child is playing happily, the child will leave their toys and follow the parent from place to place, often without saying a word, merely desiring to be where they are.
Sometimes there is nothing more wonderful or comforting than to rest in the presence of the one you love. At those times, only silence is adequate to communicate the great love that burns in the heart.
Norwegian theologian, author, and educator, Ole Hallesby, describes the experience: "There come times when I have nothing more to tell God. If I were to continue to pray in words, I would have to repeat what I have already said. At such times it is wonderful to say to God, 'May I be in Thy presence, Lord? I have nothing more to say to Thee, but I do love to be in Thy presence."
When I reflect on these words, I remember an experience of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the experience of praying in silence before the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
In her letters, Saint Clare of Assisi, a friend of Saint Francis, shared her spiritual advice that, during Adoration, we should gaze on, consider, and contemplate Christ, and leave from there to imitate him.
Sometimes, in these moments, as grown-ups who are always children of God, we need to say nothing more than, "I sit here."
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.
by Mary Sellars Malloy
Question of the Week, November 22, 2020, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year A
I want to sit with the word regret a bit today. Regret: "to feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over something that has happened or been done" or over a lost opportunity. One of the synonyms for regret is "to have a conscience about."
In light of today's Gospel (Matthew 25:31-46), it seems that for each of us, the greatest regrets should center around the lost opportunities we have had to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the ill, and visit the imprisoned, for these are the Gospel mandates, the practical ways to live out the Law of Love. To these, in light of what is happening in the world around us, we should also regret the lost opportunities we have had to speak up and speak out in the face of racial discrimination and injustice.
Pandemic days can play tricks on us. They can make us feel powerless and isolated, and they can be our excuse for drawing inward, circling the camps, and caring for our own. However, the Gospel call is true no matter the times. There are still hungry, thirsty, naked, ill, and imprisoned strangers and friends alike who need to be fed, welcomed, cared for, and set free. There are still racial and societal injustices that need addressing.
Especially as winter days and the holidays approach, we need to "have a conscience" and find the ways we can share in meeting real people's real needs in our families and communities. The work of the Church and God continues despite the challenging times. He calls us each day to be a part of that work.
Next Sunday, we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, the season of preparation for the Christmas celebration. Between now and then, prayerfully consider ways that you can honor today's Gospel call so that your celebration of Christmas is truly a celebration of no regrets!
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years' experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. Also, 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.
by Mary Clifford Morrell
Years ago, I prepared a presentation on hymns to be presented to parish adults and those in the family catechesis program. Our acapella group would supplement the presentation, who would sing each hymn after I spoke about the composition.
It was a fascinating period of preparation when I discovered the origin and significance of many of the hymns we sing during Mass or come to know and love from other faiths.
One of my sources was an intriguing book by American gospel singer and composer Ira David Sankey, "My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns." Sankey, who died in 1908, shared an interesting story of the well-loved hymn, "Blessed Assurance."
"'During the recent war in the Transvaal … when the soldiers going to the front were passing another body of soldiers whom they recognized, their greetings used to be, 'Four-nine-four, boys; four-nine-four,' and the salute would invariably be answered with 'six further on, boys; six further on.'
The significance of this was that in 'Sacred Songs and Solos,' several copies of the small edition of which had been sent to the front, number 494 was 'God be with you until we meet again,' and six further on that 494, or number 500, was 'Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.'
'Blessed Assurance' was written in 1873 by blind American hymn writer Fanny Crosby with music composed by Phoebe Knapp. Fanny wrote some 8,000 hymns and Gospel songs over her lifetime, courageously facing the world with faith in the God she loved so much.
Her lyrics clearly profess the words of Jesus, "I am with you always," stressing the hope of Christ and the promises of God.
For me, "Blessed Assurance" is a reminder of God's promise of rebirth, spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not, see, I am doing something new!"
The Book of Hebrews in the Old Testament also underscores the connection between assurance and faith: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for" (NIV, Heb.11:1).
We are reminded that the Old Testament presents us with women and men who were pillars of faith, who, even in the darkest hours and faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, found their assurance in God.
Today, thousands of years later, we still encounter dark times and run up against obstacles that sometimes threaten to overwhelm us.
I believe Fanny would offer us the assurance that God finds his way to us by whatever means possible, through the words of Scripture, through creation, and even through coded messages exchanged on a battlefield.
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.
by Mary Sellars Malloy
Question of the Week - November 15, 2020, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
“Well,” I find myself often saying to friends, “What a time we are living in!” Moreover, would you believe I retired amid these pandemic months? Indeed, what a time! I was so looking forward to joining classes at the senior center, taking part in the Friday work mornings at the parish, and meeting other quilters through membership in the local quilt guild. However, those parts of life have seemingly come to a halt.
On the other hand, during these most unusual months, I have thought much about talents that were a vital part of my young adult life before my ministry career, and family commitments became significant focuses of my time. One of my strong talents was writing music for children and retreat and parish mission work. Both retirement and this pandemic time have provided me with the space to rediscover and honor that talent. I have begun to hear the beginnings of many new songs in my heart. While I never lost the talent and faithfully used the talent these many years, I know that this is a time to focus on this talent more substantively.
For me, that is one of the invitations of today’s Gospel (Matthew 25:14-20). God has given each of us talents. He asks us to invest them in ways that bring about a significant and life-changing return for the kingdom. With all of its challenges, this most unusual year is also a season of opportunity to reclaim, develop, and dream new ways to use our talents to bless, heal, and rest our world.
In the words of Max Lucado, “You were born prepacked. God looked at your entire life, determined your assignment, and gave you the tools to do the job.”
Those tools are our talents! May we invest and use them well.
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. Also, 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.
by Mary Clifford Morrell
Taking a walk is not something I like to do during the summer months. I find the warm weather oppressive and yearn for the wonderful wisdom of autumn.
Now, as I walk with dappled leaves falling, I find myself stirred by vague memories of long walks home from school under a harvest moon, the smell of fall air, and the delightful treat of caramel apples. Now that I am older and a little wiser, I realize that on a deeper level, there is meaning in the purpose of fall itself; in the season that signals a moving into winter.
For me, there was, and still is, comfort in the latency, that period of time when growth is stilled. After the last harvests of fall, the created world begins its journey inward, when the growth of spring and the fulfillment of summer come to a halt, and life begins a period of rest and renewal.
It is in this time of rest that the gift of renewal allows for the period of growth.
Certainly, there is an essential quality to the experience of growth. God has deemed it necessary in all areas of human existence. Think of the young Jesus, who, after traveling with his parents to Jerusalem for the Holy Days, returned with them to Nazareth, where he "advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man" (Luke 2:52).
Scripture teaches us something similar about Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist, saying, "The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel" (Luke 1:80).
We do not hear about the many struggles and disappointments that likely accompanied these two men's growth.
Personal growth can be the most painful experience, often stemming from great trials of loss, fear, and doubt. When the trials are many, and the pain becomes overwhelming, we are often encouraged to find ways to flee from the experiences, and with the escape, avoid growth.
How blessed we are that nature seeks no such escape route. When we immerse ourselves in God's creation, we not only restore our bodies and our mental state, we join with the popes and saints who did the same and taught that God created all things not only for our enjoyment and benefit but also to instruct us.
Among those holy men and women were Saint John Paull II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis, as well as Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and environment, and St. Kateri Tekakwitha, known as a child of nature, who made a small chapel in the woods by crafting a wooden cross, planting it in the ground and spending time there in prayer.
Saint Kateri understood that nature's periods of stillness, of turning inward, are necessary and fruitful for all of God's creation, most especially God's children.
Perhaps that is why God created autumn to be so beautiful. It encourages us to lose ourselves in the stillness for a while to prepare for our next season of growth.
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.by Mary Clifford Morrell
As Thanksgiving approaches every year, I always feel the pain of the absence of my mom and dad at the table though they died many years ago. This year, as so many of us face a different kind of Thanksgiving, we cannot gather with our children or grandchildren. Many of us have also experienced the death of loved ones since last celebrating the holidays, and the losses seem magnified.
There is no need to bring out the extra-long table cloth or the set of dishes to serve 16. A 15-pound turkey will suffice instead of the 27-pounder we usually serve. One of the many empty baskets I have hanging in the kitchen is all I will need for the smaller number of rolls I will make for our dinner.
As I look over the baskets, I remember a Thanksgiving homily offered by my pastor many years ago, soon after my parents' death. It seems to resonate more today.
"No matter how complete our dinner maybe, the truth is we are, as human beings, very incomplete," he said.
Gesturing to the empty baskets resting near the altar space, he continued, "Even on this festive day some of us have areas where we feel a certain emptiness: A loved one who is no longer there—we miss their presence and laughter; families separated by distance or circumstances; the illness or loneliness of someone we love; workplaces where people are alienated or where there is no forgiveness or peace, and, more sadly, families that experience the same reality."
"There are so many forms of emptiness in our lives—our existence is filled with baskets, little or big, of emptiness," he said, reminding us of our tendency to fill the basket up with "so many things that are not of God, rather than holding the basket open and empty before God so he can fill it."
He encouraged us to "reflect quietly and honestly … and be overwhelmed by all that is ours."
At that time, it was easier to enter into that reflection, despite what I felt was an overwhelming loss. However, I had a full life, six healthy and happy children, a home, work I loved, and opportunities to help others. I realized that I had been standing a long time in grief, looking at the empty baskets and missing the table of blessings set by God.
Today, I find it hard to move from where I stand, looking at the empty baskets. I know it will take more than quiet reflection to get me past the losses of the past year. It is going to take prayer, a lot of prayers, self-care, and much support.
I find some of that in the beautiful thought of American essayist and writer, Rebecca Harding Davis: For, after all, put it as we may to ourselves, we are all of us from birth to death guests at a table which we did not spread. The sun, the earth, love, friends, our very breath are parts of the banquet... Shall we think of the day as a chance to come nearer to our Host and to find out something of Him who has fed us so long?
I pray this season of Thanksgiving will be a time for all of us to draw nearer to our 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.
by Mary Sellars Malloy
Question of the Week - November 8, 2020, 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Several years ago, I was a keynote presenter at the annual Salesian conference. The focus of my talk was forgiveness and reconciliation. At the beginning of the presentation, I shared that my husband and I were preparing to move from Michigan to Kentucky and that we would be paying the movers the going rate at the time, which was thirty-three cents a pound. Therefore, as Michael and I looked at every book, CD, a yard of fabric, dish, towel, and piece of clothing, our mantra became, “Is it worth paying thirty-three cents a pound to move?”
The Salesian audience loved the story, and I taught them a little refrain I wrote to drive the point home. Throughout the presentation, we sang: “Thirty-three cents a pound, thirty-three cents a pound. How much stuff do you want to lug around at thirty-three cents a pound?” I can still hear the group singing and laughing as we took an honest look at the topic at hand.
As I consider this week’s question, I hear God reminding me, “Travel light. Let go of what you do not need to hold on to, and be ready to move forward when I say the word.” Those thirty-three cents a pound today does not represent for me the books, CDs, fabric, clothes, and the like; it is more a representation of memories, regrets, past hurts, and wrong choices that I have continued to carry in my mind and heart long past the point of needing to do so.
Being prepared for the coming of the kingdom requires readiness of heart and mind and soul that comes through prayer, reflection, confession, and forgiveness of others and oneself. Acknowledging, confessing, and letting go of “our stuff” frees us to listen and respond when the bridegroom calls.
In the coming week, think about what your thirty-three cents a pound represents. What do you need to let go of that will help you to travel lightly and answer the bridegroom’s invitation?
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. Also, 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.
by Mary Sellars Malloy
Question of the Week, November 1, 2020 - Solemnity of All Saints
I’ve written before about my image of the Communion of Saints—those gone before us, those walking with us, and those coming after us in the great procession to the Kingdom of Heaven. The saints are the ones who encourage us to keep moving forward with our eyes set on the kingdom. They are the ones who reach out to pull us back onto the heavenly path when we get off course or make a detour. They lead us not just by their words but by their examples.
When I think of my circle of saints—my parents, mentors, friends, parishioners, and even those whose names we sing and celebrate in the Church’s Litany of Saints—three things come to mind:
- My saints were and continue to be great encouragers, helping me recognize my gifts, assuring me that I can put those gifts to great use in the service of God and others, and delighting in my accomplishments and successes.
- They were and are forgiving of my shortcomings and failures, lovingly helping me get back up and onto the right path, dusting me off, and walking with me each step of the way.
- They have shown me by example, the face of holiness, and taught me how to be just, generous, joyful, forgiving, accepting, welcoming, prayerful, and trusting.
On this Solemnity of All Saints, I again invite you to look at those on the path to the Kingdom of Heaven with you. Look at those before and behind you, to your left and right. Who needs your encouragement today? Who needs the gift of forgiveness and understanding? How can you best lead by example, and what is the example you will give?
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. Also, 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.