Mary and Joseph have two different “annunciations” from the angel, two different tasks in the mystery of salvation, and two different paths to holiness. United in one love, they hand themselves over to the work of the redemption being accomplished by God in Christ Jesus, Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary.
Joseph struggled when he discovered Mary was with child. Whether his anguish flowed from his feelings of unworthiness or from incomprehension of what was happening, the result was the same: he planned to dismiss Mary quietly. It was only the annunciation of the angel that put his heart at ease. Immediately upon awakening, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife.
In our families and communities, each of us has a different role in the mystery of salvation. We all have different personalities. We each follow the Spirit’s invitation, yet the full scope of this call remains a secret to ourselves as much of it is unknown to others. The way our place in the drama of salvation unfolds is gradual and often shrouded in mystery.
When I’m not quite understanding someone I live with, I’d love for an angel to show up, even in a dream, and let me in on the details. How much easier it would be to respect people who are clashing with me if I could see the plan God was accomplishing through them! Even Joseph, although he had an angelic visitation to resolve his doubts, was only told the next step God required of him and no more. For the rest he had to trust in the Providence of God and he had to trust Mary.
Joseph teaches me how to take the next best step and to trust that God is working out something far beyond my wildest imagination. There are many “angels” in our lives. Sometimes they show up as inspirations, a word from Scripture, a thoughtful comment from a friend, or a combination of events that make the next step so abundantly clear it can’t be doubted. Trust, on the threshold of mystery, is always a risk and a choice. It is a determined turning away from the doubts and rationalizations of the past toward the possibilities and promises of a future rich with God’s presence.
Daily Reading
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I…
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Foster-Father of Our Lord, Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers.
The post Saint Joseph appeared first on uCatholic.
I am not sure that I am the right person to offer today’s reflection. I hate being unseen. I want to be noticed and honored. I hate being weak and not good enough – the exact same things the Pharisees are trying to avoid – and what does Jesus do? He issues many condemnations upon them.
In good Ignatian fashion, I place myself into this scene and I am one of the Pharisees wearing a giant phylactery on my head and tassels longer than I am tall. It is laughable really. We talk a good talk, but our walk is far from God. I have deep wounds that trigger my desires for recognition and acceptance. I wonder if the same was true for the Pharisees. Why did they seek places of honor and prestige? We all desire to be seen and known by God (CCC 27), but are we demanding others to fill this role? Only an honest examination of conscience can help us answer this.
Are my actions humble?
- Do I hold those I have authority over – children, employees, students, or patients – to severe standards without offering help?
- In my efforts to prove myself, am I unknowingly putting unrealistic expectations on those around me?
- Do I complain about or seek attention from my family for all that I do?
- Do I seek attention through actions or in conversations so as to be seen as more holy, religious, intellectual, or socially connected?
- If I work within the Church, am I giving of myself with generosity or resentment? Do I judge and gossip about those who don’t fall into the norms of the faith?
Jesus calls all of us to leadership whether in the home, the Church, or in the world. That is what discipleship is – leadership. St. Paul confirms what Jesus showed us in choosing weak and lowly men to be His closest 12 disciples (1 Cor 1:26-29). Jesus wants humble disciples who will serve. He demonstrated this in His own life.
God could have come in strength, majesty, and power to lead as a king, but instead, He came as an infant dependent on Joseph and Mary. He came with authority but taught others by His example of service (like when He washed His disciples’ feet in John 13). Jesus calls us today to see ourselves for who we are, beloved children of God, fully dependent on the Father, weak on our own, but strong in humble service of God and neighbor.
Daily Reading
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I…
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Foster-Father of Our Lord, Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers.
The post Saint Joseph appeared first on uCatholic.
Ah, St. Patrick’s Day, patron saint of Ireland, the man who brought the Christian faith to the Emerald Isle. The saying goes that “everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.” If only the actual saying instead were “everybody is a loving follower and servant of God on St. Patrick’s Day.”
At Mass today, the priest can choose the readings for Monday of the Second Week of Lent, or the Optional Memorial readings for St. Patrick, Bishop. You can’t go wrong, picking up valuable lessons from either set of readings, but the lessons have a slightly different focus. Let’s look at the Lenten daily readings first.
In the first reading, we hear Daniel praying for mercy and healing for his sins and those of the people of Israel, who were exiled to Babylon and subsequently faced invasions, occupations and persecutions. Daniel’s pleas seem like the prayers of a desperate man (see Daniel 9). Beyond the verses read today, his prayers are answered by the Angel Gabriel, who gives Daniel a prophecy about what the Israelites can expect from their God.
The psalm for the day repeats Daniel’s theme, begging the Lord not to deal with us as we deserve. In the Gospel, Jesus gives us a very practical lesson: Not only is the Father merciful, but we need to be just the same. Are you worried about judgment? Don’t judge. Fearing condemnation? Don’t condemn. In need of forgiveness? Forgive others. God’s love is so great and so focused on us that we also need to give love, and God’s love will come flowing in overwhelmingly, in amounts we can never imagine. What an amazing promise.
The suggested readings for St. Patrick begin with the first letter of St. Peter. His advice is straightforward: Be serious in prayer and intense in love. Use the gifts God has given you to serve others for God’s glory.
Peter plays a major role in the Gospel as well. He has fished all night and caught nothing. Jesus tells him to throw his nets out one more time, and he obeys, catching far more than the nets or his boat can handle. His response is one of complete humility: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Peter recognizes he is in the presence of Someone far greater than he can imagine. Jesus replies, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” How does one respond to that? Peter did it in the most radical of ways: He left everything and followed Jesus.
Two sets of readings, each with a specific focus, but both leading to the exact same conclusion: Love. Love desperately and love radically. Pray, serve, give, forgive out of love, because God loves us first. Be like God. Bring God to others, like Patrick did, from the very love He has for us. St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland (and Nigeria), of migrants, and of engineers, pray for us!
Daily Reading
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I…
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Foster-Father of Our Lord, Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers.
The post Saint Joseph appeared first on uCatholic.
In today’s Gospel we encounter the powerful and mysterious event known as the Transfiguration of Jesus. This moment, where Jesus is revealed in his divine glory on the mountain, offers profound insights into His identity, the nature of His mission, and the relationship between God the Father and the Son. It is a moment of revelation not just for Peter, James, and John, but for all who seek to understand the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Passages such as this help us to remember that Jesus is not just an ordinary man preaching God’s word, but is part of God Himself. He is given to us in hopes of giving us a better understanding of God’s love and purpose for us during our time here on Earth.
It also gives us a glimpse of a visual manifestation of his divine glory, which had been veiled in his humanity. For the disciples, witnessing this change must have been awe-inspiring, confirming that there was something far beyond the ordinary in the person of Jesus. It also shows us how wonderful and beyond human comprehension life after death will be with the Lord.
As you reflect on the incredible occurrence that Peter, James, John witnessed that day, remember that is this type of wonder that we are all striving to experience when Jesus comes again.
Daily Reading
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I…
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Foster-Father of Our Lord, Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers.
The post Saint Joseph appeared first on uCatholic.
“For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? … So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
This is part of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, when He gave us the Beatitudes. This is a powerful moment in the history of the world and the Catholic Church. Christ is transforming the entire narrative of the Scriptures – our story of salvation. Remember that in the Old Testament, God wanted what was best for His Chosen People, but they often didn’t want it for themselves. They struggled to keep His Commandments, and they often learned discipline through great suffering. Most of the time, the only language they seemed to understand was “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
But Christ has arrived, and everything has changed. He speaks a deeper language, a language of love. The whole point of the Old Testament discipline was to lay the foundation for Christ’s message. We had to learn justice before we could learn how to love. Then, when Christ came, He preached and He was the perfect example of love, the kind of love that is truly unconditional. The Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, and our Gospel reading today are His instructions about how to live out the unconditional love awaiting us in the Heart of God.
Christ reminds us that while being good to good people is a good thing, it is not the best we can be. We were made for more. We were made to love others even when we receive nothing in return – in fact, even when we are persecuted! “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” And on top of that, Christ even calls us to be “perfect!” What does that mean? How are we to be as perfect as God? We’re fallen human beings, after all.
Well, Matthew carefully chose the Greek word “teleios”, the word for “perfect.” This is a unique word that only appears one other time, when Christ asks the rich young man to give up everything and follow Him. Both times, Christ is calling His listeners (including us) to something greater than goodness. He’s calling us to unconditional love and holiness, the kind that empties us of all of our selfishness and fills us up completely with His love. Christ’s words and His death show us that “keeping things even” will never be enough for us, because God made us to love unconditionally. “Give and take” is the gospel of the world, but it isn’t Christ’s Gospel. He calls us to love others as He loves us: unconditionally.
The driver who cut you off in traffic. The poky person in the grocery line. The screaming baby on the airplane. The insensitive relatives. The careless friend. The irritable customer or coworker who blames you for a problem that wasn’t your fault. Christ loves each of them unconditionally – enough to die for them. Do you?
Daily Reading
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I…
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Foster-Father of Our Lord, Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers.
The post Saint Joseph appeared first on uCatholic.
Sometimes God is cast in an unfair light because of our fallen human nature. We can’t possibly comprehend that the God of the universe would still love us after everything we have done to turn our backs on Him. This is why many people live in despair or struggle with scrupulosity because they have not yet let one of the fundamental aspects of the faith sink in: mercy.
In today’s first reading the mercy of God is spelled out unequivocally. As long as we repent, none of our crimes will be remembered, and furthermore, God does not derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked. He wants us all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The basic message of the Gospel can be summed up from the first paragraph of the Catechism, which states, “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.” (CCC 1)
As beautiful as this verse is, it is hard to believe. Does He really want what is best for us? Does He really desire us to be happy with him forever? Often, we try to answer these questions without asking the One who has the answers. Lent is a beautiful time to start asking these questions directly to God.
During this time of penance, our sins come directly to mind and it can be easy to despair. Instead of getting down on ourselves, we can use this season to really converse with God about His plans for us and what He wants to do in our lives. If we start the conversation then we will start believing all the more that God does not rejoice in misery but rejoices in mercy. He wants us to be saved. All we have to do is repent and believe.
From all of us here at Diocesan, God bless!
Daily Reading
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I…
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Foster-Father of Our Lord, Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers.
The post Saint Joseph appeared first on uCatholic.
Today’s Gospel takes us to a time when Jesus is in the midst of teaching his disciples about prayer. He says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Who doesn’t want their prayers answered? These words from Jesus are welcoming and encouraging to hear, but we know it’s not like rubbing a magic lamp and waiting for a genie to appear to grant us our wishes. Prayers aren’t magic. Rather, they are placed into God’s hands and then we wait. Some prayers are answered and some are worked out in different ways, all for our good.
Some people pray very easily in petition to God, even non-believers. They hope He does exist in their time of need. Many people only turn to God in moments of crisis, recognizing that anything is possible with God. Even a non-believer can scramble up enough faith to pray in an emergency, to a God they otherwise don’t know. But it’s good that they do reach out to Him. It’s a sign that their faith can be enough, even if it’s as small as a mustard seed. (Matthew 17:19)
In today’s first reading, Queen Esther, even though she already had great faith, also needed to plead to God. In desperation, she lay on the ground with her handmaids from day to night, asking God to rescue them from their enemies.
Either saint or sinner, Queen or King, you or I, can shout out a prayer to God when we need Him most. He is waiting to hear from us, no matter what our status is or our level of faith. God is merciful. He is a loving Father waiting for His children to come to Him so he can help us; His kindness endures forever.
Some need proof that God exists so they pray saying, “God, show me a sign. Prove to me that you are real and then I will believe.” There’s a much better approach than putting God to the test. Merely sit with a spiritual book or the Bible and begin reading about God and His people. There are many stories in the Bible that rival novels. A good idea is to spend time with God when your life is peaceful. Take your time and make it a routine to pray with Him. God is ready to talk with you anytime, even if it’s just an ordinary afternoon at the park.
Get to know God today. Read about the saints that faced many battles. Sometimes God took His time to answer them too. Some were even seen dancing in the fires of their enemies before they were rescued. Let their example fuel your belief. Learn to build your faith on a daily basis and not just in a time of need.
Daily Reading
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I…
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Foster-Father of Our Lord, Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers.
The post Saint Joseph appeared first on uCatholic.
I’ve often read the Gospels and thought, “What’s wrong with those people? Can’t they see Jesus for who He is?” And then I remember, I could have just as easily been one of those people in the story. Sigh.
Today, Jesus says that no sign will be given to this wicked generation. He makes the point that even the Ninevites repented when Jonah went to them, but the very Son of God has come to them, and they refuse to repent. Jesus then explains that they will be given no sign except the Sign of Jonah. As Jonah was a sign to his generation, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. “We’ve given you signs,” Jesus seems to say. “Yet you still don’t believe.”
What about us? Are we basing our faith on signs, or on what Jesus says?
Signs aren’t bad. I’ve received my fair share of what I believe to be signs in my journey of faith. But Jesus isn’t magic. We must believe in Him because He is who He says He is, not because He sometimes intervenes spectacularly in the natural world. This could look like a miraculous healing, or it could be something much more subtle. These signs are meant to strengthen our faith, not be the sole source of faith. We must remember, despite all the signs and all the prophets who came before Him, that Jesus is the greatest, and there should be no one and nothing else in our lives before Him.
Everyday, we can make a choice to believe in Jesus or not. In this time of Lenten purification, may we intentionally choose Christ each day.
Daily Reading
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I…
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Foster-Father of Our Lord, Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers.
The post Saint Joseph appeared first on uCatholic.
How do we approach God in prayer?
Our God is not an aloof God who needs us to do something dramatic to get His attention. He is not distracted, does not need to be begged while we beat ourselves, does not need to be placated. We cannot pay for perfect rituals to get what we want, as if the whole system of asking and receiving were about bargaining and bidding, or purchasing what we want with a certain number of prayers.
No. In contrast to the kinds of prayers the pagans offered to their false gods, Jesus helps his disciples see that the one true God is fundamentally different: God is our Father, who knows what we need even before we ask Him. How can He know?! Because He is close to us, cares for us, wants to give good things to us, delights in gazing on us. He is truly our good Father. So our prayer can be the prayer of small children – simple, trusting, heartfelt, confident that we will receive all we need and more. The petitions Jesus teaches the disciples in today’s Gospel are few and use few words; when we model this prayer, we see that we do not need to “babble on.” Simple words from a truly trusting heart resound in the Heart of God.
What about the times when it seems like our prayers are not answered? Is it because we failed to use exactly the right words or ask the right number of times, or some other detail we failed to perform? Of course not. God always answers our prayers. Sometimes He says, “Yes.” At other times he tells us, “Not yet.” And sometimes he is saying (this is the one we often miss), “Actually, I have a better idea.” If we learn to pray in Christ, with the heart of Christ, we will pray as true children of the Father, confident in His unfailing and perfect love for us, and knowing that all He wills is best.
On top of this, Jesus layers an even deeper lesson about forgiveness. This comes with a strong underline: “IF you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions”. We MUST forgive others, or we will not be forgiven. Why are these connected?
In order to receive God’s forgiveness, we must have the humility to recognize that we are not God; it is this proper humility that sees clearly our utter dependence on God and our need for His forgiveness. To refuse to forgive someone is to make ourselves their judge, forgetting that only God can judge the heart. As children of the most loving Father, who knows what we need before we ask Him and who longs to forgive us in Christ, we must be like Christ in forgiving others and setting them free from our judgment. In doing so, we set ourselves free to receive God’s forgiveness and know true peace.
Daily Reading
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I…
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Foster-Father of Our Lord, Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers.
The post Saint Joseph appeared first on uCatholic.
On this day 12 years ago I became a mom. They say that as soon as you see your child, all the difficulties of labor just fade away and you are instantly in love with your new little one. While that may be true for some, my experience was not quite so romantic. I had high blood pressure for the last week of my pregnancy, and endured two sleepless nights before even going into the hospital. I had intermittent contractions all night and as soon as I got up for the day thinking I was in labor, they would go away. By the third evening, I asked my husband to take me in anyway, knowing full well that if I let it go any longer, I wouldn’t have the strength to get through the birth.
I was admitted to OB triage due to the fact that I had preeclampsia and was started on Pitocin. I labored for 19 hours but still hadn’t progressed enough and the baby began showing signs of distress so they took me into the OR to perform a C-section. Once they had cut me open they said, “Well, good thing we came back here. He wouldn’t have come out anyway. His head was transverse (sideways).”
Soon after he was born they took my son to clean him up and took me into recovery for some much needed rest. I didn’t even get to bond with him until a few hours later. Our stay was extended since he was jaundiced and was not nursing well. For the first four days of his life he was fed mostly through a dropper. Not only was I unable to birth my child naturally, now I was unable to feed him.
Thankfully, as soon as we got home, he started nursing like a champ (maybe he didn’t like the hospital either) and growing like a weed. Fast forward 12 years and he is as tall as I am and wearing men’s clothing already. And his pre-teen stubbornness? Well, some say that that is because he had to fight so hard to be born.
Today’s Gospel talks about Jesus separating the sheep from the goats and welcoming into his Kingdom those who have shown charity toward their neighbor through the corporal works of mercy. Isn’t that what the true labor of a parent is all about? – teaching your children to love God and neighbor, with the hope that they will be “blessed by [the] Father” and one day “inherit the kingdom prepared for [them]”. Our greatest hope is not that they become rich and famous but that they be counted among the righteous so as to inherit eternal life with God.
So whether your child is newly born, an adult or somewhere in between, don’t forget to remind them, whether by word or example, how important it is to show kindness toward others and love God with all their heart. And no matter how many sleepless nights they may (still) cause you, never cease to pray for their salvation.
Daily Reading
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I…
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Foster-Father of Our Lord, Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers.
The post Saint Joseph appeared first on uCatholic.