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God has given us the gift of free will. In the first reading today Moses is explaining, very clearly, the choices the people of Israel have and the outcomes of those choices. Walk with God by obeying His commandments and you will live, have descendants, and land. Turn away from God, and you will “certainly perish.”  Moses asks them to choose life, choose the blessing, love God, hold onto Him and obey Him.  And, for a time, the people do choose God’s way and life is good. And then, they fall away because it is hard to resist the other choices the world offers.

We are just beginning Lent, our opportunity to make choices that will lead us toward God, repentance, purification, and a life of blessing. It may not seem like the small sacrifices we offer up in this season make a difference. But they do. They ask us to be more conscious and disciplined in our faith life. These small mortifications can be the way we pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

What are our Lenten crosses? Maybe we decided not to put cream or sugar in our coffee or tea. Maybe we stop snacking between meals or get up 15 minutes early to pray. Maybe we read Scripture before we watch TV or pray the rosary with our family. There are so many possible Lenten penances that we can take up, so many choices. 

Then there are the crosses we are asked to take up: caring for our elderly parents, spouse, or friend in need. Do we feel they have been thrust on us without our agreement, but are still our responsibility? Even those crosses are choices we make as we decide how to handle them. 

The one thing we can always choose is our attitude in any given circumstance. In the book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl says, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

As we begin Lent with our various penances and crosses, both those we have chosen and those we have been given, let’s think about the attitude we have toward these penances and crosses. Let our will, enriched by God’s grace, lead us closer and closer to Jesus and His suffering. If we can model our attitude after that of Jesus, who suffered and died for us, our Lent will be less about our suffering and more about offering our suffering up for others.

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Dios nos ha dado el don del libre albedrío. En la primera lectura de hoy, Moisés explica con mucha claridad las opciones que tiene el pueblo de Israel y las consecuencias de esas decisiones. Camina con Dios obedeciendo sus mandamientos y vivirás, tendrás descendencia y tierra. Aléjate de Dios y “perecerás sin remedio”. Moisés les pide que elijan la vida, elijan la bendición, amen a Dios, se aferren a Él y le obedezcan. Y, por un tiempo, el pueblo elige el camino de Dios y la vida es buena. Pero luego, se alejan porque es difícil resistir las otras opciones que ofrece el mundo.

Apenas estamos comenzando la Cuaresma, la cual nos da la oportunidad de tomar decisiones que nos llevarán hacia Dios, el arrepentimiento, la purificación y una vida de bendición. Puede parecer que los pequeños sacrificios que ofrecemos en este tiempo no hagan ninguna diferencia. Pero no es cierto. Nos piden ser más conscientes y disciplinados en nuestra vida de fe. Estas pequeñas mortificaciones pueden ser la manera de tomar nuestra cruz y seguir a Jesús.

¿Cuáles son nuestras cruces de Cuaresma? Quizás decidimos no ponerle crema ni azúcar al café o al té. Quizás dejamos de merendar entre comidas o nos levantamos 15 minutos antes para rezar. Quizás leemos las Escrituras antes de ver la televisión o rezamos el rosario en familia. Hay tantas penitencias cuaresmales que podemos adoptar, tantas opciones.

Luego vienen las cruces que no hemos elegido pero se nos pide tomar: cuidar de nuestros padres ancianos, de nuestro esposo o de un amigo necesitado. ¿Sentimos que nos las han impuesto sin nuestro consentimiento, pero que siguen siendo nuestra responsabilidad? Incluso esas cruces son decisiones que tomamos al decidir cómo manejarlas.

Lo único que siempre podemos elegir es nuestra actitud en cualquier circunstancia. En el libro Man’s Search for Meaning (El hombre en busca de sentido), Viktor E. Frankl dice: “Todo se le puede quitar del hombre, menos una cosa: la última de las libertades humanas: elegir la propia actitud en cualquier circunstancia, elegir su propio camino”. 

Al comenzar la Cuaresma con nuestras diversas penitencias y cruces, tanto las que hemos elegido como las que se nos han dado, reflexionemos sobre nuestra actitud hacia ellas. Dejemos que nuestra voluntad, enriquecida por la gracia de Dios, nos acerque cada vez más a Jesús y a su sufrimiento. Si podemos imitar la actitud de Jesús, quien sufrió y murió por nosotros, nuestra Cuaresma se centrará menos en nuestro sufrimiento y más en ofrecerlo por los demás.

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Deanna G. Bartalini, M.Ed., M.P.A. is a certified spiritual director, retreat leader, speaker, and writer with decades of experience serving the Church. She is the founder of LiveNotLukewarm.com, works on the retreat team at Our Lady of Florida Passionist Spiritual Center, and is an Unbound prayer minister.  She has served as a religious education director, youth minister, liturgical coordinator, and stewardship director. She writes for SpiritualDirection.com, CatholicMom.com, new.diocesan.com/, and Women in the New Evangelization (WINE). Deanna is the author of The Stay Connected Journals for Catholic Women, Invite the Holy Spirit into your Life, and has contributed to the Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion, as well as Digital Ministry and Leadership in Today’s Church.

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Today we begin the great season of Lent. It always seems to arrive so quickly after Christmas and this year is no exception. The tree and decorations have been put away and all the parties have come and gone. We may feel like our homes and our souls are a bit barren. And indeed they are. 

Lent is a time for simplification, for focusing on the essential, for cleaning our interior homes, so to speak. It is a time of introspection, of growth, of healing, of preparation. Many parishes host Exodus 90 groups for men and Fiat 90 groups for women during this time. They invite us to make sacrifices, to cast off what comforts us for a time, to increase our participation in prayer and the sacraments. 

Lent is a time to focus on the essential, to hone in on what is most important in our lives. So, what is most important to you? I would love to say I have my priorities straight and have God first, family second and job third, but is that reflected in how I spend my time and energy? Am I first and foremost a woman of prayer and a missionary disciple? Do I take after our Blessed Mother in my own mothering and in my own marriage? Do I shine the light of Christ in my workplace and give my all during work hours? 

Sadly, I often fail miserably. But Lent is a wonderful opportunity to begin again, to start afresh, to make a sincerely profound examination of conscience and choose to choose love, over and over again. Let us be encouraged by today’s readings to “go to your inner room” to “pray to your Father in secret” (see Gospel) and thus “return to [God] with your whole heart” (see first reading).

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Hoy comenzamos la gran temporada de Cuaresma. Siempre parece llegar tan rápido después de la Navidad, y este año no es la excepción. El árbol y las decoraciones ya se han guardado y todas las fiestas han pasado. Quizás sintamos que nuestros hogares y nuestras almas están un poco vacíos. Y de hecho lo están.

La Cuaresma es un tiempo para simplificar, para centrarnos en lo esencial, para limpiar nuestro interior, por así decirlo. Es un tiempo de introspección, de crecimiento, de sanación, de preparación. Muchas parroquias organizan grupos de Éxodo 90 para hombres y Fiat 90 para mujeres durante este tiempo. Nos invitan a hacer sacrificios, a dejar de lado lo que nos consuela por un tiempo, a aumentar nuestra participación en la oración y los sacramentos.

La Cuaresma es un tiempo para centrarnos en lo esencial, para enfocarnos en lo más importante de nuestras vidas. Entonces, ¿qué es lo más importante para ti? A mí me encantaría decir que tengo mis prioridades claras y que Dios viene primero, la familia segundo y el trabajo tercero, pero ¿se refleja eso en cómo invierto mi tiempo y mi energía? ¿Soy, ante todo, una mujer de oración y una discípula misionera? ¿Me asemejo a nuestra Santísima Madre en mi maternidad y en mi matrimonio? ¿Brillo con la luz de Cristo en mi trabajo y me entrego por completo durante las horas de trabajo?

Lamentablemente, a menudo fracaso horriblemente. Pero la Cuaresma es una oportunidad maravillosa para empezar de nuevo, para empezar de cero, para hacer un profundo y sincero examen de conciencia y escoger elegir el amor, una y otra vez. Dejémonos animar por las lecturas de hoy a “entra en tu cuarto, cierra la puerta y ora ante tu Padre, que está allí en lo secreto” (ver el Evangelio) y así volver a Dios con todo el corazón (ver primera lectura).

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Tami Urcia is a midwestern gal from a large Catholic family. As a young adult she was a missionary in Mexico, where she studied theology and philosophy. After returning stateside bilingual, she gained a variety of work experience, traveled extensively and finished her Bachelor’s Degree at Brescia University. She loves organizing and simplifying things, watching her children play sports, deep conversations with close family and friends and finding unique ways to brighten others’ day with Christ’s love. She works full time at Diocesan in the Software Department and manages the Inspiration Daily reflections. She is also a contributing writer on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net.

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Today’s Gospel is quite comforting to me as someone who struggles to live the spiritual life. I think all of us, since we are human, have moments where the spiritual life is a struggle. We have this constant battle between what we know we ought to do and what our fallen desires want us to do. Jesus has a way of teaching us what to do with these desires that calls us out, but also leads with mercy. 

The reason I love the Gospel for today is that Jesus is trying to teach the disciples not to listen to the “leaven” of the Pharisees, but they mistakenly think he is talking about bread. You can almost hear the frustration in Jesus’s voice. He is trying to teach them that the religious leaders of this time are trying to raise (leaven) their own agendas and power as opposed to preaching the Good News, but the disciples are worried He is angry at them for forgetting loaves of bread. 

In classic Jesus fashion He reminds them that bread is not the issue. Did they not just recently see him take five loaves and break them open to feed thousands? The problem is not running out of physical bread but rather with our hearts. We allow ourselves to give in to bad leaven. That is to say, we settle for our weakened desires and think they will fulfill us as opposed to relying on the grace of God to raise us above our worldly desires. 

We know two things for sure from the Gospels. The first is that Jesus goes off by Himself to pray quite a bit. He shows us how to rise above our fallen desires by clinging to prayer. The second is that He loves food. All throughout the Gospels we see Jesus eating, cooking, and using food as an analogy for the spiritual life. 

Recently I started learning how to bake sourdough and it is quite the process. The key to all of it is having the proper leaven. The question Jesus presents to us today in the Gospel is, are we relying on our fallen desires that will not raise us to new heights and will ultimately leave us unsatisfied, or are we relying on the new Bread come down from heaven that will fill us completely with His life and love? 

Any good baker will tell you that bad yeast will give bad results. Let’s pray today for the grace to cling to the leaven the Lord offers us and reject the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. We can rise above our fallen inclinations in this life, but we need Christ to raise us up in order to accomplish this task. Just like a loaf of bread that will fall without the proper yeast, we need some help, and Jesus makes it clear that He wants to be our leaven. Let’s cling to Him. 

From all of us here at Diocesan, God bless! 

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El Evangelio de hoy me reconforta mucho, ya que me cuesta vivir la vida espiritual. Creo que todos, como somos seres humanos, tenemos momentos en los cuales la vida espiritual es una lucha. Existe una batalla constante entre lo que sabemos que debemos hacer y lo que nuestros deseos pecaminosos nos exigen. Jesús tiene una forma de enseñarnos qué hacer con estos deseos que nos llama la atención, pero también nos guía con misericordia.

La razón por la que me encanta el Evangelio de hoy es que Jesús intenta enseñar a los discípulos a no escuchar la “levadura” de los fariseos, pero ellos creen erróneamente que se refiere al pan. Casi se puede percibir la frustración en la voz de Jesús. Intenta enseñarles que los líderes religiosos de esta época intentan promover sus propios intereses y poder (levadura) en lugar de predicar la Buena Nueva, pero a los discípulos les preocupa que esté enojado con ellos por olvidarse de los panes.

Al estilo clásico de Jesús, les recuerda que el pan no es el problema. ¿Acaso no lo vieron hace poco tomar cinco panes y partirlos para alimentar a miles de personas? El problema no es quedarse sin pan, sino con nuestro corazón. Nos dejamos llevar por la mala levadura. Es decir, nos conformamos con nuestros deseos débiles y pensamos que nos saciarán, en lugar de confiar en la gracia de Dios para que nos eleve por encima de nuestros deseos mundanos.

Sabemos dos cosas con certeza gracias a los Evangelios. La primera es que Jesús se aislaba mucho para orar. Nos muestra cómo superar nuestros deseos caídos aferrándonos a la oración. La segunda es que le encanta la comida. A lo largo de los Evangelios vemos a Jesús comiendo, cocinando y usando la comida como analogía de la vida espiritual.

Hace poco empecé a aprender a hornear masa madre y es todo un proceso. La clave está en tener la levadura apropiada. La pregunta que Jesús nos plantea hoy en el Evangelio es: ¿confiamos en nuestros deseos caídos, que no nos elevarán a nuevas alturas y que finalmente nos dejarán insatisfechos, o confiamos en el Pan nuevo bajado del cielo que nos llenará por completo de su vida y amor?

Cualquier panadero bueno te dirá que la mala levadura da malos resultados. Pedimos hoy por la gracia de aferrarnos a la levadura que el Señor nos ofrece y rechazar la levadura de los fariseos y la levadura de Herodes. Podemos superar nuestras inclinaciones caídas en esta vida, pero necesitamos que Cristo nos levante para lograrlo. Al igual que un pan que se cae sin la levadura apropiada, necesitamos ayuda, y Jesús deja claro que quiere ser nuestra levadura. Aferrémonos a Él.

De parte de todos nosotros aquí en Diocesan, ¡Dios los bendiga!

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Tommy Shultz is a Business Development Representative for Diocesan. In this role he is committed to bringing the best software to dioceses and parishes while helping them evangelize on the digital continent. Tommy has worked in various diocese and parish roles since his graduation from Franciscan University with a Theology degree. He hopes to use his skills in evangelization, marketing, and communications, to serve the Church and bring the Good News to all. His favorite quote comes from St. John Paul II, who said, “A person is an entity of a sort to which the only proper and adequate way to relate is love.”

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February 17, 2026
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The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mark 8:14–15

Jesus and the disciples frequently traveled by boat, visiting many towns and villages along the Sea of Galilee. After a fruitful visit to the Gentile territory of the Decapolis, Jesus and His disciples crossed to Dalmanutha. Upon disembarking, some Pharisees, who had likely heard of His miraculous feeding of the 4,000, demanded a sign from Him. Jesus, deeply grieved by their lack of faith, sighed from the depths of His spirit, refused their request, and departed again by boat. It was during this boat ride that today’s Gospel took place.

Jesus’ holy sorrow over the Pharisees’ hardness of heart deeply affected Him. His grief was not one of self-pity over their rejection of Him but stemmed from His divine compassion. He felt the weight of their lack of faith and their refusal to embrace the truth of God’s love. It was this profound sorrow that prompted Jesus to caution His disciples, saying, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

“Leaven,” in this context, symbolizes a hidden yet pervasive influence that governed both the Pharisees and Herod. Just as a small amount of yeast permeates an entire batch of dough, causing it to rise, so too the destructive influence of the Pharisees and Herod spread through their actions and teachings, corrupting others. With His sorrowful encounter with the Pharisees fresh in mind, Jesus used the moment to warn His disciples not to allow such corrupting influences to take root in their own hearts.

The Pharisees’ hidden, pervasive, and destructive quality lay in their excessive focus on external observances of the Law and the traditions derived from it. Their rigid legalism blinded them to the true meaning of God’s Law—mercy and the inner disposition of the heart—leading to their own spiritual ruin and to the misleading of others.

Herod’s “leaven” likely refers to a worldly mindset characterized by a relentless pursuit of power, wealth, and pleasure. Herod chose the fleeting allure of worldly things over God’s eternal truths. Herod’s pride and destructive behavior epitomize this mindset, which ultimately led him to have John the Baptist executed for courageously speaking the truth about Herod’s adulterous relationship with his brother’s wife, Herodias.

Jesus’ admonition to His disciples on the boat is not only a condemnation of the Pharisees’ and Herod’s sins but a warning about the influence such pervasive sins can have on them. Likewise, just as Jesus cautioned His disciples, so too does He caution us today: “Watch out” and “guard against” the influences that do not arise from God’s saving Truth. In our world, it is essential to recognize how pervasive societal ideologies and moralities can subtly shape our thoughts and actions. By remaining vigilant and rooted in Christ, we must discern and reject the leaven of worldliness, hypocrisy, and pride, allowing God’s divine light to guide our lives.

Reflect today on the influences that shape your life. Do you spend countless hours on social media, browsing the Internet, or watching television? If so, take a moment to consider the hidden yet pervasive effects of the content you consume and discern if it is subtly leading you astray. The only true remedy against such worldly influences is found in prayer and the Word of God. The Gospel must permeate our minds and hearts, acting as leaven to transform us from within. This divine leaven is nourished through prayer, the Sacraments, and an ongoing commitment to the Gospel. Heed Jesus’ warning, spoken to His disciples but intended for every generation: Remain vigilant. Guard your heart and mind, ensuring they are firmly rooted in God’s saving grace.

My grieving Lord, Your heart was filled with holy sorrow over the sins of the Pharisees and Herod, especially as You witnessed the harmful influence they had on others. Please grant me the gift of spiritual insight, so that I may recognize the influences that shape my thoughts and actions. May Your Word and Your Truth alone guide me, and may I become a witness to that Truth, serving as a holy influence for others. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Throughout our lives we often focus on making money so we can buy something material that we want, leaving God in the dust. For example, we skip Sunday Mass, don’t go to Confession, or make up excuses for not going to church.

In the first reading, Solomon falls into temptation by worshipping other gods to please women, leaving aside the one true God. Today in age, we often fail at daily prayer because we spend too much time on our phones checking social media, and we miss Mass because we’re tired, busy, or have work. Temptations have always existed and will always exist. It’s up to us to make the decision to turn to God, just like the woman in today’s Gospel who sought out Jesus to heal her daughter who was possessed by an unclean spirit.

We shouldn’t seek God only when bad things happen to us, but rather, we should make God a priority in our lives. He should be number one on our list, because walking with God, we find the light of hope and His comforting silence. Sometimes when I would visit the Blessed Sacrament, I was so tired that I would fall asleep for five minutes, but when I woke up, it seemed like I had slept for 8 hours because I felt so refreshed.

Don’t take it personally if God doesn’t grant you what you ask for, and don’t be upset with Him either. Sometimes He can be peculiar, but we must understand that not everything we want is good for us. God knows why He does what He does, so don’t stray from Him. Make God the number one priority on that list you have of your life. God is always waiting for you with open arms.

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Muchas veces en nuestra vida ponemos énfasis en hacer dinero para comprarnos algo material que anhelamos y dejamos a Dios esperando.  Por ejemplo, no ir a misa los domingos, no confesarnos o inventamos otros motivos más para no ir a la iglesia. 

En la primera lectura Salomón cae en tentación endiosando otras cosas para dar el gusto a las mujeres, dejando de lado al Dios verdadero. En la actualidad, muchas veces dejamos de rezar diariamente por estar en el teléfono revisando las redes sociales y evitamos ir a Misa por cansancio, trabajo u otro motivo. Las tentaciones siempre han existido y existirán. Nos toca a nosotros tomar la decisión de ir hacia Dios, cómo lo hizo la mujer que fue a buscar a Jesus para que sanara a su hija, la cual estaba poseída de un espíritu impuro. 

No hay que buscar a Dios solamente cuando nos pasan cosas malas, sino más bien hay que hacer que Dios sea una prioridad en nuestra vida. Debe ser el número 1 de nuestra lista, porque caminando con Dios vamos a encontrar una luz de esperanza y su silencio confortable. A veces cuando iba al Santísimo estaba tan cansado que me quedaba dormido por 5 minutos pero cuando me despertaba parecía que había dormido 8 horas por tan refrescado que me sentía. 

No lo tomes a mal si Dios no te concede lo que pides, y tampoco te molestes con Él. A veces es bien especial, pero hay que entender que no todo lo que queremos es bueno para nosotros. Dios sabe porqué hace las cosas, así que no te alejes de Él. Haz que Dios sea la prioridad número 1 de esa lista que tienes en tu vida. Dios te espera con los brazos abiertos siempre. 

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Felix Urcia was born in Lima, Peru. He moved the U.S. to complete his college degree in Computer Science at Northern Kentucky University. He is passionate about his faith, his family, education and soccer. When he is not homeschooling and caring for his young children he enjoys personal programing projects and sports analysis. He and wife live in a small town in Western Michigan where they enjoy spending time with their five children.

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A long time ago I saw an anonymous quote online that said something like, “It’s not the water outside of the boat that causes it to sink, it’s how much gets inside.” This feels really similar to what Jesus is saying in the Gospel today. Jewish people don’t consume certain food items because they believe that what enters the body defiles the soul. Although Christians don’t share this belief in relation to the food we eat, it is a necessary and sometimes difficult realization that the things we consume with our senses do in fact become part of our souls. 

I used to think that consuming many secular things wouldn’t affect my soul because I thought that I was strong enough to consume them, but not become them.  As I’ve gotten older and become more open to being taught, I’ve seen what a lie that is and how easy it is for Satan to steal souls with this mentality. I’ve spent much of my young adulthood trying to figure out which boundaries God wants me to place in the media I consume, how much I let into my being. And I’m not saying it’s the same for everyone. We need Christians in the sphere of social media, music production, acting, to be a light in the darkness, and some people are compelled by God to not take part in any social media, and consume only things that are explicitly Christian.

I encourage you to examine your boats today. Where are the weak areas where flooding is sure to happen? What areas are strong, built high against the waves? 

St. Carlo Acutis said, “All are born originals, but many die like photocopies”. Do not let your souls be so full of copies of the world, that you no longer reflect the face of Christ. 

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Hace mucho tiempo vi una cita anónima en línea que decía algo así como: “No es el agua que está fuera del barco lo que lo hace hundirse, sino la cantidad que entra”. Esto se parece muy semejante a lo que Jesús dice en el Evangelio de hoy. Los judíos no consumen ciertos alimentos porque creen que lo que entra en el cuerpo contamina el alma. Aunque los cristianos no comparten esta creencia en relación a la comida, es necesario, y a veces difícil, comprender que las cosas que consumimos con los sentidos, de hecho, se convierten en parte de nuestra alma.

Antes solía ​​pensar que consumir muchas cosas seculares no afectaría mi alma porque creía que era lo suficientemente fuerte como para consumirlas sin convertirme en ellas. A medida que he crecido y me he vuelto más receptivo a las enseñanzas, he visto lo falso que es eso y lo fácil que es para Satanás robar almas con esta mentalidad. He pasado gran parte de mi juventud intentando descubrir qué límites quiere Dios que ponga en los medios que consumo y cuánto dejo entrar en mi ser. Y no digo que sea igual para todos. Necesitamos cristianos en el ámbito de las redes sociales, la producción musical y la actuación, para que sean una luz en la oscuridad. Algunas personas se sienten impulsadas por Dios a no participar en ninguna red social y a consumir solo contenido explícitamente cristiano.

Los animo a examinar sus barcos hoy. ¿Dónde están las partes débiles donde lo más seguro es que entrará agua? ¿Cuáles partes son fuertes y altas, construidas para no dejar entrar las olas?

San Carlo Acutis dijo: “Todos nacen originales, pero muchos mueren como fotocopias”. No permitan que sus almas se llenen tanto de copias del mundo que dejen de reflejar el rostro de Cristo.

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Lily is a Michigan native and cradle Catholic who has spent most of her life exploring her own reasons to embrace her faith fully. She attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she discovered the beauty of her personal relationship with Christ and the Church. After college, she worked in Montessori Education for three years and recently transitioned to nannying. She was recently married and spends most of her time reading, and enjoying her dog and family!

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Click here for daily readingsIn today’s Gospel reading, we hear about Jesus ministering to the sick. He has traveled across the sea to preach the Kingdom of God to more towns. He knew where He was headed, who He would visit and where to preach. As He and his disciples land at Gennesaret, before they can even get out of the boat, Jesus is recognized. His reputation as a great healer has already reached this place. Then the people of the area “scurr[y] about the surrounding country,” bringing those who are in need of healing. Regardless of what His plans were, Jesus finds Himself surrounded by people who desperately want and need His help. Jesus’ popularity around His miraculous healings prevent Him from traveling anywhere peacefully. Wherever He goes, those in need find Him.

Most of us have a pretty good idea of what this was like for Jesus. Whether we serve as a parent, an employee, or volunteer, there are always people and things that demand our attention and need our help. For parents, as soon as we walk through the door, our kids rush to our sides and demand our time, energy, and attention. When we steal away for a moment to respond to an email or read a book, our kids immediately need something else from us. We think we’ll get some peace and quiet after bedtime, but monsters in closets and nightmares keep us on the clock at all times.

The same demands are made from different sources in the workplace or volunteer organizations. There are deadlines that need to be met, coworkers who need assistance, meetings that can’t be rescheduled, and bosses who are impossible to please. As soon as we finish one task, ten more pop up on our to-do list. We do our best to meet all of these needs, but at the end of the day, we can’t do it alone. We must rely on the power of Christ to help and heal everyone who comes to us.

The call of a Christian is to imitate Christ. We are called to serve like Jesus does. We are asked to care for whomever God brings into our life. We do this regardless of how many times we’ve served them already today. Regardless of how tired we are. Regardless of how much we need a break. Regardless of what our other plans were. Regardless of if we feel like it or not. When they come to us, we get to meet them in their need just like Jesus does. Let us imitate Him in all that we do.

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En el Evangelio de hoy, escuchamos cómo Jesús atendía a los enfermos. Había cruzado el mar para predicar el Reino de Dios a más pueblos. Sabía adónde se dirigía, a quién iba a visitar y dónde iba a predicar. Al llegar con sus discípulos a Genesaret, antes de que pudieran bajar de la barca, Jesús fue reconocido. Su reputación como gran sanador ya había llegado hasta allí. La gente local se apresuró a recorrer los alrededores, trayendo a quienes necesitaban sanación. Sin importar cuáles fueran sus planes, Jesús se vio rodeado de personas que anhelaban y necesitaban desesperadamente su ayuda. La popularidad de Jesús en torno a sus curaciones milagrosas le impedía viajar a ningún lugar en paz. Dondequiera que iba, los necesitados lo encontraban.

La mayoría de nosotros tenemos una idea bastante clara de cómo fue esto para Jesús. Ya que seamos padres de familia, empleados o voluntarios, siempre hay personas y cosas que exigen nuestra atención y necesitan nuestra ayuda. Para los padres de familia, en cuanto entramos a la puerta, nuestros hijos corren a nuestro lado y exigen nuestro tiempo, energía y atención. Cuando encontramos un momento para responder un correo electrónico o leer un libro, nuestros hijos inmediatamente necesitan algo más de nosotros. Creemos que tendremos un poco de paz y tranquilidad después de que se duerman, pero monstruos en los armarios y pesadillas nos requieren estar alertas a todas horas.

Las mismas exigencias provienen de diferentes fuentes, tanto en el trabajo como en las organizaciones de voluntariado. Hay que cumplir con fechas límites, hay compañeros que necesitan ayuda, reuniones que no se pueden reprogramar y jefes imposibles de complacer. En cuanto terminamos una tarea, aparecen diez más en la lista de tareas pendientes. Hacemos todo lo posible por satisfacer todas estas necesidades, pero al final del día, no podemos hacerlo solos. Debemos confiar en el poder de Cristo para ayudar y sanar a todos los que acuden a nosotros.

El llamado del cristiano es imitar a Cristo. Estamos llamados a servir como Jesús. Se nos pide que cuidemos de quien Dios traiga a nuestra vida. Hacemos esto sin importar cuántas veces les hayamos servido hoy, sin importar lo cansados ​​que estemos, sin importar cuánto necesitamos un descanso, sin importar cuáles fueran nuestros otros planes, sin importar si tenemos ganas o no. Cuando acuden a nosotros, podemos atender sus necesidades como Jesús. Imitémoslo en todo lo que hacemos.

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Maria Riley is a passionate Catholic author and speaker who loves volunteering or playing board games when she’s not writing or mom-ing around with her four daughters. Her award-winning Catholic children’s chapter book series, Adventures with the Saints, is endorsed by her bishop. Visit her at MariaRileyAuthor.com or on social media @mariarileyauthor. She and her family live in Kansas.

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The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

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The Word Among Us

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Living Faith

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“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.”

Salt and light are so ordinary—present in nearly every home, every meal, every sunrise—and yet, in Jesus’ hands, they become extraordinary images of the Christian life.

Salt preserves, enhances, and even heals. A sprinkle of salt enhances the taste of food, making even my cooking more palatable. In the same way, our faith is not meant to stay hidden or unused; it is to preserve goodness in the world and bring flavor to every encounter. When I am grumpy, tempted to gossip, or feeling too tired to pray, I ask the Lord to remind me: I am His salt, called to enhance the world with His presence.

Light pierces every dark corner and dispels every clouded thought. Darkness is not chased away by shouting at it or wishing it gone. It only retreats when light appears. Christ’s light shines in and through us, not so that we can boast or draw attention to ourselves, but so that others may “see Your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Each day, we should ask ourselves: Am I dimming my light out of fear, pride, or selfishness, or am I letting it shine to draw others closer to Christ? Staying close to Christ, through prayer, participating in the sacraments, and reading Scriptures keeps flavor in my spiritual salt and keeps my light shining for all to see.

Lord, may my life radiate Your light and sprinkle Your love generously, so that others may come to know and glorify You.

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“Ustedes son la sal de la tierra… Ustedes son la luz del mundo”.

La sal y la luz son tan comunes —presentes en casi cada hogar, en cada comida, en cada amanecer— y, sin embargo, en las manos de Jesús, se convierten en imágenes extraordinarias de la vida cristiana.

La sal conserva, realza e incluso sana. Una pizca de sal realza el sabor de la comida, haciendo que incluso lo que yo cocino sea más apetecible. De la misma manera, nuestra fe no debe permanecer oculta ni inutilizada; debe preservar la bondad en el mundo y dar sabor a cada encuentro. Cuando estoy de mal humor, tentada a chismear, o demasiado cansada para rezar, le pido al Señor que me recuerde que soy su sal, llamada a enriquecer el mundo con su presencia.

La luz penetra cada rincón oscuro y disipa todo pensamiento nublado. La oscuridad no se ahuyenta gritándole ni deseando que desaparezca. Solo se retira cuando aparece la luz. La luz de Cristo brilla en nosotros y a través de nosotros, no para que nos jactemos ni llamemos la atención, sino “para que viendo las buenas obras que ustedes hacen, den gloria a su Padre, que está en los cielos”.

Cada día, deberíamos preguntarnos: ¿Estoy apagando mi luz por miedo, orgullo o egoísmo, o la dejo brillar para acercar a otros a Cristo? Mantenerme cerca de Cristo mediante la oración, la participación en los sacramentos y la lectura de las Escrituras conserva el sabor de mi sal espiritual y mantiene mi luz brillando para que todos la vean.

Señor, que mi vida irradie tu luz y derrame tu amor generosamente, para que otros puedan conocerte y glorificarte.

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Allison Gingras (www.ReconciledToYou.com ) shares an everyday Catholic faith with humor and honesty. Her writing includes The Handy Little Guide to Novenas (OSV), Encountering Signs of Faith (Ave Maria Press), the Stay Connected Journals for Catholic Women (OSV), and her newest book, Jesus Heals (OSV), published in 2025. Allison is the Director of Digital Evangelization for Family Rosary USA.

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The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

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The Word Among Us

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Living Faith

Click here for daily readingsAt the end of a long journey, we can feel both exhaustion and fulfillment. Imagine the Apostles’ feeling of encouragement and achievement as they gather back together after their long trip, moving about the land teaching and healing in Jesus’ name. Tired and hungry and unable to rest because of the crowd of people who followed them, Jesus sends them out to a deserted place to recover. They get into a boat, but it isn’t a yacht or a motor boat. It is more work, rowing to get across the water to rest. As they are rowing, excited that their time of rest is drawing near, over 5,000 people show up craving Jesus’ teaching. 

We all like a few days to recuperate after a journey, yet the Apostles had no time to rest. Imagine the wonder and exhaustion they felt. They are with Jesus, their Lord and Savior, but they are human, and as humans we can get testy if we don’t have time to rest. If there were 5,000 people waiting for us when we returned home after a long trip, we would go inside, close the door, and tell them to come back later. But the Apostles had a front row seat to the teachings of Jesus, and they worked tirelessly. 

We are all called to proclaim the Word, but we don’t have to do it on such a grand scale. We don’t have to go out with only the clothes on our back and the shoes on our feet with no extra food and water for the journey. We can share our experiences one on one with those closest to us in our homes, at work, and among friends. It can be difficult to begin, and unlike the 5,000 people who were waiting to hear from Jesus and the Apostles, others might not be ready to hear it from us. But we can start out on the journey one prayer at a time and ask for the Lord’s help. We can go to adoration, our “deserted place,” and fill our hearts up with the Lord who will encourage and energize each of us to continue on our own journey.

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Al final de un largo viaje, podemos sentir tanto agotamiento como plenitud. Imaginen el sentimiento de ánimo y logro de los Apóstoles al reunirse tras su largo viaje, recorriendo la tierra enseñando y sanando en el nombre de Jesús. Cansados, hambrientos e incapaces de descansar por la multitud que los seguía, Jesús los envía a un lugar desierto para recuperarse. Suben a una barca, pero no es un yate ni una lancha. Remar para cruzar el agua y descansar es más trabajo. Mientras reman, emocionados por la proximidad de su hora de descanso, más de 5000 personas aparecen ansiando las enseñanzas de Jesús.

A todos nos gusta descansar unos días después de un viaje, pero los Apóstoles no tuvieron tiempo para ello. Imaginen la maravilla y el agotamiento que sintieron. Están con Jesús, su Señor y Salvador, pero son humanos, y como humanos, podemos irritarnos si no tenemos tiempo para descansar. Si 5000 personas nos esperaran al regresar a casa después de un largo viaje, entraríamos, cerraríamos la puerta y les diríamos que volvieran más tarde. Pero los Apóstoles tenían un asiento en primera fila para escuchar las enseñanzas de Jesús y trabajaron incansablemente.

Todos estamos llamados a proclamar la Palabra, pero no tenemos que hacerlo a gran escala. No tenemos que salir solo con la ropa puesta y los zapatos puestos, sin comida ni agua extra para el viaje. Podemos compartir nuestras experiencias individualmente con los seres queridos en nuestros hogares, en el trabajo y entre amigos. Puede ser difícil comenzar, y a diferencia de las 5000 personas que esperaban escuchar a Jesús y a los Apóstoles, otros podrían no estar listos para escucharlo de nosotros. Pero podemos emprender el camino con una oración a la vez y pedir la ayuda del Señor. Podemos ir a la adoración, nuestro “lugar desierto”, y llenar nuestros corazones del Señor, quien nos animará y nos dará energía para continuar en nuestro propio viaje.

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Anita Renaghan is the author of several books including literary fiction, science fiction, and a young adult trilogy. She loves a good character study and has been many characters herself including: an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force, a college graduate, a second degree blackbelt, lost, a waitress and bartender, a wife and mother, an account executive, found, and a constantly inventive singer-songwriter. Anita is interested in sharing her faith with others through her writings and story characters. Her website is anitarenaghan.com 

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The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

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The Word Among Us

Regnum Christi

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Living Faith

Click here for daily readingsIn today’s Gospel, Jesus calls out the Pharisees for holding tradition over the commandments. They would allow someone to desert their parents, leaving them destitute, because that person wanted to give their time, money, attention, and presence to serving God above taking care of their own family.

Over a decade ago, I attended an ACTS Retreat and encountered God in a personal way. Part of that encounter included a knowing, or calling, from God that one day the retreat would come to my parish and I would be one of its leaders. I waited patiently for five years, serving as my children’s catechist until that day arrived when what God spoke came to pass. 

Our first retreat required many weeks of meetings and preparation. One Sunday, we set up a registration table inviting parishioners to sign up. One of my church acquaintances politely declined, saying she’d been asked several times by mutual friends. She requested that I let the team know that she had no interest in being involved in any way with this retreat. Sensing a painful experience behind her answer, I gently asked if she would share with me the reason for her deeply rooted conviction.

She disclosed that for many years her husband’s family was very involved in this ministry at their home parish in another state. They were so involved that they routinely put serving on the retreat over being present for their family. As teenagers and young adults, she and her husband were wounded because his family would decline attending family activities in order to serve on the retreat teams and weekend events. 

While the parents saw it as honoring God, serving Him through serving others, their young adult children received the message that they were not important. This generated great resentment toward the retreat ministry, because it denied them their desired family experiences and activities.

I thanked her sincerely for sharing this information with me. Later, I carefully thought about what she’d said. Are we supposed to sacrifice our family so we can say we’re honoring the greatest commandment of loving God and loving others? Do we risk doing this sometimes when we choose to serve God in our Parish over loving and serving our families? I firmly resolved that when faced with this in the future, I would intentionally choose my family and children and their priorities over the retreat community. I pray my family recognizes the many times I’ve put them first.

Today, I invite you to carefully consider what traditions you hold onto that conflict with or require you to turn away from loving and serving your family. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in finding a healthy balance.

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En el Evangelio de hoy, Jesús critica a los fariseos por anteponer la tradición a los mandamientos. Permitían que alguien abandonara a sus padres, dejándolos en la indigencia, porque esa persona quería dedicar su tiempo, dinero, atención y presencia a servir a Dios por encima del cuidado de su propia familia.

Hace más de una década, asistí a un retiro de ACTS y tuve un encuentro personal con Dios. Parte de ese encuentro incluyó la certeza, o el llamado, de Dios de que un día el retiro llegaría a mi parroquia y yo sería uno de sus líderes. Esperé pacientemente durante cinco años, sirviendo como catequista de mis hijos, hasta que llegó ese día en que lo que Dios me había dicho se cumplió.

El primer retiro requirió muchas semanas de reuniones y preparación. Un domingo, instalamos una mesa de registro invitando a los feligreses a inscribirse. Una conocida de mi iglesia declinó cortésmente, diciendo que amigos en común le habían invitado varias veces. Me pidió que le hiciera saber al equipo que no tenía ningún interés en participar de ninguna manera en este retiro. Intuyendo una experiencia dolorosa tras su respuesta, le pregunté con delicadeza si podía compartir conmigo el motivo de su profunda convicción.

Me reveló que, durante muchos años, la familia de su esposo estuvo muy involucrada en este ministerio en su parroquia, ubicada en otro estado. Estaban tan involucrados que, con frecuencia, priorizaban el servicio en el retiro por encima de estar presentes para su familia. De adolescentes y jóvenes adultos, ella y su esposo se sintieron heridos porque su familia se negaba a asistir a las actividades familiares para servir en los equipos de retiro y los eventos de fin de semana.

Mientras que los padres lo veían como honrar a Dios, servirle a través del servicio a los demás, sus hijos, jóvenes adultos, recibían el mensaje de que no eran importantes. Esto generó un gran resentimiento hacia el ministerio de retiros, porque les negaba las experiencias y actividades familiares que deseaban.

Le agradecí sinceramente que compartiera esta información conmigo. Más tarde, reflexioné detenidamente sobre lo que había dicho. ¿Se supone que debemos sacrificar a nuestra familia para poder decir que honramos el mandamiento más importante de amar a Dios y amar al prójimo? ¿Nos arriesgamos a hacer esto a veces cuando elegimos servir a Dios en nuestra parroquia en lugar de amar y servir a nuestras familias? He decidido firmemente que, al enfrentarme a esto en el futuro, priorizaré a mi familia, a mis hijos y a sus necesidades por encima de la comunidad de retiro. Espero que mi familia reconozca las muchas veces que los he priorizado.

Hoy, los invito a considerar cuidadosamente cuáles tradiciones suyas entran en conflicto con su familia o les obligan a dejar de amarla y servirla. Pidan al Espíritu Santo que los guíe para encontrar un equilibrio saludable.

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Shelly Henley Kelly is a wife, mother of three, and native Texan who writes and records a podcast with her sister on Of Sound Mind and Spirit and is a regular contributor to Catholic Mom. When not writing or recording, Shelly can be found volunteering as a Youth Ministry Catechist, keeping the scorebook at her son’s baseball games, diving deep into historical research, or hiding with a good book in between games.

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The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

Daily Reading

 

Saint of the Day

 

More...

The Word Among Us

Regnum Christi

One Bread, One Body

Evangeli

Living Faith