grace

"See to it that no one be deprived of the Grace of God..." Hebrews 12:15

"God gives grace to those who hunger for His word that they may understand His will and have the strength to live according to it. Do you hunger for God's word?"

MEDITATION

"Do you know the love that conquers every fear, sin, and selfish desire? God renews His love for us each and every day. His love has the power to free us from every form of evil – selfishness, greed, anger, hatred, jealously and envy.

“What’s the distinctive feature of Jesus' life and the life of those transformed by His redeeming love?

“IT'S GRACE – treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy. Jesus is God's Grace incarnate. His love is unconditional and is wholly directed towards our good. God is good to all, the just and the unjust. His love embraces saint and sinner alike.

“That's why Jesus willingly went to the cross for our sake, to free us from the power of sin, ignorance, and prejudice. God's Grace sets us free from everything that would keep us from Him and His love.

“How can we possibly love as God loves and overcome evil with good?

“With God all things are possible. He gives Grace in abundance through the gift of the Holy Spirit, who converts our hearts and minds and teaches us how to live according to God’s truth and love.

“God assures us of His Grace and help to follow in His ways."

PRAYER

"Heaven Father, You are merciful, gracious and kind. May we never doubt Your love nor hesitate to seek You with confidence in order to obtain the gifts, graces, and daily provision we need to live as Your beloved sons and daughters and disciples of Jesus Christ our Savior."

https://www.flickr.com/photos/4thglryofgod/14430052851/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/4thglryofgod/14430052851/

attribution: Sharon Tate Soberon and flickr

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Advent Reflection for December 15 – Sunday of the Third Week of Advent Readings: Zep 3:14-18a; Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6; Phil 4:4-7, Luke 3:10-18

Advent Reflection for December 15 – Sunday of the Third Week of Advent
Readings: Zep 3:14-18a; Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6; Phil 4:4-7, Luke 3:10-18 

Invitation to Prayer: There is no better use of our mind and will, of our imagination, memory, and affections, and even our bodies, than prayer.

Reflection: In this week’s gospel, we encounter John the Baptist who is preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. John’s bold preaching resonates with the Advent themes of preparation and anticipation. The crowds come to him seeking guidance, asking, “What should we do?” John urges those who have much to give to those who have little, and those in positions of power to use their authority justly. These are not abstract suggestions, but concrete, everyday actions that reflect a turning away from selfishness and a turning toward justice, compassion, and love.

John’s message also underlines the radical nature of the salvation that Christ brings. When the people ask if he is the Messiah, John humbly acknowledges that he is not, but points to the one who is coming after him. He speaks of the Messiah’s powerful presence, describing how Jesus will “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”. This prophetic image invites us to reflect on the transformative power of Christ who equips us with the grace to live as faithful disciples.
In the context of Advent, this passage invites us to ask ourselves: How are we preparing the way for Christ in our lives? Are we ready to open our hearts to the transformation He offers, or are we holding on to patterns of sin, selfishness, and complacency?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the people you have put into our lives that have helped make yourself known to us. Let us be willing messengers in proclaiming Your coming to those around us.

Closing: John the Baptist’s message is as relevant today as it was in his time. He calls us to live with integrity, to care for those in need, and to make room in our lives for the transformative presence of Christ. As we journey through Advent, let us reflect on the ways in which we can make our hearts ready for the Lord and embrace the joy and peace that His coming brings.
Sean Ferguson is a Development Officer with the Stewardship Department for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He and his wife Liz have been married for 3 years and live in Independence, KY. They met through campus ministry at the University of Dayton.

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attribution: Thomas Hawk and flickr

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hope

In a room there were four candles burning. The ambiance was so soft you could hear them talking.

The first one said, “I am PEACE; however, nobody can keep me lit. I believe I will go out.” The Peace candle’s flame rapidly diminished and went out completely.

The second candle said, “I am FAITH. Most of all, I am no longer indispensable, so it does not make any sense that I stay lit any longer.”  When it finished talking, a breeze softly blew on it and put it out.

Sadly, the third candle spoke in its turn. “I am LOVE. I just don’t have the strength to stay lit. People put me aside and don’t understand my importance. They even forget to love those who are nearest to them.” Waiting no longer, its flame goes out as well.

Just then a child entered the room and saw that three of the candles were not burning. The child said, “Why are they not burning? They are supposed to stay lit till the end.” Saying this the child began to cry. 

Then the fourth candle said, “Don’t be sad and afraid; while I am still burning. we can re-light the other candles. I am HOPE!”

With shining eyes, the child took the candle with Hope’s flame and lit the other candles.

The flame of HOPE should never go out. Let us strive to maintain the glow of PEACE, FAITH, LOVE and HOPE in our lives.

- Author Unknown

four burning candles

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attribution: Alex Harden and flickr

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Advent Reflection for December 10– Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent Readings: Isaiah 40: 1 – 11; PS 96: 1 – 2, 2 and 10ac, 11 – 12, 13; Matthew 18: 12 – 14

Invitation to Prayer: “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.”

Reflection: I have always been awed by the book of Isaiah, written centuries before the birth of Christ.  As a teen, I recognized the connection between Isaiah and the Gospels, but I was left speechless when I realized how extensive the time lapse was between Isaiah’s prophecies and the birth of Jesus.  In today’s readings, we encounter reference to the Good Shepherd in the text of both Isaiah and Matthew, once again emphasizing the fulfillment of the Word in Jesus Christ.

Isaiah proclaims, “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.”  Being a shepherd in ancient times was a noble and humble profession.  A “good shepherd” took the time to tend to the sheep rather than watching them from afar.  There was a sense of relationship with the flock, and the wellbeing of every lamb was paramount.  A “good shepherd” would never forsake a single sheep.  This sense of intimacy and care parallels the role that Christ plays in our lives.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is there with us through our celebrations, challenges, and wounds.  When we turn to Him, he tends to us with loving compassion.  When we run from Him (as Matthew states), “will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?”  Christ is constantly reaching out to each and every one of us, and it is through our own free will that we choose to receive his sanctifying grace.

As humans with limited capacity for love, we often forsake one another and sometimes ourselves.  Perhaps we simply lose patience with a family member, or maybe we write someone off as a lost cause, but in Christ, there are no lost causes.  Jesus, the Good Shepherd, seeks out every lost sheep.  During this Advent season, as we take time to quiet ourselves and connect with Christ, let us take pause to strive for the perfect love of the Good Shepherd- an unconditional love that does not forsake God’s creation.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd, who tenderly cares for each of us, never forsaking a single soul.  We are in awe of Your boundless love, which reaches out to us in all our joys and struggles.  Help us to recognize Your presence in our lives, and to open our hearts to receive Your grace.  As we journey through this Advent season, teach us to love as You love—unconditionally and without end. May we seek out the lost and show the compassion You offer to all. Thank You for always tending to us with care and mercy. Amen.

Closing: Who in my life have I forsaken?  Have I ever forsaken myself?  What can I do this Advent Season to open my heart to the abundant love of Christ?

Noelle Collis-DeVito is the English Curriculum Research Assistant for the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives at the University of Dayton.  She just completed her Master’s Degree in Pastoral Ministry with a Certificate in Disability and Ministry and is excited to put her skills to use in her work creating curriculum for adult faith formation and adaptive resources for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  She serves on the Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and is on the Board for the Respect Life Fund for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.  She also serves as the advisor for Flyers for Life at the University of Dayton.

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/advent-reflections-2024

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attribution: jaci XIII and flickr

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the LORD's prayer

FATHER in Heaven, 

YOU alone are the HOLY ONE. 

YOUR kingdom come, 

YOUR will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven.

Thank YOU for giving us food 

for our bodies and for our souls.

Please forgive our sins,

as YOU forgive sins of others.

Please help us to avoid temptation,

and please deliver us from evil.

For YOURS is the kingdom 

and the power and the glory

forever and ever.

Amen

https://www.praywithme.com/the-lords-prayer.html

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attribution: Carl Bloch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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Advent Reflection for Sunday, December 8 – The Second Sunday of Advent Readings: Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6, Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11, Luke 3:1-6

Advent Reflection for Sunday, December 8 – The Second Sunday of Advent
Readings: Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6, Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11, Luke 3:1-6

Invitation to Prayer: Come, God of peace. prepare our troubled and burdened hearts to receive you more this day.

Reflection: Advent often flies by for me. Four weeks doesn’t seem like a lot of time to “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Mary carried Jesus in the womb for nine months, literally allowing herself to be transformed from the inside out for the coming of Christ. Yet we condense that time to an intentional and intense four weeks of preparation. Last week we reflected on Hope that only comes from God, this week, we focus on the Peace that only comes from God. 

I love this first sentence we hear from God today to prepare us for His peace, “Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever.” Our world is so broken right now. We live in constant stress and fear that life can often seem miserable. But that is not the story God wants to tell us. God’s story is not one of misery and woe, rather it is one of victory and peace.

As a child, one of my chores was pulling the weeds in the flowerbed in front of our home, and I hated it! It was the worst thing in the world for my adolescent self because it took forever and was so boring. Yet, in the weeding of the flowerbed, the path to our home looked inviting to my friends and family. People felt welcomed and invited to a beautiful and peaceful space. Today, my life can be quite chaotic. I keep a full schedule and hold high expectations to perform to the best of my ability. Because of that, I can get bogged down in the stresses of life and feel anxious and worried about many things. Today, I’m reminded in these readings to slow down and prepare the flowerbed of my heart for the coming of Christ. I must intentionally make time to pull the weeds from my heart that make me anxious and worried so that the flowers of peace may rest there instead.

Today, as we sit with these readings, my hope and prayer for you is the same as St. Paul’s for the Philippians, “That your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, help us to slow down and weed our hearts of all the things that rob the peace you have bestowed on us.

Closing: “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

Alex Bodenschatz served as a NET Missionary from 2018-2020 and now works with NET as the Easter Regional Recruiter.

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/advent-reflections-2024

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attribution: Jose Antonio Catalio

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Advent Reflection for December 6 – Friday of the First Week of Advent

Advent Reflection for December 6 – Friday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 29:17-24, PS 27:1, 4, 13-14, Matthew 9:27-31

Invitation to Prayer: Dearest Father, please fill my shoes with feet that desire to walk humbly in Your way and act in love on the concerns of my brothers and sisters.

Reflection: No matter the weather outside, the prophet Isaiah is passing along a forecast for God that one fine day is coming, especially for people who are deaf, blind, lowly and poor. In the Gospel of Matthew, two men who are blind are gaining their sight, thanks to Jesus’ intervention. And in some homes this morning, children found small gifts in their shoes if families are celebrating the generosity of St. Nicholas.

Sounds like a good day ahead. Except for one thing. In both passages someone had to first note the existence of people who are deaf, blind, lowly and/or poor and understand how those conditions impact their dignity, livelihoods and their family members. Someone has to do something about it. Jesus did. That’s what brings about the happy anticipation and the rejoicing ahead for that fine day.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to see what is going on around us, to pay attention to how people are faring. It doesn’t appear that Scripture is giving us a pass on our responsibility for people in harm’s way by simply acknowledging people are in bad straits. No, we have to do something. We are called to act on Jesus’ behalf – be his hands and feet on earth as St. Teresa of Avila urges us.

We have a lovely tradition of filling children’s shoes with sweets in honor of St. Nicholas, but we may have forgotten that the origin of that tradition lies in a social justice ill that called for some intervention.

As the story goes, St. Nicholas understood what was required of him when he learned that three girls were going to be forced into prostitution. (We call it sex trafficking today.) He is said to have dropped off three bags of gold to give them dowries. He applied his faith to change their lives.

For any of us who received some treat in our shoes, we would do well to remember that we walk in the footsteps of saints  and we are to show our love of God and neighbors by listening and doing something when we hear the cry of people who are poor, lowly, deaf and blind, because that’s what followers of Jesus do. They pull on their shoes and go respond as Jesus would.

Prayer: Jesus, give me the courage and vision to act when I hear the cry of the poor, to open my hands and move my feet in a direction that loves my neighbor.

 Closing: This day draw closer to your neighbor and act in a way that opens their eyes to see the love of Jesus working through you.

Pam Long is the chair of the Social Action Commission for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the Director of Love in Action for the St. Stephen Family of Parishes in Hamilton, Ohio. She and her husband Bob celebrated 50 years of marriage in October. They gave birth to three children and are grateful for three grandchildren.

https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/advent-reflections-2024

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pelegrino/4669987355/

attribution: Nick Thompson and flickr

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circles of life

this is God and me when I was conceived:

after I was born I met my Mom & Dad & sister:

as I grew, my circle expanded--relatives, friends, younger brother and sisters:

as I progressed in school, teachers, classmates, neighborhood friends:

college, wife, job, daughter, Army:

son, two more daughters, career, coworkers, clients, friends, grandchildren:

File:Concentric circles isotropy.svg - Wikimedia Commons

labeled for noncommercial reuse

retirement:

death:

the afterlife | John Spade | Flickr

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           faith 

                      hope 

                                  love

1 John 4: 7-21

7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.
10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.
13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit.
14 Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.

16 We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
17 In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us.
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
21 This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/what-does-it-mean-god-is-love.html

It's not God's love that's a mystery. It's our lack of faith that's a mystery. When we look at our lives, we see God's providence and love. We realize that we would not live for another moment if it were not for God's love. 

• Do we love our neighbor?

• Do we "testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world"?

• Have we "come to know and to believe in the love God has for us"?

• Do we "have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world"?

• Are we afraid?

• Do we love because "he first loved us"? 

• Do we love our brother because God has commanded us to do so? 

Let us pray that our faith is strong because God is love.

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attribution: Tito and Eva Marie Balangue

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