New parable: What good is it to profess faith without practicing it?

August 7, 2023

There was a woman drawn to the mystic. This woman lived a contemplative life of prayer and meditation. She burned incense and votive candles, walked labyrinths, prayed Rosary after Rosary, novena after novena. She wore scapulars and blessed medals. She kept holy water in her home, listened to sacred chant and read the writings of the mystic saints. This woman made every conscious effort to keep her life simple, and she avoided many of the snares of consumerism.

Yet this woman so consumed herself with all of her rites and rituals that she had no time or energy left for charitable works in the world. Sequestered away in her solitude, she failed to realize she spent many hours contemplating justice and peace, yet never actually engaged in efforts to support justice and peace. And because of her inaction, her prayers always felt a bit hollow and unanswered.

There was another woman blessed with a contemplative nature. This woman, too, expressed her soul through rites and rituals, sacramentals and prayers. She, too, read the writings and biographies of the mystic saints. She, too, lived a simple life rich with devotion.

Yet this woman recognized the need to be involved in the world more directly. She understood how to respond to the New Testament’s query, “What good is it . . . if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” (Jas 2:14)

She understood that she could not cloister herself from the world. This woman believed that contemplating justice and peace was not enough; she knew her call to holiness meant she must act for justice and peace. And because this woman’s direct experience of the world deepened her empathy, her prayers were fervent and bore much fruit.

This article comes to you from  Grace In Action  ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Big “T” traditions

September 14, 2023
Traditions are important to families. Singing the family birthday song, making grandma’s banana bread, praying in a special way at holiday meals — traditions are the foundation on which strong families are built. Likewise, the Church was built upon the rituals and traditions of the apostles and the early Christian communities. This body of ritual and teaching is called Tradition (with a capital T), and it serves as a unifying force in the Church today. This Tradition is so important that the teaching office of the Church, called the magisterium, safeguards it. We believe that that sacred Word of God is found in both Scripture and Tradition. In fact, the Tradition of the Church was in place before the Gospels were even written. It’s true! We practiced our faith long before we wrote about our faith. The first Christians were already meeting together, mostly in homes, celebrating the Eucharist, sharing the teachings of the apostles and encouraging one another at the time the New Testament was written down. This was the beginning of St. Paul addressing his letters to these early Christian communities. Those who argue that Scripture alone should be the source of Christian teaching fail to recognize that in the first several centuries of the Church there was no “Bible” in the form we have today. Early Christian communities read from the Old Testament writings, the prophets and from the letters from leaders like Peter and Paul. The earliest writings in the New Testament reflect the belief and practice of the early Christians as the Holy Spirit guided the Church and her leaders. If we truly wish to understand Scripture, we must understand the context in which it was written — the Tradition of the Church. FAITH AT HOME Traditions that are handed down through the generations serve not only as the foundation for our faith historically, but are also a vital part of our faith today. Especially through the family, called the “domestic church,” we pass the teachings of our faith on to the next generation, in the words we say, as well as our family rituals and the way we live our daily lives. Today it is important that children and adults alike learn and experience the teachings of our faith in context — in the Christian community of the parish and the home. Cultivate your family’s faith at home by practicing Sabbath. Make it known that Sunday is a day devoted to family. Be intentional about planning a day of rest and renewal together. Begin with Mass. Prepare a meal together. Share prayers and conversation. Turn off the television (and the computer and MP3 player) and listen to each other. Leave room for silence. At the end of the day, thank God for your family’s blessings.

September 14, 2023

September 14, 2023
Jn 3:13-17 Jesus continues his instruction of Nicodemus with reference to Moses and the elevated serpent. Elevation-exaltation is central to John’s theology as it is to all Christianity. With that is the understanding that God’s motivation to give his only Son is love, love for all creation, especially humanity. Salvation is dependent upon that love. Lord, you emptied yourself. You humbled yourself. You were obedient to the Father, even to your death. How can we forget that? How can we ignore that? How do we measure up to that kind of love?

Hear the cry

September 14, 2023
“Let us hear the cry of the victims and those suffering. Let us allow them to teach us a lesson in humanity.” — Pope Francis Reflection: What do victims and those who suffer have to teach us about being human? What have you learned about the dignity of the human person through personal suffering? This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

The Good News leads to seeing with eyes of faith

September 11, 2023
What really matters? Most of us have had an experience that causes us to ask this question. Our lives are filled with activity, much of it necessary, some of it surely not. On most days many of us feel we have little time for anything beyond a quick prayer, a fast-food meal, and then total collapse at the end of the day (yet statistics indicate we seem to find endless hours to watch television). And then something happens: a death or diagnosis of serious illness; a natural disaster that takes with it human life and property; unemployment or underemployment affecting physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. That “something” may happen to us, to someone near us, or to someone around the world, but in that moment, as circumstances suddenly change, our perspective is changed as well, and we may ask, “What really matters, after all?” The Good News of Jesus Christ focuses our attention beyond the mundane, toward that which is of lasting value. When our lives are directed by our relationship with the God of Love, we order our actions, words and attitudes to reflect that Love. That is the real meaning of our life in Christ, and the call of disciples and stewards. By seeing with the eyes of faith, we gain holy perspective and realize that our stewardship of life, time and resources is the means by which we show Christ’s love in the world. This article comes to you from Grace In Action (Our Sunday Visitor) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Big “T” traditions

September 14, 2023
Traditions are important to families. Singing the family birthday song, making grandma’s banana bread, praying in a special way at holiday meals — traditions are the foundation on which strong families are built. Likewise, the Church was built upon the rituals and traditions of the apostles and the early Christian communities. This body of ritual and teaching is called Tradition (with a capital T), and it serves as a unifying force in the Church today. This Tradition is so important that the teaching office of the Church, called the magisterium, safeguards it. We believe that that sacred Word of God is found in both Scripture and Tradition. In fact, the Tradition of the Church was in place before the Gospels were even written. It’s true! We practiced our faith long before we wrote about our faith. The first Christians were already meeting together, mostly in homes, celebrating the Eucharist, sharing the teachings of the apostles and encouraging one another at the time the New Testament was written down. This was the beginning of St. Paul addressing his letters to these early Christian communities. Those who argue that Scripture alone should be the source of Christian teaching fail to recognize that in the first several centuries of the Church there was no “Bible” in the form we have today. Early Christian communities read from the Old Testament writings, the prophets and from the letters from leaders like Peter and Paul. The earliest writings in the New Testament reflect the belief and practice of the early Christians as the Holy Spirit guided the Church and her leaders. If we truly wish to understand Scripture, we must understand the context in which it was written — the Tradition of the Church. FAITH AT HOME Traditions that are handed down through the generations serve not only as the foundation for our faith historically, but are also a vital part of our faith today. Especially through the family, called the “domestic church,” we pass the teachings of our faith on to the next generation, in the words we say, as well as our family rituals and the way we live our daily lives. Today it is important that children and adults alike learn and experience the teachings of our faith in context — in the Christian community of the parish and the home. Cultivate your family’s faith at home by practicing Sabbath. Make it known that Sunday is a day devoted to family. Be intentional about planning a day of rest and renewal together. Begin with Mass. Prepare a meal together. Share prayers and conversation. Turn off the television (and the computer and MP3 player) and listen to each other. Leave room for silence. At the end of the day, thank God for your family’s blessings.

September 14, 2023

September 14, 2023
Jn 3:13-17 Jesus continues his instruction of Nicodemus with reference to Moses and the elevated serpent. Elevation-exaltation is central to John’s theology as it is to all Christianity. With that is the understanding that God’s motivation to give his only Son is love, love for all creation, especially humanity. Salvation is dependent upon that love. Lord, you emptied yourself. You humbled yourself. You were obedient to the Father, even to your death. How can we forget that? How can we ignore that? How do we measure up to that kind of love?

Hear the cry

September 14, 2023
“Let us hear the cry of the victims and those suffering. Let us allow them to teach us a lesson in humanity.” — Pope Francis Reflection: What do victims and those who suffer have to teach us about being human? What have you learned about the dignity of the human person through personal suffering? This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

The Good News leads to seeing with eyes of faith

September 11, 2023
What really matters? Most of us have had an experience that causes us to ask this question. Our lives are filled with activity, much of it necessary, some of it surely not. On most days many of us feel we have little time for anything beyond a quick prayer, a fast-food meal, and then total collapse at the end of the day (yet statistics indicate we seem to find endless hours to watch television). And then something happens: a death or diagnosis of serious illness; a natural disaster that takes with it human life and property; unemployment or underemployment affecting physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. That “something” may happen to us, to someone near us, or to someone around the world, but in that moment, as circumstances suddenly change, our perspective is changed as well, and we may ask, “What really matters, after all?” The Good News of Jesus Christ focuses our attention beyond the mundane, toward that which is of lasting value. When our lives are directed by our relationship with the God of Love, we order our actions, words and attitudes to reflect that Love. That is the real meaning of our life in Christ, and the call of disciples and stewards. By seeing with the eyes of faith, we gain holy perspective and realize that our stewardship of life, time and resources is the means by which we show Christ’s love in the world. This article comes to you from Grace In Action (Our Sunday Visitor) courtesy of your parish or diocese.
Share by: