Kate – Page 10 – Daily Graces

The Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time – June 25, 2023

Published on June 23, 2023June 22, 2023 by Kate2 Comments

“So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” Matthew 10:31

Jesus and the inspired Gospel writers have an incredible way to pierce straight to the point of an issue. It’s probably a good thing no one was grading by word count because Jesus doesn’t add any more than necessary.

Fear is one of the basic human instincts after the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Fear of missing out, fear of the unknown, fear of the known, fear of bodily harm or illness, fear of betrayal, fear of loss. All of us is afraid of something. I would also imagine, all of us, to one degree or another, suffer from the same fear. It’s the fear Jesus directly addresses today – the fear that God doesn’t care what happens to me.

So much of society today is transactional at its core. I give you X and you give me Y. If something is offered “for free” the next question is, “What’s the catch?” We become so accustomed to this manner of relating to other people and the world in general that we use the same framework to relate to God.

When we try to make our relationship with God transactional, we immediately miss the boat. Fears and doubts crowd in. Why would God care about me? I fall into the same sins over and over again. Other people have way bigger problems than I do. I’m a nobody, surely someone more important in the world needs God’s help more than I do. What can I possibly offer God that would make Him want to spend time and energy on me?

Every single one of these sentiments are lies, and Jesus refutes each of them with His words for us today. The Gospel of John says,

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:16-17

The first part of this quote is often repeated in many Christian circles. But the second part is almost just as important. God sent Jesus out of love for each of us. And He didn’t send Jesus so that we would live in fear of condemnation, in fear of reprimand, or in fear of not being good enough. Jesus was sent, from a place of perfect love, to bring us back into relationship with our Creator.

God loves YOU. One of the best ways I believe to help remind yourself of this is to tell God you love Him. I heard in a homily recently that each morning and night, this particular deacon tells God “I love you.” We say I love you to our family, children, spouse, even friends. When is the last time you said those precious words to God?

Jesus tells us not to fear. We are beloved children of God, worth many sparrows. God cares deeply about each one of His children and this includes you. When you feel afraid, when you find yourself beset with worry or anxiety, tell God you love Him. Start your conversation from a place of love and be amazed at how that simple act of openness to God can allow Him to transform you.

P.S. I finished writing this post on Thursday afternoon. That evening, after dropping off some of our kids at an art class, I had the radio on. It was like God was curating a playlist for this post. Here are 4 songs I heard on the way to or from picking them up. I hope at least one of them speaks to your soul about God’s incredible love for you and how fear should not dictate your life.

Fear is Not My Future – Brandon Lake and Chandler Moore

I Have This Hope – Tenth Avenue North

Reckless Love – Cory Ashbury

How Far – Tasha Layton

Holy Spirit antics/I need to stay in the present moment

Published on June 16, 2023 by KateLeave a comment

Holy Spirit antics/I need to stay in the present moment

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus 2023

Published on June 16, 2023June 15, 2023 by KateLeave a comment

It’s pretty amazing that we are able to model our prayer after conversations with God. In today’s Gospel, Matthew gives us a glimpse into Jesus’ conversation with the Father. In Jesus’ prayer to the Father, He reveals the Father to His followers. By knowing Jesus, we come to know the Father. By following Jesus, we don’t just get to know of the Father’s existence, but we also learn how to communicate with Him and have a relationship with our Creator.

Jesus reveals something interesting about the human heart in this conversation with God.

I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Matthew 11:25

We can joke about becoming “nose blind” to familiar smells, even somewhat unpleasant ones. How often do we, or people we know, *ahem children!* seem to have selective hearing and only sometimes choose to answer when we call. There is something to be said along this vein of thought when it comes to our faith.

It can happen where we feel like we’ve already learned this stuff. “Yes, the Bible is God’s Word. Yep, the Eucharist is the True Presence of Jesus. Of course, Mary is the Mother of God. I got it Father, Mass is important. Jesus died so we can go to heaven. Great.” Every single one of these statements has the potential to radically transform our life, and yet how often do they fall on deaf ears. Not ears of unbelief, but of flatness, boredom, or, as Jesus points out, the learned one who mistakenly thinks they know this stuff.

If you don’t believe me, look at the Pharisees. They literally knew all the things they needed to know in order to believe Jesus was the Messiah. They knew the prophecies, the signs. They had all the knowledge and learning. Jesus was the key that fit perfectly into the lock they had studied for the majority of their lives. And still, they missed Him. They remained so focused on what they already knew they missed what He had to reveal.

While we did take a year off of homeschooling in favor of our local Catholic school last year, next year we will be back into homeschooling once more. One of the things I’m most looking forward to is the conversations we will have about our faith. Before sitting down to write this, I asked our oldest three kids if they had had any moments when they felt like God was talking to them or revealing something to them. I shared the Gospel passage and explained how sometimes, because kids are more open to receiving new information, God is able to speak a little more clearly to them. They gave their permission to share the experiences they had.

John, age 11, shared about how one night, about 3-4 years ago, he was woken up by a dream. He looked over at a picture of Mary and baby Jesus that was in his room. He said it looked like Mary was looking straight at him. He looked away and when he looked back, her gaze was back on baby Jesus in her arms. I asked him what he felt God was trying to tell him. He said that he knows Mary is always watching out for him, just like she always watched out for Jesus when he was a boy.

Rosie, age 10, shared about her 4th grade teacher. Above her teacher’s desk was a sign that hung up all year long, “Let go and let God.” Rosie talked about how her teacher emphasized this phrase often at the start of the year to help set the tone for the class. When things get frustrating, let them go and let God handle it. When you don’t get the grade you wanted, let go and let God inspire you to study harder next time. When you lose something, let go and let God bring it back to you if you are supposed to find it. Rosie said that after a year of considering this phrase, she feels a lot more peaceful and is finding it easier to trust God in her life.

Sweet Clare, age 8, had only this to say, “You know, I know God has shown me things, but I never realize it in the moment. I have to think about it more.”

Jesus speaks to us in a whole host of ways. He does not miss a single opportunity to reach out to us in love and tender mercy. His Sacred Heart is overflowing with love for you. Hear His words with fresh ears this week. If you can, talk to a child about God. See if they will share something new they’ve learned about Him. It might be something you’ve known for years, but can we really ever stop learning these mysteries? There is always more, there is always a deeper layer to uncover. Don’t be satisfied with a surface level understanding of your faith. Dig in, with childlike curiosity, joy, and openness to whatever God wants to reveal to you next.