Kate – Page 98 – Daily Graces

Guaranteed Right Answer

Published on November 15, 2015November 15, 2015 by KateLeave a comment

While in college, I participated in a music ministry program. We were a group of students, musically inclined, that studied the liturgy together and collaborated to select the music, coordinate the choirs, and play/sing at the Masses. We met periodically with the heads of the campus ministry music program to learn more about the liturgy, how to select appropriate music and grow together as a community.

In particular, we studied the Vatican II document Sacrosanctum Concillium (SC), the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. Periodically, we would have quizzes on what we were learning. Our liturgy director would jokingly say, “If you don’t know the answer, just put down SC #10. It covers everything. This is the famous source and summit passage. Simply put, the liturgy is both the source from which the Church and her people draw their faith and the summit toward which all the actions of the Church are aimed. It really encompasses everything.

As I was driving home with John from Sunday school, this memory came to mind. I had asked John what he had learned about that day. He did the typical “I don’t know.” I pressed him further, asking if they had heard any stories. He said, yes, one about Jesus. I asked what Jesus was doing in the story. “Dying on the cross” was his answer.

Now, it is very possible that they did talk about the sacrifice of Jesus, but I am inclined to think that they probably did other things, based on the papers he was sent home with. Regardless, John taught me a very important lesson about our faith.

When it all is boiled down, our faith is about the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, the Paschal Mystery. Without the Paschal Mystery, we just have a nice guy who said some unique things a long time ago. The power, the compelling witness, the suffering faith of Christians everywhere, comes from the Paschal Mystery – the source. As Christians, we are called to become Christ.

But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to live [just] as he lived. (1 John 2:5-6).

The summit.

So in a way, John got it right. Regardless of what they actually talked about, it can be traced back to the source, to Jesus. And at the same time, it pointed toward our ultimate goal, union with Jesus.

Where is Grace?

Published on November 14, 2015November 14, 2015 by KateLeave a comment

For a blog about finding daily grace, it has been so difficult to hear of the violence, hatred, and suffering that is happening daily in our world, in particular Beirut and Paris. In the face of such despair, it is tempting to cry out, “Where is God? Where is His presence? Where is His grace?” We might even be tempted to abandon our hope, to give into the false testimony of the Devil, for indeed he is the one nudging us on this path. When we are faced with feelings such as this, we must recall the promises God has made. The promise of His continued presence, of His loving mercy, and of His grace.

Where can I go from your spirit?

From your presence, where can I flee?

If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;

if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.

If I take the wings of dawn

and dwell beyond the sea,

Even there your hand guides me,

your right hand holds me fast.

Psalm 139: 7-10

The LORD’s acts of mercy are not exhausted,

his compassion is not spent;

They are renewed each morning—

great is your faithfulness!

Lamentations 3:22-23

So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

Hebrews 4:16

God’s grace is everywhere. However, because of our free will, it is up to us whether or not we choose to participate in it.

I leave you with this quote from Cardinal Vingt-Trois, the Archbishop of Paris:

Faced with the violence of men, may we receive the grace of a firm heart, without hatred. May the moderation, temperance and control that has been shown so far, be confirmed in the weeks and months to come; let no one indulge in panic or hatred. We ask that grace be the artisan of peace. We need never despair of peace if we build on justice.

Book Review: Couples Advent Devotional

Published on November 13, 2015 by KateLeave a comment

The season of Advent is my favorite liturgical season. I love the mood, the tempo, the music and the insistence on slowing down while the world is telling us to speed up. Each Advent, I look forward to experiencing unique reflections and powerful homilies that will inspire me for the new liturgical year. And, as a military spouse, I am always on the lookout for ways my husband and I can connect, emotionally and spiritually, when he is away from home. I was so excited to discover Patricia Mackie’s Couples Advent Devotional.

Patricia has crafted a devotional for couples that is specific for our new liturgical year. Each day you are invited to read and reflect on the daily Gospel. Then, there is a brief reflection, followed by 2-3 reflection questions that also serve as discussion starters for you and your spouse. This devotional is intended to be prayed aloud, together.

The reflection questions are really where Patricia shines. She goes right to the heart of marriage, pulling out topics like communication, needs and desires, stress, forgiveness, support and compassion, prayer, and so many more. She also weaves into the devotional a number of traditional Catholic prayers, including the Our Father, Hail Mary, Mary, Undoer of Knots, the Prayer of St. Francis, the Act of Contrition, and a number of others. Each prayer was clearly specifically chosen and it’s placement reinforces the theme being discussed.

I think that one of my favorite things about this devotional is that when prayed to its fullest, it is a dynamic experience. First and foremost, Patricia challenges the couples to pray every single day together. Every day! For 4 whole weeks! For many couples, especially those with children, it is struggle to find time to pray with this kind of intentionality every day. Having a resource like Couples Advent Devotional would help couples prioritize their time together and hopefully deepen their spiritual bond. Also, because the reflections are brief, couples will spend the majority of their prayer time together talking to one another, perhaps discussing things they have never discussed before. Second, Patricia encourages couples from the very beginning to stretch themselves beyond the four walls of their own home. In the first week alone, coupes are asked to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation and to discern some type of service experience their family can participate in during the season. Third, because the devotional is based on this specific liturgical year, couples will be able to connect what they are hearing at Mass with what they are discussing in their home.

I am very excited for Advent to begin this year. Couples that are looking for a way to connect daily on a deeper level and nurture their marriage need look no further. I highly recommend Patricia Mackie’s devotional and I hope that she continues the project for subsequent liturgical years.