The Catholic Servant Podcast: Recent Episodes
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A podcast for the faithful in business, ministries and apostolates who strive to give glory to God in all things while sharing valuable business or work-related tips and inspiring messages.
In this inspiring episode, Chris Carmona, shared his amazing faith journey, insights on Servant Leadership, and how it’s possible to be of service to God while building a successful business. Chris Carmona, is a CPA, and a founding partner of Schriver, Carmona & Company and has over nineteen years of public accounting experience. Chris’ experience […]
In this powerful episode, Mark John Crews shares his personal story, the power of foot washing, finding the Lord’s peace and healing through forgiveness and gratitude. Mark is a gifted speaker with the rare ability to blend faith and business, humility and enthusiasm, sincerity, and passion. He speaks openly and honestly from the heart about […]
In this powerful and insightful interview, author Everett Fritz shared about the art of forming young disciples and his ministry, St. Andrew Missionaries. Everett Fritz is the Founder and Executive Director of St. Andrew Missionaries and the author of two books – Freedom and The Art of Forming Young Disciples. He is the co-author of the Augustine […]
In this inspiring episode, Christina Semmens shares amazing insights on how to live as a Christian disciple and say YES to holiness. Christina is an author, speaker, coach, and spiritual mentor. She is a graduate of Marquette University, receiving both a Bachelor’s in both History and Theology and a minor in Military Science before entering […]
In this exciting episode, Justin Aquila explains the relationship between evangelization and catechesis. Justin currently serves as a theology teacher at Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and as an adjunct instructor of Theology at the University of Saint Francis. After working in politics in Washington D.C, Justin has spent the last 10 […]
In this inspiring episode, Carlos Briceño shared his faith journey filled with tragedy, supernatural joy, and the Lord’s peace. He accomplished this with what he refers to as the “Sacrament of the Present Moment.” Carlos is a Catholic journalist whose wife and daughter have terminal illnesses, a rare disease called Huntington’s. As a result of […]
In this touching episode, Cassandra Taylor shares her personal faith journey and insights that offer hope and healing to Catholics who struggle with infertility. Cassandra Taylor is a cradle Catholic who grew up in Central NJ. She married her husband Michael in 2016 after meeting him on CatholicMatch.com. Two years later Cassandra was diagnosed with […]
In this fascinating episode, Adamo Manfra passionately speaks about the Catholic view on the importance of FAMILY. Adamo Manfra is the Director of Stewardship and Engagement at Catholic Leadership Institute. He is responsible for supporting their various leadership and advisory boards and volunteer leadership as well as thanking and stewarding their generous community of supporters. […]
In this beautiful episode, Greg Aitchison shares his amazing conversion story plus how the Holy Spirit has driven him to help Catholic religion teachers through CatholicReligionTeacher.com with original and engaging resources. Greg is a husband, father, and teacher of the Catholic faith. After experiencing a strong reversion to Catholicism and spending time discerning the priesthood, […]
In this thought-provoking episode, Eric Sammons touches on the historical and theological journey that explains the indifference that plagues our Church. This discussion is based on his book Deadly Indifference: How the Church Lost Its Mission and How We Can Reclaim It published by Sophia Institute Press. Eric Sammons is a husband, father (of seven), […]
In this inspiring episode, Dr. Paul Chaloux shares his personal testimony and his amazing book Why People Suffer: How a Loving God Uses Suffering to Perfect Us. Paul earned a PhD in moral theology and currently teaches theology as an adjunct professor at the Catholic University of America and serves as a catechist at St. Agnes […]
In this episode, EWTN’s Dr. Ray details the fundamentals of Christian psychology in his incomparable down-to-earth style, directing us first to the root of all healthy counseling: the words of the Redeemer. Dr. Ray Guarendi is a Catholic father of ten adopted children, a clinical psychologist, author, professional speaker, and national radio and television host. His […]
In this episode, EWTN's Dr. Ray details the fundamentals of Christian psychology in his incomparable down-to-earth style, directing us first to the root of all healthy counseling: the words of the Redeemer.
Dr. Ray Guarendi is a Catholic father of ten adopted children, a clinical psychologist, author, professional speaker, and national radio and television host. His radio show, “The Dr. Is In” can be heard on over 440 stations and his TV show, “Living Right With Dr. Ray” can be seen on EWTN.
In this episode, Dr. Martin and Theresa Owen share about Women’s Health and Restorative, Integrative, and Functional approaches to Fertility, and their work developing Vitae CME.
Dr. Martin Owen is the founder of VitaeCME.com. He is a family physician, who is passionate about Restorative Reproductive Medicine. Along with his wife Theresa, they are forging ahead into the CME world to empower physicians with the tools they need to cure, treat and heal women.
In this episode, Noelle Mering brilliantly tackles the issues of the Catholic faithful in regards to the cult of progressive ideology.
Noelle Mering is a Fellow at the Washington D.C. based think tank, the Ethics and Public Policy Center. She is the author of the book, Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology (TAN Books). She is an editor for the website Theology of Home and a coauthor of the books Theology of Home and Theology of Home II. She writes on culture, politics, and religion and has published in National Review, The Federalist, The American Mind, Catholic World Report, and National Catholic Register. Her writing has been featured on Instapundit, EWTN, New Advent, Big Pulpit, Catholic Herald, Albert Mohler’s The Briefing, Fox News Radio, and Relevant Radio. Noelle is a wife and mother of six children in Southern California.
In this episode, Molly Roman and I discuss her book “How to Be Good at Life: Creating a Brilliant Life through Faith, Hope, and Love” and how to help your fallen-away adult child come back to the Faith.
Molly Roman, hailing Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a Life Coach, Author and Mom of 3. After graduating college, she quickly experienced that life isn’t as straight-forward as it appeared. After several conversations with God and a commitment to personal growth, Molly created joy, meaning, fulfillment and love in an otherwise vacant life (and discovered the tools necessary to do so!). Today, Molly enjoys helping others discover and live their true potential by teaching how Faith, Hope and Love works with us to create meaningful results in our own lives and the lives of those we touch.
If you love listening to Christ-centered and inspiring music, then this episode is a real treat! Faithful and talented musician, Harley Packer, will sing "live" and share his conversion story. You don't want to miss this!
Harley is a Catholic speaker, singer, and songwriter who grew up in Estevan Saskatchewan Canada. Over the past twenty five years he has been involved in various volunteer and paid ministries and has spoken at many parishes and high schools in Canada and the USA. His goal as a Catholic speaker is to help people overcome fear, anxiety and hopelessness with FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.
Most importantly, Harley is a happy, healthy, grateful man who lives with his wife and enjoys spending time with family, especially his four grandchildren.
In this episode, we have our special guest Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, who will talk about his book Diary of an American Exorcist: Demons, Possession, and the Modern-Day Battle against Ancient Evil.
Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti, Ph.D., is the President of the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal and a research associate professor at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. A licensed psychologist and the author of several books, Msgr. Rossetti has participated in hundreds of exorcisms. During his journey to priesthood, he experienced a spiritual episode in which, “in two seconds I learned 80 percent of what an exorcist needs to know.”
In this episode, Bobby Contreras discusses what all Catholics should know about the relics of St. Micheal and how to consecrate oneself to this protective Archangel warrior.
Bobby Contreras has been self-employed most of his adult life. Bobby is married to his amazing wife Elizabeth for 12 years, raising 4 beautiful children.
They are very active with their faith and share their time with 2 different ministries. Bobby was a former Catechist teacher, former altar server, & former extraordinary minister.
The first ministry that Bobby & Elizabeth volunteer with is the Divine Mercy Corporation.
Check out www.divinemercycorp.com for details. They are lay apostles and work very closely with Padre Martin Scott, who is their family's Spiritual Father. They support his ministry in many various ways through the 12 years they have worked with him. The second ministry Bobby & Elizabeth volunteer with is the Congregation of St Michael the Archangel (C.S.M.A.) otherwise known as the Michaelite Fathers where they have been assisting the ministry for 2 years.
Check out www.stmichaelthearchangel.info. They work to spread the devotion of St Michael and the Archangels(St Gabriel, St Raphael) plus they want to help you grow closer to your own Guardian Angel.
Emily Ricci shares unique marketing strategies for Catholics in business, ministries, or apostolates.
Emily Ricci is the president and founder of Gloriam Marketing, a Catholic marketing and creative agency that serves churches and Catholic organizations as a partner in evangelization. She holds a master’s degree in Theology from the Augustine Institute and is also an adjunct professor of Religious Studies. As a research and literary enthusiast, she is passionate about God, Jane Austen, and the Oxford comma (in that order). Emily lives in New York (the state, not the city) with her husband and their five-month-old daughter.
Today we have our special guest Thomas Fortunato, and today we'll be discussing how to talk to evangelicals about our Catholic faith and share about a new project he’s developing in Ghana. Thomas is an experienced English language instructor for 20 years. Early next year he plans on opening a pilot program for an English language immersion community. He is studying for a degree in educational Business Administration with a focus on entrepreneurship and aims bring people together through hospitality, humility, and friendship. Thomas is a husband and father to 4 children ranging in ages from 13-30.
Laura wrote a beautiful book, The Passion Suffered by the Heart of Jesus: Prayerful Reflections on the Stations of the Cross, and I couldn't put it down! Yes, I binge-read this heart-touching book because it really spoke to my brokenness. This book reminds me of how much I am loved by Jesus, and that, there is no amount of brokenness that God's love cannot transcend with the gift of Jesus on the Cross.
Dan Burke blessed our little podcast by sharing some valuable insights about the interior life. We talked about his book, Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits, and Dan generously answered the questions: How can I find more joy in my life? Is it possible to be totally and completed free from a history of abuse and trauma? How can I adjust my thinking while in desolation in order to better overcome it?
I found a treasure with nuggets of wisdom related to raising strong Catholic children and I can't wait to share it with you! My conversation with Kim Cameron-Smith about her book Discipleship Parenting: Planting the Seeds of Faith, was an eye-opener for me. Kim said that, as parents, two of our primary duties are to evangelize our children and "relationship formation so that catechesis takes hold and faith is "sticky." It's that sticky faith that forms part of their identity and the way they perceive themselves in the future." She also talks about what to do when we feel poorly prepared to evangelize our children and what to do when we're feeling overwhelmed.
The state of the world as it is today has been challenging on so many levels - particularly in the area of Catholic parenting. With the prospect of living a "normal" life appearing to be far off in the horizon, I ask Patrick pointed questions on how to better navigate parenting so that our family units stay intact. Of course, Patrick is generous in his practical and simple solutions, which make them easy to grasp and implement. We also talked about his other specialty, Catholic evangelization where Patrick gave us a sneak-peek into a ground-breaking book he has coming up soon. I'm so grateful for Patrick and the entire Evango team.
In these turbulent times for the Church, Mary is who we need to keep us focused on Jesus. Ray Sullivan and I have a lively discussion about the state of our Church, Marian Consecration, advice for sharing the Faith, and pan dulce!
This interview inspired me with hope in the beauty of our Catholic faith and its ability to be a light for us now and generations to come. A Church, both institutionally and within the family, can be rebuilt with the "logic of Grace" as described by Brandon, in his book, The Prodigal Church: Restoring Catholic Tradition in an Age of Deception.
If you're looking for hope in the muddy waters of the Church in spiritual distress, you will love this episode.
Welcome to Day 9 of the Novena to St. Ann. I'm Alexandra Kubebatu, host of The Catholic Servant Podcast. This novena was provided courtesy of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers at St. Ann's Shrine in Cleveland, Ohio, and you can find it at the link below. Let us begin...
Day 9 - Novena to St. Ann
Welcome to Day 8 of the Novena to St. Ann. I'm Alexandra Kubebatu, host of The Catholic Servant Podcast. This novena was provided courtesy of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers at St. Ann's Shrine in Cleveland, Ohio, and you can find it at the link below. Let us begin...
Day 8 - Novena to St. Ann
Welcome to Day 7 of the Novena to St. Ann. I'm Alexandra Kubebatu, host of The Catholic Servant Podcast. This novena was provided courtesy of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers at St. Ann's Shrine in Cleveland, Ohio, and you can find it at the link below. Let us begin...
Day 7 - Novena to St. Ann
Welcome to Day 6 of the Novena to St. Ann. I'm Alexandra Kubebatu, host of The Catholic Servant Podcast. This novena was provided courtesy of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers at St. Ann's Shrine in Cleveland, Ohio, and you can find it at the link below. Let us begin...
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/day-six-13462
Welcome to Day 5 of the Novena to St. Ann. I'm Alexandra Kubebatu, host of The Catholic Servant Podcast. This novena was provided courtesy of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers at St. Ann's Shrine in Cleveland, Ohio, and you can find it at the link below. Let us begin...
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/day-five-13461
Welcome to Day 4 of the Novena to St. Ann. I'm Alexandra Kubebatu, host of The Catholic Servant Podcast. This novena was provided courtesy of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers at St. Ann's Shrine in Cleveland, Ohio, and you can find it at the link below. Let us begin...
Day 3 – Novena to St. Ann
Welcome to Day 3 of the Novena to St. Ann. My name Alexandra Kubebatu, host of The Catholic Servant Podcast. This novena was provided courtesy of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers at St. Ann's Shrine in Cleveland, Ohio, and you can find it at the link below. Let us begin...
Day 3 - Novena to St. Ann
Welcome to Day 2 of the Novena to St. Ann. My name Alexandra Kubebatu, host of The Catholic Servant Podcast. This novena was provided courtesy of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers at St. Ann's Shrine in Cleveland, Ohio, and you can find it at the link below. Let us begin...
Day 2- Novena to St. Ann
Welcome to Day 1 of the Novena to St. Ann. I'm Alexandra Kubebatu, host of The Catholic Servant Podcast. This novena was provided courtesy of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers at St. Ann's Shrine in Cleveland, Ohio, and you can find it at the link below. Let us begin...
Novena to St. Ann
https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/day-one-13457
Are you or someone you know an adult child of divorced parents? Divorce can cause numerous wounds to all involved. Sometimes others try minimize the damage caused by divorce by saying things like, “Children are resilient. They’ll be ok.” But the truth is, as I’ve learned from first-hand experience, is that divorce ALWAYS hurts. No one escapes unharmed.
In this episode, Anne DeSantis and I discuss the many shades of pain caused by divorce and what we can do to heal. Both Anne and I are adult children of divorced parents. I share some of the many ways divorce had affected me in my adult life and in my married life.
[LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE WITH HEADPHONES. THE CONTENT IS INTENDED FOR ADULTS. USE DISCRETION AROUND CHILDREN.]
Steve Pokorny is one of my most candid guests on the podcast thus far. In both Catholic and non-Catholic circles, there are very few people with the passion and insights into how to unchain and heal from the grips of porn more than Steve. He has the courage of a knight battling against the darkness, with Christ at his side, to help those in the grips of porn addiction.
In this interview, Steve shares his personal testimony as he fought through childhood wounds and events that led him into bouts of despair and self-loathing, and how, with the grace of God, finally overcame porn addiction. He also shares tips on how we can protect ourselves and our children from this silent evil.
Steve holds an MA in theology and a specialization in catechetics from Franciscan University of Steubenville, as well as an MTS from the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Studies in Washington D.C. Steve is a Certified Life Coach from the Life Coach Training Institute. Author of "Redeemed Vision: Setting the Blind Freed from the Pornified Culture," Steve also is an internationally-known speaker, speaking with a wide variety audiences on many topics. He is married and lives with his family in San Antonio, Texas.
Alan Ames is "a visionary of our times gifted with the gifts of the Holy Spirit." In this interview, I was personally touched by the special message from our Lord that Alan wanted to share with our listeners. Alan has had physical encounters with our Lord, Jesus Christ, and our Blessed Mother Mary. His gift of healing has been documented worldwide. I also share about the physical and spiritual healing I received after attending one of Alan's healing services. Alan is also an author of countless books that have changed the lives of both believers and unbelievers alike.
Alan shared his conversion story plus I dare to ask him...
- What do Jesus and Mary look like?
- Describe briefly how the book "Through The Eyes Of Jesus" came about and if it's true that it has been translated in the 20 different languages?
- Of all your experiences over the past 24 years, which one had the most profound effect on you?
- Can you tell us about the new book that just came out "All That I Am," why you wrote it, and how it's affecting people?
- Why is confession so important and what has the Lord told you about this sacrament?
- What would the Lord say to those who are really struggling in life right now and are really going through a very difficult time?
Father Nathan Cromly is a soul on fire to help raise up Christians to lead their families, their Church, and their world and, as he said in this episode, "fight the good fight, to sharpen their swords and swing them because at this moment in time, souls are going to their peril because there is a lack of leaders willing to fight for them."
Father Nathan is an informative and engaging speaker, writer, retreat leader, explorer, innovator, educator, and fire-starter for the Lord. He’s appeared multiple times on Catholic Radio and EWTN’s Life on the Rock, Father Mitch Live, and Women of Grace, and co-produced documentaries.
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, he has joyfully served as a Catholic priest of the Brothers of Saint John for 12 years, and currently ministers in Denver, Colorado. Father Nathan’s spiritual direction, teaching, and dynamic witness has touched the lives of tens of thousands of children, teenagers, married couples, business professionals, and families.
Father Nathan’s ministry has flourished by God’s grace. He began Eagle Eye Ministries in 2003; it is now home to six forms of outreach to teens and young adults. In 2015, he opened the Saint John Institute (SJI) —a unique program in which young adults earn an accredited Masters degree while receiving spiritual formation from the Brothers of Saint John. In the Spring of 2018, SJI celebrated its first graduating class, sending its graduates to work for the Lord in the for-profit world. Inspiring and equipping great talent for the Lord’s harvest, Eagle Eye Ministries and the Saint John Institute serve to raise up the spirit of the new evangelization in young people and send missionary entrepreneurs into the Church.
This ministry, carried by his passionate concern for forming and sending prayerful Catholic leaders into the world, has blossomed into the Faith and Leadership Consortium. Through formation and fellowship and prayer, leaders in business and in culture can find the help they need to dare great things for Christ. Above all else, Father Nathan is a Catholic priest. He has dedicated his priesthood to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and is humbled to serve Christ’s people so long as God gives him the opportunity.
How to reach Father Nathan:
Website: Eagle Eye Ministries https://www.eagleeyeministries.org
Website: Saint John Institute https://www.saintjohninstitute.org/
Email: info@eagleeyeministries.org
Phone: (303) 876-7695 ext. 1
Jesse Romero wrote an amazing book called The Devil in the City of Angels, and in this interview, he brings to light some of the overt workings of the evil one. His book chronicles his experiences with the diabolical, gives insights into the ways the enemy gains entry into souls, and practical advice to help protect ourselves and our families from evil. This book is not for the faint-of-heart. It's intense, enlightening, and terrifying at the same time!
Jesse holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles, CA and he has a Masters Degree in Catholic Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. As the proud parents of Paul, Annmarie and Joshua, Jesse and his wife Anita have been happily married since 1983.
After rediscovering his Catholic roots, Jesse studied and prayed his way back to a fervent on–going practice of the Catholic Faith. Through his vast experiences with non–Catholics and fallen–away Catholics alike, Jesse has become proficient on how to “speak the truth in charity” (Ephesians 4:15) and is very effective at bringing them into the fullness of truth found only in the Catholic Church.
Jesse is available to speak to your group or conference in English or Spanish about Catholic Evangelization, Topical Bible Studies, Apologetics, Marriage & Family, Spiritual Warfare, Men’s topics, Teen topics and Culture War issues that affect Catholics. If you would like to book him for your conference or event, check out the calendar and get in touch with him.
How to reach Jesse:
Website: https://jesseromero.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OnFireEvangelization
Radio Show: https://virginmostpowerfulradio.org/
Email: contact@jesseromero.com
Buy The Devil in the City of Angels book by Jesse Romero here: https://amzn.to/2oK93eV *This episode includes affiliate links that help support The Catholic Servant Podcast apostolate.
Diane Carr has the unique gift of teaching others how to communicate in a way that leads souls to Christ. She shares valuable insights for all evangelists who share their testimonies to honor and glorify God for the New Evangelization. Diane shares some of her experiences and struggles sharing her faith story through public speaking and how she overcame them.
Diane is an Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology. She holds an M.A. in Theology and is the Coordinator of the Prayerfully Speaking Initiative of the Institute for Christian Spirituality. A popular speaker, Diane gives parish missions, retreats, workshops and lectures on topics in spirituality and evangelization. She trains seminarians, deacons, permanent deacon candidates, religious and laity on how to prayerfully speak about faith for the new evangelization.
How to reach Diane:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianecarrfan/
Anna Nuzzo shares her inspiring story of how, after consecrating herself to Jesus through Mary with Father Michael Gaitley's book 33 Days to Morning Glory , our Blessed Mother led her to use her angelic voice and musical prowess to reach souls all around the world.
Anna is an acclaimed Int’l Catholic Recording Artist, Singer and Songwriter widely known for her consoling music and beautiful prayer songs. Since her Marian Consecration in 2012, she has felt called to write and spread songs of prayer and hope, reminding others of God’s unending love and mercy. Anna has been blessed to sing around the world, including the Holy Land, Italy, the Vatican, Medjugorje, Trinidad, Canada, Carnegie Hall and across the USA. She is a TV Host for Shalom World TV and also leads Int’l Pilgrimages. She has been featured on many radio, web and TV interviews, including EWTN, Relevant Radio and Shalom World. She resides in Kenosha, WI with her husband and two sons. She has 5 albums available.
In this episode, you'll get to listen to three of Anna's breath-taking songs PLUS their backstories: Falling On My Knees (skip to 24:42 to listen) The Face That I Seek (skip to 33:55 to listen) Marian Consecration Song (skip to 42:36 to listen) How to reach Anna:
Website: AnnaNuzzo.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/annanuzzo78
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anna.curinuzzo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna.nuzzo/
Resources:
Anna Nuzzo Upcoming Events http://www.annanuzzo.com/events
More About Jeannie Ewing https://jeannieewing.com/
Buy 33 Days to Morning Glory book by Father Michael Gaitley here. https://amzn.to/2n8nicL
Video about the Holy Veil of Manopello https://youtu.be/4qCNO1JzV_M
###### *This episode includes affiliate links that help support The Catholic Servant Podcast apostolate.
https://youtu.be/opnyKbUSNDQ Divine Mercy by Anna Nuzzo https://youtu.be/_cdngHHzsDk Ave Maria by Anna Nuzzo
Transcript:
This past weekend I spoke on the topic of attaining the Lord’s Peace at the Catholic Women’s Conference organized by the Pilgrim Center of Hope in San Antonio. It was such a beautiful experience and I met many women who shared their struggles with interior peace due to many difficult personal and family circumstances. They were very loving and faithful women who needed a little reminder that their suffering is not in vain. Suffering can bear much fruit with our every effort to look beyond our circumstances and gaze into the eyes of Jesus on the Cross.
At the conference, I also shared a number of resources that anyone can use to help them learn more about what it takes to receive the gift of the Lord’s Peace. Like I mentioned in episode 39, we can’t make Peace happen. God has to bestow it upon us if we prepare our souls with genuine love for the Lord.
There are so many resources to learn more about acquiring Peace, but after doing extensive research on the topic, here are my top 5, but keep in mind our Holy Bible is above everything so I’m not adding it to the list and chances are, you already have one:
Searching for and Maintaining Peace - book by Father Jacques Philippe -Buy it here - https://amzn.to/2mzrxgA
Lift up Your Heart: Guide to Spiritual Peace - book by Fulton J. Sheen - Buy it here - https://amzn.to/2kWtRxQ
Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence – book by Father J.P. De Caussaude - Buy it here - https://amzn.to/2l1uYMU
The QA Guide to Mental Prayer – book by Connie Rossini - Buy it here - https://amzn.to/2n1PTjw
How to Pray Like Mary – book by Sonja Corbitt - Buy it here -https://amzn.to/2mzunlK
Let’s close this episode with a prayer…
Glory be to the Father…
You’ll find the transcript to this episode at TheCatholicServant.com/peace-resources and please share it with someone who may need today’s message. You’ll also find links to the books mentioned if you wish to purchase one. These are affiliate links so if you buy one of these invaluable resources for your spiritual growth, you’ll be supporting this family apostolate, The Catholic Servant Podcast. And please continue to send me your prayer requests to Alexandra@TheCatholicServant.com so we can lift you up in prayer during our next family Rosary.
May you have a blessed and prayerful week.
Transcript:
Peace…it’s a funny thing how this lovely fruit of the Holy Spirit seems so close yet so far at times. It seems just out of our grasp most days and right when we think it’s within our reach, it slips through our fingers. It appears that the harder we try the further we are from the most highly coveted gift - the Lord’s Peace. After all, that’s why we stressed about educating ourselves as young adults and finding the highest paying job we could get without experience. That’s why we endured a job we hated for so many years so we could move up the ladder of success and finally be at Peace. That’s why we married him – to share our misery with someone and find healing and finally be at Peace. Or we married him so we could raise the family we only dreamed of and take trips and make memories and finally be at Peace. Once we were married, we worked ourselves to death inside or outside the home to make sure our family had everything they needed and finally be at Peace. We volunteer at our parishes, tithe at Mass, give to the homeless to alleviate the gnawing dis-ease in our hearts and satisfy our desire to give-back to finally be at Peace.
But somehow, Peace seems to escape us. There’s always a loved one who makes that wrong choices, a job that gives us no security, one health condition after another, and there’s always something breaking down at home, or a car that needs repair. There’s never enough money, never enough patience, never enough Peace!
Please keep in mind that, when I speak about being anxious or sad, I’m not talking about clinical depression and anxiety. When I encourage you to have peace in all circumstances, I’m not asking that we be content with extreme cases of abuse or catastrophic events. I’m referring to the everyday life situations we find ourselves in as friends, moms, daughters, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers.
How do we find the Lord’s Peace? We know prayer is the answer. It’s absolutely the answer but often a short-lived answer that lasts up until we lose our wallet, a family member’s in an accident, we get rejected by someone we love, or we get laid-off. Then no amount of prayer can settle the dis-ease in our hearts. Our prayers turn into pleading for relief from the pain and suffering. “Dear Lord, please take this cup from me!”
How many times do we get trapped in the if-only’s. If only I earned more money, I wouldn’t have to work so much. If only I could afford a housekeeper or a cook, I could spend more time with the kids, grandkids, and my husband. If only I had more time, I’d spend more time in prayer. If only that difficult person saw things from my point-of-view, we’d get along better. Instead of embracing the Will of God, the world tells us that only WE can decide what’s best for us. That somehow, we, with our little minds and limited foresight can decide what brings us to the ultimate peace and happiness. It’s in our human nature to want to design our life and fill it with worldly things only to find that we’re chasing the wind and building houses out of sand.
In any case, the fallacy of “balance” stems from our belief that Peace can be acquired from something outside ourselves. The world tells us that balance means taking time to indulge ourselves in a massage, time alone to read a good book, treat ourselves to something we love, or spend more time with the kids. These things are definitely good and necessary, but they are not the answer to attaining balance and ultimately, the Lord’s Peace.
We can’t make Peace happen. Peace is a gift from the Prince of Peace himself, our Lord Jesus Christ. All we can DO is prepare our interior dispositions to receive this beautiful grace. We are made for God.
My sisters-in-Christ, the core of every evil we will ever face starts in the same place for all of us – our tireless and relentless thoughts. The enemy starts with the same weapon – placing doubt in our hearts of God’s love and good Will for us. When we lose our Peace, it is a sign that our Faith is being attacked.
In the book, Searching For and Maintaining Peace, by Fr. Jacques Phillipe, he says that only by acquiring the Lord’s peace of heart and mind is God able to perform good works. He illustrates it this way. “Consider the surface of the lake, above which the sun is shining. If the surface of the lake is peaceful and tranquil, the sun will be reflected in the lake; and the more peaceful the lake, the more perfectly will it be reflected. If, on the contrary, the surface of the lake is agitated, undulating, then the image of the sun cannot be reflected in it.”
- Does this mean God asks us to do nothing to change our situation? Does this mean we should take on a passive role and simply not take responsibility for our lives?
Fr. Jacques Phillipe says that we should take action and do everything to resolve the conflicts in our lives, BUT only with the gentle and peaceful disposition of the Holy Spirit. Not with discouragement, dis-ease, agitation, or excessive rushing.
- Does this mean we need to become self-centered, insensitive, or indifferent to our own needs or the needs of others?
On the contrary, having true peace and total dependence on God frees us to love and be of greater service to others. This was one of Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s secret of life-long service.
So we’ve come to the questions.
- What is the necessary disposition of heart in order to attain the Lord’s peace? If peace is not inaction and laziness, then what must I DO? How do we get there?
My husband and I were late bloomers. We met in our mid-thirties, got married, had our first child when I was 36 and the other 3 in our 40’s. Having lived the single life for so long, I had a lot of time to think about the kind of man I wanted to marry, the house I wanted, the car I wanted, the trips I wanted to take, the number of children I wanted to have naturally with no anesthesia, the kind of stay-at-home mom I wanted to be, you name it, I visualized it. Of course, because I spent my younger years absorbing what the world teaches…you can be what you want to be, you can have what you want to have, and no one knows what makes you happy better than you. I clearly remember asking God to send me a man with a strong Catholic faith and prayer life. That was the most important thing to me. Having been raised in a dysfunctional home with an absent father, I knew in my heart that my path to healing had to come from God and I wanted a man who would lead our family to Jesus through prayer. But I think God looked at my list of things I wanted in life and laughed. He was like nope, nope, nope, nope, strong Catholic man – ok, nope, and nope. One thing I’ve learned is that when God says “yes” to something, He gives it abundantly. He blessed me with a man who has 4 uncles who are Catholic priests and a sister whose a nun. My husband makes it a point that we pray as a family daily and a weekly family Rosary. When we met I was whoa, Lord, I’m not that Catholic yet but I’m so grateful. I will honor and cherish this man for the rest of my life. But nothing else on my little list came to fruition and it drove me crazy. The world says I deserve what I want so why don’t I have it? As a real go-getter, I was all for going after what you want and working relentlessly to get it. To ask God what He wanted wasn’t even an option.
My brothers and sisters, one of the biggest sources of pain we experience is learning to let-go of our ideas of what life should be and embrace what God knows is best for us. Not because He doesn’t want us to experience the beauty of His Creation in this life, but because he wants us to experience the beauty of Heaven in the life hereafter. True love, true beauty, true Peace.
Sometimes we overthink and worry so much that we remove ourselves from the only place we’re ever going to find Peace – the dwelling place of the Lord called “the present moment.”
Father J.P. de Cassaude wrote in his book Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence that,
“The present moment is the manifestation of the Name of God and the coming of His Kingdom. The present moment is always the ambassador who declares the order of God. The heart always pronounces its fiat. The soul pours itself forth by all these means into its center and goal; it never stops, it travels by all winds; all routes and methods advance it equally on its journey to the high sea of the Infinite. Everything is a means and an instrument of holiness; everything without any exception. The ‘one thing necessary’ is always to be found by the soul in the present moment. There is no need to choose between prayer and silence, privacy or conversation, reading or writing, reflection or the abandonment of thought, the frequentation or avoidance of spiritual people, abundance or famine, illness or health, life or death; the ‘one-thing necessary’ is what each moment produces by God’s design. In this consists the stripping, the self-abnegation, the renunciation of the creature in order to be nothing by or for oneself, in order to remain as regards everything in God’s order at His pleasure, finding one’s only contentment in bearing the present moment, as if there were nothing else in the world to expect.”
Here are 4 ways we can prepare our hearts to receive the gift of Peace… * 1 - Bring to light the subtle ways the enemy agitates you by journaling all your worries and fears in a notebook then turning them into a prayer of abandonment to Divine Providence.
I find journaling to be a tremendous tool for healing and spiritual growth and all you need is a 50 cent spiral notebook and a pen. This is what I did to help me heal from a horrifying event that caused me serious spiritual, mental and emotional trauma. Back in 2010, my husband and I were living in a Mexican border town, when 3 armed me home invaded us. I had lost my peace for a very long time but journaling helped me return my heart to God and gain a little bit of the Lord’s peace, that of which I had never known before the incident. Father Jacques Phillipe says that God doesn’t expect us to be perfectly peaceful in times of turmoil. Our efforts to trust Him more and more each time will be rewarded with the grace of His Peace. It is not necessary to resolve every problem, what’s necessary is that we open our hearts bit by bit to trust Him more and more and remain still.
Let us ask the Lord for His peace and increased trust in God because only this way can we make right decisions and see things clearly. St Ignatius of Loyola says that in the spiritual life, there are moments of peace and consolation and there are moments of struggle and desolation. We won’t always feel the Lord near us but it’s small acts of Faith, in spite of how we feel, that help us earn the grace of Peace.
- 2 - Establish a daily practice of mental prayer.
Saint Teresa of Ávila says:
“Mental prayer, in my opinion, is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.”
Connie Rossini, author of The QA Guide to Mental Prayer, says that, “Teresa sees two aspects to mental prayer: sharing with a friend (remembering that this Friend is far above you, but nevertheless calls you into an intimate relationship with himself); and time set aside specifically to be alone with God. The word mental signifies that this prayer comes from your own mind, rather than being written down by some-one else, as in vocal prayer. It is usually a silent prayer,but does not always have to be. When you spend time with a friend, you do not usually recite to him or her someone else’s words about friendship. When you spend time with a spouse, you don’t usually read Shakespeare’s sonnets to that person. Instead, you speak from the heart. You know you can share your deepest self with your companion, because you love one another and will not reject each other. The time you spend together draws you even closer.”
- 3 - Embrace little acts of mortification to slowly detach yourself from your own Will.
Father John Bartunek says in an article on SpiritualDirection.com that, “The root word for “mortification” comes from the Latin, mors and mortis, and it translates as “death.” In the spiritual life, therefore, mortification refers to voluntary actions by which we gradually “put to death” all of our vices, sinful habits, and the self-centered tendencies that lurk beneath them. Spiritual writers use terms like abnegation, sacrifice, self-sacrifice, and self-denial to refer to the same thing.
CCC #2015 says, “The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes: He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows.”
St. John of the Cross says that we must aim to have perfect detachment from created things in order to be perfectly attached to God and go to Heaven. In heaven, souls have perfect detachment, where as in hell, we have constant attachments… no exceptions, no middle ground.
- 4 - Practice self-abandonment to God’s Will through conscious acts of Faith.
CCC #305 Jesus asks for childlike abandonment to the providence of our
heavenly Father who takes care of his children's smallest needs:
"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What
shall we drink?". . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things
shall be yours as well."
In Father JP de Caussade’s book, Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence, he says, “The will of God gives to all things a supernatural and divine value for the soul submitting to it. The duties it imposes, and those it contains, with all the matters over which it is diffused, become holy and perfect, because, being unlimited in power, everything it touches shares its divine character. But in order not to stray either to the right or to the left the soul should only attend to those inspirations which it believes it has received from God, by the fact that these inspirations do not withdraw it from the duties of its state. Those duties are the most clear manifestation of the will of God, and nothing should take their place; in them there is nothing to fear, nothing to exclude, nor anything to be chosen. The time occupied in the fulfilment of these duties is very precious and very salutary for the soul by the indubitable fact that it is spent in accomplishing this holy will. The entire virtue of all that is called holy is in its approximation to this order established by God; therefore nothing should be rejected, nothing sought after, but everything accepted that is ordained and nothing attempted contrary to the will of God.”
This is very good news but what does this mean? It means that as long we strive to fulfill our duties according to our state in life, we are living in accordance to the Will of God. This is self-abandonment to the Will of God. It is simple. We as humans, complicate things by interjecting our own wills and ideas of what we think life should be. Living in the present moment and devoting every little and seemingly insignificant action to glorify God is all that’s needed to abandon ourselves to Divine Providence. This sanctifies everything we do if we make our desire to do God’s Will first in our lives. Therefore, mopping the floor, if done for the glory of God, is just as sanctifying as going overseas as a missionary. Cooking your family meals or playing with your children is just as sanctifying as serving the poor in a half-way house.
St. Therese of Lisieux, who wanted more than anything to work as a missionary, never had the opportunity to do so, but her laying in bed, suffering for the love of Christ, writing Story of a Soul, and devoting her days and nights to prayer, sanctified her earthly life which evidently lead her Heaven. She says, “I understood that all we accomplish, however brilliant, is worth nothing without love." And Saint Therese revealed the secret to attaining the Lord’s Peace in this life when she said, “Jesus has chosen to show me the only way which leads to the Divine Furnace of love; it is the way of childlike self-surrender, the way of a child who sleeps, afraid of nothing, in his father's arms."
My brothers and sisters in Christ, let us take comfort in John 16:33 “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
Live in the present moment. “Do not be anxious about tomorrow.” Trust in God with all your heart. Don’t be tormented, God will give you what you need at the right time.
Let’s pray together as the Lord taught us…
In the name of the Father…
Our Father, who art in Heaven…
You’ll find the transcript to this episode at TheCatholicServant.com/peace and please share it with someone who may need today’s message. And, also continue to send me your prayer requests to Alexandra@TheCatholicServant.com so we can lift you up in prayer during our next family Rosary.
May you have a blessed and prayerful week.
Kevin Stephenson is currently in the Deaconate program for the Catholic Diocese of Tulsa. He currently serves as a full-time Board Certified Staff Hospital (acute care) Chaplain for Ascension/Saint John Health System. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor for the State of Oklahoma. He holds a Masters of Divinity and Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Oral Roberts University. Kevin is married to his wife, Monica, and is a father of six children and eight grandchildren.
In this episode, Kevin shares how he found healing in the process of converting to Catholicism. As a Catholic counselor, he speaks about several spiritual tools we have available to us as Catholics that can help us heal childhood wounds and overcome generational spirits that may be haunting our families.
How to reach Kevin:
Website: https://associationofcatholiccounselors.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/romancatholiccounseling
Email: catholicevangelism1@gmail.com
Phone: (918) 406-6682
Resources:
Spiritual Approaches to Healing Addiction Book
Buy it here - https://amzn.to/2muimy4
Spiritual Approaches to Healing Addiction Workbook
Buy it here - https://amzn.to/2lxBdrN
True Stories from the Dance Floor: The things we learn when dancing with others
Buy it here - https://amzn.to/2mrRz5v
Journey Home Article - Kevin's Conversion Story
https://chnetwork.org/story/charismatic-comes-home-conversion-story-kevin-stephenson/?fbclid=IwAR34APu7qZy9c3tkgVBjYzFtlfU55v4egnj3tzk1Zg_LqVUDmJVaoVx-TTY
https://youtu.be/6116lmB_8Ok Kevin's Conversion Story on The Journey Home with Marcus Grodi
Transcript:
What is Happiness?
The dictionary defines happiness as contentment or joy that life is how it should be. Therefore on a human level, we can infer that happiness can mean any number of things. The meaning of happiness can be as unique as each individual. Happiness can then be a subjective thing that’s impossible to pin-point.
According that definition, happiness is a thing or scenario like many of us like to think. Sometimes we’ll find ourselves saying things like, “I’d be totally happy if my car wouldn’t break down all the time,” or “I’d be totally happy if only my kids would clean up their messes,” or “I’d be totally happy if only my husband, wife or boss, would see things my way, or “I’d be totally happy if I found and married the perfect person for me.”
But worldly happiness is relative. For example, if I were raised in upper Manhattan with nannies and housekeepers, which I wasn’t, that’s all I’d know. That’s how, for the most part, I would feel life was meant to me and I’d probably strive, throughout my adulthood, to maintain and/or enhance what I currently know to be reality. If I, then were to find myself in a small apartment in a poverty-stricken area of south Texas with no money, no housekeeper or nanny, plus having to do my own laundry, I more than likely would not be happy. Why? Because my life is not how I would have imagined it.
However, if I were raised on an island with no running water or electricity, but then came to live in a small apartment in a poverty-stricken area of San Antonio WITH running water and electricity, I may be grateful to be able to do my own laundry. I’d be a happy camper because I would’ve met or enhanced my definition of how life should be.
It is human nature to want to define happiness using the most obvious point of reference, our current circumstances, all that we see with our eyes, and feel with our emotions. However, in order for happiness to be true and real, it must be constant, infallible, and objective, not subjective and relative. And guess what? We don’t have to go searching for the REAL meaning of happiness, the Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1718 defines it for us as that of divine origin…
“God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it: We all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated. How is it, then, that I seek you, Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you. God alone satisfies.”
I’d like to point out that, according to this definition of happiness, nothing in this material world can satisfy us. All passes away. Therefore, it can be said that the source of our misery stems directly from our attachments to our relationships, things, accomplishments, physical body, and so on. “God alone satisfies.”
God alone matters. When we remind ourselves daily of this fact, we slowly realize our dependence on God, our poverty of spirit and the first beatitude. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” To be “poor in spirit” does not necessarily mean materialistic poverty. What the CCC paragraph 2547 clarifies the essence of what it means to be truly “poor in spirit”:
“Abandonment to the providence of the Father in heaven frees us from anxiety about tomorrow. Trust in God is a preparation for the blessedness of the poor. They shall see God.”
Therefore, poverty of heart is complete abandonment and trust in God. That is all. It’s more about the heart than about the materials. There are plenty of people living in poverty and people living in abundance who squander that blessing by trusting in their own capacities or those of others instead of totally trusting in God.
So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, where do we go to find true happiness? Leave behind your anxieties and worries and take refuge in the depths of your heart where Divine Providence dwells.
Let’s pray together the Prayer to Divine Providence from the Precious Blood and Mother Prayer Book…
O Sweet and Tender Providence of God, into Thy hands I commend my spirit, to Thee I abandon myself, my hopes, my fears, my desires, my repugnancies, my temporal and eternal prospects. To Thee I commit the wants of my perishable body, to Thee I commit the far more precious interests of my immortal soul, for whose interests I have nothing to fear while I withdraw it not from Thy bosom. Though my faults are many, my misery great, my spiritual poverty extreme, my hope in Thee surpasses all. It is greater than my difficulties, stronger than death. Though temptations should assail me, I will hope in Thee, though I should sink beneath my weakness, I will hope in Thee still, though I should break my resolutions a thousand times, I will look to Thee confidently for grace to keep them at last; though Thou should slay me, even then will I trust Thee, for Thou art my God, my Father and my Friend. Thou art my kind, my tender, my indulgent Parent, and I am Thy loving Child, who cast myself into Thy Arms and beg Thy blessing, who put my trust in Thee, and so trusting, shall never be confounded.
Providence did provide. Providence can provide. Providence will provide. O loving Providence of God we commit this cause to Thee.
You’ll find the transcript to this episode at TheCatholicServant.com/Catholic-happiness and please share it with someone who may need today’s message. And, also continue to send me your prayer requests to Alexandra@TheCatholicServant.com so we can lift you up in prayer during our next family Rosary.
May you have a blessed and prayerful week.
Transcript:
I want to talk about this topic because there’s a lot of misconception surrounding what it means to truly forgive and three ways Mary herself practiced a deep and abiding forgiveness of heart.
What does our Lord mean by “forgiveness?”
Forgiveness is much like Love. It’s not a feeling, it’s a decision to release the offender of the “debt” that may be owed to you.
Forgiveness, like Love, is a muscle that if we neglect to engage it, it will shrivel up until rendered useless. We are born with an innate ability to love and forgive because we were created in the image and likeness of God. Children are notorious forgivers. Even as they are being abused, they will just as quickly forgive given a word of kindness or loving gesture. Then eventually as children grow older, painful episodes will cause them to yield to instinctual self-preservation – sometimes choosing not only to defend themselves, but to hit back. Many of us are taught to “hit back” and in our culture, we’re considered spineless for not making someone pay for what they’ve done to us. But Jesus teaches us to release debts.
What does it mean to release debt?
Firstly, let’s define debt. Debt is what we perceive an offender has taken from us.
An abused husband or wife may perceive their spouse has taken the “best years of their life,” their dignity, respect, and abused of their love.
An abused child, once in their adulthood, may feel an adult offender stole their innocence and childhood.
A parent offended by their child may feel the child has thrown away their love and wasted their time after everything they’ve done for them.
Releasing debt means…
-not holding the person by the throat per se to make them give us back what they have taken from us,
-not wishing for them to face the same evil as a punishment, and
-not interfering with natural consequences by enforcing our own vengeance.
We can find a great illustration in The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:21-35.
Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
To whom does this parable apply to?
It applies to…
The one who self-harms for the regret of a past mistake.
The battered wife of an abusive husband.
The heart-broken parents of child lost to addiction.
The daughter or son of an abusive parent.
The parents of a murdered child.
It applies to us all.
Now, let’s talk about what forgiveness is NOT.
Forgiveness is not allowing yourself or others to continue to be abused.
Forgiveness does not mean to forget about the incident as if it never happened.
Forgiveness does not mean you will no longer feel the pain of the harm done to you.
Forgiveness does not mean you have to keep an unrepentant abuser in your life and trust them again.
Forgiveness is not something to be withheld until the offender says “I’m sorry” or demonstrates regret. Forgiveness should be dispensed even to the unrepentant offender.
Forgiveness is not a feeling.
So we know we must have a forgiving heart to get to Heaven, it’s a requirement, but how do we cross that bridge when we’re haunted by pain?
Here’s where I will reveal 3 Ways our Blessed Mother can help us form a forgiving heart. I was listening to a lecture by Father Chad Ripperger on Healing Spiritual Wounds and he eloquently talked about some of these ideas as I observed them while meditating on Mary.
- Like Mary, consider the truth about the offender and ourselves despite how we feel. Even as Jesus was being scourged at the pillar and nailed to the cross, Mary, who desired the Will of God more so than the relief of her own pain, could clearly see us, humanity, as the broken and frail individuals that we are. Each of us is broken, each of us is frail. The truth is that, if it weren’t for God’s grace, there is no evil that each of us would not be capable of committing ourselves.
Let us ask ourselves…
How often do we forget our own sinfulness and capacity to hurt others and adopt a judgmental and self-righteous attitude?
Focus on Jesus and give yourself to God’s service as Mary did. As Jesus was dying on the cross, He asked his Mother to look outside of her own suffering and focus totally and completely on Him and His mission in John 19:26.
“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’” (John 19:26)
Jesus’ Will was for her to adopt, not only John, but humanity as her own. In spite of her own pain, Mary was to look outside herself to be of greater service to God. Even with all our frailties and capacity to crucify her Son over and over again with our sinfulness, Mary was to continually pray for our healing as our Mother.
We are also asked to look outside ourselves to focus on Jesus and His mission. By doing so, we bring about healing for ourselves and mercy for our offender. That’s the great example of true forgiveness from our grace-filled Mother.
Let us ask ourselves…
How many times are we so focused on ourselves and our own pain that we fail to see and do God’s Will?
3) Fall into prayer and ask for Mary’s intercession to help us heal from our wounds. Sometimes, when we’ve had to bear unimaginable pain, it is easy to become obsessed with painful memories and feelings. The psychological or physical trauma can be so severe that the primitive parts of our brain burn these painful events in our minds as a form of self-preservation to avoid future pain - like when we don’t forget to be cautious of a hot stove after touching it once. To replay a traumatic event in our minds is a natural occurrence, but when we become obsessed with replaying it in our minds or obsessed with the painful feelings, it becomes unnatural and stumps our ability to heal and forgive. Father Ripperger has many great points on this. As we pray for Mary’s intercession:
- ask for the grace to stop recalling the wound, stop reliving it,
- ask for the grace to release the offender of the debt owed to us, and
- ask for the grace of vicarious suffering – the ability to offer up the pain to God for the person who injured you so that you may gain some merit in Heaven.
Let us ask ourselves…
Do we obsess over the wrong done to us? How often do we pray for the healing of those who have caused us the most pain? How often do we refuse to pray for our debtors?
To conclude this talk, I’d like to challenge you to do 3 things:
- Pray for Mary’s intercession when you are confronted with past, present, or future offenses.
- Remember that forgiveness is not a feeling but releasing the debt of the other.
- And ask for the grace to stop recalling the wound and focus on Jesus.
Also, seek spiritual guidance and/or professional assistance if necessary. There are some situations we cannot or should not handle on our own.
Let’s pray together… Glory be…
You’ll find the transcript to this episode at TheCatholicServant.com/Catholic-forgiveness and share it with someone who may need today’s message. And, please continue to send me your prayer requests to Alexandra@TheCatholicServant.com so we can lift you up in prayer during our next family Rosary.
May you have a blessed and prayerful week.
Transcript:
As I see it, reversion or conversion is a life-long process. It’s like walking on shores of a sandy beach looking into the beautiful blue ocean illuminated by the rising Son, S-O-N. You want to walk into the water but you’re afraid so instead, you sit and build grandiose castles in the sand. All is well and good until a gentle wave comes and melts it all away. This “melting away” happens when we face trials and carry our crosses. Their purpose is to reveal moments when we have turned our focus away from God and towards things that are temporary and fleeting. Trials reveal our attachments. Every time our worlds are shaken, we are called to turn our gaze to Truth Incarnate, Jesus our Lord.
These are the times we realize that what’s most important is the soothing ocean that gets its beauty and brilliance from…the Son. You see, sometimes we get so consumed building sand castles that we forget to love and appreciate the beauty and depth of the ocean…our Mother Church. Conversion is God calling you ever so gently into the fullness of Truth, into the deep waters, not to drown in despair and loneliness, but to walk on water as you steadfastly cast your gaze upon the Son of God.
Saint Monica, the patroness of conversion, alcoholics, married women, and mothers, reveals to us the recipe for true conversion. She is well noted by St. Ambrose for her piety, detachment, and determination. Her son Saint Augustine, doctor of the Church, names her as, not only the woman who bore him from her own flesh and blood, but also the mother of his spirit. Saint Monica watered the seed of love of Christ and the name of Jesus in Augustine with her own tears. In Saint Augustine’s Confessions, he said his mother mourned and cried for him more than some women cried over their child’s dead bodies.
Some of us may not know the lives of Saint Monica and Saint Augustine but I’ll gladly give you a brief overview.
Saint Monica lived between the years 330 and 387 in Tagaste, her hometown in North Africa. Tagaste is present-day Algeria. She was from a Christian home but her parents arranged her marriage to a local magistrate from Tagaste, a pagan Roman named Patricius. She had 3 children – Augustine was the eldest, followed by Nagivius and Perpetua.
She confided in Augustine that when she was young she fell into the path that would lead her to alcoholism. She would go down to the cellar to get wine for her father and started taking little tastes, then a few drinks, then after a while big swallows of wine. One day, a servant commented to her about how this little habit she was entertaining was wrong and not suitable for one such as she. Instead of becoming rebellious and defensive, Monica allowed herself to be corrected and decided to act in contrition and leave that worldly habit. I could imagine Saint Monica told Augustine this story for a reason. Many of us parents often tell these kinds of stories for one reason alone – to give our children the hope of true conversion. My sisters-in-Christ, Saint Monica had good reason to tell this story – her beloved Augustine had a dying soul as he fell into worldly living and the Manichaean heresy. Her heart wasn’t torn by her other two children, Nagivius and Perpetua. They eventually entered the religious life. But it was her beloved oldest son, her first born, who tore her heart to shreds.
As if the pain of her beloved Augustine wasn’t enough, her married life was also fraught with conflict with her husband and mother-in-law. Monica was alone amongst enemies with her husband having a long-time mistress and her mother-in-law, having turned the servants against her, made her life miserable. Does anyone know what that’s like? I could imagine that in those times, a woman leaving her husband was not an option. One couldn’t just dispense divorce papers like people do now – sadly, we see people call for divorce the moment the honeymoon period is over. “It doesn’t feel good anymore so let’s tear this family apart and pursue the next thrill. Besides, the kids will bounce back, they’re so resilient.” No, whether the situation is worthy of an annulment or not, divorce causes hurt that can scar and last a lifetime, especially to children involved.
If leaving a marriage was impossible for Monica, where could she have taken refuge? I could think of one place. She could have taken refuge in the one addiction Satan planted in her youth – alcoholism. But to this saint’s credit, she did no such thing. Instead, she steadfastly stayed the course in growing in faith, hope, and love, through relentless piety, detachment and determination.
In summary, it was Saint Monica’s weaving of piety, detachment and determination, throughout her life that brought about great fruits beginning with the conversion of her beloved mother-in-law and the entire household. A year before her husband Patricius’ death, he joined his mother and also converted.
But to her dismay, her beloved Augustine was yet to be converted. How could it be that such a devout and faithful mother had a son so spiritually lost? Early in his childhood it was obvious that Augustine was a special boy. He had a profound intellect and the gift of being a great orator in his time. An “orator” is another word for public speaker. And even through his troubled youth he had a deep love for the name of Jesus – a seed of faith that his mother planted and watered with her own tears. Yet, he had a son out of wedlock and embraced the heresy of Manichaeanism.
How many of you are mothers? Good Catholic mothers have a unique fear that an agnostic, atheistic, or protestant mother does NOT have. It is the fear that our children will fall away from the ONE true Church established by God himself. As mothers, we want the best for our children and we know in our hearts that this is it. There are many ways that lead to God, but our Catholic faith is the surest and safest way to the fullness of Truth, Love, and eternal Happiness. Isn’t that what we want for our children? The greatest gift we can give to our children is God himself in the Holy Eucharist and we KNOW, there is no other way for our children to be ONE with the creator of the universe week after week than through the Catholic faith.
Before she died, Saint Monica witnessed the conversion of her beloved Augustine as he became a Catholic Christian. She had already arranged a marriage for him thinking he may not be able to handle celibacy but to her surprise, Augustine abandoned worldly pleasures to pursue the religious life.
Monica’s heart was full as she lay dying in her final days. But God rewarded her even more abundantly after death. Augustine went on to become a bishop and doctor of the Church. Maybe Monica’s prayers were even more powerful as she peeked over the walls of heaven to see the fruit of her worldly labor for Augustine.
Saint Monica laid a path and the foundation that fosters true conversion. This saint is not only for mothers, wives, and alcoholics, but she is also for you if you are in need of conversion. Ask her to pray for you. If you don’t have a husband or children but have a friend, sister, brother, niece, nephew, mother, father in need of conversion – pray for her intercession. Whether you have children or not, you can always be the mother of someone’s spirit, as Monica was to Augustine, and go through spiritual and emotional labor pains for their conversion. I suggest you spiritually adopt some one in need of a spiritual mother.
Saint Monica’s life is marked by 3 overarching qualities…piety, detachment and determination.
Extraordinary Piety
St. Ambrose, the bishop of Milan in the 4th century, was instrumental in helping Augustine convert. St. Monica had a great affection for him because of this and he also had a great affection for her. Ambrose would break-out in praise of Monica at times he’d run into Augustine noting her extraordinary piety. She went to Mass twice a day, morning and evening, offered sacrifices, prayed without ceasing, and helped anyone who needed it.
In the CCC #1831 says that piety is one of the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit and comes in the form of almsgiving, fasting, and prayer.
Pope St. Gregory taught that, “Through fear of the Lord, we rise to piety.” The basic definition is “to give filial worship to God precisely as our Father and to relate with all people as children of the same Father.” Piety allows us to see rightly, who we are in relation to God and creation. We have a child-like willingness to make sacrifices in order to please God and fulfill our obligations to each other as brothers and sisters of Christ.
Practicing piety should foster humility when we realize our littleness in relation to the great, almighty God. We are able to see with great clarity, the frivolousness of worldly pleasures, honors, and materials. Piety coupled with humility and fortitude pushes us through pain and adversity.
The CCC #1808 says that, Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It disposes one even to renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause. "The Lord is my strength and my song." "In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
Pope Francis teaches that “Piety, therefore, is synonymous of authentic religious spirit, filial confidence in God, of the capacity to pray to Him with love and simplicity which is proper of persons who are humble of heart. The gift of piety makes us grow in our relation and communion with God and leads us to live as His children; at the same time it helps us to pour this love also on others and to recognize them as brothers.”
Let us ask – what more can we do to practice extraordinary piety focused, not to be seen by others as good and religious, but to glorify God and better serve him and those in need – the sick, the lonely, and all those far from God?
Extraordinary Determination to Persevere
There is no doubt that St. Monica’s determination to persevere and embrace her suffering led her to the conversion of those who seemed hopeless. Her mother-in-law and the household, her husband, and ultimately, her son. She was willing and able to endure emotional suffering, verbal abuse, infidelity, and rejection. This allowed her to dive deeper and deeper into the recesses of her heart to find relief in the interior castle with God. It’s a tragedy how, as time goes on, finding ways to numb our pain and suffering has become easier than ever. At the moment of discomfort we’ll go eat a sweet treat, work a little longer, play music or a movie, or just pick-up our cell phones to get on social media to distract ourselves. If this generation doesn’t assimilate the art of graceful and grace-filled, redemptive suffering into their lives, it’s in danger of never happening. The determination to persevere is best taught through example.
CCC#1637 says that, In marriages with disparity of cult the Catholic spouse has a particular task: "For the unbelieving husband is consecrated through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is consecrated through her husband."138 It is a great joy for the Christian spouse and for the Church if this "consecration" should lead to the free conversion of the other spouse to the Christian faith. Sincere married love, the humble and patient practice of the family virtues, and perseverance in prayer can prepare the non-believing spouse to accept the grace of conversion.
Let us reflect: Do I embrace suffering or do I try to avoid it with little comforts or distractions throughout the day? Instead of persevering, do I give up too easily and take the easy way out?
Extraordinary Detachment
The CCC#2544 tells us that, Jesus enjoins his disciples to prefer him to everything and everyone, and bids them "renounce all that [they have]" for his sake and that of the Gospel. Shortly before his passion he gave them the example of the poor widow of Jerusalem who, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on. The precept of detachment from riches is obligatory for entrance into the Kingdom of heaven.
Saint Ambrose helped Monica amid her every growing piety, to detach from things of this world – particularly from her wanting conversion for Augustine. The more she tried to push and push and push him to change, the less likely it would happen. She was too attached.
What is an attachment?
In order to understand detachment, it would be good to understand what an attachment is. According Fr. Ripperger, an attachment is when the faculties, such as the appetite, emotions, intellect, and will, are so focused on a thing that moving away from it causes pain. We’re fixed on certain ideas, objects, foods, even people and ourselves.
St. Thomas Aquinas taught that faith initiates the purification of the Will because we learn that God is the center of the universe rather than ourselves or other creatures and things.
What is detachment?
Detachment is a process where we recognize the things that we can’t move away from and begin to look away towards God. So how can we tell that we’re not attached to something? We can tell if we’re detached when it makes no difference to us whether or not that created thing is in our lives or not. For example, if I love buffalo wings dipped in ranch dressing and all of a sudden I have one last wing to eat and there’s no more dressing, I’m attached if I get upset about it. Being detached would mean it wouldn’t make any difference to me whether or not we had dressing or wings or anything else. We can also have an attachment to our ways of thinking or take pride in our own intellect and knowledge. If someone tries to present a different idea and we’re resistant to it or get angry because someone doesn’t agree with our ideas, then I have an attachment to my intellect. If I were detached to my intellect, I would remain calm and not get irate about someone wanting to do things differently than me. It’s also possible to be attached to spiritual objects. Let’s say I have a blessed statue of our Lady and my kid accidentally knocks it over and breaks it, my anger is a great indicator of how much I was attached to this created thing. If I were detached, I’d have the grace necessary to be charitable towards my child instead of going into a rage over the broken statue.
One of easiest ways to detect a detachment to something is to observe if you have and emotion that comes with the presentation or thought of the thing. It could be pleasure, anger, sorrow, or bitterness.
St. John of the Cross says that we must aim to have perfect detachment from created things in order to be perfectly attached to God and go to Heaven. In heaven, souls have perfect detachment, where as in hell, we have constant attachments… no exceptions, no middle ground.
Therefore, it’s great to practice mortification. Mortification is a way of being proactive and dying to self, particularly with taming the physical senses and appetites. There varying degrees of mortification but it’s a process of replacing the pleasure you get from the created thing you are attached to with pain. Therefore, mortification is, in a sense the antidote to what you are attached to. It’s replacing the pleasure we’re seeking with pain. Unfortunately, many people today do all they can to avoid pain and discomfort.
Now think of something in your home you really love. Let’s say it’s a more expensive than other things in your home and you worked long hours to be able to buy that thing. Let’s pretend someone you love accidentally broke it, threw it away, or misplaced it. Well of course you’d just look at him or her and say, “oh don’t worry about it, it’s ok!” Or would you probably fly into a rage and let that person have it? I don’t know about you, but I know I would have a hard time getting over it. You see, a problem with attachments is that it clouds our intellect and triggers us to behave disproportionately angry or sad. The broken or lost thing is not worth destroying a relationship or belittling someone, but our attachments don’t allow us to make right decisions.
Attachments of the Will are broken by simply turning away from the thing you want to do. It’s difficult in the beginning but as you turn away from the thing, and focus on God, the pain of not having it dissipates until you have perfect detachment from it.
Another way to break from attachments is, of course, prayer. When we pray we turn our focus to God. The more we pray, the greater our focus. But it’s important to pray with intention of connecting with our Creator, not for our own selfish pursuits. For example, we may have a routine to pray at a certain hour of the day. If something comes up with your family and it breaks your routine, do you strike in anger because your plans were ruined? Or you know you’re time is limited and you race through the Rosary with not even a single gaze upon the Lord in your heart? Did you say it for the sake of checking it off your to-do list? If so, then the prayer was empty and you might as well have been doing something else.
We must detach ourselves from all created things including our identities, what we think about ourselves, our homes and other things, and even our children and our loved ones.
St. Ambrose’s message to Saint Monica about detaching herself from Augustine was not just for her but for all of us.
It is through the determination to persevere in detaching from created things that we can find true charity and purify our intentions. We have all felt pain at the site of watching our loved ones fall into sin…especially our children. Until we reach a greater degree of detachment, will be able to realize the correct order of praise. By relating to God in this way we are able to practice true charity.
Does detaching from family and loved ones means we’ll turn cold or indifferent?
The answer is no. As a matter of fact, this greater union with God as your priority in life will bring about graces. You will be more loving than ever before because the Lord is taking residence in your heart. You will also be more compassionate, understanding, patient, and kind. You will grow in piety and reverence for God.
And these are the great lessons that St. Monica taught us. The secret to leading our children, spouses, and others to true conversion begins with us.
What a blessing that St. Augustine took up the art of journaling his conversion story. The translators noted that his book Confessions, was not an autobiography. It’s his testimony of how God transformed his heart through the love and tears if his beloved mother Monica and the great Ambrose.
I’m going to read a short excerpt from Confessions:
Then my mother said: “Son, for myself I have no longer any pleasure in anything in this life. Now that my hopes in this world are satisfied, I do not know what more I want here or why I am here. There was indeed one thing for which I wished to tarry a little in this life, and that was that I might see you a Catholic Christian before I died. My God hath answered this more than abundantly, so that I see you now made his servant and spurning all earthly happiness. What more am I to do here?”
I do not well remember what reply I made to her about this. However, it was scarcely five days later--certainly not much more--that she was prostrated by fever. While she was sick, she fainted one day and was for a short time quite unconscious. We hurried to her, and when she soon regained her senses, she looked at me and my brother as we stood by her, and said, in inquiry, “Where was I?” Then looking intently at us, dumb in our grief, she said, “Here in this place shall you bury your mother.” I was silent and held back my tears; but my brother said something, wishing her the happier lot of dying in her own country and not abroad. When she heard this, she fixed him with her eye and an anxious countenance, because he savored of such earthly concerns, and then gazing at me she said, “See how he speaks.” Soon after, she said to us both: “Lay this body anywhere, and do not let the care of it be a trouble to you at all. Only this I ask: that you will remember me at the Lord’s altar, wherever you are.” And when she had expressed her wish in such words as she could, she fell silent, in heavy pain with her increasing sickness.
These were the last words of a dying woman who had done all she could to attain detachment from created things and perfect attachment to God. She had not a care for earthly pleasures, she did not wail in sadness for not having more time with her newly converted son, and she grieved that her sons would be concerned over the earthly cares of her body.
With this, I challenge you to take stock of the things that cause you pain and ask God for the grace of detachment. I also urge you to listen to our Lady of Fatima and pray the Rosary with your family daily. We want to be proactive in strengthening your family prayer life and safeguarding your children from the forces of evil by praying the Rosary as a family. This will deepen your spiritual life and help you and your children love God with all your hearts, minds, and souls. Like someone said, “A house is no home unless it contains food for the soul as well as for the body.”
Let’s pray together… Glory be…
You’ll find the transcript to this episode on TheCatholicServant.com/Saint-Monica-lessons and please share it with someone who may need today’s message. And, please continue to send me your prayer requests to Alexandra@TheCatholicServant.com so we can lift you up in prayer during our next family Rosary.
May you have a blessed and prayerful week.
Transcript:
I can’t express enough how grateful I am for all your support on this podcasting journey. I can’t believe I’m only 3 months “in” since my soft-launch in May. We have thousands of listeners in 34 countries and growing every week. It’s all because of your taking the time to listen, share and subscribe. I praise God for each and every one of you.
Although I launched only 3 months ago, this journey was actually started 3 years ago, it just took me 3 years to actually launch the first episode. It was 3 years ago when this “idea” came into my heart while having a chat with my dear friend, author, speaker Lisa Mladinich. I mentioned it to her briefly and she was excited for me to move forward with it. The idea was that once I got it together, I’d interview her on her latest book.
In my heart I was like, “No, no, no! I can’t do this!” I’m not very techy, I don’t have any money to buy equipment, and I’m not a very articulate person. I have a foggy brain as many of us stay-at-home moms do and there’s no way I’ll have enough quiet time to record anything.
I’m reminded of The Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32). I said “no, no, no” but later changed my mind and did it.
For the next year, I tried to put the idea out of my head. Honestly, I didn’t even pray to God in discerning because I just flat out didn’t want to do it. Nevertheless, he sent me signs through people and circumstances that this is what he wanted me to do.
Our Lord had also led me to start evangelizing through presenting Catholic talks on a variety of topics. Did I mention I’m not very articulate? That, combined with being awkward in social situations and in front of groups of people was very difficult. The only way for me to prepare was to thoroughly research, write everything down, and practice.
But it started with being asked by one group, then referred and asked by another, then another. Then I became part of the speaker team at the Pilgrim Center of Hope here in San Antonio through God’s Providence. Now I’ll be speaking at the Catholic Women’s Conference in September, praise God!
Two years ago, I bought a good quality microphone and professional headset. Didn’t know how to use it. I knew I’d need editing software and began recording my Catholic talks and editing them on a free program called Audacity. This gave me the basics for audio editing that allowed to transition into Adobe Audition. By this time, I was working full-time.
It’s hard for many to believe I was a quiet and utterly shy child growing up. Come to think of it, I was an utterly shy and quiet adult most of my life and in many ways I still am. But I get out of my comfort zone for the Lord. I don’t do it perfectly and I probably make a fool of myself more times than not. But God has given me a calling. He was generous in leading me to podcasting because it is a highly flexible medium for evangelization. It gives me the opportunity to share the stories of my very saintly guests and give them a platform to reach more souls.
Of course, it’s still a work in progress but I don’t have to do it alone. This podcast was consecrated to our Blessed Mother. She holds my hand and leads me to the guests whom She wants me to reach. It’s all her. And when I don’t know what decision to make, She leads me to her Son and says to me, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)
And for the technical stuff, I prayed for a good mentor and found John Lee Dumas who has a course that teaches everything. From interviewing guests to recording, editing, to building the website, monetizing, and much more. I would never have been able to afford him without the Lord’s help.
This has become our family apostolate because I couldn’t put out a single episode without the support of my husband and children. We’ve discovered our family culture to be one of evangelization in witness to Christ in the modern world. My guest Patrick Sullivan, founder of Evango, speaks about the importance of identifying and developing a family culture in Episode 22: The Secrets of Fruitful Evangelization at Home and Beyond.
This journey hasn’t been without challenges, but I believe it is God’s way of testing us to see if we would just abandon the idea and give up. We’ve had financial challenges, time challenges, space challenges, but the biggest delay in launching the first episode was during my difficult pregnancy with Baby Gigi and her subsequent 2 month-stay in NICU. That, along with all the medical appointments needed for a baby with down syndrome and who feeds through a g-tube, an entire year passed before I was able to get back to working on the podcast.
My Holy Mother taught me my first lesson that, although this Catholic podcast is good work pleasing to God, taking care of my spiritual health and my family were my first responsibilities. Our Lord will iron out everything else if we leave anxiety and worry behind.
Speaking of my spiritual health, this was also something I had to increase my commitment to. I took on additional spiritual practices, prayer, and meditation to support me on this journey. But just as importantly, I did-away with wasting time on needless entertainment. I used to use entertainment to relax and sometimes I still do a little. I love watching funny videos. But I’ve made the conscious decision to use meditation as my primary way of relaxing – resting my heart on the Lord is way more fruitful. Plus, I’ve had to make the decision to set clear and hard boundaries from toxic and abusive family members while continuing to pray for their spiritual and emotional healing. I realized that I can’t “fix” people. Only God can heal and fix people. My job is to cooperate with His Will.
Well, the most recent challenge is having been laid off from my job a few weeks ago. Three years-ago this would have devasted me because it was a good-paying job directly related to what I studied for. With a Bachelor’s in Instructional Design, I was an Instructional Design Manager. Most recently, having the job was such a burden on my soul. I knew God would see my family through this sudden turn of events and He has most definitely blessed us.
I’ve learned so much on this journey but if I could pick two more, the second would be that, there’s no amount of money or worldly gifts and glories that could replace the Lord’s peace of mind and heart. That’s where the real treasure lies. And the third is that joy comes from our steadfast commitment to live in cooperation with God’s Will.
Please don’t think I’ve learned these lessons perfectly. God gives me plenty of opportunity to dive deeper and learn more about myself and my personal path to Holiness. More lessons to come and I’m grateful for the continued opportunity to share them with you.
Let’s pray together… Glory be…
You’ll find the transcript to this episode on TheCatholicServant.com/three-lessons and please continue to send me your prayer requests to Alexandra@TheCatholicServant.com so we can lift you up in prayer during our next family Rosary.
May you have a blessed and prayerful week.
Resource:
Free Podcasting Masterclass with my mentor John Lee Dumas
https://bd140.isrefer.com/go/sales/akubebatu/
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Transcript:
If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ll quickly realize how volatile the political climate is right now. There’s hatred coming from all sides. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not immune from having the most uncharitable thoughts about the political views of others. Sometimes it takes everything I have to not respond to certain posts although I’ve gone down those rabbit holes in the past. It’s a challenge for me to keep my cool and debate logically, especially when it comes to pro-abortion posts. We all have our challenges, whether it’s on social media, an ex-husband or wife, a rebellious child, an estranged parent, or politician.
God doesn’t pick and choose whom to love, but we, imperfect human beings do and constantly fail to recognize Christ in the eyes of the unlovable.
Let’s take a closer look at who are the unlovable in our lives. Let’s think of the person or persons who need the most compassion. Who is that one person who needs the most forgiveness? Who is that one person or persons who have failed and fallen many times over? Who is the one who has been an oppressor at times and has done their share of breaking hearts? Who is the one that, had it not been for the grace of God, would be capable of committing the most horrendous sins? Who is that person or persons in your life?
Chances are, you thought of those who have done you the most harm. The ones who have broken your heart many times over. Perhaps the ones who have no regrets for what they have done to you.
We all like to think of ourselves as loving, kind, and forgiving people, who have no prejudices and judgments of others. But let me ask you, when you were thinking of the most unlovable people you know, did you include yourself?
One of the reasons we fail to recognize Christ in the eyes of the unlovable is our lack of humility.
A key virtue that allows us see Christ in the eyes of the unlovable is humility.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them." And I would like to add, that if we are busy putting ourselves on a pedestal, we also have no time to love others.
So what’s the answer to this spiritual desolation of pride and prejudice? Our Mother Church brings to us all the tools we need to take care of it - the Sacraments, Mass, the Examination of Conscience, the Works of Mercy, Mother Mary, the many forms of prayer, and countless more. But most importantly, it is spending time in prayer and silence with God that will give us more clarity about who we are, our littleness, our frailty, and our human limitations. Plus realizing how, despite our brokenness, God chooses to love us and continually invites us to commune with Him through His endless Love and Mercy.
Titus 3:2-7
“They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, exercising all graciousness toward everyone. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, God is asking you here and now to love the unlovable, beginning with ourselves, and do the same.
Let’s close with a prayer…
Glory Be to the Father…
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus…Have Mercy on Us
Immaculate Heart of Mary…Pray for Us
Saint Joseph…Pray for Us
Saint Teresa of Calcutta…Pray for Us
Saint Padre Pio…Pray for Us
All our Patron Saints…Pray for Us
All our Guardian Angels…Watch Over Us.
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Dona Maria Mendoza is a Registered Nurse and License Teacher, but most importantly, she is a faithful Catholic and abortion survivor.
In this episode, Dona Marie shares intimate details about her life after learning she was adopted having survived an abortion by her birth mother.
How to Reach Dona Marie:
Read her full abortion survivor story here: https://wedefendlifeblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/im-adopted-abortion-survivor-ive-found.html YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3riHC8h8Y8 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dona.marie.1806?ref=bookmarks
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In this episode, I share the terrifying experience of my family's home invasion by the cartel, what it taught me about myself, and meeting God in the present moment. I discuss:
- what it means to meet God in the present moment,
- what are some obstacles that prevent us from being present to God, and
- what we can do to better our relationship with God in the "here and now."
Here's the transcript:
Back in October 2010, my husband and I were living in a Mexican border town - we were there for 3 years. Our first born was only 3 months old when we were home invaded by the Cartel in our apartment. They home invaded every apartment in the building. We were held at gun-point by 3 armed men. Everything of value, which wasn't much at the time was stolen, but we are thankful none of us were physically hurt although the psychological trauma stayed with me for years.
I suffered from PTSD. I was angry…very angry at the perpetrators. I re-lived the moment every single day in my mind asking myself:
What should I have done differently?
Could Peter and I have avoided it?
I tried to live the best I could, why did this happen to me?
I was suspicious of everyone all the time. I was on-edge about the smallest things. My heart would race at every sound in the middle of the night. I lost my sense of safety within my own home. I had insomnia. I struggled to pray. I had a little baby and struggled to stay present for her. When I went into a trance-like state, deep in thought re-living the event, re-living the fear, everything and everyone else disappeared. I would lose awareness of my husband and baby and be trapped in a state of fear. I wanted to blame someone, anyone, but there was no one to blame. God simply allowed it.
For those fearful moments in time, Satan had won. He conquered my every thought and feeling. He conquered days, weeks, months, and years after the event itself.
What happened? One minute I was this faithful and prayerful human being and the next minute I’m a blubbering mess of doubt, fear, anger, and regret.
I thought I had lost it…but in reality, God was revealing to me how little my faith in God had really been – if it was even there at all. Chances are, my sense of security was 99% faith in myself, and only 1% faith in God. I realized my sense of control was a part of the fallacy I was secretly living with.
We prime ourselves for sin with our capacity to live outside the present moment and stay within the confines of our little minds. Listening to the little messages in our heads that the evil one plays over and over again is one of the subtle ways we move outside the present moment where God dwells.
What does it mean to meet God in the present moment?
In my story, it was clear I was not in the presence of God during fearful times. Sure, God was physically present since He is in all created things. Myself, being part of His creation should be always present to God but since we are created with intelligence, or mind, and a “will,” I have a choice. It was obvious I was not present to my family. Although they were physically present to me, I was not spiritually present to them. When my mind was consumed with fear, my family might as well not have been there at all.
As Father John Hardon, points out in many of his writings, being in the presence of God requires a relationship between ourselves and God. Having an “awareness” is simply not enough. If I take my daughters to the park and they go off to play, I can be aware they are physically there. But if I’m on my phone the entire time and fail to have a relationship exchange, such as play with them, talk with them, or show affection, I might as well not be there. I can argue that it counts to be there to make sure they don’t get hurt, to pick them up if they fall, but that’s not a relationship, that’s a one-way transaction. A stranger can pick up a child who’s fallen without having a relationship. But a stranger cannot exchange trust, love, respect, and deep abiding regard for the other without a relationship.
From my observations, to be in the presence of God means having the willingness to make a concerted effort to think of God in a loving way by lifting-up of the heart and mind to the one who is always gazing at us with Love. We must be involved in a three-fold manner – will, heart, and mind.
Do you remember the first time you fell in love? What was it like? Everyday, you wanted nothing more than to gaze into the eyes of your beloved. You listened to every word. You observed every gesture. You groveled with gratitude at every little gift you were given. At least until the honeymoon period wore off. Tough times came around, children came around, bills came around. Now all of sudden you were lucky if you didn’t have to repeat yourself 10 times to get things done around the house. You were lucky to get a please or thank you. You were lucky if you had help with the dishes once in a while.
This is where you had to strengthen your “will” to show your love for the other. Now you really had to make deliberate efforts to listen, communicate, forgive, make happy memories, and be of service to each other.
It’s the same with our relationship with God. God doesn’t stop loving us in the most intense way. Even when we fail to think of Him, He is ever present in the Eucharist. He is ever willing to shepherd us when we’re lost. Ever willing to forgive his prodigal children.
Are we always present to God? Yes. Is God always present to us? No.
What are some obstacles that prevent us from living in the “here-and-now?”
Acedia or Spiritual Sloth. What is acedia? Sometimes we think of it as slowness to get something done. But it’s actually doing everything else except the one thing I should be doing. It’s called Acedia but St. Thomas Aquinas called it Sloth. Antidote from Fr. Mike Schmitz is to stop yourself and do that thing you’re supposed to do such as pray instead of going around doing other things. Jesus was a perfect example. Then ask yourself, “how can I love well in this moment, in this place as Christ loved?”
Buying-in to the Worldly “Belief in Oneself” rather than Poverty of Spirit. Remedy this by taking St. Therese of Lisieux’s advice, she said, “Jesus has chosen to show me the only way which leads to the Divine Furnace of love; it is the way of childlike self-surrender, the way of a child who sleeps, afraid of nothing, in its father’s arms.”
Inconsistent Prayer Life. Make prayer your priority. Set aside time to pray.
Dryness in Prayer. Stay perseverant and push through dryness in prayer. What is dryness? It’s a lack of consolation in prayer. Consolations do not necessarily you have a greater degree of God’s favor and not having consolations doesn’t mean you’ve fallen in disfavor.
Mental Noise and Distractions in Prayer. This is normal and everyone experiences this. Falling asleep during prayer falls into this realm. Some things you can do is to pray first thing in the morning or do a calming activity before prayer.
Pre-occupation with Self. Being preoccupied with your own feelings, family, worries, short-comings, sinfulness, financial issues, work, etc., are all ploys to take your attention away from God.
Spiritual Gluttony. Sometimes we fall into spiritual gluttony and begin disproportionately reading spiritual books, attending retreats, taking on too many volunteer opportunities. We tend to convince ourselves that these things can take the place of having a relationship with God.
Catholic Servants how does living in the present moment benefit our vocation? What can happen if we do not?
*Praise God in all things
*Seek refuge in God in times of trial – childlike trust in the Lord
*Be joyful in our vocation
*Be ready to forgive our transgressors, including ourselves
*Be able to recognize Christ in the eyes of the poor
Here are some things we can do better our capacity to be in God’s Presence…
Practice Mental Prayer. Saint Teresa of Avila said, “Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.”
Connie Rossini wrote the Q and A Guide to Mental Prayer states, “Teresa sees two aspects to mental prayer: sharing with a friend (remembering that this Friend is far above you, but nevertheless calls you into an intimate relationship with himself); and time set aside specifically to be alone with God. The word mental signifies that this prayer comes from your own mind, rather than being written down by some-one else, as in vocal prayer. It is usually a silent prayer, but does not always have to be (see Question 11). When you spend time with a friend, you do not usually recite to him or her someone else’s words about friendship. When you spend time with a spouse, you don’t usually read Shakespeare’s sonnets to that person. Instead, you speak from the heart. You know you can share your deepest self with your com-panion, because you love one another and will not reject each other. The time you spend together draws you even closer. Some authors include both meditation and contemplation in the term mental prayer, which is the way it is used in this book.18 Other authors use the term mental prayer as a synonym for meditation.
Since mental prayer is a sharing, you should expect God to reveal himself in some way to you as well. In fact. John of the Cross said that all true prayer brings an increase in knowledge of God. In meditation, God primarily reveals himself through Scripture and the truths of the Faith. In contemplation, he gives an experiential knowledge of him-self that you cannot put into words.”
Philippians 4:6-8 Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.
Psalm 9:2-3 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds. I will delight and rejoice in you; I will sing hymns to your name, Most High.
Psalm 16:8-11 I keep the LORD always before me; with him at my right hand, I shall never be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure, For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor let your devout one see the pit. You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.
CCC # 2697-2699
Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment. But we tend to forget him who is our life and our all. This is why the Fathers of the spiritual life in the Deuteronomic and prophetic traditions insist that prayer is a remembrance of God often awakened by the memory of the heart: “We must remember God more often than we draw breath.” But we cannot pray “at all times” if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it. These are the special times of Christian prayer, both in intensity and duration.
2698
The Tradition of the Church proposes to the faithful certain rhythms of praying intended to nourish continual prayer. Some are daily, such as morning and evening prayer, grace before and after meals, the Liturgy of the Hours. Sundays, centered on the Eucharist, are kept holy primarily by prayer. The cycle of the liturgical year and its great feasts are also basic rhythms of the Christian’s life of prayer.
2699
The Lord leads all persons by paths and in ways pleasing to him, and each believer responds according to his heart’s resolve and the personal expressions of his prayer. However, Christian Tradition has retained three major expressions of prayer: vocal, meditative, and contemplative. They have one basic trait in common: composure of heart. This vigilance in keeping the Word and dwelling in the presence of God makes these three expressions intense times in the life of prayer.
Resources:
Connie Rossini
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=connie+rossini
Cathechism of the Catholic Church
http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/files/assets/basic-html/toc.html#
Father John Hardon
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/intro/livingpg.htm
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Living the Corporal Works of Mercy
First thing I want to point out that one of our most recent exemplars of living the corporal works of mercy is St. Teresa of Calcutta. She wasn’t a part-timer in this area. She EMBODIED the Corporal works of Mercy. She literally fleshed-out this way of being and living.
However, what I am going to talk about are 4 highly essential tips to live the Corporal Works of Mercy. Just like we know that we CANNOT become the saints God has called us to be unless we have a solid prayer life, we cannot be the Catholic we are called to be unless we live the Corporal Works of Mercy. We need to put in the time.
TIP #1
I’m sure you already know that so I’m going to start with my FIRST TIP -WHEN to find the time. This is for those who need help in this area.
So the first question we need to address is WHEN we are to fulfill a Corporal Work of Mercy. Sometimes we tend to sit back and WAIT for the opportunity to serve. We’ll just think to ourselves, “well it’s my intention to serve others so I’ll keep my eyes open for an opportunity when I see someone in need.” Yes, that’s all find and dandy, but this strategy lacks one thing, DECISION. If you choose this way, then you avoid having to make the time and the decision to help.
When it comes to the spiritual life, it’s both quality AND quantity of your time that matters. Just like any relationship, would you feel content and satisfied for the rest of your life spending only 1 hour a week with your boyfriend, gilfriend, husband, or wife, then to only find their minds were only half way engaged that 1 hour? So do you think we could build a strong relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior spending only a half-hearted hour a week during Mass with Him? When I began to made this comparison in my spiritual life in my early 20’s, I began to realize why I couldn’t break away from my bouts of depression and anxiety. I didn’t have a physiological problem. I had a spiritual problem because of the half-hearted and slothful way I approached everything in my life – especially my Catholic faith. I lacked decision and resolve to build my relationship with Christ. We reap what we sow and, we build this relationship with Christ uniquely through the Love of Neighbor. This is a VERY SPECIAL CALLING. It’s one that can ONLY be done in this physical world. Once we leave this world and move on to our eternal reward, we can no longer serve and love in this way.
So there’s still the question of WHEN. Just like setting aside time to pray, we HAVE TO set aside time live the Corporal Works of Mercy. It’s not just about putting it on your schedule. It’s about building your life AROUND these precious works of love. Otherwise, it’s just a thing to do on your schedule like walking your dog or doing laundry. You know you need to do these things, but your life is not built around them, or at least I hope not. So for example, if you want to feed the homeless twice a week, then make sure every Tuesday and Thursday when you plan to do this, you take care of things you normally would’ve done at those hours ahead of time. Make sure you get enough sleep for the energy you need and maybe earn a little extra income for supplies, etc.
TIP #2
Now this ties into my next tip WHERE SHOULD I SERVE? Now you may say, “well, I just don’t know where I fit in or my heart still hasn’t led to the place where I feel I should serve.” I totally get that. Finding your “place,” especially when there are so many ways to serve, can be a daunting thing. But there is a danger to be aware of here. To serve should not be based on a FEELING. Because FEELING is NOT LOVE. Our Church tells us that LOVE is a DECISION TO WILL THE GOOD OF THE OTHER. The Catechism of the Catholic Church uses the words Love and Charity interchangeably. Look up the index of the Cathechism online and if you look up “LOVE” it also says “see also Charity.” Let’s look at the life of St. Teresa of Calcutta. Once she decided to be obedient to God, she had to make daily choices. I’m sure she was faced with decisions like whether she should stay to feed a hungry child or leave to pick up a dying man on the street. Which would you choose? Which is easier? Which is harder? Here’s a little story…
As a kid, I would have never believed I’d speak in front of an audience in any capacity. I was too shy to speak in front of anyone in school. I’d make sure to listen to everything the teacher said in class because I was terrified to ask a question. If I did have a question, I’d make sure everyone was gone after class before approaching the teacher. And even that took guts. The very first time I had to speak in front of a group was about 25 years ago. My mom was a CCD teacher and I was her assistant. She had to step out of the class for something urgent and I needed to take over. There were about a dozen middle-schoolers staring at me, waiting for me to say something. I had a panic attacked and I couldn’t breathe. When I did have the courage to open my mouth, my voice was quivering and I thought I was to pass out. Luckily my mom walked back in a few minutes later and I was relieved! About 4 years later, God placed the desire in my heart to teach CCD. I signed up and I was placed in a classroom with almost 30 middle-schoolers. But this time was different. In those 4 years, God noticed my desire to do His Will, even with all my failings and imperfections. I learned to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance and made the process easy for me. Beginning with helping my mom as a CCD assistant, then having the courage to do His Will and teach my own CCD was the training ground for what I do today.
You may say, “well Alexandra, I’m not out to change the world and do something great.” I want to say you are very much mistaken. You ARE meant to change the world and make a big impact. No matter what occupation you choose, whether be a stay-at-home mom or a brain surgeon, your interaction with just 1 person can change THEIR world. You are impacting the world every single day. I heard someone say once that, “somebody in need is waiting on the other side of your obedience.” So please, listen to the simple little callings you get daily. It’s not just about the big stuff. Jesus wants to see if He can trust you with the simple things before he places more graces on your soul to serve in a different capacity.
So I have a short answer to the question of where. Start with those closest to you. If your mother-in-law or someone close to you is ill, don’t say, “well she or he’s given me hell for 30 years, they deserve to be suffering the way they are, it’s out of my hands.” Or, “they were alcoholics and wife beaters, it’s their own fault so I don’t want to help there.” I say… that’s a perfect place to start, LOVE THE UNLOVEABLE, AND BE CHARITABLE EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE IT. CHARITY BEGINS IN THE HEART. We need to be OBSESSED with wanting to fulfill our purpose for the love of God.
TIP #3
My next tip is to commit for a SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME. Once you’ve decided on where you want to begin serving, my next tip is to decide for how long you want serve in that way. Let’s say you want to visit the sick in hospitals. Check with your parish to see if they have a hospital ministry to coordinate with them. Commit for a certain period of time, let’s say 30-60 days. That way, you have freedom to stop and reflect on your experience and decide whether you want to continue or change direction. Maybe the Holy Spirit will call you to serve somewhere else. He will open the doors and guide your steps if you leave yourself open to God’s will, not your own. Committing to a specific period of time will give you the freedom to choose and give God the freedom to direct you where He needs you to be.
TIP #4
My final and, most important tip, is to discern WHY. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Why are you here? Is it because it makes you feel good? Is it because so want others to see how good of a person you are? Because you know that the Bible tells us that we will reap what we sow, do you expect God to grant your wishes, answer your prayers, or give you consolations in exchange for your service? When you serve, do you expect to see the fruits of your labor immediately and be showered with gratitude?
If it’s for any of those reasons then your service will be short-lived. Once the feel-good and glamour wears off will you abandon the CALL? Or are you in this for the love of God?
In the midst of St. Teresa’s dark and lonely moments, while serving the poorest of the poor. Do you not think she was tempted to abandon the life-long task Jesus asked of her? You will be challenged and you WILL be tempted to abandon your calling as well. I can guarantee that. What do you think kept St. Teresa going?
It was the quality and quantity of time she had spent building a relationship with our Lord Jesus. It was her fervent prayer life. Abandoning her call meant abandoning Jesus. She built her relationship with Him through her service for others. Every action she took, from feeding the hungry to comforting the dying was a prayer to Jesus. They were not just actions for the sake of helping, but movements of the heart for the love of Jesus. Just imagine what will your relationship with God look like if you spent 1 hour a week serving through the Corporal Works of Mercy. Imagine what it would look like if you did this for 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years? That is not including the lives you will touch through your generous compassion and charity.
Imagine what your life will look like in 1, 3, or 5 years from now if you didn’t fulfill your calling? Like I said earlier, there is somebody waiting on the other side of your obedience.
I will conclude this talk with Matthew 6:1-4
“[But] take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you."
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for allowing me to share in the Mercy that flows through your precious heart through the Corporal Works of Mercy. Lord, you know many times I fail to be a light to those in need. Send me the grace to serve people with greater needs than my own – both the lovable and unlovable. Please help me to see that I am enough, even in my brokenness, to be your instrument of Mercy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle…
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus… Have Mercy on Us.
Our Lady of Sorrows… Pray for us.
Saint Joseph… Pray for us.
Saint Therese of Lisieux… Pray for us.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta… Pray for us.
Our guardian angels… Watch over us
In the name of the Father…
My dearest Catholic Servants, please don’t hesitate to let me know your special intentions so we can pray for you during our next family Rosary. My email address is Alexandra@thecatholicservant.com.
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Connie Rossini gives whole families practical help to grow in holiness. She is the author of Trusting God with St. Therese, The Q & A Guide to Mental Prayer, Is Centering Prayer Catholic?, and the series A Spiritual Growth Plan for Your Children. She also co-wrote The Contemplative Rosary. Her spirituality column has been published in diocesan newspapers for over a decade. She blogs at Contemplative Homeschool. She is also a columnist for SpiritualDirection.com and runs the Facebook group Authentic Contemplative Prayer. Connie and her husband Dan have four sons. They currently reside in Omaha.
In this episode, Connie discusses her new book The Q & A Guide to Mental Prayer - an excellent compilation of 125 questions for people at every stage of the spiritual journey. "This book will encourage you in times of dryness, inspire you to greater heights, and deepen your knowledge of true Catholic spirituality. You'll learn about problematic prayer practices, how to overcome distractions, and how to begin to meditate on Scripture." It is an authentically Catholic work that draws practical knowledge and wisdom from Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Francis de Sales, and Church documents.
How to reach Connie:
Website: https://contemplativehomeschool.com/
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/connie.rossini.9
Authentic Contemplative Prayer Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/737852419689126/
Buy Connie's Books Here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=connie+rossini
Additional Resources:
SpiritualDirection.com: https://spiritualdirection.com/
Divine Intimacy Radio Podcast: https://spiritualdirection.com/divine-intimacy-radio-podcast
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The formula to overcome worry is easy. But let me be honest with you, you can read book after book, go to spiritual conferences, meditate all day long, or pray incessantly, but we are human beings with real concerns and fending off worry could be a life-long task. The antidote to worry is building the muscle of faith, a child-like trust on God. This child-like trust in God IS the answer. Simple. Real. Proven.
From my experience, what makes it difficult is the human Will combined with our internal mechanism for self-preservation. Our mama-bear and papa-bear instinct to protect and defend tends to get the best of us.
We worry because, although we know God has a plan, we don’t know what that is.
We worry because there are serious life-threatening situations at stake.
We worry because it is our nature to protect ourselves, our children, and our families.
We worry because, although there’s no evidence of such things happening, our mind is bombarding with “what-ifs.”
We worry because we understand that the we may not have the knowledge, skills, or abilities, to resolve the issue at hand.
The obvious response is to pray. But petitioning to the Lord to solely fix this or that in our lives is not enough.
Here’s a formula - it’s for illustrative purposes only. I’m not a theologian, much less a mathematician. When we pray to God as we are overcome by worry and anxiety, here’s the formula for prayer:
33% Trust in God (a.k.a. Faith)
33% Willingness to Endure this Trial (a.k.a. God’s Will not mine)
33% Heart Lifted Up to the Lord (a.k.a. love God with all your heart, soul, and mind) Matthew 22:37
What I have found in my life is that, along with asking God to remove the pain associated with this trial, we must be equally willing to endure it. Even Jesus, in the Garden at Gethsemane, simultaneously asked God to take this cup away from him while placing Himself at the feet of God’s Will. That’s where this formula comes from. Luke 22:42. I wish I could tell you that this formula will get us what we secretly desire – freedom from pain and suffering – but it won’t – at least not in this life. The question is… given what God has done for us offering His only Son for the salvation of humanity, are we willing to do anything to be with Him in paradise?
For many years, I was afraid to say the words, “I love you, Jesus.” I could tell others that I love Him and I would do things because God asked me to, but I couldn’t say the words directly to Him. Why? Because I was afraid that if I said this to Him, He would ask me to prove it and bring some terrifying trial my way or ask something of me that I was not willing to do or ask me to let go of something I was not willing to give up. Come to think of it, it was quite silly I actually thought like this because I was going through trials anyway and wasting them by not offering them up to the Will of God when I had the chance.
But looking back, God was merciful with me. He would allow small-ish trials when I was younger and slowly increased the intensity, if you will, of the trials as I got older. You know people say that God would never give us a trial that would be too much for us to endure, but I think that’s false. It’s my personal opinion that every trial is meant to be beyond our capacity to endure it – even if it’s just a little - otherwise it wouldn’t be a trial at all. It wouldn’t fulfill God’s purpose for having trials which is to give us opportunities to trust in God, offer our willingness to endure the trial and commune with Christ, and to lift-up our hearts to the Lord.
It doesn’t mean that God won’t answer a prayer to remove the painful circumstance in our lives. He is a Father who wants us have peace, joy, and abundance in our lives. Of course he will give us relief in this way but not always. God wouldn’t do us the disservice by removing all the crosses from our lives and retracting Redemptive Suffering. There wouldn’t be a soul in Heaven if he did that!
The best advice to deal with worry and trials comes from St. Therese of Lisieux. Her answer is simple yet takes great determination to achieve. But once you embody her little way, the doors to heaven will fly open. She said, “Jesus has chosen to show me the only way which leads to the Divine Furnace of love; it is the way of childlike self-surrender, the way of a child who sleeps, afraid of nothing, in its father’s arms.”
My dear brothers and sisters in-Christ, before you rest your head, empty your mind of worries by writing a love letter to God and placing all trials at the foot of the Cross. He will not abandon you.
Heavenly Father,
You know the exhaustion of my body and the pain in my heart. Lord, you know many times I fail and feel overwhelmed with worry. Help me to find rest in you and to renew my heart with child-like trust in you. Send me the grace to find peace in the calling you have for me at this time and to always remember that you will not abandon me. Please help me to see that I am enough, even in my brokenness, to be your instrument of Faith. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle…
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus… Have Mercy on Us.
Our Lady of Sorrows… Pray for us.
Saint Joseph… Pray for us.
Saint Therese of Lisieux… Pray for us.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta… Pray for us.
Our guardian angels… Watch over us
In the name of the Father…
My dearest Catholic Servants, please don’t hesitate to let me know your special intentions so we can pray for you during our next family Rosary. My email address is Alexandra@thecatholicservant.com.
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Patrick Sullivan is an author, speaker, educator, and founder of Evango, a Catholic media organization that inspires the baptized to go out into the world and evangelize. Patrick holds degrees in Literature, Education, and has a Masters of Divinity. He has authored multiple books, including the very popular title, “Dare to Be an Evangelist.” Patrick travels internationally, speaking at Catholic events, parenting conferences, and leads parish renewal missions. He has spoken at events hosted by Serviam Ministries, Campaign Life Coalition, and at the New Evangelization Summit. He has also appeared on numerous media platforms, including EWTN, Shalom World Tv, and Salt + Light Television. Patrick is the proud husband to Kyla, and a father of nine.
Patrick, his family, and the Evango team serve as missionaries for Christ and evangelists to all with whom they come in contact. In this episode, Patrick shares his story and some of the many hardships from his childhood. As a teenager, God presented to him a fundamental question that ultimately changed his life. This was the spring board to a life in service to God, family, and humanity. Patrick generously answers questions like "how does one become an efficacious evangelist," "how is it possible to make Catholic parenting easier," and "what does it mean to have a family culture."
How to reach Patrick:
Contact: media@evango.net
Website: https://evango.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evango.net/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyWaa_WWWKvXspnWfEGPS_Q
Instagram: https://sopo.site/user/_evango
Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=Evango_Sullivan
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/evango
Resources: “Me & My House” Catholic Parenting Program: https://evango.net/house/
Dare to be an Evangelist Book: https://evango.net/dare-to-be-an-evangelist/
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Hello my dear Catholic Servants!
I was meditating on a passage from Divine Intimacy, a fabulous book by Fr. Gabriel of Saint Mary Magdalen, OCD. It's a book of meditations on the interior life for every day of the liturgical calendar. If you practice meditation on a regular basis and need an excellent resource, I highly recommend you get this book.
I randomly opened it up to #194, a meditation on The Way of the Cross. This is so good and I want to share it with you... To begin, let's place ourselves in the presence of God...
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Here’s a short open letter to those persecuted for their Catholic Faith.
My dear brothers and sisters who suffer persecution for being faithful Catholics,
I’m reaching-out to let you know that God is with you and you are not alone. We suffer from all forms of hatred from name-calling, to blatant lies being spread about our character. Many around the world suffer physical persecution such as torture. Then there is psychological persecution with discrimination that includes – loss of job opportunities, workplace or social media bullying, having your website or social media profile shut-down. Then we have the spiritual attacks on you and your loved ones. Our Lady warned us about the attack on the family. Then there’s political and cultural persecution, particularly for the pro-life community making gains in saving the lives of the most vulnerable.
But the type of persecution that tends to linger is alienation or ridicule from our children, our spouses, our mothers, or fathers, for speaking the Truth as God requires of us, for courageously living our Catholic faith and casting a divide between ourselves and the pop culture. NO, we won’t just go with the flow. We were made for battle in the way our Lady and her Beloved Son have taught us. As it’s been said, “preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” By the way, St. Francis didn’t really say that. And if you do need to use words, remember 1 Corinthians 13:1 “If I speak in human and angelic tongues*** but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.” Speaking with love, that’s the hard part, but most necessary. We all know, even the gentlest and loving telling of Truth can incite hatred, so grab your Rosary and shield yourself in humility so our Lady will be quick to guard and guide your precious soul.
Also, remember that there’s an eternal congregation of Saints and Angels battling this good fight with efficacious prayers from Heaven. Continue with Faith, Hope, Love, and with a heart that’s guarded yet fully open and lifted-up to the Lord. You are not forgotten, your suffering offered to the Lord will not be in vain, and your Love will resound throughout eternity. Sending love and hugs…
Let us pray…
Heavenly Father,
You know the exhaustion of my body and the pain in my heart. Lord, you know many times I fail and feel overwhelmed with being persecuted for my Catholic faith. Help me to find rest in you and to renew my heart with deeper compassion, love, and patience for those who call me their enemy. Send me the grace to find peace in the calling you have for me at this time and to always remember that my biggest defense is the shield of Humility. Please help me to see that I am enough, even in my brokenness, to be your instrument of Peace and Justice. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle…
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus… Have Mercy on Us.
Our Lady of Sorrows… Pray for us.
Saint Joseph… Pray for us.
Saint Thomas More… Pray for us.
Saints Peter and Paul… Pray for us.
Saint Joan of Arc… Pray for us.
Saint Jose Sanchez del Rio… Pray for us.
Our guardian angels… Watch over us
In the name of the Father…
My dearest Catholic Servants, please don’t hesitate to let me know your special intentions so we can pray for you during our next family Rosary. My email address is Alexandra@thecatholicservant.com. Share it with someone who may need encouragement. May God bless you!
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Here's a short open letter to let you know I understand the real struggle of raising a child with special needs.
My dear sister or brother in Christ with a child with special needs,
I’m reaching-out to let you know you’re not alone. There’s a great number of us that have been blessed by a beautiful child with special needs. We’re all constantly challenged at every level in body, mind, and spirit. Sometimes I think back to when times were simpler and hope and pray things will slow down enough to enjoy our baby but it seems like she can’t get a sniffle or tummy bug without some kind of complication. Gigi caught the flu last winter and she was hospitalized and developed several complications. She recovered over several months and now waiting for the dates of her next couple procedures. Right now we’re in a good place and cherish every moment to simply enjoy our little sunshine blessed with down syndrome. It’s difficult with all the doctor appointments, illnesses, and therapies. I know you get it. Sometimes it’s unrelenting and its hard to take a breather.
And it looks different for each of us. Whether it’s down syndrome, autism, asperger’s, ADHD, or any of the others, mommies and daddies, we were chosen to parent these amazing children. Children that have had to endure more medical issues than we have our entire lifetimes. Children who need a little extra help making sense of the world. It’s a world that’s difficult to navigate even for our typically developing children and for us as adults. Many of us have lots of great support from family and friends and some of us do not. We are told how strong we are, but the truth is, we could be stretched to a breaking point when we see our child struggling. Sometimes being in a dark hospital room holding your child for days on end is nothing more than a cold lonely place physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Having a child with special needs teaches us just how imperfect we really are and how little control we have over anything. Many times we don’t have the energy to pray with anything more than tears that stream down our faces and a heart lifted up to the Lord - crying ourselves to sleep. We tend to blame ourselves and feel guilty because we can’t make it better, easier, or less painful for our kids. But remember my dear friends, your strength in the Lord will teaches us all how to walk with God in heartbreaking moments. Yes, we can glorify God just holding a Rosary and signing ourselves as we face some of the toughest moments. Without words, without long drawn-out monologues of eloquent testimony, it’s simplicity of heart and yearning for God’s love and mercy that gets his attention. Remember always, you are not alone, you are loved, you deserve to take a break, forgive yourself, you will make mistakes and it’s ok, and trust God. I am with you and praying for you and your family always. Sending love and hugs…
Let us pray…
Heavenly Father,
You know the exhaustion of my body and the pain in my heart. Lord, you know many times I fail and feel overwhelmed with raising children with special needs. Help me to find rest in you and to renew my heart with deeper compassion, love, and patience for my children and spouse. Send me the grace to find peace in the calling you have for me at this time. Please help me to see that I am enough for my children. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Our Lady of Sorrows… Pray for us.
Saint Joseph… Pray for us.
Saint Gianna Berreta Molla… Pray for us.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin... Pray for us.
Saint John Paul II… Pray for us.
Our guardian angels… Watch over us
In the name of the Father…
My dearest Catholic Servants, please don’t hesitate to let me know your special intentions so we can pray for you during our next family Rosary. My email address is Alexandra@thecatholicservant.com. Share it with someone who may need encouragement. May God bless you!
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Cynthia Morales, M.Div. Served as Development Coordinator and Outreach Coordinator for Pro-Life Champions and the 40 film from 2012-2019. Recently she assumed the position of Executive Director. She is also the creator of the Shout My Story campaign.
Cindy brings a wealth of knowledge to Pro-Life Champions. She became active in the Pro-Life Movement in 2002 following a deepened commitment to Christ. She volunteered at a Pregnancy Resource Center, began praying outside the abortion clinics, and participated in Face the Truth Tours.
In 2005, Cindy became the Director of Religious Education at St. Philip the apostle parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago. While in that position, she published several studies for Catholic Scripture Studies International, including a study on the book of Amos, the encyclical Humanae Vitae, and three studies on the readings during Advent (for years A, B, and C). She has a BA in Sociology and M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary.
In 2012, Cindy left her position as Director of Religious Education and joined Pro-Life Champions to help produce and distribute the “40” film.
Resources:
Pro-Life Champions Website
https://www.prolifechampions.com/
The 40 Film Website
www.the40film.com
The 40 Film on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/the40film
Shout My Story on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/shoutmystoryorg/
You may share your pro-life story at info@shoutmystory.org
Additional Resources:
Formed
https://formed.org/
Gigi's Playhouse
gigisplayhouse.org
Karina's Story on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/shoutmystoryorg/videos/351841099012708/
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Here's a short open letter I wrote to the Catholic Working Mama. Just a little encouragement for the rough days and to let you know you are loved.
Hey Working Mama!
It’s me Alex, your sister-in-Christ. I know your feet are hurting, your back is aching and you’re beyond sleepy, but listen up for a sec. You’re home now and the kids are all over you but you’re too drained to look into their little eyes because you know they’re dying for you to play with them. But please Mama, maybe you don’t have the energy to play but know that sitting with them on the couch watching a show together and feeling your hands on their little faces is sometimes all they need. Sometimes it’s all YOU need. Like sitting in Adoration in the presence of our Lord, your being present with the kids in those simple little moments is enough….because YOU are enough. Your simple loving gaze and thoughtful attentiveness is better than a full -busy day at a theme park. You don’t have to be a superwoman for your children to love you…you just have to BE in the moment. So you’re tired, don’t worry… rest on the couch and close your eyes, take in the sounds of the kids’ busy chatter and the smell of the baby in your arms. Fold the clothes tomorrow and go to bed early with the kids or spend a few minutes with a glass of wine with your husband. I know sometimes it feels unnatural to leave the kids at daycare or a nanny and you say to yourself... “I should be home…I’m failing as a mother” but remember, you’ve made a decision based on your current circumstances and it’s the responsible thing to do…things could change in an instant. Remember, you are not alone, you are loved beyond measure, and there are women across time and distance who understand the same struggle. I am one of those women and I am with you and praying for you. Sending love, hugs, and prayers.
Let us pray…
Heavenly Father,
You know the exhaustion of my body and the pain in my heart. Lord, you know many times I fail and feel overwhelmed with juggling work and raising children. Help me to find rest in you and to renew my heart with deeper compassion, love, and patience for my children and husband. Send me the grace to find peace in the calling you have for me to work at this time. Please help me to see that I am enough for my children. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Saint Gianna Berreta Molla… Pray for us.
Saint Zelie Martin... Pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows… Pray for us.
Our guardian angels… Watch over us
In the name of the Father…
Resources:
JoAnna Wahlund's Website
- http://www.catholicworkingmom.com/
Buy JoAnna Wahlund's Book Here
- https://www.osvcatholicbookstore.com/product/the-catholic-working-mom-s-guide-to-life
Catholic Working Mothers Facebook Group
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/catholicworkingmothers/
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In this episode, I pick the top 3 practices I want to adopt into my daily spiritual practices from a book Tan Books is circulating on social media called "25 Ways to Become a Saint." It's a compilation from a spiritual classic "The School of Jesus Crucified" by Fr. Ignatius of the Side of Jesus, Passionist.
Download the book here:
"25 Ways to Become a Saint" by Tan Books
https://www.tanbooks.com/index.php/25-ways/?___store=default&fbclid=IwAR2WD1VdmhxoW7aFpMr4mOuQak9wH5A86rG9yZdrStw8Km2PVBjj_H8bIcM
Excerpt from the book:
"PRAYER BY WHICH A DEVOUT CHRISTIAN MAY DEDICATE HIMSELF TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Most holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, although most unworthy of being our servant yet inspired with confidence in your extreme goodness, and filled with an earnest desire of serving you, I, (name), this day choose you, in the presence of your Son, of my Angel Guardian, and of the whole Court of Heaven, for my singular Advocate, Mother, and Queen, and I firmly purpose,
with the assistance of your prayers, to serve you constantly, and to do all that lies in my power to cause thee to be served by all men. I therefore humbly beseech you, O most compassionate Mother, through the Precious Blood of your holy Son, to receive me as your devout patron and your servant forever, assist me in all my actions, and obtain grace for me, that I may so regulate all my thoughts, words, and deeds, as never to offend your Son Jesus. Forget me not, and never forsake me, either now or at the hour of my death. Amen."
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Martin and Theresa Owen were married in the Catholic Church in 2005. They are proud parents of 7 children. Martin Owen is a family doctor with an focus in fertility, chronic pain and surgical assist. Theresa is an aspiring writer and speaker with a passion in Theology of the Body. As both of them feel a call to Evangelization, they started a Facebook Page called At Home with The Doctor. In this special episode, Martin and Theresa courageously share some of the most difficult challenges that almost separated them, how they learned to transform their marriage, and why the Holy Spirit has called them to their unique apostolate. Their genuine and straightforward approach to reaching married Catholics within the "craziness" of life has touched the hearts of many and drawn numerous viewers to their Facebook Live videos. How to reach Martin and Theresa: Email: athomewiththedoctor@gmail.com At Home with the Doctor Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Athomewiththedoctor/ At Home with the Doctor on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJkTBfH9HCTUhBsA8GB_t1A At Home with the Doctor on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/athomewiththedoctor/ At Home with the Doctor on Twitter https://twitter.com/homewiththedoc
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Amy Voorhees is wife to husband, George, of almost 20 years. Together they have 7 children on this earth, and 4 children awaiting them in Heaven. Their oldest 6 children are all boys ranging in ages from 19 to 4, while the princess of the house is their youngest daughter who’s 19 months old. In 2007 Amy founded the San Antonio Coalition for Life after the first successful National 40 Days for Life Campaign. Today, she still stays active in the SACFL and also works as the Director of Music for St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fredericksburg Texas.
In this touching episode, Amy reveals how she and her family found consolation within the beauty of our Catholic faith after a family tragedy. She is also an avid pro-life advocate with a great insight on how having a peaceful, prayerful presence on the sidewalk has helped save souls. Amy also gave us a special treat by singing her lovely rendition of the Guardian Angel prayer called, "The Guardian Angel Song" that she wrote herself.
How to reach Amy:
The San Antonio Coalition for Life website
https://sacfl.org/
The San Antonio Coalition for Life on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/SACFL/
Email: info@sacfl.org
Phone: 210-737-2235
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During times of illness, we may fail to see the purpose for this type of suffering. Falling into despair, we may believe we're being punished or think that God has abandoned us. However, God is fully present and illness is part of His plan for our salvation and the salvation of humanity if we come to understand what we are to do.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 1499-1505 explains how illness, when embraced as redemptive suffering, can be used to save souls, as well as our own, and brings to greater union with Jesus Christ.
Resources:
Prayer in Time of Sickness
https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=1825
The Catechism of the Catholic Church Online
http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/files/assets/basic-html/page-I.html#
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Jason Nunez, creator of The John 3:30 Podcast, is 38 years old, Catholic husband and father of two children. He was born and raised in El Paso, TX and now lives in San Antonio, TX. Jason and his Family are active Parishioners at The Church of The Holy Spirit. He credits his “reversion” to Catholicism due in part to attending an ACTS Retreat in October of 2012. He currently serves as a Catechist in the RCIA Program at his Parish. Jason has a BIG Devotion to Padre Pio and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. He truly believes he has been called by God to spread the word about how other keep their fire burning for our Catholic Faith.
In this episode, Jason discusses his many trials and how the graces of Faith, Hope, and Love, have fueled his apostolic work through his podcast. He encourages us to ask for the courage to evangelize when the Holy Spirit calls us to do so for the glory of God.
How to Reach Jason:
Jason's Email
john330podcast@gmail.com
The John 3:30 Podcast on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/TheJohn330Podcast/
The John 3:30 Podcast on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thejohn330podcast/
The John 3:30 Podcast Twitter handle @john330podcast
The John 3:30 Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWbHrdjIyF5zmrpENywribg
If you'd to inquire about being a living kidney donor for Jason, click here or the link below to apply. Enter his name Jason Nunez and d.o.b. 06/26/1980.
http://utclivingdonor.com/
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Alexandra continues with part 2 of Introduction to Catholic Leadership in a Secular World discusses 3 more fundamentals to integrate Catholic leadership virtues in any secular or faith organization. She talks about...
- How to Inspire Your Team
- Celebrating Wins & Milestones
- Adapting an Attitude of Service
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JoAnna Wahlund, author of the book "The Catholic Working Mom's Guide to Life," drops a ton of value in this interview as she discusses key struggles of a working mom while offering faith-based yet practical solutions.
How to reach JoAnna:
JoAnna's Website
- http://www.catholicworkingmom.com/
Buy JoAnna's Book Here
- https://www.osvcatholicbookstore.com/product/the-catholic-working-mom-s-guide-to-life
Catholic Working Mothers Facebook Group
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/catholicworkingmothers/
Resource:
American Heritage Girls
- https://americanheritagegirls.org/
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In this episode, Alexandra discusses 3 necessities to become an authentic Catholic leader in a secular world. She also discusses...
- what it means to create a circle of safety for our team
- why employee engagement matters
- how we use these 3 skills in our family life
Alexandra discusses hidden moments for prayer that are less known yet helpful to Catholic entrepreneurs as they juggle faith, family, and work.
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Ruby Kaluza shares the journey that led her to Thirty One Gifts and being in business has changed her life. She also discusses the importance of finding one's voice through the Will of God.
How to reach Ruby:
Ruby's Website
Ruby on Facebook
Ruby on Instagram
Ruby on Twitter
Resources:
The Catholic Planner
YCP San Antonio
Abiding Together Podcast
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Today's episode includes 5 Homemaking Tips for the busy, working Catholic.
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Learn what The Catholic Servant Podcast is about, why it was created, and what valuable content will be available for Catholics in business, ministry, or apostolate.
You may provide feedback or recommend future guests at Alexandra@TheCatholicServant.com.
Pray daily, love charitably, and nurture your Catholic faith.
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