New parable: Small kindness makes huge difference

July 31, 2023

There was a woman with a watermelon. As she stood at her counter, slicing the melon, she saw the outdoor thermometer. The mercury had reached 90 degrees, and it wasn’t yet 9 a.m.

Watermelon was the woman’s favorite food, yet that day the fruit of summer saddened her. Her old dog had loved watermelon, too; and the woman missed her furry friend, recently deceased. The woman also had shared watermelon with an elderly man who had lived across the street, but he had been moved to a nursing home near his daughter, far away.

The act of carving the melon stirred the woman’s memory and made her melancholy. “I have too much of a good thing,” she said to herself. The fruit that had all her life symbolized the carefree joys of summer now seemed bittersweet. “What will I do with all this sticky, drippy, pink melon?”

Then, she heard the usual Friday morning roar as the lawn crew arrived with their mowers, blowers and weed whippers. Deeply tanned, covered in dust, grass clippings stuck to their sweaty skin, they worked quickly. The woman’s property was not an easy job, given her corner lot and steep banks. It occurred to the woman how delicious and welcome a slice of cold watermelon might be to these young men on a morning already so hot and getting hotter. She hesitated. Would they consider it some sort of bribe? Was it improper? Would they, like some children these days, grow suspect, having been taught not to accept gifts — especially food — from strangers? She censored her altruistic instinct. Fearing rejection or misunderstanding, she tossed watermelon rinds in the compost container and put the sliced melon into the refrigerator.

At her window, she watched the guys finish the mowing. One wiped sweat from his brow with his T-shirt; the other paused a moment in the shade of a maple. Maybe they don’t even like watermelon, she considered. Maybe they’re allergic. And the nonsense of her line of thinking struck her as she said aloud, “Who doesn’t like a cold slice of watermelon on a hot summer’s day?”

She grabbed two thick slices of melon and two paper towels. Based on their response, the pink fruit might have been gold.

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

The reality of sin and forgiveness

September 15, 2023
by Catherine Cavadini

Big “T” traditions

September 14, 2023
Traditions are important to families. Singing the family birthday song, making grandma’s banana bread, praying in a special way at holiday meals — traditions are the foundation on which strong families are built. Likewise, the Church was built upon the rituals and traditions of the apostles and the early Christian communities. This body of ritual and teaching is called Tradition (with a capital T), and it serves as a unifying force in the Church today. This Tradition is so important that the teaching office of the Church, called the magisterium, safeguards it. We believe that that sacred Word of God is found in both Scripture and Tradition. In fact, the Tradition of the Church was in place before the Gospels were even written. It’s true! We practiced our faith long before we wrote about our faith. The first Christians were already meeting together, mostly in homes, celebrating the Eucharist, sharing the teachings of the apostles and encouraging one another at the time the New Testament was written down. This was the beginning of St. Paul addressing his letters to these early Christian communities. Those who argue that Scripture alone should be the source of Christian teaching fail to recognize that in the first several centuries of the Church there was no “Bible” in the form we have today. Early Christian communities read from the Old Testament writings, the prophets and from the letters from leaders like Peter and Paul. The earliest writings in the New Testament reflect the belief and practice of the early Christians as the Holy Spirit guided the Church and her leaders. If we truly wish to understand Scripture, we must understand the context in which it was written — the Tradition of the Church.

September 13, 2023

September 14, 2023
Wednesday | September 13, 2023 | 03:00 AM Lk 6:20-26 Though different, the Beatitudes in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospels point the disciple to complete dependence on God and loving service to others. The “woes” stand in stark contrast to the four blessings in Luke’s Gospel. They are those attitudes and behaviors that need to change in order to find joy on the journey. St. John, pray for us that we come to understand what it means to serve the poor justly as you did. This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Hear the cry

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

Pope Francis Reflections

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

The Good News leads to seeing with eyes of faith

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

Work is intrinsic to Catholic stewardship

September 4, 2023
“Work is a fundamental aspect of the human vocation. It is necessary for human happiness and fulfillment. It is intrinsic to responsible stewardship of the world.” —Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response U.S. Catholic bishops’ pastoral letter on stewardship When you meet somebody new, do you find yourself immediately asking, “What do you do for a living?” Jesus Christ worked as a carpenter. The “king of kings” and “lord of lords” may have had a callus or two on His holy hands. We are called to respect the dignity of workers, regardless of title, status or income. Work — whether vocation or a vocation — dignifies the human person. God gave each of us the gift of life and talents to bear for the Kingdom. We are obliged to contribute to the common good, whether we work for a paycheck, within the home or as a volunteer. Ideally, we must discern work that holds meaning for us. And we cannot confuse making a living with being alive. “Lord Jesus Christ, bless the work of our human hands.” Amen. Do you balance work and recreation? Does your job allow you to apply your God-given gifts and talents? Are you enthused about your work in the world? If not, check out the book “This Time I Dance:Trusting the Journey of Creating the Work You Love,” by Tama J. Kieves (J.P. Tarcher, 2003). This article comes to you from Grace In Action (Our Sunday Visitor) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Simply stated: A Christian steward

August 28, 2023
“Who is a Christian steward? One who receives God’s gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them in justice and love with all, and returns them with increase to the Lord.” — “Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response” This article comes to you from Grace In Action (Our Sunday Visitor) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Take the path to freedom and joy

August 21, 2023
When we hear the word “sacrifice” most of us think of giving up something, like the things we give up during Lent as a joining with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. That is certainly part of what it means to sacrifice, but reflecting deeply on this word can help us to think more accurately about the ways in which we are called to live as stewards. To sacrifice means to make holy. In the Gospel of Matthew, we hear of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. Jesus took the little the people had and made of it a banquet. Their sharing of the bread and fish was certainly a sacrifice — they did not know what was going to happen with what they gave! We are invited to give of our very selves, our lives, time, attention and resources. But we are called to more than simply giving from our excess. We see and hear much that tells us that we should hold on to what we have, that having much is a sign of success. Christ’s way tells us something different. We must cultivate within our hearts the willingness to give more fully than we might want, and to ask God to bless our sacrifice and make it holy. St. Paul says it this way: “Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rom 12:2). In this way, living sacrificially — giving when we might think it difficult or impossible — is a way of freedom and joy, a way that leads to holiness and to sharing Christ’s love with the world through our stewardship. This article comes to you from Grace In Action (Our Sunday Visitor) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Faith fact: "All who wander are not lost"

August 14, 2023
For every problem in life, there is at least one way out. Labyrinths have been a vital method of resolving problems for almost 2,000 years. Though originated in ancient Egypt and popularized in Greek mythology, many cultures include variations on the labyrinth pattern. Christians adapted labyrinths and included them in cathedrals as spiritual tools. A labyrinth differs from a maze in that one walks without hazard of wrong turns designed to confuse. A labyrinth leads one from beginning to end, cultivating a moving meditation. By putting one’s body in a walking motion to achieve a specific goal, the labyrinth allows an individual to focus and contemplate a problem or question while walking the labyrinth with the hope of arriving at more clarity by the end of the walk. Traditionally, labyrinths include four simple steps: Releasing, Receiving, Returning, and Exiting. Americans have rediscovered the labyrinth; more than 4,000 public and private labyrinths across the nation provide sacred paths to prayer, introspection, and quieted minds. This article comes to you from Grace In Action (Our Sunday Visitor) courtesy of your parish or diocese.
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