As part of our blogging schedule, we have agreed as a group that we will not be doing individual blog posts on Sundays. However, we do want to keep discussion going, so we will be posting about Mass and our obligations on Sundays. Don’t worry, we’re set to auto-post so we can enjoy family time, too. 🙂
Sunday readings hold different meaning for different people. Inevitably some part of Scripture or a certain place during Mass jumps out at someone, giving them something they needed at that precise time.
What was memorable for you today? Did the kids behave? Did you find forgiveness in something you had been holding onto for a while? Did you marvel at the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ? Anything of particular importance you want to share with us? We’d love to hear how Mass impacts your life.
Mass was a little sad for me last night. I have had bariatric surgery and had some complications. It had been five weeks since I had been to mass because of being hospitalized etc. I went to mass and it was like going home. It was so great to see all my church family that I have missed so much. The sad part was that I was only able to receive communion spiritually. I am unable to eat and I cannot have alcohol. I debated with the doctor about communion. I wanted to at least partake in taking Jesus blood. The doctor says regardless of my beliefs the wine that is changed is still wine. I do praise Jesus that I was finally able to get back to mass. I love the mass. I pray that I am able to go back to communion soon. Love and Blessings to all! Stefanie
Mass was beautiful this morning… Fr. focused on on how we should TRULY ACCEPT our crosses in life, because we all have them, and that they are all unique. Something that burdens me may not appear to be difficult to others, but because we’re all very unique this particular cross may have more splinters for me than it does for someone else.
Beautiful and thoughtful homily…
Father Dean talked about how truly counter-cultural we have to be if we want to follow Christ. He said we have to be willing to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him. It seems so simple, yet it’s probably the biggest obstacle for any of us.
Hey, don’t be your naturally inclined-toward-sin self. Be like Christ or try, anyway!
They are sobering words and ones that I often think of when I am focusing on ‘dying to self.’
Father James started his homily today by sharing with us that when he was in the discernment phase of his journey to the priesthood, he thought very seriously about becoming a Benedictine Monk. He said that although he didn’t take that path, every year on his diocese-required retreat, he loves to go and visit different monasteries. He described to us the life of a Benedictine Monk and how most of his time is spent in his cell- their personal room which is very simple containing pretty much a bed and a desk. He talked about how it would be hard to live such a life and he imagined that after a time, it may possibly be a challenge to continue living the monastic life. After all, our world today teaches us that the things we long for/to be are all out there if we dare to pursue them. He likened us all to monks who sometimes must choose on a daily basis to die to self and to live within our “cells” or the vocations to which God has called us. There we will find ourselves and we will find true fulfillment in God’s purpose for us.
He told the story of a monk that he knew who was an Italian man, one of ten children. After many years at his monastery he left for the first time to visit his mother on her deathbed. His mother sacrificed all of her own dreams to serve her large family and to raise her ten children and he reflected upon this as he thought about the challenge it had become for him to spend day after day living his quiet, simple life. He decided that his quiet life was much less of a challenge then his mother’s many years of loud and busy child-rearing. She had died to herself to truly live her vocation and in the end, she found herself and her God-given purpose. It was a heartwarming story and hit home big time for me 🙂
Live within your “cell”! Embrace and love the vocation that God has called you to! 🙂
Mass did not go too well for myself, as I ended up falling ill with the beginnings of a stomach bug during it. I almost turned the car around and went home to suffer in privacy, but decided, no. It wasn’t that bad… yet. Halfway through the homily I found myself trembling and sweating with the kids wanting mommy and the toddler yelling “MOMMY!!!!” as I couldn’t pick her up anymore. Thankfully, I made it all the way through the consecration before having to leave.
Amidst all of that! The Lord delivered me a piece of “evidence” for my next Sistas blog post in today’s Gospel reading! So glad I didn’t turn around and go home =).
Fr. Tollefson spoke about embracing the CENTER of our sufferings. The more we embrace our sufferings, the more graces flow from the weight of that cross. If we drag our cross behind us rather than carry it, we have not embraced the center of it. I cried from the homily until the end of mass – must have been Holy Spirit tears! He gave the analogy of a mother who was told her baby would have Down Syndrome. Well, this mother embraced her suffering – chose to carry the cross (which many mothers – I think he said 80% choose not too) and she received 6 years of much joy and grace and also after his death. I am so grateful for passionate priests when they are vulnerable to expose their love and passion for the faith.