Sunday Wisdom

The loss of a loved one can be devastating for those left behind, especially when a parent has to bury a child. Yesterday we said good-bye to our beloved angel Hayley.  She was my youngest brother’s oldest child, and yet she was only 23.  It is hard to understand why her life was cut dramatically and suddenly short, but our faith tells us this is not the end for she has gained eternal life with our Lord.  Hayley was a strong, courageous, and joyful young lady who will be so missed. 

Sometimes when God does not answer our prayers it feels like He has abandoned us, but despite our doubts, the fact is, He never leaves us.  He loves us and walks through the valley of darkness with us. In these times when nothing makes sense, let us pause and ask God what He is trying to reveal to us, even in the midst of our suffering.  Let’s open our hearts to the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to move us with love and compassion for others.  One of the best ways to honor a loved one who has passed is to allow them to pass freely into the next life and then live on in hope that we will one day see each other again.

Hayley is now in the loving embrace of her Savior who was and always has been waiting for her with open arms.  So let us allow the Holy Spirit enter into whatever pain is on our hearts. Let’s allow that Spirit to heal and transform us. We can be confident that Jesus is always with us, working in your lives, even when we do not understand how. Psalm 18:3: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress”.

Hayley was such a loving soul and God’s joy in her was a beacon of light for others. As we continue the final weeks of this Lenten season, I choose to honor her spirit by uniting my suffering to Christ on the Cross and to continue to spreading Christ’s love, joy, and mercy to others. I invite you to do the same.

Lord Jesus, give us a heart of wisdom and compassion.  Open our eyes to see your presence in our lives.

What is the quality of your heart this week?

Today’s gospel can be challenging as it calls us to look at our own faults before judging others. In order to bear good fruit we must continually pay attention to what is in our heart.  Do you see the good in others or do you look for what is wrong or imperfect? It is important to remember that recognizing good in others, acknowledging someone’s gift does not diminish the gifts we have been given. We are all needed to build up the Kingdom of God here on earth.

To grow in holiness, we need to look at how often we wound our Lord with unkind words, actions, and even judgment of others.  The season of Lent is upon us. Now is the time to grown in understanding of our own failures, and to turn to God in humility, so we will be open to receive His Mercy.

Let us be a witness of compassion and surround ourselves with friends who speak words of love, encouragement and blessing instead of resentment, bitterness, and gossip. Remember, the quality of fruit we bear will be determined on how well we care for the quality of our heart.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

Last week we heard about the beatitudes and now this week, Jesus is calling us to go deeper and actually love our enemies. This is difficult on a good day, let alone if we are struggling to forgive someone who has wounded us.  But the, God is love and his Mercy is unfathomable, so what do we do. 

Well, if we want to live God’s Kingdom here on earth and actually make a difference in our world, we need to do good to those who hate us, bless those who cure us, and most importantly pray for those who abuse us.  Now my friends, that is a tall order as we enter the Lenten Season, but with God’s grace, it is possible.

It seems so counter-cultural right? Society teaches us to give because we will get back, or be nice so others are nice to us. So loving our enemies is certainly uncomfortable, but then again, so is the cross. Jesus asks us to take up our cross and follow him. Follow him in this life and into paradise.  We are called to love others not because they love us, but because it is the right thing to do. 

As we prepare for the Lenten season, take some time to ask God what he wants you to do this Lent and how we can change the world, one act of kindness at a time.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

Today’s gospel is familiar and yet at times uncomfortable. It calls us to seriously look at what is important in our lives.  The Beatitudes are often described as a guideline for Christian living. One thing I like to focus on when I hear this reading is how much God wants to bless us all. His Mercy is for everyone and he wants nothing more than for us to hear the truth, live the truth, and discover joy. Sometimes this might seem like an upside down gospel, right? Because really “Blessed are those who weep and mourn”? But, this message from Jesus is hopeful for all of us because the Kingdom of God is for the poor and the outcast. It is for the persecuted and the peacemaker. And thank God it is for sinners and the unwanted.  I am not sure about you, but at one time or another in my life I have fallen into one or more of these categories.  So let’s put a little more trust in Jesus today and open our eyes and ears to be more faithful.  Let’s stop looking for happiness in all the wrong places and invest in people. If we do, I am sure we will find the Kingdom of God here on earth and discover the true joy of being a Christian. Remember, the gospel also says, “Blessed are you, holy are you. Rejoice and be glad.”  

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

God trusts you more than you will ever know and today’s gospel reading reminds us that everything we own and everything we are belongs to God. God has given us all many and very different gifts. It is up to us to use those gifts to honor and glorify God. Our parable today reminds us that God is always in control and while he is not physically on earth with us today as he was with his apostles, if we allow him, He will walk each step of our journey with us.

Don’t waste your gifts and don’t waste precious time. Invite God into your life! We all have different gifts, one is not more important than the other, but what is important is to use your gifts to better the Kingdom of God on earth so we will be prepared to spend eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”  (Matthew 22:21)

In today’s gospel Jesus reminds us that it is important to meet both our earthly and heavenly needs. As a member of society, it is important for us to pay taxes, exercise the right to vote, and defend our country. Regardless of our faith, nationality, or citizenship we also have the obligation to practice obedience by giving to God what is God’s.

What exactly belongs to God? Well, in my opinion, everything! We are all made in the likeness of God and depend upon Him for our very next breath. Our time, talent, and treasure are all graces given to us by our loving God. Being obedient in prayer, practicing the Sacraments, and showing mercy to others is part of our heavenly need and God is forever calling us and challenging us to surrender to Him.

So today, let us listen deeply, practice obedience and entrust our lives to the Lord. Peace!

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

Today’s gospel is all about a wedding feast which also represents our eternal banquet in heaven.  Seems simple right? Our God is a merciful and loving God so all are invited. The young and old, rich and poor, sick and healthy and yet, the king refuses some because they are not properly dressed in the wedding garment.

We spend all of our lives preparing for this eternal banquet and so having a relationship with Christ that focuses on prayer, trust, love and forgiveness is how we prepare our final garments. We have a merciful and loving God has given us all free will, an opportunity to choose Him, to choose love over hate, peace over violence, truth over lies and most importantly forgiveness for all who hurt us.

We can accept or refuse His invitation. We can accept the invitation and refuse His grace.  This is why many are invited but only a few are chosen. So let us choose to accept His invitation, and choose to clothe ourselves with love, forgiveness and peace.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

Today’s gospel is all about forgiveness and mercy. “Should you not have pity on your fellow servant, as I the Lord had pity on you?” (Matthew 18:33)
Our dear friend Peter started it all with a very simple question, Lord how many times must I forgive? Jesus then shared a parable and we hear of a King who was moved with compassion because one of his servants begged for more time to pay off his debt. The problem was the man who was forgiven refused to forgive and show mercy to his fellow man, which is exactly the kind of mercy our Lord calls us to. We are called to show mercy, compassion, forgiveness and gratitude.

If only the servant whose debt was forgiven had been grateful enough to practice the same kindness he would not have been handed over to be tortured and pay his debt in full. Unfortunately we can often be like this very servant, failing to be grateful for the mercy and compassion shown to us.

Today, let us imitate Jesus and not only forgive others when they hurt us but show them compassion in giving them a second chance. God forgives us again and again and He never holds our sins against us but instead wipes our soul clean. Let us ask our Heavenly Father to strengthen us in showing mercy towards others.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

Today’s gospel teaches us the importance of lovingly correcting each other’s behavior. A healthy relationship always involves honestly. Wouldn’t you be grateful if someone helped you change a bad habit?  I personally would want to know if I was hurting someone. And yet, being directly honest with one another can be challenging. But guess what folks, Jesus never promised us an easy life. Then again, how can we tell if someone is trying to help or just being a gossip?

Gossip can be defined as is a story about people that is designed to hurt, not rescue, and spread among people anonymously.

How can I recognize a gossiper from a compassionate person just trying to help?
Well, first ask yourself is what you are hearing designed to help or hurt?  
Does there seem to be a sincere desire to for accurate truth about all involved?
Did the person talk directly to the all involved as Jesus told us to do in today’s gospel?
And finally, what if the stories you are hearing were about you?

Jesus asked His followers to judge based on what they saw and heard from their own eyes and ears, this alone can help us avoid gossiping. Jesus calls us to be compassionate and understanding.  Even if we have to walk away from the situation we should do so with love and respect.  After all remember how Jesus treated the Gentiles and the tax collectors?  Shouldn’t we do the same?

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae