relationship with God

Shifting focus

Why do you go to Mass? While that seems like a simple question, how you answer it may reveal much about your relationship with God. 

Attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation is one of the precepts of the Catholic Church. We are not “encouraged” to attend, but rather “expected” to do so. There may be some times when it does feel every bit of an obligation. However, if our sole reasoning each time is to check the box that says we’ve done our duty, it may be time to reevaluate our priorities. On a to-do list, attending Mass should not be just one other thing we do besides taking out the trash, cleaning the bathroom, and grocery shopping. While all these activities are important and need to be done, Mass is not just a thing to accomplish but a retreat from all the tedious tasks we have to cross off our list.

In the Mass, we praise and worship God. This can seem easy to do when there is robust music with familiar hymns so that everyone can sing along. We feel the energy of the music, we have a smile on our face, and it makes us feel good. If that is what is attracting us to attend Mass, that may be a sound reason initially, but it will not sustain our faith in the long run. When we attend Mass because it makes us feel good, we become the focus and reason for our attendance, not God. When there are times that Mass makes us feel good and satisfied when we leave, we can rejoice in that feeling, but we should never go expecting that feeling. 

Through the Mass we encounter Jesus in His fullness: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. As the Mass is composed of two parts, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we receive Jesus in both His Word, through the Gospel, and in substance, Holy Communion. With each Mass we are given the opportunity to listen to Jesus speak to us as well as speak to Him when we pray after consuming the consecrated host. We can thank Him for all the blessings we’ve received, invoke His assistance for all the challenges before us, and ask forgiveness for all the times we’ve fallen into sin. Receiving the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus in the Holy Sacrament is the closest to heaven we have on earth. We physically are interacting with Jesus as He feeds us with Himself. 

When the reason we attend Mass becomes a visit with a friend, the focus is not on us and what we need to do or how it makes us feel, but rather on God. When we open our hearts to let Him speak through the priest and deacon, we allow God into ourselves and our lives. Reflecting on our visit may prompt us to make adjustments to our life and our interactions with others, sometimes tiny changes while others may seem to turn our world upside down. The result is making us the best version of ourselves that we can be, so that we can share the blessings we’ve received with others, bringing the love of God to them.

Mass is not about what we get out of it, but what we give instead. We give our time, our attention, and open our hearts to God. We share our blessings with others when we volunteer and donate to the collection. We reflect back to God how much we acknowledge and appreciate all He has given us by our attitude towards the Mass. Perhaps the next time we attend Mass, we can ask God how we need to shift our focus for Mass from ourselves and our needs, to Him and for the grace to do it. 

Tangles and knots

May is the month dedicated to Mary and recently I’ve been pondering one of her titles, Undoer of Knots. 

I was working on warping my loom, using a fine cotton yarn that I realized had been a bit too overspun. This resulted in the yarn wanting to twist unless it was under tension. Since a loom works by using the yarn under tension, it sounds like it would be a good use for it. However, one needs to actually get it on the loom in order to put it under tension. When one is dealing with 400 measured out strands of yarn, each about 3 yards long, it doesn’t take long for tangles to begin. As I warped the loom, I worked in small sections at a time, maybe about 20 or so ends. I could hardly believe my eyes. I would straighten the section and immediately upon releasing it, it would twist and kink up along the visible length I was working on. I was being given a challenge. Would I accept it? Or would I cut it all off and choose a different project?

I must confess there was more than one occasion that I wondered if it was worth it. This project is a practice item, I don’t have to do it. Why was I putting myself through such hassle? “It’s an opportunity to practice patience,” I told myself. But the other part of my brain would question me, “isn’t this supposed to be fun, why do you want to practice patience with this?” Another explanation I thought of was it being an opportunity to practice this particular weaving challenge, so that I know I can handle it when it comes to a project I specifically want to do, especially if it’s for a gift. Still my brain was challenging me and I was getting frustrated. Then I remembered one of Mary’s titles is Undoer of Knots. As my hands worked through the loops and tangles, I pondered on what this means for Mary, and how my current predicament could shed light on it.

The excess twist in the yarn was causing it to loop over other strands that were making their own loops. I didn’t necessarily have a knot, unless in my frustration I yanked too hard and the loop closed over the other strands. Given the fineness of the yarn, it became a really tight knot. I had to look carefully at the knot to find the outermost loop and gently tease it away from the other strands. 

When we pray to Mary to undo the knots in our lives, be it for help with our habitual sins, issues in our families or workplaces, or even our general world, we need to have patience as Mary is working. It takes time to undo a knot. It takes finesse to find which thread to pull and gently work with it. 

Undoing knots also requires great attention to detail, not just of the knot itself, but of the other threads around it. By working with one thread, another knot could be created elsewhere if one is not paying attention. When we pray for Mary’s intercession under this title, we are asking her to look at whatever situational knot we are experiencing, and to work at it from whichever angle will prevent another knot from surfacing. It can seem like our prayers are not being answered; however, if we allow Mary to intercede with Jesus for the best possible outcome, we can be assured that the knot will be undone.

When we invoke Mary’s assistance, we also need to remember that when we seek assistance, we need to be open to the Spirit’s prompting, but avoid overthinking and try to resolve the issue ourselves. When we seek to fix our problems, we can create more tangles and knots in our life-yarn that is straight and smooth. It’s very tempting to make a plan to address an issue and our take-charge culture feeds that impulse. However, when we realize the difficulty is too big for us to address on our own, we need to leave it firmly in the hands of our spiritual guardians. Like at the wedding feast in Cana, Mary’s response may be for us to follow whatever Jesus tells us to do. And like at the feast, filling up the ceremonial jars used for washing when wine was needed sounded crazy to the staff, we may be prompted to take action in a way that seems to have no connection with our problem. But Mary and Jesus are outside of time and space; they can see the impact of it all. When we pray, we need to trust in their intervention and be open to their guidance. 

While it seemed to take forever to warp the loom, I did succeed. I absolutely had moments of frustration, but I also had moments of mirth as I thought of Mary as the Undoer of Knots. I know that my knots were nothing that needed her intercession, but it was nice to feel a kinship with her doing the same action. 

Feline lessons

Eight years ago I adopted my cat, Vera. In that time she has taught me so many lessons, including spiritual ones! Her presence has been a blessing to me, and I will be forever grateful to God for bringing her into my life.

Approach prayer with joy! As I used the Magnificat prayer book for morning and evening prayers, Vera would be right there, rubbing up against the book and purring away. I would ask her if she was saying her prayers too by doing that. I loved hearing her purr and it always put a smile on my face, even when I was going to bed later than I wanted or waking up early for a special event. Prayer time is important, but so is our attitude about it. We should approach all prayer with joy and awe at the ability to be heard by our Creator. 

Vera at morning prayer

Patience is something to always practice. Not being able to communicate in a common language, we each needed to learn how to communicate with each other. Trying to keep her safe meant not allowing her in certain rooms, or not allowing her to chew on string — like my scapular. Teaching her what the boundaries meant, I had to find a way to communicate the correction without hurting our relationship. I didn’t want her to fear me, but rather appreciate that I was keeping her safe even though she may not have understood why I was asking her to amend her behavior. The infinite God who knows all, gently corrects us in our actions and decisions. We may not be able to see the bigger picture and how what we say or do impacts the wider world, yet God knows and understands. While I’m still learning to be aware of God’s kind nudges, I’m much more aware that He does them because of caring for Vera.

The amount of love I have for Vera cannot be expressed in simple words. Yet I know it is but a thimble-full in comparison to the love that God has for me. God loves me as I am and always wants me to be closer to Him. He wants me to become the best version of myself that I can be. Knowing the love I have for Vera puts me in awe of God’s love for me. It makes the incarnation of Jesus as well as His Passion, Death, and Resurrection boggle the mind at the depth of His love.

The most important lesson, however, I learned over Lent and Easter this year. Shortly before Lent began and the day before I left for Japan, the vet drained two pounds of fluid from Vera’s abdomen. I was blessed that she was able to greet me when I got home, however, the vet drained her twice more over the course of the Lenten season. As we focused spiritually on Jesus’s Death and Resurrection, I watched Vera decline. On Easter Monday, she passed in my arms. All this talk about resurrection, yet animals, because they are not made in God’s image or likeness, are not thought to have immortal souls, nor is there any teaching that we will see animals in heaven. It has been hard to process this grief because it seems so… final. Yet I’ve come to the conclusion that the goal of heaven is to be with God. Whomever else, be it human, or animal, or some other being, will be an added blessing if I see them in heaven, but is not the requirement to be happy in heaven. I do believe that God has created all things, and I will not limit Him to who or what is in heaven, or who is resurrected when our souls are reunited with our bodies. While it has been challenging to celebrate Easter with the joy it deserves, I know I’m celebrating it with a heart full of gratitude for the time I’ve had with Vera and all the joy she brought into my life. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the Lord. 

Even though I grieve the loss of my feline companion, I know I will welcome another in my home when the time is right. I leave it to Divine Providence to bless me with yet another cat who will continue to teach me about God in ways I can’t even imagine. 

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Eye splinter

Comparisons should come with warning labels and spiritual safety glasses. In a world where likes are tallied and people can be “cancelled,” comparing our lives to the lives of others can have drastic consequences.

I’ve been watching way too much YouTube recently and one line that is universal to every video is, “Hit the like button.” Indicating you like the video and, if you want to see more of the creator’s content, subscribing to the channel are inputs to the complex calculation that is supposed to spread the creator’s content and recommend it to others who have similar viewing habits. Yet it feels as if, no matter where you go in society, everyone has a similar mentality of getting likes or positive online reviews, no matter how small the interaction. Every time I use a service or order online, it seems like I receive a survey so that I can provide my judgement of the experience. While it’s good to seek out how to improve, oftentimes it seems like I’m being asked to participate in a marketing ploy so that the company can use those favorite advertising descriptions like most popular and best seller. These statements may seem harmless on the surface, but for those with a competitive nature, it’s a subtle cue that triggers a desire to want the item, just because the proverbial everyone has it. We don’t even realize that these statements are causing us to compare ourselves with others, about whom the only thing we know is their purchase of that item or service.

In the carefully curated world of social media, we can do physiological damage to ourselves if we compare our lives with the lives of others. Even for those who keep it “real,” we are only seeing a small sliver of their life. We all know that life is complicated and challenging to navigate, and each person faces their own unique trials and issues. Yet all too often we pass judgement, either on those we see or on ourselves for not achieving what the content creator did. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus warns us, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?” (Lk 6:41) A splinter in the eye sounds painfully horrid, but the reason Jesus uses the eye is because it’s through our eyes that we see the world and make comparisons of ourselves and others. Our eyes are constantly taking in the world around us and making micro decisions about our environment, looking for potential dangers, as well as noticing delicious food or something that will help us in our life. When our sight is hindered or blocked, we cannot get a full understanding of our circumstances and certainly not that of anyone else. Most often we fail to recognize our faults and yet feel empowered to tell others about how they can correct theirs, regardless of whether or not they sought our input. 

Comparisons can be a tool, if we use them properly. If we look to another and notice their words and actions bring the love and peace of God to others, then we can look to them as a role model. Mary and all the saints are role models for us to follow. However, if a person seems to sow division and accusations, we want to be sure we don’t mimic their behavior. We should not judge them, only use that example to cleanse us of bad habits. If we see similar traits reflected in our own behavior, rather than condemning another, we should seek God’s mercy and grace, not just only for ourselves, but also the person that is suffering in a similar way. Even better is to ask God to help all those who are stuck in that same negative trait. 

Life is not a contest for the most number of likes; each of us suffers with eye splinters. Let us seek God’s grace and mercy to address our words and actions that don’t bring His love and light to those around us. 

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Got problems?

In our fallen human condition, we face problems daily, perhaps even multiple times throughout the day. They can range from the truly basic needs of where a person’s next meal will come from to if it’s time to start looking for a new job; from which medical treatment will address the health crisis to which school a child will attend. How often do we lift up our problems to God to solve?

Early on in my working career I was advised that if I was going to bring an issue or concern to my superior, I should also bring at least one solution, if not multiple options with my reasoning of which was best. That makes sense in a working world, but sometimes it feels like I apply that to my relationship with God. While I’m sure God does appreciate me using the brain He gave me to analyze the situation and the possible outcomes, He may be frustrated in my lack of trusting Him to make the best decision for not only my immediate need, but for my lifetime. As a human, my perspective is very limited, as is my knowledge of the problem at hand. I’m not privy to the effect the problem or its resolution may have on others. God sees all. God knows all. Yet, here I am not asking for help, but instructing specifically what God needs to do. I don’t consider myself a Martha, but in retrospect, I’m a bit like her, telling God how He needs to address my problem.

For every problem there is an answer. We humans have problems. God is the solution. When we try to provide solutions ourselves, we are trying to be God. This was what made the forbidden fruit so attractive to Adam and Eve, that they can be like God. Most times God does want us to participate in solving our problems, but that we do so by following His will for us. Relying on our own initiative, we shut God out of an opportunity that could grow our faith and relationship with Him. It may also prevent God from working through another person who could provide us the aid that we need. God also understands how different solutions will affect us and those involved both immediately as well in the long term. In our finite understanding, we tend to think that once a problem is solved, that is the end. Sometimes it is, but sometimes the results can affect us way longer than we can even imagine. Our short-sightedness leaves us blind to the consequences we will face if God answered our demanding prayers exactly the way we ask of Him.

Supplication, or petition, is one of the types of prayer that is a constant for every Catholic, including every time we attend Mass. Asking God for help is a good thing! Asking God that He helps us in a very specific way is where our prayer can go awry. Let us examine how we petition God for assistance, taking Jesus’ example from the agony in the garden, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42)

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Not alone

On a physical level, it seems that we are born into this world with nothing and leave it just the same. But that outlook does not take into account our relationships and experiences. We are not only just individual persons with our own experiences, but also a family, a community, a society of interactions.

I recently caught a portion of a video in which the commentator said he believed in individualism. He felt sacrifices for the larger community was foolishness and that all our experiences were at an individual level. While I initially skipped past the video, I was bothered by it. I don’t know if the author has any religious affiliation, however, I don’t see how a person could believe in God and also think that, basically, the world was all about himself. I then wondered if he was married, as surely that construct would be the antithesis of individualism. If he is married, perhaps it is an illustration of how much society is devaluing marriage. When I start to ponder something that agitates me, I know the only way I can put it to rest is to confront it with what I believe.

A person is created through the relational acts of his/her parents and with the blessing of God infusing a soul into the conceived embryo. Our beginning is not that we just pop into existence, but that our existence is a result of actions. Our first experience, not that we are aware or understand, is that of being in the womb, where our mother nourishes us for the time of our gestation. We live and grow within the relationship of our mother’s care. From the very first moments of our lives, we have an impact on others and they also have an impact on us. While our physical dependence is on our mother, the family to which we are born into is also impacted by our existence, since pregnancy does affect many aspects of the mother’s life. Some expectant mothers may have extra energy, while others require more rest. Some have crazy cravings for peculiar food combinations, while others struggle to keep food down. All of these changes have an impact on her family, unbeknownst to the child developing inside her. 

Our dependency does not stop once we are born, as it will take many years for a child to mature and be able to care for his/her self. At an individual level, our experiences during our growing years will be unique for each person and will shape us into the person we eventually become. But it’s not just physical growth that we experience, but also mental, emotional, societal, and spiritual growth as well. We observe the world around us and make decisions based on what experiences we have. From an individual perspective, we do make choices of how we react and behave, but often it is prompted by the actions of others around us. If someone makes a joke, we laugh. If someone is sad and cries, we may cry with them or offer a shoulder for them to cry on. If we have good news to share with others, we want them to celebrate and be happy with us. Even after we reach the point of being able to care for ourselves, our family and community are hugely impactful in our lives. No matter how independent we are, or think we are, we always rely on God’s grace and blessing to keep us in this world.

Sacrifice could be a whole blog topic itself. However, the context of the comment about it being foolish caused me to feel rather indignant. We make sacrifices to live at a very basic level. We need to work in order to have a home, food, transportation, and so forth. We give up our time to earn money; that’s one aspect of sacrifice. Perhaps because we decide how the earned money is spent, it may not be seen as a sacrifice by those believing in individualism. Another sacrifice is being part of a family, we give up our time to spend with them, help them, and celebrate with them. Love is a sacrifice; sometimes it’s easy and doesn’t seem like any effort and other times it can feel painful. If believing that sacrifice for others is foolish, what does that do to the person’s community? Do they walk away from their family and change friends frequently to avoid foolish actions? I suspect that those subscribing to individualism probably choose some sacrifices willingly, but may use their philosophy to avoid others. 

Our lives are a tapestry of experiences with others. Even if we choose to spend time alone, our relationships and memories will continue to influence us in these moments. If we are shunned by all, we still will not be alone. God will remember us, since “upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you.” (Isaiah 49:16)

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Ripple effect

Death interrupts life. While that may seem like a very obvious statement, I don’t mean it for the person who died. I mean it for those still living on earth. A death causes a ripple effect beyond the person who passed.

Recently my sister’s mother-in-law passed away. While she was older and in fading health, the end still seemed like a surprise. Since my sister and her husband dated through most of high school and all of college,  our families shared several gatherings before their wedding and a few after, before they moved out of the area. While there are many perspectives on the impact of her death, let me share it from my perspective. The smallest ripple, meaning the least impacted, was actually on my eldest sister. Because she had met her at several family gatherings, my eldest sister took the time out of her day to attend the funeral Mass. As there was no one else from our family in the area, when I heard she attended, I was humbled by her kind act of paying her respects, almost as the representative of our extended family for those who could not attend. 

A bit of a bigger ripple was experienced by my Mom and me. With the funeral being in Pennsylvania, my sister and her husband had to travel up the day before and I was asked to stay with my Mom, both as a companion and for safety considerations. Since she recently had a short stay in the hospital, it was a prudent request. Given the distance between my house and my sister’s, I had to call on a friend from my parish to feed and take care of Vera while I was away. While normally I would ask my nephew, since it was his grandmother who had passed, he, too, was away for the funeral. In this instance, not only was my mother and I affected, but also my friend, who didn’t know the deceased at all. 

The biggest ripple of all is to her family members. As the mother of 16 children, there are certainly many descendants who felt her loss. My niece calculated 95 direct descendants, which includes the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It’s practically a small village! While her passing put their lives on hold as they said their farewells, it didn’t stop with just the funeral services. It’s the communication of her death to all the necessary organizations, as well as to those outside of the immediate family. It’s sorting through whatever possessions she left behind and determining what should be done with them. Beyond that, however, is the inability to ever truly visit with her again, to speak with her and receive a response. Yes, there are plenty of pictures of her smiling, but it’s only a reminder of a memory. There will be no more memories made with her. Each member of the family will grieve in their own way, figuring out what coping mechanism works best for them. But the rest of their earthly life is changed without her presence. Her death will ripple through them while they continue their journey on earth. Sometimes it will be a warm reminder of her, while other times will bring tears of missing her.

Our Catholic faith requires us to believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. We have hope that she and her family will be reunited one day, along with her husband who had passed many years before her. Death may have a ripple effect on earth, but the salvation of Jesus Christ overshadows the temporary inconveniences and grievances. He calms the waves brought on by death and when we lean on Him in times of distress over a lost loved one, we can receive a taste of the peace that will be ours on the other side of this life.

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Welcoming what’s next

January seems like a time for new beginnings. We seem eager to make resolutions to eat healthier, exercise more, spend time with family, and pray more consistently. But are we really open to what’s next?

As human beings, we exist in a realm of time. We mark the passage of it and make plans for what will come. From seconds to hours, days to centuries, no amount of time is too small or too big for us to track, or at least we try to do so. Yet, we really don’t have any control over time. We can’t slow it down or make it go faster. Neither can we control what happens at any point in time. We can make the most perfect plan, and circumstances outside of our control render a whole timetable… useless. No matter how many times this happens to us, we keep making plans. Perhaps this is a reflection of the deep-seeded hope we all have as children of God. We don’t know what will happen next, so we broadly choose to be hopeful and optimistic. There may be circumstances when this is difficult, like when dealing with a health crisis. However, our Catholic faith encourages us during these difficult moments — even when facing the possibility of death — that not only is God with us, but that the end of earthly life is not the end of our existence. 

At the start of the year, time has so much potential and promise. We may have a long-awaited trip that suddenly seems imminent. Perhaps there is a new job or a new home that we’re preparing for. There is a sense of excitement about what’s to come. Usually, though, these are all plans that we have made. We are ready and looking forward to them. But what about all the things that happen that are unexpected? Are we looking forward to them? Are we ready to welcome surprises in our lives? For some, the answer is an easy yes, no matter if it seems to be a positive change or an unpleasant challenge. Many will have some level of struggle, depending on the unanticipated result. 

Since we are still in the Christmas season, the example of the Holy Family is one to keep in mind throughout the year, especially when we do face the unforeseen. Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem may have been planned by God, but wasn’t expected when Mary and Joseph were initially betrothed. Another curve ball was thrown their way when the angel in Joseph’s dream told him to flee to Egypt. Neither event was easy for them and we will never really appreciate the strength of faith it took for them to participate in God’s salvific will. In our modern day of convenience, any interruption to ease is made into a catastrophe. We’re so accustomed to having things mostly go our way, that we struggle to imagine that the unexpected could result in something positive or will bring about a greater good than our initial expectation.

While it’s good for us to make plans for 2025, perhaps one of the improvements we can practice is to be open to the unexpected. Practice does not mean that we will respond immediately with gladness at every unplanned situation that occurs, nor should we. It means we will reflect on our responses and strive to have a peace-filled approach to future ones, remembering God is with us and allowing Him to bring the best possible outcome regardless of circumstances. And if the surprise is truly unwelcomed, it’s okay to ask God to help us through it. He may not remove the obstacle from our life experience, but He will assist us as we navigate through it. 

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Doors are open

Welcome to 2025, the year of being pilgrims of hope! This is a special opportunity for all Catholics to commit to improving their spiritual life by participating in the jubilee year.

Although Pope Francis announced the intention of a jubilee year way back in 2022, the official proclamation was through a papal bull — that is an edict by the pope — on the feast of the Ascension, May 9, 2024 along with the theme: Pilgrims of Hope. A jubilee year is a year set aside for the faith; it is a holy year. The roots of the jubilee lay in Leviticus, “You shall treat this fiftieth year as sacred. You shall proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants.” (Lev 25:10) The first recorded jubilee year was 1300, although there is speculation/assumption that previous jubilee years were held but documentation has not survived for it. Subsequent popes called for various jubilee years and the formula, including the option to proclaim a holy year every 25 years instead of 50, developed over the centuries.

While Catholics are called to deepen their faith in the yearly celebrations of Advent through Christmas and Lent through Easter, the focus is often on preparing for the holy day locally at the parish. A holy year encourages each Catholic to go beyond their daily lives, to step out in faith and become a pilgrim to the Vatican. Special doors of the basilica are opened and pilgrims enter through these doors as a sign and symbol of a renewed faith and reconciliation with God. For those who are unable to travel to Rome, dioceses and specific shrines throughout the world designate special doors for the same purpose. A holy year is meant for Catholics to identify where they need to grow in their faith, especially in conjunction with the jubilee theme, to practice charitable outreach, and for reconciliation. 

The liberty proclaimed in Leviticus translates to liberty from temporal consequences of sin for a Catholic who participates in the requirements of a jubilee year. This year’s decree calls for pilgrimage, pious visits to sacred places, and works of mercy and penance. These activities should be conducted after a person has been “purified through the sacrament of penance, refreshed by Holy Communion, and pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.” The activities and requirements of a holy year invite us all to reflect on our lives and use the opportunity of the sacrament of penance to come closer to God and experience His mercy. God does not want to punish us for our sins, but in His justice He allows for us to turn away from Him and to indulge in our desires. When we seek reconciliation, we acknowledge the actions we’ve taken against God’s will and ask for both His forgiveness and help to avoid sin in the future. Thus, when we have celebrated both sacraments of penance and Eucharist, we are more open to the opportunities of the jubilee year and the graces it brings.

Pilgrims of Hope, the theme for this Holy Year, is a reminder that we are to be the light of Christ to the world. We need to take the time to have a relationship with Him, which is encouraged through going on a pilgrimage and piously visiting sacred places. These locations can remind us through their symbolism of how God loves and provides for us. By traveling to a holy place outside of our normal routine, we illustrate the importance of our faith in our lives and that we want a deeper relationship with the Lord. After soaking up and being rejuvenated by the spiritual, we will be able to look for opportunities to reach out within our community to practice the corporeal and spiritual works of mercy. While many may already participate in charitable acts, a holy year calls us to go deeper, to seek out new opportunities to bring the hope we have received in the strengthening of our faith. 

The website for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has a page dedicated to information for the jubilee year. It includes a prayer for the holy year, a special hymn, and information on the shrines in the United States that Catholics can make a pilgrimage to satisfy a jubilee requirement. As the year progresses, dioceses and parishes may offer jubilee events. Our responsibility is to pay attention, be aware of these, and consider if God may be calling us to participate in these events.

The Church is giving us a special opportunity this year of 2025. How will you respond to the call to be a Pilgrim of Hope? 

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Preparing for a Savior

In our fallen world, we all need a savior, and that’s what Jesus is. But how do we prepare for being saved?

Before all the holiday festivities start, we take the time of Advent to prepare. As we approach the second Sunday in Advent, we are reminded of Jesus’ immediate forerunner, John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, who called people to repentance through baptism. John was not baptizing to forgive the people’s sins, only a sacrament instituted by Jesus would be able to do that. The baptism John provided was a sign, a symbol, an acknowledgement that a person was taking accountability for the sins they committed. They were being baptized to turn a page in their book of life not to fall back into the same sins they had been committing. The waters of baptism were like a rebirth, a new starting point, and a new way to live. 

Like the people in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, we too are especially called in Advent to acknowledge our sins. Only instead of being submerged in water, we humbly seek God’s forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation. In order to be saved, we need to identify what is keeping us from a close relationship with God. While God loves us at every moment of our lives, that does not mean He wants us to continue our sinful ways. When we choose our will over God’s will, we turn away from Him and prohibit His grace from having its fullest effect. When we see another, do we see the reflection of the Divine Image within or do we pass judgment based on looks and actions? Having a relationship with God is not only about loving Him and His will for us, but also those who He has placed in our path each day. 

I don’t want to be saved, I need to be saved. We may be able to bumble our way through life with a mediocre relationship with God, and if that’s all there was, that may be acceptable. But our lives do not end with the completion of our earthly life, our souls live on. If we want to be in the presence of God for all eternity, just wanting to be saved is not enough. We should consider our savior as  equivalent to air to those choking or nourishment to those starving. We raise our hands and cry out from the depth of our souls to be rescued. Advent preparation is our time to stop what we are doing, turn to God, and seek His forgiveness and assistance. Like a person who needs to be rescued, we don’t continue in our daily routine, but interrupt it and focus on who and where our help is coming from. 

In order for Jesus to be our Savior, we need to desire to change our sinful habits, take responsibility for our sins, and sincerely commit to improve our behavior. While celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation is an important part of our preparation, equally important is taking extra time for God; by praying, reading the scriptures, and meditating on His words and blessings. By seeing Jesus in all the people we meet and offering to God all that we do each day, we will spread God’s love throughout the Advent season.