Invest just five minutes a day,
and your faith will deepen and grow
—a day at a time.
 
 

Today's "Take Five for Faith" can be found on the front page of the St Francis web site.

Today's Scripture Readings can be found at http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/today.shtml

Sunday,  October 25, 2009
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Do you see what I see?

Two tourists are sitting in a small, ancient church in Wales at twilight when a girl of about 12 enters holding the hand of a boy who must be her younger brother. As the two make their way forward, the girl gently guides the boy’s hand along the rough stone wall. They stop at a statue of Mary to trace her face and feel the cold marble folds of her gown. At that altar the girl places her brother’s hands around the candlesticks; he feels the tabernacle, and the crucifix. Then they leave. As the door closes behind them, one tourist remarks to the other, "Isn’t it a pity that boy couldn’t see how beautiful this church is?" Her companion replies, "Are you kidding? He saw more than either of us."

Monday, October 26
Free at last

On the surface today’s gospel is about the healing of a woman whose physical freedom and range of motion had been severely restricted for 18 years because of a crippling disease. Yet it is also about the healing all of us require, for who among us has not entered adulthood "wounded" at some level that restricts our spiritual freedom? Jesus frames his activity in terms of "setting free" one who was in bondage. Most of us would gladly get in line for that kind of healing. The good news is, we don’t have to wait in line—Jesus is ready to perform such healing acts right now. Ask and you shall receive.

Tuesday, October 27
Hope in the unseen

The mustard seed is small even for seeds, too small perhaps for birds to see as they fly. Yet this is the seed that Jesus picks out to represent his kingdom. The seed that birds cannot see eventually becomes a home for them. In the full-grown tree the birds will not consider how their place of rest came to be from an invisible seed. Our situation is much different from the birds’, however, for in our lives our place of rest, our hope must be in that mustard seed. Saint Paul wrote to the early Christians: "Hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." Today take rest in the invisible.

Wednesday, October 28
Feast of Simon and Jude, apostles
Take the hard road

We assume the apostles must have been solid, holy people because Jesus handpicked them to be part of his inner circle of friends and disciples. But the gospels present quite a different picture. These were ordinary people who weren’t always clear about Jesus’ message, who occasionally turned their back on Jesus even when he was most in need, and who struggled with their own faith. The apostles’ relationship with Jesus as well as their faith was a work in progress that ultimately brought them closer to God. Like the apostles, we, too, encounter struggles in our relationship with Jesus and our faith. Allow your struggles and missteps to become another positive step in getting to know God more deeply.

Thursday, October 29
Degrees of separation

For those times when God seems distant or absent, when people move through their day and don’t see signs of God anywhere, it’s easy to forget that God is behind it all. Yet even a world that feels more haunted rather than filled with God’s presence is still beloved creation—the expression of God’s overflowing love. A number of spiritual masters have suggested the practice of seeing God in all things. After all, if God really did create everything, it must be possible to find a string in every moment that leads back to the divine. Saint Paul, for one, was sure nothing in the universe could separate people from God. And why not? It all comes from the one who made it.

Friday, October 30
Dining with "the enemy"

Despite his differences with the Pharisees, Jesus never stopped communicating with them, even going so far as to dine with them. And if they were not particularly open to his message, they at least were impressed enough to invite him to dinner and hear him out. In an age where public differences of opinion, played out as they are in front of the ever-present media, seem to descend to the level of insult and demonization, you can share a meal with someone with whom you disagree. Though you may not settle all your differences in a meal (or ever), you can agree to disagree on some matters—and perhaps still agree on a favorite dessert!

Saturday, October 31
Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Have a seat!

Please sit down. Anywhere’s fine. Just be forewarned: Where you sit now affects your place for all eternity. Here’s the fine print of our existence we all too often disregard: Our comfort and our neighbor’s discomfort are inextricably linked. The disciples who hoped to sit on either side of Jesus were invited to drink from a bitter cup first. Young Mary of Nazareth may have perceived that when she agreed to take one of the lowest places in history: that of the unmarried pregnant teenager. The church tells us she’s now enthroned as Queen of Heaven. Where would you like to sit?

"Go and sit down at the lowest place, so that . . . your host may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ "

Sunday, November 1, 2009
Solemnity of All Saints
Saints abound

How many saints are there? The lists of the canonized contain thousands of names, but the communion of saints is even fuller. In the Book of Revelation John of Patmos envisioned their number as vast and uncountable. It includes all the wonderful relatives and friends of happy memory, and a lot of really kind strangers you meet along the way. When you start to think about it, goodness encompasses a big, big number of folks. In the words of Saint Claude de la Colombiere: "It is possible to be a saint anywhere and everywhere when one really wishes to become one."

Monday, November 2
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
Step outside the limits

The feast of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, commonly known as All Souls Day, is the day the church has set aside to pray for everyone who has died. All Souls, however, is not only for the benefit of those who have gone before us. For the living it is an invitation to shift our attention away from the limits of ordinary time (past, present, and future) toward a spiritual concept of time—that is, God’s time: the eternal now. As we do that, daily annoyances, minor crises, doubts, fears, and worries begin to dissolve, and we notice the enormousness of the human experience. Practice taking the long view. What changes?

Tuesday, November 3
Feast of Martin de Porres, religious
Determined to love

Having a dark-skinned mother (perhaps African, perhaps native) and a white father could have made Saint Martin de Porres bitter over the rejection he felt in 17th-century Peru. Instead, his mixed race opened his heart to all. Martin trained as a barber and eventually applied to the Dominicans, where he wished to remain a lay "helper." The friars, however, saw his unbounded compassion and urged him to become a full member. As such he continued to care for slaves and orphans, working for the order and the city of Lima as a purveyor of food and goods while finding time to act as a spiritual director for many. Pope John XXIII said at his 1962 canonization: "He deserved to be called Martin of Charity." There’s no stopping a heart bent on caring.

Wednesday, November 4
Feast of Charles Borromeo, bishop
Reform begins with you

The 16th-century bishop Charles Borromeo didn’t only "talk the talk," he "walked the walk." As the Council of Trent tried to reform questionable practices in the church, Borromeo believed that if the laity was being asked to uphold a higher moral standard, the clergy needed to set the example and renew their apostolic spirit. He gave generously from church wealth to charity, and during the plague and famine that struck Milan in 1576, while civil authorities fled and to the detriment of his own health, Borromeo stayed and ministered to the sick and dying, borrowing large sums of money that required years to repay. How will you set an example of apostolic spirit today?

Thursday, November 5
What’s one life worth?

Having children is a huge risk. It’s not like a box of chocolates; you can always put a bad candy back in the box. But raising a family is a pure roll of the dice; you could gain a lot, but you could lose everything. Then why do so many do it? Because it’s worth it. In the same way, the shepherd leaves the 99—a huge risk—and searches out the lost one. God is willing to sacrifice everything. No wonder there’s such joy when the lost are found.

Friday, November 6
Make no mistake about it

In the short story Greville Fane author Henry James notes of his fictional character, the popular writer Mrs. Stormer, that "she had an unequalled gift, especially pen in hand, of squeezing big mistakes into small opportunities." Although Mrs. Stormer’s story was fictional, we know all too well about making big mistakes in the nonfiction of our own lives. We can’t avoid all mistakes, but we can learn from them and make amends for any harm caused. Like Mrs. Stormer, we can become gifted in our ability to squeeze big mistakes into small opportunities. That takes practice and a willingness to admit both that we’ve fallen short and that we have the capacity to grow. What small opportunity might be waiting around the corner for you?

Saturday, November 7
All the big things are little things

In today’s gospel passage, Jesus says something very peculiar about money: "Make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes." Huh? Was he providing a justification for corrupt politicians and fraudulent financiers to do their dirty deeds? And would such dishonesty get them into heaven? No. But he was pointing out what would happen if people gave as much attention to following the ways of God as they did to the pursuit of money. Think of the things you do with great care. How can you do the same for your faith?

Sunday, November 8, 2009
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Have a generous point of view

In praising the widow who gave her last two coins to the temple treasury, Jesus is not suggesting that you and I need to give away our last penny. Rather, Jesus acknowledges that it is often the poorest of the poor who show the greatest charity, who risk the most to be loving. Jesus criticized the scribes and priests not only because of their apparent stinginess in donating to the Temple, but also because people such as the widow were often made poor by those in power who laid religious taxes and excessive expectations upon them. It is the responsibility of governments, churches, and individuals not only to come to the relief of the poor but to prevent them from being crushed in the first place.

Monday, November 9
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
How firm a foundation

If any building in Christianity can be said to have a long history, it would be the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. Starting as the site of an ancient Roman mansion and then a barracks for the imperial guard, the Lateran Palace later served as a meeting place of church councils. The emperor Constantine built and enriched a cathedral there—which was pillaged by barbarians and burnt down on several occasions, only to be rebuilt. From Roman house to the remodeling of the church that gave it its present appearance in 1735: about 2,000 years. Then add the time since then, and the centuries start to add up. This sacred building, and others like it, testify to the enduring witness of faith.

Tuesday, November 10
Feast of Leo the Great, pope, doctor of the church
Holding it together

Elected in 440 A.D., Pope Saint Leo I assumed leadership of the church in the midst of the quickening disintegration of the Roman Empire, when both Western and Eastern Europe were becoming increasingly decentralized. As a result, understanding about the nature of Christ and salvation similarly underwent a variety of interpretations. One school of thought prevalent at the time taught that Christ’s life and death were merely an example that we should follow, rather than a sacrifice for our salvation. Taking his position seriously, Leo greatly strengthened and consolidated Roman authority on matters of doctrine.

Wednesday, November 11
Feast of Martin of Tours, bishop
The advent of Advent

For centuries Lent was not the only 40-day season of fasting and abstinence in church tradition. Devotion to Saint Martin of Tours was so popular that from the time of his death in 397 until the Middle Ages his November 11 feast day inaugurated a 40-day period of fasting in much of Western Europe and Great Britain. The fast was known as "St. Martin’s Lent," "St. Martin’s Fast," or "Quadragesima Sancti Martini"—"the 40 days of Saint Martin." The feast day itself was celebrated with hearty food and drink, with a fast to follow, much as Lent is preceded by Mardi Gras. Saint Martin’s Fast later gave way to our present-day season of Advent, during which the spirit of quiet restraint continues. Get your Advent off to an early start this year!

Thursday, November 12
Feast of Josaphat, bishop, martyr
All Catholics East and West

When people use the word Catholic, just about everyone thinks Roman Catholic. But there are other kinds of Catholics, too, like some churches found in Eastern Europe, who are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church but who celebrate liturgy much like the Eastern Orthodox Church. Way back in the 15th and 16th centuries Saint Josaphat worked to bring the Eastern and Western churches closer together, and for his efforts was killed in 1623. Of this unity he said to the people of Vitebsk, in present-day Belarus, where he was bishop: "I am here among you as a shepherd, and you ought to know that I would be happy to give my life for you. I am ready to die for the holy union . . . ." In memory of Josaphat pray for the unity of Christians today.

Friday, November 13
Feast of Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin
The education of the heart

Reading, writing, and ’rithmetic are important skills to master. But even in the late 1800s, Mother Cabrini insisted that children needed more than these fundamentals to thrive. In her schools she stressed the need for music, drama, art, and physical education as well, calling that a God-centered approach based on love of the whole person. By creating an environment of warm relationships, "education becomes an act of love," she taught the sisters in the religious order she founded. We learn best from those who love us.

Saturday, November 14
Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A deferred prayer

There’s a story told about a woman who prayed to the Virgin that one of her sons would become a priest. She had seven sons, but all of them married and raised families. Then she prayed that one of her grandsons would become a priest. She had many grandsons, but none chose that life. The woman continued her prayer. She was almost a 100 years old and near death when one of her grandsons, at the age of 33, decided to become a priest. She died a happy woman knowing her lifelong prayer was finally answered. The story is true, told by the priest himself. Prayer works; you just have to keep at it.

Some of the stories in the Bible read like a science-fiction thriller or horror drama. In the apocalyptic literature, such as the book of Daniel, we read of the sun and moon darkening, stars falling out of the sky, and the very "powers in the heavens" shaken at their core. In his stories the author used strong, vivid images his community could relate to. They were women and men who were under immense stress and oppression and who worried for their safety and the safety of their children. They needed to know that no matter what, even if the sun should cease to give light, God would continue to be with them. What would your story look like? What word of encouragement would you seek from God?

Monday, November 16
Feast of Gertrude, virgin
Corrective lenses

Sometimes we need a little help seeing clearly. Various devices aid our focus, from eyeglasses and contact lenses to microscopes and telescopes. For Saint Gertrude (the only female saint to earn the title "the Great"), correcting her vision came about by changing the direction she was facing. A brilliant young Benedictine sister, she excelled in the study of philosophy and literature. Then she received a vision of Jesus, urging her to trade in her pursuit of the humanities for divinity studies. Gertrude’s heart was ignited with a new flame, and she became a profound mystic. Sometimes seeing clearly means shifting our perspective, too.

Tuesday, November 17
Feast of Elizabeth of Hungary, religious
Give it your all

Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231) lived a short 24 years, but somehow in that time she was able to understand and practice the virtue of generosity at a level few have matched before or since. She was a queen who spent her wealth on the poor. She established hospitals and helped care for the sick, much to the shock and chagrin of her in-laws. After her beloved husband’s death, Elizabeth became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis and continued living out the truth of Saint Francis of Assisi’s prayer: "For it is in giving that we receive." For an inspiring, contemporary story of the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of giving, visit the website www.29gifts.org.

Wednesday, November 18
Feast of Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin
Worth the trip

Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769-1852), born in France, traveled all the way to St. Charles, Missouri to bring the Society of the Sacred Heart religious congregation to the U.S. Today the Society has 21 schools in the U.S. and is found in 44 countries around the world. Sacred Heart sisters focus on educating young women and emphasize in their curriculum the need for global awareness and building a more just world. How far are you willing to go in your own life in order to bring Good News to others? Start in your own neighborhood, parish, office, home, and see how far the intention carries you.

Thursday, November 19
Getting away from it all

Gone on a retreat lately? Most areas have places to make retreats, frequently run by religious orders or dioceses. Retreats come in all shapes and sizes: individual or group, programmed or unstructured, a day or a weekend or a week. You can use them to get back in touch with what’s most important spiritually or just to get some rest. Going on a retreat, though, doesn’t have to mean blocking out time, making a reservation, and hitting the road. One retreat you can always make is the one in the silence of your heart. "For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him," says Psalm 62:5. Wherever you are, you can take a few minutes each day to stop what you’re doing, clear your mind, and place yourself in the silence of God.

Friday, November 20
What do you call holy?

Human beings seem to have a natural desire to build, to raise monuments and dwellings, even for God. The trouble is that building a house for what is sacred may suggest having domesticated what is boundless. Once we believed we’ve "tamed" the holy, we have reversed the roles of Creator and creature. This presumption obviously troubled Jesus because all four gospels tell the story of him losing his temper and forcefully expelling those who had turned temple into marketplace. On the other hand, in American culture the marketplace seems to have become our temple, and the simple, practical business of buying and selling a sacred ritual conducted in templelike malls and churchlike banks. We do well to consider what we have enshrined as sacred in our lives.

Saturday, November 21
Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Bear with her

If asked to whom the title Theotokos refers, many Roman Catholics would be at a loss. Not so in Eastern Orthodox Churches, where the term—literally "God-bearer" in Greek—is widely familiar as a reference to Mary, the mother of God. The term has a long pedigree, going back to the First Council of Ephesus in 431. It is fitting that today’s Marian feast is celebrated by both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and it offers a unique opportunity for each of us to do some bridge-building between the two traditions. Tip your hat or give a nod toward the East today!

The feast of Christ the King was created by Pope Pius XI in 1925 to remind us that Jesus is the true king of all creation and that he "must reign in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies," the pope wrote. The transition time between the end of one liturgical year and the beginning of another is a good time for reflection and preparation. In what ways during the past year did you allow Christ to rule over your heart, mind, will, and body? Next, write yourself a letter stating your spiritual intentions for the coming year. Put it in a self-addressed, stamped envelope and give the letter to someone to mail a few months from now. The mid-year reminder will do you good.

Monday, November 23
Feast of Clement I, pope, martyr
All hands on deck

When it comes to early church leaders, it doesn’t get much earlier than Clement I, who is believed to have died around the year 100. We don’t know much about his life, but we do know he was a prominent leader of the early church in Rome. Tradition has it that Clement was martyred during a persecution by being tied to an anchor and thrown overboard. Religious persecution of any kind is a social disease that must be resisted at all costs. Become aware of the ways in which it is still with us today and do your part to build a more tolerant environment for all to worship as they choose.

Tuesday, November 24
Feast of Andrew Dung-Lac, priest, martyr, and companions, martyrs
Built with kindness

It is said that the Holy City of God is built with the good deeds of the saints. When Andrew Dung-Lac was growing up in Hanoi in the early 1800s, he and his poor Buddhist family were cared for and fed by Christian missionaries. Despite unspeakable persecutions, Andrew became a Christian and was eventually ordained a priest. He endured horrible suffering but persevered until the emperor finally had him beheaded. Even as his life was being torn down, the good deeds the missionaries did for Andrew and his family sustained his faith and built up his hope. Isn’t it amazing what a little kindness can do?

Wednesday, November 25
Feast of Catherine of Alexandria, virgin, martyr
Some can’t handle the truth, others die for it

Saint Catherine of Alexandria was a woman to be reckoned with. Not only was she a scholar and skilled public speaker, but she also was confident in her calling from God. Knowing full well that this combination of gifts could get her in trouble, Catherine challenged the Roman emperor himself for his unjust persecution of Christians during the fourth century. Unable to disprove Catherine’s arguments or sway her from her faith, the emperor had her killed. But the angry, senseless act of one person could not put a stop to God’s continued activity through Catherine. To this day she is still known as friend to all who call on her name. For what or whom would you be willing to go out on a limb?

Thursday, November 26
Thanksgiving Day
As Providence would have it

As you sit down to your Thanksgiving meal today, be sure to give thanks to President Abraham Lincoln, and even more so to Sarah Josepha Hale. A prominent 19th-century journalist, Hale campaigned tirelessly for a national Thanksgiving holiday. In the midst of the Civil War and prompted by Hale’s editorials and letters, Lincoln called the nation to pause in thanksgiving in 1863. His proclamation read in part: "The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. . . . [Other blessings] have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God."

Friday, November 27
Verbal tattoos

To some folks it makes perfect sense to have the name of a loved one indelibly inked on their flesh, inscribed with a heart-and-arrow to demonstrate how permeated they are by the relationship. But most of us don’t need to literally write words on our bodies because words bond with our psyches most naturally. Still remember the names you were known by on the playground? Recall the words of praise or blame affixed to you by parents and teachers? How about adding to those indelible memories some life-giving words from the Bible? Fall in love with a verse today.

Saturday, November 28
The beginning of the end

Jesus spoke of the end of time in different ways, but his constant message was to keep watch. Be on the lookout for him now, and you will be prepared when he comes again. In saying this, he was not only counseling the avoidance of self-indulgence but also calling for a good deal of freedom. Watchfulness means freeing yourself not only from your sins but also from things such as worry that can be just as burdensome. Being attuned to the ways you can invite Jesus into your life in every moment frees you to love God and neighbor more fully—a love with which Christ will repay you in the end.

Sunday, November 29, 2009
First Sunday of Advent
It will work out in the end

If apocalyptic literature in the Bible has not sparked trepidation over what may happen to our fragile planet and our fragile selves, then certainly science fiction films and hokey TV dramatizations of the "predictions" of Nostradamus will do it. Unlike such shows, the early Advent imagery of the heavens and earth passing away are not intended to scare us but rather to encourage us, to assure us that "when these signs begin to happen," whether inconsolable grief at a personal loss or some cataclysm that shakes the whole planet, our redemption is secure. Your place in the hands of God cannot be shaken.

Monday, November 30
Feast of Andrew, apostle
He was in Scotland afore ye

For nearly 1,000 years Saint Andrew, the "first called" of the apostles, has been Scotland’s patron saint, and the Saltire or "Saint Andrew’s Cross," an X-shaped cross—which Andrew is said to have been martyred on—is represented on the nation’s flag. Traditions abound as to how exactly Scotland’s special connection with Andrew came about. One claims the saint’s relics were brought from Constantinople to Scotland under divine guidance. Another says that during a battle with the English the Scottish king saw a cloud shaped like a Saltire and declared that Andrew was watching over his troops. Whatever the case, rest assured today is a big day for the Scottish—and for all of us who wish to imitate Andrew and follow Jesus in our own lives.

Tuesday, December 1
All has been revealed

Christians are pretty lucky in a way, because we really believe we have what we need to know. God is not holding back some important piece of information. It’s there for all to see and understand. "Religious truths," the Second Vatican Council’s document on revelation said, ". . . can be known by all men with ease, with solid certitude." And one form of revelation, scripture, the council said, "must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully, and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation." That means we have what we need to know, and we can know it, and we can trust it. All we have to do is make the effort.

Wednesday, December 2
Working for your supper

The story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish is surely the best known of the miracle stories of Jesus. It’s the only such story recorded in all four gospels. In each of the synoptic gospels Jesus puts the disciples to work. First they have to find some food, then Jesus blesses it, then they distribute it to the crowd. This seemingly insignificant detail reminds us of a very important but often forgotten fact: We are co-creators with God, and we must help answer our own prayer. What prayer are you waiting on today? What might you do to help bring it about?

Thursday, December 3
Feast of Francis Xavier, priest
Dress to impress

One of the founding members of the Jesuits, Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) is considered to have been one of the greatest missionaries since the apostles. Appointed to re-evangelize portions of the Far East, Francis placed himself with the lowest castes, preaching to the sick and dying at hospitals and orphans and slaves in the street. He understood that, were the fire of Christianity to spread through the East, the kindling must begin at the base of society. Rather than arriving like a royal ambassador, Francis clothed himself with rags and made his home in the lowliest shelters. His example shows us how humble appearances can be the greatest tool for bringing the message of Christ to others.

Friday, December 4
Feast of John of Damascus, priest, doctor of the church
The pirates of God

A wise old monk was captured by Arab pirates during a raid on Sicily. He was carried off to Damascus where he was made a teacher. One of his students was John, our saint of the day. Even in the Islamic world of eighth-century Syria, John secretly learned his Christian faith from the old monk. The young man eventually became a priest and a doctor of the church. Like the blind men whose sightless path providentially crossed that of Jesus, Saint John and the church ultimately benefitted from a pirate raid, demonstrating once again that God makes all things work together for good.

Saturday, December 5
The kingdom has you covered

As Jesus sent out the 12 apostles after empowering them to proclaim God’s kingdom and heal the sick, he admonished them not to charge for their services: "You received without payment; give without payment." As the nation struggles with difficult questions of health-care coverage, government assistance, Medicare, private insurance, and the like, it is good to take a step back from the heat of the debate and look at larger principles. While it may not be possible today to offer health care to all without cost, we do well to remember that for Jesus such care was a way of proclaiming and reflecting the kingdom of God.

©2009  by TrueQuest Communications, L.L.C. Phone: 800-942-2811; e-mail: ; website: www.takefiveforfaith.com. Licensed for noncommercial use. All rights reserved. Scripture quotes come from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

Contributors: Father Paul Boudreau, Alice Camille, Daniel Grippo, Father Larry Janowski, O.F.M., Ann O’Connor, Sean Reynolds, Joel Schorn, Patrice J. Tuohy, and Sister Julie Vieira, I.H.M.