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“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)
The world is an exhausting place as we search for what should be most important or what deserves our attention from moment to moment. As the tides of societal values ebb and flow, so do our affections. We invest value and love into that which offers us nothing in return. Our efforts to fill our lives with simple meaning often results in filling our lives with complicated and bewildering complexity. We make complex what God intended to be so blessedly simple. A. W. Tozer, a mid 20th century American pastor, preacher, editor, and devotional writer associated with evangelicalism in the Christian and Missionary Alliance, wrote in his very influential book, The Pursuit of God, “Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all. If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity.” (Ch. 2,"The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing") Loving God is at the core of everything we are meant to be and do. Our love for God matters more than any achievement, success, or program. It matters more than any possession, status, or relationship. In fact, everything we do and every relationship we have, unless they are specifically centered in God, is nothing more than a distraction. But when we pursue loving God above all else, all other pursuits fall into their proper places. We were not created to offer our affections to anyone or anything but God first and foremost. To do otherwise is simply idolatry, and it will ruin the heavenly peace and simplicity God intends for his children. We create our own golden calves and ask them to satisfy us in ways only God can. We look to the world to offer us love it never had to begin with. But your heavenly Father is a wellspring of love and affection for you. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) You will never be satisfied until you rest in the powerfully simple truth that God has loved you and will always love you. And you will never experience the fullness of what Christ died to give you until you respond to his ceaseless love by crowning him Lord and loving him with every fiber of your being. Make it simple, recognize now what you love and turn to the Father with greater love for that which you have been given. Simply, Fr. Bill+
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The Stigmata
The Stigmata is the mystical phenomena where holy men or women (mainly women, including Catherine of Siena) receive some or all of the bodily wounds of Christ’s crucifixion. “Stigmata” derives from the Greek word stígma (a mark) and the verb stízein, which means "to tattoo, prick, or puncture." Historically, a stigma was a physical brand burned into the skin of slaves, criminals, or soldiers to mark them as property or denote a mark of disgrace. Over time, the plural form stigmata took on its modern spiritual meaning. It refers to the spontaneous appearance of bodily wounds or scars corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ. There are over three hundred confirmed cases of the Stigmata. These may show some or all of the five Holy Wounds that Jesus received at the Crucifixion – wounds in the hands and feet, from nails, and in the side, from a lance, as well as wounds to the forehead similar to those caused by the crown of thorns. Other reported forms include tears of blood or sweating blood, wounds to the back as from scourging, or wounds to the shoulder as from bearing the cross. Some stigmatics' wounds do not appear to clot, and stay fresh and uninfected. The blood from the wounds is said, in some cases, to have a pleasant, perfumed odor. There are cases where the Stigmatics feel the extreme pain of wounds with no external marks. This is referred to as invisible stigmata. Cases of stigmata have been reported at different ages for different stigmatics. Some have manifested stigmata continually after the first appearance; others have shown periodic stigmata that re-occur at certain times of the day or on certain, sometimes holy, days throughout the year. Many of those who receive the Stigmata have been canonized by the church. It is widely believed that St. Paul was referring to the Stigmata when he wrote to the Galatians,“Let no man trouble me, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body” (6:17). So it has been that down through the centuries a number of Christians have received the grace of having the stigmata, or marks of Jesus’ wounds, on their bodies; many of them were great saints, such as Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, and, of course, Padre Pio, a nineteenth-century Italian Capuchin friar and mystic, who is venerated by the Roman Catholic church. This is not meant as cruel or as torture but is rather a grace of being deeply united to Christ in his sufferings for the sake of sinners. After all, all Christians must share in Christ’s sufferings, each one in his or her own way. Jesus tells us in the Gospel that everyone who would be his disciple must take up the cross and follow him. He even shared the cross with St. Simon of Cyrene, who carried it for a while for Jesus on the way to Calvary. So the stigmata can be understood in the light of the universal standard of being a follower of the crucified Savior, that we each carry our cross with him. St. Bonaventure, writing about St. Francis, who was the first to receive the stigmata, speaks to the blessing and confirmation contained in sharing Christ’s own wounds: “How is it that we, wretched as we are, have such cold hearts that we are not prepared to endure anything for our Lord’s sake? Our hearts neither burn nor glow with love. Ardent love is a quality of the heart and the stronger this love burns in a person’s heart, the more heroic and virtuous are his deeds. Do you desire to imprint Christ crucified on your heart? Do you long to be transformed into him to the point where your heart is aflame with love? Just as iron when heated to the point it becomes molten can take the imprint of any mark or sign, so a heart burning fervently with love of Christ crucified can receive the imprint of the Crucified Lord himself or his cross. Such a loving heart is carried over to the Crucified Lord or transformed into him. That is what happened with Saint Francis.” In St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians, he encourages us to “put on Christ” (3:27). Simply wanting to follow and imitate Christ will not be enough; wanting to know him will not be enough. We need to become, and we need power to become more than we are by ourselves. The invitation is to grow into the “measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13). To “put on Christ” is to participate in his life and his atoning sacrifice. Through our ritual action, we embody how Christ was in the world. We are all familiar with the explanation, clearly elaborated in Paul’s writings, that in baptism we symbolically die, are buried, and are resurrected with Christ—a new being! In Galatians 3:27, Paul says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Paul explains how we put on Christ in baptism. When we were “baptized into Jesus Christ [we] were baptized into his death” (Romans 6:3). Our immersion is a participation in his death. Then after “we are buried with him by baptism into death,” we also participate in his resurrection, “that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Many of those who have so completely embraced this truth receive the Stigmata, not as punishment but as a grace. We must go forward and walk in newness of life, putting on Christ in our daily life, just as we did in our Baptism. While the Stigmata may intrigue us, the sign itself and those who bear it, for example St. Francis, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Padre Pio, St. Faustinia of Kowalska, St. Rita of Cassia, should inspire us to seek a closer union with our Lord. In time, as that union is deepened, the explanation of the Stigmata may matter less than the experience. Putting on Christ, Fr. Bill+ A Holy Mother’s Day
Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis (1832–1905)* lived and raised her family in the Appalachian hills of the Virginia/West Virginia line. Of the 13 children born to the Jarvis family, only four lived to adulthood during a time when diphtheria and other diseases ravaged the countryside. Jarvis worked hard in her community to try to help other mothers and families avoid the tragedies she had suffered. Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Work Clubs” as part of a national public health movement and promoted special “Mother’s Work Days,” when women would collaboratively collect trash and undertake other projects to improve local environmental conditions and their neighbors’ understanding of hygiene. During the Civil War, the women's groups she organized helped both Confederate and Union troops who were sick or wounded, and she worked to promote peace and unity following the war. In 1868, despite threats of violence, she organized a “Mother’s Friendship Day” to bring families from both sides of the war together to try to restore a sense of community. After Ann Maria Jarvis’ death, her daughter, Anna Jarvis (1864–1948), set out to honor her mother’s legacy by establishing a national Mothers’ Day on the second Sunday in May, the day her mother had died. The day was intended to be a holy day of thanksgiving and recognition when each Mother was honored in the context of their own family. She chose white carnations as an emblem of the day and urged everyone to write personal heartfelt letters of gratitude to their moms. With widespread adoption of the day, President Wilson issued a proclamation establishing the first national Mother’s Day just before the start of World War I in 1914. Sadly, as Mother’s Day became a national holiday, it strayed from Ann’s plan of heartfelt intimacy to a commercial venture which helped establish the greeting card industry. Ann’s vision of the day as a holy day of thanksgiving had become, in her eyes, a crass holiday benefitting florists and greeting card companies more than honoring the mothering work done by women. Today, while we depend upon that same card industry to help us express our thoughts and emotions, we are also aware that the day is a far cry from Ann’s intention. Still, Mother’s Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the profound impact that mothers have on our lives, both in our immediate families and the broader spiritual community. In the Fifth Commandment, God tells us to “honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12); this is a cornerstone of biblical teaching, underlining the importance of respecting our parents. On Mother’s Day, this commandment takes on a special significance as we celebrate and honor moms. Throughout Holy Scripture, mothers are depicted as symbols of love, strength, and unwavering guidance. Proverbs 31 portrays a woman of noble character, a woman worth far more than rubies whose children rise and call her blessed, and her husband also praises her. The writer declares: “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30). This passage is a powerful testament to the esteem and respect that godly mothers command in their families. The deep reverence for the mother of Proverbs 31 stems from her unyielding commitment to biblical principles. This dedication shaped her character and profoundly influenced her family's spiritual and moral compass. Her example sets a standard of virtue and integrity that continues to guide and enrich the lives of her loved ones. In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah dedicates her son Samuel to the Lord as an act of faith. Her profound trust in God shows how a mother's vow can enrich and direct the spiritual life of her child even to the influence of an entire nation. Hannah’s story is a beautiful narrative of sacrifice, prayer, and dedication. Her story reveals the deep yearnings of a woman, who, faced with barrenness, turns to God with her plea to bear a child. Her extraordinary vow, if she is to become pregnant, is to dedicate her son to the Lord’s service for all his days (1 Samuel 1:11). God responds to Hannah with compassion, granting her heartfelt request. True to her word, once Samuel is weaned, Hannah fulfills her vow, raising him with the knowledge of God until time to serve in the temple (1 Samuel 1:22). Samuel grows to become one of the great Old Testament spiritual leaders. Undoubtedly, his life is a testament to the power of faith and the impact of a godly upbringing. The virtue of motherhood is rooted in the godhead itself, as Jesus laments over Jerusalem with the imagery of a mother hen protecting her brood to describe his longing to nurture, defend, and bring the people close to himself. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem... how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing." Luke 13:34 Mothers are at the forefront of handing the faith down to the next generation, as St. Paul wrote to Timothy: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well” (2 Timothy 1:5). In the Church, a mother’s influence can extend far beyond her biological family. Paul says in Romans 16:13: “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.” Through the institution of motherhood, God used this unnamed woman to nurture— to mother— St. Paul. Let us be grateful for all the mother-figures in our lives — whether they’re related to us by blood, or faith, or both. We use Mother’s Day as a singular moment to celebrate our mothers, but the recognition of the divine intention and spiritual dimensions of motherhood should be present to us all the time. Let’s cherish and honor our mothers, grandmothers, and all the women who have been like mothers to us, recognizing their irreplaceable role in our lives and communities. Happy Mother’s Day— everyday— to all our wonderful mothers. In thanksgiving, Fr. Bill+ *Historical and biographical information taken from the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Take up and Read
In a garden beside the building he lived in, St. Augustine struggled with the purpose and direction of his life. He was torn between a desire to commit himself to God and his life practice of self service, and the pursuit of earthly pleasure. In the midst of this turmoil of the soul, Augustine heard a child’s voice saying, “Pick up and read.” Knowing this voice was more than his own musing, Augustine hurried to find his best friend Alypius. Upon finding him, he also found St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, opened it, and read Romans 13:13–14, “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” At that moment, at the age of 32, Augustine’s addiction to the sinful life was broken, and his quest for true faith was realized. He and Alypius immediately went to find Augustine’s mother, Blessed Monica, who had been faithfully praying for her son’s conversion for 17 years. Upon hearing what had taken place and of how God had spoken to her son, Monica “leapt for joy” and declared her life's purpose fulfilled. Later she remarked that she no longer had any desire for earthly life, having seen her son become a faithful Christian. A year later, Augustine was Baptised by Blessed St. Ambros, the Bishop of Milan, and began a journey that would change the world. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) is one of the most significant and influential figures in Christian history. Declared a Doctor of the Church (an exceedingly High Honor of which there are only 32 others), he was perhaps the greatest of the of the Church Fathers. Augustine’s theological works have shaped the foundation of catholic doctrine regarding original sin, grace, the Trinity, the Sacraments, and free will. He is cited more than any other non-scriptural writer to date. Becoming known as the "Doctor of Grace" and Truth, Augustine accurately championed the necessity of baptismal regeneration, the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the legitimacy of the apostolic Church. In his lifetime, Augustine was a stalwart defender of church doctrine against raging heretical movements, such as Manichaeism and Pelagianism. Much of this information is found in his Spiritual autobiography, The Confessions, cataloged by the Library of Congress under "Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo. Confessiones," Philosophy & Religion, Patrology. Autobiographical Studies, Classical and Literary Scholarship, Conversion Experience, Theological Interpretation, Latin literature, Church Fathers, Early Christian Philosophy, as well as a myriad of other categories. For over 25 years, Augustine struggled to find himself, seeking and searching in every way he could–to no avail. In a split moment in a communal garden, he found himself led by the voice of a child. For God, all things are possible. Listen, listen. God is speaking, God is always speaking. Hear the voice of God, take up and read, be reborn in Him. Reading Romans, Fr. Bill+ |
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June 2026
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