Living with Real Presence 2024

Written by Patty Mayer

I want to begin by saying that the conversations I have had as a result of this book have been pure blessing. 

I too have been asked by others why I stay Catholic, for me it is also the Eucharist. 

Recently I had a gentleman ask me about the chapel with the pretty windows. He told me he likes to go in there for quiet prayer because he feels something different in that space. What a beautiful opening to talking about the Real Presence of Jesus! 

I enjoy spending time in the St Michaels chapel where I can be close to the Real Presence of Jesus. I am also very thankful for the opportunities we have had to bring exposed Adoration into the daily life of OLIH both on Saturday mornings (8:30-10am), and the 10-hours of Adoration on Mondays (9am-7pm) - which we will again have during Lent. I believe that sitting with, and doing nothing more than just being present to, Jesus for a few minutes or an hour can change the course of my day, and even my week, because it opens my heart to all the graces He wants to fill me with. I always feel different when I leave Adoration.

At Mass we consume the consecrated host and become a living tabernacle. What happens if we really stop to consider this, what does it mean? How does this consecrated host, how does Jesus, nourish me as I receive Him in the Eucharist? I often hear people complain about not being “fed” by the homily, or the music wasn’t inspiring, or Mass was too boring or went too long… yet at each Mass we witness bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, then we receive Him, and He becomes our food for our spiritual journey.  Does our reception of the Eucharist become so mundane that we forget the powerful truth that even in our imperfection we meet Jesus at every Mass? 

What happens when we encounter the real presence of Jesus in Adoration and Mass? I believe if I am truly present to the Real Presence of Jesus I will be changed - it may be ever so slightly, but I am changed. This change isn’t me changing myself, but instead an openness to allowing His grace to work through me so those around me may experience Christ through my words and actions.

What is opening inside of you as a result of reading this book? 

Jeanne Frantik

Sept 2023 – Galilea – The Mount of the Beatitudes

On a bench, I sit and disappear in mind and spirit from the pilgrims walking the trail on the Mount of Beatitudes.  There was not a lot of time at this stop, but the Lord called me to be still and hear him like Elijah ‘in the whisper’.  I sat on the bench, my rosary and comfort cross in hand.  I leaned over and just breathed the air of this holy mountain.  The breeze was light and gentle, but enough to wisp my hair across my cheek as if it was the touch of God.  I heard in a whisper ‘this is where the law became love – just love and I will do everything else’.  This is where he changed everything.

Within the Beatitudes, the Lord is asking us to empty ourselves out… of all of our sorrow and weaknesses – to make ourselves poor.  When we are able to empty ourselves completely, he is able to outpour himself into us with the joy of the resurrection and new life.

When it came time to leave this magnificent place, my heart ached to take a piece of this moment physically home with me.  I took my rosary and comfort cross and rolled them through the dirt.  I just needed this place to come home with me. 

Through the grace of God, I am often able to place my mind and soul back in that perfect moment with the Lord on his holy mountain.

Creation is where I find my peace and my God.  You can regularly find me running or walking through trails.  The dirt trails where my feet can feel the perfect imperfections of the ground, in which we were formed.

When you go running after the leaves have fallen and they are higher than your ankles… the ground speaks to you in the crunching of every step.  It reminds you that there is beauty in death and new life is always around the corner.  That sound, the feeling and the sound of the leaves causes me to giggle like an eight-year-old child experiencing something for the first time.

Speaking of the first time, have you ever run through a forest after a fresh snowfall?  Before any other footsteps are formed, on a trail you may have hiked a hundred times that all of the sudden disappears in a blanket of snow.  It is there, but you might question a turn or two – and embrace the experience of a wrong turn.

It is amazing to see the footprints in the snow of the God’s creatures.  I love to create messages in the snow and wonder who will wander upon them.  An when the field is just right, I fall into a snow angel without a care in the world. 

The purest of white, the spray of the powder, the crispness of the air... it is exhilarating and worth every layer of clothing you may have to wear to withstand the temps, but it is HIS perfection waiting to be discovered.

In the spring, when you have seen enough death and the green begins to peek at you on the edges of the path, and then the leaves which fill in a valley.  Initially, the leaves look like teardrops, and on Holy Saturday, they cry out as the apostles and disciples would have been doing on the very first Holy Saturday.  To run though their valley of tears, I slow down to breath in the sorrow, and know that Easter is coming.

In the summer, there is so much to see, but so much disappears.  Throughout the fullness of the leaves, the death of the fallen trees disappears.  The clear view of the lake that you see every other season, is no longer there, because the trees are so full you have to be reminded that the clear blue lake is right down the path.  The sound of the crunching leaves is replaced with giggling children as they fish and picnic with their families.  The world is fully alive again.

Somedays, runs become walks because the burdens of life may become too heavy or they may stop completely because the tears begin to fall and the only thing I desire to do is breath in the Lord and raising my arms and trusting him to take the load.

And then there are the days, where there is nothing but joy all around.  Every turn is full of pure awe and wonder.  Knowing he formed every peak and valley, and that he knows every hidden corner in the shadows… and knowing that ‘it is all good’ (Gen 1:31).

He never fails to amaze me from sunrise to sunset, in the moonlight and the stars, from the birds to the fishes.  This is when and where God caresses my heart and reminds me that I was created by the same God who created all of the beautiful things.

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.  Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?  In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”  Job 12:7-10

 Written by Patty Mayer

“As we live more deeply in real presence, our spirituality ripples into an ever widening, holy communion, with all God’s people.”

For 12 years I worked in a residential treatment facility with teenage delinquents helping approximately 300 young men and women from all over the state of Iowa. As their counselor, I worked with them to find ways to make better choices, manage their emotions, and hopefully return home. Not all went home from our facility, some went into foster care, and others made choices that took them into a higher level of care. I cannot tell you how many timeout rooms I sat in, or how many bloody hands I held after a fist went through a wall or a window, but I can tell you that it was in these vulnerable moments I saw the true heart of the other. In these moments I knew that I was witnessing something real and holy. These moments were often the catalyst for a young person to make drastic changes.

Those teens are now adults in their late 30’s or early to mid 40’s – I sometimes ponder where they ended up in life, and pray that they found the right path.

Leaving counseling I headed to Marshalltown, where I began working for the Catholic Church. I started at one parish, but the last three years I worked for both Catholic churches in town. They have since become one parish. Working at both, I encountered more fully the Hispanic community. I went from working with one parish and one culture, to working with two parishes with two distinct cultures, and, by the time I left, a third culture emerging. I enjoyed interviewing some of the Latino families, hearing their stories, their struggles, and their faith led me to see this community in a beautiful way. Over the years, I was honored to continue to grow in knowing the people of this community. Opening myself to the people of both parishes, regardless of cultural differences, allowed me to see connection and communion with all those I served.

I often tell people that when my ministry becomes a “job“ it’s time for me to leave. What I do at OLIH goes beyond a job description or an obligation. My greatest joy, truly, is to witness to those in our community as they grow in their faith journey.

Some of my greatest moments are at the end of CEW, when we all gather, and I can look around the room and I see the faces of people I know, who I have been honored to be part of their journey. I have the same feeling when I stand there, witnessing someone coming into full communion in the Catholic Church. As I stand there, holding the holy oil as father confers confirmation, is a moment of great joy. It may look like pride, but in reality, my heart is filled to bursting with happiness for the person who has opened their heart to growing in their knowledge of Jesus, their love of Jesus, and their willingness to follow Jesus. Every week at Mass I look at the pews opposite of me, I pray for each of you, some of you I know by name and others, I know your face.

COVID made me realize how small my world has become. My world affects only a small amount of our world. When I look at each one of you, as you go forth, taking Jesus with you, I am aware of the ripple effects of sharing Christ. You taking Him forth to your piece of the world and sharing Him with those you encounter in your day-to-day life influences people to go out and do the same. How far the ripples go, I will never know. I do know that occasionally I have someone come seeking RCIA or spiritual direction who will tell me the path that led them to find me, and it is because of someone like you who shared their journey.

When I think about how my life affects the world or our society, I know that because of where I am employed, I don’t get out into the secular world as much as most of you, but I trust that because of my ministry people meet Jesus and take Jesus with them. Take Jesus with you and share Him with those in your life that need to know Him.

 Each one of us has a story of how we have shared Eucharist and eucharist with others. When have you entered into the real and authentic presence with another?

Written by Natalie Francis

I don’t have a story. I don’t really have anything share. I grew up in a pretty average Catholic home. 2 parents, 5 kids, 100 cousins! I went to Catholic high school. Went to college. Got married and had 2 kids. No drama, not trauma, nothing. That’s the way I like it. These are the things I’m comfortable with people knowing about me. But what does God want people to know about me?

S. James Meyer wrote, “I have to ask myself if I’ve allowed others to see and touch my wounds. Have I been too proud? Too shy? Too aloof? Too self-protective?”

Allowed others to see and touch my wounds? Rarely

• Too proud – check

• Too shy – check

• Too aloof - check

• Too self -protective – for sure!

Too sensitive? Too embarrassed? Too afraid of failure? I could go on about all my insecurities. But why do I feel like this? God knows who we are. He sent His son, not just to be crucified for us. He actually came down from heaven and became a man for us.

When I allow these feelings to take over and control me, it prevents me from being in real meaningful (sacred) relationships. I never really break myself open and give my full self to others. It is the times when I do allow others to see me for who I am that I get to the “big E Eucharist”. I get to feel Christ living in others, and I hope they feel His love through me.

“Normally, we try to disguise our wounds and hide our vulnerability. We don’t want others to see how broken we really are. But when we open ourselves to each other in that way, Christ lives! We become believers.”

For me (and I think for many of us) serving a meal, running an errand, washing dishes or volunteering in some other way is easy, “little e eucharist”.

My husband Rob and I have had many “little e” opportunities over the years as Co-coordinators of OLIH’s Family Promise Ministry. We were also witness to the eucharist shared with our families by so many of our volunteers. For the most part, these were “little e – eucharist”. We were able to feed the families, give them a ride, a place to sleep. All which they really needed. But it was rare that we were able to form a relationship with these families.

Meaningful relationships take time, take patience, take courage to step outside of yourself and be the Christ that lives within you. Your true authentic self.

God is asking us to be our true authentic self, so why do we hide those wounds? As the song goes, “We are many parts, we are all one body. And the gifts we have, we are given to share.” How can we be one body if we don’t honestly share ourselves with others?

When I don’t show my own vulnerability. I prevent others from showing theirs. I come across as judging when what I really want to do is love as I have been asked in the Eucharist. I miss out on Eucharistic opportunities to form meaningful relationships and serve others When we are able to share our wounds, it makes us more empathetic to others. We don’t judge them because we know we are also broken.

In October we celebrated my daughter and her husband’s wedding. As anyone who has ever planned a wedding knows, this can be stressful. Fashion, decorating and large social gatherings are not my strengths, so the stress was increasing. But then I realized, everyone at this wedding is someone who knows us, loves us and has been Eucharist to us at one time or another. These are the people I’ve laughed with, cried with, shared my life and Jesus with. What could go wrong?

Once I realized this, the weeks leading up to the wedding were busy, but calm. The wedding was perfect! At least from my viewpoint. There was so much love in that room, surely Jesus was there with us!

We were experiencing Eucharist. Weddings are the closest we can get to heaven on Earth.

With the discontinuation of Family Promise, I will have to find other ways to serve others with “little e eucharist”. I am also going to strive to be more vulnerable, more authentic, more open to the Christ I am called to be every time I receive His body and blood, so that I can truly bring Eucharist to others!

“Eucharist begets eucharist”

A little Catholic Bonus to share:

This list of the top ten reasons for being Catholic was compiled from lists submitted by individuals, groups and parishes in the Archdiocese of Dubuque during the Year of Faith 2012-13.  It is available as a brochure from the Archdioceses Adult Formation Office.

The Top 10 Reasons for Being Catholic

• 10. The Universal Church

• 9. The Saints

• 8. Prayer and Devotions

• 7. Catholic Social Teaching

• 6. Scripture and Tradition

• 5. Mary, Our Blessed Mother

• 4. Apostolic Tradition

• 3. Community

• 2. Sacraments

• And the #1 Reason for being a Catholic… THE EUCHARIST

What draws you deeper into your Catholic faith?

 Written by Patty Mayer

I once heard a homily where the priest shared that purgatory is what happens as we reconcile who we became with who God created us to be. That has made a profound impact on me.

How close am I to the person God created me to be? How easily do I follow His will in my life?

A few years ago I did the Called and Gifted workshop and found it to be fascinating. But I find learning about people and their personalities fascinating… I know that I’m an INFJ on the Myers-Briggs, a 9 on the Enneagram, and an S on the DISC. Strength finders tells me my top 5 strengths are relator, empathy, responsibility, achiever, and self-assurance. Knowing all these “results” helps me to take a closer look at myself, but they don’t really tell me who I am.

Called and Gifted was a little different in the fact that, although you take the inventory, you take the results to discernment. No piece of paper is going to give you the answers, but through story-telling and some tough Q&A you begin to discover the spiritual gifts you have the ones you do not have.

What exactly are spiritual gifts? They are the giftedness that God gives us for the people around us. At Confirmation we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit for ourselves, and we receive these spiritual gifts that help us to build the body of Christ as we use these gifts for the benefit and growth of others.

I have discerned several gifts and have found where I lack in giftedness and I need to surround myself with others who can help me with the gifts and skills I don’t have. Thank God for our administrative staff – they help me get the details done!

I have also found where I am gifted, such as meeting with people where they are and listening to their stories. I have strangers walk up to me almost anywhere I go and start talking to me. Back in May I was at a Pizza Ranch out of town and a gentleman came up and started to tell me about how he just got off the phone with his son and the storm that just rolled through hit his house and farm. He was recounting for me all the damage that was done. When, I told him I would pray for him, he said, “don’t worry about it, what’s done is done,” then he walked away with his plate of pizza and we never spoke again. Some people come into my office to talk about business and end up telling me their life story. There are many tears cried in my office, and lot of laughter too!

As I lean into my giftedness I welcome the holy disruptions to my day and pay attention to how God is working in that person. Even more, I begin to see and become wholeheartedly aware of how God works through me. I am truly His hands, feet, voice to those I meet each day.

Our gifts should lead us closer to who God created us to be. As we lean into our giftedness, life feels and looks different – the way I described it for my Spiritual Director is I feel like I “fit” the world around me better than I did before. Leaning into my gifts brings joy to both myself and the people around me.

As I live into my spiritual gifts I find myself filled with joy as I witness people coming closer to Jesus.

What brings you joy?

To learn more about YOUR Spiritual Gifts join us for Called and Gifted THIS LENT: Check out the details HERE

Jeanne Frantik

My imprint moment in my Catholic faith was when I was in second grade.  My ‘Grandpa G’ had recently died and I had just made my first communion.  We were sitting in the front row of St. Peter and Paul Church in Naperville.  A cathedral like early 1900’s church.  We didn’t often sit that close - maybe that is why it was such an impactful moment. 

I was kneeling next to my grandmother.  When the Memorial Acclaim was recited, I looked up to see her mouthing the words by heart.  I was in awe.  How does she know all of those words? 

To this day, whenever the Memorial Acclaim is recited, I feel myself small like a child and I can see grandma next to me mouthing “Through him, with him, in him…”.  It humbles me every time. It allows me to go back to being a child for just those few moments in time. 

I say this with all humility, but I am a great ‘child’ of God.  I’m really good at not worrying too much, I have enough people in my life to do that for me.  If I am struck with joy, I will laugh like a giddy child aloud… no matter the setting.

That being said, I am a terrible ‘adult’ of God.  I tried to be an ‘adult of God’, and I thought I was doing a great job, until God ‘challenged’ me, I ‘passed’ and then withdrew and feared what he felt I was capable of really handling.

I’m sure you have heard the saying ‘The Lord only gives you what you can handle’.  Well I believed that and recited it often… when he ‘gifted’ me three children in less than three years, when my son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes before the age of two, and when my youngest ‘quit preschool’. 

I often repeated that saying - cynically.  I would look to the heavens and say ‘really, Lord?’ or ‘how strong do you think I am, God’?

As I continued to ‘adult’ in faith, I was doing all the right things:  retreats, mom’s group, Sunday mass, VBS, etc… until my first Abraham moment came.

My faith was STRONG, so strong that when the day came where my son passed out on the couch and his blood sugar unexpectedly plummeted to 19 (should be 80-120), I was living on faith and trust.  I called 911.  The paramedics came and I stood over my son in the ambulance while I watched my neighbor walk the girls to her house, wondering if the girls would see their brother alive again. 

I kept whispering to him “Jesus loves you, Jesus loves you, Jesus loves you”.  As the paramedics tried to get him to respond, their conversation was quiet and bleak.  I pictured Abraham and Isaac, and I said out loud over my dear son - lifting my eyes to heaven, “Lord, if this is your will, here is my son.” 

Again, I was in a very strong place in my faith, because you do not test God with those words over your child’s life.  But I meant it with all of my heart.  The Lord only gives you as much as you can handle, right?

As those words exited my mouth, Matthew began tossing and turning and the paramedics said, ‘There he is!’  And with sirens ablaze, we sped off to the hospital.

After throwing all my faith and trust in God with my son’s life, I was so grateful, but I went into ‘adult’ mode. 

(If you have been reading these blogs, I want you to know this is not the same story as the week before my marathon.  It is the prequel.) 

If God felt that I could handle THAT, what else did he have in store for me.  I didn’t want anything ELSE!  Wasn’t that the final exam?  Couldn’t the rest be a free pass for me to enter heaven?  I offered you my son!  What else could you want?

I went into full on adulting mode - controlling and not letting God too close because then he might do something CRAZY again, and I didn’t WANT to have to be that strong again.

Time passed, and I continued to do all the ‘things’, but it was a check list - things to do, not things to open my heart to.

Fourteen years passed, and I was an okay catholic, but a lot of the world took over with the business of having a family.  I kept my distance from God, because my biggest fear had been presented to me, and fear of what God thought I could handle was in control of my heart.

In 2015, my 102 year old grandpa (Grandpa C) died.  I had never experienced heartbreak like that.  He was THAT grandpa.  We laughed so hard together and loved each other so deeply.  The only thing that we ever wanted from each other was time and love.  Grades, job, awards… none of that mattered.  Our love only required time together.  Sound familiar?

Adulting had distanced me from the other one in my life who just wanted love and time… my Father in heaven.  Although I was distant, he was still waiting with open arms.

I started reestablishing my prayer life and a rich faith community.  Slowly began to trust again.  My biggest fear was still that he would give me more than I WANTED to handle.  But through the grace of my priest and my sisters in Christ, I was able to trust completely.

I learned a new saying to replace, ‘the Lord doesn’t give you more than you can handle’.  It is ‘the Lord gives you MORE than you can handle… so you turn to him and let him carry it for you.’  ‘God will give you more than you can handle so that his great power might be displayed in your life.’  (2 Cor 4:17) 

I replaced fear and control, with trust and faith.  I found freedom and joy.

In 2019… a week before my marathon, he did it!  He gave me MORE than I could handle.  It was my biggest fear all over again… the threat of losing my son… and I responded again with my whole heart… Abraham moment #2 “Lord, if this is your will… here is my son.”  (see entry 2.6 for full story)

I am a great CHILD of God.  Like John, I run to the tomb and proclaim HE IS RISEN.  I don’t ask questions like Thomas.  I run to the Lord with open arm and let him embrace me like my grandpa… with nothing but love.  The Lord wants us to be like little children.

I will giggle in delight in the middle of mass if the Holy Spirit prompts it, I will smile when I offer the Eucharist, and I will run up to people with giddiness when the joy of the Lord prompts it.   When the spirit moves… I am delighted – and he delights in me… and you.

Psalm 18:19 – “He delivered me, because he delighted in me.”

Psalm 147:11  “God delights in those who reverence him and trust him and put their hope in his unfailing love. God does not delight in strength but he delights in us when we acknowledge our weakness and our need of him.”

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God will take great delight in you, he will quite you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

I will always see my grandma mouthing the Memorial Acclaim, and I will always revert to that child that my grandpa and my Lord delights in.

Written by Jeanne Frantik & Megan Zaleski

I invite you to consider a few things - the lives that we lead, the chaos we force upon ourselves, the anxiety that is created because of it, the damage we cause others because we worry so much about ‘what’ we are doing and how others see us and not ‘why’ we are doing it.

Think about this for a minute ‘how much of it really matters’?  On the surface this sounds harsh, but when we really dig into what we do in our daily lives, how many of the things that we get upset about day in and day out really matters?  If we are late somewhere, if the car gets a flat, if we burnt dinner…  will it matter in an hour, a day, next week, next year?  Not typically.  What matters more is how we respond.

If we are so stressed about the milk your toddler spills on the floor that we explode and yell at the innocent accident by the little one in front of your other children… will it matter in an hour, a day, next week, next year? 

Probably.

If the toddler spills milk and you calmly go over to clean it up, letting the toddler know that it is okay.  Will that matter in an hour, a day, next week, next year? 

Absolutely.

What fills our mind and time matters but let’s be clear, in the world we live in today, much of it doesn’t matter unless we are acting in ‘love’.  The first letter of John tells us “No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”  (1 John 4:12)

A wise priest once told me when we grasp onto things, such as the ideas and the chaos of the world, we are not open nor do we have any room to embrace the gifts that God has to give us. (Try closing your hand tightly in a fist, then open your grasped hand, and feel what it is like to be open to God.)

I invite you to remember this the next time something interrupts your daily routine.  The next time a driver cuts you off, ask yourself, “does this really matter?”  Not unless it causes you to cure, causes you to be upset throughout the day, allows you to be mad at those around you because the driver (who probably didn’t mean anything by it) cut you off.

Here is a brief story of how a single moment of deciding to act in love, had the power to change the trajectory of generations.

A dear friend of mine had a daughter that had an unplanned teenage pregnancy.  The parents were not happy… embarrassed as to what it looked like to others.  The plan was for the daughter to live with them until the birth of the child.  Then she was on her own and they didn’t want anything to do with her or the baby. 

This was the plan going into the delivery room.  I was privileged enough to be there as the daughter’s doula (birth support).  As we walked through labor, there were a few private moments with my friend and we discussed the daughter being ‘on her own’ after the delivery.

I spoke with her in terms of a lifetime. If she lived to be 100 years old, coming to terms with this “inconvenience” or “interruption” of how she thought life would go, would only be a speck of her lifetime. But if she decided in this single “speck” of time to abandon her daughter, what would that look like for the rest of their lives?

It might look like losing your daughter and grandchild, for weeks, years, possibly a lifetime.  Is it worth it, for you to let anger, pride and ego or embarrassment dictate your decision - without factoring love into the equation?  Is it fair to your daughter, your grandchild, the rest of your family?

When love is tightly woven throughout the journey of life, especially through acts of forgiveness, freedom is discovered, hearts find peace, and joy is found throughout the sorrows and celebrations.  No matter how little the act of love, God is there.  “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16) 

As you move through life, and ask yourself, “what am I doing?” If love is your why, just do it. If love is not in the equation, I invite you to ask yourself, “why am I doing this?”

Now, I encourage you not to become cynical with this question - ‘how much of it really matters?’  I know there are things we HAVE to do, whether we want to or not.  But even while cleaning up the spilled milk, you can show love.  Remember, every action for others (especially the littles) is a work of mercy.  You are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing shelter for the homeless. 

In every Gospels, we see Jesus serving the hungry, healing the sick, forgiving the sinful. 

When Jesus says ‘do this in memory of me’, it goes beyond the Eucharistic table.  It goes out into the world.

Your deeds of love don’t have to be grandiose, just little moments in love through Christ.  St Therese of Lisieux tells us "Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love."

Written by Jeanne Frantik

Christ is the living bread and water and died for us on the cross through a torturous crucifixion.  How can we come even close to comparing to that?  How do we pour ourselves out like he did in our everyday, relatively comfortable lives? 

No one is condemning us for our religion, at least not to the point of death.  People – probably family members – may question our beliefs, and it may be annoying and hurtful, but nowhere near what Christ and his apostles went through two thousand years ago.

First and foremost, I have learned to be open and to trust.  Try opening your arm and breathing in the spirit.  It is amazing what can transpire as you open yourself, and are willing to receive the spirit.  As you are opened, and you breathe in and out, you naturally release something… whether it is tension, control, and hopefully - open a crack to trust.

In 2019, I was training for the Chicago marathon, I was dealing with planter facetious, and if you don’t know what that is, it felt like my foot was the size of a football and was going to bust out of my shoe.  It is incredibly painful, especially when I had already ran 8 miles that day and still had 5 miles to get home. 

I ‘felt’ God was with me on this marathon journey, but this was they day I invited him into every step of my training and my life.  I stopped dead in my tracks.  I ripped my headphones out of my ears and said, ‘Lord, if you want me to run this marathon, it is all up to you from this point on. I can’t do it myself.’  With the next step I started reciting the rosary.  And from that day on, every workout, every run and every bike ride, I am praying.  On that day, I took what I wanted to do in life, and gave it to the Lord to complete through me.  Oh, what that was preparing me for?

As I prepared spiritually for the marathon, I asked people for their prayer requests.  The plan was for me to write the names of those intentions on my arms so I could pray for a different person every mile of the marathon.

The weekend before the marathon, I was part of the team giving the ‘Light of the World’ retreat.  We were strongly encouraged to go to confession before the retreat.  Until this day, I wasn’t a frequent ‘confessor’.  On my way out the door, the priest gently said to me, ‘I must tell you, I am being told that you need to TRUST’.  Well, that was odd… and I moved into retreat mode.

That Monday, I was training.  Running my normal route after being on retreat all weekend, and I kept hearing a swooshing sound, like someone was behind me.  I turned three times to make sure no one was coming up behind me – at that point I said aloud with a smile, ‘Lord, I know its you, let’s finish strong’.  The Lord was there for more than a training run.

That afternoon, I got a phone call from my husband that my son was ‘missing’.  That moment, I felt myself start to sink into the sea like Peter, and then I hear Fr. Andy’s voice ‘you need to TRUST’ and I could physically feel myself pop back to the surface of the water. 

My son, Matthew, hadn’t shown up for work.  We lived in Illinois and he lived in Florida.  His coworkers went to his apartment.  His car was there but he wasn’t answering his door.  Matthew has type one diabetes, and these circumstances were concerning.

Across the country we waited, and I gave it all up to God.  I pour myself out to Him and like Abraham, said out loud, “Lord, if this is your plan, here is my son”.  At that moment, the phone rang.  The paramedics were in and although he was in rough shape, he was alive.

Typically, when we have a diabetes ‘situation’, once he gets fluids, he perks right up.  He did not perk up.  In the morning, he was still very out of sorts, not able to read or do simple math problems.  Based on social media and communication with others, we think he was down for three days.

We asked the doctor what long term effects we can expect from this ‘situation?’.  The doc said ‘I don’t know, we don’t have anyone to compare this to’.  Seeing what we had never seen in him before, we were mentally preparing for him to have to move back home and be cared for indefinitely. 

So now that he’s alive, I began praying for a complete healing.  ‘Ask and you shall receive’… I’m asking and I’m asking BIG!  On Sunday, I ran the Chicago marathon… 26.2 miles of Hail Mary’s.  No lie.  It is said that when you run a marathon, you train not so that you don’t have pain, but so you can withstand the pain.  Guess what… I had no pain.  I had my arm covered with prayer intentions for others, but most of all I was asking for complete healing of my son.  Go big or go home.  I ran the Chicago Marathon as if I was traveling across clouds.  I’m not saying it wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t painful.

Matthew and my husband watched me cross the finish line on TV in Florida and they sent me a picture of a rainbow outside the window.  And we got our complete healing.

“Ask and you shall receive”, “Trust in the Lord with all your strength”, “Be not afraid”.  I could go on.

What happens when you stop grasping onto the outside world?  Open your hand up right now, palm side up.  You aren’t grasping onto anything, right?  And nothing is coming between you and your God.

Although pouring yourself out is difficult in the begin, and it is a continual process of growth, you will receive freedom.  It is acting from the inside out.  It is pouring the love the Lord has given you upon others, and the freedom of knowing you are the beloved child of God, and with him you will never be alone. 

The Lord doesn’t promise a path of least resistance, but he does ask “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30

Resources:  How to grow in ‘pouring out’.  I recommend you begin reciting daily the Litany of Trust and then add the Litany of Humility.  You can google them and they will blow your mind.

Written by Kathy Avey

I do stress, even when all is going well my brain rushes into the future and I find something, always something, to be anxious about to occupy my mind taking me away from the present and throwing me into an imagined crazy scenario of events that never ever happen.  I know how anxiety and stress tend to isolate me from relationships and experiences.   I do not like feeling of uneasy and instead of embracing it, or at the very least resign myself to it and accept the discomfort, I literally let it overwhelm me. I have learned to rely on my faith with this mantra to get me through these times from Psalms,  “Shepard me O Lord beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.”

 I do not like being vulnerable.  My family rarely showed or shared deep emotions and as a child who believed it was my responsibility to keep the family whole and functioning.  I had no time to deal with life moments that were not the way I believed they should be so I became a master at keeping the stress and anxiety within.

With all that said I found myself broken open and vulnerable at a most unsuspecting time in my life.  I had always been very close to my dad.  As a little girl I was his shadow, going with him to lumberyards  and farmer’s markets, grocery stores and church.   He hardly left the house without me accompanying him.  It was from him I learned the depth of his faith and its importance in his life.  That relationship continued throughout as he aged and I left home to begin a new life in another state and build a family of my own. We talked weekly, but did not see each other as much as either of us would have liked.

After my mother passed, my dad took a fall and could no longer live in his house.  My brother and I were in agreement he had to move to a nursing home. It came time after he had broken a leg to move him to St Anne’s Home, run by Carmelite nuns, after being released from the hospital.  My brother was going to be out of town so I needed and wanted to be at St Ann’s when he was transferred so he saw a familiar face in an unfamiliar place.

It was February and the drive from Ankeny to Grand Rapids, Michigan can take 7 to 9 hours depending on stops, weather, and traffic.  I made this drive by myself many times to visit my dad. The weather was lovely with clear roads and I was there Saturday morning when he was transferred to St Anne’s. I had a reservation at a hotel I stayed at often several miles away.  As I waited for him to arrive, I started getting notices on my phone about a severe winter storm with ice moving in later that day.  Grand Rapids is just east of Lake Michigan so lake effect snow can be heavy and make for treacherous driving.  I started to get anxious and stressed out about what was I going to do. I planned on leaving Monday to return home and now it looked like I might not even make it to the hotel. The thought of being stranded, my plans totally upended, sent my anxiety and stress through the roof.  I was not truly present to my dad. I was more concerned about my own needs than his, although I put on a good front with him and others there. It was a horrible snowstorm and roads were impassable. I was going nowhere.  In the end the nuns offered me the apartment on the campus to use as long as needed.

That disruption in my plan made possible the most impactive, loving, vulnerable moment in my life.  Monday morning I went to my dad’s room where he was lying there so frail and so weak. He was always so strong and capable; it broke my heart to witness such vulnerability. He could not feed himself.  I picked up the spoon and as I fed him I felt a peace and a calmness overwhelm me. I began to weep for in that moment I was witnessing the very presence of Jesus so vividly in my dad. I knew I was feeding Jesus.  It was as S. James Meyer writes “so much more enriching and rewarding to receive, become and share the Eucharist.” Had I not been stranded there for those extra days I never would have had this moment of clarity. Funny thing is, when I left Wednesday the roads were dry and clear.  The sun shone and trees sparkled with ice reminding me of the goodness and power of God.

Such an ordinary event was transformed into the profound with love. That is Eucharist. 

“Did you make that?” I asked a woman yesterday as I admired the beautiful sweater she was wearing. She had a questioning grin and said “no.”

Years ago, I needed a new hobby so I took classes, and spent many hours on YouTube, learning to both knit and crochet. First time my teacher asked me if I had made my own sweater I laughed at her humor “I’m not THAT good!” She smiled and said “it looks more complicated than it really is – you know every stitch you would need to do that.”

This encouraged my fascination with learning more.

Over the years I have made prayer shawls, sweaters, scarves, prayer shawls, placemats, wash cloths, afghans, and have I mentioned prayer shawls. Most everything I make is a gift for someone. Christmas gifts, like sweaters, hats or scarves for my sisters or nieces are fun – I look for patterns and colors I think they would enjoy. This year I finally completed the project of making sure all my nieces and nephews have an afghan made by Aunt Patty.

Which reminds me of a story…

Eight years ago, I met my sister in Iowa City to sit with her while her husband had surgery. He had been healing well from the brain bleed from 3 months prior, and it was time to replace his bone flap – the piece of his skull that was removed due to brain swelling. I came with an overnight bag ready, just in case, but we were all expecting things to go well and hoped to be home before bed. My sister let me know that the afghan I had given to my nephew (then, age 10) at Christmas was in her bag, he told her to bring it because he figured Aunt Patty wouldn’t think to bring a blanket with her and she would need one if we stayed overnight. He was right, and we did end up staying overnight. What a gift it was to have that afghan – my gift to him had become his gift to me.

How profound this was to me then, and even more now. God gives us gifts so that we can give them to others, and in sharing our God-given gifts with others we are blessed beyond measure.

Sitting and working on any project, but especially a prayer shawl or afghan, gives me to time to pray for the one who will receive and use this item. When I go on retreat, I usually take along the materials to make a shawl. I don’t have to think about the pattern and can listen and pray as my hands work the stitches easily and effortlessly.

I have a special pattern for my prayer shawls – the pattern is filled with numbers and stitches that bring meaning to every inch of the yarn. Color is important, so if I know who it’s going to I try to do their favorite colors, or colors that are symbolic of what the shawl is given for. I don’t always know who will use it, so then I just use colors that are pleasing to me. During COVID I made MANY shawls, donating several of them to Emmaus House in Des Moines. Now, when I go there for a day of quiet, or a board meeting, I see those shawls and I am instantly reminded of the prayers and the labor of love I put into them. Every project is lovingly created. I believe a creator can’t help but love what she/he creates.

My first year assisting on the women’s CEW at OLIH, the women’s director had bought beautiful yarn to make a prayer shawl. As the weekend got closer I offered to make it for her, and eventually she agreed. I made the shawl, and seeing the joy on her face, had me convinced in making this a yearly project. Every year since I have made a prayer shawl for the Director of the women’s team. (shh… don’t tell the men.)

In 2019 I was given the opportunity to lead the RCIA at OLIH. In Baptism a white garment is given because they have “become a new creation and have clothed yourself in Christ.” I have made a white prayer shawl for each of my adults who are baptized so they have a “white garment” to take home as a reminder of their Baptism.

This weekend I was on the Women’s CEW, although OLIH is a great place for a retreat we encourage layers as the temperature can fluctuate in the building. I saw at least 4 women using prayer shawls I had made for them over the years. For me that was a visible sign of just how much this community is where I am called to be!

I obviously have the ability to make a shawl or afghan for myself, but other than one dressy shawl I made for myself years ago to wear for a friend’s wedding, I have not made anything for myself. When I went through my divorce a friend made a prayer shawl for me. I know the hours and the prayers given to create this shawl, thus I know it as not just a gift of a shawl, but a gift and constant reminder of the love and prayers that were stitched into it.

In the hands of a creator – yarn, wood, paintbrushes, bread – all become more than what they can be on their own. Isn’t that true of us? In the hands of our creator we are more.

When we go to communion, Jesus is placed into our hands so that we may consume Him. Have you considered the opposite? Do you put yourself in the hand of God so that you can be consumed by Him and formed into the person he created you to be?

This blog post is written by Dwight as he reflected upon his own journey and how it’s led him to now being a guide to someone in RCIA. Dwight and his candidate Daniel met and quickly became friends. I love watching this happen with our sponsors and candidates. I think Dwight’s story shares with us both the story of Dwight becoming more active in his faith, but also the deeper story of sharing that faith with another.

When I was asked to be a sponsor to an RCIA candidate, I found out the candidate was a veteran and immediately accepted the invitation.  I too was a convert to the Catholic faith many years ago and have been involved with many areas of the Church through Prayer, Study, and Action, so assumed I could be a guide for someone else. 

I first met my candidate when I invited him to go to Perkins as I wanted to treat him to breakfast.  It didn’t take long in our conversation that I became somewhat humbled by his enthusiasm to not only join the church but to learn all he could in the process.  His enthusiasm caused me to look back at my own journey.

When I met my wife Bev, I was 23.  I had spent some time at Iowa State, served as a combat veteran in the army in Vietnam, and was working at John Deere in the apprenticeship electrical program.  One of the things Bev insisted on is going to church, as did her family when she took me home with her to meet them.  My first introduction to Mass was at the Drake Neuman Center.  Now, I believed in God and was familiar with many of the scriptures and bible stories as my parents made it a priority to attend church and we went to many different churches.  I read the Bible through several times when I was younger as I was isolated growing up on a farm in Southern Iowa.  Not that I understood it all, but it was familiar.  I had walked out of an Evangelical Church in Indianola when a pastor was screaming in my face that I was going to hell if I didn’t come forward to the alter rail.  The more I attended Mass with Bev and her family, the more I realized that it felt like home.  True, many of the rituals - when to stand and when to kneel - were something that took a while to understand, yet there was a peace in knowing and admitting while we were not perfect, there was a path to reconciliation and peace.   I still remember Bev’s whole family making it a priority to travel to Christ the King in Des Moines when I was confirmed. 

Now jumping forward to over 50 years of making a priority to not only attend Mass, but to learn, grow in our faith and give of ourselves in service to others.  We have been involved in many activities such as working with engaged couples, presenting Marriage Encounter Weekends, Serving at Mass, and being active in the Knights of Columbus. 

So, it should seem that I have it all figured out and can be a guide to others.  Now getting back to being a sponsor to my candidate.  I met with him several times or visited him on the phone when he was out of town for work or zoomed with him at some of the RCIA classes because that is what I was supposed to do.  Unfortunately, I was away on a trip the day he was confirmed, and we had agreed to have one of the teachers that he felt a connection to as a proxy sponsor.  I did manage to zoom into the RCIA class just after his confirmation and felt a few tears listening to him describe his experience with both Reconciliation and being received into full Communion into the Church. 

Since then, I have been gifted to being present to him and his wife adopting their little girl and a proxy Godparent for her at her baptism, as well as attending her 1st birthday party.  Privileged to introduce him to the Knights of Columbus and now realize that it was I was more of a tourist watching the Holy Spirit move my friend.  It made me feel so blessed to just give of myself just as Jesus gave of himself for us all.               

Blessings, Dwight Whitlatch

I think that many, like Dwight, agree to being a sponsor for many reasons, but most of all to walk with another on their journey… I think one of the beautiful things I see happen is the journey the sponsor goes one without even realizing it!

Thank you Dwight - and all the sponsors who have said YES to walking with our wonderful candidates and catechumens!

Written by: Patty Mayer

“He breaks himself open and pours himself out. Shattered, vulnerable, bleeding, and hanging on a cross. “Do this in memory of me,” he says. Holy smokes! That’s a big ask. We tape the pieces of our lives together and try to pretend we’re not broken, he breaks himself apart and distributes the pieces to all of us so that we have a chance to be whole for real with him. It’s almost too much.”

I’ve sat with these words from our author for quite some time.

I am no stranger to being vulnerable and sharing my story. My hope is that through sharing my story I may help others on their journey. It’s not healthy for any of us to pretend we are not broken. I’m both broken and a beloved child of God. It’s beautiful when we can share all of ourselves with others, the good and the not so good..

When I walked through the early years of my divorce, I had two voices vying for my attention. I had the worldly voice that continued to encourage me to be angry, to be “entitled,” to be the victim. Then I had the voice of God challenging me to exam my own heart, and to forgive. The worldly voice and the voice of God were in opposition to one another.

I chose forgiveness.

Forgiveness is not an easy choice, so why did I choose it?

Jesus.

In the gospel, Jesus’ teachings challenge us to become the person He calls us to be. What I found in the teachings of Jesus were to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-40), love my enemy (Luke 6:27 and Matthew 5:44), and forgive (multiple teachings on this!).  When a person has been hurt, turning the other cheek or forgiving are not what our world would constitute as a “natural” response.

One of the things that aided me was the book, “Amish Grace,” which is the story of a school shooting in a one-room Amish school. The story quickly moved from a school shooting to an in-depth look into the Amish people and their desire to forgive the family of the shooter. Why did they choose forgiveness? The simple answer is the Lord’s Prayer. They pray the Lord’s Prayer multiple times a day, thus these are the words they live by. And if we stop to think of the words, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” we are challenged to see that we are forgiven by our forgiving nature towards others. Much like the parable of the unforgiving servant:

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.[r] 21 Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 [s]Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. 23 That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. 24 [t]When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. 25 Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. 26 [u]At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ 27 Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. 28 When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount.[v] He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. 31 Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. 32 His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. 33 Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ 34 Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.[w] 35 [x]So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” (Matthew 18:21-35)

A very challenging parable – yet such a powerful experience when we can live into what it calls us to.

Forgiveness became my journey. Through forgiving I was able to find the spiritual freedom to let go of the anger, and the hold that anger had on me, going forward. I tell people that forgiveness was the most selfish thing I did – with the help of God’s grace I forgave, and by forgiving I was able to remain faithful to myself.

Reconciliation will not happen between my ex and I, but I have had moments of reconciliation as I reconcile what I thought or believed to be true with what I now know as the truth.

By listening to the voice of God in my life, and choosing forgiveness and reconciliation I am in a place where I am more free and open to the path before me.

When you are struggling with a teaching in scripture be careful to not reduce or change it to fit your life. It’s okay if Jesus’ teachings challenge us. Seek a spiritual director or trusted faithful friend who can help you to be challenged and to seek what Jesus may be calling you to.

Written by Patty Mayer

I love being in ministry. My work revolves around listening to people’s stories and walking with them on their journey. It is through these conversations that we see the human condition in all its glory, and in all its shame. In just the last month I’ve heard stories and talked with people about the unrest in the middle East, the shooting in Perry, racism and LGTBQ. In that same time frame I heard about a college decision finally made, the upcoming CEW weekends, conversion stories leading people to the Church, and stories of feeding the hungry. All of this – both the heavy and the joyful hearts – make up the human condition.

In my experience I have found that when people come in and share their story, or gather for a meeting or faith sharing, they share more authentically than if I have them on the phone or just email.

If only we could always be face to face with one another…

I know I am not alone in some of my struggles with social media. I am on Facebook and Be Real and I did a short stint on eHarmony. What I have found is that social media is good in many ways. People can connect, share, and learn. There are also ways social media is not good. I can sometimes get lost in the comments sections of a post as I witness the lack of human kindness. in much the same way we can’t take our eyes off an accident. During the pandemic we saw so much division on many issues and it was blasted all over social media, I had many people who came to me, as we began moving back towards a “normal” lifestyle, to say they weren’t sure they could still be friends with certain people because of things posted on social media. It’s amazing how our confidence grows in places where we don’t have to look the other in the eyes as we type our responses. What does this say about the human condition?

That being said, I want to say that social media is also a place where I see connection, care for others, and where people can sometimes get assistance they would not have access to otherwise. I have a great support group I’ve belonged to for about 5 years and although I’ve never met the members in person, I feel like I know them. I like to check out many of the posts that ask for help in home care or repair, because I need all the help I can get. I also find many posts that encourage me and challenge me to be a better person. And of course we all have that friend or two who finds the most hilarious things to share that keep us all laughing. What does this say about the human condition?

In scriptures we read similar stories during Jesus’ time, for example the men who brought forth the adulterous woman and he challenged them – let the” one who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:1-11). Or the story of the raising of the young man for the widow in Nain? Jesus didn’t need to do that, but his heart was moved with pity (Luke 7:11-17). Jesus responds to the world around him with love and compassion. This is what we are called to as humans.

How do you respond to the world around you?

If someone “followed” you, in-person or online, what would your story reveal about the human condition?

Written by Patty Mayer

Four and a half years ago I began leading RCIA. RCIA is the “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults” and is the process of walking with people who desire to come into the Catholic Church. I love how each new person has a remarkable story of how their journey brought them to this moment in their lives when they are seeking God through the Catholic Church. As they sit down I ask them, what brings you to my office today?

A few years ago a young man came to me, and I ask him to share what brought him to this point in his journey. Dan tells me that he can no longer sit in the pew while his family goes forward to receive the body and blood, the real presence, of Christ. I sat there stunned and energized by both his passion and the depth to which he was certain that Jesus was truly present in the Eucharist. He was the first person to be so clear on what he was seeking and shared it so beautifully. We talked longer than this, but truly I had no doubt Dan was ready to join the church, but I know that there are probably other questions that he might need answered before he was fully ready.

After our meeting I contacted a RCIA team member and asked him to meet this young man. They started having coffee together regularly to talk about the journey from Lutheran to Catholic, including all the “bonus” gifts of the Catholic Church. As I got updates on how these conversations were going, I got the impression they went into the deep regularly.

Not long after this first encounter, Dan was able to come into full communion with the Catholic Church. Now, a few years later, I asked him share with us what that meant for him - to be able to receive the body and blood of Christ for the first time, and what it means to him today. Here was his response:

Taking the Eucharist after coming into the church was a light switch moment for me. Receiving for the first time as an adult likely allowed the meaning to have more impact for me. As a previous Lutheran taking communion as a representation of the Lord, receiving the Eucharist became so much more significant. 

I was in my hometown over Christmas and attended 3 masses where the body of Christ was offered, but the blood of Christ was not. The disappointment from this is hard to describe, but does help me reflect on the importance I place on receiving.

My friend Dan gets it! What a gift to know and to trust in the difference between symbol and real presence of our Lord in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Do you yearn for, or desire, to receive Eucharist? Have you had a “light switch moment” where your faith life was forever changed? What is your reaction when you cannot or are unable to receive the Eucharist?

Written by: Mary Reichter

Every day I create with my hands. I am a creative person. Using my hands to create colorful watercolor and mixed-media paintings, crochet items for others, sewing projects. Not a day goes by where I am not using my hands to create.

I realized years ago that we are all given gifts but it is what we do with these gifts that can not only enhance our lives but others lives as well.

Recently I was told that my artwork gave someone joy in their heart when they encountered it. Just seeing her joy made my heart sing. The work of my hands gave someone joy.

Being able to give others joy, inspiration just by creating truly makes my heart sing. This is the fruit of my labor.

Working with your hands enables you to do things for others that they might not be able to do for themselves. Using our gifts to bring joy, smiles, inspiration and love to others is God’s wish for all of us.

Your gifts will not look like my gifts or your neighbor’s gifts. Nevertheless, your gifts are very much needed and should be used for others.

Have you ever delved into knowing what gifts god has given you and how you can use them to better our world. There are many ways you can discern your unique gifts.

• Spiritual Direction

• Called and Gifted Workshop

• Enneagram

• Strength Finders

• And the list could go on.

What truly can be the Fruit of Your Labor by working with your hands, your head, your body? How can you be Christ to others?

My artwork is a labor of love. Love because I know God gave me the gift of creativity and wants my versions of creation out in the world for others to enjoy.

One of the things I have done with my collage artwork is use it for Visual Divina at the women’s prison in Mitchellville. I was able to take my artwork into a faith-sharing group we held on Sunday mornings (pre-Covid).

The stories and prayers from the women brought tears to my eyes but what really amazed me was how each woman was able to pull what the Spirit knew they needed from my little artworks.

So I leave you this 4 x 6 collage prayer card. How do you use your gifts to be the hands and feet of Christ?

JOIN Mary at the CALLED AND GIFTED study this Lent at OLIH!

Written by: Jeanne Frantik, parishioner

Columba Marmion defines ‘Joy’ as ‘the echo of God’s life within us’.  Understanding that Joy is not about happiness, on the contrary, it is usually most appreciated during or after great times of sorrow… like a rainbow after a storm. 

‘The echo of God’s life within us’ is not just made for times of happiness.  It is a gift to be carried throughout our journey in life… just like the Lord.  I used to go to church, check it off my ‘to do’ list and then move on with my week.  Living a relatively Christian life, but was I walking every step intentionally with the Lord? Not so much.

‘Joy’ is about sticking and staying, through the hardships of life.  Sometimes holding onto nothing but the faith that ‘Joy still comes in the morning’ (Psalm 30:5).

To me, baseball is a truly religious experience, especially as a Cubs fan.  Most Cub fans had lived their whole lives without seeing a World Championship.  And then, on a cold November evening in Cleveland, after a blown lead in an extra inning game and a 17 minute rain delay… they did it! THE CHICAGO CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES!  To this day, whenever I see the last out, Bryant throws, with his amazing smiles, as his foot slips in the wet grass and Rizzo catches the ball outreached over his head… I SCREAM “THE CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES” and giggle like it was the first time I had seen this happen.

This is how we should feel everyday walking with the Lord.

To experience this event was not about the 24 men on the field, but the millions of faithful around the world.  It was about generations gathering in a living room experiencing every pitch together in hope and wonder.  It was about sobbing on the phone with the dad who brought you to Wrigley as a child.  It was about remembering those who lived 102 years and never saw this day and raising a glass to them.  It was JOY in the purest truest sense, because it was about LOVE… for a common team, but even more for those with whom you walked through life.

It was a common love.  At that moment, we gathered in a common place to celebrate something that had transcended time.

Sound familiar?  Being a Cubs fan is not just a part of your life, it is woven into your life.  Now we just have to understand, that is how Jesus wants to be present in our life.  He doesn’t want to be just a piece of our life, but intertwined within our life. 

When we are able to bring Jesus into every part of our life, Joy (‘the echo of God’s life within us’) is also intertwined.  Paul tells the Thessalonians to ‘pray without ceasing’.  If prayer is our relationship with God, and we weave God within every part of our life, we ARE praying unceasingly.  It is not about being on your knees all day every day, it is allowing him a place to walk with you on your daily path.  We begin to see and look for Christ in the eyes of everyone we come in contact with and hopefully they see Christ in us as well.

The more we take in Christ through the Eucharist and at adoration, the calmer our spirit is, the more attracted others become to His light in us and the more opportunities we have to introduce Christ to others, even if it only through our actions.

Recently, I had the opportunity to help a friend prepare to sell her home before entering assisted living.  We needed to go through all of her most precious possessions, and there was little family to support.  Someone had told me what a gift I was to my friend, and I accepted that as a compliment.  Later, Christ humbled me by seeing Him in her eyes as she frailly gazed up at me.  It was a moment of revelation.  She was allowing me to be Christ to her, and I was privileged enough to be able to serve Christ through her.

These kinds of things happen every day, however, we need to be walking with Christ in order to see him, to feel him, to serve him and to know the truest, purest JOY of ‘the echo of God’s life within us’.

Written by Patty Mayer, Director of Adult Faith Formation

We all have a story.

When I meet with a person seeking to become Catholic, or a person desiring Spiritual Direction, I ask them to tell me their story. For some people this is the first time they have been asked to share their story; for some people it feels awkward, and for others they seem relieved that someone finally asked. Listening to people’s stories is a favorite part of my ministry. Stories tell so much about us. My story is different than your story. Even though I grew up with five sisters in the same house, my story is different than each of theirs. Our story begins before we are born into this world, and continues until we are gone from this world and the stories of our lives cease to be shared.

We all have a story.

As we prepare for the upcoming CEWs our team shares stories of our faith journeys. Stories of struggles and triumphs. It is when we share our stories that we help one another to grow. My sister and I went through divorces together, but our circumstances for divorce were different. As we walked through these together we were able to show greater compassion for each other, and for ourselves. We also found that neither one of us had it harder than the other, divorce itself is hard and the circumstances added different issues to work through. After my divorce I started to see Brené Brown’s quote, “One day you will tell your story of how you’ve overcome what you’re going through now, and it will become part of someone else’s survival guide” everywhere, and it encourages me to continue to share my story. Sharing our story is valuable both to us, but also to those who hear it.

We all have a story.

Stories help us to see the world differently. When I lived in Marshalltown and started working with St Mary parish, which had a large Latino population, I wasn’t sure about working with “them” – how could I minster to people I couldn’t speak with? And the negative things I heard about this community made me leery. Then as my ministry expanded I had more opportunity to listen to the stories of many of the Latino families. I grew in my compassion for them as individuals, which helped me to grow to love the diversity they brought to the Church and to the community. I often asked questions like “tell me more about that” or “explain that to me” and really listened to the answers. Beautiful things happened as I listened to stories and began to see individuals instead of “them.” They were no longer a nameless, faceless group of people, instead I found friends and companions on this journey of life.  

We all have a story.

A significant part of my story is being Catholic, and I love being Catholic. I have had hard times in my life that made me question my faith, but through those challenges I was brought to a deeper faith. As a child I remember giving my life over to Jesus and Mary, as an adult I sat on the floor of a bathroom questioning if God exists. As a child I was bullied and made fun of for my faith, as an adult I have the privilege of ministering to others and walking with them on their journey. What keeps me Catholic? Jesus and the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. I can’t imagine my life without the Eucharist.

We all have a story – what’s yours?

A Note to My Friends at Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church;

Something happened when Heidi called. I’d known Heidi for about twenty years, and until recently she served as my primary contact and editor at Bayard Books/Twenty-Third Publishing. Heidi is the responsible sort, a bona fide grownup who thinks and acts in the proper sequence, the type of person a bloke like me needs to keep close. I am blessed to call her both friend and colleague.

     “I have something to ask you,” Heidi cut to the quick, “and I really want you to think about it.” Before I could respond, she doubled down, “Now, your initial response will ‘no,’ so please don’t respond right away. Think about it. Please promise me you’ll think about it, because we really want you to consider this.”

     “Uhmm, ok,” I said with a hedge. How does one respond to a setup like that? Heidi knows me. She knows my style, and she knows that I prefer a religion that rolls up its sleeves and digs elbow-deep into life’s grit. I don’t do high-brow, tidy, coiffed religion well. Others are gifted at starching purificators; I am not. I identify more with the Jesus who draws in the dirt.

     “We just got out of a meeting, and Bayard wants us to bring out a book on Eucharist. And they want you to write it. Before you say no, I need to tell you that they’re insisting that you be the author. They don’t think the world needs another book like all the other books on Eucharist. They want to bring to the world a book that gets into the trenches with people.”

     I sighed audibly and let it hover like smog. “Ok.” That’s all I said.

     “So you’ll think about it? Pray on it? Thank you. That’s all we’re asking. Just give the idea a chance.”

     I held my breath. Writing a book is a lot of work. At least it is for me. Perhaps other authors sit in sunshine while coherent insights flow into words the way a bluebird’s song flows into hope, but I have to work hard at it. Contemplating, writing, rewriting, criticizing, revising, starting over. It’s a commitment of heart and soul, blood, sweat, and tears, not to mention endless hours. It’s an act of self-sacrifice into the hot flames of vulnerability.

     “No,” I said. “I don’t need to think about it or pray on it. I’ll write the book. When you mentioned the topic, it knocked the air from my lungs. That’s the answer to my prayer even before I uttered the words. I have a deep love and appreciation for Eucharist. I have a profound passion for its life-giving depth and mystery, so if I’m being asked to write the book, then that’s what I need to do. I’ll write the book.”

     I wasn’t sure which of us was more surprised, but Heidi was quick to get off the phone and get a contract in the mail lest I reconsider. But there was no way I would have reconsidered. Time and again throughout life we are called to offer up our gifts, break ourselves open, and pour ourselves out for others. Such is the nature of a eucharistic life. Too often I have been too busy, too stubborn, too preoccupied, or too comfortable to rise to the occasion. This time, though, I knew I needed to do as Jesus instructed when he told the disciples, “What I have done for you, you should also do.” (Jn 13:15). I needed to write the book.

     Here we are, two years later, and you’re reading the output of that conversation: Living With Real Presence—Eucharist as an Approach to Life. On the front end of this journey, I promised to write prayerfully, to write from a place of quiet reflection with a peaceful heart, a calm mind, and a joyful soul. I would be the servant and the book would be the master.

     As you read the book, I hope it takes you away from the noise and the news, away from the world’s drama and divisions, and welcomes you into the promise and possibility of a life unified in a spirit of compassion, kindness, empathy, and joy. I pray it rescues you for a bit from the whirling, swirling storms of conflict and busyness that keep us all scrambling on the superficial surface of life, and that it guides you into the quieter, calmer depths of a life inspired by Christ.

     But that’s just the beginning. The gospel calls us to live beyond the boundaries of self, so I also hope the book challenges you as it continues to challenge me, inviting—even daring—us to break ourselves open and pour ourselves out for one another. And may it awaken within the community of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart parish a sense to unifying oneness, stirring you to a full realization that while you are many parts, you are all one body.

     Finally, I hope that in sharing and discussing the message expressed in Living With Real Presence—Eucharist as an Approach to Life, the living, breathing body and blood of Christ stirs within you and flows forth from you to feed an nourish a world that hungers for the unifying love of Christ.

With peace and joy,

S. James Meyer

very summer I spend a significant amount of time previewing potential books for Christmas. For me this book is more than just a simple gift to each one of you - it’s an invitation to come closer to our Lord.

With this year focused on Eucharistic Revival I wanted a book that would bring us to a greater understanding of Eucharist. As I previewed this book, I found humor, honesty, and an authentic faith-filled voice. This voice gives us simple examples, and a depth of faith. Many of the other books I was reading were either too cerebral or too simplistic. This book gave me depth in the midst of the simple things of every day life. I knew this was the book I wanted to give this Christmas!

I was excited to share this book with our community, but there was one problem… cost. Each year I am faced with varying degrees of this issue, and this year was no exception. Once again the cost was prohibitive. I was sad, but moved on to preview other books. People know I do this, so it’s common to be asked how my search is going. I lamented that the book I really wanted was out of my price range and I was struggling to find something I thought would be a good substitution. This would not be the first year I had to go with a “second choice” due to cost. When I’ve had to do that in the past I am the only who knows the “perfect” book was just out of reach. In the end no matter which book I pick there will be those who love it, and those who don’t, but again this is more than just a book to me, it’s an invitation for you (the receiver) to deepen your faith.

As I said, people asked me about the Christmas book, and I lamented. One Saturday morning I was out running errands and received a phone call asking if I was given X amount of dollars would that be enough to give away the book I desired. YES! And thus I was able to stop lamenting, and instead praise the Lord for the amazing gift that allowed us to share with you “Living with Real Presence: Eucharist as an Approach to Life” by S. James Meyer. A huge thank you to our anonymous donor!

I pray that this book opens your heart and mind to a deeper understanding and appreciation of Eucharist in the days ahead.

Please feel free to respond to this blog, on our Facebook, or even just email me to share your journey as you read along with us!

- Patty Mayer

This Christmas be sure to pick up your copy of
Living with Real Presence: Eucharist as an Approach to Life.

We will take our time reading and reflecting on this book between New Years and Ash Wednesday. The blog begins on Monday, January 1 - where I will share my story of finding this book. The blog will continue with a a word from our author on Wednesday, January 3. From there we will have new posts focusing on the short sections of the book every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, until we complete the book on Monday, February 12. Join us by reading the book and following along with the blog as we invite parishioners to share their reflections as they read.