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After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: ‘This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’ As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men (Mark 1:14-17).

After the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus enters Galilee proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand and all must live according to God’s will. While proclaiming this Good News, Jesus calls his first four disciples, who are all fishermen. While this may sound normal to us, this was not normal behavior in Jesus’ time. A teacher didn’t seek his disciples, he attracted them. In this case, Jesus reached out first and gathered those who would become his closest followers.

Simon and Andrew immediately dropped their nets to follow Jesus. Without hesitation, they gave up everything they had known to follow the one who had chosen them, the one they put their trust in.

After Simon and Andrew, Jesus called out to James and John. They left behind their father, Zebedee, and followed Jesus. This, too, was not typical behavior; this was against the cultural values of Jewish society in first century Palestine. In those times, one never abandoned a father. Yet, these disciples were compelled to follow Jesus above all else, even if it meant forsaking their home and all they had known and loved.

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)

We, as disciples, are called to be with Jesus and to do his will. Knowing that Christ is with us is what gives us strength to do the work that we are both privileged and challenged to do. Some may be called to be missionaries and leave home and family; some may be called to follow Jesus by being home with their families. We are all called to be “fishers of men” and spread the Good News to others.

How is Jesus calling you today? How can you be a “fisher of men” in your daily life?

Adapted from, Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International

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We’re “Hanging Tough” here at the Motherhouse. We hope and pray that your family doing the same.

Here’s a bit of inspiration by our Sister Darla Jean Vogelsang. The article below was written for and featured on the “Valley Tough” website created by Dan Pecchia of Pecchia Communications:

Having recently retired from Hospital Chaplain Ministry, I never gave a thought about HANGING TOUGH in our present situation, nor aware of our Tough Valley Spirit. I was ready to ease into a life of more freedom to focus on my agenda, my plans for more time for prayer and scripture reflection; to relax, de-clutter, now watch Sunday Morning on CBS, and visit out of state family.

Living in a home with a Community of Religious Sisters quickly reminded me – it’s no longer your agenda; all those plans and dates on your calendar, put aside. We are all in this together in ways we never anticipated in our vowed life together. I am learning not to let oppositional energy control my response.

We (The Ursuline Sisters) immediately and graciously complied with all the guidelines sent out by our Governor and did what was necessary for the well-being of our members, our employees and the community beyond our Motherhouse.  We are staying home and social distancing, a big adjustment and discipline, even for a group of women who profess to live in harmony, holding all things in common – our choice.  But we know we are not alone.

The biggest sacrifice for me is abstinence from the Eucharist and the services of Holy Week; these are the source and summit of my spiritual journey and our common prayer in our Ursuline Community.  And yet, the time I have for prayer and reflection draws me into solidarity with the rest of suffering humanity as I pray the news each day.

I am more conscious of the many lives we touch in our Ursuline Center Ministries and grateful for the way others support us.  I have a deeper appreciation for the leadership that has taken action to keep us safe and well, in our home and in the community beyond our home.  I am more aware of the self-sacrificing love of first responders and health care workers; the outreach and generosity of businesses and individuals helping individuals and the community. 

I have more time to communicate with my Chaplain colleagues who are on the job, my out of state family, and the man I write to in a state prison who experiences the lack of freedom and isolation every day of his life.   And I feel empathy for the many families and communities who have lost a loved one, as we have with one of our sisters dying this past week and were not able to have a funeral service for her.

I continue to live with the belief that our faithful Creator is in this with us and will make good of it all.  So I keep looking for signs of HOPE, trust LOVE, tie a big knot in the rope of FAITH, and HANG TOUGH through this universal journey of suffering, remembering that we are not alone – we are all in this together.

Become aware of your breath.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Bring your breathing under control. It’s hard. We’re in uncertain times, uncharted waters. Our breaths might be short, panicked. We may have forgotten to breathe all together.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Slowly, read Psalm 46:11: “Be still and know that I am God!”

God is speaking to you. How do you respond?

Psalm 46, V1: God is our refuge and our strength, An ever-present help in distress. 

V3: Thus we do not fear….

V4: The Lord of hosts is with us; Our stronghold is the God of Jacob. 

Be still and know that I am God.

God of all people, my faith is tested during this time of pandemic. Your houses of prayer and worship stand empty: Can we gather together without contracting disease? Can the most vulnerable members of our human family — the elderly, the sick — come to pray without fear?

The answer to these questions, it seems, is no.

Be still and know that I am.

God, I know that you are here, even if I sit alone in my home. Just as you appeared to Moses in the burning bush, you appear to us now, in surprising, unsettling ways.

I may not find you where I expect you — my community, the Mass, the Eucharist — but give me eyes to find you in new places: livestreams, Facetime and quiet solitude.

Be still and know.

God of the sick, God of the vulnerable, give me clarity to see through the noise and clutter. Grant me serenity that I may have a level head with which to weigh the information I am given. Sustain me with fortitude that I may have the courage to learn all I need to know about this disease that plagues our world.

I do not want to give in to fear, panic, hysteria. But I do want to make good decisions, for myself, my community and my world. Help me to do so.

Be still.

I know that I have to change my daily life, my daily routine. I know that I can no longer come and go as I wish. In this Lenten season, remind me of the spiritual significance of fasting: setting things aside to make room for you, God, and for the common good. Give me a spirit of fasting as I confront this disease.

May I see these moments of stillness — moments that I am not out at bars, restaurants, events and activities — as opportunities to encounter you. And as my small yet important contribution to the common good of our world.

Be.

I feel as though there is so little I can do to bring about an end to this crisis. Grant me the wisdom to simply be, to sit, to rest, to watch and to trust that your hand is at work, guiding and protecting medical professionals, scientists, first responders and government officials, as well as my neighbors, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Amen.

(The author is Eric Clayton, senior communications manager at the Jesuit Conference and adjunct Mass Communication faculty at Towson University)

In the United States, professional football games become the weekend liturgies for many folks; however, some others still play easyslots.com. Near the end of each half, the referees blow their whistles and take a time-out warning each team that there are only two minutes left before the end of the half. Two minutes of playing time can actually take up to fifteen minutes to play out. Those spaces are filled with advertisements and impatience.

This Fourth week of Advent is a “two-day warning”. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve having its own liturgy of Vigil and Midnight Mass. These two days can be filled also with commercials and much impatience as well. Football enthusiasts might spend their two-minute warnings in prayer of petition or gratitude. We Adventers have just a little more time for emptiness and listeningness. We take this valuable time-out so that the Christmas will not be as empty as a stadium, gameless, crowdless and meaningless.
The Gospel is an intimate encounter between two listening women of faith. Both have trusted in the secrecy of pregnancy. They both are moved to share their secrets.

Mary has been greeted by an angel and trusts what she hears in her soul. Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting and trusts what she hears and feels within her body. Elizabeth greets Mary with a tender benediction: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
Mary is pictured as having received well a tremendous gift and promise. The first thing she is moved to do is to check it out with her cousin whom she has heard is pregnant too. Reception implies grateful distribution. So much preparation for the great Gift of God’s impregnating the womb of this world. All is set now, only the waiting and watching and wanting.

God has come to us according to what makes sense to our minds, unless they are filled like the “Inn” with logic and arrogance. Through our senses God has come to visit and stay. It does remain more than we can handle in our one day of life. Yet God continues to give the Gift . He came that we might have life and be freed to give it, and Him, away in the life-long, life-giving visits we make in the lives of others. Christmas is for children, yes, but for those of us who seek intimacy in life, Christmas grows us up.

Giving Voice to the Voiceless: Sister Dorothy Kundracik
By Michele Ristich Gatts

“You have more need to serve others than they need to be served,” says Sister Dorothy Kundracik.

“When you are blessed with health, care for others.”

She lives her ministry as an Ursuline Sister of Youngstown doing just that. And, she says there’s a need for others to help her.

As an employee of SCOPE (Senior Citizens Opportunity for Personal Endeavor), she’s part of the new initiative Support Our Seniors, or SOS.  She and her team are visiting 220 homebound senior citizens in Trumbull County, Ohio, who benefit from SCOPE’s Traveling Pantry.

Team members help the seniors, who have limited opportunities for both transportation and aid, find insurance plans that best fit their incomes and needs, inform them about prescription services that can deliver to their door, and determine what other unmet needs they may have.

“I ask a variety of questions regarding transportation, house chores, personal care and safety to assess the needs of the seniors,” Sister Dorothy says. “The seniors appreciate having someone who cares about them to visit, question and give suggestions.”

Sister Dorothy’s team began visiting people in apartment complexes in early 2018 and is also visiting home owners. The program and Traveling Pantry evolved, she says, when she found out too many seniors could no longer come to the on-site food pantry for various reasons.

“As we assess the needs of these people, we hope to further create a roster of safe home repair contractors to help those in homes with their issues,” she explains. “We hope to develop better relationships between churches and agencies meant to serve the many senior citizens in Trumbull County. The demand has almost outgrown the supply, and now [SCOPE personnel] are struggling to get sufficient food and funding.

“I look forward to these visits and hope to serve more needs as our team moves through this process. Pray for the cooperation of agencies, churches, and individuals who might come forward to meet their needs in these summer and fall months. The Gospel asks us to ‘love our neighbor as ourselves,’ and unless we are living this gospel, life has no higher purpose,” she continues.

Sister Dorothy says many of the seniors are in need of home and appliance repairs, yard work, furniture and house cleaning supplies. “If you cannot provide service, money will be needed to fill these needs,” she comments. “May we meet in the middle and champion the cause. The harvest is plenty and the workers are few.”

Sister Dorothy was first inspired to consider religious life in the 5^th grade. She’s been an Ursuline Sister of Youngstown for nearly 60 years. To learn more about Sister Dorothy and her ministry, view her Vocation Story video on our YouTube channel.

The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!’ Jesus rebuked him and said, ‘Quiet! Come out of him!’ The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.’ His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee (Mark 1:22-28).

The beginning of any story sets the stage. This reading is in the beginning of Mark’s Gospel. Jesus has just called his disciples and they have abandoned their lives and families to follow him. Jesus is so compelling that he prompted these drastic changes in the lives of his followers.

While Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, an unclean spirit recognizes him and says “I know who you are- the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24) Jesus responds by expelling the demon from this man. Jesus is a teacher who is not powerful enough only to call people away from their occupations and families but also powerful enough to quell demonic powers.

In this first public act of Jesus’ ministry, the stage for this Gospel is set. Mark presents Jesus as a powerful teacher, one whose witness inspires life changes, one who defeats demons, and one who teaches through his words and his actions.

Words and actions combine to make a powerful statement. Jesus is giving us an example and a challenge. We, too, must try to match our lives (our actions) with what we say we believe.

How do you show that you believe the words you profess? When do your actions not match your beliefs?

Adapted from, Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International.

By Sister Diane Toth

In Sister Suzanne Mayer’s book Celebrating the Woman You Are, she relates the story of Miriam from Ch. 15 of Exodus. After the Israelites cross the Red Sea, Miriam realizes the freedom that is theirs. She grabs a tambourine and begins singing and dancing. Soon, all the women follow, praising God. Miriam becomes aware of the truth within her and shares it with the community.

There are times when a truth within you arises and God inspires you to share it. The truth is that God is with us and loves us beyond our understanding. St. Angela Merici, who founded the Ursulines in 1535, felt that truth. She saw plagues, corruption and sinning. Like Miriam, she crossed her own Red Sea, leaving behind any negative reaction to loss. Her refuge was at the feet of Jesus, who led her to contemplation and action.

Each of us experienced that truth within when we were called to follow. Ask anyone about their moment of awareness of a vocation, and the answer feels like a mystery. It is a call deep within, hard to explain, that carries you through the difficult times. Recalling the awareness of vocation gives you a joy similar to Miriam’s. My call came while I was standing on the corner of Fifth Street in Struthers, in front of St. Nicholas Church. After that, I had experiences that nudged me to make the decision.

My ministry at two nursing homes in Columbiana calls me to search and listen to the deep reality within others. Some residents can tell you about their life but are not aware of the significance of their life. People suffering with Alzheimer’s present a different challenge. They lack words and memory.

My first weeks at St. Mary’s Alzheimer Center, I thought, “What can I possibly do to help?” Gradually, I learned ways of communicating. One woman whose speech made little sense was also known to be easily angered. She was crying and I hesitated to approach her, thinking she may lash out. But I asked what was wrong. She said one word. “Regret.” I paused, looked at her, and said, “Are you God?” That time she got in touch with her love for God and was comforted. She laughed. No more tears.

Right now I am challenged by what I see and experience. Part of me wants to say the needs are too great – there’s so much to do, and my feet hurt. But coming home each day leaves me hopeful. I am taught to remember the truth deep within, spend time in prayer and leave the mystery of call to God.

We often are overwhelmed and face huge obstacles. As followers of Christ, we know to wait, pray and pray and wait some more. Somehow something we say or do impacts others more than we realize.

A gentleman came to St. Mary’s and said he was taught by our Sister Gertrude many years ago. He admitted to giving her a hard time in class. Now he says he’s finding many of the things she said to him are helping him now.

When I see some of us slowing down and not seeing anyone enter the community, I feel a twinge of sadness. I don’t stay with that thought long because I, like you, have many experiences of reaching the wall of water at the Red Sea and seeing it open for us. I have learned, with your example, that God is letting something new evolve.

So grab your tambourine and dance! Let’s celebrate the mystery within us!

One of the Old Testament Canticles that is regularly part of the Liturgy of the Hours is Daniel 3:57-88.  In this Canticle we pray:  “All you winds, bless the Lord.  Fire and heat, bless the Lord.   Cold and chill, bless the Lord.  Dew and rain, bless the Lord.  Frost and chill, bless the Lord.  Ice and snow, bless the Lord.”

I have been repeating these lines in my head for the past 2 days as we in northeast Ohio have all of these types of weather (except maybe  fire and heat).  When I am driving in ice and snow, “blessing” the Lord is not my first thought.  It is usually praying for safety.   Still, the mystery of the forces of the universe remain beyond us despite our scientific knowledge.  There is a beauty in all of it.  And there is joy in an unexpected day when you can’t go to school or work because of elements beyond your control. Keep yourself warm even on the most cold environments easily after reading these blaux portable ac reviews.

So with Daniel and the whole church we can pray:  “Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.”