#MyMassTakeaway: Giving

Today’s the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Find the Mass Readings here: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 19, 2017

My takeaway:

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#MyMasstakeaway: giving . "The measure in which we give ourselves away is the measure of the richness of our lives." . Do I give of myself? Really give? I think I often hold something back. From my kids. From my husband. From God. I don't usually give of myself 100%. . Do I ever feel like my life is missing something? Like I'm struggling to get by and missing the beauty of it all? Maybe I'm holding too much back. Maybe I'm being a little too selfish. Maybe I need to find a new way to give. . The martyrs gave 100%. And their lives were fulfilled. They are the richest of all people who live and die. Their gift keeps our Church alive. . As we celebrate thanksGIVING coming up this week, I know I have so much to be thankful for. But now it's time for the second part of this holiday. The giving part. Can I take the things I'm thankful for and use them to give back? To give back to God, my husband, my kids, the world. . When I've given it all, then I will finally be the richest. . #MySundayBest with @rosiehill425 . Swipe for a sweet Princess ❤ and a photobombing husband 😂

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Thoughts from my blogging friends:

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Mass on a cold, windy day with an invisible disability child, in five parts. Part 1 – the dress Run the risk/benefit analysis and decide to wake child 10 minutes later than usual. Realize your mistake when every outfit is too tight, too cold, or too scratchy. Part 2 – the shoes Child decides on dress and elects not to brush hair. You don't push it, despite said hair's grand resemblance to a squirrel nest. Pull out church shoes. TOO TIGHT!!! Pull out sparkly back-ups. TOO SCRATCHY!!! Pull out standard boots that don't match. TOO MULCHY!!! Bang shoes against floor to rid them of mulch; attempt to shoe child whilst she melts down in the foyer. Part 3 – the coat Can't even deal. We are already 10 minutes late. Part 4 – the homily Father preaches on hell. Child spends second half of mass sobbing for the souls of her friends. Buries head in daddy's sport coat because she is A: freezing and B: terrified. Part 5 – the drive home Talk child down off cliff. Insist she is neither stupid nor condemned to hell; share the story of St. Monica in an attempt to soothe her fears. Part 5b – wonder where I can find a mimosa. Or a margarita. At 10 AM. #mymasstakeaway: It would be far easier to scrap the whole thing and keep her home. But my job as her mother is to deliver her back to the God who gave her to me in the first place. She can't shine if I bury her in the sand. #mysundaybest

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Just realized I actually threw on a dress for Mass this morning so I’ll join in the #mysundaybest fun. Mass was just what I needed this Thanksgiving week, as our pastor talked about how fickle humans can be in not being easily grateful and mentioned how his Labrador is always happy about every little thing. I thought of our rushed morning, trying to get people dressed and fed and out the door, and then how we were late for Mass and squished into a pew, and I found myself being grateful for all of it…for the being together, for the crowded church, for having food to eat and warm coats for our children and a church so close to our home that I forget how long it takes to get there. What a gift it all is, every single day. #mymasstakeaway

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Today has two mass readings that are guaranteed to hit you in a weak spot – the story of the servants and talents and the Proverbs 31 woman. I think of these two readings as portraying our concurrent obligations within our home, outside the home, and to ourselves. We are obligated to share our gifts with the world and cultivate those talents within ourselves that God has granted to each of us. I noticed that there was no servant not entrusted with a talent by the master. To each was given SOMETHING. It is up to each of us to identify our gifts and to then grow them. One of my gifts is organization. I love planning and creating new connections. Last night we hosted a potluck for the couples of our parish homeschool group. We have a home large enough now to easily host a sizable group, but even when we lived in a small two bedroom apartment we made it work to host between 10-30 people. It doesn’t have to be perfectly clean, with lots of room, and fancy food. A home opened to others willingly has always been worthwhile in our experience. Hospitality is made much easier if the basic running of the home is not overwhelming you. But there’s no magic formula guaranteed to work for everyone. Proverbs 31 lists many things that need doing about the house, but what I take away from it is the need for a heart willing to work and willing to serve. Proverbs 31 does not say “she did all this in search of perfection” but as natural fruits of a heart ordered to God. #mysundaybest with @rosiehill425 and #mymasstakeaway with @tojesussincerely

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“Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30// #mymasstakeaway: The first reading and the Gospel reading blended together perfectly to me, especially when thinking of the talents that I have as a woman. In case you did not attend Mass today- the Gospel reading was the parable about the man who gave his servants talents (money). Two of the servants went off and doubled the amount they had been given, earning praise from their master. The third servant went and hid the talent out of fear and did not make any profit. The point of this parable is you have to take risks when it comes to doing things for Christ. You have to push your limits, make yourself vulnerable, be open to losses. That’s the only way you will increase your talents and have a profit to bring to the Master- aka bring people to Christ. This ties together perfectly with the first reading for women because we are told what makes a worthy wife; a woman who loves, works hard, shows generosity, and- above all- does everything for the Lord. Basically, a woman who embraces her authentic femininity has incredible value. But this isn’t always easy. You have to push yourself and be open to vulnerability. I am visiting with my family this weekend and, as I sat next to my sisters hearing all of this, I couldn’t help but think about how important it is for me to take the talents I have been given- my authentic femininity- and double the amount for the Lord. I am called to be an example to others, including my younger sisters. It’s not always easy, I definitely make mistakes, and there are lots of risks involved when working against the enemy… but those are risks I am willing to make if it means I get to share my master’s joy! ❤️

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Your turn:

I want to know your Mass Takeaway too! Comment with your thoughts on the readings, your pastor’s homily, or anything that struck you during your time at Mass.

by Categories: #MyMassTakeaway, Prayer LifeTags: , , , , , , , 4 Comments

4 thoughts on “#MyMassTakeaway: Giving”

  1. Our priest gave a great homily about the parable. That if we were given tickets to a $10,000 a plate dinner we probably wouldn’t pass up the opportunity and if it was a buffet style we’d probably go back for seconds or thirds. Similarly, in our lives, we’ve been given so much but he asked if we take the opportunity or use our talents as well as we could.

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  2. I love that you compile all of these into one post. It’s so great to see what everyone else gathered from the Mass.

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