Ordinary Time – To Jesus Sincerely

How to Fulfill Your Holy Day Obligation

Published on July 13, 2019 by tojesussincerely1 Comment

I have a new friend who is a Byzantine Catholic.

And I know, I’m butchering the terminology from line one, but I’m just figuring this whole Catholic rites thing out so gimme a break!

Anyways, I went to Mass on a recent Saturday and noticed it was the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.

That Solemnity isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation for me (Latin Rite) but I happened to know (don’t ask me how) that it was a Holy Day of Obligation for my Byzantine friend.

So I got to wondering how she would fulfill her Holy Day of Obligation, since her Byzantine church is kinda far away.

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Our Rallying Cry: This is the Faith

Published on June 24, 2019June 24, 2019 by tojesussincerely1 Comment

#MyMassTakeaway for June 23, 2019, Corpus Christi. Cover photo by For the Taking Photography.

Do you have one of those phrases that pumps you up every time you hear it? I do.

In the liturgy of baptism, after the parents profess the baptismal vows, the priest prays, “This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen.

There’s something about the string of I do’s followed by the simple phrase “This is the faith” that rocks me to my core.

I want to stand up and clap and cheer and shout and hoot and holler.

It’s hard to explain.

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What do You Know About the Liturgical Year?

Published on March 23, 2019March 22, 2019 by tojesussincerely3 Comments

We play Catholic Trivia over on Instagram each month. These are the questions and answers to this month’s #4thFridayTrivia game.

What’s more familiar to us than the year?

We live it every day, every week, every month, year-in and year-out. You’d think we would know it like the back of our hand.

The liturgical year is packed full of amazing feast days and celebrations. And those feast days and celebrations are surrounded by traditions, customs, symbolism, history, debate, and meanings you may not know they had.

Let’s see how much you know about the liturgical calendar!

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God: the only surgeon qualified to remove splinters (and boards) from eyes

Published on March 3, 2019March 3, 2019 by tojesussincerelyLeave a comment

#MyMassTakeaway for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time. This post contains amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through the links, I make a small percentage at no extra cost to you.

First of all, could these planks and splinters not be sticking out of eyes please? Cringe-city over here.

It doesn’t matter what size the wood is – if it’s in your EYE we have a major problem.

And for that matter, you shouldn’t by trying to take a sliver out of your friend’s eye, regardless of what’s in your own. Keep your tweezers away from my eye-splinters, thank you very much.

That job is for a qualified surgeon.

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You can be your enemy’s greatest gift

Published on February 24, 2019February 25, 2019 by tojesussincerelyLeave a comment

#MyMassTakeaway for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Just imagine the world as a place where people were quick to extend mercy and slow to pass judgment. Where forgiveness prevailed over condemnation. Where enemies loved each other.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says,

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The Shock Value of the Backwards Beatitudes

Published on February 17, 2019February 17, 2019 by tojesussincerelyLeave a comment

#MyMassTakeaway for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Guys, Jesus is trying to provoke us with the Beatitudes.

Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false
prophets in this way.
Luke 6:20-26

The Beatitudes aren’t something that are supposed to make us feel good. They’re not comfortable or safe.

The Beatitudes are intentionally counter-intuitive. Their worth begins with their shock value.

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The Burden of Blessing: Why So Many Fish, Jesus?

Published on February 10, 2019February 10, 2019 by tojesussincerelyLeave a comment

#MyMassTakeaway for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I found myself shaking my head at Jesus (once again…) during today’s Gospel reading.

Those poor fishermen had been out fishing all night and caught nothing. Jesus (a carpenter, you guys) told them to go out and try again.

Simon put up mild resistance, but did what Jesus asked anyways. To his great astonishment, Jesus miraculously filled their nets with fish.

Jesus didn’t just fill the nets – he filled them so much that the boats almost sank.

Now why did he go and do that? Couldn’t he give them a normal amount of fish? Why so many fish, Jesus?

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Love is the Excellent Way of Life

Published on February 3, 2019February 4, 2019 by tojesussincerely5 Comments

#MyMassTakeaway for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Wow! – what an amazing segue from last week’s reading to this week’s.

Last week we heard about all the different spiritual gifts in the Body of Christ.

It’s edifying and powerful to think about our gifts, discover them, and use them to serve the Church. I cried like a baby when I did the discernment of charisms.

This week’s second reading pick up there.

It starts by saying: Yes, pursue all spiritual gifts.

Then it changes course: But I will show you a still more excellent way.

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