Prayer Life – To Jesus Sincerely

Good Stewardship: How to Take Care of the World

Published on September 13, 2019September 16, 2019 by tojesussincerelyLeave a comment

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Take care of the world you live in.

No, I’m not going to go on some sort of global warming, overpopulation, save the ocean tirade.

I don’t even think we have a “responsibility” to the earth.

However, I feel very strongly that we have a responsibility to God to take care of the world he has given us.

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Good Stewardship: How to Take Care of Your Things

Published on September 9, 2019September 10, 2019 by tojesussincerelyLeave a comment

My kids looked up from their game of Oregon Trail and asked, “Mom, how did the whole family fit all their stuff into one wagon when they moved?”

This was in stark contrast to our recent move: a whole van full of our furniture, toys, clothes, books (so many books!), gadgets – and then some.

How do we accumulate so much stuff?

And, how do we treat the stuff we accumulate?

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Good Stewardship: How to Take Care of Your Self

Published on September 2, 2019September 9, 2019 by tojesussincerely1 Comment

My four-year-old snuck a beaded glass bracelet from my jewelry display. I discovered her theft when she approached me with a downcast fast, hand outstretched, broken bracelet in her upturned palm.

“Can you fix it, Mommy?”

Thankfully, I was able to piece it back together. But my daughter learned a few lessons that day. She has to take care of Mommy’s things. And she has to wait to receive the things she’s ready for.

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When You Need More Than the Rote of the Rosary

Published on August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 by tojesussincerely1 Comment

“The Rosary prepares you to pray.”

Wait, whaaat?!

I heard these words at a First Saturday talk about prayer. They stopped me in my tracks.

I always thought the Rosary WAS prayer (and a pretty good one, too!)

The priest who spoke these words continued to explain, and when I took the time to reflect deeper – it made total sense.

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The Saddest Game of Pretend Play I’ve Ever Seen

Published on August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 by tojesussincerely1 Comment

How to fight the influences of evil threatening to corrupt our children through the practice of spiritual adoption.

The cool water swirled around my ankles as I stood at the edge of the lake, toes buried in the wet sand, watching my four children splash in the shallows.

I couldn’t help but overhear snippets of conversations of a group of children – around 8 or 9 years old – as they played a game of pretend a little farther out in the water.

It was the saddest pretend play I’ve ever heard.

There was a mom and a dad, and the rest of the kids seemed to be their children.

Their pretend conversations went like this:

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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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Overcoming Roadblocks to Worship: Keep Sundays Sacred

Published on June 3, 2019 by tojesussincerelyLeave a comment

#MyMassTakeaway for June 2, 2019 – which could be the Ascension, or the Sunday after the Ascension, depending on your diocese.

We were on our way to Mass, and the road was closed ahead. We took a right turn. Then a left.

The road was still closed.

Another right and another left.

Still closed.

We saw the steeple ahead of us and decided to drive up close to the caution tape and check out the situation.

It was a road race.

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The Beautiful Unity of the Church Is Seen in the Mass

Published on May 27, 2019May 27, 2019 by tojesussincerelyLeave a comment

#MyMassTakeaway for Sixth Sunday of Easter.

I was so excited to browse through this week’s participants in the My Mass Takeaway linkup and discover that someone from Austria joined with their thoughts!

The Church is so beautiful in its unity and universality.

Every Catholic, all around the world, goes to Mass on Sunday to worship and receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

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Dearly Beloved – An Anger-Free Parenting Model

Published on May 19, 2019May 19, 2019 by tojesussincerelyLeave a comment

#MyMassTakeaway… We found a Latin Mass! 4th Sunday of Easter.

We recently discovered there is Latin Mass in our area, and we tried it today. I noticed that the readings are different from the NO readings so I’ll cite it for you.

James 1:17-21. One of the things I love about the letters in the NT is how they are sometimes addressed, “Beloved.” Even when they’re giving admonishment or correction.

Whenever I hear beloved, it strikes me at how charitable the apostles are in their correction. I’m reminded of the gentleness of God’s correction and the gift of the sacrament of Reconciliation.

And I’m always drawn to reflect if I give the same mercy and understanding when I’m called to the task of correction in parenting.

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