Posts by Nicole Dietzenbach

  “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” These words from our first reading give us comfort and a certain amount of freedom. As Christians we are asked to follow Christ by taking up our cross and following after him. We are…

  Today we commemorate the Passion of St. John the Baptist. He is the antithesis to the Scribes and Pharisees we have been reading about this week. They observe customs and religious practices to be seen and for prestige, and they are not interiorly devoted to God. Whereas St. John the Baptist is ever faithful…

  How is it that we walk in the way of the Lord and do not fall into the trappings of the scribe and Pharisees? How do we remain humble and grow in love with our beloved Jesus? It is by the grace of the Holy Spirit given to us by Christ and shared by…

  “You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier things of the law:  judgment and mercy and fidelity.” A passage from the gospel reading of Memorial of St. Monica. We need to remember to remain faithful and that simply performing religious duties, such as tithing, isn’t sufficient on its own.…

  I am struck by a strong contrast in today’s readings. First, we have St. Paul giving thanks to God the Father for the Thessalonians, praising them for their love for each other and their flourishing faith even through persecutions. In contrast, we hear Jesus saying to the crowds and disciples, “Woe to you, scribes…

  Today’s readings are about the choice of whom we choose to serve and fidelity to our choice when that service is difficult or hard to understand. In the first reading Joshua presents a choice to the people of God, “If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide to whom you will…

  In our first reading from Revelations, an angel gives us a tour of God’s most beautiful Jerusalem. She is God’s spouse, wife of the lamb. Jerusalem gleams and shines in her splendor. Protecting this beautiful bride of God is a wall with twelve foundation stones, with the twelve apostles’ names on them. We honor…

  Last week on the Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, in choir the monks heard a letter from Maximilian Kolbe to his brother Friars. The central theme of his letter was LOVE. He was exhorting his brothers to use love for all things that they do. Love is the force behind forgiveness, humility, and sacrifice.…

  Mean it when you say “yes,” and look your best for the Lord. I have a confession to make, I replied “yes” to an RSVP and did not attend. It was for the wedding of two great friends. I later called and apologized to them greatly. I’m sure this happens a lot for those…

  It’s not fair! That’s my first response to today’s gospel parable. Workers should be paid what they worked! Period! In a perfect business company, that’s what a manager would want. Why, to be fair. To show order. Through the landowner in the parable, Jesus is trying to prove the point to his disciples that…

  What are we working towards? When one is studying in high school, they are working towards graduation and receiving that diploma. The same is said of one in college, they are working towards their degree, and that’s the end goal. What about employment? Well, I’m sure of those working in their trade fields, they…

  “What will it take?” I think if we begin anything new, we have that question in our head to start. This was a question I asked myself when I entered the monastery to become a monk. The answer to this question is that we really never know. We can do all the needed prep…

  Decisions. Choices. From the moment we wake up until the moment we get to bed, we are making choices all day. And it begins early. What am I going to wear today? Am I going to wear this shirt or this shirt? Then there’s breakfast. What am I going to have for breakfast, cereal?…

  In today’s Gospel from Matthew, we encounter a familiar and profound statement from Jesus: “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them.” Jesus often used children to make important points, and this message is as relevant to us now as it was then. But why did Jesus choose children as his…

  When reading the Gospel, I must ask myself what the Pharisees’ real intent is. Are they actually concerned with laws concerning marriage and divorce? No, I think not. I think the same is true when we consider many of society’s questions against what has been revealed as truth. Are they concerned about the sanctity…

  In today’s Gospel, we hear some of Scripture’s most profound and influential words from Mary. She expresses her deep gratitude for God’s presence and generosity with her declaration: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Mary’s words celebrate God’s majesty and omnipotence, recognizing Him as the…

  Courage is the willingness to do what is right and good despite fear or the threat of suffering. St. Maximilian showed great courage. He gave his life so that another may live. While we may not be called upon to give up our physical life for the sake of another, we are called to…

  What does it mean to be like children before God? A great image that helps capture this truth is watching children play. They are fascinated by everything. Everything around them excites imagination, new possibilities, and a willingness to take risks. Children in good homes know they are cared for and loved and find joy…

  Today’s readings offer vivid ways to grasp and appreciate the Glory of God. Understanding or describing this divine glory is as challenging as defining things like beauty or love—both are felt deeply but resist simple explanation. We use music, art, and poetry to fully experience these concepts. When we receive information—whether through a vision,…

  St. Thomas Aquinas was a brilliant theologian and philosopher. In his day, he was known for his preaching and moral teaching. Occasionally, he also had some fantastic practical advice. One piece of advice he gave when someone was sad was to indulge, prudently, in something you like, allow yourself a good cry, share your…

  Most of us have heard the legend of St. Lawrence’s martyrdom. He is said to have been burned alive on a gridiron. Furthermore, in a moment of macabre drollery, the Roman deacon supposedly quipped to his torturers: “Turn me over. I’m done on this side.” The Church emphasizes a different story from Lawrence’s martyrdom…

  Does God care? This is a perennial question by most that are open to belief in God. And for atheists, the existence of evil—because of the very fact that we Christians proclaim a good God who made the world good—is reason enough to believe there is no God. Today the prophet Nahum tells the…

  St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers, began his itinerant evangelizing in response to a threat to the Catholic Church. This came through the Albigensians who set up a rival church. They were Gnostics, a term that comes from the Greek word for “knowledge.” Gnosticism says there is a secret wisdom that…

  When the Israelites set out on the Exodus from slavery in Egypt, they left behind more than oppression. The land of enslavement did not just have meat, it had overflowing fleshpots (cf. Ex. 16:3); it had tasty vegetables (Numbers 11:5). The hardscrabble nomadic life in the Sinai desert was another story. So even when…

  I’m the type of person who would rather be correct than happy. For that reason, it catches my attention that there is a discrepancy between St. Peter’s eyewitness testimony and the St. Mark’s narrative of the Transfiguration. Both recount that the Father’s voice proclaimed Jesus is His “Beloved Son.” However, according to the apostle,…

  The prophets Hannaniah and Jeremiah represent two types: the prophet of hope and the prophet of doom. The content of Jeremiah’s book is bad news. This is not by choice; in fact he laments he would rather not speak these words but feels compelled by God (cf. Jer. 20:7-9). The Lord chose Jeremiah to…

  “Jesus is scarcely sought after for his own sake.” With these words, St. Augustine comments on today’s gospel. Jesus says to the crowds who seek him: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” This mismatch is…

  When God called the Prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah initially gave the excuse that he is too young. It’s true that God was asking a lot of Jeremiah, but God also gave him the grace and strength that he needed in every situation. Now, he is in a rather tense situation on account of his preaching…

  Those in the synagogue were initially “astonished” at Jesus’ teaching and they marveled at His wisdom and mighty deeds. But, it quickly changed to resentment and offense. Temptations are very cunning, but particularly through the vices of envy or jealousy. I remember listening to a man who had a positive exchange and meeting with…

  Jeremiah gives us a striking image, which is a favorite for many people. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah and said, “Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.” A hardened or stubborn heart is like dry clay that only cracks and…

  Today we celebrate the Memorial of the great founder of the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola. There are many reasons why I appreciate Ignatius’ spirituality and contributions to the Church, but most of all because of his insights regarding his Rules for the Discernment of Spirits as part of his Spiritual Exercises. The “rules”…

  I was talking to a young man who said he was discerning priesthood, but he listed several fears and anxieties that were stopping him from pursuing it further. I listened, then simply observed that he was giving the Devil a pretty easy fight by simply allowing fear to stop him from following Christ. The…

  St. Thomas Aquinas speaks of charity as “friendship with God.” Following Aristotle, Aquinas presupposes that there can only be true friendships between equals. So, for example, a king cannot be a friend with a slave, nor a noble woman with her servant. It is simply impossible for there to be equality between God and…

  In the account of the multiplication of the loaves, John the Evangelist lays the groundwork to the most powerful chapter in all of the Gospels in communicating the truth of the Eucharist—the truth that Jesus is “the living bread that came down from heaven; and whoever eats this bread will live forever.” As we…

  Today on this Marian Saturday, we hear in our Alleluia verse, “Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.” Mary is a perfect model of this because of her Fiat (her yes to the Lord) and her obedience. St. Maximilian Kolbe says “One thing only…

  Today is the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, parents of Our Lady. In our Gospel, we hear the parable of the sower, “The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in…

  Today we celebrate the feast of St. James. Not much is known about him, but let’s take a look at our Alleluia scripture reading. It says, “I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.” God chose St. James to go and bear fruit. This relates…

  In today’s first reading from Jeremiah, we hear “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. ‘Ah, Lord GOD!’ I said, ‘I know not how to speak; I am too young.’ But the LORD answered me, Say…

  In today’s gospel we hear, “While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my…

  Today we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, who I would call the first missionary to announce the resurrection! As it says in the gospel today, “Jesus said to her ‘go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary…