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THE WEEKLY DIGEST
OF REGNUM CHRISTI
DAILY MEDITATIONS

Week of February 23 - March 2, 2025

Sunday, February 23, 2025 – Love Without Measure

Monday, February 24, 2025 – Personal Prayer Nourishes Faith

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 – Little, Least, and Blessed

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 – We Are All in This Together

Thursday, February 27, 2025 – Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

Friday, February 28, 2025 – Marriage: A Gospel for the World

Saturday, March 1, 2025 – Lord, Make Me Like a Little Child

Sunday, March 2, 2025 – Fruitful Discipleship

February 23, 2025 - Love Without Measure

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, your Son, our brother and Lord, became human in all things but sin. He came to show us your love and how to live what you call us to as your image and likeness in the world. I believe that through your grace, you make it possible for me to grow more and more into the image of Jesus. Knowing that you love me and offer me your own Holy Spirit gives me hope that I can be who you call me to be and live according to your will. Your love makes it possible for me to love both you and my neighbor. In this time of prayer, open my ears so that I might hear you speaking to me personally and open my heart to answer “yes” to whatever it is you ask of me.

Encountering Christ:

  1. The Golden Rule: In the Old Testament book of Tobit, Tobit’s father instructed him on proper conduct as he prepared for a journey. Those instructions included the statement: “Do to no one what you yourself hate” (Tob 4:15). In other words, Tobit was instructed to avoid negative behaviors or mistreating others. In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ instruction to his listeners is very different. He first gave concrete examples of Christian love in action and then offered a positive formulation of the general principle, now commonly referred to as the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Jesus calls us to something greater than avoiding negative behaviors. As his followers, we are called to do good to others, to bless them, and to pray for them—even when others do not reciprocate and even when they hurt us. Jesus tells us to treat others as we wish to be treated. This seems to fly in the face of popular opinion today, which instructs us not to let others take advantage of us and to make certain that we are treated fairly. Our life in Christ is the source of the wisdom and strength with which we balance the need to set healthy boundaries and at the same time offer the love Christ calls us to extend. We can reflect on our response to others’ demands, unkindness, selfishness, and harshness. Do we tend to respond in kind? Are we self-protective, demanding fairness in order to treat others with respect? Do we speak (or think) negatively or harshly about others and feel justified in doing so? Does our response to those who oppose or oppress us in some way model Christ’s love of those persons?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
  2. Magnanimity: The love Christ calls us to is not just an idea or words. He calls us to love through actions that seem far beyond what is fair or reasonable. Christian love is magnanimous: selfless, bighearted, generous, forgiving, altruistic. At times, it may even be heroic. When Peter asked Jesus how many times he had to forgive someone who sinned against him, “As many as seven times?” Jesus replied, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times,” indicating limitless forgiveness (Mt 18:22-23). As Jesus’ followers, we are called to the radical love Jesus modeled on the cross.                                                                                                                                           
  3. The Two Ways: The Catechism teaches that the Golden Rule sums up “The Law of the Gospel”… to “make the decisive choice between ‘the two ways’ and to put into practice the words of the Lord” (CCC 1970). What are the two ways highlighted in this paragraph? This is a reference to the wide gate and easy road that leads to destruction and the narrow gate and hard road that leads to life (cf. Mt 7:13-14). We can ask ourselves how willing we are to open our hearts to Christ’s transforming power and do all that we can to form ourselves in virtue so that we can love as he loves. Are we willing to take the narrow gate and follow the often difficult road to growing in virtue? If not, what are the obstacles that keep us from following Our Lord?

Conversing with Christ: Lord, when I reflect on my response to those who hurt me, I see how far I am from loving as you love. Yet I know that, as your follower, you call me to love as you love. Lord, I want to love even when it is difficult. I want to love those who oppose me. I want to love those who are different from me and whom I don’t understand. I want to love those who treat me unfairly. Lord, I want to love everyone whom you put in my path. Lord, expand my heart and teach me to love. Fill me with your grace so that I can put into practice what you teach me. I know I am weak and that I will fail to love, so I ask for the grace of perseverance as I strive to grow in my ability to love and my living in the love to which you call me.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will strive to forgive any and all offenses quickly rather than allowing myself to dwell on them with negative thoughts, and I will be especially attentive to times I may have hurt or offended others and will ask for forgiveness promptly.

For Further Reflection: Read and ponder Matthew 7:21-27

Janet McLaughlin and her husband, Chris, live on a mountain in rural northeastern Oregon. She puts her Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies to work as she shares the beauty and importance of the lay vocation in her writing, speaking, and teaching on spiritual topics.

February 24, 2025 – Personal Prayer Nourishes Faith

Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 9:14-29

As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, and John and approached the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. Immediately on seeing him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They ran up to him and greeted him. He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.” They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not drive the spirit out?” He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

Opening Prayer: My Jesus, I come before you in this time of prayer to reflect on your word and what it means for me personally. As I spend this time of prayer with you, I bring to you all those areas of my life that need your healing touch because it is you in whom I believe. It is you in whom I hope. It is you whom I love. Lord Jesus, I ask you to deepen my faith in your presence in my life and my belief in all you teach through your holy Church. Help me grow in trust where I struggle to surrender to your love, and deepen my trust in your loving providence for every circumstance in my life. Lord, I ask to know your love for me experientially as well as intellectually so that my love for you may grow stronger and deeper.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Teacher, I Brought You My Son: As Jesus, Peter, James, and John returned from the Transfiguration, they found the other disciples arguing with some scribes. When Jesus asked what they were discussing, a man answered that he had brought his son in order that Jesus might cast out an evil spirit. In his absence, the disciples tried to cast it out, but they were unsuccessful. This man had expected that Jesus’ disciples would be able to act in Jesus’ name, despite his absence. While people may not expect us to cast out demons, each of us is called to make Christ present in the world. Consider the example of the Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus at the well; she immediately went into town and told the people there of her experience, and “Many […] began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me everything I have done’” (Jn 4:39). The testimony of our lives should impact others; they should expect us to help them encounter Jesus. If we are not asked challenging questions, or asked to assist or intercede for those in need, we can wonder whether the faith we profess is a living faith, visible to those around us.                                                                                                  
  2. If You Are Able: We don’t know where or how the man heard of Jesus and the miracles he had wrought, but he brought his son to Jesus. When Jesus was not available, he was willing to let the disciples try to cast out the evil spirit, and was perhaps disheartened by their failure. It is possible that some of his enthusiasm had waned and that perhaps his confidence had been affected as well. He asked Jesus for his help somewhat tentatively, “…if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” Jesus focused on the “if,” and the father responded both with faith and the knowledge that he needs a deeper faith: “I do believe, help my unbelief!” While each of us is given the gift of faith in baptism, it is our responsibility to nurture that gift. The cry, “Lord, help my unbelief!” indicates an interior disposition to desire to grow in faith—to believe more deeply and to yearn for God himself. This desire for God “is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself” (CCC 27). Through prayer, we can respond to God’s invitation to a relationship of love.                                                                                                                                                   
  3. Only Through Prayer: When the disciples asked Jesus why they failed in their attempt to cast out the evil spirit, he answered bluntly that prayer was required. Seemingly the disciples were relying on their own knowledge and strength rather than prayer. Our Christian life requires prayer. It is the connection between Jesus the vine and us the branches, and it is essential to bearing fruit: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). Whether we seek our own growth in virtue; a resolution to a situation with one of our children, a friend, or our spouse; help in making a decision; or the success of an apostolate in which we serve, God wants our prayer. The Catechism instructs, “Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with a purified heart, with lively and persevering faith, and with filial boldness. He calls them to vigilance and invites them to present their petitions to God in his name. Jesus Christ himself answers prayers addressed to him” (CCC 2621).

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I want to believe in you more deeply. I know that faith grows through personal prayer. Why, then, do I skimp on my prayer time—or skip it altogether? Lord, if I want you to be my best friend, my greatest love, I need to prioritize my time with you. I need to protect it as the most important time of my day. And in that time, I need to bring to you all of the realities of my life—my real struggles and joys, all that I am feeling, my questions and concerns, the decisions I am struggling to make. Help me remember that prayer is listening as well as speaking and open my ears to your words. Help me to recognize your voice above all others and say yes to whatever you ask.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will spend five minutes in extemporaneous personal prayer, asking you to increase my faith.

Janet McLaughlin and her husband, Chris, live on a mountain in rural northeastern Oregon. She puts her Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies to work as she shares the beauty and importance of the lay vocation in her writing, speaking, and teaching on spiritual topics.

February 25, 2025 – Little, Least, and Blessed

Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 9:30-37

They left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, renew my mind that I may see as you see and embrace the path of being the least.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Transformation of Mind and Heart: Saint Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” This is the path of a Christian, a constant renewal of our minds. God invites us to see beyond our scope of imagination and expectations to embrace his eternal Wisdom—a plan that goes beyond our human understanding and against the grain of our natural human desires. The disciples struggled with Jesus’s revelation, not accepting the path of redemption that he presented. When I fail to see a purpose to my suffering (or another’s suffering), Our Lord invites me to struggle with his revelation—that suffering, united to Christ, has eternal significance—and say, “Jesus, I trust in you.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
  2. The Path of Our Triumphant King and Suffering Servant: The disciples could not fathom their Lord failing in human terms. They awaited a triumphant victory. How pleased they were when Jesus entered Jerusalem adorned and treated as a King! That fit their expectations. They accepted the prophetic messages from Isaiah that fit their preconceived notion of a victorious Messiah, but their hearts were closed to a redemptive path that involves degradation, despite these clues from Isaiah: “But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed… but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all” (Isa 53:5-6).  I am blessed beyond measure because I am able to unite my suffering to the Messiah’s. This “eternal perspective,” which gives meaning to life’s every ache and pain, evokes in me a resounding, “Thank you.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
  3. Remember Who You Are: When Jesus placed a child before the disciples, he reminded them of their own identity. His closest followers were part of the Anawim, the poor of Yahweh. They are descendants of those seemingly forgotten Jews left behind in the exile, but chosen to faithfully preserve the Covenant and maintain hope in the restoration of Israel with the coming of the Messiah. The Anawim are the simple and the poor, like children. But they are nonetheless beloved in the eyes of God, chosen by him. Jesus reminded them of who they were or what they needed to be if they had forgotten—a trusting child, the least, a servant among all. Despite being called to be “little” and “least” they were also blessed to walk the same path as their Lord—one of total self-giving as a suffering servant. I, too, am a child of God, called to be “least,” “servant of all.”

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I thank you for the way you challenge me to think not as the world thinks but as God thinks. Help me to remain always childlike.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will reject whatever decreases my spirit of faith and engage in whatever brings me closer to God.

For Further Reflection: Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Formation of Conscience, nn. 1783-1785,

Jennifer Ristine is a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi who is dedicated to spiritual and faith formation through teaching, conferences, writing, and spiritual direction. While serving in Ancient Magdala she wrote Mary Magdalene: Insights from Ancient Magdala

February 26, 2025 – We Are All in This Together

Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 9:38-40

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”

Opening Prayer: Jesus, I am filled with gratitude for this time I have with you. I struggle to settle myself before you, but here I am, and I know you are here as well. As I recognize your presence, I am struck by your great love for me. You choose to be here for me. You want to know my thoughts and feelings, my worries and successes. I believe that you hear and answer me. I trust in your goodness and kindness; my life is in your hands. Thank you, Lord, for your love that allows me to love you in return.

Encountering Christ:

  1. He Does Not Follow Us: Despite the fact that the individual casting out demons was doing something objectively good, the disciples were upset because he wasn’t part of their group but was using Jesus’ name. We can reflect on times when we have had a similar reaction. Perhaps we were in charge of a program in our parish and someone else started something that felt like competition. Perhaps someone new to the parish suggested unsolicited changes to my project. At such times we might have wished we could do things our way! What do we do when we feel this way? We look to Christ.                                                                                                             
  2. Do Not Stop Him: Jesus pointed out that if someone was acting in his name, that person could not speak against him. Collaboration rather than exclusivity is characteristic of the Kingdom. Collaboration requires that we be open to others and their ideas rather than being controlling or cliquish. In his first encyclical, Ad Petri Cathedram, the “Encyclical on Truth, Unity, and Peace, in a Spirit of Charity,” St. John XXIII wrote, “But the common saying, expressed in various ways and attributed to various authors, must be recalled with approval: in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity” (n. 72). There are many ways to build the Kingdom, and we must be united in that essential purpose. In Apostolicam Actuositatem, the “Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity,” the Second Vatican Council emphasized, “There are many forms of the apostolate whereby the laity build up the Church, sanctify the world, and give it life in Christ” (n. 16). Encouraging the freedom that allows for legitimate diversity, and praying for those works of God that come through others as well as rejoicing in their successes, are ways we help build the Kingdom.                                                                                                                                                                          
  3. Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us: Charity rejoices in others’ successes: “Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury…” (1 Cor 13:4-5). Jesus asks us to put aside competition and comparison to appreciate and affirm the gifts and talents of others. When we collaborate in charity, we make Christ present in the world in a visible way, for charity is the mark of Christians: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35).

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, when I reflect on this Gospel, I feel challenged to look at the way I see others’ efforts. Sometimes I feel threatened by others’ giftedness, their new ideas, or their successes. This shows me how attached I am to my own self-importance and the ways that I have served you. Lord, help me to remember that you called me into existence and that you love me for myself, not for anything I do for you. Give me purity of intention so that I serve you wholeheartedly. Free me from seeking recognition or a personal sense of value in what I do rather than in your love alone, and help me love my brothers and sisters who are also working to build up the Kingdom.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will reach out to recognize and affirm someone in what he or she is doing to build up God’s Kingdom.

For Further Reflection: The USCCB offers a reflection on the role of the Church in today’s world.

Janet McLaughlin and her husband, Chris, live on a mountain in rural northeastern Oregon. She puts her Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies to work as she shares the beauty and importance of the lay vocation in her writing, speaking, and teaching on spiritual topics.

 

February 27, 2025 –Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 9:41-50

Jesus said to his disciples: “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, you created me for eternity to live with you forever. You came to earth as my Redeemer and Savior to show me how to live. You are Truth. While there are many distractions and temptations in my world, I know that my true happiness lies in believing and trusting you in all that you teach and all that you ask of me. Accept this moment of prayer as an act of love for you and thanksgiving for your loving care of me.

Encountering Christ:

  1. A Cup of Water: Water is essential to life, but giving someone a cup of water seems like a little thing, virtually insignificant. For most of us, it is. We are blessed to have drinking water in abundance. For some, though, water is scarce and precious. Sharing a cup of water in such a circumstance is reminiscent of the poor widow who “offered her whole livelihood” (Lk 21:4). While we have an abundance of water, most of us do not feel we have an abundance of time. If we are asked to give up our time, it can feel like too big a sacrifice. Yet, just as the gift of a simple cup of water to someone in need ensures a reward, giving of our time in service pleases Our Lord and brings us blessings.                                                                                                                                                                                                
  2. A Stumbling Block: In Genesis 4:9, “God asked Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ He answered, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?’” In the Gospel of Luke, the “scholar of the law… wished to justify himself and asked Jesus, ‘Who is my neighbor?’” (Luke 10:25, 29). Both passages indicate an unwillingness to be responsible for others. Just as we are called to generous service in the use of our time, we are called to serve others in the testimony of our lives. When we speak against or behave in ways contrary to the Church’s teaching, we can be stumbling blocks to others’ faith. And “an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil” is called “scandal”; further, “The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor’s tempter” (CCC 2284).                                                                                              
  3. If Salt Has Lost Its Saltiness…: We are meant to encourage one another and to draw others to Christ through our witness and our words. What happens when our faith becomes lukewarm? We lose the positive influence we are meant to have on those around us, and we can gradually become desensitized to sin in our own lives. Faithfulness to Christ means being willing to sacrifice whatever it is that draws us away from him, and he emphasizes this through a series of hyperbolic statements. It is out of love that Jesus lets us know that “mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom… our freedom has the power to make choices for evil, with no turning back” (CCC 1861).

Conversing with Christ: O my Jesus, loving my neighbor as myself is more than being nice or even kind. In today’s Gospel you show me just how seriously I need to take this element of living in union with you. You want me to live with you for all eternity, and you call me to desire eternal life for my brothers and sisters, the neighbors you have put in my path. Lord, help me see my life and actions through your eyes so that I am aware of how they can negatively impact others. May I accept responsibility for living as befits one who bears your name.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will identify one area in my life that does not provide an authentic witness of my Catholic faith and will develop a plan to grow closer to you in this area.

For Further Reflection: Prayerfully read through the section “Respect for the souls of others: scandal” in the Catechism (2284-2287).

Janet McLaughlin and her husband, Chris, live on a mountain in rural northeastern Oregon. She puts her Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies to work as she shares the beauty and importance of the lay vocation in her writing, speaking, and teaching on spiritual topics.

February 28, 2025 – Marriage: A Gospel for the World

Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 10:1-12

Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom, he again taught them. The Pharisees approached him and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied, “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I love you. Knowing that you created me in your image and likeness and that you call me to share in your life gives my life meaning and purpose. In you, I find my joy and my peace. I believe in you. I believe that you know me and want me to know you in and through the realities of my life. Knowing that you are always with me gives me hope. You are always working for my good. Lord, I ask that in this prayer time, you help me learn from your example of availability and attentiveness so that I can better love those you have placed in my life.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Crowds Gathered and Jesus Taught: As Scripture so often describes, Jesus reached a town and a crowd gathered to hear him teach. At the same time, the Pharisees approached to test him. Despite any fatigue from traveling, Jesus made himself available to address both groups. He did not protect himself from the demands of the crowd nor the hard questions of the Pharisees. In other passages, Jesus generously responded when individuals cried out to him (blind Bartimaeus in Mk 10:46 and the Canaanite woman in Mt 15:22, for example). When we recall that Jesus “did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life…” (Mk 10:45), we may focus on the big ways he served: the miracles he worked, the content of his teaching, his Passion. However, his model of attentiveness and availability are significant examples of humble, ordinary service. Are we attentive to others who seek our assistance, or do we shrug off their need, expecting that someone else will help them? Perhaps we are more available to those outside our family than we are to our family members. Over the years, Pope Francis has often encouraged parents to “waste time” with their children—to be available to them in unstructured ways. Marriage Encounter addresses the challenge of “married singles”—spouses each so busy with their own lives that they don’t share the intimacy they are meant to experience. Do we give those in our family focused attention? Attention and availability are concrete ways of loving and serving as Jesus did.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
  2. Hardness of Heart: When Matthew described this same scene of Jesus restoring the indissolubility of marriage, the disciples responded, “it is better not to marry” (Mt 19:10). Original sin disrupted God’s beautiful plan for man and woman, and as a consequence, the original communion between man and woman was ruptured and distorted (cf. CCC 1607). Nevertheless, it is this relationship between spouses that St. Paul holds up as the image of the relationship between Christ and the Church (cf. Eph 5:21-32). We can trust that God will give us the grace we need to live our marriages well. He promised: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them” (Ezek 36:26-27).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
  3. The Two Shall Become One: In his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, “On Love in the Family,” Pope Francis describes the beauty of a long-lasting marriage: “Just as a good wine begins to ‘breathe’ with time, so too the daily experience of fidelity gives married life richness and ‘body’ […] The love present from the beginning becomes more conscious, settled, and mature as the couple discover each other anew day after day, year after year. …[they] now taste the sweetness of the wine of love, well-aged and stored deep within their hearts” (Amoris Laetitia, 231). The world needs to see the beauty of marital love that grows over the years. In a homily for the Synod on the New Evangelization, Pope Benedict said, “Matrimony is a Gospel in itself, a Good News for the world of today, especially the dechristianized world. The union of a man and a woman, their becoming ‘one flesh’ in charity, in fruitful and indissoluble love, is a sign that speaks of God with a force and an eloquence which in our days has become greater because unfortunately, for various reasons, marriage, in precisely the oldest regions evangelized, is going through a profound crisis” (October 7, 2012). Marriage matters, not only as an interpersonal reality, not only for the nurturing of children, but for the good of society and the life of the Church.

Conversing with Christ: Heavenly Father, your plan for marriage is beautiful. How humbling it is to think that you work through human instruments to image the relationship between your Son and his bride, the Church. You trust us to make your faithful, fruitful, free, unconditional love visible in the midst of all the confusion that exists about marriage today. At times, it seems so far beyond our capabilities, but through the grace of the sacrament of Matrimony you make it possible for spouses to grow in love and unity day by day, year by year. You accompany them and provide for their needs just as you did in Cana. I ask you to help me see how I can better support marriage—my own marriage, the marriages of family and friends, the marriages of fellow parishioners, the future marriages of engaged couples, the marriages of hurting couples.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray one decade of the rosary, meditating on the wedding feast at Cana, for the strengthening of marriages within my family and friends.

For Further Reflection: Slowly pray the official prayer of the Tenth World Meeting of Families “Family Love: A Vocation and a Path to Holiness.”

Heavenly Father,

We come before you to praise you

and to thank you for the great gift of the family.

We pray to you for all families

consecrated by the sacrament of Matrimony.

May they rediscover each day

the grace they have received,

and as small domestic Churches,

may they know how to witness to your presence

and to the love with which Christ loves the Church.

We pray to you for all families faced with difficulty and suffering

caused by illness or circumstances of which only you know.

Sustain them and make them aware

of the path to holiness upon which you call them,

so that they might experience your infinite mercy

and find new ways to grow in love.

We pray to you for children and young people:

may they encounter you and respond joyfully

to the vocation you have in mind for them;

We pray for parents and grandparents: may they be aware

that they are signs of the fatherhood and motherhood of God

in caring for the children who, in body and spirit, you entrust to them;

and for the experience of fraternity

that the family can give to the world.

Lord, grant that each family

might live their specific vocation to holiness in the Church

as a call to become missionary disciples,

in the service of life and peace,

in communion with our priests, religious,

and all vocations in the Church.

Bless the World Meeting of Families.

Amen.

Janet McLaughlin and her husband, Chris, live on a mountain in rural northeastern Oregon. She puts her Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies to work as she shares the beauty and importance of the lay vocation in her writing, speaking, and teaching on spiritual topics.

March 1, 2025 – Lord, Make Me Like a Little Child

Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

Opening Prayer: Jesus, as I come before you today, I imagine myself as a little child. I see you smiling at me as I walk up to receive your hug. As I enter into my prayer, I thank you for my very life. I thank you that I can come to you as a child. Loving you isn’t about what I know but about how willing I am to trust you and open myself to you, how willing I am to listen to you and act on what you ask of me. Lord, I believe that you love me just as I am, and I hope in all that you call me to be. Teach me, Lord, to come to you more and more simply, like a little child.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Let the Children Come to Me: Throughout the Gospels, we hear of people bringing their children to Jesus for healing, but in this instance, it seemed that the people were bringing their children to Jesus simply to be with him. They weren’t asking for anything but that their children be close to Jesus and be touched by him. They wanted them to have a personal encounter with Christ. We can imagine that, after Jesus indignantly told the disciples to let the children come to him, he smiled at the children. We can see him placing a gentle hand on their heads. Maybe we can even imagine him swinging them around and laughing. Jesus enjoyed being with the children. He wants to enjoy our children in the same way—and for them to enjoy and trust him. How faithful are we in bringing our children to Christ? Are they baptized? What about our grandchildren, nieces and nephews, godchildren, our children’s friends? Do we ask Jesus to bless them? How is our home and family life shaped by our faith?                                                                                                                                                                                                        
  2. The Kingdom… Belongs to Such as These: When Jesus said that the Kingdom belongs to “such as these,” we consider the characteristics of a young child: vulnerability, trust, dependence, curiosity, and a willingness to believe. Children are also often very persistent, forgiving, generous, affectionate, and simple. These characteristics contrast with what we see in someone who is immature: selfish, self-centered, demanding, easily bored, easily angered. Jesus asks us to be childlike, not childish.                                                                                                    
  3. Like a Child: When we become like a child, we trust our Father to know what is best for us. We turn to him for help with all our needs. We look to him for comfort and encouragement. When we are childlike, we are humble. We know we are little, and we know we are called to grow. In addition to our daily prayer, we grow when we make time for spiritual reading and extended moments of refreshment on retreat, when we share our spiritual journey with friends, when we are able to open up to a good spiritual guide. We know that we need the help of both God and others to grow into the saint we are meant to be.

Conversing with Christ: My Lord, it seems like it should be easy to be childlike, but there are so many obstacles. Instead of spending time with you in conversation and wonder, I am often satisfied reading about you and others’ experiences of you. Even though you know every thought, word, and deed in my life, I sometimes try to avoid bringing the things I am not proud of to you. I resist being dependent and asking for help. Lord, how can it be so hard to let go and be little? I am consoled when I think of you opening your arms to me as I would to a little child I loved. You smile at me and give me the strength to begin anew each day. Thank you, Lord, for your endless patience, and for your unconditional love.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will reflect on the ways I have separated myself from you by failing to be childlike, and I will make a plan as to how to overcome it. I will also reach out to one of the children in my extended family or a godchild to affirm and encourage them.

Janet McLaughlin and her husband, Chris, live on a mountain in rural northeastern Oregon. She puts her Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies to work as she shares the beauty and importance of the lay vocation in her writing, speaking, and teaching on spiritual topics.

March 2, 2025 – Fruitful Discipleship

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 6:39-45

Jesus told his disciples a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye. A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to reflect on your words today so that I may be docile to your teaching and become your disciple to build your Kingdom on earth.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Falling Into a Pit: Jesus cautions against two errors we make when trying to share our faith: We know all we need to know about our faith and should not hesitate to speak, or we know too little and should keep our mouths shut. The problem with being spiritually blind is obvious—we cannot see! We cannot know what we do not know, yet we are called as Christians to “go out” and spread the good news of being Christian. How can we answer our baptismal call to bring Jesus to others without turning them away by our words and actions, or by failing to bring him at all because of our timidity and silence? Later in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke we hear that Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven, but he did not do so before spending much time with them. To share our faith with confidence (to avoid falling into a pit) it is imperative that we spend much time with Jesus. “We need no wings to go in search of God, but have only to find a place where we can be alone and look upon him present within us” (St. Teresa of Avila).                                             
  2. The Wooden Beam: No one wants to admit they have a wooden beam in their eye. We do not want to look at our faults; we don’t want to consider ourselves sinners. By placing ourselves in the presence of God through prayer, the sacraments, and Scripture meditation and study we gain clarity and spiritual light so that we can be who he has created us to be. St. Irenaeus, a Father of the Church says, “The Glory of God is man fully alive.” This means we can only fully know ourselves in God. He is the lens by which we see ourselves and see others. We cannot remove the beam in our eye, but Jesus can and wants to! He is the Divine Physician and the only one who can heal our wounds. Being healed through the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ makes us whole and better able to help others.                                                                                                                                                                                                  
  3. Bearing Good Fruit: Jesus taught his disciples that good fruit cannot come from a rotten tree. So why do we work so hard to share the Good News of Jesus with “rotten trees of the world”? We all feel that way sometimes, don’t we? We draw our hope for others, even those who seem to us to be hopeless, by remembering what Jesus said about being a disciple: “No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” When our teacher is Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, our Savior, our Master and King, he can use us, weak as we are, to bring his healing to those he calls us to evangelize. Our efforts to share the faith bear good fruit when we unite our earthly, human virtue with God’s supernatural gifts, which we receive by being attached to him like branches to the vine (cf. Jn 15:5).

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, Good Teacher, you know who I am. You know where I am blind. You know my faults and my weaknesses. I ask you to make me see. I ask you to reveal who I am in you so I can help you win souls for your Kingdom.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make an effort to spend at least fifteen minutes every morning in silent prayer and conversation with you, our Divine Teacher and Healer.

For Further Reflection: In Sinu Jesu, When Heart Speaks to Heart by a Benedictine Monk (journal entries of a priest in conversation with Jesus in daily Adoration).

Nan Balfour is a grateful Catholic who seeks to make Jesus more loved through her vocation to womanhood, marriage, and motherhood, and as a writer, speaker, and events coordinator for Pilgrim Center of Hope, a Catholic evangelization ministry located in San Antonio, Texas.

 

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!