Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter #372
Inspiration for the week of June 22, 2026
Welcome to the latest edition of the weekly Say Yes to Holiness newsletter—designed to help inspire, encourage and accompany you on the path towards holiness.
Welcome to the Twelfth week of Ordinary Time and this week’s edition of the Say Yes to Holiness newsletter.
Again, I want to express my gratitude for all of your prayers as I went to Arlington National Cemetery two weeks ago tomorrow to bury my late husband, Paul. I shared some thoughts about the experience as well as the remarks I had made at the funeral reception following the burial on my christinasemmens.com blog, so if you are interested, you can find that here.
In light of my journey to Arlington and my remembering Paul’s life and his model of courageous service, the phrase that Jesus repeated three times in yesterday’s Gospel echoed resoundingly to me, but is one that every disciple needs to hear:
“Do not be afraid.”
We need to not be afraid of anyone who opposes us.
We need to not be afraid of suffering.
We need to not be afraid of what others might think of us.
We need to not be afraid to proclaim the truth.
But we especially need to not be afraid to follow Christ.
Jesus reminds us in the Gospel of how our Heavenly Father knows us intimately. He not only knows every sparrow that falls to the ground, but He also knows the number of hairs on our heads. And He knows all of our struggles, our fears, our hopes, and our dreams.
And because the Lord knows us and loves us, we need not be afraid.
So, this week’s Food for the Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet will look to help inspire, encourage, and accompany us in growing in trust, courage, and confidence in God’s loving providence as we continue our journey toward holiness…
Food for the Head
“There is nothing to be dreaded in human ills except sin—not poverty, or disease, or insult, or ill treatment, or dishonor, or death, which people call the worst of evils. To those who love spiritual wisdom, these things are only the names of disasters, names that have no substance. No, the true disaster is to offend God, to do anything that displeases Him." — Saint John Chrysostom
Fear drives much of human behavior.
We fear rejection.
We fear failure.
We fear loss.
We fear suffering.
We fear death.
Yet Jesus tells us not to fear those who can harm the body but cannot harm the soul.
Saint John Chrysostom helps us understand why.
Because the greatest danger we face is not what happens to us.
Rather, the greatest danger is forgetting who we belong to and allowing fear to separate us from God.
But when we keep eternity in view, many of our fears will begin to lose their power over us.
So, this week let us seek to not be afraid and follow Christ.
This week, resolve to identify one fear that is currently preventing you from following Christ more fully.
Food for the Heart
“God walks into your soul with silent step. God comes to you more than you go to Him. Never will His coming be what you expect, and yet never will it disappoint." — Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen
One of the reasons we become afraid is because we feel alone.
The disciples often felt this way, and so have all the saints.
And if my own experience is any indicator, each of us have certainly felt this way, too.
But the reality is that God is always near.
Yesterday, Jesus reminded us how the Father notices even the smallest details of our lives because nothing escapes His attention.
No suffering goes unseen, or prayer goes unheard, or any tear fall unnoticed.
The God who knows the number of hairs on your head certainly knows what is happening in your heart.
But the world tends to want to convince us otherwise.
To combat this, and to strengthen our faith and trust in God’s providential care for us, it helps to spend time quietly in His Presence, so make sure to do that this week.
This week, resolve to to spend fifteen minutes in silent prayer simply resting in God’s loving Presence.
Food for the Hands
“Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love." — Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Jesus tells His disciples that what is hidden will become known. This is something we should defintiely keep in mind as we go about living our life of discipleship.
Because discipleship is not primarily about grand gestures, instead, it is built through daily acts of fidelity.
Every small act of charity and kindness proclaims Christ and witnesses to His love.
And each sacrifice we offer out of love can become a testimony to the Gospel.
Saint Therese of Lizieux was a master at showing us how holiness is found in ordinary moments lived extraordinarily well.
So, we don’t need to go and feed every hungry person in the world, we simply need to feed one.
And we don’t have to proclaim the Good News to everyone, but we do to be attentive to sharing the Gospel with those whom the Lord has cross our path.
We just need to offer a sacrifice, a smile, a kindly word, and do the smallest right as we go through our days.
And we need to do it all for love.
This week, resolve to perform at least one hidden act of love each day.
Food for the Feet
“My confidence is placed in God who does not need our help for accomplishing His designs. Our single endeavor should be to give ourselves to the work and to be faithful to Him." — Saint Isaac Jogues
In yesterday’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a challenge.
To acknowledges Him before others, so that we will be acknowledged before the Father.
There has never been any doubt that following Christ requires courage.
It takes courage to speak about our faith.
It takes courage to stand for truth, especially when it is unpopular.
And it takes courage to quietly remain faithful whenever others abandon the path.
Saint Isaac Jogues understood this well as a missionary in New France (Canada). He endured tremendous suffering because he refused to deny Christ, and as a result, became a martyr.
Most of us will never face such dramatic circumstances, but each of us are still called to publicly witness to our faith through the way we live.
This week, resolve to intentionally share your faith with one person through either your words or your actions.
Exhortation
"The only person who is free is the one who lives for Christ." — Saint John Chrysostom
Fear enslaves, but trust liberates.
This is why Jesus repeats over and over again:
“Do not be afraid.”
So remember, you are known. You are loved. You are seen. You are not forgotten.
The Father who watches over the sparrows watches over you, and our same Father who knows every hair on your head knows every need of your heart.
So, trust and follow Him.
And never be ashamed to belong to Him.
This week, continue to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to place your trust in God’s providence and courageously witness to Christ in the world, so that together we can tell the Master of Death, “NOT TODAY!”
All the best,
Christina
PS—If you haven’t already, go check out my new book, Solving the Parish Puzzle: One Person, One Disciple, One Leader at a Time is now available for purchase on Amazon.
Below are the Latest Happenings In the Say Yes to Holiness Community!
Make sure to check out my christinasemmens.com website.
As I mentioned earlier, this website is where I blog, but it is ALSO where you can learn more about working with me or talking about spiritual direction. If you are interested in either, make sure to sign up for a FREE consultation. Hope to hear from you soon!
And if you would like to make a donation in support of the work associated with this endeavor, you can click the link below and subscribe to the Say Yes to Holiness Substack.
Latest Posts on the Women of the New Evangelization (WINE) blog:
Mercy, Peace and Exultation (April 12)
Harden Not Our Hearts (Mar 9)
Guest appearance on the Equipcast Podcast:
"When God Asks, How Do You Answer?: The Power of 'Yes' with Christina Semmens
Articles on the Catholic365.com Platform:
Recognizing the Path to Life
We Are All Eucharistic Missionaires!
Latest episode of the Say Yes to Holiness podcast...
Episode #262
“Hope Springs Eternal”—1:1 with Paul McCusker, Senior Director Creative Content, Augustine Institute
Subscribe to the Say Yes to Holiness podcast!
You can listen to the latest episodes of the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts.
You can also watch the podcast on the Say Yes to Holiness YouTube channel
Click Here to Check Out All the Podcast Episodes
The Say Yes to Holiness YouTube Channel
In addition to podcasts, you can also find additional content like the Lenten Book Online Retreat—”Rooting Out Hidden Faults” by Father James McElhone on YouTube—Click here to be taken to the playlist
Update from The Catholic Leadership Puzzle
Solving the Parish Puzzle: One Person, One Disciple, and One Leader at a Time is now available for purchase at Amazon.
The book focuses upon how we each can help to create life-giving communities where we can become the holy men and women that God created us to be, and is a compilation of the work I have been sharing on The Catholic Leadership Puzzle Substack.
I encourage you to read the reviews below to help you determine if you should pick up a copy today…
“Christina's book is both thoughtful and practical. I appreciate the careful attention to crafting a solid plan for reinvigorating and reenergizing parish life from from the 'ground up' - in other words, she writes with wisdom and experience about starting small and engaging individuals and small groups who can then passionately spread this message like fire. Helpful resource for anyone seeking to help take their parish community to a place of deep spiritual, practical, and holy love for the Lord and for one another!”—Matthew Koscal
“This book is for anyone who wants to see their parish thrive. Whether you are a priest or lay person, read Solving the Parish Puzzle for clear guidance on taking an average parish to the next level of discipleship. What we have been doing is not working. It’s time for something new. Semmens lays the groundwork so we can put the pieces together.”—Carol Wiget
If you already have a book, please consider posting a review on Amazon as well.
To access the SPP book resources and find more CLP content, you can find it here at The Catholic Leadership Puzzle Substack