Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter #377
Inspiration for the week of July 27, 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.
As we begin this Seventeenth week of Ordinary Time, I invite you to consider this question—What is the greatest treasure you possess?
For some of us, it might be our family. For others, it might be our health, friendships, meaningful work, or financial security.
Yet in this Sunday’s Gospel in Matthew 13:44-52, Jesus tells us that there is one treasure so valuable that it is worth giving up everything to possess it. And what might that be?
The Kingdom of Heaven.
Each of the parables Jesus shares in the Gospel emphasize this reality. The man who discovers a treasure hidden in a field and joyfully sells everything to buy it. Or the merchant who finds a pearl of incomparable value and willingly parts with all he owns.
Yet neither man sees what he gives up as a loss.
Why?
Because once they encountered the treasure, everything else found its proper place.
This is the power of the Kingdom of God. It has the power to reorder our priorities, reshape our desires, and transform the way we live.
So, this week’s Food for the Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet will seek to help us recognize the treasure Christ offers and joyfully place Him above every other pursuit as we continue on our journey towards holiness...
Food for the Head
"Can there be a more fitting pursuit in youth or a more valuable possession in old age than a knowledge of Holy Scripture? In the midst of storms it will preserve you from the dangers of shipwreck and guide you to the shore of an enchanting paradise and the everlasting bliss of the angels." — St. Boniface
Before anyone searches for treasure, we first must know that it exists. Thankfully, God has not hidden the Kingdom from us, or made it impossible for us to find. Rather, He continually reveals His treasure through Sacred Scripture, the teachings of the Church, the saints, and the Sacraments.
In fact, every page of the Gospel points toward Christ—the Treasure hidden in the field, and the pearl of great price. in fact, the more we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, the more we will begin to recognize what is truly valuable—and also what merely distracts us.
Like the merchant searching for fine pearls, knowledge of Holy Scripture will help us become better able to distinguish eternal riches from temporary pleasures, and this will ensure we are preserved from the dangers of shipwreck and be guided to the shore of an enchanting paradise and the everlasting bliss of the angels.
This week, resolve to spend at least fifteen minutes each day reading the Scriptures—like the Gospel of the day, as you ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the treasures hidden within His Word.
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 Fulton J. Sheen
The treasure of God’s Kingdom is not merely an idea.
Rather, the treasure is a Person. Jesus Himself.
The beautiful thing is that Jesus comes searching for us long before we begin searching for Him. A
And like the hidden treasure buried in the field, God’s grace often quietly works beneath the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives.
He meets us in prayer. He meets us in the Eucharist. He meets us in unexpected conversations, difficult trials, moments of beauty, and quiet invitations to trust Him more deeply.
But greatest treasure we can ever possess is not something we own. Rather, it is Someone who loves us beyond measure.
Yet, as Venerable Fulton Sheen reminds us, never will it disappoint.
This week, resolve to spend five quiet minutes each day simply resting in God's presence, allowing Him to come to you.
Food for the Hands
“We are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to labor in them for Him." — St. John Neumann
The farmer and the merchant in the parables in the Gospel sold everything. Not to lose everything, but to gain something infinitely greater. Likewise, every vocation, career, family responsibility, ministry, and daily task becomes an opportunity to invest ourselves in the Kingdom of Heaven.
We often ask: “What do I get out of this?” But the Gospel asks something different: “How can I offer this for Christ?”
When we begin to view our work, conversations, and responsibilities as opportunities to build God’s Kingdom rather than our own, then ordinary life becomes filled with extraordinary purpose.
For every hidden act of love can become another investment in the treasure that lasts forever.
This week, resolve to intentionally offer one ordinary task each day entirely for the love of Christ rather than for recognition or reward.
Food for the Feet
“When uncertain about God's will... fulfill the duties of your state in life... be faithful to prayer... maintain trust in God... love the people around us here and now." — Fr. Jacques Philippe, Interior Freedom
Sometimes we think finding God’s Kingdom requires extraordinary experiences, but Jesus tells us otherwise. He reminds us that the Kingdom is often discovered in the ordinary as we faithfully fulfill our responsibilities today.
By praying today. Serving today. Forgiving today. Trusting today.
It’s in the ordinary that we can find what is hidden. Because the hidden treasure isn’t far away, rather, it is seems to hidden because we overlook the ordinary places where Christ is already waiting for us.
This is how the Kingdom begins. It begins wherever Christ reigns.
So, the work we must strive to do each day is to allow Christ to reign in all of the duties of our life. In our prayer. Our service. Our forgiveness. Our trust.
But first let us ensure that He reigns in our own hearts.
This week, resolve to seek Christ intentionally in one ordinary moment each day that you might otherwise overlook.
Exhortation
“The only person who is free is the one who lives for Christ." — St. John Chrysostom
The merchant sold everything because he knew the pearl was worth infinitely more than all he possessed. And the farmer went and sold everything he owned in order to buy the field where he had found the treasure.
Jesus invites us to make a similar discovery in our own lives.
Because nothing compares to His Kingdom.
No possession, or success, or reputation, or earthly security.
Because when Christ becomes our greatest treasure, everything else finds its proper place, and the sacrifices of discipleship no longer appear to be losses. Instead, they become joyful exchanges for something infinitely greater.
So, this week, may each of us continue to seek the hidden treasure of God’s Kingdom, surrender whatever keeps us from possessing it, and do WHATEVER IT TAKES to become rich in the only treasure that lasts forever, so 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!
Both the Say yes to Holiness and The Catholic Leadership Puzzle podcasts are now available on Fio!
Fio is a platform with a plethora of Catholic podcasts and music options. I invite you to go and check it out by accessing it through my podcast links below:
Check out my christinasemmens.com website and download some of the free resources.
Some of the FREE resources include a Spiritual Wellness Assessment, List of Recommended Books for Spiritual Reading, and a Rule of Life Planner Sheet.
This website is also where I blog and where you can learn more about working with me or learning more about spiritual direction. If you are interested, make sure to sign up for a FREE 20 minute consultation. Hope to hear from you soon!
Finally, if you would like to support my work, 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 #264
“Healing and Hope through Faith: A Conversation on Anxiety, Trauma, and Spiritual Wellness with Catherine DiNuzzo”
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
Episode #264
“Healing and Hope through Faith: A Conversation on Anxiety, Trauma, and Spiritual Wellness with Catherine DiNuzzo”
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
Now that Solving the Parish Puzzle: One Person, One Disciple, and One Leader at a Time has been released (and is available for purchase at Amazon), I have just started a NEW PODCAST SERIES that highlights different topics covered in the book by having conversations with a variety of guests.
The first topic was LEADERSHIP, and to dive into that topic, my guest on the Catholic Leadership Podcast was Shawn Sommerkamp, Christian Leadership coach and founder of Motivationeer Coaching.
Christian Leadership Insights with Shawn Sommerkamp—1:1 Conversation with Founder of Motivationeer Coaching
If you have yet to pick up a copy of Solving the Parish Puzzle: One Person, One Disciple, One Leader at a Time, I encourage you to do so, especially in light of all the wonderful reviews it has received. And if you do already have a book, please consider posting a review on Amazon—every review matters!
And if you are looking for more SPP book resources and content, you can find it at The Catholic Leadership Puzzle Substack.