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 Twentity-First week in Ordinary Timeanother week on our journey towards holiness!
“But who do you say that I am?”
This is the question Jesus asks His disciples (and us!) in yesterday’s Gospel from Matthew 16:13–20. In fact, it may be the most important question any of us will ever answer.
Now, the disciples have plenty of answers about who other people say Jesus is. John the Baptist. Elijah. Jeremiah. Or one of the prophets. But Jesus then makes the question personal, “But who do YOU say that I am?”
And Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
And from that moment onward, everything changes. Jesus tells Peter that this truth has been revealed to him by the Father and that upon this rock He will build His Church. But Peter’s confession cannot remain merely words, and neither can ours.
For if Jesus truly is the Christ, the Son of the living God, then that truth must become the foundation upon which we build our entire lives.
So how marvelous that the Church gives us four witnesses this week who demonstrate different ways of recognizing Christ and then allowing that recognition to transform their lives.
On Monday, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, traditionally identified as Nathanael in John’s Gospel. His first encounter with Jesus changes causes Nathanael to respond by proclaiming, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Just like Peter, Nathanael recognizes who Jesus truly is—and then follows Him.
Then, on Thursday, we remember Saint Monica, whose confidence in Christ allowed her to persevere in prayer for years for the conversion of her son, Augustine. Then Friday sees us celebrate Saint Augustine himself, whose restless search eventually led him to discover that only God could satisfy the deepest longing of his heart.
Then on Saturday, we conclude our week by commemorating the Passion of Saint John the Baptist, who remained faithful to the truth even when doing so cost him his life.
These four saints witness to us the different ways that we can all be disciples of Christ. Nathanael encountered Christ. Monica trusted Him. Augustine sought and found Christ. And John the Baptist witnessed to Christ through his death. Each, in their own way, answered the question Jesus places before every one of us: “Who do you say that I am?”
So, this week’s Food for the Head, Heart, Hands and Feet will seek to inspire, encourage and accompany us in answering Jesus’ question for ourselves—and then building our lives upon our answer—as we continue our journey towards holiness…
Food for the Head
"Love takes up where knowledge leaves off." — Saint Thomas Aquinas
Peter knew the right answer, but knowing who Jesus is was only the beginning. Peter would still have to learn what it meant to love Him. And in the process, Peter would stumble, misunderstand, and deny Jesus three times. And yet, ultimately, Peter would give his life for Him.
Saint Thomas Aquinas reminds us that knowledge must eventually give way to love. Therefore, it is important to know what the Church teaches by studying Scripture and the Catechism.
It is important to understand our faith, but ultimately, all of that knowledge must lead us into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
The question is not merely, “What do I know about Jesus?” Rather, the question is, “Do I love the One whom I know?”
This week, resolve to spend time each day with Jesus—not simply learning something about Him, but asking Him to help you love Him more deeply.
Food for the Heart
"To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement." — Saint Augustine
Few people demonstrate the difference between knowing about God and actually encountering Him better than Saint Augustine, whose memorial we celebrate on Friday.
Augustine spent years searching. He searched for happiness. He searched for truth and for meaning. He looked in philosophy, intellectual achievement, ambition, relationships and worldly pleasures. Yet none of them satisfied him.
All the while, God was pursuing Augustine. But so was Augustine’s mother, Saint Monica. She prayed and prayed and prayed. She refused to believe that her son’s wandering was the end of his story. And eventually, Augustine discovered the One for whom he had been searching all along.
Jesus’ question—“Who do you say that I am?”—became personal because Jesus was no longer merely someone Augustine knew about.
He became the One Augustine loved, and that love transformed everything.
This week, resolve to ask yourself honestly, "Where am I searching for fulfillment apart from God?" Then invite Jesus into that place and ask Him to become the deepest desire of your heart.
Food for the Hands
“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, and not to spoil his work by our shortcomings." — Saint Isaac Jogues
Saint Monica understood this truth, and she desperately desired Augustine’s conversion. But she could not convert him. Only God could do that.
But Monica did what she could. She loved. She prayed. She sacrificed. She persevered. And she entrusted Augustine to God.
How difficult this can be for us (or at least it is for me!)
Because want to fix things for people, don’t we? Especially for those we love.
We want to change circumstances. Or we want to produce results. Or we want God to work according to our timetable.
Yet Saint Isaac Jogues reminds us that God does not need us to accomplish His designs. He simply asks us to be faithful. Sometimes faithfulness means doing something. Other times it means praying. And sometimes it means waiting while God works in ways we cannot yet see.
Saint Monica’s life reminds us never to underestimate what God may be doing through years of seemingly unanswered prayer, and Saint Isaac Jogues reminds us in whom we are to place our confidence.
This week, resolve to identify one person or situation you have been trying to change and entrust it to God. Then simply do the next faithful thing He asks of you.
Food for the Feet
“We ought to speak, shout out against injustices, with confidence and without fear. We proclaim the principles of the Church, the reign of love, without forgetting that it is also a reign of justice." — Blessed Miguel Pro
Peter proclaimed: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Eventually, each of us as Christ’s disciple must be willing to proclaim what we believe.
Saint John the Baptist certainly did. On Saturday, the Church remembers his Passion—his martyrdom because he refused to remain silent about the truth. John understood something our culture desperately needs to remember—Truth and love are not enemies. Authentic love desires what is true and good for another person. But proclaiming truth does not mean being harsh, argumentative, or self-righteous.
Blessed Miguel Pro reminds us that we proclaim the reign of love and justice. John the Baptist’s entire life pointed away from himself and toward Jesus, and that should be our goal as well.
We do this through our words, our choices, our priorities, our relationships, and our public witness. In fact, everything in our lives should answer Jesus’ question: “Who do you say that I am?”
So, what does your life say?
This week, resolve to courageously witness to one truth of the Gospel through both the way you speak and the way you live.
A beautiful way to gain courage to witness to the truth that Jesus is Lord is by praying the Rosary. Like Saint Monica, Mary teaches us how to trust God's work in those we love, and like Saint John the Baptist, she continually points beyond herself toward Jesus. A favorite rosary podcast of mine is the Daily Rosary podcast by the School of Faith.
Exhortation
"The only person who is free is the one who lives for Christ." — Saint John Chrysostom
“Who do you say that I am?”
Ultimately, no one else can answer that question for us. Not our parents, our spouse, our priest, or our friends. Not even the saints. Instead, we must answer it ourselves.
But our answer cannot remain merely words. If Jesus is truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, then He must become the foundation—the rock—upon which everything else in our life is built.
Saint Monica shows us what that looks like through persevering prayer. Saint Augustine shows us through a restless search that ultimately finds its fulfillment in God. Saint John the Baptist shows us through courageous witness to the truth regardless of the cost. And Saint Peter shows us that even when we fail, stumble, or deny Jesus, we can begin again and ultimately become the person God created us to be.
Each one answered Jesus’ question not merely with words, but with a life. And each one of us are invited to do the same.
So this week:
Know Him. Love Him. Trust Him. Proclaim Him.
And then build your life upon Him.
May each of us do WHATEVER IT TAKES to proclaim with Peter—and with our lives—that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” 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!
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.
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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 #265
“America’s Saint--Venerable Fulton Sheen”—1:1 Converation with Dr. Peter Howard, President of Fulton Sheen Institute
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Episode #265
“America’s Saint-Venerable Fulton Sheen”—1:1 Conversation with Dr. Peter Howard, President, Fulton Sheen Institute
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 next in the series was just released, and the topic this time around was HOSPITALITY. My guest on the Catholic Leadership Podcast was Richard McCorry, Author of Company's Coming: A Spiritual Process for Creating More Welcoming Parishes.
The Power of Hospitality: Insights from Richard McCorry
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.