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.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”
Simple advice, but incredibly difficult to follow, right?
In this Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 18:15–20), Jesus speaks about something every one of us encounters—conflict. The division that occurs when someone hurts, disappoints, acts unjustly or outright sins against us.
Now, Jesus tells us what to do. Go to them and have a conversation.
Don’t talk about them. Or complain about them to others. Or worse, post about them on social media or try to recruit people to our “side.”
We are to reach out and go to them.
And if that doesn’t work, Jesus tells us to keep trying, and it’s only then when we are to involve others, and even the Church, in the effort to bring about reconciliation.
Why? Because Jesus is not interested in whose “right”. Rather, Jesus desires communion among all the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.
How appropriate that this week we celebrate as a Church saints and devotions that remind us of what happens when we allow God’s love to overcome division.
Tomorrow, we will celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was through Mary’s birth that the way for the One who would reconcile humanity with God was begun, especially as Mary’s entire life would become a YES to God’s plan of salvation.
On Wednesday, we remember Saint Peter Claver, whose ministry proclaimed the dignity of people whom society treated as less than human. Saint Peter Claver understood that our relationship with Christ must transform how we treat every brother and sister.
And on Saturday, we honor the Most Holy Name of Mary, reminding us that when loving another person becomes difficult, we can call upon the Mother who continually leads us to her Son who is the source of reconciliation and all peace.
Therefore, this week’s Food for the Head, Heart, Hands and Feet will seek to inspire, encourage and accompany us in speaking truth with love, seeking reconciliation, recognizing the dignity of others, and becoming instruments of communion as we continue on our journey towards holiness…
Food for the Head
"United in the truth, show the Lord's own gentleness in your dealings with one another, and look down upon no one." — Saint Polycarp
Truth matters.
Jesus never tells us to pretend that sin does not exist. In fact, He explicitly tells us to address it. But how we address it matters. And Saint Polycarp gives us the key: truth and gentleness belong together.
Too often, we separate them though, don’t we? Many times we will avoid difficult conversations in the name of being “loving.” While other times, we might wield truth like a weapon and justify harshness because “someone needed to say it.” But Jesus offers another way.
Speak the truth, and speak it directly to the person. And when you do, speak that truth privately and gently. Speak the truth because you desire the good of the other person—not because you want the satisfaction of proving that you are right. Because the purpose of fraternal correction is not victory—it is reconciliation.
Reconcilation so that we can be united in the truth together and be a sign of what is possible as disciples of Christ when we love one another as He loves us.
Difficult? Absolutely.
Worth it? Absolutely priceless.
This week, if you need to say something difficult to another person, resolve to first ask yourself: "Am I saying this because I love this person and desire his or her good?" If the answer is yes, then ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to speak the truth with gentleness.
Food for the Heart
"As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart." — Saint Faustina
Sometimes reconciliation is difficult because the wound is real. We have genuinely been hurt, so maybe forgiveness can seem impossible. But Saint Faustina tells us where to look—the cross. Because when we look upon Jesus crucified, we are reminded of how much we ourselves have been forgiven.
Now, Jesus does not minimize our sins, rather, He takes them upon Himself, and from the Cross, He offers mercy.
This is why forgiveness is not about pretending that what happened did not matter, or mean that trust is immediately restored or that appropriate boundaries disappear. Rather, forgiveness means allowing Christ’s mercy to become greater than the wound.
This is precisely why Jesus’ instructions in the Gospel yesterday are so important. In order to start the work of bringing about reconciliation, we have to stop allowing hurt to remain hidden within our hearts, and instead bring it into the light of Christ.
The light of love and grace which can heal all things, restore all things, and sometimes, even bring about miracles.
This week, resolve to look upon a crucifix and ask Jesus to reveal whether there is someone whom you need to forgive—or from whom you need to seek forgiveness. Then ask for the grace to take the first step.
Food for the Hands
“Beauty is Life-Giving—Beauty nourishes our souls the way food nourishes our bodies. Search for the beauty that is all around you, and try to see God's face in every person you meet.... Dear Lord, help me to see You in everyone I meet." — Father John Catoir
On Wednesday, we celebrate Saint Peter Claver who ministered for decades among enslaved Africans arriving in Cartagen in the New World. Where others saw cargo, property, or people of lesser worth, Saint Peter Claver saw something entirely different—he saw Christ.
Now, this is where Sunday’s Gospel becomes more challenging. Because Jesus does not say: “If the brother you like sins against you...” or: “If the person who agrees with you sins against you...” Instead He says: “If your brother sins against you...”
And who is our brother (or sister)? The person standing before us.
And they remain our brother or sister even when we disagree, or they frustrate us, or when they sin. And even when reconciliation is difficult.
It will be virtually impossible for us to become instruments of reconciliation if we cease seeing the image of God in the person with whom we are in conflict. And this is where Saint Peter Claver’s witness can help to challenge us to look again.
Who have we dismissed? Who have we labeled? Who have we decided is unworthy of our attention, compassion, or love?
It is exactly those people to whom we must look again and see Christ.
This week, resolve to intentionally look for the face of Christ in one person whom you normally find difficult to love, and strive to perform one concrete act of kindness for them.
Food for the Feet
“Let them fly with utter confidence to this most sweet Mother of mercy and grace in all dangers, difficulties, needs, doubts, and fears. Under her guidance, under her patronage, under her kindness and protection, nothing is to be feared; nothing is hopeless." — Blessed Pope Pius IX
This week begins and ends with Mary. Tomorrow, we celebrate her birth, and on Saturday, we honor her Most Holy Name.
Between those celebrations, we are trying to do something incredibly difficult—to love one another as Christ loves us.
There will be relationships that seem impossible to repair. Conversations we are afraid to have. Wounds where we struggle to forgive. And people we simply do not know how to love.
So what should we do? Call upon Mary.
Mary knows what it means to remain present in the midst of suffering. She stood beneath the Cross and watched her innocent Son be mocked, tortured and killed. But she still remained united to Him in love.
So, whenever reconciliation seems hopeless, ask Mary to help. If you don’t know what to say, ask Mary. Whenever you find your heart filled with resentment, ask Mary to help you release it. If you need courage to approach another person, ask Mary.
And when you have called upon her to help, then let her to lead you to Jesus.
This week, resolve to invoke the Holy Name of Mary whenever and wherever you encounter conflict by simply asking, "Mary, Mother of Mercy, help me love as Jesus loves."
One of the best ways to learn how to call upon Mary is through praying the Rosary. As we meditate upon the mysteries of Christ's life through Mary's eyes, she teaches us to see others as her Son sees them and helps us become instruments of His mercy. A favorite rosary podcast of mine is the Daily Rosary podcast by the School of Faith.
Exhortation
"Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing." — Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Jesus concluded the Gospel yesterday with an extraordinary promise: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Maybe we have heard this verse so often that we miss its significance within this Gospel.
Jesus just spent time teaching His disciples how to deal with conflict by going to one another, speaking the truth, seeking reconciliation, asking for help when necessary, turning to the Church, and finally, by praying together.
And when we do these things, Jesus promises us that He will be there.
Christ desires to be present in the space between us.
In our families. In our friendships. In our parishes. In our communities. And even in our disagreements.
But we have to make room for Him.
Mary showed us how to make room for Christ through her YES. Peter Claver made room for Christ by recognizing Christ’s presence in people whom others refused to see. And the Holy Name of Mary reminds us that we always have a Mother willing to help us make room for her Son.
Our world desperately needs disciples willing to do the difficult work of reconciliation. Those who will not abandon the truth, or by pretending differences do not exist. Rather, it is by by allowing truth and love to meet.
So, seek to speak directly to others instead of gossiping. Strive to listen before judging. Forgive as you have been forgiven, and try to recognize Christ in the difficult person as you ask Mary for help.
But above all, invite Jesus into the middle of it—because when Christ truly stands in the midst of us, enemies can become brothers and sisters again.
So, keep doing WHATEVER IT TAKES this week to become instruments of truth, mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation so that as we are gathered together in His name, 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!
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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.