Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter
Inspiration for the week of October 13, 2025 (#336)
Welcome to the latest edition of the Say Yes to Holiness newsletter.
We are now entering into the Twenty-eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time.
Slowly and inexorably we are moving towards the end of the liturgical year—just like nature is moving slowly and inexorably moving towards the end of the calendar year.
But we aren’t at the end of either yet. There is still much more to celebrate and enjoy, so let us be attentive to it and be grateful.
Just like the Samaritan man who was healed of leprosy in the Gospel this weekend. He remembered to be grateful and to come back and tell Jesus of his gratitude.
We, too, need to seek to do the same in our lives. To live with gratitude and out of gratitude because of all the blessings the Lord has given us.
So, let us seek to grow in our capacity for gratitude as we reflect upon this week’s Food for the Head, Heart, Hands and Feet and strive to become the saint God created each of us to be…
Food for the Head
"Get used to lifting your heart to God, in acts of thanksgiving, many times a day. Because he gives you this and that.Because you have been despised. Because you haven’t what you need or because you have. Thank Him for everything, because everything is good.”—Saint Josemaria Escriva
We need to remember this advice from Saint Josemaria Escriva.
We need to get used to lifting our hearts to God in thanksgiving many times a day.
Not only for the good things, but for what the world would consider bad, too.
For being despised. For not having what you need. For any of the many ways that life disappoints.
In all those things, we lift our hearts and offer acts of thanksgiving as many times a day as we can remember to do so.
These acts of thanskgiving will fundamentally transform our minds so that we cease seeing “good” or “bad” and instead, see only what is.
And what is is everything. And everything is good.
This week, resolve to lift your heart and offer acts of thanksgiving to God many times a day for everything.
Food for the Heart
"If souls are humble, they will be moved to give thanks.”—Saint Teresa of Avila
In the Gospel this weekend, there were ten lepers who asked for healing.
All ten were healed, but only one returned to express his gratitude.
What happened to the other nine?
Saint Teresa gives us a clue.
Very possibly, they were not humble.
The nine might have thought that it was by their actions (crying out to Jesus for a healing) that brought about the miracle of their being cleansed of leprosy.
Or that they had been found worthy of being cleansed, and so again, were filled with pride, and did not think that they needed to give thanks.
We, too, can be this way.
We believe that it is due to our actions or words or plans that we find success or overcome challenges in our lives.
And when we rely upon ourselves, we are filled with pride.
And then we forgot to give thanks.
So, strive to grow in humility this week.
How?
By admitting your need for God.
Admit you need God and His grace by spending time with Him in prayer.
Go spend time with Him in Adoration or kneel before Him in the Tabernacle.
But confess your need for Him and ask to grow in humility.
I guarantee He will answer your prayer.
So, don’t forget to give thanks ahead of time. :)
This week, resolve to tell God of your need for Him as you spend time with Him in quiet prayer.
Food for the Hands
"Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has, and this requires transforming greed into gratitude.”—Saint John Crysostom
Saint John Crysostom points out the great challenge we have in order to become grateful.
We have to transform greed into gratitude.
Now, you may be thinking that you don’t have a problem with greed.
You may convince yourself that greed is someone else’s issue and not yours, but I challenge you to look honestly at whether you are really all right with with enjoying whatever it is that life has for you.
Are you just as content in sickness as you are when you are healthy?
Or are you fine with being obedient to someone who treats you with disrespect?
How about when you are being treating unjustly? Still able to enjoy life and find happiness?
Greed is much more than about money and possessions.
It’s also about wanting to have all of what is good, true and beautiful in the world rather than have what is bad, false and ugly.
We are all greedy in some way or another.
What is important is that we recognize it and allow it to be transformed into gratitude.
We do this day by day—slowly, consistently and perseveringly.
Little by little, we look to set aside our greed and give thanks for whatever comes our way today.
This week, resolve to give thanks for whatever happens today.
Food for the Feet
"The best wasy to show your gratitude to God and to people is to accept everything with joy.”—Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Saint Teresa of Calcutta was known for her smile.
Small tiny woman, who could be in the most desperate of circumstances, but she would always accept it all with joy.
Even more amazing, is that she did this even in the midst of experiencing great spiritual darkness in her own interior life.
But you would never have known it.
Instead, Saint Teresa lived each day with gratitude by accepting everything that happened with joy.
Does this mean that we put on a fake smile and pretend that we are happy, happy, happy?
No.
When we accept all things with joy then we are expressing our gratitude for life.
For being grateful for being alive.
For being grateful for having been created from love, with love, and for love by the One who is love.
For being grateful for having the opportunity to do whatever the work is that is before us today.
For being grateful for having family and friends that we can care for and share our love.
For being grateful that we are destined to spend eternal life with God in heaven.
When we remember all of the blessings which have been bestowed upon us, then we will be filled with hope and this should fill us with joy.
A joy that is as overflowing as the blessings and love from which they flow.
Mary did this each and every day of her life.
She expressed joy in numerous circumstances in which others might never have thought to be joyous.
Joy at the announcement of the angel Gabriel.
Joy when greeted by her cousin Elizabeth after traveling through the hill country to assist her with her pregnancy.
Joy at the birth of Jesus in a dirty, smelly stable.
Joy at the Presentation of the Temple when she is told that a sword will pierce her heart.
Joy at the finding of Jesus after three days of searching.
These five instances comprise the Joyous Mysteries of the Rosary, and when we meditate upon them we are reminded that it is possible to accept all things with joy.
So, accept all things with joy and express your gratitude to God and to the people around you.
This week, resolve to pray the Joyous Mysteries of the Rosary and ask for the grace to accept all things with joy.
Exhortation
"Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. Look forward to the future with confidence.”—Saint Pope John Paul II
When we remember the past with gratitude, then we know that we are loved.
When we know we are loved, we can be filled with hope and live the present with enthusiasm.
And when we are filled with hope, we can look forward to the future with confidence.
This will allow us to offer acts of thanksgiving every day.
It will allow us to confess to God our need of Him and to spend time in quiet prayer with Him.
We will be able, with God’s grace, to transform greed into gratitude regardless of what happens.
And we will accept all things with joy.
When we live a life of gratitude, then we will be able to keep doing WHATEVER IT TAKES, so that together we can tell the Master of Death, "NOT TODAY!"
All the best,
Christina
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