Challenging diagnosis sends mother on an unexpected journey

For several weeks now, the themes in the readings and Gospels at Mass are all centered around ways that we are called to show love to our sisters and brothers around us.

It can all be summed up in the commandment that Jesus gave us: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

But why? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us that when we love our neighbor as ourselves, we are loving Jesus himself.

How can this be? We are all members of the body of Christ. We are all made in the image and likeness of God.

Learning To Love Like Him

are so many amazing opportunities in our archdiocese, parishes and communities.

You have to find what you are passionate about, skilled at and enjoy doing.

ones at home.” We cannot begin to love others in the world if we don’t first learn to love the ones in our home and our families.

Charities in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, is a night with Kelly Mantoan.

Christ is in each of us, so when we selflessly love our neighbor, we are showing our love for God, which also fulfills the greatest commandment — to love God with all your heart, soul and mind.

This is essential for us as Christians to become the best version of ourselves. But how do we do this? There

Assisting the poor and homeless, helping mothers and families in difficult pregnancy situations, volunteering for prison ministry, visiting the sick and the dying — all of these are ways that Jesus tells us to love one another.

A great place to start is at home. In her speech “Love Begins at Home,” St. Teresa of Kolkata said, “Love begins by taking care of the closest ones — the

There are so many challenges and struggles that families are facing in today’s world. If you find yourself struggling to know how to love your family, I encourage you to seek help. There are people and resources out there that want to help bring love and healing into our families.

A great opportunity that the special-needs ministry is offering, in partnership with the deaf and disability ministry of Catholic

She is a wife and mother. Her world was flipped upside down when she learned that her son was given a challenging diagnosis. Kelly will be speaking about her journey and being able to find joy in being a special-needs mom. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to come together, spend time together and find support to help them learn to better love one another.

For more information, please contact me by email at: jruoff@ archkck.org.

Amid your usual Lenten practices, don’t fail to actually repent

February is the month of celebrating love.

Stores have been gearing up for Valentine’s Day for weeks. Red and pink, hearts and chocolate — it is impossible to miss the array of goodies available to express your feelings for another person on this holiday. Just one week after Valentine’s Day, we begin Lent.

Ash Wednesday falls on Feb. 22 this year. I always have high hopes for Lent — the unofficial season of (New Year do-over) resolutions for Catholics — as an opportunity for a spiritual mini-makeover.

Specifically, we are offered these weeks

Along The Way

preceding Easter to enter into a spirit of repentance and self-discipline. So, we carefully plan out what we can do without — or what extra we can take on — for the six weeks of Lent.

Do we need to be more intentional in our prayer life? Do we spend less time on social media? Or maybe we just live six weeks with no sweets in our day?

While all of these are good practices of self-discipline, it is possible to miss the act of repentance.

Repentance comes from the Greek word “metanoia,” meaning “to change your mind.” The Hebrew version of this word is “tshuva,” meaning “to return.”

Considered together, this can seem like conflicting definitions — to change your mind should mean a new direction versus something you have experienced.

However, taken in the context of our journey of faith, this is the perfect combination as we ponder Lent.

When we consider “metanoia” to be a transformation or conversion, we recognize the value of creating space for the ongoing process. More than a turning away from things unhealthy or unholy, faithful repentance requires an intentional turning toward God. We recognize the need to imitate Christ’s detachment from this world to focus on the kingdom of God.

Jesus had no misconceptions about the value of possessions, the misuse of time or the attachment to unhealthy habits. But he chose to guide in ministry 12 men that lived all of these very human desires.

In calling each of his disciples, Jesus saw the potential of their hearts to a greater love. He didn’t call them for what they were, but what he knew they could become with his guidance. Their response was a moment of “metanoia,” a decision to change their plans and the immediate directions of their lives.

In accepting Christ’s invitation, they had no idea where their “yes’” would ultimately lead them. Scripture reflects their very human struggles with repentance and self-discipline, yet they continued to return to him.

In accepting his invitation, they learned a love beyond flowers and candy — a love that ultimately carried a cross to death. This Lent, may you experience return to Christ and a deeper conversion of love.