St. Paul’s words to the Romans remind us of that high bar that God has set for us. He calls us to be in the world but to not belong to it, to be free not only in a political sense but spiritually as well.

The words of Jesus challenge just as often as they console, and he does not allow us to harbor any illusions about what following him demands of us.

“Please, pick me!” That’s what I wished for, hoped for, and sometimes even prayed for (but never ever out loud).

As Catholics, we believe in the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. At every Mass, simple or solemn, Jesus truly gives himself to us in the most holy sacrament of the altar. As I give thanks for this precious gift, I recall two events that deeply reaffirmed my own eucharistic faith.

The Trinity reminds us that we are made for this kind of life. Not perfect relationships, but real ones. Relationships that take patience, mercy, and the willingness to stay.

The Lord continues to come into the spaces where we feel unsure, offering His peace and sending us forward, trusting that even a simple act of reaching out can open the door for someone who has been waiting for that moment.

When we remain with Him, even without clear answers, we are being formed for what comes next. And when the moment arrives, we are able to move forward.

The early Church grew because it was open, accepted people as they were, and was personal. They did not keep their distance or wait for others to figure things out on their own.

Maybe that is where we are today. In a place where we are being asked to trust a little more. To do our part. To stay close to Christ.