SIMPLE40 - Day 30 - Jesus, Our Source of Stability

We processed with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament from the Cathedral of St. Helena to All Saints Chapel on the campus of Carroll College to conclude this year's Eucharistic Congress.

The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen. ~1 PETER 5:10-11

Our diocesan Eucharistic Congress was this past weekend, and once again, it was such a gift. Being surrounded by people of all ages who are hungry to grow, to learn, and to deepen their faith reminds me how alive and steady the Church truly is. So many beautiful truths were shared, but one that has stayed with me is this: the presense of Jesus in the Eucharist is our stability.

Jesus Christ has been truly present...Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity...since the Last Supper over 2,000 years ago. He has not changed. In a world that constantly shifts, reinvents, and redefines truth, His presence in the Eucharist remains firm. This is the deepest kind of stability: the unchanging love of God, freely given to us again and again.

The Church herself is built on this foundation. Wherever you go, across time and place, the Eucharist is the same. When we come together to receive Our Lord, we step into something far bigger than ourselves, we are united as one Body, rooted in truth, grounded in love. In a culture that often feels scattered and disconnected, the Eucharist gathers us, anchors us, and reminds us where we belong.

And from that place of stability, we are sent. The Eucharist commissions us. Having received Christ, we are called to become like Him: to love well, to serve generously, to bring His presence into the ordinary moments of our day.

This is the quiet strength of the Eucharist: comfort, unity, purpose, and mission...all flowing from the steady, faithful presence of Jesus.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Eucharistic Congress, go. Make the effort. It is a beautiful way to encounter the source and summit of our faith, and to be reminded that in Christ, we are firmly held.

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spiritual

Do you have an opportunity to attend daily Mass this week?

These last 2 weeks of Lent, I challenge you to add a daily Mass to your schedule. If you already attend one daily Mass, go for two. If you attend 2 daily Masses regularly, go for three. You get the idea.

This is because it is a proven fact that in receiving the Eucharist more frequently, our lives begin to change for the better. We are just shy of 2 weeks before Easter. Let's show Jesus that He is a priority in our lives.

If we get in front of the sun, we get sun tans...but when we get in front of Jesus in the Eucharist, we become Saints. - Blessed Carlo Acutis

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self

Reminders:

40 minutes of daily intentional movement

3 Hail Mary Wall Sit

Grayscale your phone

Maintain your personal sacrifices

Declutter your mind

(Give it all to Jesus and don't take it back!)

Give up what is lesser to get more of the Greater.

Less is more God.

Note to Soul:

Declutter

what fills your mind,

fills your screens,

fills your heart.

Less is more God.

Your loves alone limit how much of God you have.

You have as much of God as you actually want.

~Ann Voskamp

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service 

We have spent a lot of time this Lent talking about interior simplicity, but it doesn’t stay there. It spills over into the spaces we live in, the things we hold onto, and the way we care for our homes.

If I am being honest, even thinking about cleaning and organizing can bring out a big “UGH.” There are still corners of my home that need attention…areas I meant to get to weeks ago. My plan at the start of Lent? A little decluttering each week. Reality? I have definitely let that one slide.

So here we are, Day 30. No guilt, just an invitation to begin again.

Have you made any commitments to simplify your home this Lent? Have you followed through?

If yes...WOO HOO!!! Celebrate that faithfulness, even in the small things.

If not, you are in good company. Let’s not overcomplicate it. Start small and start today.

Set a timer for 15–30 minutes. Turn on some music you love. Pick one space, a drawer, a shelf, a corner, and get to work. Offer it up. Let it be an act of service for your family and a way to create a more peaceful, ordered space.

And when the timer goes off? Maybe you stop…or maybe you keep going just a little longer.

Simple. Doable. Begin again.

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simple recipe

AIR FRYER HAMBURGERS

Did you know you can cook perfect hamburgers in your air fryer? We recently discovered how quick and easy this is and will be using this method when it's too cold or rainy to use our outdoor grill.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs ground beef

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Buns

your favorite condiments and burger toppings

INSTRUCTIONS

*Place the ground beef in a bowl and break it up a bit with your hands. (Don't be tempted to season your meat before making the patties. The salt will actually draw moisture out of the burger leaving it dry.)

*Divide meat into 6-8 even portions, depending on how big you want your burgers to be. (Hint: prior to shaping burgers, wet your hands with cold water and the meat will not stick to your hands as much.) Shape your burgers, making them about 1" thick. Gently press a little divot into the center of the patty. This helps it keep its shape and prevent shrinking while cooking. Place burgers in the fridge to keep cool as the air fryer heats up.

*Heat air fryer to 350. Once heated, season the burgers with salt and pepper and immediately place them in the air fryer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, open the air fryer, flip the burgers and cook an additional 5 minutes. Make sure the internal temp of the burgers is 160 before consuming.

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Thank you for following along!