The reading from Wisdom (often heard at funerals) inspires us to encounter even the most difficult times with confidence in God’s guidance and strength. Whatever we have to face today, may we trust in the Lord!
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 32nd Week of the Year
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Study: Consider a time when you felt paralyzed by fear. What helped you to act in a healthy way?
Pray: Do you have a situation where you are struggling for the right words to day? Ask the Lord for the wisdom to speak.
Serve: Is someone struggling in your life right now? How can you help them persevere?
Mass Readings – 33rd Sunday of the Year
In the Gospel Jesus responds to the questions of those who are wondering when the destruction of the Temple will happen. Through the course of his dialogue three key points surface:
These points are crucial – they touch so much of our daily lives! How often have we experienced moments of fear, or searched for just the right words to say, or looked for strength when we felt weak? This advice is solid, practical, and helpful.
And yet while we may very well find ourselves nodding in agreement, we also know that this is often hard to do. Fear can suffocate us and manipulate how we speak and act; sometimes we speak and live to regret what we said or how we said it; and there are days when we wonder why are we doing what we do.
The Lord understands. Christ faced his fears in the Garden of Gethsemane; he spoke to the hearts of those who persecuted him, even as he persevered on the way to Calvary.
Today we examine our lives for vulnerable spots where we are weak and prone to temptation. It is here that we call upon the Lord – to face our fears, trust in God’s wisdom, and keep going with a strength that is greater than our own.
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Note: This post was first published on November 7, 2016.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we anchor our hope in a simple fact: Christ has been raised from the dead. The Lord’s triumph over sin and death fundamentally alters the universe and we have hope of eternal life. May the power of the resurrection direct every aspect of our lives!
Mass Readings – 32nd Sunday of the Year
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In the Letter to the Corinthians St. Paul teaches that we are temples of the Holy Spirit, and it is crucial that we take tremendous care and effort regarding how we build our lives upon the rock of Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
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Both St. Paul and the Psalmist show how we are able to accomplish great things through the power of the Holy Spirit of God working through us. May we take this message to heart and allow the Spirit to tackle the needs before us this day.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 31st Week of the Year
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St. Paul reminds the Romans that in both living and dying we are the Lord’s. We, too, owe everything we have to God…and how we face life, death and eternal life will reveal to others our desire to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 31st Week of the Year
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The Psalm Response inspires us to help one another with a kind and gracious heart. As we determine what we can do today, may we also decide how to do it in a manner worthy of Jesus.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 31st Week of the Year
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