The Lord invites us to come to him and find rest…the type of rest where there are no boundaries, no walls, only a trusting faith that draws us closer in our relationship with God. It is a beautiful image! May the rest we find in Jesus renew our hearts and spill out into our connections with one another.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 15th Week of the Year
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Jesus offers a word of praise to his Heavenly Father for the goodness he has poured out on creation. This grace is not because of our own perfection; rather, the Lord meets us in our weakness and blesses us with his merciful love. It begs a simple question: Are we open to receive it?
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 15th Week of the Year
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Jesus speaks about the cities that heard his message and rejected it. Their punishment is the result of the natural consequence of not repenting. The point for us is sobering; we have been given so much…does it inspire us to draw near to the Lord?
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 15th Week of the Year
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Study: When in your life have you been in great need and looked to another for help? When have you been able to help another in great need?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the gift of discernment – to know when to seek help and when to offer it.
Serve: Name one practical thing you can do to help someone today. Then do it.
Mass Readings – 16th Sunday of the Year
“His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34)
Have you ever been lost? Confused? Drifting, uncertain of the next step in the path of life? Most of us have been in those dark and difficult places where we feel beaten down by the challenges of life. Simply put, there are times in life when things get tough and we need to draw on the strength and wisdom of another.
The crowds found this in Jesus. His words inspired them; his miracles cured them. As word spread in the surrounding area, more and more people came to hear the Lord and find new life in his presence. What’s more, he saw their need and responded with pity and love – he longed to guide them and give them hope.
In our need we can, like the crowds, draw near to Christ for our strength. His mercy has the power to renew and transform our hearts; his grace comes when we allow him room to make a place in our souls.
Furthermore, there are times in our lives when the Lord will empower us to guide and guard others. Jeremiah foretold that God would appoint shepherds to care for people – God heard their cry when they were led astray and brought them new leaders to gather them together.
Perhaps this week we might see someone in need, someone who the Lord has placed on our path to help. Perhaps we have others to lead by our word and example, inspiring them to draw to the Great Shepherd who cares for us all.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Note: This post was originally published on July 14, 2015.
God calls us, empowers us and sends us into the world to offer our lives and become living conduits for the Lord’s grace. Each of us has to make a simple choice: Will we respond to the call and follow Jesus?
Mass Readings – 15th Sunday of the Year
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Fear is a common human experience, yet the Lord invites us to reject it. We find the power to do this when we call upon Jesus Christ, who gives us the grace we need to face our fear as we follow in faith.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 14th Week of the Year
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The Lord makes it clear that a life of faith will often be filled with challenges and opposition. Knowing that there will be tough times, we keep our focus on God…who will give us what we need to keep going.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 14th Week of the Year
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