The Lord’s parable about the three servants illustrates how we can all use wisely our resources even if we have all been blessed in greater and lesser ways. Point: how will we use what we have been given today?
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 21st Week of the Year
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The Lord uses a parable to raise an obvious point: it’s wise to be prepared! May this wisdom inspire us to be prepared for the day when the Lord will call us out of this world.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 21st Week of the Year
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The death of John the Baptist makes it clear that in no uncertain terms there is a price for following the Lord. Our “yes” to God means that we will follow a path where sacrifice will be part of the offering of our lives.
Mass Readings – The Passion of St. John the Baptist
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Today’s readings all continue from yesterday, and the Psalm and Gospel remind us that rather than flee from our sins we call upon the grace and strength of God. After all…who do we think we’re kidding?
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 21st Week of the Year (St. Augustine)
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Both Jesus and the Psalmist show us that God knows us through-and-through. Rather than pretend (and become hypocrites,) we have the opportunity today to acknowledge our sins with humility and receive the grace of God.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 21st Week of the Year (St. Monica)
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Study: Reflect on a person who loves selflessly. What qualities do you see in their behavior toward others?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the awareness to see more clearly the needs of others, and the grace to respond with love.
Serve: How might you make a sacrifice to help someone? How might you let go of what you want in order to assist another in need?
Mass Readings – 22nd Sunday of the Year
The theme of humility surfaces throughout the readings this week. Check this out:
What does humility mean? What does it mean to say that a person is humble? The word is often misunderstood and misused, and yet it is an important concept in the Scriptures and Church teaching.
At it’s heart, humility is about our perspective of ourselves against a larger background. We are not the center of the universe! Rather, we understand that we exist in relationship to the Lord and one another.
God is the center and origin of our lives, from which we derive all grace and blessings. We are sustained in the mind of God, and invited to love the Lord with all our heart and mind, body and soul. For remember: the Lord loved us first, and out of love gave his Son to save us from our sins.
Yet the relationship is not just between ourselves and the Lord. We also exist in relationship to one another. We are part of a great communion of souls – both living and dead – and we are invited to grow in love of those around us.
Humility arises when we see ourselves clearly in the light of these relationships. We understand that our needs and wants are always set in the context of other (often far greater) concerns. When this happens we grow in awareness of how our lives interact and weave together, fostering communication, cooperation, and respect.
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Note: This post was first published on August 22, 2016.
The readings this Sunday both challenge and console us to foster unity, endure discipline, and focus on the Kingdom of Heaven. While life will not be easy, God will give us what need for the journey.
Mass Readings – 21st Sunday of the Year
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St. Philip offers us an example about how to invite another person (in this case Nathaniel) to meet Jesus. We, too, can be a bridge that brings someone to the Lord today.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 20th Week of the Year (St. Bartholomew)
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Jesus, the Master Teacher, offers brilliant clarity in teaching about the great commandment to love God and one another. The teaching is simple and direct; the challenge is living out this commandment each and every day.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 20th Week of the Year
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The Lord uses the image of a banquet to teach us about the power, beauty and expectation of the Kingdom of Heaven. Our journey through this life provides countless opportunities for us to prepare our souls to join this heavenly feast. Are we ready?
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 20th Week of the Year
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 