Both Ezekiel and Jesus are confronted by people who do not want to listen to their message. The spoken word has power, and when the message is tough we can evaluate our effectiveness by four simple tests: Is it true? Is it useful? Is it good? Is it loving?
Mass Readings – 14th Sunday of the Year
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
When questioned about fasting, Jesus responds with an insight: there is a time to feast and a time to fast. As the Lord’s disciples we are guided by our faith in Christ to discern the appropriate times when we need to adjust our behaviors for the specific needs of a particular situation.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 13th Week of the Year
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
The call of Matthew in the Gospel reminds us that God calls all of us – regardless of our weaknesses, failures or past history – and invites us to offer our lives. In other words, God does not call the perfect; rather, the Lord chooses us (warts and all) and blesses us with what we need to accomplish our task. Like Matthew, may we accept the invitation and follow Christ!
Mass Readings – Friday of the 13th Week of the Year
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
The Lord’s healing of the paralytic in the Gospel today invites us to consider both what needs to be healed in our lives and how we might bring others to Jesus for the healing they require.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 13th Week of the Year
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
The Lord drives out demons from two people in the Gospel, inviting us to discern how we recognize and respond as we focus our lives on Christ.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 13th Week of the Year
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcast
St. Thomas is known for his doubts about the resurrection of Jesus. However, once he saw the Risen Lord he boldly proclaimed “My God and my Lord!” This very real portrait of Thomas inspires us in the midst of our doubts to draw near to Christ and proclaim the Good News in our daily lives.
Mass Readings – St. Thomas, apostle
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Study: Reflect on a time when someone told you a truth that you did not want to hear. What caused you to want to resist?
Pray: Are there any tough decisions or actions facing you right now? Ask the Lord for guidance, courage, and strength.
Serve: Is there someone in your life who needs to hear an important message? How can you help them receive it?
Mass Readings – 14th Sunday of the Year
Have you ever been angry because someone told you what you needed to hear when you didn’t want to hear it? Who wants to be told they’re wrong, that something needs to change, that they have work to do? In our best moments we can accept constructive criticism with a tentative openness, but if we are vulnerable, defensive, doubtful, or in any sort of tough spot – we often will dig our heels in and resist.
Perhaps it’s just plain human nature – our free will comes with a liberty to choose any number of possibilities. Sometimes, however, we simply do not choose what is best…
This is the situation which confronts Ezekiel and Jesus in the Scriptures today. Sent to proclaim a message, they both encounter resistance. Ezekiel is told by God that the people will not want to hear him; Jesus is rejected by the community that knows his extended family. While both will fulfill their mission, the response of those addressed remains one of resistance.
Sound familiar? Consider the times in life when you’ve resisted a message. What was the issue? Ego? A relationship? Personal pride? Control? Sometimes the best thing we can do is discover what are the obstacles that keep us from the goodness of God.
Here’s a simple test: when was the last time you turned away from something important? What held you back? What was the road block that kept you from joy? Remember, the Lord longs to fill us with love; our job is to be open and receptive to what needs to be heard.
Maybe today we haul the obstacle out of the way…so God’s grace can transform and renew our hearts.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Note: This blog post was originally published on June 30, 2015.
Often in life we experience the need for healing, both in our lives and in the lives of those around us. As we grow in faith we acknowledge the Lord’s power to bring this healing to our hearts…and as his disciples we become agents for the healing grace of Christ to work through us in the world.
Mass Readings – 13th Sunday of the Year
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
The faith of the Roman centurion reveals his complete trust in the authority and power of Jesus. His example inspires us to turn to the Lord with open hearts and allow God’s grace to work in and through our lives.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 12th Week of the Year
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
These two heavy hitter saints were far from perfect, and yet God worked in and through them to accomplish marvelous deeds. Their example serves as our inspiration: God patiently works with us! As we look to Sts. Peter & Paul may we embrace the gifts of life and faith as we follow Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul (Mass of the Day)
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 