Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 30th Week of the Year
The Lord invites us to enter through the narrow gate…seeking to know him and recognize him in our lives.
Author Archives: Fr. Andrew Ricci
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Daily Mass: Seeds & Yeast. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 30th Week of the Year
Seeds & Yeast – They start small, grow over time, and die to themselves to bring forth a new creation. And Jesus says they are like the Kingdom of God!
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31st Sunday of the Year – The Lord comes to seek and save what was lost
Study: Consider a moment when you were publicly put on the spot. How did you react when others scrutinized your actions?
Pray: Is there a stirring in your heart to change something difficult? Ask the Lord for the grace to make it happen.
Serve: Are there people in your life who are trying to make a change for the better? How can you support them?
Mass Readings – 31st Sunday of the Year
What shall me make of Zacchaeus? The Gospel of Luke shows this encounter between him and Jesus. Consider these points about Zacchaeus:
- He is a chief tax collector – no one likes him!
- He is wealthy and powerful.
- He is “short of stature” so he has to climb a tree to see Jesus.
- He repents, giving half his possessions to the poor and promising to pay back fourfold to anyone from whom he has extorted money.
Tax collectors were despised in the Jewish culture. They were Jews who collaborated with the Roman Empire and often used unscrupulous ways to get money from their neighbors. Thus the title “sinners” was commonly given to them as people who flagrantly rejected God’s law.
Now add to this attitude the element of the ridiculous. Here is a wealthy, powerful, short, sinner…standing in a sycamore tree to see Jesus! Something is going on in his heart, and as the crowd blocks his view (and he can’t get near) he does the only thing he can to glimpse the Lord.
And that means that he stands out. His repentance – and God’s merciful grace – now become a public act. People see Zacchaeus and Jesus, they grumble, and the Lord shows that no one is left out of God’s mercy. Here are a few final questions to ponder today:
- Like Zacchaeus, is there something in me that is calling for a change of heart?
- Am I willing to make a change, even if it means calling unwanted attention to myself?
- Am I like the crowd, grumbling when someone experiences mercy?
God’s mercy is present to the world. Zacchaeus made the change, encountered the Lord, and received the transforming grace of Christ. His example shows us the way to experience the love of Jesus in our hearts today.
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30th Sunday of the Year – Claim the Mercy! Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – 30th Sunday of the Year
Our encounter with God’s mercy happens when we do three things:
- Clearly know our sins
- Choose to make a change
- Embrace our relationship with the Lord
When these three take place we can say from our heart: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
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Daily Mass: Repent! Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 29th Week of the Year
The Lord makes it clear in Luke’s Gospel that we all need to repent of our sins and turn to the Lord.
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Daily Mass: some good words to live by. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Friday of the 29th Week of the Year
When I come across some gems of Sacred Scripture (like the 1st reading today) I want to cut them out and put them in a place where they will remind me of what we are about as disciples of Jesus. Truly, they are some good words to live by!
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Daily Mass: the fire of faith in our hearts. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 29th Week of the Year
The Lord states that he has come to set the earth on fire…a fire that will cleanse, illuminate, and purify. May we accept the fire of faith and allow it’s blaze to transform our hearts.
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Daily Mass: Be prepared and act accordingly. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 29th Week of the Year (Sts. John Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues)
The Gospel of Luke challenges us to live up to the faith we have received: “Much will be required to the person entrusted with much.”
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Daily Mass: God works through people. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist
The Lord calls 72 disciples to go out in pairs proclaiming his message that the Kingdom of God is at hand. As the Lord’s disciples, we continue his mission as we work together and speak the Good News of Jesus Christ.
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30th Sunday of the Year – O God, be merciful to me a sinner!
Study: Consider a time when you experienced mercy. What did it feel like?
Pray: Are you struggling to be merciful to someone right now? Ask the Lord for help!
Serve: Is there an act of mercy you can do for someone in need today? How can you make it happen?
Mass Readings – 30th Sunday of the Year
The readings this Sunday could have been chosen for the Year of Mercy. Take a look:
- 1st Reading – “The Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites…”
- Psalm – “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
- 2nd Reading – “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.”
- Gospel – Two men went to the Temple to pray…and the one who said, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner” was heard!
As Pope Francis constantly reminds us, the name of God is Mercy. Jesus shows us repeated examples of the mercy and love of the Father, inviting us to both receive God’s grace and then live with mercy toward one another.
It’s a simple message, direct and to the point. Yet we know from our own experience how hard it can be to practice mercy in our world today! We suffer injury, offense, misunderstanding and hassle in our daily interactions with one another. People get under our skin. We get angry. We lose our focus.
And thus this simple message continues to speak to our hearts, heal our souls, and guide us into the grace that comes when we foster forgiveness and pursue peace. Mercy is a practical application of the Great Commandment to love one another; mercy becomes our homework for holiness by which we put the example of Jesus into our own daily practice.
God’s mercy washes us clean and heals the wounds caused by sin. As we seek the Lord’s mercy in our lives, may we allow this gift of mercy to move through us and touch the lives of those we meet.
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks- Daily Mass: Christ calls us to be salt and light
- Daily Mass: The Beatitudes
- Study, Pray, Serve: 11th Sunday of the Year
- Corpus Christi: The Body and Blood of Christ nourishes our lives
- Daily Mass: Sacrifices reveal the depth of our love in Christ
- Daily Mass: Jesus Christ is Lord!
- Daily Mass: We love God and one another
- Daily Mass: We stir into flame the gift of God
- Daily Mass: Jesus cleverly responds to a trap
- Daily Mass: A practical exhortation for the faith from St. Peter
Three Great Things 