Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast – Tuesday of the 2nd Week of the Year
Samuel meets the sons of Jesse to anoint one king of Israel. Each son appears kingly, but God replies:
“Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
May we see as God sees – both within our hearts and in the hearts of others – and respond with the love of Christ!
Study: What is your favorite way to read Scripture – a devotional, chapter-a-day, daily Mass readings, or just a bookmark in the Bible?
Pray: Consider using a little bit of Scripture as part of your daily prayer – think of it as a “spiritual multivitamin” for your health!
Serve: How is God’s Spirit directing your life – is there a task or opportunity that you feel prompted to act?
3rd Sunday of the Year Readings
Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast
The readings this week are filled with power as we hear how God’s Word and Spirit touch our hearts.
I suggest two thoughts for your consideration this week. First, God’s Word continues to proclaim Good News in our world today, and we are invited to embrace the Lord’s message – allowing the mercy, love, joy, and peace of the Gospel to soak into our hearts.
My point here is about actively seeking the Lord in our daily life, making God’s Word a part of our regular spiritual diet. By dwelling on the Good News we foster our Christian perspective to engage the challenges of daily life with courage and wisdom. We know that there are plenty of difficulties and obstacles; we feast upon God’s Word for the strength to engage life at full power.
Second, with God’s Word in our hearts we live our faith as part of a larger community – sharing our particular gifts and talents for the good of all. No one person possesses all gifts; rather, we cooperate (like Paul’s example of the parts of a body) and contribute our skills so that all might be blessed.
That means we:
So, three final questions for your reflection:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)
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CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters
Fr. Andrew’s 2nd Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast
At the wedding at Cana the Lord’s miracle of water to wine shows that God gives with quality and generosity. This notion of gift is picked up in Paul’s 1st Letter to the Corinthians. These precious gifts – given by God – are meant to be used. Our invitation today: to acknowledge the good things Christ has given and put them into practice.
A quick shout out to my nieces and nephews who made my vacation so much fun and who shared their Scripture insights with me – that was a gift that I found truly precious!
The encounter between the Lord and the leper reveals the direct access that people have to Christ – even with horrible illness. The leper’s plea is met with the overwhelming response for healing and wholeness. In the same way, may we openly approach Jesus in our need, trusting in his mercy and tenderness.
This was my last chance to share podcast insights with my family during my vacation with them in Indiana. What fun! From now on, when I am stuck on ideas for a homily I am going to ask the kids for points of interest…seriously, I really cherished their thoughts.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast – with a little help from his niece and nephews
Jesus heals the man with the unclean spirit, showing his power and authority. In the same way, we turn to the Lord to cast out what does not belong in our own hearts.
Study: Reflect on a time when you experienced something profoundly good. How did it shape you?
Pray: Are there needs in your life or in someone you know? Ask the Lord to touch and bless them with goodness.
Serve: How can you bring abundant goodness to another today? How can your service make a real difference in someone’s life?
2nd Sunday of the Year Readings
This week’s readings proclaim God’s goodness in a variety of ways:
We often talk about the Lord’s commandments as things we should NOT do. While this is often true and helpful, we can sometimes miss the point about all the ways our lives can DO things that are inspired (and indeed, commanded) by God. We are called:
Simply put, God’s goodness to us inspires us to share this abundant goodness with each other. We are invited to take hold of our lives and make the most of each day – loving and serving, forgiving and helping, blessing, healing, rejoicing, and renewing. We have been given the gifts of life and faith….let’s live them with power!
The gut check in all this flows from our fundamental attitude: do we live our faith with love, joy, and peace? Do people see goodness in the words we say and the actions we perform? Is our Christian witness evident in the manner and conduct of our interactions with others? May God’s goodness empower our lives to burn like a blazing torch – leading others closer to God and one another.
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The Wedding at Cana, Paolo Veronese; 1562, Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
Fr. Andrew’s Baptism of the Lord reflection with his nieces and nephews
The baptism of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke today invites us to consider how our own baptism ignites the fire of faith in our lives. Each day we have unique opportunities to share the gift of grace that comes from our own baptism – extending the light and love of Christ in our world.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast – January 7th in the Christmas season
Fr. Andrew’s nieces and nephews help him explore the reading from 1 John in Mass today. God loves us – even when we are far from perfect – and strengthens us to love each other. Sometimes it is difficult (if not downright painful) to love like Jesus…but we call upon the Lord to help us with his grace to love one another.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast – January 6th in the Christmas Season
Fr. Andrew talks with his nieces and nephews about how Jesus walked on water to the disciples during a storm. May we recall that just as Christ calmed the storm and comforted his friends, we too can draw near to the Lord in the storms and fears of our lives.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily – January 5th in the Christmas Season
The Miracle of the Fishes and Loaves reminds us that God continues to Take, Bless, Break, and Give from the little we offer and transform it into abundance. With a little help from his nieces and nephews, Fr. Andrew reminds us that every Mass participates in the grace of Jesus Christ.
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 