Author Archives: Fr. Andrew Ricci

About Fr. Andrew Ricci

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A Catholic priest since 1997, Fr. Andrew Ricci is currently the rector of the Cathedral of Christ the King in Superior, WI. His website "Three Great Things" can be found at studyprayserve.com and his podcasts can be found under "Catholic Inspiration" in the iTunes store.
July 20, 2014

17th Sunday of the Year – Making Choices

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Making Choices

Study:  What decisions am I facing right now?  What resources can I turn to for guidance and direction?

Pray:  How does my faith in Jesus Christ help direct my choices?  Ask the Lord for insight!

Serve: Can I help someone right now who is facing a difficult choice?

17th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

Do you remember the old game show  Let’s Make a Deal?  The host was Monty Hall, a smooth talking guy who would present possible options to contestants.  Those lucky few who were selected could take a certain gift in front of them, or they could choose from behind door number 1, 2, or 3 for an unknown prize.

The catch was that no one knew what was behind the door.  Sometimes it was a bogus prize, worthless and unusual.  Sometimes it was a fabulous gift, many times more valuable than the first prize they could have had.

I use to “play” the game with my grandmother.  She and I would pretend that we were contestants.  We would decide whether we would have stayed with what we knew, or would have risked it on something unknown.  (And just for the record:   Grandma almost always won…..)

The principle of the game was simple.  Do you stay with what you have or do you risk it in the hope of winning much, much more?  When is it enough?  When are we satisfied? What is it that we really want?

Here are three points that often surface:
* Risk – What’s it worth to us?
* Priorities – What’s important to us?
* Satisfaction – When is it enough for us?

The game show’s appeal was strong because it was grounded in the same issues we face everyday.  Life is filled with uncertainty and new challenges; we are routinely confronted with choices which require us to make decisions that can have great and small consequences on our lives.  We have to explore a variety of questions, and in the process we learn a great deal about who we really are.

In the Scriptures today these choices are highlighted in the selection of Solomon and the Pearl of great price.  Confronted by choices, the people in the readings determine risk, priority, and satisfaction before making their decision.

The same is true for us.  God gives us opportunities everyday to make choices that reveal the content of our hearts.  Through our actions and decisions we discover what we value.  As we examine our lives this day, may we seek God first as we look to the Lord for guidance and wisdom to make good decisions.

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July 15, 2014

16th Sunday of the Year – Weeds & Seeds

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Weeding

Study:  What good thing in my life needs to be cultivated to grow?  What bad thing needs to be removed?

Pray:  Do I see the issues in my heart with clarity and honesty?  Ask the Lord for guidance.

Serve:  Can I help someone to grow?  Are there opportunities right now where my service can help others become stronger and better?

16th Sunday Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

I love spending time in a garden.  I love watching the beauty of nature unfold from spring to fall as the plants grow and mature.  My moments in the garden are times for solitude (its just me and the mosquitoes).  I pray, reflect on current issues and needs, and enjoy the satisfaction which comes from time well spent.

I will also freely admit that when I get the chance I actually like weeding.  As a boy I hated it; the work seemed like a punishment and a useless chore.  Yet now I look forward to the time I can spend without care or worry as I dig out unwanted weeds.

That’s a good thing since weeds do not stop growing!  I can spend hours working in the garden, making sure that it is immaculate and pristine, and come back the next day to find a new set of weeds stubbornly about the business of growing right in the midst of my peppers, tomatoes, and basil.

Weeds are persistent (as anyone who has been away from the garden for more than a week knows), and if left untouched can and will take over a garden – choking out all the other plants.

In the Gospel today Jesus uses the example of weeds and seeds to convey some basic truths about our lives:
1.  Patience is required to let the seeds grow.
2.  Weeds are a part of life.

Every gardener knows that you cannot force a plant to grow; it develops over time at a set and natural pace.  Patience is necessary to allow the seed to change and transform to full maturity.  The plant needs time and steady attention if it is to flourish.

Gardeners also know that weeds are always present.  Only through constant care and attention can a person stay on top of the weeds; discipline is required if the garden is to be kept in control.

The fact is, we live in the garden of life.  Like a seed, we grow and mature through time and constant attention.  Only through patient application can we become the creation that God dreams us to be.

Yet we also know that in our life there are weeds.  Temptation and sin are a part of our world, and if left unattended they threaten to choke us off from God and one another.

May we place our trust in Christ, the master gardener, to help us with the weeds and the seeds!

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July 11, 2014

15th Sunday of the Year – Weeds, Seeds, and Growing Things

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Garden 1

Study:  What are some virtues that you would like to cultivate in your life?  What are some vices that need to be weeded out?

Pray:  Everyday provides a new opportunity for personal growth.  Ask the Lord for the strength and wisdom to grow in holiness.

Serve:  Name one little thing you can do for another; now make it happen.

15th Sunday Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

Since returning to the Cathedral as rector five years ago, one thing I miss is gardening.  Time is precious, and my current work does not readily lend itself to the effort it takes to keep a garden.  Yet all things being equal, there is no place I would rather be than rooting around in the dirt – picking weeds, pruning, staking, watering, hoeing, and “looking at” the plants.

Gardening is a metaphor that teaches us about ministry and life.  Spending time in the garden forces us to slow down and attend to a cycle that is not our own.  We pay closer attention to the wonder and beauty of nature, and we can be surprised and  amazed by what we see.

Plants truly are hopeful optimists in a world of pessimism.  Every year my flowers and vegetables produce thousands of seeds, each seed capable of new and beautiful life.  Yet for all these seeds only a few survive.  Some are taken as produce, some by the weather, and some by the rabbits!

Nature knows that life is difficult.  There are so many obstacles and challenges in the world that it is essential to cast hundreds and thousands of seeds, just so that a few might be able to continue the cycle of life.  The power of nature is that even a few seeds can change the landscape, bringing nourishment and beauty to the earth.

Jesus knew this.  He spoke to hundreds and thousands of the hope and life that are possible in His Father’s Kingdom.  He cured countless people and preached tirelessly to any who would hear.  Like the garden plants, he cast LOTS of seed.

Yet many people did not act on his message.  Many mocked him, plotted against him, or simply walked away.  Some got excited for a time, but then they got bored, discouraged, or caught up in other interests.  Simply put, much of the seed cast by Jesus was lost or destroyed.

Yet in his parable to the crowds Jesus shows his tremendous hope.  It only takes a few seeds for an incredible harvest!  A 30x, 60x, or 100x harvest was amazing in the ancient world (and it is not too shabby today!).  For those who heed the word of God, they, too, will yield a crop that will defy worldly doubt.

I’m willing to bet that all of us continue to carry the Lord’s seed in our lives.  The invitation today is that it will take root and flourish in our hearts.  We are given the chance to garden our souls, fostering a faith that is worthy of the Lord’s harvest.

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July 1, 2014

14th Sunday of the Year – Meek & Humble of Heart

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Humility Quote

Study:  Name someone in your life who lives with sincere humility.  What behaviors stand out?

Pray:  Humility comes from knowing ourselves – warts and all.  Ask the Lord for the insight to truly see the blessings & burdens, successes and sins, that lie in our hearts.

Serve:  Is there a thankless or difficult task that you can do for another?  Can it be done with a loving sincerity?

14th Sunday Readings

In June of 1994 I came to Rome.  I had lived in the Holy Land since January and I was making my visit to my Italian roots as the last part of my journey. I stayed at the Benedictine monastery and school – St. Anselmo – which was governed by a monk from St. John’s, Abbot Jerome Theisen.

Abbot Jerome was a remarkable man.  A brilliant scholar with a pastoral heart, his duty as Abbot Primate was to visit Benedictine monasteries around the world – working to improve and strengthen monastic life across the globe.  Yet for all the travel and prominence of his work, Abbot Jerome was a gentle and humble man.

Shortly after he had arrived in Rome, the Abbot Primate began a regular routine of gardening each day.  He firmly believed in the Benedictine phrase, “Ora et Labora” (Prayer and Work) and set an example for the other monks by taking a certain amount of physical exercise each day.

On one particular morning, Abbot Jerome was out in the monastic gardens at work among the roses.  He was wearing a plain and well worn habit, devoid of any finery or ostentation.  He looked like a simple monk – and somewhat grubby at that!

While he was in the middle of his weeding a monk from another religious order came calling.  Seeing the elderly “brother” on his knees in the dirt he said, “Brother, is the Abbot Primate here today?”

Abbot Jerome replied, “Yes, he is here.”

The monk said, “I wish to speak with him.”

Abbot Jerome stood up and responded, “Very well.  What would you like to discuss?”

The monk, affronted by the impertinence of a dirty, sweaty “brother” (for what priest would be gardening…?) said, “Brother, I am an Abbot, and I demand to see the Abbot Primate AT ONCE!”

Abbot Jerome dusted his hands off his black habit, and extended his right hand in greeting.  He gently said, “Certainly.  I am Abbot Jerome.  How can I help you?”

The embarrassed monk stuttered an apology, and after a few moments excused himself.

************

I have often thought of Abbot Jerome’s example.  Regardless of wealth, learning, or status, may we have the perspective to see ourselves, called by God to a meek and humble heart!

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June 24, 2014

Saints Peter and Paul

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Peter and Paul

Study:  What are the unique gifts that God has given me?  How might I be called to share my life with others?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the guidance and direction you need.

Serve:  What needs are before you right now?  How can you help another with your life?

Saints Peter and Paul Vigil Mass Readings

Saints Peter and Paul Sunday Mass Readings

Every year on June 29th the Church celebrates two of its greatest figures – Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  Since this feast falls on a Sunday, we transfer the readings and prayers of this feast to all the weekend masses.

When you think about the influence that these saints have had through their leadership, writing, and example it is easy to see why the Church chooses a day to honor their memory.  Their lives are part of the very foundation of our faith; they were human instruments by which God was able to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Saint Peter, for all his human weaknesses and failings, offered his leadership for the early Church.  The very fact that he made mistakes, spoke out of misunderstanding, and sometimes let fear and doubt cloud his judgment is the very reason why many people respect him.  Rather than get frustrated or dejected, he kept getting up and following Christ.

Saint Paul, who formerly persecuted the Church, would become its greatest advocate through his immense number of letters, exhortations, and journeys.  At times misunderstood or openly attacked, he continued to proclaim the message of Christ.

Life was not easy for these men!  They were physically tortured, imprisoned, falsely accused, mocked, ridiculed, beaten, and at times abandoned.  They gave up their families, their careers, the stability of their lives – ALL FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST.

In the end, this immense personal sacrifice would culminate with the greatest of all offerings: they would give their lives for their faith.  Peter would be crucified upside down (stating that he was unworthy to die in the same way as his Lord).  Paul would be beheaded.  Their deaths both took place in Rome, where they spent the last days of their lives, teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus.

These men were some of the very foundation stones of our faith.  Upon the example of their lives we have built our Church.  We are their living legacy; their example inspires us.

Yet they also remind us of our obligation to the next generation.  Just as Peter and Paul shared their faith, so too we are called to do the same.  We have the opportunity to continue their work, and thus be an example to future Christians of the love and faith that comes from Jesus Christ.

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June 16, 2014

The Body and Blood of Christ

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Holy Communion

Study:  Reflect on the last time you received Holy Communion.  Were you attentive to the great gift of Jesus Christ – body & blood, soul & divinity – that you received?

Pray:  The next time you are at Mass, take a moment to prepare yourself to receive the Lord with an open heart.

Serve: Communion gives us strength to do the Lord’s work; who in my life could use a helping hand today?

The Body and Blood of Christ Readings

I love pasta.  I love to cook it; I love to eat it; and I can spend hours talking with family members and friends in order to learn more about how different sauces and seasonings affect flavor and taste.

In addition, I enjoy the numerous shapes and styles of pasta.  Spaghetti is a timeless classic, but there is also vermicelli, cappelini, fettuccine, conchiglie, tagliarini, cappelletti, tortellini, ravioli, rigatoni, ziti, m0staccioli, farfalle, cannelloni, campanelle, lasagna, penne rigate…….!

The list goes on and on in an immense and diverse variety of forms.  Different sauces work better with particular shapes, and cooking styles differ from one pasta to another.

And yet with all of this variety, pasta is still a very simple food.  While it has a place of honor in Italian cooking (did I mention I am Italian?), it can be found in most cultures – each sporting unique ways to prepare this basic form.

Food is an essential need in all life.  We need food to survive physically, yet food is more than just sustenance. When people gather to eat, food often becomes the means to draw others into conversation, companionship, and celebration.  Thus, food can nourish the body and the soul.

Jesus knew this simple fact.  He fed people when they were hungry (Mt 14:13-21, Mk 6:30-44, Lk 9:10-17, Jn 6:1-15, Mt 15:32-39, Mk 8:1-10).  The Lord met this basic need repeatedly, helping people to be physically sustained by giving them bread to eat.

Yet Jesus makes an astonishing claim.  He says that he is the living bread (Jn 6:51).  Thus, Jesus not only gives the people food, but he tells them that he is the food they need for eternal life.  This claim is underscored in the Gospel today, and it is supported by the words of Jesus at the Last Supper (Mt 26:17-29, Mk 14:12-25, Lk 22:7-20, and 1 Cor 11:17-34).

Every time we gather for Mass we follow the Lord’s command to take bread and wine and in His name receive His Body and Blood.  The Lord becomes food for us that we might have life in this world and in the next.  As we receive Communion may we recognize that the Lord Jesus is near, offering us his very self that we might have the food of eternal life.

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June 10, 2014

The Most Holy Trinity

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Holy Trinity

Study:  When in your life have you experienced love without words?  How did you know that you were loved even when nothing was said?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for guidance – who am I called to love today?  How am I called to love?

Serve:  What random act of kindness can I offer today for another?  How can I let the Love of Christ shine through my efforts?

Holy Trinity Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

In my travels I have found myself on occasion in the company of people who did not speak English.  Indeed, when I would try my limited Spanish or Italian (or even my Latin!), I found that we had no common foundation upon which to communicate.  I wanted to share my thoughts, but I did not possess the medium to make it happen.

As I was explaining this frustration to one of my professors, he shared with me a common language that affects us all.  It is a language that all of us can understand even though we use different words to explain it.  The language?  Mathematics.

Imagine the number five (“5”).  Around the world the number is essentially the same, yet the word to describe it is very different:
In English:    “five”
In Italian:    “cinque”
In Greek:    “pente”

You get the idea.  The number means the same, but is spoken in a different way in each language.

Through time and space God has come to humanity in many different ways.  God has communicated to us through different instruments (Prophets, Dreams, Visions, Saints, Nature…), and God has spoken in many different languages (Jesus spoke Aramaic, the New Testament is written in Greek, St. Augustine wrote in Latin…).

Yet God uses one word again and again among us – LOVE.  Indeed, we are told that God is love (1 John 4:8).  This love is seen most clearly in the mystery of the Trinity, where God comes to us in love to teach us how to love one another.

God the Father created us in love.  God the Son redeemed us out of love by his death and resurrection.  God the Holy Spirit sustains us in our lives to put this love into practice.

Jesus speaks of the love of the Father (John 15:9), and the Lord tells the disciples that out of love he will ask the Father to send the Spirit (John 14:16).  Love is the reason God made us, God saved us, and God strengthens us today.

If love is the language God shares with us, then we are invited to speak this language in our lives. Our call as Christians is to proclaim in our words and actions the love of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  For if our love is sincere, then it will communicate in a language that breaks all boundaries.

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June 5, 2014

The Feast of Pentecost

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

 

Holy-Spirit-Dove

Study: Where in my life have I experienced God’s grace and strength?

Pray:  What particular needs in my life call for the help of the Holy Spirit?

Serve:  Where can I use the gifts God has given me to serve another right now?

Pentecost Mass Vigil Readings        Pentecost Mass Day Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

The image St. Paul uses in the 2nd reading this weekend is a body.  Composed of different parts which do unique and special functions, the body is united when all the parts come together.  So, too, all of us are united into the Body of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Look at these themes from Pentecost Mass Readings of the Day:

  • The Spirit gives power to communicate across barriers of race and tongue (1st Reading)
  • The Spirit gives life and renews the face of the earth (Psalm response)
  • The Spirit gives different gifts to people for different needs (2nd Reading)
  • The Spirit is breathed on the disciples by Jesus (Gospel)

In other words, the Holy Spirit unites people, renews life, provides unique gifts, and is granted to the Church by Christ.  This is the day that the disciples were empowered to continue the mission of Jesus; filled with the Spirit they will witness the Good News of the Lord through their words and actions.

Their example becomes our model.  The same Spirit that changed their lives comes to us.  The same Spirit that gave them the grace and strength to go forth gives us the power we need to offer our lives for Christ.  God continues to invite us to serve, and the Lord pours forth the Holy Spirit to help us carry out the work of this day.

Are there barriers in our life?  Come Holy Spirit!

Are there parts of life in need of renewal?  Come Holy Spirit!

Are there gifts we have that need to be used and directed?  Come Holy Spirit!

Jesus freely gave the gift of the Spirit to his disciples – may we turn to the Lord with conviction that as we call for the Holy Spirit in our lives we will be given what we need for the work of this day.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

 

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May 30, 2014

Feast of the Ascension

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Ascension

Study:  Name some of the most powerful life transitions (school, work, relationships, death).  What life lessons did you learn from these experiences?

Pray:  Ask the Lord to send the Holy Spirit into your heart for the wisdom and strength to face new transitions.

Serve:  Who in your life is facing a difficult time of transition right now?  How can you be a source of support?

Feast of the Ascension Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

Her name was Miss Toft.  She was the magical kindergarten teacher who introduced me to the wonders of school.  From the very first day of class she seamlessly wove learning and fun together.  She was kind, funny, and dedicated to the kids in her class.

As the school year came to an end all of us were excited about summer, but several (myself included) did not want to leave.  We had gotten familiar with the routine, we knew what to do, we enjoyed our class, and we loved our teacher – besides the older kids were BIGGER and there was the great unknown of elementary school looming ahead.

“I don’t want to leave kindergarten!” I said.

She said, “But Andrew, if you don’t leave kindergarten, you will never discover all the great things in school.  Every grade has new things to learn and I know that you will like it.”

Then I got to the real point. “But I don’t want to leave you!” I cried.

She gave me a hug and said with a teary smile, “Even if I’m not your teacher I will be just down the hall.  You can say hi to me any time you want, and I will always be here for you.”

Looking back that moment was the first of many experiences of a simple truth: sometimes we have to say farewell in order to grow.

Throughout life there are numerous moments when we face a transition – we say farewell to a place, a person, or an experience in order to begin a new chapter in life.  The very process of letting go provides space in our hearts to experience new opportunities and thus grow and stretch in order that we can become more.

The disciples had been with Jesus for three years.  They had journeyed with him throughout his ministry.  They had witnessed the miracles, the healings and the teachings.  They were at the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, and from a distance they saw the agony of the Cross.  Then for a few glorious weeks, they encountered the Lord in all his resurrection glory – and just when things seemed to be incredibly wonderful he leaves them in the Ascension.

Why?  So they could grow in a new way.

It was time for them to take his teaching and example to the world.  Filled with the Holy Spirit (which we celebrate next week at Pentecost) those simple men will transform cultures and civilizations with the Good News of Jesus.  They will do more then they ever dreamed possible – because Jesus said farewell to them so that they could grow.  The Feast of the Ascension articulates the reality that sometimes the only way we can become more is when others step out of our lives and allow us (or obligate us!) to continue on our own.  The transition is not easy, but it does create new opportunities.

Jesus walks with us through our transitions as well.  Even when letting go and saying farewell seem impossible to do, the Lord guides us and teaches us that through this process we discover new insights and strengths to grow as his disciples.

What transition am I experiencing right now?  Do I view it as a painful obstacle or as an opportunity to discover new insights?  Perhaps the best thing we can do in a transition is to look for the lesson the Lord might be trying to teach, and then figure out how we can put it into practice.

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May 20, 2014

6th Sunday of Easter – Transformed by Love

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Love tasks

Study:  Recall the people in life have loved us unconditionally.  How did their love help you change and grow?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the grace to recognize the people in our midst we are called to love.

Serve:  Love takes many forms.  What can I do today for another person out of love?

6th Sunday of Easter Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

For the last few months the eyes of the world have directed to the words and actions of Pope Francis.  It has been a time of extensive media coverage on the Church and its message of hope to a new generation.

During this time many people have experienced the rich treasure of Roman Catholicism.  The history, symbolism, and global significance have helped provide a deeper understanding of the internal structure of the Church.

Many people have responded to the Pope’s teaching and example.  It is an exciting time to participate in the Church, and I personally am renewed and energized in my desire to grow in my  vocation to the priesthood – even in the midst of transition and change.

Change is a part of life.  Through our experiences and encounters we develop and discover new perspectives and resources within our lives.  Change happens when we open our hearts to those around us and put into action our new insights.

In the Gospel Jesus states that to love him means to keep his commandments.  There are two:
1.  Love God
2.  Love one another.

It is important to note that these commands are not just about being busy.  To love means to be in relationship with others; love invites us to grow in our awareness and understanding for one another.  This knowledge leads to greater respect and value for all life.

In the Gospel love is a verb.  It must be acted upon, practiced, and carried out in all parts of life.  To love means to work at a relationship – and thus be open to spend the time and effort necessary.

Yet when we open our hearts to love we are changed.  As we experience love, as we work at it, we discover that our hearts get stretched.  We become challenged to grow, to make room so that we can love more deeply, more completely.

Jesus promises that we will have help.  As we open our lives to the power of love, the Spirit will come to help us and guide us.  Transformed by love, we trust that God will continue to direct us, until the cycle of love and change brings us one day to the Kingdom of Heaven.

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