Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Friday of the 1st Week of Advent
Two blind men hear about Jesus, and they believe that he can heal them. Seeing clearly with their hearts they were given sight to their eyes. May we have the same depth and strength of faith as well!
Note: this picture of the Porziuncula was taken on my recent visit to Assisi.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent
In the Gospel of Matthew the Lord reminds us that our faith requires both speech and action – where our words and deeds consistently reveal to others our trust in Jesus Christ.
Note: this picture was taken on my recent visit in Rome. It is Jesus in the central apse of St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 1st Week of Advent
Isaiah proclaims hope – that from a dead stump there will appear new life and the order of the world will change. Jesus invites us to look closely at what God is doing, as our hope in the Lord gives strength and meaning to how we live today.
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Advent
All of the Scripture readings evoke a call to action; we are invited to get ready, be prepared, and attentive to the Lord and one another. May this Advent season – a gift of the Church – help us all to get our hearts and minds ready for the birth of Jesus Christ!
Study: Consider one thing you can do today to live your faith. What would it be?
Pray: Do you have any unfinished business that you need to complete? Ask the Lord for the strength and conviction to finish it.
Serve: Is there someone in your life who struggles with depression, fear, or doubt? How can you help them?
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Advent
We start a new liturgical year in the Church (that’s “Year A” if you need to use the Lectionary for Sunday readings and “Cycle I” for daily Mass) with a vision of the end of time when the Son of Man comes in glory.
Several key points emerge:
Advent gives us a rich – but very short – opportunity to prepare our hearts for Christmas. All of these points listed above serve as excellent reminders regarding how we live each day fully invested in the present moment. We live for the Lord, following his commands, so as to be ready whenever and wherever our lives will take the next turn in the road.
For when God calls us into eternity we hear that the unity, peace, and joy we glimpse in precious moments in this life will come to fulfillment. United in the Lord, we will join the heavenly host when this world passes away.
I invite us all to consider how we might do one thing better each day – to be more focused, more aware, more present – so that we can give glory and honor to Jesus Christ. We follow the Lord with all our hearts; may we make the most of every day to live our faith to the fullest.
May this Advent be a time of blessing for us all!
Study: Where do you find joy in your life? How can you foster joy in your heart?
Pray: Is there something in your heart that is suffering? Ask the Lord to touch and bless your concerns.
Serve: How can you bring joy to others? How can you share Christ’s love with someone in need?
The encounter between two pregnant women – Mary & Elizabeth – reveals the Good News of Jesus Christ even while he was still in the womb. Elizabeth carries her son John, a child blessed to her and her husband Zechariah in their old age. The infant “leaped for joy” in the womb of his mother Elizabeth when Mary (and Jesus) drew near.
I like the phrase “leaped for joy” on many levels:
Friends, Christmas is just around the corner…are we ready? I’m not talking about shopping, travel plans, or food preparation – I’m talking about our hearts. Are we ready to welcome Jesus Christ into our hearts…with JOY?
It is easy to get caught up in the distractions and stresses of life. Life carries its own challenges, and if we are struggling with added pressure, worry, anxiety and fear it can seem overwhelming. Sometimes we can empathize with Ebenezer Scrooge!
Yet the Gospel message transforms the listener. Christ comes into our world to bridge the gap caused by sin. We have the promise of new life! Thus, in the remaining days to Christmas, I suggest the following:
When Christmas comes will be able to welcome the Christ child with joy? May this last week of Advent give us the time and opportunity we need to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord.
Fr. Andrew’s 3rd Sunday of Advent Homily Podcast
“What should we do?” is an excellent question to keep before us in our daily prayer. We often know what needs to be done; sometimes it’s just hard to carry out. But there are also times when we come before the Lord searching for the direction, wisdom, and strength to live our faith with conviction and power.
Study: Where in your past have you seen ways that you made a positive difference in the lives of others? How might that pattern be repeated today?
Pray: Ask the Lord for guidance to see clearly and respond swiftly to the needs before you.
Serve: What is a little act of kindness that you can do today to help another?
We hear in the Gospel this week that the crowds ask John the Baptist a simple question: “What should we do?” His answers might be summarized in the following ways:
Pretty simple, right? Yet this homespun, practical desert wisdom is still apt for our modern world today. These direct reminders can help guide our decisions in these last two weeks of Advent – inspiring us in our everyday encounters to put them into practice.
But let’s not stop here. “What should we do?” is a good question for all of us to ask…daily. As we look around to the needs and circumstances in our lives, we have unique opportunities to make a difference. What’s more, this question is particularly useful in our daily prayer – guiding us to seek the Lord’s direction as we determine how we can speak and act as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Take a good look at the world around you. Consider some ways you can make a positive change. See seek the wisdom of our Faith. Then work as hard as you can to do something that proclaims the Good News today!
Study: Reflect on key relationships in your life. Are there any obstacles that are keeping you from fully connecting with others?
Pray: Invite the Lord to help you strengthen your spiritual life today. Ask for guidance and wisdom to see clearly the path before you.
Serve: How can you help someone in your life right now? How can your life bring support and encouragement to another in need?
Have you ever watched the construction of a new road? The big kid in me loves watching the earth movers and dump trucks, as graders and front loaders transform the landscape. The study, planning, design, coordination, and work are immense – and the heavier the traffic the greater the effort to insure that the road will be able to bear the load.
While there are many key issues that surface in the construction of a road, I would like to point out two elements:
Obstacles can be unwanted elevation, swamps, trees, or any objects that are in the way. They sometimes require enormous effort to remove them in order to create a smooth, level surface. The work here is all about taking something away so that the road will be easy to use.
Often, however, there is a significant amount of material that needs to be added – to improve foundation, provide drainage or perhaps fill in gaps. Removing the obstacle is not sufficient; material and supplies must be added to make the road strong and durable, so it can be used safely for a long time.
In the Gospel today John the Baptist quotes Isaiah to prepare the people for the coming of Jesus:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Luke 3:4-6
This is serious work…for the human heart. Heavy equipment and intense work are required to transform the landscape of our souls – preparing the highway that allows us to receive Jesus Christ. And like above we have to ask: What obstacles need to be removed? What material needs to be added?
Is there something keeping us from the Lord and one another? Time to get rid of it! Does a relationship require attention and support to strengthen it? Time to get to work!
May the words of John inspire us today, removing obstacles and strengthening our souls, so that the Lord will find us ready and prepared to journey with him today.
Fr. Andrew’s 1st Sunday of Advent Homily Podcast
A beginning is always a crucial time – how we start often defines the outcome of a project or task, as well as our attitude as we work. We are reminded today to be vigilant: constantly prepared; swift to act; and disciplined in our effort. May the start of our Advent season prepare us for a glorious Christmas!
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 