Category Archives: Lent

April 16, 2014

Holy Thursday – Sacrament & Service

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Holy Thursday - 1

Study:  Where do you find strength in your spiritual life?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for guidance and wisdom to recognize his face in the poor, the suffering, and those in need.

Serve:  Are you being drawn to help another right now?  How can you serve those God has placed in your life today?

Holy Thursday Readings

Growing up in rural northern Wisconsin, I had the opportunity to work on several dairy farms.  The work was hard, but we were always well fed.  Many times I recall hearing the words, “Eat up, we’ve got work to do.”

It’s a simple message really.  There is work to be done; it will be demanding and require a lot of energy.  If you don’t have the necessary strength you won’t be able to follow through.

The same holds true for the spiritual life.  Life makes many demands upon us, and as we serve and love others we, too, require sustenance for the work before us.

The Lord knew this.  He left us the Sacrament of his Body and Blood – food that nourishes our souls and gives us the grace and strength of Jesus himself.  Receiving Holy Communion, as the apostles did at the Lord’s Supper, is the primary way that we are fed spiritually.

But this grace has a purpose.  At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and gave them an example of service to direct their actions toward one another.  As modern day disciples, we witness our faith every time we genuinely serve others with sincerity and respect.

Consider this:

  • We receive the Body of Christ (Holy Communion) to become the Body of Christ (the Church).
  • As the Body of Christ is transformed (at the altar) we are transformed (in the world).
  • As the Body of Christ is broken (in shared communion) we are broken (sharing our lives in service for others).
  • As the Body of Christ nourishes us (in communion) we nourish others (in action that brings help, strength, and comfort).

In other words, receiving Holy Communion – instituted at the Lord’s Supper – strengthens us for the Lord’s work as his disciples.  May our next reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood give us the grace we need to recognize the face of Jesus and respond with loving service.

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April 12, 2014

Holy Week

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Holy Week

Study:  Recall a time in your life when you experienced death and new life.  Where did you find the strength?  Who helped you through this time?

Pray:  Spend some time reflecting on the death and resurrection of Jesus this week.  Read Mark 14-16; Matthew 26-28; Luke 22-24; and John 18-21.  Take in as many prayer opportunities as possible in your parish.

Serve:  Who in your life is dealing with life and death issues right now?  How might you be present to them to offer help, comfort, or strength?

Holy Week audio retreats from the US Bishops

We enter into the heart of the Christian mystery: Holy Week offers us a time to pause, reflect, and pray as the Church ponders on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This mystery, often called the Paschal Mystery, recalls us to the saving work of the Lord.  His death frees of from the burdens of sin and death, and his resurrection opens for us the path to eternal life.  This mystery is profoundly experienced over the Triduum – the 3 Great Days:

  • Holy Thursday – the Mass of the Lord’s Supper
  • Good Friday – the Passion of the Christ
  • Easter (Vigil/Day) – the Resurrection of the Lord

On Holy Thursday we find ourselves in Jerusalem, eating with the disciples at the Lord’s Supper and feeling awkward as he washes their feet – wondering how we would react if he did that for us.  We might identify with Peter or Judas – especially when we consider the times we have willingly betrayed or turned our back on the Lord.

On Good Friday we experience the physical pain, emotional abandonment, and personal humiliation on the path to Calvary (also called Golgotha or Skull Place) and look on with horror at the cruel death of Jesus.  We might also consider the times we have helped others – as Simon did when he was forced to carry the Cross of Christ.    And then we stand in profound sorrow with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, helpless as the innocent suffer injustice.

On Easter we wait in vigil and rise early in the morning with Mary Magdalen, only to find to our wonder and joy that the tomb is empty:  Christ is alive!  Our world, like that of the apostles, is changed forever as we experience new hope and life.

A word to the wise – we get out of Holy Week what we put into it.  Here are some simple ways for an incredible experience.

  • Make church services a top priority – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter (Vigil or Day).
  • Take time to read and reflect on the scriptures (see at the top under “Pray”).
  • Make Holy Thursday an opportunity to offer a special act of service or kindness to another.
  • Make Good Friday fasting extra special with a gift to a particular charity that helps the poor.
  • Make Easter a time of gratitude – take a quiet moment to count our blessings and thank the Lord.
  • Find some time throughout this week to tell the people in our lives how much we love them.

May this be a time for all of us to grow closer to the Lord and one another.

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April 8, 2014

Palm Sunday – The Cross

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

The Face of Christ

Study:  Reflect on a time you experienced weakness and suffering.  Where did you find the strength to continue?

Pray:  Gaze upon a crucifix and offer to Christ any struggles you are facing right now.  Bring the needs of your loved ones to the foot of the Cross as well.

Serve:  Is there someone in your life who is carrying a heavy cross right now?  How can you offer comfort and assistance?

Palm Sunday Readings (with Year A reading for the Procession with Palms)

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

How many times throughout our lives have we made the sign of the Cross?  Stop and think:  at Mass; meal prayers; morning & evening prayers; special gatherings; and moments of blessing and grace.  This simple action, which we teach to children at an early age, invokes a connection with the passion of Jesus.

We adorn our homes with the Cross.  A crucifix is a common gift to a new home; crosses are placed in bedrooms and common areas as a reminder that Jesus is the source of our help and strength.

We adorn ourselves with the Cross as well:  a crucifix on a chain; a cross in our pocket; earrings; rings; bracelets; and all the extra cards, bookmarks, figurines, and miscellaneous items that remind us that Jesus died on a Cross.

The passion we read every year on this day focuses our attention on the central mystery of our faith.  Out of love for us God sent His Son, Jesus, who gave his life on the Cross that we might have eternal life.  Through his suffering and death, we recognize that God has made a pathway possible that we might all journey through this life to the gates of Heaven.

The Cross teaches us many lessons:

  • Life is difficult, and at times painful
  • Weakness and sin are part of our experience
  • God identifies with our pain
  • God dies that we might have life

At the core of our teaching the Cross stands as the testament of God’s love for us.  Yet the Cross appears to be an embarrassment – after all, why would God (all powerful, all knowing, supreme) choose to be humiliated?  Does that not mean that God is weak?  Why could God not take away our sins in a way that showed majesty and splendor?

In reality, the weakness revealed in the Cross uncovers our frailty, not God’s.  Jesus endured the Cross because of our broken, wounded nature.  He carried the Cross because we were unable to – as St. Paul writes “The wages of sin is death” in Romans 6:23 – and he bore the suffering, pain, and grief that are the natural result of our sinfulness.  God is not weak, rather God takes on our weakness so that we can be made whole.

The Cross proclaims the truth that God meets us where we are in life.  In our weakness, in our humiliation, in our low moments of doubt and sin God comes to us.  Jesus, like us in every way but sin, understands our pain because through his Cross he shares in the suffering of the world.  He knows us, loves us, and saves us through his Cross.

Every time we make the sign of the Cross may we recall what the Lord endured for us.  Through the Cross we discover our strength as we trust in God’s love and  seek to follow that love as we journey through this life toward the world to come.

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.  Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world!

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March 30, 2014

5th Sunday of Lent – A Second Chance

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

 

Second Chance

Study:  Reflect on a time when you were given a second chance.  How did you feel?  How did you respond?

Pray:  Is there something in your past that has held you back from growing?  Ask the Lord for the grace to begin again.

Serve:  Is there someone you know who could use a second chance?  How can you help them to start over?

5th Sunday of Lent Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Anyone who plays games knows about second chances.  They happen in board games when we get to “roll again”, and they happen in sporting events when one team gets a break through a change in the action.  They are part of the game, and they usually bring plenty of excitement and interest.

A second chance usually gives the player new opportunities and hope.  When a second chance is offered, it provides for the possibility to correct past mistakes.  Second chances can revitalize a player’s efforts.  Simply put, they can breathe new life into the game.

In the Gospel today we hear how Jesus calls Lazarus back from the dead.  Lazarus, who had been in the tomb four days, was loved by family and friends alike.  This love is witnessed in Jesus, whose tears reveal the depth of his concern.

I have always wondered how the story of Lazarus continued after this miracle.  What did people say every time they saw him?  Did people point to him as an example of the power of Jesus?  Did he wake up each day thanking God for another opportunity to love the people around him?

This miracle shows us a fundamental truth about God:  the Lord grants us second chances. Through the miracle of Jesus, Lazarus has been given back the gift of life.  This miracle provides the possibility for him to look back on the past and make a break with it.  In other words, his new life is an opportunity to begin again.

The story of Lazarus inspires us with hope.  God gives us second chances, too!  There are times when we may reflect on our lives, and we know that there is something that needs to change.  We need to let it “die” so that God can call us back to life.

Perhaps we have acted or spoken in a way that has been harmful to another.  Perhaps we have abused our bodies or put ourselves or others at risk through unwise choices.  Or maybe an event or decision in the past has kept us from living our lives in the present.

Whatever it is, God gives us a second chance.  Through his journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday, Jesus makes it possible for us to break from sin and live in the light of God’s grace.  We can start again, living with the faith, hope, and love that can only come from Jesus Christ.

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March 24, 2014

4th Sunday of Lent – A Life Worth Living

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Beautiful Life - People

Study:  When have you sensed and recognized the precious value of life?  How did you respond?

Pray:  Offer prayers for those who struggle to embrace the gift of their lives.

Serve:  Is there someone nearby who is overcome by weakness, failure, or struggle?  How can you help?

4th Sunday of Lent Readings

The philosopher in me ponders a recurring question:  Why does God bother with us?  Why does the Lord of all creation seem to care about us?  Why does God have anything to do with us, especially when the universe is such a big place?  After all, why would God want to spend time caring for over seven billion people – aren’t there more important things to do?

Consider the role God plays in the readings this week:
1st – God chooses us according to our hearts.
Psalm – God shepherds us in our need.
2nd – God enlightens us in our darkness.
Gospel – God heals in our weakness.

In all four cases, God is acting on our behalf, despite our weakness, failings, and struggles.  The Lord continues to reach out to people, making hope possible in the midst of the challenges of life.  It does not seem to matter that people make mistakes or fall short of their abilities.  God still seems to care.

We are told that we are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26), and we are told that God loved us so much he sent Jesus (John 3:16). What then can we learn about the Lord from these readings we hear today?

It seems to me that throughout these readings we discover that God values our lives, even when they are broken and limited by sickness and sin. God looks at us, with all our faults, and rejoices whenever we turn our hearts and minds to Jesus.

If the Lord finds joy in our lives, however feeble or faint, should we not do the same?  If God was willing to give us Jesus that we might have eternal life, should we not reflect on just how powerful this gift of life really is and act accordingly?

When we acknowledge that God acts for us because God loves us – completely, sincerely, and out of a thorough knowledge of all our sins – then we have hope.  We recognize that life is precious, and we find inspiration to make the most of this day, this moment, lest we lose even one opportunity to share our lives with God and one another.  With understanding comes this simple fact: we possess a life worth living – made by God, redeemed by God, and sustained by God!

Once we believe that Jesus died because he loves us, then all the actions we see in the readings today make sense.  May we embrace what God has done for us, and share with joyful hearts a life worth living.

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March 16, 2014

3rd Sunday of Lent – Thirsty for Water

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Living Water

Study:  When have you been in need for water?  When have you been in need of God’s grace?

Pray:  Is there something in your life that is parched and dry?  Ask the Lord for the Living Water that refreshes our souls.

Serve:  Is there someone you know who is withered and weak?  How can you bring them new strength and assistance?

3rd Sunday of Lent Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Imagine a tall glass of water.  You are tired and hot, and you hold the cool glass and start to drink.  Immediately, relief spreads through your throat and body, and as you set down the glass you say, “Ahhh!” and smile.

We all have experiences of being thirsty.  Maybe it is after a few slices of pizza or some extra salty snacks; perhaps it’s before an operation or medical checkup, when we are told that we cannot eat or drink anything from midnight on; it could be that we have just had a lot of exercise and are dehydrated.  Yet no matter what the situation is, we know the feeling when we are thirsty for water.

Our bodies need water.  Some studies tell us we  should be drinking a minimum of eight glasses a day.  This dependence on water is found in our survival; a person can live for weeks without food, but only a couple of days without water.

Our critical need for water becomes the source of the images found in the first reading and Gospel today.  Water is the subject for both Moses and Jesus.  Under God’s direction and guidance, Moses strikes the rock and provides water for the people in the desert.  Jesus, through his discussion with the woman at the well, reveals that he is the water that gives eternal life.

These readings remind us that God brings the Living Water to us.  In our need the Lord quenches our thirst as he did for the people in Meribah.  In our need the Lord comes to us as he did for the woman at the well.  For just as we need water to sustain our bodies, so too do we need Jesus Christ to give us life in this world and in the world to come.

Are you spiritually thirsty?  Is there something missing that you long for in your soul?  Is it love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control?  Just as our bodies respond to water with renewed strength, so also our thirst for “living water” reminds us that God offers us refreshment for our souls.  Lent is a perfect time to recognize our need for the Lord and ask for the grace and strength to face the challenges of today.

It is with water that we welcome new members into the Christian family through baptism.  It is with Holy Water that we sign ourselves with the Cross of Jesus Christ.  During the Easter season we will celebrate the sprinkling rite as we renew our own baptismal promises.  In all these cases, water becomes the medium to remind us of God’s presence.

Every time we pick up a glass of water we have the chance to remember how dependent we are on this simple substance.  May this reminder lead us more deeply into the mystery of God’s love for us and our need to recognize the Lord each day in the world around us.  May we drink deeply from the living water of Jesus Christ.

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March 9, 2014

2nd Sunday of Lent – Promises

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Sunrise Promise

Study:  Consider moments when you have made and kept a truly important promise.  How did that promise inspire and help you grow?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the gift to trust in His promises.  Pray for guidance to follow Christ – even when it is difficult.

Serve:  How can you help someone who is striving to keep their promise of faith?

2nd Sunday of Lent Readings

Growing up, I earned money by baby sitting.  I watched a number of kids (that is, until I got a driver’s license…), and I learned several valuable lessons.  One of the things I discovered was not to promise to do something unless I was absolutely certain I could carry it out.  If something went wrong and I had to change plans, the kids would shout, “You PROMISED!!!!”

Promises have tremendous power.  A promise can inspire us, offering strength and hope in our moments of weakness.  Promises are a sign of our trust in the word of another.  We accept a promise when we believe that another person will live up to an agreement or contract.

There are two crucial elements about promises:  making them and keeping them.  Making a promise means that we invite another into a relationship of trust.  Keeping a promise means that we fulfill our agreement through our words and deeds.

Both of these elements are necessary.  If we only make promises (without fulfilling them) then our word is meaningless, and people are unable to count on us in a time of need.  Yet if our fear of action holds us back from making promises, then we will never be considered by others as approachable or accessible; we become distant and separated from other people.

In the Scriptures today we see God’s promises extended to Abram and Jesus.  Abram is promised God’s blessing and prosperity upon himself and his descendants.  Jesus, revealed through his transfiguration, is promised the glory that will be fulfilled through his death and resurrection.

For Abram and Jesus, life will not be easy.  Difficulties and sorrows will accompany their path through life.  Yet the promises revealed in these readings show that they will be sustained in their trials.  God’s promises will give both hope and life.

These promises belong to us as well.  Like Abram and Jesus, we know the struggle and challenge that can occur in life.  There are moments when we look to God’s promises to be made and kept, that we might persevere in our desire to live a good and holy life.  May we accept the Lord’s promise of strength and guidance, trusting that as we live according to our faith in Christ, we are confident that the Lord is near.

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March 3, 2014

1st Sunday of Lent – Testing & Temptation

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Desert Test

Study:  Where in my life have I fallen short and failed?  What lessons (however painful) have I learned?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the grace and strength to face temptations.  Do not be afraid!  This is an opportunity to trust in the mercy and love of Jesus.

Serve:  Is there someone in your life who is struggling right now?  How can you help them through this time of testing?

1st Sunday of Lent Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Recall back to your school days.  No matter what grade or level of studies, all of us received tests as part of our education.

I remember once sitting in a class where some students were grumbling to the professor about an upcoming exam (I was angelically studying in a corner…).  The professor stopped the class to say, “Look, there are lots of reasons for exams, but there are two things that are important to me:  First, I need to know the limits of your knowledge.  Second, I want to see how you can apply what you have learned to other areas of study.”

Those two ideas stayed with me, for what is true for tests applies equally to life.  We experience tests all the time, and through these moments we discover amazing insights into our hearts.  Being tested (or tempted) reveals the limits of our strength, courage, patience, and trust; it also shows how we apply what we know (such as our faith in Christ) with what we encounter (trials, disturbances, disease, fear).

The Scriptures today offer two examples of testing which result in very different outcomes.  In the first reading, we see the weakness of Adam & Eve before the temptation of the serpent.  Their choices resulted in separation from God and one another.

In the Gospel we hear the encounter between Jesus and Satan in the desert.  The Devil tempts Jesus through three classic fears:  the fear of physical weakness, the fear of being powerless, and the fear of death.  These fears, which the Lord will ultimately face at his crucifixion, are rejected each time through Scripture and faith in God’s presence.

The lesson for us is clear.  Like Adam & Eve, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s grace.  Yet in our moments of weakness, doubt, and fear we can look to the life of Jesus for strength and new hope.  We, too, can trust that just as the Lord overcame his testing, we can also find guidance and direction through our faith in Christ in our time of need.

Once we trust that the Lord will be with us, we can face our testings and temptations with a new perspective.  These tests show us where we need to ask the Lord for help, revealing our limitations and teaching us to see our blind spots.  In this way our temptations are simply one more opportunity for us to recognize the Lord’s grace at work in our hearts.

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February 26, 2014

Preparations for Lent

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Cross

Study:  Looking back in my life, are there any activities, people, or situations that have helped me to grow?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the wisdom to recognize the Fruits of the Spirit and the courage to embrace them.

Serve:  Look for an opportunity this Lent to offer a part of your life to helping another – especially someone who has no way to pay you back.

The season of Lent offers a powerful opportunity for conversion, spiritual growth, and developing our relationships with the Lord and one another.  However, I also know that this season has a way of sneaking up on us.  Life moves fast, and we can get caught up in any number of tasks – missing the necessary preparation and perspective to get the most out of these 40 Days.

As a guide, I suggest starting with the “Fruits of the Spirit” that St. Paul writes about in his letter to the Galatians (5:22-23).  They are:

  • Love
  • Joy
  • Peace
  • Patience
  • Kindness
  • Goodness
  • Faithfulness
  • Gentleness
  • Self-Control

First, do we see these in our lives?  Are there people, situations, interactions, locations (home, work, school, community) where we see consistent evidence of their presence?  If so, then how can we help them flourish and grow?  How can we create more opportunities to allow the Spirit to work in our lives?

Second, are these absent in our lives?  Or worse, are their opposites present?  Is hatred, despair, turmoil, and the like alive in our hearts?  If so, how can we make the necessary changes to allow the Spirit into our lives?

Now here’s how this gets practical.  It is often customary during Lent to “do” something or “give up” something for these 40 days.  How about this…

  1. “Do” something that fosters the Fruits of the Spirit in my life.
  2. “Give up” something that is in conflict with the Fruits of the Spirit.

Where do we look?  Try this for starters…

  1. WHAT we do – the Activity
  2. WHO we do it with – the People
  3. WHERE we do it – the Location

“Doing” can include any number of things:

  • Helping a neighbor, family member or friend – in a spirit of kindness and gentleness
  • Drawing near to people who are spiritually good – who make us more loving and peaceful
  • Spending time on activities that help us use God’s talents in a good and holy way
  • Concentrating our efforts on opportunities where we know that God is present
  • Being in locations and situations that foster a strong and healthy life

“Giving up” can look like this:

  • Is there anything destructive, harmful, unholy, or evil that needs to be removed?
  • Are there people who are leading us to harm or destruction?
  • Are there locations, situations, or circumstances that are unholy for us?

Using the “Fruits of the Spirit” as a measurement, we can quickly reveal the pattern of our lives.  If it is spiritually fruitful, then we can strengthen this.  If it is spiritually destructive, then perhaps this season of Lent gives us an opportunity to give it up and start directing our lives in better ways.

Furthermore, Lent has classic opportunities for Study, Prayer, and Service:

Study: Scripture, the Catechism, a Devotional, Spiritual Reading

Prayer: Mass, Confession, Rosary, Scripture, Devotions, Stations of the Cross

Service: at home, the neighborhood, the community, the Church

God keeps inviting, keeps forgiving, and keeps extending grace and mercy to all who seek it.  Now is the time to get ready for a powerful Lent – where we turn to Jesus and allow His grace to transform our hearts.  Give serious thought to what you can do to make this season special, and open your to heart to Jesus Christ.

What will you do?  What will you give up?  Make it a great Lent!

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March 18, 2013

Palm Sunday – The Cross of Christ

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Station - Jesus in Crucified

Study: Read the Passion narrative again; put yourself in the drama of the Lord’s death. Stand with Mary at the foot of his cross.

Pray: Take time to gaze at the cross. Look beyond the art to the reality of the Lord’s passion. Dwell upon his wounds and thank him for his sacrifice.

Serve: Consider who is in need of healing in your life. Are there people who are carrying a heavy cross? Might you be like Simon of Cyrene – perhaps able to help them with a part of the load?

Palm Sunday Readings

How many times throughout our lives have we made the sign of the Cross? Stop and think: at Mass; meal prayers; morning & evening prayers; special gatherings; and moments of blessing and grace. This simple action, which we teach to children at an early age, invokes a connection with the passion of Jesus.

We adorn our homes with the Cross. A crucifix is a common gift to a new home; they are placed in bedrooms and common areas as a reminder that Jesus is the source of our help and strength.

We adorn ourselves with the Cross in many ways: a crucifix on a chain; a cross in our pocket; earrings; rings; bracelets; and all the extra cards, bookmarks, figurines, and miscellaneous items that remind us that Jesus died on a Cross.

The passion we read every year on this day focuses our attention on the central mystery of our faith. Out of love for us God sent Jesus, who gave his life on the Cross that we might have eternal life. Through his suffering and death, we recognize that God has made a pathway possible that we might all journey through this life to the gates of Heaven.

The Cross teaches us many lessons:
* Life is difficult, and at times painful
* Weakness and sin are part of our experience
* God identifies with our pain
* God dies that we might have life

At the core of our teaching the Cross stands as the testament of God’s love for us. On one hand the Cross is an embarrassment – after all, why would God (all powerful, all knowing, supreme) choose to be humiliated? Does that not mean that God is weak? Why could God not take away our sins in a way that showed majesty and splendor?

Yet on the other hand, the Cross is a statement that God meets us where we are in life. In our weakness, in our humiliation, in our low moments of doubt and sin God comes to us. Jesus, like us in every way but sin, understands our pain because through his Cross he shares in the suffering of the world. He knows us, and loves us even more.

Every time we make the sign of the Cross may we recall what the Lord endured for us. May the Cross be our strength as we trust in God’s love, and may we seek to follow that love as we journey through this life toward the world to come.

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