Jesus acknowledges the faith of the Roman soldier, inspiring us at every Mass to echo his words of faith and trust in the Lord.
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Catholic Inspiration Archives
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Photo credit: The Passion of the Christ, 2004.
Category Archives: Ordinary Time
School Mass: Putting our faith in Jesus Christ. Catholic Inspiration
Daily Mass: Creative work and prayerful rest. Catholic Inspiration
The story of creation includes both the dynamic force of work and the renewing power of rest. We, too, require a balance of both, for when we invite the Lord into our labor and our relaxation we find that they are truly blessed.
Mass Readings Tuesday of the 5th Week of the Year
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6th Sunday of the Year: Blessings, Curses and Woes
Study: Consider when you were blessed with strength and guidance in a tough time. How did you experience this blessing?
Pray: We all know many people who are having a tough time right now. Ask the Lord to give them the courage and conviction to carry on.
Serve: Is there some way you can be a blessing to another? How might you use your gifts and talents to alleviate suffering today?
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
Let’s take a quick review of the readings:
- 1st Reading – Jeremiah speaks of blessings and curses in relationship to the Lord
- Psalm – “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
- 2nd Reading – St. Paul preaches about the resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Gospel – Jesus offers a series of blessings and woes in Luke’s Gospel
There is a dangerous trap that Christians must always be alert to avoid. It runs like this:
- I follow Christ and carry out his commands.
- I strive to live a good and holy life.
- Therefore, because I am a “good” person, God will bless me with an easy life.
In other words, since I am doing what God commands, God owes me. We often find this thinking surfaces when something bad happens – and illness, death, reversal of fortune, pain, or any number of bad scenarios – and suddenly people start blaming God. “Why is God doing this to me? I’m a good person! I don’t deserve this!”
The trap misleads us into thinking that our faith is suppose to protect us from the unfortunate. If we buy into this concept, then we begin to treat our faith at best as a legal contract and at worst as a magical formula where we have power over God.
Life is hard. Life makes demands and challenges us with pain, discomfort, struggle and testing. While we might wish that all days were easy, we know that tough times come along.
And in the face all these obstacles God blesses us with grace, uniting us in our relationship with the Lord and one another. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are blessed when our lives are configured to God and cursed when we step away from the Lord. We can be tempted to trust more in fleeting things like wealth, power, good looks or fame, yet only God offers the enduring strength of love in this life and the next.
The next time something difficult happens, ask this one question: How does my faith in Jesus Christ help me right now? We are blessed when we experience God’s grace to face life’s obstacles. We are blessed when we allow the Lord to work through our lives – even when it’s hard. We are blessed when we receive God’s love with open and gentle hearts.
May God bless us all with exactly what we need to continue on our journey through life today.
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5th Sunday of the Year: Our response to God’s invitation. Catholic Inspiration
Both Isaiah and St. Peter initially express doubt and fear in the presence of God’s invitation. Yet like them we are called to move beyond our self-imposed obstacles and accept the Lord’s prompting in our lives…even when it’s hard.
Mass Readings – 5th Sunday of the Year
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Daily Mass: Find the balance in work and rest. Catholic Inspiration
The Gospel today shows the disciples both at work and at rest with Jesus. Finding balance in our lives can be challenging, yet when we take the long view we recognize that there are many different elements that enrich God’s gift of life.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 4th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: The death of John the Baptist
The death of John the Baptist reminds us of the cost of discipleship. Yet as we look at the Cross of Christ, we find hope and strength to face the hardship of life with the conviction of the Lord’s saving death and resurrection.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 4th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: We are empowered by God for service. Catholic Inspiration
Jesus summons the Twelve and empowers them to carry out his ministry. The Lord continues to call disciples today, giving us the grace we need to do his work.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 4th Week of the Year
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