Category Archives: Ordinary Time

July 16, 2013

16th Sunday of the Year – Listening to Jesus

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Water lilies

Study:  Where do you find stillness in your life?  Where is a calm spot where you can slow down and listen?

Pray:  Consider making a commitment to praying in a peaceful place for a few days.   How does your prayer change when you can be still and listen to Christ?

Serve:  Can your service help another find peace and stillness?  Can you help others in such a way that they have an opportunity to listen to the Lord?

16th Sunday Readings

One of the great gifts of summertime is the potential for quiet moments in nature:

* Watching a campfire
* Time in the garden
* The beauty of a sunrise or sunset
* The stillness of the water
* The quiet before (or after) a storm

Moments like these are filled with chances to listen – to our hearts, our bodies, our family and friends, and the world around us.  In these quiet moments we slow down to experience the beauty and truth that God showers upon us.

What’s important to note is that these times are not filled with activity, but stillness.  It is in these moments when we are quiet that we actually listen and see God at work in our life.  These insights happen when we stop and pay attention to the wonder around us.

This is what we find in the Gospel today.  Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to his words with complete and utter concentration.  When Martha (who was preparing the food and getting the house ready to welcome the Lord) complained that Mary was not helping, Jesus rebukes her – not because the work was unimportant, but because in life there is also a time and place to listen!

The need to listen is crucial, not only in life but in our life of faith.  We know that we cannot work around the clock; we need time to rest and renew our hearts.  We know that we cannot always be in constant motion (in action or in speech); indeed, there are times when we need to draw strength from the wisdom and beauty of others.

We find these moments in practical ways that are both accessible and powerful:

* Daily prayer (alone or with others)
* Reading the Scriptures
* Mass
* Quiet moments (inside or outside)
* Experiencing nature (see above!)

These are moments when we, like Mary, slow down and allow the Lord to teach and strengthen us.  Today we can pause and allow the Lord to love us; right now we have the chance to listen – hearing the faith, hope, and love we share as we sit at the feet of Jesus.

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July 7, 2013

15th Sunday of the Year – Like Riding a Bike

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

How to ride a bike

Study:  Consider one area in your life that you could improve living your faith.  What would it be?

Pray:  Ask the Lord to give you opportunities to stretch and grow.

Serve:  How might the Lord be calling you to be a Good Samaritan today?  Right now?

15th Sunday Readings

My first bike was lime green.  It had a banana seat with curved handlebars (NOT designed for comfort).  The fenders were made out of industrial steel and it weighed more than I did.  In time I made a little wooden box to fit behind the seat that was barely big enough to hold chewing gum.  I thought it was the most awesome set of wheels in the world.

I still remember learning to ride it.  My family lived out in the country and we had a fairly long driveway.  I started with training wheels until one day my dad took them off.  He walked beside me a couple of times as I practiced and then watched at a distance as I rode (and occasionally fell) on the driveway.

Do you remember when you learned to ride?  At the time it is an exhilarating feeling.  The wind rushes by, the speed is great, and a new found sense of freedom appears.  What a moment!

Yet this discovery happens through trial and error.  Learning to ride a bike takes diligence and determination.  You can’t read it in a book or learn about it by watching television.  Riding a bike happens when we get on the seat and start pedaling.  It happens when we act, and in the process we learn by doing.

In the Scriptures today we are reminded that all the learning and teaching of our faith is only good when it is put into action.  The commands are not difficult to understand, and they do not require extensive explanation.  Yet without hard work, time, and steadfast application they are meaningless; only through action does our faith become real.

The Good Samaritan is a wonderful example.  As this Samaritan – filled with compassion – tends to the wounds and sores of the beaten man, he differs from the Levite and Priest (who knew better and still walked by).  He was a stranger and foreigner, yet he practiced his faith in God with a sincerity that serves as a sharp contrast to the “religious professionals” of his day.

We have opportunities every day to practice our faith.  Kindness, charity, forgiveness, patience, hope, and understanding are but a sample of the ways we show to others the faith we profess.  In the end our faith is not complicated; the challenge is to live each day with the conviction that God calls us to holiness and invites us to live the love of Christ with one another.

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July 2, 2013

14th Sunday of the Year – God Works Through Us

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Love one another

Study:  Name three people who have had a real influence in your life.  What did they do or say that made the difference?

Pray:  In your daily prayer, when you pray for people call to mind their faces (preferably smiling!).

Serve:  Who can you help today?  How might you be the living witness of Christ to someone God places in your path?

14th Sunday Readings

In the Gospel today Jesus chooses seventy-two disciples to go out and minister to the people.  They journeyed to every town Jesus intended to visit, proclaiming the Good News and healing the sick.

I’ve often wondered about this commission.  Why did Jesus do this?  We know through the Scriptures that Jesus performed countless miracles, so why did the Lord pick out certain people to share in his ministry?  He certainly didn’t need them, yet they were empowered by Jesus to participate in his work of redemption.

Simply put, God works through people.  The Lord chose these seventy-two individuals to be conduits of grace.  As instruments of God’s power, these disciples not only furthered the ministry of Christ, they became coworkers of God’s plan for the Kingdom.  These people, chosen by the Lord, proclaim the Word of God with a human voice.

Furthermore, God works through people to build a human community.  We do not walk through life alone.  The Lord not only invites us to reach out, but the Lord supports his people in their service.  This is why the disciples went out in pairs; they were able to strengthen each other in difficult moments and celebrate in their joys.

For these reasons the Church exists today.  God calls us to grow together – reaching out to those in need and supporting one another as we follow our path of discipleship.  This is the purpose of our sacraments, our prayer, our Eucharist, and our lives in the larger community.

For when we realize that God works through people we discover that God works through us.  The Lord invites us to be open to the Spirit of Christ.  As we imitate the example of Jesus by the practicing the love he proclaimed, we continue the Lord’s saving work here on Earth.  Our hands and feet carry on the service of Jesus so that healing and hope might continue.

The sending of the disciples reveals that God intends to give us an opportunity to participate in this wonderful work.  May we be open to this invitation, sharing the many gifts and talents we have received as we offer our lives to help build the Kingdom of Heaven.

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June 25, 2013

13th Sunday of the Year – Called to Follow the Lord

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Blue hills

Study:  What keeps you from trusting others?  What keeps you from trusting God?

Pray:  Is there something in your life that is holding you back from God?  Take it to prayer.

Serve:  Is there someone in your life right now who can use your help following the Lord?  What can you do?

13th Sunday Readings

The scenario looks like this:  a group of people are assembled together on a project and one of the leaders comes up and says, “I need someone to help me.  Any volunteers?”

Several possible responses may occur:

1.  No one says a word but looks at the floor and tries to disappear.

2.  Many people speak up, but they want to know what the task is before they will commit.

3.  One or two raise their hands, but they say that they have other things to do first.

4.  Many people raise their hands, and say, “Yes.  What do you need?”

While we might hope that we are always generous with our time, we know that there are moments when we are guarded and skeptical when someone makes a blind request.  We want to know some basic facts.  What is the task?  How much time will it take?  How much effort or skill?  Who will be working with me?

These questions are reasonable; in our day to day efforts they are the foundation of common sense relationships.  We ask these questions to insure that we are not going to commit ourselves to something that is distasteful, beyond our ability, or overly time consuming.

Yet there are times when we say “Yes!” without a moment’s hesitation.  We agree to a task sight unseen, not knowing the cost.  We are willing to offer ourselves, trusting that we will be able to carry out what we are asked to do.

The key to a willing volunteer is trust.  Trust implies that the one who follows believes in the one who leads.  When we trust another we do not necessarily need to know all the details; we know that the one we follow will not subject us to something that is beyond our scope or destructive to our lives.

In the Gospel today Jesus invites people to follow him, yet he receives many different responses.  Some gave excuses, some misunderstood him, and some turned away – yet the Lord continued to invite them to follow.

This invitation is ours as well.  Christ calls us to follow him, yet he does not tell us the cost.  May our faith help us to trust, that we might have the strength to volunteer all that we have in our journey through life.

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June 18, 2013

12th Sunday of the Year – Take Up Your Cross

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Station - Jesus takes his Cross

Study:  Think about a “cross” that you have had in life.  Reflect on how you were able to carry it.

Pray:  Bring your “cross” to the Cross of Christ.  Ask him for the strength you need.

Serve:  Perhaps there is someone in your life who is carrying a heavy cross.  How are you being called to help?

12th Sunday Readings

Jesus answered his question “Who do you say I am?” with a commentary.  The Christ of God came to endure suffering, pain, rejection, and death.

In short, he came to carry a Cross.

I often find that as a priest one of the most gifted times in my ministry is when I have the opportunity to offer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  I pray with people, often during painful and agonizing moments, and extend the comfort and grace of Jesus Christ.  It is a powerful, moving, and humbling experience.

As I leave, I often am led to gratitude.  It is easy for me to get caught in my own challenges and stresses, to be sidetracked by my own frustrations and issues.   I find that when I confront the crosses that others carry I  begin to count my blessings rather than my problems.

The fact is, we all carry crosses.  Some are small, some are large.  Some are with us only a short time, others last for years.  Yet as we embrace the challenges and difficulties of life we remember that God meets us where we are.  Jesus did not avoid his Cross, and he will walk with us as we carry our own.

Furthermore, the Cross is not the end.  The death and resurrection of Jesus transform the Cross into a sign of hope.  We face our struggles with the promise of God’s redeeming help.  The Cross directs us to face our fears and trust that the Lord’s grace is greater than any darkness in this world.

So what crosses do we confront today?  What challenges do we face?  As we remember the Cross of Christ may we ask the Lord for the help and strength we need today.  Mindful of the blessings God has given us, may we embrace our own cross and trust that God will help us along the way.

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June 11, 2013

11th Sunday of the Year – Forgiveness

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Confessional

Study:  Recall a moment when you have experienced forgiveness in your own life; how did it transform you?

Pray:  Is there something in your life that calls for forgiveness?  Pray for the grace and strength to do it.

Serve:  Is there someone you can help in the journey of forgiveness?  Is there something you can do that removes an obstacle and allows forgiveness to occur?

11th Sunday of the Year Readings

The Scriptures today reveal different examples of confronting our sins and receiving forgiveness.

The first reading from the Second Book of Samuel brings us into the latter part of the story of David and Bathsheba.  David: 1 – has sexual relations with this married woman;  2 – tries to cover up his sin by tricking and intoxicating Bathsheba’s husband Uriah;  3 – orders the brutal death of Uriah while he is fighting a battle for David.

The prophet Nathan has just told a parable to David, and when David promptly responds with the demand for justice, Nathan blasts him with the crimes he has committed.  At this point we step into the reading to discover three points:
– God (very clearly) points out David’s sins
– David repents
– God forgives David’s sin

The psalm response today offers words that we might want to keep near us at all times:
“Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.”

The Gospel reading from Luke points out the reality of sin and the profound experience of grace that happens in forgiveness.  As Jesus receives the anointing of his feet, he instructs a Pharisee about the connection between mercy and love.

All three examples underscore the powerful impact of forgiveness in our lives.  In our moments of sin and temptation we encounter the darkest and most terrible parts of our hearts.  When we are honest with ourselves, we can be horrified by the potential for evil that lies within us.

Yet it is in these very experiences that we find Christ present.  The Lord will not permit us to cast a blind eye toward our sins; we are compelled to face the evil that we have done and name it.  What might otherwise fill us with shame becomes a moment of grace; Jesus Christ knows our sins (better than we do) and STILL LOVES US!  Completely!  Without limit!

Perhaps it’s time we recall the psalm response.  Perhaps it’s time that we stop for a moment and reflect on the mercy and grace that God freely grants us in our moments of weakness and sin.  Our choice to let go of sin and turn to Christ will open our hearts and fill us with a spirit of grace, hope, and peace.

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June 4, 2013

10th Sunday of the Year – Arise!

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Station - Jesus in the Tomb

Study:  Reflect on a time of grief and loss in your life.  Where did you find support and strength?

Pray:  Pause to consider those who are going through grief and hold them up in your daily prayers.

Serve:  Do you know someone who is struggling with grief right now?  Perhaps a visit or an act of kindness could make the day a little brighter.

Last October I was traveling through the Holy Land and I passed through the village where Jesus performed the miracle that is recounted in the Gospel today.  I find it easy to imagine the situation: a group of people walking in procession with a widow as  they carry her dead son out of the city.  There is grief, terrible loss, and the sense that the entire community is mourning with this woman.

Then an encounter with Jesus.  First he has pity, then he offers consolation, then a single word: arise!

In a moment everything changes.  The Lord gives the man back to his mother, the procession is filled with fear and wonder, and God is praised.

We all know that death is a part of life.  Like the seasons of the year, there are times for birth, growth, harvest, and death.  Yet there are also times when death happens outside this cycle – in moments of tragedy, unforeseen illness, and accident – and our lives are turned upside down in a heartbeat.

In these moments when we are filled with questions, doubts, and uncertainty.  And like the widow in today’s Gospel we can invite the Lord to draw near.  The same pity, consolation, and hope is ours – Christ meets us in our weakness and with tender compassion he touches our hearts.

His love is empowered through the victory of his death and resurrection.  His sacrifice on the Cross opens the gates of Heaven for us.  For at the hour of our death we long to look upon Jesus who will say “Arise!” to us and welcome us to eternal life.

Perhaps you are dealing with grief in your life, or perhaps you are walking with someone in the midst of grief.  The Gospel today gives us an opportunity to face death with the conviction of faith – this is not the end, but a new beginning with the Lord.  May the pity, consolation, and mercy of Jesus help us to be tender with others in their grief, and may it help us to face the hour of our own death with trust in the Lord’s love.

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