Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of God is among us. Our task is not to go chasing around looking for the Lord, but rather to live as his disciples as we apply our faith to every aspect of our lives.
The healing of the ten lepers reveals the power of God’s grace. The gratitude of the Samaritan shows a response that can teach us all a great deal about how we drawn near to the Lord with a grateful heart.
To say “I serve the Lord” has tremendous implications for our understanding and action. Recognizing Jesus as our Lord, we configure every aspect of our lives to him as our daily actions and interactions are infused with his grace.
Two widows offer examples of giving generously in the Scriptures today. Three words – gratitude, sacrifice and expectation – can offer insight into how we can be generous as we follow the example of Jesus.
The Lord offers a blunt teaching about money, reminding us that God is our first and greatest priority…whereas money is a tool that is meant to be put to good and practical use.
Today the universal Church celebrates the dedication of the Lateran Basilica – the cathedral of the city of Rome – reminding us that every church around the world offers us a direct encounter of the living God when we draw near to the altar to pray.
Recognizing our sins and asking for forgiveness challenges us to honestly acknowledge our faults and humbly ask for help. While this is not easy, this process puts us in right relationship with the Lord and one another…allowing us to grow in maturity, wisdom and love.
The Gospel makes it clear that all other blessings, even the most precious relationship, take second place to our relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the source of all our blessings and the Lord our souls.
The reading from Philippians offers a powerful teaching about Jesus, who emptied and humbled himself for the salvation of our souls. As the Lord’s disciples we acknowledge that our journey to heaven will lead us along a similar path as we share our lives with one another.
The commandment to love God and neighbor is well known, and it can act as a mission statement that guides every single element of our lives…and helping us to grow as Sons and Daughters of God.