Life is a precious gift, created and redeemed by God, and how we offer this treasure reveals the depth and content of our hearts.
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4th Sunday of Lent: What (and Who) do we see?
Study: Reflect back on a moment when you suddenly “saw” a situation clearly. What helped you make sense of it?
Pray: Do you feel like you are in the dark right now? Ask God for the light of grace to find your way.
Serve: Do you know someone who is struggling to act in a situation? How can you help them stay in God’s light?
Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of Lent
Let’s take a quick look at an overview of the readings this week:
- 1st Reading – Samuel “sees” David and anoints him with the Spirit
- Psalm – “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”
- 2nd Reading – We are children who live in the light of Christ
- Gospel – Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth
Images of sight, light, and darkness appear throughout these readings, reminding us of the crucial role our sight plays in daily life. As we rely on our eyes, we recognize light and color as it interacts with our senses and guides much of our action.
God helps Samuel to see – not with human but heavenly eyesight – the qualities that will make David king of Israel; Jesus helps the man born blind to see the face of the living God. Ephesians reminds us that as children of the light we turn away from darkness and live in goodness, while the Psalmist gives us courage to walk in the darkest of valleys…confident that the Lord is at our side.
For we know that the darkness is a part of life; indeed, many of us have had the experience of darkness – where fear, doubt, and indecision hold us in a grip of paralysis – and we understand all too well our sense of loneliness and loss.
The Good News: God restores our sight – helping us to see the Lord at work in our world – and inspires us to direct our thoughts, words and actions by the light of faith. May the Light of Christ open our eyes and guide our steps through this life!
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Note: This post was first published on March 20, 2017.
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3rd Sunday of Lent: Christ and COVID-19. Catholic Inspiration
The worldwide response to COVID-19 offers some insights into how we might consider living our lives for the gift of God that comes to us through Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of Lent
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Daily Mass: The overwhelming mercy of God. Catholic Inspiration
The first reading from Micah, Psalm Response and the Gospel of Luke offer beautiful insights into the mercy and compassion of God.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent
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Daily Mass: Foreshadowing the Cross. Catholic Inspiration
The passage of Genesis about Joseph and the parable of the vineyard in the Gospel of Matthew both foreshadow the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent
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Daily Mass: Lessons from the rich man and Lazarus. Catholic Inspiration
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus inspires us to open our eyes to the needs of those around us and respond decisively in the spirit of the Gospel.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent
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Daily Mass: The path that leads to the Cross. Catholic Inspiration
As Jesus speaks to the disciples about his suffering and death on the Cross, he must also contend with the pettiness that often accompanies our human nature…teaching how we offer our lives in service of one another.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
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Daily Mass: Humility in our daily practice. Catholic Inspiration
Humility in our daily actions proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. May our lives reflect this crucial virtue in all that we do.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
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3rd Sunday of Lent: Thirsting for Living Water
Study: Reflect on a time when you felt a deep emptiness in your soul. Where did you find relief?
Pray: Is there a longing in your heart right now? Ask the Lord to touch your life with his grace.
Serve: Many people are struggling, sometimes lost in destructive distractions; how can you help them?
Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of Lent
As we enter into the heart of Lent, we encounter two readings that speak of a fundamental human need: to satisfy our thirst. We have all known moments of thirst, accompanied by the profound satisfaction of a cool drink of water. The relief is tangible, and the sensation reveals in a direct way how our bodily needs can be fulfilled.
In the first reading the people are grumbling to Moses in their thirst for water. A miracle is performed by the power of God, and the people once again witness the Lord’s presence in their lives.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus is standing by a well and strikes up a conversation with a Samaritan woman. Here, however, there is more than just physical thirst; the Lord speaks to her heart and satisfies a deep longing for spiritual life. In turn, she goes back to the villagers and brings them to Jesus…so that their spiritual thirst might be quenched as well.
Today we reflect on the reality of physical thirst to help us understand the longing in our souls. What’s missing in our lives? Do we have an ache, an emptiness that longs to be fulfilled?
There are many temptations and distractions in the world that promise fulfillment: drugs, alcohol, sex, money, power, fame, beauty…but all of these ultimately leave us empty. They are pleasing for a moment, but we long for something lasting.
Jesus Christ is the answer. The Lord comes to us in our need, knows our sins, and invites us to draw into his grace. Christ speaks to the deepest longings in our hearts and offers the love, joy and peace that reign supreme in the halls of Heaven.
May we draw close to the Lord today in our need, trusting in his compassion and mercy to quench our spiritual thirst!
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Note: This post was first published on March 13, 2017
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Monday Conversation: Forgiveness brings light to our hearts. Catholic Inspiration
Forgiveness is a practical application of the command to love, and it is one of the most difficult things we are called to do as disciples of Jesus Christ. Yet this act not only allows us to receive the light of God’s love in our hearts, but it also empowers us to shine with this love in the world.
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks- Daily Mass: We work on ourselves first before we point out the faults of others
- Daily Mass: Jesus invites his disciples "to measure up" to his teaching
- Daily Mass: Jesus speaks of blessings and woes
- Daily Mass: Even in the messiness of our lives, God is with us
- Daily Mass: Our faith in Christ seeks goodness and life
- Study, Pray, Serve: 24th Sunday of the Year
- 23rd Sunday of the Year: The Lord invites us to engage in hard conversations
- Daily Mass: Jesus is Lord of our lives
- Daily Mass: The salvation of the just comes from the Lord
- Daily Mass: The Lord invites us to follow him
Three Great Things 