Throughout salvation history God has forged covenants with his people, ultimately fulfilled in the great revelation of love in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent
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St. John Baptist de la Salle, pray for us!
Moses relates to the people the teachings and commandments of the Lord, forging a covenant in the blood of a sacrifice that binds the children of Israel with the Almighty.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 16th Week of the Year
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God states that the rainbow is a sign of the covenant between the Lord and all living things, reminding us that the gift of life is precious, holy, sacred…and meant to be lived to the best of our ability.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 6th Week of the Year
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Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Reading – Tuesday of the 2nd Week of the Year (St. Anthony Abbot)
The readings reference two of the great covenants God made with the people of Israel through Abraham and David. These covenants, which the Lord does not revoke, find their fulfillment and purpose in Jesus…the Lord of the Sabbath.
Study: Start out this Lent with a good Examination of Conscience.
Pray: Ask the Lord for the grace to repent.
Serve: Consider a practical way you can bring “good news” to someone in your life.
Mark’s Gospel is direct and to the point:
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1: 14-15)
It’s time. Maybe you got a late start to Lent, maybe it caught up on you before you were ready. Maybe you’ve been ready, but you needed that little push – that extra kick – to get started and make a change.
It’s not complicated. Is there something that’s keeping us from God or one another? Is there something that needs to be different in our words and actions? Does the pattern of our lives need to be altered toward the Lord’s goodness? Two simple steps:
In the first reading the rainbow is a sign from God that never again will the world be flooded with waters of destruction. The covenant with Noah is a built on hope: life is worth saving, worth fighting for, worth dying for, and worthy of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Once we recognize God’s faithfulness, we can more easily let go of past sins and temptations – turning to the one who love’s us completely.
Is there anything holding us back from the Lord? Now is a good time to honestly assess our lives, cast out what does not belong, and call upon the grace of Jesus Christ.
After all, he brings Good News – and once we’ve left our sins behind, we can embrace the joy that flows from Heaven.
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Christ in the Wilderness, Moretto da Brescia (Alessandro Bovicino); 1515-20, oil on canvas, 45.7 x 55.2 cm, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 