Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross reveals the value God places on human life and inspires us to share our lives as an offering back to God.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Tag Archives: Cross
Daily Mass: Gaze upon the Son of Man. Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 5th Week of Lent
In the Book of Numbers the people of Israel were delivered from their suffering when they looked upon the seraph which Moses set up on a pole; in the Gospel of John we learn that we are relieved of our suffering when we look upon the Lord who offers his life upon the Cross for our sins.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Palm Sunday
Study: Reflect on a time you experienced weakness and suffering. Where did you find the strength to continue?
Pray: Gaze upon a crucifix and offer to Christ any struggles you are facing right now. Bring the needs of your loved ones to the foot of the Cross as well.
Serve: Is there someone in your life who is carrying a heavy cross right now? How can you offer comfort and assistance?
Palm Sunday Readings (with Year A reading for the Procession with Palms)
How many times throughout our lives have we made the sign of the Cross? Stop and think: at Mass; meal prayers; morning & evening prayers; special gatherings; and moments of blessing and grace. This simple action, which we teach to children at an early age, invokes a connection with the passion of Jesus.
We adorn our homes with the Cross. A crucifix is a common gift to a new home; crosses are placed in bedrooms and common areas as a reminder that Jesus is the source of our help and strength.
We adorn ourselves with the Cross as well: a crucifix on a chain; a cross in our pocket; earrings; rings; bracelets; and all the extra cards, bookmarks, figurines, and miscellaneous items that remind us that Jesus died on a Cross.
The passion we read every year on this day focuses our attention on the central mystery of our faith. Out of love for us God sent His Son, Jesus, who gave his life on the Cross that we might have eternal life. Through his suffering and death, we recognize that God has made a pathway possible that we might all journey through this life to the gates of Heaven.
The Cross teaches us many lessons:
- Life is difficult, and at times painful
- Weakness and sin are part of our experience
- God identifies with our pain
- God dies that we might have life
At the core of our teaching the Cross stands as the testament of God’s love for us. Yet the Cross appears to be an embarrassment – after all, why would God (all powerful, all knowing, supreme) choose to be humiliated? Does that not mean that God is weak? Why could God not take away our sins in a way that showed majesty and splendor?
In reality, the weakness revealed in the Cross uncovers our frailty, not God’s. Jesus endured the Cross because of our broken, wounded nature. He carried the Cross because we were unable to – as St. Paul writes “The wages of sin is death” in Romans 6:23 – and he bore the suffering, pain, and grief that are the natural result of our sinfulness. God is not weak, rather God takes on our weakness so that we can be made whole.
The Cross proclaims the truth that God meets us where we are in life. In our weakness, in our humiliation, in our low moments of doubt and sin God comes to us. Jesus, like us in every way but sin, understands our pain because through his Cross he shares in the suffering of the world. He knows us, loves us, and saves us through his Cross.
Every time we make the sign of the Cross may we recall what the Lord endured for us. Through the Cross we discover our strength as we trust in God’s love and seek to follow that love as we journey through this life toward the world to come.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world!
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Daily Mass: We believe in Jesus Christ. Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 4th Week of Lent
We turn to Jesus and follow him with all our hearts, putting our faith and belief in the one who poured out his life on the Cross that we might be restored to a relationship with God.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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1st Sunday of Lent: Facing our temptations
Study: When in life have you been profoundly tempted? What patterns do you notice in your life?
Pray: The temptations we face provide a special place in our prayers; bring them to the Lord!
Serve: How can you support others who are tempted so that they can face them with grace?
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Lent
We enter into the great season of Lent with classic readings about temptation, sin and God’s grace:
- 1st Reading – The temptation of Adam & Eve
- Psalm – “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”
- 2nd Reading – The sin of Adam is redeemed by Christ
- Gospel – The devil tempts Jesus…and fails
First, let me be perfectly clear: Temptation is a part of the landscape of human life. From the time of our first parents at the dawn of creation, humanity has experienced temptation. We can wish all we want, but the fact remains that we are constantly facing great and small temptations throughout the course of our lives.
What’s more, we have all experienced times when temptation has led us to sin. Being tempted is one thing; falling into sin is another. For once sin is a part of our lives, our souls are wounded in a way that requires God’s grace to cleanse and heal.
This awareness of temptation and sin can easily lead us to a state of despair. We can fall into the trap that says “Well, you messed up. What’s the point now? You might as well just give up.” Admittedly, the devil would like nothing better than to let us think that there is no hope…that we are lost and without strength to find our way out of the messes of life.
Yet we start our Lent with hope. Yes, we acknowledge that temptation and sin are real, but we take comfort that this is why Jesus Christ came – to break the bondage of sin, restore our relationships with God and one another, and lead us into eternal life. The Lord knew about temptation first hand, yet not only did he triumph over Satan’s testing, but he freed us through his death and resurrection.
In our moments of temptation and sin may we run to the Cross of Christ! As we encounter our own trials may we trust that the Lord stands ready to offer us help and strength – both to face what comes before us this day, and to heal us in our moments of need.
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Podcast Resources for a Powerful Lent
Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Daily Mass: Take up your Cross. Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – Friday of the 6th Week of the Year
Jesus invites us to “take up our Cross” and follow him. While God does not will suffering, the Lord permits it for the sake of a far greater commandment: Love one another. As we carry our crosses today, we do so out of love for one another, as the Lord – who shows his love on the Cross – loves us.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The Cross of Jesus Christ is God’s sign of love, showing just how much the Lord cherishes our lives. May we face our crosses with the conviction that the Lord will help us every step of the way.
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23rd Sunday of the Year – The cost of the Cross
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Study: Reflect on a truly difficult time in your life. Where did you find the strength to continue?
Pray: Is there a challenging situation in your life right now? Ask the Lord for grace and wisdom.
Serve: How can you help someone in a tight spot today? How can you help them carry their cross?
Mass Readings – 23rd Sunday of the Year
There is a sobering element in the readings this week that focuses on the cost of discipleship. We commonly speak of “carrying the Cross” as a way of understanding how our sacrifices and burdens become transformed when we participate in the Cross of Christ.
The first reading from the book of Wisdom reminds us that our mortal natures cannot fathom the breadth and depth of God’s plan. We rely on the Lord, and we trust that through the power of the Holy Spirit God reveals the path of our lives – and provides us with the strength for the journey.
The psalm response “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge” helps us understand that when times get tough we turn to Jesus. He is the source of our strength, and with his grace we find a safe place from which we can prepare our hearts for the demands of the day.
Paul’s letter to Philemon touches upon our human weakness. Paul, imprisoned for his faith, is sending back a runaway slave (Onesimus) to his master – urging Philemon to accept his former servant with kindness as a brother in the Lord. Paul, Onesimus, and Philemon must all trust in the Lord for the strength to do what is right, even when it is difficult.
Finally, the Gospel speaks bluntly about the cost of discipleship. The price might be our family, our relationships, our possessions…yet through it all the Lord affirms that his grace empowers us to carry our Cross. For indeed, we all have crosses, and we can face them with hope – knowing that the Lord, who carried his Cross, will help us with our own.
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Daily Mass: Take up your Cross. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Friday of the 18th Week of the Year
The Lord’s words to “take up your cross” invite us to acknowledge our own crosses, ask for help, and carry them with the conviction that as Christ was victorious through his Cross, he will triumph through ours as well.
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12th Sunday of the Year – Take up your Cross. Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – 12th Sunday of the Year
The Cross of Christ reveals how God entered into the heart of human suffering – to touch it, bless it, and redeem it – so that we might have the courage and strength to take up the crosses in our lives. What is your Cross? Do not be afraid, but call upon the Lord for the grace you need to take up your cross and walk the journey of life…with Jesus Christ by our side.
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks- Daily Mass: Angel of God, my guardian dear!
- Daily Mass: Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples
- Daily Mass: The cost of discipleship
- Daily Mass: In the sight of the angels, we sing your praises, O Lord!
- Daily Mass: A humble heart leads to greatness
- Study, Pray, Serve: 27th Sunday of the Year
- 26th Sunday of the Year: We confront our messes when we put our faith into action
- Daily Mass: With God's help we face our fears
- Daily Mass: Jesus speaks about the Passion of the Cross
- Daily Mass: Herod is curious about Jesus
