Tag Archives: Cross

April 3, 2015

Good Friday – The Cross of Christ – Catholic Inspiration

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

Fr. Andrew’s Good Friday Homily Podcast (10 minutes)

This homily was given on April 3, 2015 at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Superior, WI.

The Cross of Christ – ugly, filthy with the blood of countless victims, jagged, and splintered – becomes the sign of the depth and breadth of agony Jesus endured.  As he embraces his suffering, the Cross becomes a bridge whereby he unites with all humanity, meeting us in our most profound moments of weakness and sin, and gives us hope through his triumph over death.

We must understand the Cross in the light of Easter joy:

  • For if we only focus on the Cross then we have no hope; life becomes dark and filled with despair.
  • And if we only focus on Easter joy then we have no respect for the gift of the Lord’s Passion; we do not appreciate the price that was paid for our salvation.

We look to the Cross and allow Christ’s Passion to touch our lives.  We unite with Jesus and give grateful thanks that he has redeemed us in every aspect of our lives.

Come to the Cross and unite your heart to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ.

Be redeemed by Love Himself, who gave his life to save and set us free.

 

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March 27, 2015

Catholic Inspiration – Walking with the Lord in Holy Week – All Talks

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

Below are all the recorded homilies and presentations offered at the Parish Mission for Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Green Valley, AZ from March 7-12, 2015.  Special thanks to the wonderful people at OLV for their hospitality – what a joy to be among you!

Sunday Homily Podcast – 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year B) – Saturday, March 7, 2015.

Monday Homily Podcast – Monday of the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year I) – March 9, 2015.

Holy Week Presentation Podcast #1 – Palm Sunday – March 9, 2015.

Tuesday Homily Podcast – Tuesday of the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year I) – March 10, 2015.

Holy Week Presentation Podcast #2 – Holy Thursday – March 10, 2015.

Holy Week Presentation Podcast #3 – Good Friday – March 11, 2015.

Thursday Homily Podcast – Thursday of the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year I) – March 12, 2015.

Holy Week Presentation Podcast #4 – Easter – March 12, 2015.

In addition, I wish to thank the parishioners at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Solon Springs, WI who welcomed me to preach a concentrated version of this Mission on Saturday, February 28, 2015 – thank you for your kindness…these presentations grew out of our day together!

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March 22, 2015

Palm Sunday – The Cross of Christ

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Cross of Christ

Study: What sacrifices do I currently face in my life?  Do I recognize the presence of Christ as I carry my Cross?

Pray:  Reflect on the Passion of the Lord.  Recall the sacrifice of Jesus and take a moment to express gratitude for his love.

Serve:  How might you help others face their sacrifices? Are there people you can comfort or assist as they carry their crosses?

Palm Sunday Readings (with Year B reading for the Procession with Palms)

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

On the road to Jerusalem the Lord was dropping hints to his disciples:

“See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.”  Matthew 20:18-19

He knew it was coming…and he went through with it.

For us.

And just so we’re clear: not because we’ve been good and deserve it.  Because we’ve sinned and cannot continue without his saving grace.  The sacrifice of Christ on the Cross reveals God’s love for humanity: the fundamental value which the Lord places on ALL human life and demonstrates how love is the greatest of all commandments – for sacrifices reveal quickly and bluntly what we value, respect, cherish, and love.

And Christ sacrificed his pure and sinless life…for our sins.  The more we reflect on the Passion of the Lord, the more we understand the depth of God’s love that knows no limit or boundary – a priceless gift that flows from the heart of Heaven.

Which means that as his disciples the example of Christ becomes our model.  Where do we see our sacrifices today?  How do we – through a sincere and genuine desire to love others – participate in the great sacrifice of Jesus?  What are the Crosses in our lives, and how might we carry them with the help of one who understands the weight of the Cross?

His Cross becomes a gateway that leads to abundant life; may the crosses we carry today be received as our path that the Lord sets before us:

  • To grow in Grace
  • To face our Fears
  • To live in Love

Have a blessed Holy Week.

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April 17, 2014

Good Friday – What Wondrous Love Is This

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Good Friday

Study:  Consider a time in life when all hope seemed lost.  Where did strength come from?

Pray:  Offer a prayer of acceptance for the love and saving work of Jesus.  Gaze upon a crucifix and reflect on his sacrifice.

Serve:  Acts of love, kindness, and sacrifice come in all shapes and sizes; where might you offer your life today for another?

Good Friday Readings

Have you ever had a bad day?

Let me be brutally clear:  have you ever had a day so bad that it seemed as if the earth had swallowed you up and you were trapped under a crushing weight of pain, sorrow, agony, loss, humiliation, abandonment, or confusion – utterly devoid of all direction, purpose, and meaning?  A place where reality overflows with suffering?

Welcome to the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Nothing on this “Good Friday” looks good at first glance:

  • Betrayal from friends
  • Unjust accusations
  • Corrupt justice
  • Ego and political power trips
  • Cruel humiliation
  • Timid frailty and cowardice
  • Brutal physical punishment
  • Powerlessness
  • Mockery
  • Death

Why?  Why!  Why would God allow this?  What could such horrible suffering teach us about ourselves or God?

Answer: What wondrous love.

Jesus Christ endured this day out of love for a wounded and broken humanity.  He died in this wretched way for our sinful weakness because we could not be healed on our own.  He carried his Cross because of our worst days – the days that we regret over the thoughts, words, and actions that we cannot take back.

The Cross reveals the depth of God’s love: a love without limit or boundary.  There is nothing, NOTHING, that can keep us from the wondrous love of Christ.  Jesus embraces our human faults, sins, and weaknesses – and meets us there with the Cross that should have been our own.  His Cross bridges the gap caused by our sins and restores us to a life of grace.

God’s love shines with a strength that humbles us.  God comes to us in our most fragile and unlovable moments to heal and bless.  This love – freely given and bestowed, provided by the Lord’s grace alone – requires only one thing:

Our acceptance.

We are invited today to look into the eyes of Jesus and recognize the one who knows us completely and loves us entirely.  We have the chance today to accept this love and walk in his light.  Perhaps sometime today we will have the opportunity to get down on our knees and recommit our lives to Christ – who offers this Wondrous Love for our salvation.

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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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March 18, 2013

Palm Sunday – The Cross of Christ

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Station - Jesus in Crucified

Study: Read the Passion narrative again; put yourself in the drama of the Lord’s death. Stand with Mary at the foot of his cross.

Pray: Take time to gaze at the cross. Look beyond the art to the reality of the Lord’s passion. Dwell upon his wounds and thank him for his sacrifice.

Serve: Consider who is in need of healing in your life. Are there people who are carrying a heavy cross? Might you be like Simon of Cyrene – perhaps able to help them with a part of the load?

Palm Sunday Readings

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; they 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 in many ways: 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 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. On one hand the Cross is 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?

Yet on the other hand, the Cross is a statement 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, and loves us even more.

Every time we make the sign of the Cross may we recall what the Lord endured for us. May the Cross be our strength as we trust in God’s love, and may we seek to follow that love as we journey through this life toward the world to come.

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