Through the example of St. Matthew, Christ demonstrates his desire to call sinners to newness of life.
Mass Readings – Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle
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St. Matthew, pray for us!
Tag Archives: Follow Me
Daily Mass: Christ calls us to new life from our sins. Catholic Inspiration
13th Sunday of the Year: Follow the Lord
Study: Consider a moment when you made a total commitment to a task or project. How did your commitment give you focus and strength?
Pray: Is there something keeping you from growing in your relationship with Christ? Offer it up in your prayer and ask the Lord for help.
Serve: Do you have a gift or talent that can help another in need? Perhaps the Lord is showing you a way to help build his Kingdom.
Mass Readings – 13th Sunday of the Year
There are several powerful points that surface in this week’s Scripture readings. Here are a few key thoughts:
- 1st Reading – Elisha seeks to follow Elijah
- Psalm – “You are my inheritance, O Lord.”
- 2nd Reading – Paul reminds us that we are free in Christ to live in the Spirit
- Gospel – Jesus invites, “Come follow me.”
It’s this notion of following the Lord that I’d like to focus on this week. What does it mean to follow Jesus Christ? What does it mean to say that he is the Lord of our lives? Consider these thoughts:
- Christ is the #1 priority of our lives, above all else
- We seek to follow his teaching and example in all things
- In our weakness and sin, we strive to seek his forgiveness & mercy
- We recommit our lives every day as his disciples
- We open our hearts to grow daily in his grace
Practically, I’d like to suggest to key points to help us follow the Lord. First, what are the obstacles that are keeping me away from Jesus today? There are many things that can block our path to the Lord – distraction, fear, preoccupation, overly busy, exhaustion, worry – and sometimes we need to recognize these concerns and put them in perspective.
Second, what are the gifts that I bring to the Lord? God has blessed each one of us in unique and precious ways…how might we set our talents before the feet of Christ for his service in the world? How might we use our lives today to proclaim the Good News of Jesus to others?
The Lord said, “Come follow me.” As we embrace this invitation, may we offer our lives with complete conviction as walk with Jesus today.
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Catholic Inspiration Archives
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Note: This post was first published on June 20, 2016.
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Daily Mass: Follow the Lord. Catholic Inspiration
We can place ourselves in the Gospel of John as Jesus invites Peter to follow him. Out of love for the Lord we, too, will be called to make our sacrifices as we put our faith into practice.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 7th Week of Easter
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3rd Sunday of Easter: The example of St. Peter. Catholic Inspiration
The encounter between Jesus and St. Peter offers us an example of the Lord’s gentle call to grow ever deeper in our love. God patiently meets us where we are and invites us to follow…may we respond!
Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of Easter
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Daily Mass: Come and See. Catholic Inspiration
Philip’s invitation to Nathaniel in the Gospel today to “come and see” serves as a powerful reminder for the Church today. Not only are we directed to invite others to join us in faith, but we are also charged to live the faith with vibrant conviction.
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28th Sunday of the Year: Follow Jesus with all your heart
Study: Reflect on a moment when you put your entire heart into a project. What did you experience?
Pray: Ask God for grace to remove obstacles that are you keeping you from the Lord and others.
Serve: How can you help others follow Jesus Christ? How can your life strengthen them to focus on the Lord?
Mass Readings – 28th Sunday of the Year
I have a deep respect for people who show their dedication and conviction to a task. When I see others put their heart and soul into something:
- a job or task
- a sport or hobby
- music, art, cooking, language
- relationships, especially with family or friends
I see a passion and joy emerge. They work hard, often long and grueling hours, yet they love it and they glow with an inner light. Their dedication gives them meaning, purpose, and a zest for life.
This sense of dedication comes into focus in the Gospel reading today. The encounter with Jesus and the rich young man reveals both an enthusiasm and a hesitancy to follow God. The man wants to do what is right, he wants to be holy, but he is not yet ready to offer his entire life.
Where do we see ourselves in the Gospel today? What might be keeping us back from dedicating our lives to the Lord? Some obvious obstacles:
- fear, worry, doubt, anxiety
- the needs of our family – to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads
- distractions and temptations from the world
- the speed of life is keeping us too busy, and thus we lose our focus and sense of balance
But what happens if we pause, reflect, and dedicate our lives to Jesus Christ? What happens the minute we reorganize our lives around the Lord, allowing his grace to flow through all our thoughts, words, and actions? Simply put, we become fully alive – we find in Christ both our strength and peace. Our lives take on a whole new level of meaning and purpose as we engage one another with renewed sense of faith, hope, and love.
The invitation today is simple: Put Jesus Christ first in your life. Let him be your Lord. Allow him to touch every aspect of your life, and watch as his light shines through your heart!
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Catholic Inspiration Archives
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Note: this post was first published on October 6, 2015.
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Daily Mass: The call of St. Matthew. Catholic Inspiration
The Lord invites Matthew with a simple invitation, “Follow me.” May his example inspire us to listen to the Lord’s call in our lives and respond with joy.
Mass Readings – St. Matthew, Apostle
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Daily Mass: Follow me! Catholic Inspiration
Jesus invites Philip to become a disciple with the words, “Follow me.” The language is clear, direct and simple. Philip’s response inspires us to consider how the Lord invites us to follow today. How will we respond?
Mass Readings – St. John Neumann
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Daily Mass: The call and response of St. Matthew. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – the Feast of St. Matthew
Matthew heard the call of Christ and responded by bringing lots of imperfect people to the Lord. We, too, can take comfort that the Lord welcomes our response – not because we’re perfect, but because the Lord longs to heal and renew our lives.
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13th Sunday of the Year – Come Follow Me
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Study: Consider a moment when you made a total commitment to a task or project. How did your commitment give you focus and strength?
Pray: Is there something keeping you from growing in your relationship with Christ? Offer it up in your prayer and ask the Lord for help.
Serve: Do you have a gift or talent that can help another in need? Perhaps the Lord is showing you a way to help build his Kingdom.
13th Sunday of the Year Readings
There are several powerful points that surface in this week’s Scripture readings. Here are a few key thoughts:
- 1st Reading – Elisha seeks to follow Elijah
- Psalm – “You are my inheritance, O Lord.”
- 2nd Reading – Paul reminds us that we are free in Christ to live in the Spirit
- Gospel – Jesus invites, “Come follow me.”
It’s this notion of following the Lord that I’d like to focus on this week. What does it mean to follow Jesus Christ? What does it mean to say that he is the Lord of our lives? Consider these thoughts:
- Christ is the #1 priority of our lives, above all else
- We seek to follow his teaching and example in all things
- In our weakness and sin, we strive to seek his forgiveness & mercy
- We recommit our lives every day as his disciples
- We open our hearts to grow daily in his grace
Practically, I’d like to suggest to key points to help us follow the Lord. First, what are the obstacles that are keeping me away from Jesus today? There are many things that can block our path to the Lord – distraction, fear, preoccupation, overly busy, exhaustion, worry – and sometimes we need to recognize these concerns and put them in perspective.
Second, what are the gifts that I bring to the Lord? God has blessed each one of us in unique and precious ways…how might we set our talents before the feet of Christ for his service in the world? How might we use our lives today to proclaim the Good News of Jesus to others?
The Lord said, “Come follow me.” As we embrace this invitation, may we offer our lives with complete conviction as walk with Jesus today.
Three Great Things 