Tag Archives: God’s Call

Study, Pray, Serve: 5th Sunday of the Year

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Here are some of the themes in the readings for the 5th Sunday of the Year.

1st Reading – Isaiah 6:1-2a,3-8

  • The Seraphim cry out “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!” as they worship the Lord upon the throne of heaven.
  • When asked who will go, the prophet cries out, “Here I am, send me!”

Psalm – 138:1-5,7-8

  • “In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.”
  • We praise and thank God who responds to us in kindness and truth.

2nd Reading – 1st Corinthians 15:1-11

  • Paul hands on to the people what he has received, and he recounts the basic teaching about Jesus.
  • Paul recognizes that he also has been called by God to preach the Good News.

Gospel – Luke 5:1-11

  • Jesus gets into the boat of Simon and tells him to go back out into the water and lower his nets.
  • After they caught a massive amount of fish, Peter tells Jesus to depart. The Lord, however, invites those present to cast off fear and follow him.

Mass Readings – 5th Sunday of the Year

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Catholic Inspiration Archives


Daily Mass: Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Catholic Inspiration

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Samuel’s response to the Lord’s call offers us an example to follow as we actively listen and respond to God’s gentle invitation.

Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 1st Week of the Year

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Catholic Inspiration Archives


Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Catholic Inspiration

My photo from the Lateran Basilica in Rome.

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to Mary, and the world was forever changed. May this solemnity help us to recognize God’s call for our lives as we offer each day for the Lord.

Mass Readings – Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

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Catholic Inspiration Archives


Daily Mass: The call of Peter, Andrew, James and John. Catholic Inspiration

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As Jesus calls the first disciples he says, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” May we respond to Christ today – knowing that as we follow the Lord we will be empowered to invite others to join us.

Mass Readings – Monday of the First Week of the Year


2nd Sunday of the Year: Our response to God’s call.

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Study:  Reflect on an experience in life when you have been called to do something.  Who called you?  What did it feel like?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for guidance to discern how to follow Jesus Christ today.

Serve:  Are there people in your life who are experiencing a calling?  How can you help them discover their path?

Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of the Year

Have you ever had moments in life when you wish the answers were written in the sky with letters that were clear and easy to read?  Where there is no doubt what to do; no hesitation that a certain choice is the best; no worry that something has been missed?  The question surfaces frequently:  How do we know the Lord’s call for our lives?

In the Scriptures today we have two examples where people are being called by God:

  • The call of Samuel in the temple of the Lord
  • The call of two of John the Baptist’s disciples by Jesus

While each story presents a perspective that is unique, both have some points that are worth noting:

  1. God takes the initiative.  It is the Lord who begins the encounter, speaking Samuel’s name or asking the disciples, “What are you looking for?”
  2. There is a human response.  Samuel calls out, “Here I am” while the disciples begin a conversation, “Where are you staying?”
  3. A call to action.  Both Samuel and disciples do something.  Samuel reaches out to Eli; the disciples stay with Jesus and one of them (Andrew) brings his brother Peter to meet the Lord.

The same three steps continue today.  God keeps inviting!  The Lord’s grace ceaselessly pours out upon the earth, inviting and empowering us to draw closer to God and one another.  Everything we have comes from the Lord, who takes the initiative to reach out to us in love.

Our response – both in word and deed – completes this initiative.  Accepting the Lord’s call we grow in wisdom and strength, developing our God-given gifts for service in the world.  As we continue to say yes to the Lord’s guidance we become more and more alive, become a conduit through which Christ’s mission touches the hearts and lives of others.

So how and where does the Lord speak today?  Where do we look for the call?  A few starting thoughts…

  • Start by reading the Scriptures! (It is the Word of God, after all.)  I recommend first digging into the Gospels.
  • Pray everyday.  It doesn’t have to be very long, but it does have to be real and from your heart.  Take a couple of minutes to count your blessings, make your petitions, and close with the Lord’s Prayer.
  • Reach out to people of faith for fellowship & strength.  (Remember: united we stand!)
  • Go to Confession.  It’s a powerful way to begin again with God’s help.
  • Go to Mass weekly.  (Let’s see: get a Sacrament; hear God’s Word; pray alone and with others; fellowship; with a little peace & silence…not a bad gig.)

May we say yes to the Lord’s call in our lives, responding with full and open hearts, serving one another with the strength of Jesus Christ!

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Note: This post was originally published on January 12, 2015.


Feast of St. Andrew: We share the faith we have received. Catholic Inspiration

Statue of St. Andrew in the Basilica of St. John Lateran

The call of St. Andrew inspires us to reflect on how Christ calls us by name to share the Good News with the people in our lives today.

Mass Readings – St. Andrew, Apostle


5th Sunday of the Year: Our response to God’s invitation. Catholic Inspiration

Both Isaiah and St. Peter initially express doubt and fear in the presence of God’s invitation.  Yet like them we are called to move beyond our self-imposed obstacles and accept the Lord’s prompting in our lives…even when it’s hard.

Mass Readings – 5th Sunday of the Year

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Catholic Inspiration Archives


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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Catholic Inspiration Archives


Daily Mass: Our response to God’s invitation. Catholic Inspiration

The parable in the Gospel of Matthew shows a variety of responses to an invitation.  The same is true for our response to the Lord’s invitation to live our faith.  What will we do today?

Mass Readings – Thursday of the 20th Week of the Year

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Catholic Inspiration Archive


2nd Sunday of the Year: God’s call, our response. Catholic Inspiration

Like a coach who calls a play that leads to action on the field, God calls us to a life of faith by what we think, speak and do.  May we hear the Lord’s call in our lives today and respond with full hearts!

Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of the Year

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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts


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