The readings today proclaim the abundant blessings we receive from the Lord…inspiring us to share this abundance with those around us.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent
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Tag Archives: Goodness
Daily Mass: Choosing the fire of the Holy Spirit for our hearts. Catholic Inspiration
The daily readings proclaim God’s goodness and power. As Jesus comes to light the fire of the Holy Spirit in our world we are confronted with a choice: to accept God’s path or walk away. What will we choose?
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 29th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: Our response to God. Catholic Inspiration
Both Isaiah and John’s Gospel reveal the compassion and power of God. This power, however, will not be forced upon us; rather, the Lord invites us to accept his invitation and receive grace for this life and the next. How will we respond?
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent
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Daily Mass: Facing the hardship of hate in the world. Catholic Inspiration
There is a cost to following the Lord: sometimes we must endure the hardship of hate in this world and contend with forces that would seek to destroy the goodness in our lives. Yet we do not stand alone; Jesus Christ gives us the strength we need to face this hardship with the power of his grace.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 5th Week of Easter
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Daily Mass: The power of family life. Catholic Inspiration
After the praise of Anna in the Temple, Mary and Joseph return home to Nazareth where Jesus will grow in strength and wisdom. It’s a good reminder about the power of a family to foster faith, encourage goodness and build lasting bonds of love. May we dedicate ourselves to building up our own families each and every day.
Mass Readings – The 6th Day in the Octave of Christmas
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2nd Sunday of the Year – God’s Abundant Goodness
Study: Reflect on a time when you experienced something profoundly good. How did it shape you?
Pray: Are there needs in your life or in someone you know? Ask the Lord to touch and bless them with goodness.
Serve: How can you bring abundant goodness to another today? How can your service make a real difference in someone’s life?
2nd Sunday of the Year Readings
This week’s readings proclaim God’s goodness in a variety of ways:
- 1st Reading – God calls Israel his “Delight”
- Psalm – the people proclaim the “marvelous deeds of the Lord”
- 2nd Reading – the Spirit showers us with rich and varied gifts
- Gospel – Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana
We often talk about the Lord’s commandments as things we should NOT do. While this is often true and helpful, we can sometimes miss the point about all the ways our lives can DO things that are inspired (and indeed, commanded) by God. We are called:
- to live joyfully
- to proclaim God’s Good News
- to engage the gifts we have been given for others
- to change and transform the world around us with God’s grace and blessing
Simply put, God’s goodness to us inspires us to share this abundant goodness with each other. We are invited to take hold of our lives and make the most of each day – loving and serving, forgiving and helping, blessing, healing, rejoicing, and renewing. We have been given the gifts of life and faith….let’s live them with power!
The gut check in all this flows from our fundamental attitude: do we live our faith with love, joy, and peace? Do people see goodness in the words we say and the actions we perform? Is our Christian witness evident in the manner and conduct of our interactions with others? May God’s goodness empower our lives to burn like a blazing torch – leading others closer to God and one another.
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The Wedding at Cana, Paolo Veronese; 1562, Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
