
Jesus offers a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven that offers us hope in God’s abundant mercy throughout our lives. Even to our last breath, the Lord extends to us compassion and grace. May we accept it today!

Jesus offers a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven that offers us hope in God’s abundant mercy throughout our lives. Even to our last breath, the Lord extends to us compassion and grace. May we accept it today!

Guided and guarded by God, we grow in grace so as to give ourselves in service to one another.

The Psalm Response today reveals our deep longing for God’s gentle touch upon our hearts as we carry out His commands.

The Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat reveals the ongoing need we have for repentance and conversion, as we weed out unwanted sins in our souls and cultivate a heart for the Lord.

The words of Isaiah in the response today echo the reality of our faith as we gaze upon the Cross of Christ. May the Lord’s saving gift inspire us to offer our lives with joyful strength.

Psalm 94 expresses both the challenges of earthly life and the steadfast strength of God’s grace. May we face our obstacles today with faith that the Lord walks with us!

Study: Consider your life right now. What is flourishing in your heart, and what needs to be pulled out?
Pray: Ask the Lord for wisdom to know how to grow in grace.
Serve: How might you be an example for another person? How might your work to root out sin inspire someone else to grow closer to the Lord?
Mass Readings – 16th Sunday of the Year
Several powerful themes surface in the readings this week.
A common pattern emerges from these themes as we discover that in the midst of injustice, sin, weakness and evil the Lord comes with justice, forgiveness, strength and power. Simply put, God gives us grace to confront the weeds in our lives.
So that begs the question: Where are the weeds in our hearts today? What struggle are we facing that requires the Lord’s mercy and love? Perhaps we might step back and pause this week to reflect on the state of our soul, so that we can honestly assess what is growing and what needs to go.
Jesus Christ knows our hearts and loves us unconditionally. As we look at the garden of our hearts may we trust that the one who knows us completely will help us root out what does not belong and help us grow as Sons and Daughters of God.
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Note: This post was first published on July 17, 2017.

While the experience of fear is part of human life, we know that it is often useless, depriving us of time, energy and focus. The answer? We turn to Jesus Christ for the strength and wisdom we need.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 14th Week of the Year (St. Benedict)

The Lord speaks with great clarity that persecution and hardship will accompany us as disciples, even as we trust in the Lord for the grace and strength to overcome them.