We join the Church around the world as we wait in hope for the resurrection of the Lord. This extraordinary Mass empowers us to look at the challenges in our lives with the conviction that God will give us the grace we need for the task at hand.
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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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The readings today reveal the common theme of the life giving power of water to nourish and heal. This image in turn points to Christ, the source of all life. May we draw near to the Lord to be refreshed, so that we may in turn share His life with one another.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent
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Study: Reflect on a time in life when you made a grave mistake or serious sin. How did you face it?
Pray: Is there something that is keeping you from the Lord or another person? Ask the Lord for the grace to reconcile.
Serve: Is there a situation in your life that offers you a chance to extend mercy? Consider ways to make it happen.
Mass Readings – 5th Sunday of Lent
Have you ever been clearly in the wrong? Made a mistake that was self-evident and completely your own fault? Don’t worry…you’re in good company. As much as we don’t like to admit it or claim it, we have all fallen short of the Lord’s commandments. We sin.
There are a couple of easy traps that we need to avoid:
What we find in the Gospel today is something in between that exemplifies God’s Mercy. The woman caught in adultery (where’s the man?!) is dragged before the Lord and forced to stand out in her shame as the people try to trap Jesus.
His response is profound. “Let the one among you who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her.” One by one the realization of their own sins causes the crowd to dwindle away; they have all fallen short, and they have all been in need of mercy.
Yet the Lord is not done. After all, he is the only one without sin in the group! He alone has the right to carry out judgment. Yet this is what he says:
“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin.”
Note both points:
In light of this Gospel I suggest the following takeaways:
As we embark on the last weeks of Lent, may we never fear to approach the Lord in our sins. For as we honestly claim our faults we draw forgiveness from the one who came to save and set us free.
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If you are looking for more material to help you this Lent, you might consider this list of presentations I have offered over the last couple of years. Feel free to check it out and share if you find it helpful:
Podcast Resources for a Powerful Lent
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Note: This post was first published on March 8, 2016.
Photo Credit: The Passion of the Christ, 2004.
After casting out a demon, Jesus responds to criticism with a teaching that illustrates the power and unity that flow from the Kingdom of God. It’s a good reminder for us today, for when we are united in Christ then we have the strength we need to face the evil in our lives.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 3rd Week of Lent
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What does it mean to live in God’s grace? These two presentations were given at a parish retreat at St. Pius X Catholic Church on April 18, 2019.
Part I – Key Components of Grace (55 Minutes)
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Part II – Our Relationships in a Life of Grace (53 Minutes)
Handouts that were given to participants for both presentations
Living a Life of Grace (I & II)
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While spending time with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus’ response to the scribes and pharisees offers us hope. The Lord’s willingness to bring healing and forgiveness to those in need reveals Christ’s longing for our redemption as well. May we follow the example of Levi and respond to the Lord’s call.
Mass Readings – Saturday after Ash Wednesday
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Most of the time we avoid looking at our weaknesses, failures and sins. Not today. Today we take a long hard look, examine our conscience, and honestly admit that we are sinners. Why? So that freed from the slavery of temptation and sin we can receive the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
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The temptation and sin of Adam and Eve highlights the reality of evil in our lives. Yet as we embrace the hope that we have in Jesus we acknowledge our need for God’s mercy and return to the Lord.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Study: Consider when you were blessed with strength and guidance in a tough time. How did you experience this blessing?
Pray: We all know many people who are having a tough time right now. Ask the Lord to give them the courage and conviction to carry on.
Serve: Is there some way you can be a blessing to another? How might you use your gifts and talents to alleviate suffering today?
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
Let’s take a quick review of the readings:
There is a dangerous trap that Christians must always be alert to avoid. It runs like this:
In other words, since I am doing what God commands, God owes me. We often find this thinking surfaces when something bad happens – and illness, death, reversal of fortune, pain, or any number of bad scenarios – and suddenly people start blaming God. “Why is God doing this to me? I’m a good person! I don’t deserve this!”
The trap misleads us into thinking that our faith is suppose to protect us from the unfortunate. If we buy into this concept, then we begin to treat our faith at best as a legal contract and at worst as a magical formula where we have power over God.
Life is hard. Life makes demands and challenges us with pain, discomfort, struggle and testing. While we might wish that all days were easy, we know that tough times come along.
And in the face all these obstacles God blesses us with grace, uniting us in our relationship with the Lord and one another. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are blessed when our lives are configured to God and cursed when we step away from the Lord. We can be tempted to trust more in fleeting things like wealth, power, good looks or fame, yet only God offers the enduring strength of love in this life and the next.
The next time something difficult happens, ask this one question: How does my faith in Jesus Christ help me right now? We are blessed when we experience God’s grace to face life’s obstacles. We are blessed when we allow the Lord to work through our lives – even when it’s hard. We are blessed when we receive God’s love with open and gentle hearts.
May God bless us all with exactly what we need to continue on our journey through life today.
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 