Mass Readings – 24th Sunday of the Year
It’s non-negotiable. Forgiveness is a key ingredient in the Christian life and without it we cannot receive the grace that the Lord lavishes upon us. Who do we need to forgive? To whom do we need to ask for forgiveness? May we call upon God’s grace for the strength we need to be people who put forgiveness into practice.
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Mass Readings – Saturday of the 18th Week of the Year
Jesus heals a child that could not be helped by this disciples. Why? Their faith was not strong enough. As the disciples sought to strengthen their faith we can learn from them, training our “spiritual muscles” to become strong as we turn to the Lord for wisdom, strength and guidance.
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Mass Readings – Saturday of the 17th Week of the Year
The death of John the Baptist is an outrage, a stark example of human cruelty that assaults our sensibilities. While we acknowledge the presence of violence and hatred in our world we continue to see in the Cross of Christ God’s response: a love that embraces our sins.
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Mass Readings – Friday of the 17th Week of the Year (St. John Vianney)
Jesus returns to the village where he grew up and encountered the disbelief of those who were trapped in the past. All of us are works in progress and every day provides us with one more opportunity to grow as Sons & Daughters of God…even if those who knew us as children fail to see how far we’ve grown.
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Study: Consider a time when you had an experience of God’s glory and majesty. What did it feel like?
Pray: Are you struggling with a tough decision right now? As the Lord for the power and conviction to carry it out.
Serve: How might you help another experience God’s power today?
Mass Readings – The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
The readings this week all reveal the majesty and power of God. Take a look:
It is a good thing to reflect on the glory and power of God; after all, as Sons and Daughters of God we will all one day stand before the Lord. Having died and rose for the forgiveness of our sins, Jesus Christ will gaze into our eyes with understanding, compassion and….power.
Let’s be clear: He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the one before whom all honor and glory and praise is due. He is the one before whom we will bend our knee and bow our head.
This awesome and mighty image reveals the authority Jesus has in heaven, on earth and under the earth. He came to our world in our need and restored what was lost through temptation and sin by the wood of His Cross.
The glory of God that we hear about is not meant to drive us away from God out of fear, but rather to inspire us that the Lord’s victory is complete. The question for us today is simple: Will we accept the grace of Jesus Christ and allow his glory to transfigure our hearts?
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Study: Have you ever gotten something you wished for? In hindsight, was it what you really wanted or needed?
Pray: What graces or virtues do you need in your life right now? Ask the Lord with boldness and confidence!
Serve: How is the Lord leading you to offer your life today? How can you fulfill God’s command to serve others?
Mass Readings – 17th Sunday of the Year
Here’s a quick review:
If the Lord would grant you one request, what would you ask for? We can learn a lot about ourselves by what we seek, and sometimes we discover when we get it that it might not have truly been the best thing. Yet, it is the desire in our hearts, however, that tells us if we are on the right track.
Solomon asked to be wise and understanding…a wonderful response!
Jesus uses the parable of the pearl to remind us that there are some things in life so precious that other wishes and requests pale in comparison. With this in mind, here are a couple of thoughts to consider:
God will take the sum of our lives – good and bad – and bless it with grace. As we seek the Lord today, may we bring our hearts and offer ourselves….so that our response will draw us closer to Jesus Christ and one another.
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Mass Readings – 16th Sunday of the Year
Every gardener encounters weeds, and the Lord uses this image in the Gospel of Matthew to remind us that in the garden of our hearts we have a daily opportunity to pull out what does not belong.
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Note: I couldn’t stop with just one picture! These are taken from my dad’s garden in Cumberland, WI.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 15th Week of the Year
Moses stands before God and receives his commission to go to Egypt. It will be hard, but the Lord will walk with him. As we face our challenges in life, God will give us what we need as well.
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Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 15th Week of the Year
Jesus reminds us in the Gospel of Matthew that there are consequences for our actions that will take place in the final judgment. With this awareness in mind, we have the opportunity today to repent of our sins and turn to the Lord for his mercy and forgiveness.
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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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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 