Mass Readings – Wednesday of the Octave of Easter
Peter & John share their faith in Christ to bring healing to a beggar…who receives far more than a few coins. May we not only ask the Lord for what we truly need, but may we also open our hearts to the Lord so that we become His instruments – bringing the Good News to the world.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
How’s your Lent going? This 15 minute conversation can help us make the 2nd half of Lent powerful.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 3rd Week of Lent
The Lord drives out a demon in the Gospel today, reminding us that while evil is present in the world we continue to call upon God for the grace we need to drive out whatever is not fitting in our hearts for the Kingdom of God.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Study: Reflect back on a moment when you suddenly “saw” a situation clearly. What helped you make sense of it?
Pray: Do you feel like you are in the dark right now? Ask God for the light of grace to find your way.
Serve: Do you know someone who is struggling to act in a situation? How can you help them stay in God’s light?
Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of Lent
Let’s take a quick look at an overview of the readings this week:
Images of sight, light, and darkness appear throughout these readings, reminding us of the crucial role our sight plays in daily life. As we rely on our eyes, we recognize light and color as it interacts with our senses and guides much of our action.
God helps Samuel to see – not with human but heavenly eyesight – the qualities that will make David king of Israel; Jesus helps the man born blind to see the face of the living God. Ephesians reminds us that as children of the light we turn away from darkness and live in goodness, while the Psalmist gives us courage to walk in the darkest of valleys…confident that the Lord is at our side.
For we know that the darkness is a part of life; indeed, many of us have had the experience of darkness – where fear, doubt, and indecision hold us in a grip of paralysis – and we understand all too well our sense of loneliness and loss.
The Good News: God restores our sight – helping us to see the Lord at work in our world – and inspires us to direct our thoughts, words and actions by the light of faith. May the Light of Christ open our eyes and guide our steps through this life!
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent
The parable of the Prodigal Son is well known and it speaks to some deep forces in our hearts. Like the two sons, we have the chance each day to “come to our senses” to receive mercy and “celebrate and rejoice” when we can share that mercy with one another.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Both the 1st Reading and the Gospel detail stories of rejection: Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers for 20 pieces of silver and Jesus explains how the tenants kill the vineyard owner’s son. Yet in both cases the reality of rejection is transformed and redeemed by God’s grace. May we face our moments of rejection with the power of our faith in Christ, that God will work in our lives to bring about good.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
And to all of you who claim even a wee bit of Irish…Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Study: Reflect on a time when you felt a deep emptiness in your soul. Where did you find relief?
Pray: Is there a longing in your heart right now? Ask the Lord to touch your life with his grace.
Serve: Many people are struggling, sometimes lost in destructive distractions; how can you help them?
Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of Lent
As we enter into the heart of Lent, we encounter two readings that speak of a fundamental human need: to satisfy our thirst. We have all known moments of thirst, accompanied by the profound satisfaction of a cool drink of water. The relief is tangible, and the sensation reveals in a direct way how our bodily needs can be fulfilled.
In the first reading the people are grumbling to Moses in their thirst for water. A miracle is performed by the power of God, and the people once again witness the Lord’s presence in their lives.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus is standing by a well and strikes up a conversation with a Samaritan woman. Here, however, there is more than just physical thirst; the Lord speaks to her heart and satisfies a deep longing for spiritual life. In turn, she goes back to the villagers and brings them to Jesus…so that their spiritual thirst might be quenched as well.
Today we reflect on the reality of physical thirst to help us understand the longing in our souls. What’s missing in our lives? Do we have an ache, an emptiness that longs to be fulfilled?
There are many temptations and distractions in the world that promise fulfillment: drugs, alcohol, sex, money, power, fame, beauty…but all of these ultimately leave us empty. They are pleasing for a moment, but we long for something lasting.
Jesus Christ is the answer. The Lord comes to us in our need, knows our sins, and invites us to draw into his grace. Christ speaks to the deepest longings in our hearts and offers the love, joy and peace that reign supreme in the halls of Heaven.
May we draw close to the Lord today in our need, trusting in his compassion and mercy to quench our spiritual thirst!
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
This presentation was given at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Solon Springs on March 6, 2017. It is the second part of a presentation on discipleship, focusing on living the Good News and sharing it with others. (36 Minutes)
And if you missed the first part of this presentation on discipleship, which focused on repentance and ongoing conversion, you can pick it up below. (45 Minutes)
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Lent
The transfiguration of Jesus gives the apostles strength to continue on their journey to Jerusalem, and it gives them an insight into the glory of Jesus. May we recognize moments when God blesses us as we continue on our journey of faith.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – Friday of the 1st Week of Lent
Jesus invites his disciples to seek God above all else, turning away from sin and making a change deep within our hearts.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 