Tag Archives: grace

Daily Mass: The temptation of Adam & Eve. Catholic Inspiration

temptation

Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of the Year (St. Scholastica)

The temptation of Adam & Eve illustrates for us how sin can erode our relationships with God and one another.  As we come to understand their temptation, we seek the Lord in our moments of trial, asking for the grace (and when necessary, forgiveness) of Jesus Christ.

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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts


Daily Mass: A mother’s faith. Catholic Inspiration

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Mass Readings – Thursday of the 5th Week of the Year

A Greek woman who is Syrophoenician by birth expresses a mother’s love through her simple and direct faith in the healing power of Christ.  Her one line response to Jesus inspires us to embrace our faith with conviction and power as we face the challenges in our lives.

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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts


Daily Mass: The battle is within our hearts. Catholic Inspiration

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Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 5th Week of the Year

Jesus points out that it is within our hearts that destruction and defilement take place.  The solution?  Turn away from sin, making a change of heart so that the grace of Christ can make us whole.

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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts


Daily Mass: Christ the Great Shepherd. Catholic Inspiration

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Mass Readings – Saturday of the 4th Week of the Year

Christ, the Great Shepherd, looks upon our weakness with compassion and reaches out to guide and strengthen us for the journey through this life and into the next.

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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s podcasts


Daily Mass: Following Christ in the face of opposition. Catholic Inspiration

take up your cross

Mass Readings – Friday of the 4th Week of the Year

The death of John the Baptist recalls the fact that doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason does NOT mean that life will always be easy.  In fact, our faith in Jesus Christ will sometimes put us squarely in the face of opposition…and we recognize that we might suffer even as we serve the Lord with all our heart.

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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s podcasts


Daily Mass: Discipline that comes from struggle. Catholic Inspiration

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Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 4th Week of the Year

In the Book of Hebrews we are reminded to treat our trials as discipline, something that Jesus encountered when he preached at Nazareth.  As we live our faith today may we consider our struggles and difficulties as “homework for holiness” through which God strengthens our faith and renews us in grace.

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Archive of all of Fr. Andrew’s podcasts


Daily Mass: The healing touch of Christ. Catholic Inspiration

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Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 4th Week of the Year (St. John Bosco)

The two healing miracles in the Gospel of Mark today reveal the healing power of the Lord, inspiring us to draw near to the one who knows our need and longs to touch our hearts with his grace.

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Archive of all of Fr. Andrew’s homilies and podcast presentations


5th Sunday of the Year: Salt & Light

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Study:  Reflect on a time when you were able to help someone in a profound moment of need.  What gave you the “push” to help?

Pray:  Is there a situation in your life that requires action but you find yourself in need of guidance?  Bring this concern to the Lord in your prayer.

Serve:  How can you be Salt or Light to someone today?  How can your life enhance the quality and dignity of another?

Mass Readings – 5th Sunday of the Year

We see some beautiful themes surface in the readings this week:

  • 1st Reading – Through service to others God’s light will shine upon us
  • Psalm – “The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.”
  • 2nd Reading – We place our faith in the power of God
  • Gospel – “Salt of the earth” and “Light of the World”

Throughout these readings the Lord’s power is manifested every time we cooperate with God’s grace through works of charity and service.  Things like:

  • Share your bread with the hungry
  • Shelter the oppressed and homeless
  • Clothe the naked
  • Do not turn your back on your own
  • Remove oppression, false accusation, malicious speech
  • Satisfy the afflicted
  • Be gracious and lend
  • Conduct one’s affairs with justice
  • Give to the poor

When we do these things we discover that God provides the strength, wisdom, direction and guidance to carry them out.  The Lord takes our effort, reinforces it with grace, and blesses our work in ways we never imagined.  Like a brilliant light shining in the darkness, the glory of Jesus Christ pierces the pain and struggles of this life and offers us hope to continue on our way.

And when we let the Lord work through us we become Salt & Light.  Our lives, invigorated by God’s love, become conduits for Divine Charity to touch hearts and lives in our world today.  It is the Lord’s power at work in our lives, and we are blessed every time we say “Yes!” to the call of Christ to serve those in our midst.

 

 


4th Sunday of the Year: Seek the Lord with a humble heart. Catholic Inspiration

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Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of the Year

Humility happens when we are simultaneously aware of our sins and acknowledge God’s grace.  When we bring together this understanding of our sinfulness and God’s mercy we can be honest with ourselves and thus approach the Lord and others with a humble heart.

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If you are looking for an Examination of Conscience, click here for six different options from the US Bishops.


Daily Mass: Steady growth that starts small. Catholic Inspiration

A group of staff and volunteers plant a spiral-patterned display of annual flowers at the Allen Centennial Gardens at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during spring on June 3, 2013. (Photo by Jeff Miller/UW-Madison)

Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast

Mass Readings – Friday of the 3rd Week of the Year

Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven as a mustard seed that grows slowly and steadily, reminding us to be open to the Lord’s grace in our lives today…so that we continue to grow to full stature as disciples of Christ.