Tag Archives: grace

February 18, 2015

Ash Wednesday

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Ashes

Study: Reflect on a moment when sin has touched your life.  Where did you find God’s grace at work?

Pray: Take some time for personal reflection.  Make this an Examination of Conscience to recall how God continues to touch your heart and bless your life.

Serve: Consider a simple and practical way that you can care for another this Lent.  Something personal…something real.

Ash Wednesday Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

“Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

These are the words we hear today as we come forward to begin a new Lent.  We physically mark our foreheads – smudge them with grimy ashes – to recall the simple fact that we are all sinners and stand in need of God’s mercy.

And what great mercy it is!  Perhaps that’s why we pause.  We need mercy.  We crave forgiveness.  We hunger to be loved simply and gently, no strings attached, no conditions required.

These ashes remind us that we need….God.

Pause today.  We reflect on what is broken or wounded in our lives – to discover where we are hurting.

Then look outward.  This is our opportunity to consider how we have broken or wounded others – recognizing that perhaps another has suffered through our thoughts, words, or deeds.

Ashes.

Repentance.

God’s Grace.

Have a blessed and holy Lent.

 

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February 9, 2015

6th Sunday of the Year – Suffering: Part II

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

XIR222724

Study:  Reflect on wounded relationships in your life.  What needs to be done to bring them healing?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the grace to bring healing to the relationships in your life, especially where suffering has caused misunderstanding or fear has led to doubt and uncertainty.

Serve:  Are there people in your life that are struggling in their relationships?  How can you be a bridge that fosters unity and reconciliation?

6th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Last week I focused on the personal nature of suffering.  When we are in pain, when we hurt, we can easily focus on ourselves.  This is not necessarily a bad thing; suffering can help us confront reality and strive for healing and wholeness.  In our suffering we are aware of blessings that we may have taken for granted – our sight can become sharper as we realize the gifts that have been lavished upon us.

There is another dimension of suffering, however.  Suffering commonly affects relationships; when one person suffers, it is often the case that others suffer as well.  Consider the following:

  • Physical suffering can keep us from human touch/contact
  • Intellectual distress can cause us to lash out in doubt and misunderstanding
  • Emotional anguish can prevent us from connecting with others because of fear and anger
  • Spiritual suffering can obscure our values and beliefs with God and others

There are countless examples, but the point is clear – the pain and anguish a person suffers can directly affect relationships with God and one another.  Suffering can become an obstacle that blocks us from the very persons who can bring healing and relief.  Often the greatest wound from suffering is isolation: in our weakness we withdraw from the very people who can help us the most.

The 1st Reading, Responsorial Psalm, and Gospel today reveal both the obstacles of suffering and the bridges that God makes possible through healing grace.  In the face of suffering the Lord comes, not just to bring healing to a person, but healing to the relationships among persons.  God longs not only to renew our lives but the lives around us as well.  Where suffering brings isolation the Lord brings unity – drawing us together in reconciliation and love.

This communal aspect of suffering thus begs two questions for our consideration:

  1. Is suffering affecting relationships in my life right now?
  2. How can I invite the Lord to bring healing/reconciliation?

When the Jesus healed the leper in the Gospel today, he did more than give the man back his health – he gave back his relationships as well.  The man (formerly cut off from human society) is now restored to his family, his friendships, and his participation in the community.  His life has been restored.

As we look to our own encounters with suffering we keep an eye to the ways in which our relationships are harmed/healed.  May we call upon the grace of Christ to touch our lives, and bless the lives of those around us.

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December 25, 2014

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Holy Family - 3

Study:  Recall a time when you were particular grateful for the gift of your family.  What made the difference?

Pray:  Reflect on the needs of your family.  Thank the Lord for your blessings and offer your petitions for their needs.

Serve:  How can you help someone in your family right now?

The Feast of the Holy Family Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

Big or small, far-flung or close to home…we all come from a family.  Sometimes our families are in better/worse places, depending on emotions, finances, relationships, illness, death, and a multitude of challenges and blessings that life can throw our way.

And while no family is perfect, every family provides opportunities for us to grow.  Whether it is getting along, practicing forgiveness, being patient, working together, or dealing with the idiosyncrasies that are part of every human group…there is no place like family for teaching us lessons that are part of our journey to become the best version of ourselves.

The Holy Family faced plenty of blessings and burdens.  Here are a few of the blessings:

  • Encounters with the angel Gabriel
  • Choirs of angels singing and rejoicing
  • Visits from distant Magi and nearby shepherds
  • The brilliant light of the Star as a sign from God

But, then, there are some real burdens:

  • Explaining Mary’s pregnancy (before marriage to Joseph)
  • Fleeing for their lives from King Herod’s soldiers
  • Refugees in Egypt – far from family
  • And one day…Mary will stand before the Cross of Jesus

Clearly, this family is unlike any other; yet together they faced situations that are similar to many even today.  They knew what it was like to be grateful for what they had, and they knew what it was like to face suffering and pain.

But there’s two points I want us to hold close:

  1. They did it together
  2. God was with them

What’s true for the Holy Family is true for our families!  We have opportunities to work together, cooperating and uniting to strengthen the bonds within our families – and when we face challenges we call upon the Lord to give us the grace and strength we need to put faith into family, hope into our homes, and love into our lives.

May this season give us plenty of opportunities to work together with God’s grace in our families – the place where we have been located by the Lord to practice our “homework for holiness” as we journey through this life.

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December 22, 2014

The Feast of Christmas

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Scrooge Christmas

Study: What one thing can you choose to do this Christmas to make it better?

Pray:  Ask God for the help to do that one thing wisely and well!

Serve:  How can you help someone make their Christmas better?

Christmas Readings

Vigil Mass     Mass during the Night     Mass at Dawn     Mass during the Day

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

A Christmas Carol
Part V: Christmas Day

When Scrooge finally awakes on Christmas morning, he is a changed man.  Filled with joy and newfound hope, he begins to live his life very differently from the day before.  Reaching out to the people in his midst, Scrooge recognizes the beauty and richness that has always been around him.

Whether it’s buying an enormous turkey for the Cratchit family, wishing a small boy “Merry Christmas!”, accepting a dinner invitation at his nephew’s home, or raising Bob Cratchit’s salary, what we discover is that Scrooge is transformed.  He has recognized something powerful in his life, and he is following a new course of action.

In the Gospel today Mary greets her kinswoman Elizabeth, who also recognizes something wonderful has happened.  The baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy – a sign that God was present in a powerful way.  Elizabeth understood that God was working in Mary’s life, and she responded to this insight accordingly.

There comes a moment in our lives when we discover something new.  Perhaps we have seen a mistake in the past or regret an action that we have done; at these times we encounter a reason to hope and start over.  We have a reason to live.

The reason?  Christmas joy!  Our lives are transformed by the grace of Christ; through the birth of Jesus all barriers between heaven and earth have been removed and we are united with God.  Once we throw open the doors of our hearts, the power of the Christ child brings a renewal and healing – we live in hope!

It is this sense of hope which can give us new life.  Emerging from doubt or despair, we rediscover that God walks with and among us – helping us in moments of sadness and leading us to peace.  Yet God requires that we actively accept this invitation.  The promise of hope needs our action, and it relies on our willingness to follow.

Scrooge provides an example for us.  With the help of the Spirits of Christmas, he saw a world filled with very different possibilities.  He discovered that he need not be unhappy; he could change his life and embrace the joys which were all around him.  His willingness to see, judge, and act become an inspiration for us – reminding us that life gives us opportunities to change our ways and follow God’s call.

As Elizabeth recognized God’s presence in Mary, we too are invited to discover the Lord in our midst.  May our eyes be open to see God among us, and may we respond with hearts that are open to the abundant love which is our inheritance.

Merry Christmas!

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December 14, 2014

Advent Service: Reconciliation

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

Study:  When was the last time you went to Confession?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the guidance and strength to make an examination of conscience

Serve: Is there anything in my life that is keeping me from genuninely helping others?

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

This homily was given at a communal penance service at the Cathedral on December 13, 2014 prior to the opportunity for individual confessions.  The theme “Taking out the Trash” was used to convey that just as we need to remove the garbage from the kitchen (before it starts to stink), we also need to look into our hearts and remove what does not belong.  The encounter with grace offers us the courage to look honestly and trust that the Lord will give us the strength we need to turn to him and experience his mercy, forgiveness, and love.

 

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July 15, 2014

16th Sunday of the Year – Weeds & Seeds

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Weeding

Study:  What good thing in my life needs to be cultivated to grow?  What bad thing needs to be removed?

Pray:  Do I see the issues in my heart with clarity and honesty?  Ask the Lord for guidance.

Serve:  Can I help someone to grow?  Are there opportunities right now where my service can help others become stronger and better?

16th Sunday Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

I love spending time in a garden.  I love watching the beauty of nature unfold from spring to fall as the plants grow and mature.  My moments in the garden are times for solitude (its just me and the mosquitoes).  I pray, reflect on current issues and needs, and enjoy the satisfaction which comes from time well spent.

I will also freely admit that when I get the chance I actually like weeding.  As a boy I hated it; the work seemed like a punishment and a useless chore.  Yet now I look forward to the time I can spend without care or worry as I dig out unwanted weeds.

That’s a good thing since weeds do not stop growing!  I can spend hours working in the garden, making sure that it is immaculate and pristine, and come back the next day to find a new set of weeds stubbornly about the business of growing right in the midst of my peppers, tomatoes, and basil.

Weeds are persistent (as anyone who has been away from the garden for more than a week knows), and if left untouched can and will take over a garden – choking out all the other plants.

In the Gospel today Jesus uses the example of weeds and seeds to convey some basic truths about our lives:
1.  Patience is required to let the seeds grow.
2.  Weeds are a part of life.

Every gardener knows that you cannot force a plant to grow; it develops over time at a set and natural pace.  Patience is necessary to allow the seed to change and transform to full maturity.  The plant needs time and steady attention if it is to flourish.

Gardeners also know that weeds are always present.  Only through constant care and attention can a person stay on top of the weeds; discipline is required if the garden is to be kept in control.

The fact is, we live in the garden of life.  Like a seed, we grow and mature through time and constant attention.  Only through patient application can we become the creation that God dreams us to be.

Yet we also know that in our life there are weeds.  Temptation and sin are a part of our world, and if left unattended they threaten to choke us off from God and one another.

May we place our trust in Christ, the master gardener, to help us with the weeds and the seeds!

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June 5, 2014

The Feast of Pentecost

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

 

Holy-Spirit-Dove

Study: Where in my life have I experienced God’s grace and strength?

Pray:  What particular needs in my life call for the help of the Holy Spirit?

Serve:  Where can I use the gifts God has given me to serve another right now?

Pentecost Mass Vigil Readings        Pentecost Mass Day Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

The image St. Paul uses in the 2nd reading this weekend is a body.  Composed of different parts which do unique and special functions, the body is united when all the parts come together.  So, too, all of us are united into the Body of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Look at these themes from Pentecost Mass Readings of the Day:

  • The Spirit gives power to communicate across barriers of race and tongue (1st Reading)
  • The Spirit gives life and renews the face of the earth (Psalm response)
  • The Spirit gives different gifts to people for different needs (2nd Reading)
  • The Spirit is breathed on the disciples by Jesus (Gospel)

In other words, the Holy Spirit unites people, renews life, provides unique gifts, and is granted to the Church by Christ.  This is the day that the disciples were empowered to continue the mission of Jesus; filled with the Spirit they will witness the Good News of the Lord through their words and actions.

Their example becomes our model.  The same Spirit that changed their lives comes to us.  The same Spirit that gave them the grace and strength to go forth gives us the power we need to offer our lives for Christ.  God continues to invite us to serve, and the Lord pours forth the Holy Spirit to help us carry out the work of this day.

Are there barriers in our life?  Come Holy Spirit!

Are there parts of life in need of renewal?  Come Holy Spirit!

Are there gifts we have that need to be used and directed?  Come Holy Spirit!

Jesus freely gave the gift of the Spirit to his disciples – may we turn to the Lord with conviction that as we call for the Holy Spirit in our lives we will be given what we need for the work of this day.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

 

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May 4, 2014

4th Sunday of Easter – The Gate of the Shepherd

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

sheep gate

Study:  When have I heard the Lord calling me?  How have I responded?

Pray:  Take time to ask Jesus for guidance and strength.

Serve:  How can I support someone who is searching for meaning, purpose, and answers in life?

4th Sunday of Easter Readings        Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

During my travels in Israel, I had the opportunity to visit with some of the Palestinian people who raised sheep in the rocky countryside.  On one of my trips I met a young boy named Ali who was twelve years old.  He was very shy until I asked him if he would show me his sheep.  With a huge smile he took me by the hand and led me out into a small enclosure.

As we approached the sheep Ali began to call them by name – “Ahmed, Azim, Abram” – and so on.  When the animals heard their names, they came one by one to be fed with some grain Ali had brought.  I marveled at how the sheep trusted this little boy, for without fear or worry they came immediately at the sound of his voice.

After a few minutes I asked if I could feed the sheep.  Ali gave me a grin and said, “You can try.”  He handed me some grain and I tried calling the sheep.

“Azim!  Here Azim!”  I kept calling the sheep but they merely looked at me and moved away.  When I realized that the sheep would not come to me I looked at Ali.  His chest swelled with pride and he said, “They only come to me, because they know me!”

A shepherd’s life is not easy.  The sheep must be constantly guarded from wild animals that prey upon them.  Shepherds endure long, lonely hours exposed to the cold and the elements, ensuring that the sheep will always be under constant care.  Because they are together so much, the shepherd knows each sheep, and they respond when called.

In the Gospel today the Lord tells us that he our shepherd and gate.  The image reminds us that we too are cared for and loved by one who is always near, always listening to our needs and seeking our protection.  Our Lord not only loves us, but knows us intimately – better than we know ourselves.

Yet just as the Ali’s sheep made the choice to listen to the shepherd and not to a stranger, so we too make choices in our response to the many voices in our world.  We know that their are many elements in our world that if we heed would only lead to temptation and sin.

The Shepherd invites us each day to follow his call.  Let us hear his words and respond, thus being guided by the one who knows us out of love.

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March 3, 2014

1st Sunday of Lent – Testing & Temptation

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Desert Test

Study:  Where in my life have I fallen short and failed?  What lessons (however painful) have I learned?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the grace and strength to face temptations.  Do not be afraid!  This is an opportunity to trust in the mercy and love of Jesus.

Serve:  Is there someone in your life who is struggling right now?  How can you help them through this time of testing?

1st Sunday of Lent Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Recall back to your school days.  No matter what grade or level of studies, all of us received tests as part of our education.

I remember once sitting in a class where some students were grumbling to the professor about an upcoming exam (I was angelically studying in a corner…).  The professor stopped the class to say, “Look, there are lots of reasons for exams, but there are two things that are important to me:  First, I need to know the limits of your knowledge.  Second, I want to see how you can apply what you have learned to other areas of study.”

Those two ideas stayed with me, for what is true for tests applies equally to life.  We experience tests all the time, and through these moments we discover amazing insights into our hearts.  Being tested (or tempted) reveals the limits of our strength, courage, patience, and trust; it also shows how we apply what we know (such as our faith in Christ) with what we encounter (trials, disturbances, disease, fear).

The Scriptures today offer two examples of testing which result in very different outcomes.  In the first reading, we see the weakness of Adam & Eve before the temptation of the serpent.  Their choices resulted in separation from God and one another.

In the Gospel we hear the encounter between Jesus and Satan in the desert.  The Devil tempts Jesus through three classic fears:  the fear of physical weakness, the fear of being powerless, and the fear of death.  These fears, which the Lord will ultimately face at his crucifixion, are rejected each time through Scripture and faith in God’s presence.

The lesson for us is clear.  Like Adam & Eve, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s grace.  Yet in our moments of weakness, doubt, and fear we can look to the life of Jesus for strength and new hope.  We, too, can trust that just as the Lord overcame his testing, we can also find guidance and direction through our faith in Christ in our time of need.

Once we trust that the Lord will be with us, we can face our testings and temptations with a new perspective.  These tests show us where we need to ask the Lord for help, revealing our limitations and teaching us to see our blind spots.  In this way our temptations are simply one more opportunity for us to recognize the Lord’s grace at work in our hearts.

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December 26, 2013

The Feast of the Holy Family

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Holy Family

Study:  What is going on in my family right now?  What dynamics, concerns, and strengths are we facing?

Pray:  Call upon God’s grace for your family.  Be specific and practical!

Serve:  How can we help bless our families right now?  What can we do to strengthen and unite together as a holy family?

Holy Family Readings

During this holiday season I am amazed at how many people reorganize their schedules and events to accommodate the many family events that happen during this time of the year.  Many people spend long hours on the road, sometimes celebrating Christmas two or three times with different branches of the family tree.

For some people this time of year can be a mixed blessing.  The stress of traveling with uncertain weather, compounded with the hectic expectations of the commercial side of the season, can sometimes lead us to view Christmas as an exercise in frustration.  This frustration is particularly true when we add the unique issues that are part of our own family.

All of us are part of a family.  Some big, others small, some scattered across the globe, others spaced along a couple of city streets.  In our extended families there are people we can’t wait to see, and there may even be some who are difficult to get along with for a conversation.  Within our families there is usually a mixture of joy and sorrow, peace and discomfort, calm and chaos.

Yet like it or not, God has planted us within these groups of people to help us find our place within the larger world.  Our families help define who we are, how we experience life, and what our dreams and hopes are for the future.  With all their strengths and weaknesses, our families help us understand the meaning and purpose of our lives.

The fact that we celebrate the family of Jesus helps us realize that God is present within our families, too.  The “Holy Family” was not perfect.  Hardship and persecution followed them before and after the birth of the baby Jesus.  They struggled and suffered like every other family, celebrating the joys and sorrows that accompany us all through life.

The struggles of the Holy Family help us see that the journey of our own families is not an easy one.  Yet we can take hope that just as God was present to them, so too will the Lord strengthen us.

The feast of the Holy Family can remind us all that God truly walks with us in our own families.  Within the blessings and limitations that exist in our families, we recognize God’s loving touch – shaping our lives and helping us see the “Holy Ones” that God has placed in our midst.

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