Thanksgiving Day offers a fantastic opportunity to stop, reflect and offer gratitude for the blessings God showers upon our lives. While life is filled with a mix of good and bad moments, being thankful offers us a powerful lens to make sense of it all as we keep our focus on Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Thanksgiving Day
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To my family…all my love on this Thanksgiving Day. This is photo is a personal favorite of mine!
The Psalm Response invites us to praise God each day. Through our prayer, service and personal enrichment we acknowledge what the Lord has done for us as we share our lives with one another.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 33rd Week of the Year (St. Cecilia)
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The Psalm Response serves as a wake up call: “Remember the marvels the Lord has done!” Take a moment right now and do a quick inventory of the blessings in your life. Do it…then say a prayer of gratitude!
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 32nd Week of the Year
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Two different foreigners offer their gratitude to God for the second chance that they received, reminding us that counting our blessings is one of the best spiritual medicines we possess to help us face the challenges of life.
Mass Readings – 28th Sunday of the Year
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The Lord offers a direct warning about the sin of greed in the Gospel today. While we are often quick to perceive greed in others, the reality is that this temptation touches us all in great and small ways. Fr. Andrew’s homily offers three antidotes to help us shake off the lure of this deadly sin.
Mass Readings – 18th Sunday of the Year
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Study: Are there situations in life where you find greed present? Ask yourself what is the source of this excessive hunger for more.
Pray: Call upon the Lord for the grace to use your resources wisely.
Serve: How can you be generous with your life today?
Mass Readings – 18th Sunday of the Year
The Lord cautions us to “guard against all greed” in the Gospel today, yet another reminder of the timeless power of our faith to speak to the human heart. Let’s take a moment to break down some common aspects of greed:
Greed disregards the needs of others as the individual focuses entirely on self. Seeking more and more, it pushes other things aside in a quest to acquire. And while we often associate greed with money, the Lord’s warning against all forms of greed is apt…we can be greedy about so many things!
So what’s the cure? How do we combat greed in our lives? Here are some key ingredients:
By weaving these elements into our lives we cultivate a perspective that sees all resources as gifts from God that are to be used wisely and well. We have been richly blessed by the Lord! May we live and share our lives in such a way that Christ’s love shines through all that we do.
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Note: This post was first published on July 25, 2016.
As Simeon sees the Christ Child he recognizes the Messiah and gives praise to God. As the Kingdom of Heaven continues to unfold here on earth, we have daily opportunities to seek out the face of Jesus in our lives and respond with joy and gratitude.
Mass Readings – 5th Day in the Octave of Christmas
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