Christ nourishes body and soul as he feeds the 5000 following his time teaching and healing. As the crowd’s hunger is satisfied with the Lord’s abundance, we gain spiritual insight into how we generously give and gratefully receive the blessings of life.
Mass Readings – 17th Sunday of the Year
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The original sin of Adam and Eve carries on within their family, reminding us how sin – if left unchecked – leaves devastating consequences on those closest to us.
Mass Readings – Monday of the 6th Week of the Year
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The beginning of the Book of Genesis fosters gratitude and wonder in our hearts as we reflect upon the beauty of creation around us.
Mass Readings – Monday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Gratitude is a precious spiritual medicine which helps us truthfully and positively engage the gift of our lives, drawing us closer to the Lord and one another. Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Optional Mass Readings – Thanksgiving Day (USA)
The thankfulness of a cleansed leper reveals the power of gratitude to renew and heal our hearts.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 32nd Week of the Year
The Psalm response echoes the grace revealed in the Gospel of Luke. When we count our blessings we open our hearts in faith to the healing power of Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 24th Week of the Year
Study: How have I reacted in the past when someone I know has been particularly blessed or fortunate? Am I supportive or jealous?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the grace and wisdom to celebrate sincerely with others when they have received special gifts or opportunities.
Serve: How can you support others in their moments of blessing? How might you be generous with gratitude for another person’s good fortune?
Mass Readings – 25th Sunday of the Year
Consider the following possible situations and scenarios:
All of these scenes have one thing in common: through an encounter with generosity and/or opportunity another individual benefits and possesses rewards that we do not share.
How do we react? How do our attitudes and actions change toward those who have received unexpected (and sometimes unearned) generosity? While I know that I hope that I would be good natured, polite, friendly, and supportive – a part of me echoes with the sentiments of the workers in today’s Gospel.
There is a sense of justice, a feeling that we should get what we deserve that goes against the grain of the message today. The last workers got the same wage, even though they only worked a fraction of the time. It’s not fair!
In reality, the story went beyond fairness. No worker was cheated. No worker was denied a fair and agreeable wage. The Master simply wanted to be generous out of concern and care for others.
The fact is, God is generous to all of us. There are moments when we have fallen short of the Lord’s justice through sin and temptation. Yet like the workers today, we receive God’s generosity even when we have not earned it. May we live accordingly.
Note: This blog was originally published on September 14, 2014.
As the Lord empowers the Apostles for their work, he gives them some insights into how they are to do it.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 14th Week of the Year
Study: Consider a time when you experienced joy in the presence of others. What caused it?
Pray: Draw near to the Risen Lord and ask for His grace in your heart to face whatever is before you today.
Serve: How can your life strengthen your family and friendships right now?
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Easter
The readings today give us a snapshot of some key points that surfaced shortly after the Lord’s resurrection:
What do we see? Praise, gratitude, thankfulness, sharing, community life, overcoming doubt, facing trials, and rejoicing! In other words, this is what happens to a group of people who have been transformed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
And I want to live like this.
Frankly, I want all of us to live like this. Filled with God’s grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit, engaging life at full throttle, dealing with difficulty through the power of faith….is there any other way to live?
So…in the light of these concepts that emerged from the fledgling Church…what’s keeping us from this? Has the resurrection of the Lord “sunk in” and touched our hearts? Do we understand what it means to say “The Lord is risen! He is risen, indeed!” as followers of Jesus Christ?
Do we get it?
We all have obstacles, challenges, and the reality of temptation and sin in our lives. That was true for the Early Church as well. But note this: they changed. In the light of the Risen Lord their lives were forever altered: praising God, facing hardship, working together, filled with joy.
This is our invitation today, and it works in three simple steps:
There is no better way to journey through this life!
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Note: This post was first published on April 17, 2017.
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!
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 