Living one’s life for the Lord does not mean it will be easy; rather, we face the struggles before us with God’s grace to carry out what must be done. A blessed life, then, is not about wealth, health, or earthly glory…it’s about being in right relationship with Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
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In the first reading we hear about the repercussions of the sin of Adam and Eve, reminding us that while we live with the hope of forgiveness and mercy, we must also acknowledge the sober reality of the consequences of our actions.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 5th Week of the Year
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The temptation and sin of Adam and Eve highlights the reality of evil in our lives. Yet as we embrace the hope that we have in Jesus we acknowledge our need for God’s mercy and return to the Lord.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of the Year
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The creation of Eve reveals the beauty and goodness of God’s work, reminding us of our opportunity to take the good things we have received from God and offer them in service to one another.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Jesus acknowledges the faith of the Roman soldier, inspiring us at every Mass to echo his words of faith and trust in the Lord.
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Catholic Inspiration Archives
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Photo credit: The Passion of the Christ, 2004.
The story of creation includes both the dynamic force of work and the renewing power of rest. We, too, require a balance of both, for when we invite the Lord into our labor and our relaxation we find that they are truly blessed.
Mass Readings Tuesday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Study: Consider when you were blessed with strength and guidance in a tough time. How did you experience this blessing?
Pray: We all know many people who are having a tough time right now. Ask the Lord to give them the courage and conviction to carry on.
Serve: Is there some way you can be a blessing to another? How might you use your gifts and talents to alleviate suffering today?
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
Let’s take a quick review of the readings:
There is a dangerous trap that Christians must always be alert to avoid. It runs like this:
In other words, since I am doing what God commands, God owes me. We often find this thinking surfaces when something bad happens – and illness, death, reversal of fortune, pain, or any number of bad scenarios – and suddenly people start blaming God. “Why is God doing this to me? I’m a good person! I don’t deserve this!”
The trap misleads us into thinking that our faith is suppose to protect us from the unfortunate. If we buy into this concept, then we begin to treat our faith at best as a legal contract and at worst as a magical formula where we have power over God.
Life is hard. Life makes demands and challenges us with pain, discomfort, struggle and testing. While we might wish that all days were easy, we know that tough times come along.
And in the face all these obstacles God blesses us with grace, uniting us in our relationship with the Lord and one another. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are blessed when our lives are configured to God and cursed when we step away from the Lord. We can be tempted to trust more in fleeting things like wealth, power, good looks or fame, yet only God offers the enduring strength of love in this life and the next.
The next time something difficult happens, ask this one question: How does my faith in Jesus Christ help me right now? We are blessed when we experience God’s grace to face life’s obstacles. We are blessed when we allow the Lord to work through our lives – even when it’s hard. We are blessed when we receive God’s love with open and gentle hearts.
May God bless us all with exactly what we need to continue on our journey through life today.
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