The Light of Christ is like a lamp – meant to be set forth to give light to all. St. Thomas Aquinas, through his study and prayer, sought the Divine Light, and he offers us an example to follow today.
Tag Archives: Homily
4th Sunday of the Year – When the Going Gets Tough
Study: Recall a time when you had to speak up in a difficult situation. How did you face it? What gave you strength to do it?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the grace to respond to challenging circumstances with love. Call upon the Holy Spirit for the gifts you need.
Serve: How can you support someone who is faced with a tough task right now? How can you help them?
4th Sunday of the Year Readings
Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast
Let’s start with a quick recap of the readings this week:
- 1st Reading: Jeremiah will be strengthened to preach a difficult message
- Psalm: We proclaim God’s goodness, especially when life is tough
- 2nd Reading: The Love of God shapes and directs our lives
- Gospel: Jesus encounters opposition at Nazareth
The first reading, psalm, and Gospel all refer to moments that challenge us. The prophets encountered it, the Psalmist sings about it, and the Lord himself met resistance and opposition to the message he proclaimed. But note this: in spite of the difficulty they did it.
Sometimes saying what needs to be said is unpleasant and unwelcome. We might want to avoid it or wish someone else could do it, but there are times in life when it’s up to us to deliver a tough message. We know what needs to be said…and that it’s up to us to speak.
The key is how we say it. How does our intention, our desire, and our tone convey a tough message? The answer is found in the second reading: Love. The love of Christ guides and directs every aspect of our lives – including those times when we are called to speak about a difficult topic.
This notion of “what” and “how” shows up repeatedly in the spiritual life:
- What refers to the issue, content, and “facts” of a situation or circumstance
- How refers to the manner in which it is conveyed – the way we do something
Our faith calls us to confront the reality of life, particularly when things are tough. We need not fear engaging a difficult situation; rather, we draw on the love of Christ to guide us – both in what we say and how we say it – trusting that the Lord will provide us with the grace we need.
Let’s face it: Life is tough! But when the going gets tough, the tough get going…guided by God’s love.
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Daily Mass: Timothy & Titus. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast – the Feast of Sts. Timothy & Titus
We pass on the faith that was handed to us. Like Saints Timothy & Titus, we are part of a vast chain of disciples – sharing the faith we have received so that the Good News of Jesus Christ may continue to touch hearts in our world today.
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3rd Sunday of the Year – The Spirit of the Lord in our Lives – Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s 3rd Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast
We call upon the Spirit of the Lord to strengthen us, so that we in turn can share God’s Spirit with one another. Working together, like St. Paul’s example of a body, the Lord empowers us in community to bring the Good News to the world.
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Daily Mass: An Example of Mercy. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast – Friday of the 2nd Week of the Year
David’s example of mercy toward King Saul shows us a path to follow in our own lives. Rather than returning evil with evil, we are invited to bring the love and grace of Christ to the situations before us.
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Daily Mass: To See as God Sees. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast – Tuesday of the 2nd Week of the Year
Samuel meets the sons of Jesse to anoint one king of Israel. Each son appears kingly, but God replies:
“Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
May we see as God sees – both within our hearts and in the hearts of others – and respond with the love of Christ!
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2nd Sunday of the Year – God Gives Good Gifts – Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s 2nd Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast
At the wedding at Cana the Lord’s miracle of water to wine shows that God gives with quality and generosity. This notion of gift is picked up in Paul’s 1st Letter to the Corinthians. These precious gifts – given by God – are meant to be used. Our invitation today: to acknowledge the good things Christ has given and put them into practice.
A quick shout out to my nieces and nephews who made my vacation so much fun and who shared their Scripture insights with me – that was a gift that I found truly precious!
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Daily Mass: Jesus & The Leper
The encounter between the Lord and the leper reveals the direct access that people have to Christ – even with horrible illness. The leper’s plea is met with the overwhelming response for healing and wholeness. In the same way, may we openly approach Jesus in our need, trusting in his mercy and tenderness.
This was my last chance to share podcast insights with my family during my vacation with them in Indiana. What fun! From now on, when I am stuck on ideas for a homily I am going to ask the kids for points of interest…seriously, I really cherished their thoughts.
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Daily Mass: Healing the Unclean
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast – with a little help from his niece and nephews
Jesus heals the man with the unclean spirit, showing his power and authority. In the same way, we turn to the Lord to cast out what does not belong in our own hearts.
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2nd Sunday of the Year – God’s Abundant Goodness
Study: Reflect on a time when you experienced something profoundly good. How did it shape you?
Pray: Are there needs in your life or in someone you know? Ask the Lord to touch and bless them with goodness.
Serve: How can you bring abundant goodness to another today? How can your service make a real difference in someone’s life?
2nd Sunday of the Year Readings
This week’s readings proclaim God’s goodness in a variety of ways:
- 1st Reading – God calls Israel his “Delight”
- Psalm – the people proclaim the “marvelous deeds of the Lord”
- 2nd Reading – the Spirit showers us with rich and varied gifts
- Gospel – Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana
We often talk about the Lord’s commandments as things we should NOT do. While this is often true and helpful, we can sometimes miss the point about all the ways our lives can DO things that are inspired (and indeed, commanded) by God. We are called:
- to live joyfully
- to proclaim God’s Good News
- to engage the gifts we have been given for others
- to change and transform the world around us with God’s grace and blessing
Simply put, God’s goodness to us inspires us to share this abundant goodness with each other. We are invited to take hold of our lives and make the most of each day – loving and serving, forgiving and helping, blessing, healing, rejoicing, and renewing. We have been given the gifts of life and faith….let’s live them with power!
The gut check in all this flows from our fundamental attitude: do we live our faith with love, joy, and peace? Do people see goodness in the words we say and the actions we perform? Is our Christian witness evident in the manner and conduct of our interactions with others? May God’s goodness empower our lives to burn like a blazing torch – leading others closer to God and one another.
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The Wedding at Cana, Paolo Veronese; 1562, Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks- Daily Mass: We are guided by the Fruits of the Spirit
- Daily Mass: Let your mercy come to us, O Lord
- Daily Mass: The lesson of the sign of Jonah
- Study, Pray, Serve: 29th Sunday of the Year
- 28th Sunday of the Year: We respond to God's banquet invitation
- Daily Mass: We are blessed when we hear and observe the Word of God
- Daily Mass: By the finger of God, Christ drives out demons
- Daily Mass: We practice our faith with persistence
- Daily Mass: Lord, teach us to pray!
- Daily Mass: We draw near and listen to the Lord
