Tag Archives: Inspiration

April 12, 2014

Holy Week

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Holy Week

Study:  Recall a time in your life when you experienced death and new life.  Where did you find the strength?  Who helped you through this time?

Pray:  Spend some time reflecting on the death and resurrection of Jesus this week.  Read Mark 14-16; Matthew 26-28; Luke 22-24; and John 18-21.  Take in as many prayer opportunities as possible in your parish.

Serve:  Who in your life is dealing with life and death issues right now?  How might you be present to them to offer help, comfort, or strength?

Holy Week audio retreats from the US Bishops

We enter into the heart of the Christian mystery: Holy Week offers us a time to pause, reflect, and pray as the Church ponders on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This mystery, often called the Paschal Mystery, recalls us to the saving work of the Lord.  His death frees of from the burdens of sin and death, and his resurrection opens for us the path to eternal life.  This mystery is profoundly experienced over the Triduum – the 3 Great Days:

  • Holy Thursday – the Mass of the Lord’s Supper
  • Good Friday – the Passion of the Christ
  • Easter (Vigil/Day) – the Resurrection of the Lord

On Holy Thursday we find ourselves in Jerusalem, eating with the disciples at the Lord’s Supper and feeling awkward as he washes their feet – wondering how we would react if he did that for us.  We might identify with Peter or Judas – especially when we consider the times we have willingly betrayed or turned our back on the Lord.

On Good Friday we experience the physical pain, emotional abandonment, and personal humiliation on the path to Calvary (also called Golgotha or Skull Place) and look on with horror at the cruel death of Jesus.  We might also consider the times we have helped others – as Simon did when he was forced to carry the Cross of Christ.    And then we stand in profound sorrow with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, helpless as the innocent suffer injustice.

On Easter we wait in vigil and rise early in the morning with Mary Magdalen, only to find to our wonder and joy that the tomb is empty:  Christ is alive!  Our world, like that of the apostles, is changed forever as we experience new hope and life.

A word to the wise – we get out of Holy Week what we put into it.  Here are some simple ways for an incredible experience.

  • Make church services a top priority – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter (Vigil or Day).
  • Take time to read and reflect on the scriptures (see at the top under “Pray”).
  • Make Holy Thursday an opportunity to offer a special act of service or kindness to another.
  • Make Good Friday fasting extra special with a gift to a particular charity that helps the poor.
  • Make Easter a time of gratitude – take a quiet moment to count our blessings and thank the Lord.
  • Find some time throughout this week to tell the people in our lives how much we love them.

May this be a time for all of us to grow closer to the Lord and one another.

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April 8, 2014

Palm Sunday – The Cross

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

The Face of Christ

Study:  Reflect on a time you experienced weakness and suffering.  Where did you find the strength to continue?

Pray:  Gaze upon a crucifix and offer to Christ any struggles you are facing right now.  Bring the needs of your loved ones to the foot of the Cross as well.

Serve:  Is there someone in your life who is carrying a heavy cross right now?  How can you offer comfort and assistance?

Palm Sunday Readings (with Year A reading for the Procession with Palms)

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

How many times throughout our lives have we made the sign of the Cross?  Stop and think:  at Mass; meal prayers; morning & evening prayers; special gatherings; and moments of blessing and grace.  This simple action, which we teach to children at an early age, invokes a connection with the passion of Jesus.

We adorn our homes with the Cross.  A crucifix is a common gift to a new home; crosses are placed in bedrooms and common areas as a reminder that Jesus is the source of our help and strength.

We adorn ourselves with the Cross as well:  a crucifix on a chain; a cross in our pocket; earrings; rings; bracelets; and all the extra cards, bookmarks, figurines, and miscellaneous items that remind us that Jesus died on a Cross.

The passion we read every year on this day focuses our attention on the central mystery of our faith.  Out of love for us God sent His Son, Jesus, who gave his life on the Cross that we might have eternal life.  Through his suffering and death, we recognize that God has made a pathway possible that we might all journey through this life to the gates of Heaven.

The Cross teaches us many lessons:

  • Life is difficult, and at times painful
  • Weakness and sin are part of our experience
  • God identifies with our pain
  • God dies that we might have life

At the core of our teaching the Cross stands as the testament of God’s love for us.  Yet the Cross appears to be an embarrassment – after all, why would God (all powerful, all knowing, supreme) choose to be humiliated?  Does that not mean that God is weak?  Why could God not take away our sins in a way that showed majesty and splendor?

In reality, the weakness revealed in the Cross uncovers our frailty, not God’s.  Jesus endured the Cross because of our broken, wounded nature.  He carried the Cross because we were unable to – as St. Paul writes “The wages of sin is death” in Romans 6:23 – and he bore the suffering, pain, and grief that are the natural result of our sinfulness.  God is not weak, rather God takes on our weakness so that we can be made whole.

The Cross proclaims the truth that God meets us where we are in life.  In our weakness, in our humiliation, in our low moments of doubt and sin God comes to us.  Jesus, like us in every way but sin, understands our pain because through his Cross he shares in the suffering of the world.  He knows us, loves us, and saves us through his Cross.

Every time we make the sign of the Cross may we recall what the Lord endured for us.  Through the Cross we discover our strength as we trust in God’s love and  seek to follow that love as we journey through this life toward the world to come.

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.  Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world!

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March 30, 2014

5th Sunday of Lent – A Second Chance

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

 

Second Chance

Study:  Reflect on a time when you were given a second chance.  How did you feel?  How did you respond?

Pray:  Is there something in your past that has held you back from growing?  Ask the Lord for the grace to begin again.

Serve:  Is there someone you know who could use a second chance?  How can you help them to start over?

5th Sunday of Lent Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Anyone who plays games knows about second chances.  They happen in board games when we get to “roll again”, and they happen in sporting events when one team gets a break through a change in the action.  They are part of the game, and they usually bring plenty of excitement and interest.

A second chance usually gives the player new opportunities and hope.  When a second chance is offered, it provides for the possibility to correct past mistakes.  Second chances can revitalize a player’s efforts.  Simply put, they can breathe new life into the game.

In the Gospel today we hear how Jesus calls Lazarus back from the dead.  Lazarus, who had been in the tomb four days, was loved by family and friends alike.  This love is witnessed in Jesus, whose tears reveal the depth of his concern.

I have always wondered how the story of Lazarus continued after this miracle.  What did people say every time they saw him?  Did people point to him as an example of the power of Jesus?  Did he wake up each day thanking God for another opportunity to love the people around him?

This miracle shows us a fundamental truth about God:  the Lord grants us second chances. Through the miracle of Jesus, Lazarus has been given back the gift of life.  This miracle provides the possibility for him to look back on the past and make a break with it.  In other words, his new life is an opportunity to begin again.

The story of Lazarus inspires us with hope.  God gives us second chances, too!  There are times when we may reflect on our lives, and we know that there is something that needs to change.  We need to let it “die” so that God can call us back to life.

Perhaps we have acted or spoken in a way that has been harmful to another.  Perhaps we have abused our bodies or put ourselves or others at risk through unwise choices.  Or maybe an event or decision in the past has kept us from living our lives in the present.

Whatever it is, God gives us a second chance.  Through his journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday, Jesus makes it possible for us to break from sin and live in the light of God’s grace.  We can start again, living with the faith, hope, and love that can only come from Jesus Christ.

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March 24, 2014

4th Sunday of Lent – A Life Worth Living

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Beautiful Life - People

Study:  When have you sensed and recognized the precious value of life?  How did you respond?

Pray:  Offer prayers for those who struggle to embrace the gift of their lives.

Serve:  Is there someone nearby who is overcome by weakness, failure, or struggle?  How can you help?

4th Sunday of Lent Readings

The philosopher in me ponders a recurring question:  Why does God bother with us?  Why does the Lord of all creation seem to care about us?  Why does God have anything to do with us, especially when the universe is such a big place?  After all, why would God want to spend time caring for over seven billion people – aren’t there more important things to do?

Consider the role God plays in the readings this week:
1st – God chooses us according to our hearts.
Psalm – God shepherds us in our need.
2nd – God enlightens us in our darkness.
Gospel – God heals in our weakness.

In all four cases, God is acting on our behalf, despite our weakness, failings, and struggles.  The Lord continues to reach out to people, making hope possible in the midst of the challenges of life.  It does not seem to matter that people make mistakes or fall short of their abilities.  God still seems to care.

We are told that we are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26), and we are told that God loved us so much he sent Jesus (John 3:16). What then can we learn about the Lord from these readings we hear today?

It seems to me that throughout these readings we discover that God values our lives, even when they are broken and limited by sickness and sin. God looks at us, with all our faults, and rejoices whenever we turn our hearts and minds to Jesus.

If the Lord finds joy in our lives, however feeble or faint, should we not do the same?  If God was willing to give us Jesus that we might have eternal life, should we not reflect on just how powerful this gift of life really is and act accordingly?

When we acknowledge that God acts for us because God loves us – completely, sincerely, and out of a thorough knowledge of all our sins – then we have hope.  We recognize that life is precious, and we find inspiration to make the most of this day, this moment, lest we lose even one opportunity to share our lives with God and one another.  With understanding comes this simple fact: we possess a life worth living – made by God, redeemed by God, and sustained by God!

Once we believe that Jesus died because he loves us, then all the actions we see in the readings today make sense.  May we embrace what God has done for us, and share with joyful hearts a life worth living.

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March 16, 2014

3rd Sunday of Lent – Thirsty for Water

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Living Water

Study:  When have you been in need for water?  When have you been in need of God’s grace?

Pray:  Is there something in your life that is parched and dry?  Ask the Lord for the Living Water that refreshes our souls.

Serve:  Is there someone you know who is withered and weak?  How can you bring them new strength and assistance?

3rd Sunday of Lent Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Imagine a tall glass of water.  You are tired and hot, and you hold the cool glass and start to drink.  Immediately, relief spreads through your throat and body, and as you set down the glass you say, “Ahhh!” and smile.

We all have experiences of being thirsty.  Maybe it is after a few slices of pizza or some extra salty snacks; perhaps it’s before an operation or medical checkup, when we are told that we cannot eat or drink anything from midnight on; it could be that we have just had a lot of exercise and are dehydrated.  Yet no matter what the situation is, we know the feeling when we are thirsty for water.

Our bodies need water.  Some studies tell us we  should be drinking a minimum of eight glasses a day.  This dependence on water is found in our survival; a person can live for weeks without food, but only a couple of days without water.

Our critical need for water becomes the source of the images found in the first reading and Gospel today.  Water is the subject for both Moses and Jesus.  Under God’s direction and guidance, Moses strikes the rock and provides water for the people in the desert.  Jesus, through his discussion with the woman at the well, reveals that he is the water that gives eternal life.

These readings remind us that God brings the Living Water to us.  In our need the Lord quenches our thirst as he did for the people in Meribah.  In our need the Lord comes to us as he did for the woman at the well.  For just as we need water to sustain our bodies, so too do we need Jesus Christ to give us life in this world and in the world to come.

Are you spiritually thirsty?  Is there something missing that you long for in your soul?  Is it love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control?  Just as our bodies respond to water with renewed strength, so also our thirst for “living water” reminds us that God offers us refreshment for our souls.  Lent is a perfect time to recognize our need for the Lord and ask for the grace and strength to face the challenges of today.

It is with water that we welcome new members into the Christian family through baptism.  It is with Holy Water that we sign ourselves with the Cross of Jesus Christ.  During the Easter season we will celebrate the sprinkling rite as we renew our own baptismal promises.  In all these cases, water becomes the medium to remind us of God’s presence.

Every time we pick up a glass of water we have the chance to remember how dependent we are on this simple substance.  May this reminder lead us more deeply into the mystery of God’s love for us and our need to recognize the Lord each day in the world around us.  May we drink deeply from the living water of Jesus Christ.

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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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February 23, 2014

8th Sunday of the Year – Useless Worry

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Anxiety

Study:  Where in my life am I anxious, worrying about things I have no control over?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the wisdom to focus on the needs that I have the power to change and affect.

Serve:  Is someone in my life struggling with useless worry right now?  How can I walk with them and offer comfort and strength?

8th Sunday Readings

Do you ever wonder how much time we waste worrying?

The Lord says “Do not worry” three times in the Gospel of Matthew, and  I am inclined to believe that the repetition is there because, quite simply, we worry too much.  I am constantly reminded in both my personal experience and my ministry how much life can be lost when we get anxious, and I take great comfort in the words of Jesus.  Frankly, I believe the devil laughs when we worry; we waste our lives in an effort that gives nothing, absorbs our attention, and offers no growth or peace of mind.  It is utterly useless.

To understand this passage I think it is important to make a couple of simple distinctions.  First, we can be mindful of what is in and out of our control.  Certain things in life we have the power to change; our effort (thinking, planning, choosing, carrying out) can make a difference.

Yet we also know that there are many things that are out of our control: weather, economic forces, complexities in our relationships, accidents, and the like.  Nothing we do can affects these events – we can only adapt and respond as the situation warrants.

Second, planning is not worrying.  Sometimes part of the work in our control is to make the plans and preparations necessary for the best outcome.  God has given us many talents and skills, and our ability to anticipate needs and situations can help us add goodness and beauty to our world – it can save lives, and  allow us to experience life through our best effort.

So, if something is outside my control and I am spending time, effort, and emotional energy on it – I am wasting my God-given gift of life.

If something is within my control and I do what I can to create the best outcome possible – I am using my God-given gift of life.

Third, not all activities are the same.  The point in this passage is simple:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” (Mt. 6:33)

Our first priority is to put God at the center of our lives.  Jesus invites us to build our lives on a foundation where the love and pursuit of God come first.  With the Lord at the center of our lives we  can then enter into proper perspective with others and the material needs of life.  Simply put, when God is first then everything else falls into place.

Here’s a final question:  Am I anxious?  Am I wasting time, effort, and energy on things out of my control?  What are the obstacles that are robbing my life of beauty, strength, and goodness.  Can I locate the points of worry, recognizing their impact on my life and choosing to let them go?

Perhaps now is the time to turn to God and focus our lives on the one who made us, redeemed us, and strengthens us each and every day.  Life is a precious and holy gift – meant to bring the love of Jesus to those around us.  Perhaps now is the time to ask the Lord to plant peace in our hearts, letting go of anxiety and useless worry.

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February 16, 2014

7th Sunday of the Year – Love your Enemies

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Love your enemies

Study:  Are there people in my life right now who are hard to love?  What is it that keeps me from reaching out to them?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the wisdom and courage to love.

Serve:  How might I reach out to someone in my life today?  Who is the Lord calling me to love?

7th Sunday Readings

Love is one of those words that easily gets overused in our everyday language.  We “love” our moms, ice cream, pets, a good movie, favorite song, significant other, piece of clothing, the newest electronic, or any of a thousand other things.

But we don’t “love” them equally.  Many of these things we “like” a lot, and in our desire to show how much we like something we might want to stress the point with the word love.

Love can and does mean many things, but I would like to suggest today a simple definition: to want the very best for another.  To say “I love you” can mean that because of my love I will do everything in my power to offer what is best for you.  To say “I love you” includes:

  •  giving what is good for you (rather than what you might want)
  •  making sacrifices so you can succeed
  •  being kind and gentle when you don’t deserve it
  •  forgiving you when you have hurt me
  •  being present when you are not a lot of fun to be around
  •  putting your needs before my own – because I value you

Love is not for the faint of heart!  At its core love reveals how we value others and vividly displays how we will freely choose to act on those values.  Love reveals a fundamental commitment to people and a willingness to see the goodness in another.

That sounds good for people we care about, but Jesus pushes this point to the edge: what about our enemies?  What about those who are difficult, belligerent, awkward, hostile, cruel, and unpleasant?  Can we love them?

One way to test this point is to ask a simple question – for whom am I willing to sacrifice my life?

Some come naturally to mind – people in my close family, dear friendships, “loved ones” who make a difference in my life.  But there are others:

  • distant family members (who sometimes get under our skin)
  • acquaintances
  • co-workers
  • strangers & those not like us
  • those who are hard to love
  • those who actively dislike/irritate/aggravate/hate/are cruel to us….

You get the idea.

This question is important for one simple reason – Jesus did this.  The Lord sacrificed his life for all of us, not on our best day but our worst.  Christ showed the depth of his love by offering his life for us; his death on the Cross and resurrection are the means of our salvation.

In other words his love is revealed by his sacrifice for what is best for us.

And that is our example of love.  In this command Jesus presents us with something that calls for complete transformation.  He calls us to a radical care for others that will demand our very hearts.  He calls us to be like Him.

**********

Now I offer one caveat: love also requires respect, dignity, and justice.  We are not called to be doormats that others harm, nor are we expected to tolerate evil.  We stand up to what is wrong and defend life (this is also part of the command of love).  But the point remains – do we care for others in such a way as to show our value for the gift of life?  Do our words, thoughts, and actions reveal our fundamental respect for the souls (created & redeemed by God) of others?

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February 9, 2014

6th Sunday of the Year – Surpassing Righteousness

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Inspiration-Recognition

Study:  When have I embraced a project or task and truly made it my own?  When have I poured my heart into something?

Pray:  Ask the Lord a simple question: where am I invited to grow and change?

Serve:  Is there a situation or opportunity in my life right now that will help me grow in new ways?  Is there some way I can share my life?

6th Sunday Readings

Two students walked in to a class on the first day of the semester.  The room was filled but they found a couple of chairs up front and sat through the opening remarks of the professor.  As the class progressed both took copious notes and carefully followed the lecture.  When the class was done, both waited to speak with the teacher.

The first said, “I need this class to graduate.  Can you recommend what I need to focus on to get a good grade?”  The professor nodded and wrote down a list of extra resources to study.

The second said, “I love this topic!  Can you recommend anything I can read to learn more?”  The professor smiled, pointed to the first student, and said, “Copy that list – and enjoy it!”

Point: have you ever noticed the difference between something you felt you had to do and something that you wanted to do?  The first is an obligation; the second is a conviction.

So…how would you describe your faith?

Jesus speaks to a number of points in the Gospel of Matthew today, and in every case the Lord invites us to move from the obligation of the law to a new level of intensity – to embrace His words as a fundamental conviction that inspires us toward God and one another.

Do we consider our discipleship as something we have to carry out?  Do we need a “good grade” to tow the line and get to heaven?  Do we see our lives as completing a list of tasks?

Or are we disciples who look for new ways we grow?  Do we seek to be transformed – to become something more – to open our hearts to the journey that happens when we let God completely into our lives?

It is this radical growth that can challenge us.  Following Christ requires us to set aside our prejudices and presuppositions and be guided by the desire to be like Jesus.  We will be asked to change, transform, grow, and allow our lives to be directed by the Lord.

Back to those students…both got good grades.  But the first promptly forgot the class and never used it again.  The second found the course interesting, moving, and planned a career and life decisions around the material.

How about us?  Will our faith be something that is just a small part of our life, or will it be something that inspires and illuminates it?  The first is an obligation we fulfill; the second is a way of life that brings God’s life to ourselves and those around us.

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December 9, 2013

3rd Advent – Music & Hope!

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Christmas Carol

Study:  Reflect on moments when you have been inspired.  What was the source of your inspiration?  Where do you find inspiration now?

Pray:  Is there something or someone in your life in need of hope?  Pray for God’s grace to touch and bless this need, in whatever way God chooses.

Serve:  How can you bring hope to others?  How can your life offer inspiration, healing, and the grace of Christ to our world?

3rd Advent Readings

There seems like no better time of the year then the days before Christmas for familiar music melodies.  On the radio or the street corner, in stores and homes, these tunes strike a sweet spot in many hearts.  Here are just a few examples:
* O Come, All Ye Faithful
* Joy to the World
* Silent Night, Holy Night
* Away in a Manger
* Angels We Have Heard on High
* O Little Town of Bethlehem
* It Came upon the Midnight Clear
* God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
And many, many more!

In these days of preparation, people are often found humming or whistling a favorite tune.  In fact, people who seldom (if ever) sing are most likely to do so at this time of year – caroling with friends, in church, (or when no when is looking…..!).

Music has the power to inspire us.  It uplifts our hearts, evokes strong emotions, and puts us in touch with memories and feelings that we might forget or ignore.  In many respects, music is one of our most human qualities.

When we allow ourselves to be touched by music, we discover that its message moves through us.  We hear and understand information in a different way, and in turn are able to express these insights to others.  We are able to proclaim good news.

In the Scriptures we hear messages of hope.  Isaiah offers a prophecy of a renewed world; James offers an invitation to steadfast patience; and Matthew reveals the power of Jesus at work with the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven.

These are incredible words!  We listen to them, as we have often listened in the past, yet we are invited to let their meaning touch us and strengthen us for our daily needs.  At these moments music becomes a powerful aid, helping us to put into song the comfort and joy that come through our hope in Christ.

During these short days before Christmas, take a moment to hear the music around us.  Listen to the words, hear the melodies, and hey, sing them!  Their power moves our hearts, helping us to proclaim the Good News of God in our midst.  Be inspired by the gift of music to bring Christ’s hope to our hearts!

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