Jonah’s dark response to the repentance of the people of Nineveh reveals a trap that lurks in our hearts: the desire to see others suffer for their sins. Yes, there will be natural consequences, but the Lord came to bring us healing and hope; will we do the same?
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 27th Week of the Year
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Jonah’s message of repentance transformed the people of Nineveh. We, too, can be changed as we acknowledge each day whatever keeps us from the love of Jesus Christ, repenting of our sins and receiving God’s grace.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 27th Week of the Year
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Study: Reflect on a time when you experienced healing. Who helped you?
Pray: Pray for the sick, especially those that you know.
Serve: How can you help be an agent of healing today? What circumstances or situations can you address to (re)connect others?
Mass Readings – 28th Sunday of the Year
Both Elisha and Jesus heal lepers in the 1st Reading & Gospel today. Take a moment to note these points about the encounter between Jesus and the 10 lepers in the Gospel of Luke:
Leprosy was (and still is) a horrible disease. Not only did it cause physical hardship as the body wasted away, but it separated lepers from loved ones in order to prevent them from catching the same sickness.
The encounter with Jesus changes this. The Lord not only restores their physical health, but at the same time he also returns them to their families and friends. They have their lives restored in body, heart and soul.
The sense of gratitude expressed by the leper who thanks Jesus touches two key points: First, he expresses gratitude for what God has done. Second, he is able to touch Jesus – something that he couldn’t do before because of the disease. This sense of thankfulness and connection reveals what can happen when we open our hearts to the Lord.
So where do you need healing in your life today? May we call upon the Lord with grateful hearts, as we seek healing…body & soul.
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Note: This post was first published on October 4, 2016.
The Second Letter to Timothy inspires us to take the gift of faith and stir it into flame, realizing that this task requires daily attention and effort.
Mass Readings – 27th Sunday of the Year
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As the disciples return praising God for the power they used in the name of Jesus, the Lord reveals this power as the fulfillment of God’s plan for salvation history. Our task today? To continue to let Jesus work through the daily offering of our lives.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 26th Week of the Year
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As Jesus extends his authority to the disciples, we discover that the Church – the successor of these same disciples – has been given an opportunity and a responsibility to carry out the Lord’s Mission today.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 26th Week of the Year (St. Francis of Assisi)
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The sending of the seventy-two disciples in the Gospel of Luke reveals the Lord’s openness to work through people, even as he empowers and support their efforts. Christ does the same for us!
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 26th Week of the Year
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On this feast of the Guardian Angels we pause to thank the Lord for these heavenly guides as we call upon their assistance in our spiritual battle.
Mass Readings – The Guardian Angels
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There is a sharp contrast between the response of James and John in the Gospel and the life of St. Therese (who we celebrate today.) While James and John will get it right in the end, we have the opportunity everyday to pursue the love of Christ in all aspects of our lives.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 26th Week of the Year
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Study: Reflect on a moment when your faith was on fire. What people or events helped make this happen?
Pray: Is your faith struggling right now? Ask the Lord to renew the fire within your heart.
Serve: Is there someone in your life who is struggling with their faith? How can you help support them?
Mass Readings – 27th Sunday of the Year
The Second Letter to Timothy and the Gospel of Luke offer us a couple of crucial insights regarding our faith in Jesus Christ.
The words to Timothy are inspiring: “I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God…for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but of power and love and self control…Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.”
We have received the grace of Jesus Christ through our sacraments, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit. There is power in these words! Our lives are transformed when we open out hearts to the fire of faith, and we receive strength to face the difficulties and challenges of life with God’s help.
Sometimes we can lose sight of the great gift of our faith. We can take it for granted, leave it uncultivated, or perhaps stop feeding it with the proper fuel. Yet when we nourish our faith in Jesus Christ, the power of the Lord’s love renews us and directs us to share our lives with others in dynamic ways. We become so much more when our faith is burning bright; indeed, we shine as sons and daughters of God.
But how does this faith start? In Luke’s Gospel the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith, and the Lord reminds them that faith – like a seed – always begins as a tiny thing. Just as a single spark can become a roaring fire, so too, our faith can blaze forth when we willing call upon God’s help.
How do you see your faith today? Is it burning hot or only a tiny ember? We hold firm to the conviction that the Lord can take even the smallest spark and infuse it with holy fire. May we ask the Lord to touch our faith so we can glow with the love of Jesus Christ.
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Note: This post was first published on September 26, 2016.
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 