The readings today proclaim a message of hope – to strengthen, guide, and inspire our lives – because there are times in life where hope in God is what gets through the day.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Advent
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Tag Archives: Jesus Christ
3rd Sunday of Advent: The Lord comes with power.
Study: Consider a moment when you were greatly helped by someone. How did it feel to have their support?
Pray: Set before the Lord your challenges and remember in your daily prayers the needs of others.
Serve: How has the Lord blessed you to help others? What gifts and talents do you possess that make a difference today?
Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of Advent
Isaiah’s prophecy proclaims the power and might of God. Among the words of the 1st reading we find:
Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing. (Is. 35:3-6)
These are words of hope! In the midst of the challenges of life the Lord comes to strengthen our hearts and renew our lives. Yes, there are difficulties; yet we face them boldly – supported by the grace and power of God.
This hope in God’s power appears in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus cites this passage from Isaiah to the disciples of John the Baptist. Christ is the one who fulfills the words of the prophet; he is the one who comes to save us.
What’s more, those that receive this saving grace – the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven – are greater than all the prophets, including John. In other words, when we accept the power and might of God we are transformed into a new creation as the old bondage of sin and death is destroyed.
May we claim this saving grace today! As we call upon the Lord in our daily prayers, we ask that the power and might of Jesus Christ heals our hearts and strengthens our souls. We have work to do! May God’s grace help us to make it happen.
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Note: This post was first published on December 5, 2016.
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The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Catholic Inspiration
Mary’s acceptance of her part in the plan of Salvation History inspires us to say “Yes!” to God’s invitation to work in our lives today.
Mass Readings – The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM
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2nd Sunday of Advent: Repent and prepare for the Lord. Catholic Inspiration
John the Baptist speaks with fiery eloquence, urging the people to prepare for the one who will baptize with fire. In light of his words, may we take the opportunity today to honestly reflect on our lives and confess our sins in preparation for the coming of Christ.
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Advent
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Daily Mass: The compassion of Jesus inspires our service in the world. Catholic Inspiration
Seeing the crowds, the heart of Jesus was moved with pity for their many needs, and he responds by empowering his disciples to go forth in his name. Their example reveals the opportunity we have every day to serve our struggling brothers and sisters around us.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent
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Daily Mass: Faith that leads to sight. Catholic Inspiration
As Jesus heals the two blind men, we see how the Lord recognizes and responds to their faith. May their example inspire our trust in Christ!
Mass Readings – Friday of the 1st Week of Advent
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Daily Mass: Jesus Christ is the foundation of our lives. Catholic Inspiration
Jesus uses a parable in the Gospel of Matthew to show us the strength we have when we build our lives on the Lord.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent
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Daily Mass: The miracles of Christ. Catholic Inspiration.
The Gospel of Matthew highlights several different types of healing miracles, all within the context of a miracle of multiplying bread and fish to feed hungry bodies. The Lord continues to touch our lives today; may we have the courage to draw near and encounter Jesus Christ!
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent
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Daily Mass: The Spirit of the Lord. Catholic Inspiration
The prophet Isaiah testifies to the one who will come, filled with the Spirit of the Lord. As we hear the words of this first reading, may we call upon God’s Spirit to dwell in us as we follow the Lord today.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 1st Week of Advent
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2nd Sunday of Advent: Repent and Forgive.
Study: Is there anything keeping you from God or another person right now? What steps do you need to take to make it right?
Pray: Call upon the Lord for the strength to repent and seek forgiveness. Remember – the harder it is the more powerful the healing!
Serve: Is there some way you can be an agent of forgiveness? How can you bring people closer to God and one another?
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Advent
John the Baptist comes on the scene blazing like a torch as he exhorts the people to repent of their sins. He minces no words with the Pharisees and Sadduccees; rather, he makes it clear that the path to God leads through the good fruit of our actions.
John is blunt and direct. There is no spin in his message, no soft touch. He comes to us as a verbal bulldozer, seeking to carve out a direct route that leads to the Lord. I can only imagine what it was like to be in his presence, eager to hear his words yet feeling the sting of his speech. After all, repentance is a great thing to talk about…but often painful to put into practice.
And yet nothing brings about healing faster than forgiveness. When relationships are wounded and we find ourselves in a broken and fragile place, repentance clears the ground and allows us to rebuild our lives in an honest and direct fashion.
Repentance has some key components:
- Knowing good from bad
- Taking ownership for when our actions have been bad
- Seeking to turn away from the bad and strive to embrace the good
- Claiming the mercy and grace of God to renew our lives
- Asking for forgiveness and putting it into practice
As we prepare in this Advent season for the birth of the Messiah, we have the opportunity to examine our hearts and consider what is not worthy of the Lord. Using a good examination of conscience or just the common sense in our souls we have the chance today to repent of our sins, seek forgiveness from God and one another, and live each day in the light and power of Christ.
John tells us that while he baptizes for repentance, the Lord will baptize us in Spirit and fire – allowing us to draw into the very heart of God’s love. Only through repentance will we be able to encounter the burning intensity of divine charity; for when we stand before the Lord whatever is not fitting will burn away. May we cast out whatever is not worthy, and prepare to welcome His holy fire with open hearts.
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Note: This post was first published on November 28, 2016.
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks- Daily Mass: Jesus speaks about the Passion of the Cross
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