The Lord teaches us that as our actions conform to God’s will we are drawn ever closer into Christ’s family. In other words, our relationships are strengthened the more we align our lives to Jesus Christ through our words and actions.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 3rd Week of the Year
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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?
Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of the Year
Let’s start with a quick recap of the readings this week:
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:
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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Note: This post was first published on January 26, 2016.
The Spirit of the Lord – fulfilled by Jesus in Gospel of Luke – empowers us to acknowledge God’s grace in our lives. Like pieces of a magnificent stained glass window, we are called to shine with the unique gifts and blessings the Lord has given us.
Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of the Year
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The 2nd Letter to Timothy reminds us to “stir into flame the gift of God.” We have been blessed with our knowledge of Jesus Christ; every day we have a new opportunity to let our faith shine in the world.
Mass Readings – Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops
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St. Paul’s conversion reminds us that God works in our lives through many circumstances and people. What’s your conversion story? How has the Lord touched your life and helped you become a disciple of Jesus Christ?
Mass Readings – The Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle
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The Psalm response today serves as a powerful reminder about our fundamental orientation toward the Lord. Offering our lives, we strive to do God’s will with a joyful heart.
Mass Readings -Thursday of the 2nd Week of the Year
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The Lord heals a man with a withered hand and is angry and grieved when he encounters a lack of charity and hardness of heart from the crowd.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 2nd Week of the Year
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Photo Credit: Jesus of Nazareth, 1977.
Study: What is your favorite way to read Scripture – a devotional, chapter-a-day, daily Mass readings, or just a bookmark in the Bible?
Pray: Consider using a little bit of Scripture as part of your daily prayer – think of it as a “spiritual multivitamin” for your health!
Serve: How is God’s Spirit directing your life – is there a task or opportunity that you feel prompted to act?
Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of the Year
The readings this week are filled with power as we hear how God’s Word and Spirit touch our hearts.
I suggest two thoughts for your consideration this week. First, God’s Word continues to proclaim Good News in our world today, and we are invited to embrace the Lord’s message – allowing the mercy, love, joy, and peace of the Gospel to soak into our hearts.
My point here is about actively seeking the Lord in our daily life, making God’s Word a part of our regular spiritual diet. By dwelling on the Good News we foster our Christian perspective to engage the challenges of daily life with courage and wisdom. We know that there are plenty of difficulties and obstacles; we feast upon God’s Word for the strength to engage life at full power.
Second, with God’s Word in our hearts we live our faith as part of a larger community – sharing our particular gifts and talents for the good of all. No one person possesses all gifts; rather, we cooperate (like Paul’s example of the parts of a body) and contribute our skills so that all might be blessed.
That means we:
So, three final questions for your reflection:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)
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Note: This post was first published on January 18, 2016.
The 2nd Letter to the Corinthians reminds us that we have all been blessed by God with unique gifts and talents. What’s your gift? And will you share your gifts to help build up the Body of Christ today?
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of the Year
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Jesus heals a man who is brought to him on a stretcher by four men. The image profoundly illustrates a crucial point: sometimes we give help and sometimes we receive it. May the Lord help us in both cases!
Mass Readings – Friday of the 1st Week of the Year
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 