The Lord warns the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod, and he reminds them of the multiplication of the loaves to feed thousands. It’s a good insight that both good and bad things start small, and like leaven in dough, they can make big differences.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 6th Week of the Year
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Study: Start out this Lent with a good Examination of Conscience.
Pray: Ask the Lord for the grace to repent.
Serve: Consider a practical way you can bring “good news” to someone in your life.
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Lent
Mark’s Gospel is direct and to the point:
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1: 14-15)
It’s time. Maybe you got a late start to Lent, maybe it caught up on you before you were ready. Maybe you’ve been ready, but you needed that little push – that extra kick – to get started and make a change.
It’s not complicated. Is there something that’s keeping us from God or one another? Is there something that needs to be different in our words and actions? Does the pattern of our lives need to be altered toward the Lord’s goodness? Two simple steps:
In the first reading the rainbow is a sign from God that never again will the world be flooded with waters of destruction. The covenant with Noah is a built on hope: life is worth saving, worth fighting for, worth dying for, and worthy of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Once we recognize God’s faithfulness, we can more easily let go of past sins and temptations – turning to the one who love’s us completely.
Is there anything holding us back from the Lord? Now is a good time to honestly assess our lives, cast out what does not belong, and call upon the grace of Jesus Christ.
After all, he brings Good News – and once we’ve left our sins behind, we can embrace the joy that flows from Heaven.
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Suffering affects our lives on many levels – body, mind, heart and soul – and it can weaken and wound our relationships with one another. When we respond with compassion, help, unity and God’s grace we can restore what was broken with the healing power of Christ.
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
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Jesus performs a feeding miracle for the crowds that have been listening to him for three days. This practical point reminds us that we, too, are called to nourish body and soul for the basic needs of those around us.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 5th Week of the Year (St. Scholastica)
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Jesus heals a deaf man with a speech impediment and simultaneously empowers him with the gift of hearing and speaking. Words have power to build up or tear down; our invitation today is to use the gift of speech for the glory and praise of God.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of the Year
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The faith expressed by the woman in the Gospel today was simple and direct…and because of this her child was healed. May her example inspire us to take the gift of faith we have been given and engage our lives with the power and insight of Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Jesus describes the evil that can come from our hearts, reminding us that the battle is often within. As we strive to follow the Lord we turn from these sins and look to the Cross of Christ.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Jesus quotes Isaiah the prophet, recalling the need for the Lord to be at the center of our hearts. Once God is at the center, everything else we say and do fits into proper perspective.
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Study: Reflect on wounded relationships in your life. What needs to be done to bring them healing?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the grace to bring healing to the relationships in your life, especially where suffering has caused misunderstanding or fear has led to doubt and uncertainty.
Serve: Are there people in your life that are struggling in their relationships? How can you be a bridge that fosters unity and reconciliation?
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
Last week I focused on the personal nature of suffering. When we are in pain, when we hurt, we can easily focus on ourselves. This is not necessarily a bad thing; suffering can help us confront reality and strive for healing and wholeness. In our suffering we are aware of blessings that we may have taken for granted – our sight can become sharper as we realize the gifts that have been lavished upon us.
There is another dimension of suffering, however. Suffering commonly affects relationships; when one person suffers, it is often the case that others suffer as well. Consider the following:
There are countless examples, but the point is clear – the pain and anguish a person suffers can directly affect relationships with God and one another. Suffering can become an obstacle that blocks us from the very persons who can bring healing and relief. Often the greatest wound from suffering is isolation: in our weakness we withdraw from the very people who can help us the most.
The 1st Reading, Responsorial Psalm, and Gospel today reveal both the obstacles of suffering and the bridges that God makes possible through healing grace. In the face of suffering the Lord comes, not just to bring healing to a person, but healing to the relationships among persons. God longs not only to renew our lives but the lives around us as well. Where suffering brings isolation the Lord brings unity – drawing us together in reconciliation and love.
This communal aspect of suffering thus begs two questions for our consideration:
When the Jesus healed the leper in the Gospel today, he did more than give the man back his health – he gave back his relationships as well. The man (formerly cut off from human society) is now restored to his family, his friendships, and his participation in the community. His life has been restored.
As we look to our own encounters with suffering we keep an eye to the ways in which our relationships are harmed/healed. May we call upon the grace of Christ to touch our lives, and bless the lives of those around us.
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Note: This post was originally published on February 9, 2015.
The season of Lent offers a powerful opportunity for conversion, spiritual growth, and developing our relationships with the Lord and one another. However, I also know that this season has a way of sneaking up on us. Life moves fast, and we can get caught up in any number of tasks – missing the necessary preparation and perspective to get the most out of these 40 Days.
As a guide, I suggest starting with the “Fruits of the Spirit” that St. Paul writes about in his letter to the Galatians (5:22-23). They are:
First, do we see these in our lives? Are there people, situations, interactions, locations (home, work, school, community) where we see consistent evidence of their presence? If so, then how can we help them flourish and grow? How can we create more opportunities to allow the Spirit to work in our lives?
Second, are these absent in our lives? Or worse, are their opposites present? Is hatred, despair, turmoil, and the like alive in our hearts? If so, how can we make the necessary changes to allow the Spirit into our lives?
Now here’s how this gets practical. It is often customary during Lent to “do” something or “give up” something for these 40 days. How about this…
Where do we look? Try this for starters…
“Doing” can include any number of things:
“Giving up” can look like this:
Using the “Fruits of the Spirit” as a measurement, we can quickly reveal the pattern of our lives. If it is spiritually fruitful, then we can strengthen this. If it is spiritually destructive, then perhaps this season of Lent gives us an opportunity to give it up and start directing our lives in better ways.
Furthermore, Lent has classic opportunities for Study, Prayer, and Service:
Study: Scripture, the Catechism, a Devotional, Spiritual Reading
Prayer: Mass, Confession, Rosary, Scripture, Devotions, Stations of the Cross
Service: at home, the neighborhood, the community, the Church
God keeps inviting, keeps forgiving, and keeps extending grace and mercy to all who seek it. Now is the time to get ready for a powerful Lent – where we turn to Jesus and allow His grace to transform our hearts. Give serious thought to what you can do to make this season special, and open your to heart to Jesus Christ.
What will you do? What will you give up? Make it a great Lent!
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Note: This post was originally published on February 26, 2014.
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 