Mass Readings – Friday of the 24th Week of the Year
Names remind us that we are unique persons, made and redeemed by God. The names of the three women in the Gospel today reveal that the Lord continues to call disciples who will go out and proclaim the Good News.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – The feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
Matthew accepts the call of Jesus and goes out bringing others to the Lord. May his example inspire us to do the same!
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 24th Week of the Year
Jesus revives a dead man and returns him to his widowed mother in the sight of a large crowd. This powerful miracle anticipates the Lord’s resurrection that we might be restored in our relationship with God. A powerful miracle, indeed!
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – 24th Sunday of the Year
It’s non-negotiable. Forgiveness is a key ingredient in the Christian life and without it we cannot receive the grace that the Lord lavishes upon us. Who do we need to forgive? To whom do we need to ask for forgiveness? May we call upon God’s grace for the strength we need to be people who put forgiveness into practice.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 23rd Week of the Year (Sts. Cornelius & Cyprian)
Through a series of illustrations Jesus points out that our faith is witnessed through our action. Our words can indicate the state of our hearts, but the actions we carry out reveal the depth of our conviction.
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Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 23rd Week of the Year (St. John Chrysostom)
Jesus offers a series of blessings and woes, reminding us that when we are united to the Lord we are blessed…and when we drift off on our own we find ourselves in a bad place.
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Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 23rd Sunday of the Year
Jesus calls by name the Twelve Apostles from the disciples who followed him. Chosen by him, they have work to do…reminding us today that the Lord continues to call people to carry on the Lord’s saving work through the mission of the Church.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Study: Recall a time when you received forgiveness. What did it feel like?
Pray: Is there someone you need to forgive? Ask the Lord for the courage and strength to do it.
Serve: Is there someone you need to ask for forgiveness? Be the first to foster healing in the relationship.
Mass Readings – 24th Sunday of the Year
Let’s take a quick look at a sketch of the readings:
On one hand the teaching is simple: if you want to be forgiven by God, start forgiving one another. It’s sound logic and makes complete sense…until you have something hard to forgive. Perhaps we have felt slighted or neglected, been hurt or experienced disappointment. Maybe we just don’t understand, or maybe we are choosing to interpret a situation in its worst possible light.
Forgiveness is the practical dimension of Christian love. After all, it’s easy to love people when we are comfortable, rested, calm and free of all distractions. The real test of our love happens when we can forgive one another in the light of Jesus Christ.
The Lord offers us the teaching of forgiveness with clarity and conviction. There is no middle ground. We forgive one another if we expect God to forgive us of our own sins. We forgive, knowing that we all stand in need of God’s forgiveness, so that by unlocking the gates of our hearts through forgiveness we can stand before the Lord ready to receive the grace of his mercy.
Two thoughts then emerge today:
May the Lord inspire us to be people of forgiveness as we practice his teaching and follow his example.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – 23rd Sunday of the Year
One of the hardest things about the Christian faith is the giving and receiving of a tough message, the kind of message that hits our hearts and requires us to grow as children of God. Whether it’s something that needs to be said or something that needs to be heard, may we call upon the Lord for the courage we need to let the message of Jesus Christ speak to our souls.
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Mass Readings – Saturday of the 22nd Week of the Year (St. Peter Claver)
When confronted by the pharisees about his disciples violation of the Law, Jesus cites David and his own authority over the Sabbath. Recognizing Christ as the Lord of our lives, we are inspired to put Christ at the center of everything we do as we offer our lives for him.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Photo Credit: Jesus of Nazareth, 1977.
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 