Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

August 10, 2015

20th Sunday of the Year – Come to the Feast

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

thanksgiving rehearsal dinner

Study:  What are some of the things that make a dinner special for you?  What makes it a feast?

Pray:  Offer a prayer for those who go hungry this day – either because they lack food or the companionship to share it.

Serve:  Is there someone you know with whom you could share a meal?  How might you make your meal a feast with others?

20th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Growing up in a large Italian-American family, big dinners were a common occurrence.  The usual suspects like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving were typical; but family gatherings (with all the adults talking and the kids talking louder) provided numerous opportunities for people to gather and make the simple task of taking nourishment a beautiful experience for body, mind, heart, and soul.

Tables were set, special foods chosen, delicacies prepared in advance…all these steps to make the dinner something special, something extraordinary.

They were feasts.

Indeed, whenever we take the time and effort to make dining an experience, we create opportunities that touch us on multiple levels.  Good food is augmented by delightful conversation, enlivened with beauty, and woven together with human hopes and dreams.  A feast is not just an abundance of food; it is a rich expression of God’s goodness working through others to nourish our lives in profound ways.

All of the readings point to different ways the Lord sustains our lives:

  • Wisdom sets a rich table, calling us to abandon foolishness to follow her
  • We “taste and see the goodness of the Lord” in the psalm response
  • Ephesians invites us to be filled with the Spirit, living upright lives
  • Jesus commands us to eat his flesh and drink his blood, that we might have eternal life

Every Mass provides us with the opportunity to draw near the altar and be renewed through our reception of Holy Communion.  Christ sets the table for us, inviting us to turn away from destructive and harmful forces, so that we might receive the grace we need to continue on the journey of life.

Come to the Feast!

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August 9, 2015

19th Sunday of the Year – Dependence on God – Catholic Inspiration

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

19th Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast

Every breath we take is sustained by the will of God.  Our dependence upon the Almighty can help us in two key ways:

  1. Recognize our challenges, and ask the Lord for the help we need.
  2. Count our blessings, turning to Christ with grateful hearts.

In our need we draw strength from the Bread of Life – who gives us what we need to face each day!

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August 4, 2015

19th Sunday of the Year – Dependence upon God

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

MannaSlides01

Study:  What are some of your regular chores?  Which ones do you find boring, dreary, dull, or difficult?

Pray:  Take a moment to count your blessings.  Consider the many ways you have been blessed by God.

Serve:  How can you help someone with a difficult chore?  How can you assist another with a challenging task?

19th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Every summer my sister and I had a standard routine during school vacation.  We would get up, have some breakfast, and face the dreaded work list.  Our mother was the master of list making – with her perfect penmanship, she would write out the chores that needed to be done before Amy and I could go down to the beach for some fun.  We would groan and complain,”This is SO HARD!” while mom just smiled and reminded us that we all have work to do to keep the house running.

One time when I was feeling particularly oppressed, I had the gall to ask, “What did you do?” and I discovered that my folks:

  • Paid all the bills
  • Kept up on all the maintenance of the house
  • Provided for all our food and clothing
  • Handled mysterious things like “insurance” and “taxes”

In other words, I quickly discovered that my life – even with my terrible chores – depended completely on them.

Both Elijah and the crowds in the Gospel discover a similar lesson today.  Elijah was grumbling and the people were murmuring, but God fed them (both physically and spiritually) with food for this life and the next.

The point is simple: our lives are completely and entirely dependent upon God.  While it is true and important to note that we all have work to do, it is crucial to remember that we have this work because God allows it.  Our lives are supported every moment by the grace of the Almighty; the Lord sustains our lives so that we might offer them in our work…the “chores” that we get to do.  What’s more, God nourishes us so that we can do these chores with strength, courage, and wisdom.

For several weeks now we have heard how God feeds us with heavenly bread; perhaps today we might take a moment in gratitude to thank the Lord for what we have received, so that we can do today’s work with an open mind and a willing heart.  May our chores remind us that they are part of life – a gift which we have received from God.

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August 2, 2015

18th Sunday of the Year – The Bread of Life – Catholic Inspiration

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

Fr. Andrew’s 18th Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast

Have you ever “wanted” something – thinking that if you only had this one thing you would be…happy, fulfilled, and free of care?  There are many good (and some not so good) things that we can want, but none of them will completely satisfy us.  We are left restless, longing for something at the center of our our hearts.  We know that nothing in this world will satisfy us for a simple reason:

Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life.”

The Lord knows us, loves us, died and rose for us, and longs for us to be united in his Sacred Heart.  Christ comes to us – sharing his Body and Blood – that we might never hunger and thirst again.   When we draw near to the altar, may our “Amen” resound with a desire to unite our hearts to Jesus Christ – the one who knows our wants, but responds to our needs.

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July 28, 2015

18th Sunday of the Year – Bread from Heaven

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

HarringtonWed_335

Study:  Reflect on a time at Mass that profoundly spoke to your heart.  What stood out?

Pray:  Prepare your heart for your next Holy Communion.  What do you need to bring to Jesus Christ?

Serve:  Is there someone who you can encourage to return to Mass?  Can you help them draw near to the table of the Lord?

18th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Jesus said to them,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”   John 6:35

We know that our bodies need food to sustain life; what we discover today is that our souls need spiritual food to sustain eternal life.  Where do we find this bread from Heaven?  Jesus Christ!

Have you ever experienced that feeling when you are exhausted?  Out of gas?  Wrung out?  It is often a sign that we require rest and nourishment; we come to the table to be fed.

The same is true with our souls.  There are times when we are intellectually drained, feeling lost and confused, doubting ourselves and uncertain about our next decision.  We can feel crushed, worn out by the demands of life and overwhelmed by the challenges that confront us.

What we require is a different type of nourishment – we look to a Person who loves us, understands us, and provides us with the grace and strength, the peace and perspective, to be renewed for the next step on our journey.  Christ feeds us with his Body & Blood, so that we might become more fully his disciples; we come to the altar to be fed.

What are you hungry for today?  What challenges do you face?  May we draw near to the Lord in Holy Communion and allow his love to transform our lives – for this world and for the world to come.

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July 26, 2015

17th Sunday of the Year – Gratitude & Petition at the Lord’s Table – Catholic Inspiration

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

Fr. Andrew’s 17th Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast

Our daily need for nourishment reminds us of our basic dependence on wholesome food.  What’s more, we recognize that we depend upon the Lord for spiritual grace as well.  As we ponder the multiplication miracle in today’s Gospel, I suggest that we draw near to the Lord with Gratitude and Petition – responding in love to the one who knows our needs and longs to provide the sustenance we require.

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July 21, 2015

17th Sunday of the Year – Hungry? Come and Eat!

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Loaves and Fish

Study:  Recall a time when you experienced real hunger.  What was it like?

Pray:  What are you hungry for in your spiritual life?  Ask the Lord to feed your soul.

Serve:  Consider helping out a food pantry or location that serves meals to those in need.  How can you help alleviate hunger around the world?

17th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

The word hunger means many things to different groups of people:

  • You have the “munchies” and want to graze on snack foods
  • You hanker for something…but you are not sure what it is
  • Your stomach is growling and you want to eat
  • Your blood sugar is dropping and you know you need to eat
  • You have missed a couple of meals and you are ravenous
  • You have not eaten in days…and you understand starvation

At it’s most basic level, hunger means that we recognize our need for food to keep our bodies going.  While most of us have no awareness of famine, we all have the daily experience of the need to eat.  Food is necessary for life, and the quality of the food we eat enhances (or detracts) from the quality of our lives.

The same concept applies to our spiritual lives as well.  We certainly need a level of physical health to sustain our spiritual lives, but we also require spiritual sustenance to strengthen our souls and renew our hearts.

Jesus knew this.  The people coming to him were hungry – body and soul – and his teaching, feeding, and Eucharist sustained them.  What’s more, every time we come to the altar we participate in the banquet of his grace.  We continue to receive – Body & Blood, Soul & Divinity – the spiritual food we need to flourish.

Practically, when we come to the table may we pray with grateful hearts for the blessing of nutritious food; when we come to the altar may we pray with grateful hearts for the blessing of Christ.  In both cases, the hand of the Lord feeds us, he answers all our needs.

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The Miracle of the Loaves and the Fishes, Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti);  ca 1545-1550, oil on canvas, 61 x 160 1/2 inches,  Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

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July 19, 2015

16th Sunday of the Year – A Shepherd Who Cares for the Sheep – Catholic Inspiration

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

Fr. Andrew’s 16th Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast

There are moments in life when we need a little help.  We encounter situations and circumstances that are more than we can handle.  As Jesus looked upon the crowds in the Gospel today he saw their needs and took pity on them.  His response reminds us of two important considerations today:

  • What needs do we have today?  What are we asking for from the Lord?
  • Who needs help in our lives today?  How can we offer help to another?

Christ not only helped others, but he empowered the Apostles to do the same.  May we acknowledge our need for the Lord and respond to the needs of those who God sets before us.

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July 14, 2015

16th Sunday of the Year – A Shepherd who cares for his Sheep

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

 

Herd of sheep on beautiful mountain meadow

Study:  When in your life have you been in great need and looked to another for help?  When have you been able to help another in great need?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the gift of discernment – to know when to seek help and when to offer it.

Serve:  Name one practical thing you can do to help someone today.  Then do it.

16th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

“His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34)

Have you ever been lost?  Confused?  Drifting, uncertain of the next step in the path of life?  Most of us have been in those dark and difficult places where we feel beaten down by the challenges of life.  Simply put, there are times in life when things get tough and we need to draw on the strength and wisdom of another.

The crowds found this in Jesus.  His words inspired them; his miracles cured them.  As word spread in the surrounding area, more and more people came to hear the Lord and find new life in his presence.  What’s more, he saw their need and responded with pity and love – he longed to guide them and give them hope.

In our need we can, like the crowds, draw near to Christ for our strength.  His mercy has the power to renew and transform our hearts; his grace comes when we allow him room to make a place in our souls.

Furthermore, there are times in our lives when the Lord will empower us to guide and guard others.  Jeremiah foretold that God would appoint shepherds to care for people – God heard their cry when they were led astray and brought them new leaders to gather them together.

Perhaps this week we might see someone in need, someone who the Lord has placed on our path to help.  Perhaps we have others to lead by our word and example, inspiring them to draw to the Great Shepherd who cares for us all.

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July 12, 2015

15th Sunday of the Year – Chosen & Empowered by God – Catholic Inspiration

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

Fr. Andrew’s 15th Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast

Both Amos and the Apostles are chosen by God and empowered to do amazing things.  The tasks set before them are difficult and challenging – obstacles that will test them.  The Letter to Ephesians reminds us, however, that God chooses us as well!  Here are three points to help us face the struggles of life:

  • Attitude
  • Effort
  • Stay close to Jesus Christ

May the words of the Scriptures and the examples of the saints inspire us to engage the obstacles of life with God’s grace!

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