The healing miracle and revelation of Jesus as God are made possible through the selfless service of four friends who made the effort to help somebody in need. May their example inspire us to be somebody’s somebody today!
Mass Readings – Friday of the 1st Week of the Year
In this third part of the reflection on love from the First Letter of John, we see how our love for others reflects the love that flows from the heart of God. When we love one another we are acting on the Lord’s commandment and showing the world the face of Christ.
Mass Readings – Thursday after Epiphany (Christmas Weekday)
The First Letter of John offers a rich insight regarding how God’s love gives us the courage to face our fears.
Mass Readings – Wednesday after Epiphany
Love finds its origin and power in God, for God is love. May we draw close to the Lord so that His love will overflow our hearts.
Mass Readings – Christmas Weekday (St. John Neumann)
The first reading encourages us to cultivate the attitude of Christ as we humbly offer our lives out of love for one another.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 31st Week of the Year
The beginning of the St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians gratefully acknowledges the power of God’s grace to empower and unite us together, offering a beautiful reflection for our lives today.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 30th Week of the Year
The Great Commandment to love God and love one another offers a reminder that while our words signal our behavior, our actions reveal our hearts.
Mass Readings – 30th Sunday of the Year
Study: Reflect on some people who live their faith through their loving thoughts, words, and actions.
Pray: Is there a person or situation in your life that calls for greater charity? Ask the Lord for the wisdom and guidance to do it.
Serve: Is there someone in your life right now who would benefit from your time, attention, and/or effort? How can you help?
Mass Readings – 30th Sunday of the Year
What is the central and most important part of being a Christian? What should be the focus around which we build our lives?
The answer is explicit: LOVE.
Jesus takes the two commands, love of God and love of neighbor and links them as the heart of the Christian message – from which the teaching of the entire Scriptures finds its soul. Love is the sign of the Church, it is the proof of faith, and it is the reality which reveals to others the depth of our commitment as disciples of Jesus Christ.
But what do these commands mean for us? After all, the question for each of us is “How does the law of Love affect me? How do these commands shape my life?”
I look at this from three different angles:
* By how I THINK.
* By how I SPEAK.
* By how I ACT.
In other words, do my thoughts, words, and actions reveal the law of love in my life? When I look at myself in each of these areas do I measure up with the commands of Jesus?
Imagine that each of these parts of life could be made into a movie. I see myself watching “The Thoughts of Fr. Andrew,” followed by “The Words of Fr. Andrew,” and then “The Actions of Fr. Andrew.” Do I like what I see on the screen?
When we come to the end of our lives, I doubt if many of us will wish we had worked more, or earned more money, or bought more things. In the end I expect most of us will wish we had spent more time loving the people in our lives – through what we thought, said, and did.
This love, which comes from God, is intended for us to share while we are here on earth. Our faith tells us that one day the Lord will call us home. On that day may we find ourselves prepared; having loved one another in this life we will then step into eternal Love in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Note: This blog was first published on October 20, 2014.
The beginning of the Letter to the Ephesians reveals God’s goodness to us; may we be inspired by what we have received to live this grace in our daily lives!
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 28th Week of the Year
The parable of the Good Samaritan highlights the daily opportunities we have to love one another as God loves us.
Mass Readings – Monday of the 27th Week of the Year
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 