The Lord uses a teachable moment to transform the pettiness of the disciples into an opportunity to conform their lives to his example.
Mass Readings Tuesday of the 7th Week of the Year
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The commandment to love challenges us to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. May we look to the example of the saints to love – event when it’s hard – as we draw near to the Lord and one another.
Mass Readings – 7th Sunday of the Year
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Study: Reflect on a moment when you felt completely and entirely loved. How did that experience shape your life?
Pray: Is there a person in your life right now who is difficult to love? Ask the Lord for an infusion of grace!
Serve: How can you say “I love you” with an action? How can you show others the love in your heart?
Mass Readings – 7th Sunday of the Year
A couple of major themes surface in our readings this week:
In the first reading and Psalm we see the Lord’s command to love one another. This might catch some people by surprise; after all, the Old Testament is filled with examples where the people of God are anything but loving to those they encounter! Point: love of neighbor is a clear commandment of God.
The Gospel of Matthew sets the bar higher as Jesus builds on this command and calls us to conversion. We are not only called to love our neighbors and family, but we are also called to love our enemies and persecutors! Like last week, Jesus takes the commandments of the Old Testament and moves far beyond them. We are called to love with our whole heart…loving one another the way God loves us.
The second reading goes in a different direction. We hear from St. Paul that our bodies are temples of the living God, and as such we encounter the Spirit of God in the person of everyone we meet.
A consideration for today: put the love of God into practice! We are cherished, treasured, forgiven and esteemed by the Lord – who loves us even on our worst days. Following this example we can act accordingly…loving those around us with the love of Jesus Christ.
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Note: This post was first published on February 13, 2017.
Jesus inspires us to let the light of faith shine through our lives. May we take courage in the darkness to let God’s light into our hearts and share it with those around us.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 3rd Week of the Year
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The First Letter of St. John offers a beautiful and moving reflection on how God’s love moves in and through us into the world. May the Lord’s love flow through us today!
Mass Readings – Wednesday after Epiphany
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God loves us. Plain and simple. Warts and all. God loves us and meets us where we are, not in polished perfection and immaculate attire, but in a humble manger as a displaced person. God loves us so much that he sent his Son to die and rise that we might have eternal life.
May we all drop to our knees at some point today and say thank you…
Merry Christmas, my friends!
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Have you ever tried to get a gift for “the person who has everything” and been frustrated in the process? Everything we have comes from God…everything! The Lord needs nothing from us, but asks for only one thing: a loving heart that reaches out to others.
Merry Christmas!
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As disciples of Jesus Christ, we anchor our hope in a simple fact: Christ has been raised from the dead. The Lord’s triumph over sin and death fundamentally alters the universe and we have hope of eternal life. May the power of the resurrection direct every aspect of our lives!
Mass Readings – 32nd Sunday of the Year
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Do you want to be a saint? Saints are not passive persons parked on a cloud with a harp; saints are redeemed sinners who have hearts filled with the love of Christ who share that love with joy in Heaven. This is what God calls us to…this is what we are made for! Do you want to be a saint?
Mass Readings – Solemnity of All Saints
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There is a sharp contrast between the response of James and John in the Gospel and the life of St. Therese (who we celebrate today.) While James and John will get it right in the end, we have the opportunity everyday to pursue the love of Christ in all aspects of our lives.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 26th Week of the Year
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