In this passage from the Gospel of Luke the Lord teaches his disciples that the term “neighbor” applies to all people, regardless of race, color, religion or political view. Using the example of the Good Samaritan, Jesus reveals how we are called to respond with mercy toward all.
Mass Readings – 15th Sunday of the Year
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Matthew’s Gospel shows how the Lord was moved with pity as he gazed on the people who were troubled and abandoned. The mercy of Christ consoles us to draw near to God with open hearts, even as it challenges us to look at one another (especially those who push our buttons!) with the love of the Lord.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 14th Week of the Year
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Photo Credit: Son of God, 2014.
The love between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit becomes the model for Christian discipleship. The indivisible unity of the Trinity – overflowing with love – guides and directs the Church to unite from within and without as we strive to grow closer together in love.
Mass Readings – The Most Holy Trinity
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St. Paul reminds us that we hold a treasure from God in our fragile, human hands. As disciples of Jesus Christ we always recognize two issues: on one hand we are inheritors of God’s glory; on the other hand we are weak and prone to sin. May we accept God’s grace and allow the Lord to touch our lives with his healing love.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 10th Week of the Year
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Catholic Inspiration Archives
The Lord offers a sobering lesson in John’s Gospel that when we follow the God’s command to love, the result at times will be hatred from the world. Our response? Love….but with both eyes open so that we can address this hatred with the grace of Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 5th Week of Easter
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The Gospel of John offers a beautiful insight into the dignity of love that God grants to humanity. Jesus calls us friends, elevating us to a glorious relationship with God, and empowers us to offer the gift of our lives with this precious grace.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of Easter
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This short passage from John’s Gospel reveals the interaction between the command to love and the gift of joy. While love often challenges us to stretch our hearts as we care for others, the joy we receive flows straight from the heart of heaven.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 5th Week of Easter
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This beautiful passage from the Gospel of John offers a profound reflection on the nature of God’s love for our lives. Flowing from the Father, divine love is meant to touch our hearts and pass through us into the diverse relationships of daily life.
Mass Readings – Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle
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Study: Consider a moment when you felt unconditional love. How did you react?
Pray: Are there people in your life who are hard to love? Ask the Lord to soften your heart, and place in you the desire to want to love them.
Serve: Love is expressed in many ways. How can you share the Love of Christ with others today?
Mass Readings – 5th Sunday of Easter
Let’s start with a quick overview of this week’s readings:
The Easter season proclaims the Lord’s triumph over sin and death, and inspires us to fix our eyes on Heaven as our destination and goal. United together with the Lord, we understand that we are pilgrims passing through this world – and our words and actions have power and consequence.
Think about it. The Lord commands us to love. This is not some pleasant suggestion or good-idea-if-you-have-time-to-fit-it-in…this command is our call to action: Love flows from the heart of Heaven, and in our Love on earth we practice for the day when we will stand before the Author of Love itself.
And lest we get caught up in some sort of warm fuzzy feeling about Love, we know that this command is hard to carry out! Love demands our forgiveness, patience, mercy, gentleness, peace, and understanding. Simply put, we are called to Love as Christ loves us – by laying down our lives for one another.
Love, then, is not only a principal condition for Heaven, but for the Church on earth as well. Nothing reveals our sincerity and authenticity as Christians more fully than when Love shines through our words and actions.
Our goal is Heaven, and while here on earth the Church follows the example of Christ – loving God and one another. May others see the Lord’s Love in our lives today!
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Catholic Inspiration Archives
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Note: This post was first published on April 19, 2019.
This well known passage from the Gospel of John reminds us that it was out of love for sinful humanity that God sent Jesus Christ for our salvation. May we humbly acknowledge the darkness within our hearts and turn to the one who longs to make us whole.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Easter
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
