The interaction between Jesus and the Apostles offers an important spiritual insight. When we keep the Cross of Christ before our eyes we are able to dispel petty disputes, irritations, and inconveniences as we focus on what is truly important.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 7th Week of the Year
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Study: Reflect on a time when you have noticed others speaking or acting in ways that are contrary to their character. How does their behavior affect your interactions with them?
Pray: Are there situations where you are challenged to live out the teaching of Christ? Ask the Lord for the grace to bear good fruit in your soul.
Serve: Is there a difficult situation in your life that requires your action? Ask the Lord for the wisdom and strength to make it happen.
Mass Readings – 8th Sunday of the Year
Both Sirach and Jesus offer some practical, earthy spiritual wisdom:
You will know the tree by the fruit it bears.
In other words, if you want to learn about the hidden parts of a person, then it is important to listen and observe the practical things that they say and do in a consistent manner over time. If a fruit tree is diseased, the fruit will be affected.
With respect to our interactions with one another, this insight is particularly powerful as a way to understand the people in our lives. Now mind you, for this to be effective we must look for patterns of behavior; anyone can “fake it” in the short run, but when we regularly and consistently speak and act over time our behaviors reveal the content of our hearts.
Have you ever heard of the “Waitress Rule” in business or leadership? Some leaders will purposely take potential employees out for dinner to watch how they interact with servers. What the leader is looking for is how the person treats the waiter or waitress – a person who has no power or authority. If the person is respectful and kind it is often a good indicator that they will be the same way toward fellow employees; if the person is haughty, rude, demanding or in any way unpleasant…it is often an accurate indicator that they will be the same way at work.
You will know the tree by the fruit it bears.
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Yep, you heard that right. Love your enemies. Love one another when it’s hard and unpleasant and we don’t feel like it. Love the people who push all our buttons and make us see red. Love the people who have hurt us. How? By asking for the Love of Jesus Christ to dwell in our hearts.
Mass Readings – 7th Sunday of the Year
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Jesus is transfigured in heavenly glory before some of the disciples, and then he reminds them of the suffering and death that await him on the Cross. Both of these elements help us to understand how we confront the grim challenges of life with a real and powerful hope.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 6th Week of the Year
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On this feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we hear how Peter acknowledges that Jesus is the Christ. The Lord affirms that Peter is the rock upon which the Church will be built, and while Satan will try to destroy it, the gates of the netherworld will not prevail.
Mass Readings – Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle
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God states that the rainbow is a sign of the covenant between the Lord and all living things, reminding us that the gift of life is precious, holy, sacred…and meant to be lived to the best of our ability.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 6th Week of the Year
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Noah’s patience and hard work pay off as the flood recedes and humanity is given a second chance. God never gives up on us, reminding us that today is another chance to begin again.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 6th Week of the Year
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Noah builds the ark and preserves life as God permits the great flood to cover the earth. It begs a question: what needs to be preserved in our lives…and what needs to be washed away?
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 6th Week of the Year
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Study: Reflect on a time when you experienced mercy. How did it feel to be forgiven and treated with kindness?
Pray: Is there someone in your life who is difficult to love? Pray for the wisdom and insight to act like Jesus.
Serve: How can you bring help to a difficult and painful situation right now?
Mass Readings – 7th Sunday of the Year
Here’s a quick overview of the readings this week:
The phrase “love your enemies” sounds great…until you have to do it. When we have been wounded, mocked, ridiculed or wounded by another it is natural to cry out for justice. Furthermore, there is something within us that longs to get even – to lash out and get back at another – even to the point of inflicting pain or getting revenge.
Clearly the Lord teaches us to go in a different direction with his exhortation to love. After all, we are commanded to:
Now let’s be clear. This is hard! If our natural inclination is to strike out when we’ve been hurt, how do we find the strength to put the teaching of Jesus into practice?
The answer lies in Christ himself. As we grow closer to the Lord we find that we receive the grace we need to love as he loves us. For remember, when we hate, curse, mistreat, judge or condemn the Lord still loves us, forgives us, and invites us to come back into the light of his love.
If God is willing to do that for us, then my friends, today we pray for the grace to love others according to his example.
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Living one’s life for the Lord does not mean it will be easy; rather, we face the struggles before us with God’s grace to carry out what must be done. A blessed life, then, is not about wealth, health, or earthly glory…it’s about being in right relationship with Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
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