St. Peter’s words “we have given up everything and followed you” can inspire us to consider how we offer our lives for the Lord. Recognizing that everything we have comes from God, we begin to see ourselves as stewards, not owners, who offer our lives for the glory of the one who made us.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 8th Week of the Year
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Study: Reflect on a moment when you were in a critical need. What pulled you through?
Pray: Ask the Lord for grace regarding a difficult situation.
Serve: How can you be a helping hand to another?
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Lent
Let’s take a look at these readings that help us kick off Lent:
Have you ever been in trouble? Serious trouble? End of your rope? Lost? Confused? Abandoned? Scared? Feeling like you cannot breathe because the air has gone out of your chest? Feeling utterly alone?
You’re in good company. People of faith for over 3000 years have called upon the Lord in their darkest moments – seeking guidance and strength.
And God provides. We don’t have to look very hard to find examples of pain and suffering, hardship and loss, struggle, catastrophe and sin. We also know that there are no promises that life will be easy and free from pain. What we know is simple: God walks with us and sustains us in our moments of need.
Of course this is only a half truth – God walks with us always! God never leaves us, but for some very human reason we seem to call out loud and strong when we recognize our need for the Lord. Isn’t it odd that we “get it” when we are in need…that many of us who dedicate our lives to Christ see much more clearly when the truth is self-evident?
Perhaps not. Perhaps what this first week of Lent shows us is that our need for God (always present in our lives) is most easily observed when we cannot hide from our need. For when we are in trouble, we are confronted with the clear and obvious reality that it is only with the Lord’s grace that we can be guided and sustained. In the times of our testing we discover both our limitations and the Lord’s love.
What are you facing in your life right now? What requires your own personal admission and acceptance of Christ’s mercy? Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble!
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If you are looking for more material to help you this Lent, you might consider this list of presentations I have offered over the last couple of years. Feel free to check it out and share if you find it helpful:
Podcast Resources for getting the most out of Lent
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Note: this post was first published on February 9, 2016.
The Lord’s advice is both practical and spiritual. How do we know the secret of our hearts? We examine how we respond: under pressure, alone and with a subordinate…and we learn what’s really happening on the inside.
Mass Readings – 8th Sunday of the Year
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The Lord’s words are beautiful and moving: “Let the children come to me! Do not prevent them!” May we remove all obstacles and provide every opportunity to let our children come to know Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 7th Sunday of the Year
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The discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees shows the reality that marriage and divorce have existed from the dawn of human history. As we recognize the challenges of these relationships we do what we can to help build strong marriages as well as help those who have suffered from divorce.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 7th Week of the Year
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In light of the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel today, we can ask ourselves a simple question when confronted by any behavior, response, or action…is this leading me closer to Heaven, or farther away?
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 7th Week of the Year
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It’s not complicated. Either we stand with the Lord or against him. No matter how difficult, how challenging, and however many times we fail…may we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 7th Week of the Year
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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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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
