Study:  Reflect on a moment when you put your entire heart into a project.  What did you experience?

Pray:  Ask God for grace to remove obstacles that are you keeping you from the Lord and others.

Serve:  How can you help others follow Jesus Christ?  How can your life strengthen them to focus on the Lord?

28th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

I confess that I have a real respect for people who show their dedication and conviction to a task.  When I see others put their heart and soul into something:

• a job or task
• a sport or hobby
• music, art, cooking, language
• relationships, especially with family or friends

I see a passion and joy emerge.  They work hard, often long and grueling hours, yet they love it and they glow with an inner light.  Their dedication gives them meaning, purpose, and a zest for life.

This sense of dedication comes into focus in the Gospel reading today.  The encounter with Jesus and the rich young man reveals both an enthusiasm and a hesitancy to follow God.  The man wants to do what is right, he wants to be holy, but he is not yet ready to offer his entire life.

Where do we see ourselves in the Gospel today?  What might be keeping us back from dedicating our lives to the Lord?  Some obvious obstacles:

• fear, worry, doubt, anxiety
• the needs of our family – to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads
• distractions and temptations from the world
• the speed of life is keeping us too busy, and thus we lose our focus and sense of balance

But what happens if we pause, reflect, and dedicate our lives to Jesus Christ?  What happens the minute we reorganize our lives around the Lord, allowing his grace to flow through all our thoughts, words, and actions?  Simply put, we become fully alive – we find in Christ both our strength and peace.  Our lives take on a whole new level of meaning and purpose as we engage one another with renewed sense of faith, hope, and love.

The invitation today is simple:  Put Jesus Christ first in your life.  Let him be your Lord.  Allow him to touch every aspect of your life, and watch as his light shines through your heart!