Jesus offers three key insights that profoundly impact our spiritual lives in practical ways. The hard part? Putting them into practice every day.
Mass Readings – Wed. of the 19th Week of the Year (St. Maximillian Kolbe)
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Tag Archives: Prayer
18th Sunday of the Year: Beware of greed
Study: Are there situations in life where you find greed present? Ask yourself what is the source of this excessive hunger for more.
Pray: Call upon the Lord for the grace to use your resources wisely.
Serve: How can you be generous with your life today?
Mass Readings – 18th Sunday of the Year
The Lord cautions us to “guard against all greed” in the Gospel today, yet another reminder of the timeless power of our faith to speak to the human heart. Let’s take a moment to break down some common aspects of greed:
- Self-centered, focusing on “what I want”
- Excessive, always wanting more
- Applies to a wide variety of human wants – money, fame, power, food, etc.
Greed disregards the needs of others as the individual focuses entirely on self. Seeking more and more, it pushes other things aside in a quest to acquire. And while we often associate greed with money, the Lord’s warning against all forms of greed is apt…we can be greedy about so many things!
So what’s the cure? How do we combat greed in our lives? Here are some key ingredients:
- Gratitude – being thankful for what we have
- Contentment – seeing the blessings in our lives
- Stewardship – using wisely the resources in our care
- Generosity – sharing the gifts of life with those in need
- Prayer – fostering our relationship with God, the source of all gifts
By weaving these elements into our lives we cultivate a perspective that sees all resources as gifts from God that are to be used wisely and well. We have been richly blessed by the Lord! May we live and share our lives in such a way that Christ’s love shines through all that we do.
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Note: This post was first published on July 25, 2016.
Daily Mass: We stand on holy ground. Catholic Inspiration
As Moses approached the burning bush he stood on holy ground and spoke with God. Our faith in Jesus Christ – who fulfills the law of Moses – allows us to draw near to the living God through our study, prayer and service.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 15th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: Pray, fast and give alms…in secret. Catholic Inspiration
Jesus teaches that our actions are accountable to God and not to be done for our own gratification. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are powerful ways to live our faith, provided that they are done for God’s glory and not our own.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 11th Week of the Year
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Monday Conversation: Living a life of grace
What does it mean to live in God’s grace? These two presentations were given at a parish retreat at St. Pius X Catholic Church on April 18, 2019.
Part I – Key Components of Grace (55 Minutes)
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Part II – Our Relationships in a Life of Grace (53 Minutes)
Handouts that were given to participants for both presentations
Living a Life of Grace (I & II)
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Daily Mass: We pray to draw nearer to the Lord. Catholic Inspiration
Prayer is not magic. Rather, it is the way we grow in our relationship with God, listening to the Lord’s word and opening our hearts to receive the grace we need to face the difficulties of life. May our prayer help us to draw nearer to Christ today, so that we can offer our lives for Him.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent
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Daily Mass: Find the balance in work and rest. Catholic Inspiration
The Gospel today shows the disciples both at work and at rest with Jesus. Finding balance in our lives can be challenging, yet when we take the long view we recognize that there are many different elements that enrich God’s gift of life.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 4th Week of the Year
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