Jesus offers practical advice for dealing with broken relationships in a way that is empowering and crucial for our personal growth.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 19th Week of the Year
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Tag Archives: Relationships
Daily Mass: Practical advice about broken relationships. Catholic Inspiration
17th Sunday of the Year: The beauty and power of relationships
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Study: Think about a best friend or cherished family member. What qualities do you find particularly precious?
Pray: Is there a relationship in your life in need of healing? Ask the Lord for grace, wisdom, and guidance to make it happen.
Serve: Is there a relationship in your life that needs to be renewed? What can you do to strengthen the connection?
Mass Readings – 17th Sunday of the Year
A thumbnail sketch of the readings this week looks something like this:
- 1st Reading – Abraham haggles with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah
- Psalm – “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.”
- 2nd Reading – We were buried in baptism and risen with Christ through his Cross
- Gospel – The Lord’s prayer, a friend & neighbor, and a father & son
In all of these readings we see the power of relationships at work touching hearts and changing lives. We are not meant to walk through this life (or the next) alone; rather, God calls us into communion and invites us to deepen the connections we have with the Lord and one another. Looking at it this way, the readings point out that a relationship with God makes many things possible:
- Abraham pleads and negotiates with God to try to save the people.
- The Psalmist proclaims the Lord’s help in time of trial.
- Our baptism connects us to Christ’s saving death & resurrection.
- We can call God “father” and request, give, and seek for what we need.
Our relationship with the Lord is made possible through Jesus. For remember, God makes it possible for us to draw near, and God invites us to enter into this very unequal relationship to raise us up as the Lord’s sons & daughters. We’ve been “allowed in” to this intimate and tender connection with Christ.
And thus we are called to strengthen our relationships in two distinct ways – with the Lord and with the people in our lives. That means we are called to consider how we might spend a little quality time building and strengthening our connections. With the Lord that means Prayer, Sacraments, Service, and a Call to Holiness. With other people it means forgiveness, charity, “wasting time” with loved ones in wholesome recreation, and seeking to bring out the best in one another.
And if something is wounded or broken…if a relationship is in need of healing – then ask the Lord for the grace to make it happen! Remember: the Lord calls us into relationships. May we take the gift of today to strengthen these connections in our lives.
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Note: This post was first published on July 18, 2019.
Daily Mass: Stir into flame the gift of God! Catholic Inspiration
The reading from the Second Letter to Timothy offers the exhortation to “stir into flame the gift of God” and live with conviction and courage. This gift is our Christian faith; and just as a tiny spark can produce a bonfire, so too, our faith can provide the spiritual spark that ignites our lives for service in the world as we draw near to the Lord and one another.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 9th Week of the Year
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The Communion of the Most Holy Trinity. Catholic Inspiration
The mystery of the Trinity – one God and three Persons – reveals the crucial role of communion in our spiritual lives. We can measure our discipleship in a powerful way by the depth of our communion with God and one another, and we can actively explore the opportunities that we receive and extend communion with the people in our lives.
Mass Readings – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
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6th Sunday of the Year: Renewing relationships afflicted with suffering. Catholic Inspiration
Suffering affects our lives on many levels – body, mind, heart and soul – and it can weaken and wound our relationships with one another. When we respond with compassion, help, unity and God’s grace we can restore what was broken with the healing power of Christ.
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
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Daily Mass: Practical Reconciliation. Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 19th Week of the Year
The Lord offers a three-step process to confront division within a relationship. It’s practical and powerful…and crucial for us to put into practice.
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Daily Mass: The healing touch of Christ. Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – Friday of the 12th Week of the Year
A leper comes to Jesus and receives healing, encouraging us to look into our hearts to discern where we are wounded so that the Lord might heal us as well.
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4th Sunday of the Year: Seek the Lord with a humble heart. Catholic Inspiration
Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of the Year
Humility happens when we are simultaneously aware of our sins and acknowledge God’s grace. When we bring together this understanding of our sinfulness and God’s mercy we can be honest with ourselves and thus approach the Lord and others with a humble heart.
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Daily Mass: How do we use our possessions? Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 20th Week of the Year
Stuff. It’s all around us, and how we use it says a lot about our faith and values. May we call upon the Lord for the wisdom and guidance to use our possessions wisely and well.
17th Sunday of the Year: It’s all about relationships. Catholic Inspiration
Fr. Andrew’s Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – 17th Sunday of the Year
Our relationships – with God and one another – form the framework of our lives. In light of the readings today we strive to heal those relationships that are broken and make even stronger those that are well.
