The Sign of Jonah – a call to repent – is the sign that Jesus gives to the crowds…and He continues to offer this powerful sign to us today.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent
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Tag Archives: Repentance
2nd Sunday of Advent: Repent and prepare for the Lord. Catholic Inspiration
John the Baptist speaks with fiery eloquence, urging the people to prepare for the one who will baptize with fire. In light of his words, may we take the opportunity today to honestly reflect on our lives and confess our sins in preparation for the coming of Christ.
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Advent
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2nd Sunday of Advent: Repent and Forgive.
Study: Is there anything keeping you from God or another person right now? What steps do you need to take to make it right?
Pray: Call upon the Lord for the strength to repent and seek forgiveness. Remember – the harder it is the more powerful the healing!
Serve: Is there some way you can be an agent of forgiveness? How can you bring people closer to God and one another?
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Advent
John the Baptist comes on the scene blazing like a torch as he exhorts the people to repent of their sins. He minces no words with the Pharisees and Sadduccees; rather, he makes it clear that the path to God leads through the good fruit of our actions.
John is blunt and direct. There is no spin in his message, no soft touch. He comes to us as a verbal bulldozer, seeking to carve out a direct route that leads to the Lord. I can only imagine what it was like to be in his presence, eager to hear his words yet feeling the sting of his speech. After all, repentance is a great thing to talk about…but often painful to put into practice.
And yet nothing brings about healing faster than forgiveness. When relationships are wounded and we find ourselves in a broken and fragile place, repentance clears the ground and allows us to rebuild our lives in an honest and direct fashion.
Repentance has some key components:
- Knowing good from bad
- Taking ownership for when our actions have been bad
- Seeking to turn away from the bad and strive to embrace the good
- Claiming the mercy and grace of God to renew our lives
- Asking for forgiveness and putting it into practice
As we prepare in this Advent season for the birth of the Messiah, we have the opportunity to examine our hearts and consider what is not worthy of the Lord. Using a good examination of conscience or just the common sense in our souls we have the chance today to repent of our sins, seek forgiveness from God and one another, and live each day in the light and power of Christ.
John tells us that while he baptizes for repentance, the Lord will baptize us in Spirit and fire – allowing us to draw into the very heart of God’s love. Only through repentance will we be able to encounter the burning intensity of divine charity; for when we stand before the Lord whatever is not fitting will burn away. May we cast out whatever is not worthy, and prepare to welcome His holy fire with open hearts.
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Note: This post was first published on November 28, 2016.
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Daily Mass: The crucial need to repent. Catholic Inspiration
The Lord makes makes it clear (repeating his exhortation twice) that it is crucial for his disciples to repent of their sins. May we take a hard and honest look within, and ask the Lord for grace we need to live in his love.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 29th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: Our ongoing call to repent. Catholic Inspiration
Jonah’s message of repentance transformed the people of Nineveh. We, too, can be changed as we acknowledge each day whatever keeps us from the love of Jesus Christ, repenting of our sins and receiving God’s grace.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 27th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: Sin, forgiveness and God’s love. Catholic Inspiration
The interaction between Jesus and the woman in the Gospel of Luke reveals the healing power of God’s love when we receive the Lord’s forgiveness for our sins.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 24th Week of the Year
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24th Sunday of the Year: The Prodigal Son.
Study: Recall a time when you experienced a moment of profound forgiveness. How did it change you?
Pray: Are you holding on to anger and resentment? Pray for God’s mercy to soften your heart.
Serve: Is there someone you know in need of mercy? Is there some way you can help others, especially when they are caught up in shame, embarrassment, or the awkwardness of their weaknesses and sins?
Mass Readings – 24th Sunday of the Year
We hear in the Gospel of Luke the familiar parable of the The Prodigal Son. It’s worth a moment to touch on a few key points from this passage:
- The younger son asks for his inheritance before his time (what kind of person does this?)
- The younger son completely wastes the entire inheritance; he has no excuse
- The younger son hits “rock bottom” and figures it’s better to be a servant with his dad than starving with the pigs
- The Father’s mercy is overwhelming: ring, robe, sandals, fatted calf, and a party
- The older son is furious – this is not justice!
- The Father is also merciful to his older son as he teaches him about mercy
What a powerful parable! In our daily lives the need for forgiveness is so compelling that it is vital to dwell on the divine mercy of God and recall our need to return to the Lord in our moments of weakness and sin.
Like both brothers in the parable, we all sin and fall short of God’s grace; yet like the brothers, we also have a Father who loves and welcomes us whenever we seek to turn back. Both brothers could speak to their Father – in either humility or anger – and the Father responds to both with tenderness.
Today I would like to suggest two key points for our reflection in the light of this passage:
- How are my sins keeping me from God and others in my life?
- What steps do I need to take to return to the Lord and receive his grace?
God longs to welcome us back, and when we can humbly embrace our mistakes and sins we discover a grace beyond anything imaginable. May we have the courage to examine our hearts and return to the Lord – the source of all mercy.
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Note: This post was first published on September 5, 2016.
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Daily Mass: The natural consequences of sin. Catholic Inspiration
The Lord reproaches the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum because they did not repent when they witnessed the mighty acts of God. We, too, have been given much by God; will we turn to the Lord and live?
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 15th Week of the Year
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4th Sunday of Lent: The Parable of the Prodigal Son
Study: Reflect on your life for a moment. When was a time you really (REALLY) messed up? When was a time you were upset that others didn’t “get what they deserve” when it came to punishment?
Pray: What in your life needs God’s forgiveness and mercy right now? Ask for the Lord’s grace.
Serve: How can you reach out to others, to foster reconciliation and a new beginning? How can you help heal a situation in your life?
Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of Lent
Who doesn’t know the parable of the Prodigal Son? This story told by Jesus has 3 main characters:
- The Father – who reaches out to his sons
- The Younger Son – who is reckless and wasteful in his sins
- The Older Son – who is angry and unwilling to forgive his brother
Let’s start with the Younger Son. He messes up – no question about that. He presumes his inheritance, wastes it on sinful living, and is reduced to abject poverty through his own fault. Finally, at the end of his rope he comes to his senses and asks for mercy, if only to be a servant in his Father’s house.
The Older Son is dutiful, hard working, and faithful. He does his duty and carries out every command. Yet when he hears how the Father celebrates his younger brother’s return he is angry…it’s not fair!
Finally the Father. Note how the Father goes out to both of his sons. The Father takes the initiative:
- with the Younger Son he runs out to meet him and assure him a place in the household
- with the Older Son he goes out to meet him to encourage forgiveness and welcome
Perhaps we might use the next few days to consider this simple question: Which Son am I? Have I made some really bad mistakes, caused harm, and wounded relationships with others? Have I held on to a grudge, nursing old injuries, unwilling to forgive and seek reconciliation? Or perhaps we are a mixture of both – making our share of messes and denying mercy to those in need.
Whatever we discover about ourselves, we will find our Father who comes to meet us where we are and lead us to a deeper level of grace. May we return to the Lord in our need and be filled with the grace of healing reconciliation.
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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 a Powerful Lent
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Note: This post was first published on February 29, 2016.
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3rd Sunday of Lent: The life changing power of repentance
Like the encounter between Moses and God, life changing moments can happen in the blink of an eye, yet leave an impact that redefines us. The same thing happens when we carry out the command of the Lord as we repent of our sins.
Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of Lent
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Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks- Daily Mass: Some spiritual insights about fasting
- Lenten Bootcamp: 1st Night - Evaluating our Spiritual Fitness
- Daily Mass: We take up our crosses and follow Christ
- Ash Wednesday: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned
- Daily Mass: Perseverance is crucial in the spiritual life
- Daily Mass: We embrace our trials with the help of Christ
- Study, Pray, Serve: 1st Sunday of Lent
- 6th Sunday of the Year: Christ calls us to look inward and out
- Daily Mass: The Lord nourishes body and soul
- Daily Mass: The gift of hearing and speech
Three Great Things 