The Lord explains how Elijah returned in the person of John the Baptist, and then Jesus goes on to say how he will suffer just like John. As we draw near to the Feast of Christmas, we remember how God so loved the world he gave His only Son…to teach us how to offer our lives for one another.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 2nd Week of Advent
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Photo Credit: Son of God, 2014.
Mass Readings – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
How many times throughout our lives have we made the sign of the Cross? Stop and think: at Mass; meal prayers; morning & evening prayers; special gatherings; and moments of blessing and grace. This simple action, which we teach to children at an early age, invokes a connection with the passion of Jesus.
We adorn our homes with the Cross. A crucifix is a common gift to a new home; they are placed in bedrooms and common areas as a reminder that Jesus is the source of our help and strength.
We adorn ourselves with the Cross in many ways: a crucifix on a chain; a cross in our pocket; earrings; rings; bracelets; and all the extra cards, bookmarks, figurines, and miscellaneous items that remind us that Jesus died on a Cross.
The Paschal Mystery – the death and resurrection of Christ – speaks to the heart of our faith. Out of love for us God sent Jesus, who gave his life on the Cross that we might have eternal life. Through his suffering and death, we recognize that God has made a pathway possible that we might all journey through this life to the gates of Heaven.
The Cross teaches us many lessons:
* Life is difficult, and at times painful
* Weakness and sin are part of our experience
* God identifies with our pain
* God dies that we might have life
At the core of our teaching the Cross stands as the testament of God’s love for us. On one hand the Cross is an embarrassment – after all, why would God (all powerful, all knowing, supreme) choose to be humiliated? Does that not mean that God is weak? Why could God not take away our sins in a way that showed majesty and splendor?
Yet on the other hand, the Cross is a statement that God meets us where we are in life. In our weakness, in our humiliation, in our low moments of doubt and sin God comes to us. Jesus, like us in every way but sin, understands our pain because through his Cross he shares in the suffering of the world. He knows us, and loves us even more.
Every time we make the sign of the Cross may we recall what the Lord endured for us. May the Cross be our strength as we trust in God’s love, and may we seek to follow that love as we journey through this life toward the world to come.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 9th Week of the Year
What if the gift of our lives was not measured by time or money, but rather by the sacrifice in our hearts? That’s the lesson the Lord reveals about the poor widow in the Gospel today.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Study: Where have I made sacrifices in my life? What do these sacrifices reveal about my values and priorities?
Pray: Reflect on those who are suffering right now. Draw near to them in your prayer, asking the Lord to give them strength.
Serve: Who is carrying a cross in your life today? How can you help them?
Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast (10 minutes, given at Cathedral on April 3, 2015)
For what would you give your life? For who?
Perhaps this is too extreme as a starting point. Perhaps the first question should be where in my life have I made consistent sacrifices? Where in my life have I given up something because I believed in something more important?
Sacrifices reveal the depth and character of our heart. They show our values, principles, and convictions in straightforward and direct ways. Our sacrifices quickly point out the hidden parts of our soul – either to be confirmed/denied by the words we speak – and proclaim to others our inner self.
In general sacrifice means giving our lives – sometimes in simple service, minor inconveniences, labors of love, seasons of selflessness, or in extreme cases: offering our lives. We make sacrifices all the time.
So did Christ.
As we read the Passion of the Lord today we discover the love Christ has for every human soul; the Lord willingly hung upon the Cross for our sins – sacrificing his innocent life for the pains and hurts we have inflicted upon one another. His sacrifice reveals his love for us (even on our worst days) as something so precious that it is worth all the pain and humiliation that the devil could provide.
Where do we see ourselves in the Passion? What crosses have we been given to carry – participating in some small way with the Cross of Christ? Or are we like Simon of Cyrene or Veronica – assisting with others in their own journey to Calvary? Are we making sacrifices or offering support for others in their need? We read the Passion every year on Good Friday to remind ourselves not only of what the Lord has done for us, but also that we, too, have a part to play. Our crosses participate in the Cross of Christ; our support for one another shares in the comfort which others offered to Jesus.
May this Good Friday drive us to our knees – thanking the Lord for what he did for us, and inspiring us to walk willingly with others in their need.
This post was originally published on April 3, 2015
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Walking with the Lord in Holy Week (March 9-12, 2015 – Our Lady of the Valley – Green Valley, AZ) This parish mission takes the listener on a journey with Christ – from his entry into Jerusalem, through the Last Supper, his Passion, and his Resurrection.
Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross reveals the value God places on human life and inspires us to share our lives as an offering back to God.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Monday Conversation – 19 Minutes
“What are you giving up for Lent?” is a question that all too often finds us without an adequate answer. Take time now in these next few days to reflect on how we want to make a sacrifice – Body, Mind or Heart – that speaks to our Soul!
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 2nd Week of the Year
The Book of Hebrews reminds us that we have a great high priest, Jesus Christ, who has offered his once-for-all sacrifice on our behalf. Through our encounter with the Lord, may our lives be touched by his grace as we live our faith in the world.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – The Holy Family
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph helps us see how God works through each of our families. We face our struggles, make sacrifices, support each other, and receive blessings with gratitude…and through it all we grow in grace.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 17th Week of the Year
Here’s a question: Would you be willing to die for your faith? Both Jeremiah and John the Baptist are put to the test, and we know that today people are killed for following Christ. May our lives reveal our love for the Lord…in both life and death.
Fr. Andrew’s Daily Mass Homily Podcast
Daily Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 8th Week of Ordinary Time
1st Peter tells us that we have been ransomed…with the precious blood of Christ. The Lord’s sacrifice reveals God’s value of our souls and shows us how we can share our lives – loving one another as Jesus loves us. Go make a difference today!
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 