The Gospel of Matthew shows Jesus sending out the Twelve Apostles, empowering them to carry out his work. Their example inspires us to offer our lives for the Lord’s service today.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent
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St. John Damascene…pray for us!
The Psalm response on the Feast of St. Bartholomew invites us to make known God’s kingdom. May words and actions point others to Jesus Christ with our eyes fixed on Heaven.
Mass Readings – Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle
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St. Bartholomew…pray for us!
Here are some of the themes that surface in the readings for this 15th Sunday of the Year.
1st Reading – Amos 7:12-15
Psalm – 85:9-14
2nd Reading – Ephesians 1:3-14
Gospel – Mark 5:7-13
Mass Readings – 15th Sunday of the Year
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As Saul and Barnabas are chosen by God for a special task, we see how the Lord continues to call each one of us today to go forth into the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 4th Week of Easter
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As Jesus calls and empowers the Twelve to be Apostles, we see how the Lord continues to work in our lives…calling us to follow and then sending us into the world to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 23rd Week of the Year
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God calls us, empowers us and sends us into the world to offer our lives and become living conduits for the Lord’s grace. Each of us has to make a simple choice: Will we respond to the call and follow Jesus?
Mass Readings – 15th Sunday of the Year
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Study: Recall a time in life when you had to completely trust another. How did you react to being dependent?
Pray: Where do you see the need for strength in your life today? Call upon God for the help to face your struggles.
Serve: Is there someone in your life you can help empower? Is there a way that you can assist another to face new challenges?
Mass Readings – 15th Sunday of the Year
One of the themes that surface in the Scriptures this week focuses on the notion that God chooses us and gives us what we need. Take a look:
What does this mean for us today?
First, our lives are guided by God. We find our origin and focus in the one who chooses and calls us to the gift of life. We find ourselves in situations that contain blessings and burdens, at times touched by grace, at other times driven to our knees as we are overwhelmed by trial. Yet through it all we recognize that God is the origin and source of our lives.
Second, we find our strength in God. Amos found power and conviction to preach a difficult message – because he knew that the Lord would give him what he needed. The book of Ephesians reminds us that glory and redemption, wisdom and insight, come from the one who triumphed through the Cross. Jesus sends his disciples on mission – trusting entirely upon providence – so that their ministry is not sustained by their own power but dependent upon God alone.
We live our lives with the conviction that we stay close to the Lord. As we draw near to Jesus Christ, we continue to recognize our need for the Lord to remain the center and focus of all that we say and do. Apart from God our lives lose direction; united with the Almighty we discover purpose and meaning.
What’s more, as we rely on Christ we draw new strength! We understand that everything we have comes from God, and through this awareness we are able to receive the power we need to face situations we would have otherwise considered impossible.
God called the prophets and disciples to do extraordinary things…and gave them the strength to carry them out. As we face our challenges this day, may we respond to the one who calls us to do the task before us – trusting that the Lord will also give us what we need.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Note: This post was originally published on July 8, 2015.
Three Great Things 