Tag Archives: Strength

July 12, 2015

15th Sunday of the Year – Chosen & Empowered by God – Catholic Inspiration

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

Fr. Andrew’s 15th Sunday of the Year Homily Podcast

Both Amos and the Apostles are chosen by God and empowered to do amazing things.  The tasks set before them are difficult and challenging – obstacles that will test them.  The Letter to Ephesians reminds us, however, that God chooses us as well!  Here are three points to help us face the struggles of life:

  • Attitude
  • Effort
  • Stay close to Jesus Christ

May the words of the Scriptures and the examples of the saints inspire us to engage the obstacles of life with God’s grace!

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July 8, 2015

15th Sunday of the Year – Chosen and Empowered by God

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

walking stick

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?

15th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

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:

  • 1st Reading: Amos was formerly a shepherd who cared for sycamore trees, until God called him
  • 2nd Reading: Ephesians reminds us that we are chosen by God, who has blessed us in Jesus Christ
  • Gospel: Jesus sends his disciples to preach and heal, trusting in God’s providence along the way

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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April 28, 2015

5th Sunday of Easter – The Vine & The Branches

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

vine & branches

Study:  Recall a time in life when you were disconnected from God.  What helped you restore your relationship with Christ?

Pray:  How can you grow closer to the Lord today?  What spiritual resources, sacraments, or fellowship can help you thrive?

Serve:  Who in your life is disconnected right now?  How can you reach out and help them?

5th Sunday of Easter Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

The relationship between vine an branches is simple: the branches, connected to the vine, draw their strength and nourishment from it.  Cut off, they die.

Raising grapes and making wine were crucial at the time of Jesus (and still important today) and this gardening image provides a powerful insight in two crucial aspects of human life.

  • Drawing our strength from Christ
  • Providing strength to others

As branches connected to Christ, we draw the grace we need from the Lord.  It’s his death and resurrection that gives us life; his forgiveness that restores our relationships with God and one another; and his power that we call upon when we confront the obstacles and stumbling blocks in the world.  Our lives, dependent on Christ, thrive with his life within us – in the Scriptures, the Sacraments, private prayer, and fellowship with one another.

Yet we also serve as sources of support for others, and the strength of our relationship with God directs our ability to recognize and respond to others.  We cannot give what we don’t have, and as we support one another we pass on the grace we receive from Christ and share it with those we meet.  Who are these key people who look to us?  Some examples:

  • parents and children
  • extended family
  • coworkers
  • employees
  • classmates
  • teammates
  • neighbors
  • friends

Our lives are interconnected!  Drawing strength from Christ – the central vine – we thrive; his strength in turn becomes the power which we extend into the hearts of those whose lives touch our own.

Today: draw near to Jesus and allow his love to fill our hearts!  May we pour his love into the lives of each and every soul we meet!

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April 26, 2015

4th Sunday of Easter – Cornerstones in the Shepherd’s Care – Catholic Inspiration

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

Fr. Andrew’s 4th Sunday of Easter Homily Podcast

How do we face rejection?  How do we confront the obstacles and roadblocks that are part of life?  Two key points surface:

  • Strength
  • Wisdom

May we call upon the Lord for what we need – regardless of our vocation in life – to find our way!

This homily was given at Cathedral of Christ the King on Sunday, April 26, 2015.

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April 4, 2015

Easter – a Sunrise of Strength and Hope

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Resurrection

Study:  Where in my life have I discovered God’s strength and grace?  How have others helped me?

Pray:  Where do I need God’s strength right now?  Call upon the Lord with boldness to face the challenges of life.

Serve:  How can I be an instrument of God’s strength to another?  How can I help someone today?

Easter Vigil Readings

Easter Day Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast (7 minutes)

I can only imagine the surge of excitement that went through the disciples as the word was shared.  Beyond the agony of the Cross and the sorrow of the Tomb on that first day of the week the message was proclaimed:  He’s Alive!

And everything changes.  This group of disciples – bound by fear and selfishness – are transformed with a new strength and conviction.  Their encounter with the Risen Lord will empower them to face the obstacles of this world with joy and hope.  They have seen the risen Christ…what is there to fear?  They have embraced the one who has conquered sin and death – there is NOTHING that can shake their confidence in the light of Easter morning.

This same strength comes to us.  Like the first disciples, we can turn to Jesus and allow his saving grace to renew us with a strength far beyond our own.  We can claim a hope that sustains us in the midst of our challenges and struggles.  The Easter sunrise brings light to the darkest corners of our hearts.

What in our lives needs to be touched by Jesus Christ?  We are invited to boldly come forward, receive his resurrection strength, and face whatever this world presents with confidence: the victory of Christ enlivens us to travel through life with the conviction that the grace he gave his disciples continues in our hearts today.

May this Easter season be a time of transformation and renewal; a time where we embrace the gift of our lives with a new freedom and conviction.  In the light of this Easter, may we follow the one who leads us from sin and death to the abundance of life…in this world, and the world to come.

Happy Easter!

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The Resurrection, Sebastiano Ricci; 1715-1716, oil on canvas, 883 mm x 1,187 mm, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, England.

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March 31, 2015

Holy Week Preparations

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Holy Week

Pastoral Note: This post was originally given on April 12, 2014.  I share it once again in the hope that all of us will enter more fully into the gift of this sacred time.  Fr. Andrew

Study:  Recall a time in your life when you experienced death and new life.  Where did you find the strength?  Who helped you through this time?

Pray:  Spend some time reflecting on the death and resurrection of Jesus this week.  Read Mark 14-16; Matthew 26-28; Luke 22-24; and John 18-21.  Take in as many prayer opportunities as possible in your parish.

Serve:  Who in your life is dealing with life and death issues right now?  How might you be present to them to offer help, comfort, or strength?

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We enter into the heart of the Christian mystery: Holy Week offers us a time to pause, reflect, and pray as the Church ponders on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This mystery, often called the Paschal Mystery, recalls us to the saving work of the Lord.  His death frees of from the burdens of sin and death, and his resurrection opens for us the path to eternal life.  This mystery is profoundly experienced over the Triduum – the 3 Great Days:

  • Holy Thursday – the Mass of the Lord’s Supper
  • Good Friday – the Passion of the Christ
  • Easter (Vigil/Day) – the Resurrection of the Lord

On Holy Thursday we find ourselves in Jerusalem, eating with the disciples at the Lord’s Supper and feeling awkward as he washes their feet – wondering how we would react if he did that for us.  We might identify with Peter or Judas – especially when we consider the times we have willingly betrayed or turned our back on the Lord.

On Good Friday we experience the physical pain, emotional abandonment, and personal humiliation on the path to Calvary (also called Golgotha or Skull Place) and look on with horror at the cruel death of Jesus.  We might also consider the times we have helped others – as Simon did when he was forced to carry the Cross of Christ.    And then we stand in profound sorrow with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, helpless as the innocent suffer injustice.

On Easter we wait in vigil and rise early in the morning with Mary Magdalen, only to find to our wonder and joy that the tomb is empty:  Christ is alive!  Our world, like that of the apostles, is changed forever as we experience new hope and life.

A word to the wise – we get out of Holy Week what we put into it.  Here are some simple ways for an incredible experience.

  • Make church services a top priority – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter (Vigil or Day).
  • Take time to read and reflect on the scriptures (see at the top under “Pray”).
  • Make Holy Thursday an opportunity to offer a special act of service or kindness to another.
  • Make Good Friday fasting extra special with a gift to a particular charity that helps the poor.
  • Make Easter a time of gratitude – take a quiet moment to count our blessings and thank the Lord.
  • Find some time throughout this week to tell the people in our lives how much we love them.

May this be a time for all of us to grow closer to the Lord and one another.

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March 27, 2015

Catholic Inspiration – Walking with the Lord in Holy Week – All Talks

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

Below are all the recorded homilies and presentations offered at the Parish Mission for Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Green Valley, AZ from March 7-12, 2015.  Special thanks to the wonderful people at OLV for their hospitality – what a joy to be among you!

Sunday Homily Podcast – 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year B) – Saturday, March 7, 2015.

Monday Homily Podcast – Monday of the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year I) – March 9, 2015.

Holy Week Presentation Podcast #1 – Palm Sunday – March 9, 2015.

Tuesday Homily Podcast – Tuesday of the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year I) – March 10, 2015.

Holy Week Presentation Podcast #2 – Holy Thursday – March 10, 2015.

Holy Week Presentation Podcast #3 – Good Friday – March 11, 2015.

Thursday Homily Podcast – Thursday of the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year I) – March 12, 2015.

Holy Week Presentation Podcast #4 – Easter – March 12, 2015.

In addition, I wish to thank the parishioners at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Solon Springs, WI who welcomed me to preach a concentrated version of this Mission on Saturday, February 28, 2015 – thank you for your kindness…these presentations grew out of our day together!

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March 26, 2015

Walking with the Lord in Holy Week – Easter – Catholic Inspiration

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

This is the 4th of four presentations given at a Parish Mission on March 9-12, 2015 for Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Green Valley, Arizona.

Fr. Andrew’s Presentation Podcast #4 – Easter (33 minutes)

The power of the Resurrection and subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit transforms the disciples – they have encountered the Risen Lord and no longer fear sin and death.  Rather, they engage the world with Good News and share the gift of their lives with power and joy.  This transformation must always be understood through the double lens of the Cross/Resurrection; only with a clear understanding of the sacrifice of Christ can we begin to truly appreciate the gift of Eternal Life.  Two key concepts surface:

  • Strength
  • Sunrise…of Hope!

Our STRENGTH comes from the Lord.  Through our daily encounter with Christ through prayer and sacrament we our empowered to choose our attitude and seek opportunities to live our faith in the unique and precious moments of each day.

Furthermore, the Good News of Christ leads to a SUNRISE of HOPE.  We recognize that our personal witness is most authentic when our lives exude the hope and joy that come from Christ’s resurrection.  Guided by the Fruits of the Spirit, we can honestly look within our hearts and cast out anything that keeps us from God and one another.

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March 18, 2015

Catholic Inspiration – Youth Rally

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Three Great Things

The Cathedral hosted the Youth Rally on March 18, 2015.  This homily was given to the 400+  youth who came together for adoration, a keynote talk from Joel Stepanek, and Mass.

Fr. Andrew’s Youth Rally Homily Podcast

Keep praying for our youth that the Lord will touch and bless their lives with grace, wisdom, and strength!

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February 2, 2015

5th Sunday of the Year – Suffering: Part I

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Jesus healing

Study:  Reflect on moments of sickness and healing.  Where did you see God’s hand at work in your life?

Pray:  Is there something in your heart that is keeping you from being healed?  Ask the Lord for the grace to remove the obstacles that prevent the saving touch of Jesus.

Serve:  Who in your life is struggling with suffering right now?  How can you help support them in their need?

5th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily Podcast

Maybe you’re different, but I find it ridiculously easy to take my health for granted.  I can find myself in patterns of thought where I just assume that my body will work exactly the way it is suppose to, without hindrance, mishap, or breakdown – and you know what happens when you assume…

Let’s face it: suffering stinks.

It took parish priesthood to teach me how precious is the gift of life, and that includes the gift of health.  I make routine visits to the hospitals, say Mass at the nursing homes, and anoint people frequently at church for the surgeries, procedures, tests, and treatments that are part of our battle for healing.  All of us know – either personally or through loved ones – the challenges of suffering.

Some might ask, “Why does God allow this to happen?  Wouldn’t a loving God keep everyone healthy and happy?”  Admittedly when we see people who, through no fault of their own, endure horrible pain and illness we rightfully want to know why; at least, it is one of my Top Ten questions to ask the Almighty.  And while we do not get our answers in this life, we can acknowledge that suffering is part of human experience; it is something that – in greater and lesser ways – we will all encounter in our journey through life.

We see an authentic expression of suffering in the words of Job and the crowd who came to Jesus.  Job’s words echo the cry of many who lose hope in the face of ongoing physical, mental, and spiritual anguish; the press of the crowds around Jesus underscores our deep desire to find healing and relief.

And in the midst of the reality of human suffering, we encounter Jesus at the heart of our experience.  The Lord does not avoid human misery; rather, he reaches out to touch and bless it.  It is this encounter with Jesus – healing body and soul, preaching Good News to the poor in spirit, and casting out evil wherever it is present – that renews lives and fosters hope.

God seeks our healing:

  • In sound bodies (Body)
  • In clear thinking (Mind)
  • In right relationships (Heart)
  • In spiritual harmony (Soul)

So, what needs to be healed in our lives today?  What in our lives – Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul – needs to be touched and blessed by Christ?  God knows our need, may we come to the Lord and seek the one who longs for us to be made whole.

 

 

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