Psalm 18 honestly expresses human suffering and struggle. In these moments of distress, we call upon the Lord, who hears our cry for help.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of Lent
***************
Tag Archives: struggle
Daily Mass: In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice. Catholic Inspiration
Daily Mass: The fiery furnace that tests our faith. Catholic Inspiration
The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel is an well-known passage that illustrates our faith in God in difficult and challenging times. May we be inspired in our daily struggles to hold fast to our faith, recognizing that these are opportunities to witness our love for the Lord.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent
***************
Share this:
Daily Mass: Endurance and Faith. Catholic Inspiration
St. Paul acknowledges the endurance and faith in his 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians, reminding us that as we face the struggles of life we call upon the Lord for the strength we need.
Mass Readings – Monday of the 21st Week of the Year
***************
Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us!
Share this:
Daily Mass: Lord in your great love, answer me! Catholic Inspiration
Today’s psalm both acknowledges our struggles and affirms our faith in God’s grace. May we turn to the Lord in our times of trial and draw strength from the one who died that we might have eternal life.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 17th Week of the Year
***************
St. Peter Chrysologus, pray for us!
Share this:
12th Sunday of the Year: God guides us through the storm. Catholic Inspiration
As Jesus calms the storm (and the fears of the disciples!) we recognize the Lords power to help us face the storms that surface in our lives. May we call upon Christ for the hope, wisdom and courage we need each and every day.
Mass Readings – 12th Sunday of the Year
***************
Share this:
Daily Mass: The Lord gives us strength for the struggle. Catholic Inspiration
As the 72 disciples return from their mission, they comment about their success over evil. May we follow their example as we call upon the name of Jesus for the strength we need to face our struggles.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 26th Week of the Year
Share this:
33rd Sunday of the Year: Facing the tough times.
Study: Consider a time when you felt paralyzed by fear. What helped you to act in a healthy way?
Pray: Do you have a situation where you are struggling for the right words to day? Ask the Lord for the wisdom to speak.
Serve: Is someone struggling in your life right now? How can you help them persevere?
Mass Readings – 33rd Sunday of the Year
In the Gospel Jesus responds to the questions of those who are wondering when the destruction of the Temple will happen. Through the course of his dialogue three key points surface:
- Do not fear.
- Trust in the Lord for the wisdom to speak.
- Persevere!
These points are crucial – they touch so much of our daily lives! How often have we experienced moments of fear, or searched for just the right words to say, or looked for strength when we felt weak? This advice is solid, practical, and helpful.
And yet while we may very well find ourselves nodding in agreement, we also know that this is often hard to do. Fear can suffocate us and manipulate how we speak and act; sometimes we speak and live to regret what we said or how we said it; and there are days when we wonder why are we doing what we do.
The Lord understands. Christ faced his fears in the Garden of Gethsemane; he spoke to the hearts of those who persecuted him, even as he persevered on the way to Calvary.
Today we examine our lives for vulnerable spots where we are weak and prone to temptation. It is here that we call upon the Lord – to face our fears, trust in God’s wisdom, and keep going with a strength that is greater than our own.
***************
***************
Note: This post was first published on November 7, 2016.
Share this:
20th Sunday of the Year: Running the race of faith. Catholic Inspiration
The Letter to the Hebrews describes our life as a great race before a cloud of witnesses. Life is difficult, yet with God’s grace and the help of people, angels and saints we can face our struggles with the conviction that we will cross the finish line into Heaven.
Mass Readings – 20th Sunday of the Year
***************
Share this:
4th Sunday of the Year: We confront the tension of life with the love of Christ. Catholic Inspiration
Like Jeremiah and Jesus, we experience times in life that are filled with tension and difficulty. Yet following the example of St. Paul, we face these challenging moments with God’s grace as we embrace and live the love of Christ each and every day.
Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of the Year
***************
Share this:
4th Sunday of the Year: When the going gets tough…keep going!
Study: Recall a time when you had to speak up in a difficult situation. How did you face it? What gave you strength to do it?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the grace to respond to challenging circumstances with love. Call upon the Holy Spirit for the gifts you need.
Serve: How can you support someone who is faced with a tough task right now? How can you help them?
Mass Readings – 4th Sunday of the Year
Let’s start with a quick recap of the readings this week:
- 1st Reading: Jeremiah will be strengthened to preach a difficult message
- Psalm: We proclaim God’s goodness, especially when life is tough
- 2nd Reading: The Love of God shapes and directs our lives
- Gospel: Jesus encounters opposition at Nazareth
The first reading, psalm, and Gospel all refer to moments that challenge us. The prophets encountered it, the Psalmist sings about it, and the Lord himself met resistance and opposition to the message he proclaimed. But note this: in spite of the difficulty they did it.
Sometimes saying what needs to be said is unpleasant and unwelcome. We might want to avoid it or wish someone else could do it, but there are times in life when it’s up to us to deliver a tough message. We know what needs to be said…and that it’s up to us to speak.
The key is how we say it. How does our intention, our desire, and our tone convey a tough message? The answer is found in the second reading: Love. The love of Christ guides and directs every aspect of our lives – including those times when we are called to speak about a difficult topic.
This notion of “what” and “how” shows up repeatedly in the spiritual life:
- What refers to the issue, content, and “facts” of a situation or circumstance
- How refers to the manner in which it is conveyed – the way we do something
Our faith calls us to confront the reality of life, particularly when things are tough. We need not fear engaging a difficult situation; rather, we draw on the love of Christ to guide us – both in what we say and how we say it – trusting that the Lord will provide us with the grace we need.
Let’s face it: Life is tough! But when the going gets tough, the tough get going…guided by God’s love.
****************
***************
Note: This post was first published on January 26, 2016.
Share this:
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks- Daily Mass: The precepts of the Lord bring joy to the heart
- Daily Mass: Faith, Prayer, and Forgiveness
- Daily Mass: We want to see Jesus
- The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Daily Mass: We offer our lives to the Lord
- Daily Mass: Behold your Mother
- Study, Pray, Serve: The Most Holy Trinity
- Pentecost: Come, Holy Spirit, and kindle in us the fire of your love!
- Daily Mass: Paul in Rome
- Daily Mass: What others say about Paul
Three Great Things 