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!
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!
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
***************
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
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:
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.
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
***************
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
***************
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:
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:
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.
The readings state plainly the hostility and difficulty we often find in lives. Sometimes the battle is outside ourselves, and sometimes it is within. Yet as we fight our battles, we constantly use our most powerful weapon: the grace we receive through our faith in Jesus Christ!
Mass Readings – 25th Sunday of the Year
***************
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 5th Week of Easter
Chosen by God does not mean that life will be easy; on the contrary, it will be hard! We know from experience that there are times when we pay the price for doing the right thing, and as we follow Jesus Christ we know that we will meet opposition and difficulty…yet with the Lord’s grace we will be given what we need to keep going.
***************
Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
Three Great Things 