Isaiah and Jesus describe some of the things that can get in the way with our relationship with God; however, when we put the Lord first we find that everything else is empowered in its proper place.
Mass Readings – Monday of the 15th Week of the Year
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St. Paul’s letter to the Romans teaches that we die to sin and rise with Christ, and as we place our hope in the Lord we have a strength to confront the darkness and evil that we uncover lurking in our hearts.
Mass Readings – 13th Sunday of the Year
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The readings today remind us of the reality of evil and its blinding presence in our lives. Yet as we confront the darkness of sin we find that our help comes from the light of Christ, who gives us the courage and strength we need.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 4th Week of Lent
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The contrast between the temptation of Adam and Eve by the serpent and the three temptations of Jesus by Satan offers us some crucial insights into how we face the temptations in our lives today.
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Lent
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Study: When in life have you been profoundly tempted? What patterns do you notice in your life?
Pray: The temptations we face provide a special place in our prayers; bring them to the Lord!
Serve: How can you support others who are tempted so that they can face them with grace?
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Lent
We enter into the great season of Lent with classic readings about temptation, sin and God’s grace:
First, let me be perfectly clear: Temptation is a part of the landscape of human life. From the time of our first parents at the dawn of creation, humanity has experienced temptation. We can wish all we want, but the fact remains that we are constantly facing great and small temptations throughout the course of our lives.
What’s more, we have all experienced times when temptation has led us to sin. Being tempted is one thing; falling into sin is another. For once sin is a part of our lives, our souls are wounded in a way that requires God’s grace to cleanse and heal.
This awareness of temptation and sin can easily lead us to a state of despair. We can fall into the trap that says “Well, you messed up. What’s the point now? You might as well just give up.” Admittedly, the devil would like nothing better than to let us think that there is no hope…that we are lost and without strength to find our way out of the messes of life.
Yet we start our Lent with hope. Yes, we acknowledge that temptation and sin are real, but we take comfort that this is why Jesus Christ came – to break the bondage of sin, restore our relationships with God and one another, and lead us into eternal life. The Lord knew about temptation first hand, yet not only did he triumph over Satan’s testing, but he freed us through his death and resurrection.
In our moments of temptation and sin may we run to the Cross of Christ! As we encounter our own trials may we trust that the Lord stands ready to offer us help and strength – both to face what comes before us this day, and to heal us in our moments of need.
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Podcast Resources for a Powerful Lent
Note: This post was first published on February 27, 2017.
The Letter of James gives crucial insight into the nature of temptation. As we encounter our own temptations, may we never tire of calling upon God for the grace we need to face them.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 6th Week of the Year
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The parable of the sower teaches us of the crucial need to cultivate the garden of our hearts with care and diligence.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the the 3rd Week of the Year
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St. Paul reminds us that we hold a treasure from God in our fragile, human hands. As disciples of Jesus Christ we always recognize two issues: on one hand we are inheritors of God’s glory; on the other hand we are weak and prone to sin. May we accept God’s grace and allow the Lord to touch our lives with his healing love.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 10th Week of the Year
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Catholic Inspiration Archives
As Jesus confronts the devil in the wilderness, his response to three temptations shows us how we can face the deceptions of evil in our lives with courage, faith and wisdom.
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Lent
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Study: Reflect on a moment when you were in a critical need. What pulled you through?
Pray: Ask the Lord for grace regarding a difficult situation.
Serve: How can you be a helping hand to another?
Mass Readings – 1st Sunday of Lent
Let’s take a look at these readings that help us kick off Lent:
Have you ever been in trouble? Serious trouble? End of your rope? Lost? Confused? Abandoned? Scared? Feeling like you cannot breathe because the air has gone out of your chest? Feeling utterly alone?
You’re in good company. People of faith for over 3000 years have called upon the Lord in their darkest moments – seeking guidance and strength.
And God provides. We don’t have to look very hard to find examples of pain and suffering, hardship and loss, struggle, catastrophe and sin. We also know that there are no promises that life will be easy and free from pain. What we know is simple: God walks with us and sustains us in our moments of need.
Of course this is only a half truth – God walks with us always! God never leaves us, but for some very human reason we seem to call out loud and strong when we recognize our need for the Lord. Isn’t it odd that we “get it” when we are in need…that many of us who dedicate our lives to Christ see much more clearly when the truth is self-evident?
Perhaps not. Perhaps what this first week of Lent shows us is that our need for God (always present in our lives) is most easily observed when we cannot hide from our need. For when we are in trouble, we are confronted with the clear and obvious reality that it is only with the Lord’s grace that we can be guided and sustained. In the times of our testing we discover both our limitations and the Lord’s love.
What are you facing in your life right now? What requires your own personal admission and acceptance of Christ’s mercy? Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble!
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If you are looking for more material to help you this Lent, you might consider this list of presentations I have offered over the last couple of years. Feel free to check it out and share if you find it helpful:
Podcast Resources for getting the most out of Lent
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Note: this post was first published on February 9, 2016.
