20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Athletes in the Olympic games put in endless hours of practice, pushing their bodies to the furthest limits – mentally and physically beyond what most people could handle – so that they can be the best in the world.  Paul says today that all of us Christians are also in a contest and we are to “persevere in running the race that lies before us, while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.”  As we run Jesus warns that we will experience push-back, adversity, that His message and our way of life will bring division because people won’t like what we are doing or what we have to say – the Prophet Jeremiah was left for dead, Jesus was crucified, Paul was beheaded.  But are we willing to fix our eyes on Jesus and keep running the race, no matter what kind of resistance we meet?  Because that is what separates the mediocre from the great.

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Faith is not simply believing in God.  If it were, then even the devil would have faith.  Faith, rather, is trusting in God, trusting that He will take care of us, trusting that He will do what He says…even if it’s not exactly when we’d want or expect it.  Today Abraham is held up as a model of faith.  Through his example, we are invited to a new way of seeing our life and the world – through the lens of radical trust in our Father.  What’s one area in your life where you have a lot of worry or anxiety, an area where you could use more trust?  Say a prayer to God each day this week, asking for more faith, more trust, asking to see His hand at work through it all!

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

So many things in this world and in our life are simply passing by: when we spend too much of our precious time, energy, and thoughts on them, when we give them more weight than they deserve, it’s like chasing bubbles – some day they will pop and disappear forever, leaving us empty.  But Paul challenges us to seek what is above, and Jesus urges us to become rich in what matters to God.  We all know what’s really important in life, we know those things that truly last…but those take real work.  It’s a lot easier to get distracted by the bubbles.  What’s one way this week that you can stop chasing empty things and start investing in those actions that will make you rich in what matters to God?

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our conscience is God’s voice speaking deep in our hearts, guiding us along the path, urging us to do the right, dissuading us from the wrong.  The only problem is that over time we learn how to rationalize that voice away to get to the conclusions that we want.  We are reminded today in our readings that we were created through Christ, made with God’s law and voice inside of us, and that Jesus challenges us, in the story of the Good Samaritan, not to outthink ourselves, but to return to the simplicity of following the voice of God deep within us – our conscience.

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today in our Gospel Jesus sends 72 out ahead of him to prepare the way; today you have been sent out ahead of Jesus to prepare the way.  In the midst of the joyful celebrations of the 4th of July this weekend, we are challenged to keep an eye open for anyone around us who is hurting, who has a heavy heart, and to help lighten their load…if only just a little.  In this way we can bring the light of Christ to hurting hearts, preparing the way for explosions of God’s grace!  Even the biggest fireworks are started by a tiny, little flame.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The learning process never ends – we continue learning our whole life long.  Our life of faith is meant to grow our whole life long as well: “disciple” means “learner”.  In our readings today God calls certain people to follow Him – the big call.  But we also see God asking daily favors of those who already follow him – the small calls.  As disciples of Jesus, God is calling us, in big ways and small, to deeper faith, to lives of service, to lives of prayer, to following these spontaneous and often inconvenient calls that bring about His Kingdom in our lives and on this earth.  What small calls does He have in store for you this week?

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Have you ever been accused of being like your parents?  Usually, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  On this Father’s Day weekend, Jesus asks his disciples, and us, “Who do you say that I am?”  If we take Jesus at His word, then we believe that He is the Son of God the Father, and that in Jesus we are also sons and daughters of a heavenly Father.  Jesus was like His Dad: “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”  As followers of Jesus, as sons and daughters of God, do we live and act and talk in such a way that others can accuse us of being like our heavenly Father?!

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings today show that we have a God with an attitude of forgiveness.  As God’s people, we are called to take on this same attitude.  Whether it’s something as small as bad driving or as large as lifelong divisions and family rifts, we are called to begin living our lives with an attitude of forgiveness.  Unforgiveness is exhausting; we carry around the weight of resentment and bitterness.  These people and situations don’t deserve to have that kind of hold on us.  Forgiveness lightens us, frees us to live life the way we were made to live it!

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The readings today announce God as the giver of life – physical and spiritual.  God wants us to live rich, fulfilled, happy lives.  In the Gospel Jesus raises a dead man to life by the touch of His hand.  Is there a part of my life that seems lifeless?  Is there an area in my life that is not as rich, deep, and fulfilling as I’d like it to be?  Today, ask Jesus to lay His hand on you and to bring that part of you back to life.