4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the Old Testament God promised to Abraham a kingdom and a people.  Last week Jesus began to fulfill that promise of a kingdom by beginning the calling of his 12 Apostles.  These 12 would eventually form the Church – the new kingdom of God that will last into eternity.  This week, Jesus describes the attributes of those who belong to this kingdom, what kingdom citizens look like: they look like the 8 beatitudes.  How can I become more a kingdom citizen this week?  And how can I help others to become more of a kingdom citizen this week?

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

God loves bringing light into the darkness, and especially light out of the darkness.  Zebulun and Naphtali were the northern regions of Israel that were taken over by the Assyrians, and the people of God there lived under oppression for hundreds of years.  It is precisely to this region that Jesus goes in our Gospel, announcing the kingdom of heaven and coming as light into the darkness.  What is an area of your life that is a place of gloom, worry, anxiety, hopelessness, darkness?  God has always been bringing light out of darkness, and maybe that’s exactly what He wants to do for you!

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.”

32nd Sunday in ordinary time

The martyrs in our first reading were living for the life to come.  And in our Gospel Jesus gives us a glimpse into this life: a life of such deep and fulfilling relationship with God that earthly marriages are only a shadow of what’s coming.  This week we are challenged: Are you intentionally living for the life to come?  Are you intentionally encouraging others to live for the life to come?  Priesthood and celibacy only make sense if we’re looking toward the next life.  If young men are going to become priests, it’s our job to inspire them by living our lives for the life to come.

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus invites Himself into the home of a sinner – Zacchaeus the tax collector…and THEN Zacchaeus has a change of heart.  Change doesn’t come first; first comes God, then comes change.  Jesus invites Himself into our “house” at every Mass each time we come forward for Communion.  Jesus wants to be received into your heart and into your house in a new and deeper way than ever before.  Don’t say, “But I’m not ready!  I still need to change!”  We make it a lot easier on ourselves if we just let Him in – then God will do the hard work for us.  First comes God, then comes change.

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Like last weekend, this weekend’s readings center on prayer.  They show us that God loves real, honest, raw prayer!  God wants you to tell Him what’s going on inside of you, even if you don’t think it’s “holy” or “godly” or whatever – God wants your prayer to be REAL.  Like the tax collector in the Temple, we go home justified (and fulfilled…and fed…and blessed) when we are utterly honest with the Lord.  So try it this week: 10 minutes of prayer each morning, walk through your day with Him before it happens, asking Him for strength, and then tell God what’s really on your mind, what’s really preoccupying you these days.  God loves that kind of prayer!

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus humorously encourages us today to be like a nagging, old woman when we come to prayer – that means to pray always, again and again, bother the Father!  God wants us to come to Him time and again not because He forgets or is unaware of our needs, but because the more face time we have with Him, the deeper our relationship grows.  3 practices that will make “pray always” a reality: spend the first 10 minutes of each day with the Lord, offer different hours during the day for others (like Moses, your prayers will help someone win battles in their life), and find a good friend to share how your resolutions are affecting your life, and vice-versa.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend our parish is celebrating Stewardship Weekend.  Thank you, fellow Christian, for all that you have done with the gifts God has entrusted to you.  Thank you for those ways that you have been a good steward.  Gratitude for what God has given us leads to generosity.  And generosity leads to a joyful heart.  In our Gospel Jesus heals 10 lepers…only 1 comes back to thank Him.  Be the one to come back and thank Jesus; count your blessings – then you’ll find yourself wanting to give more.  And as you give, your heart will grow, and you will be filled with a joy that no one can take from you!

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today we receive a wake-up call.  In the first reading God condemns the ruling elite of Israel for their complacence and indifference.  In our Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, in which the rich man finds himself in hell, not because he was evil or wicked or immoral, but simply because he was indifferent – he didn’t use the blessings God had given him to help bless others.  We are fed with the Body and Blood of Jesus each week so that our hearts can move from indifference to generosity, so that our hearts can become like Jesus’ heart.  We’re called Christians for a reason; let’s become who we are!

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today Jesus tells us one of His most confusing parables: “Look at this shady, crooked, underhanded businessman… You should be like him!”  Many people are clever in the ways of this world – they are smart and resourceful in using the people and situations around them to further their own gain (even if it is selfish and underhanded, as the steward is today).  Jesus challenges the “children of light” to be as smart and resourceful in obtaining benefits for heavenly life, as clever in living out our faith in the midst of this busy world and culture, as this shady businessman was in obtaining benefits for his earthly life.