Disciples Help Heavy Hearts

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

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.

Disciples Follow the Small Calls

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

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?

Like our Dad

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

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?!

An Attitude of Forgiveness

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

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!

The Touch of Jesus

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Ordinary Time

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.

Jesus Physically With Us

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Feasts, Ordinary Time

Corpus Christi

At the Mass we celebrate each weekend, when the priest says those words in the name of Jesus – “This is my body…this is my blood….” – bread and wine are transformed entirely into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.  How might your daily life be different if you experienced Jesus Christ with you, in you, next to you every hour of every day of your week?  When we receive Communion, Jesus is physically with us, in us, next to us…and He stays with us every hour of every day, even if we don’t realize it.  How will this change your week?

Trinitarian Love

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Feasts, Ordinary Time

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

From all eternity God has existed in a relationship of love – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  These Three Persons of the Trinity are so united in love that they are actually 1 God.  This is the amazing faith we proclaim every time we make the sign of the cross.  And we have personally experienced this life of God: every single time we experience love, we taste for a moment the Trinity – for ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8).  That’s what we look forward to in heaven.  That’s why, when we don’t feel like we have anymore love, patience, kindness or compassion to give during the daily grind, we ask for strength from God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Then we start loving with Trinitarian love.

The Holy Spirit Prayer

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Easter Season, Feasts

Pentecost

The Holy Spirit comes on this Pentecost day to strengthen us in 3 ways:

  1. In our relationship with Jesus Christ
  2. In defending the faith
  3. In spreading the faith

Every day this week, pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.  Come, Holy Spirit.  Come, Holy Spirit.”  When you’re relationship is faltering, when the Church is being looked down on, when someone needs to hear the good news of Jesus, it is the Holy Spirit who will give your His strength and His words to speak into that situation!  Come, Holy Spirit!

The Ascension is Still Happening

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Easter Season, Feasts

Solemnity of the Ascension

After a brief word from Pope Francis ; ) we celebrate how Jesus ascends today into heaven. This ascension is still happening every time a faithful soul passes from this life into the next. Those who are in heaven cheer us on and assist us in our ascension to God. But even when every soul is in the presence of God, heaven will still be waiting: waiting for the resurrection of their bodies, and waiting for God to create a new heavens and a new earth. The ascension happened 2,000 years ago, it’s happening today, and it will be happening until God’s master-plan of salvation is entirely fulfilled.

The Holy Spirit, the Church and Truth

On By Fr. David NeuschwanderIn Easter Season

6th Sunday of Easter

Our 1st reading opens with a controversy: Paul and Barnabas preaching salvation in Jesus one way, another group preaching salvation in Jesus another way.  Who’s right?  What’s the true faith?  The first Christians, with a deep sense that the Holy Spirit would guide the Church to the true faith, brought their dispute to Jerusalem and the apostles.  Presently, we bring our disputes to Rome and the successors of the Apostles – the bishops and Pope – confident that it is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church to truth, as Jesus promised.