Being inflamed with the love of the Lord should be the goal of each and every Christian. By our words and our actions, we need to set the earth on fire. We should be on fire with the message, the basic kerygma, as we said in the former translation of the Mass in English — “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.”
Sunday Scriptures
May We Always Give 100% To Christ and the Church
At the risk of dating myself, the first U.S. president of whom I was conscious was Jimmy Carter. I seem to have vague recollections of the hostages being held in Iran and that Carter was the president. Most likely, I knew who the president was through my older siblings telling me of Dan Aykroyd’s impressions of Carter on Saturday Night Live. Whatever one may think of Carter’s politics, one can hardly argue that he wasn’t a strong practicing Christian man.
Finding Meaning Beyond the Cycles of Time
In today’s first reading from Ecclesiastes, we hear the famous refrain of the reacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” The writer of Ecclesiastes is grappling with the reality of human life, and he declares that all human toil — work, striving, and effort — is ultimately futile.
Lessons From Abraham’s Negotiation With God
God really loves us. It’s a statement used so often as to perhaps sound trite, but it is deeply true. Abraham learns this lesson through his negotiation in today’s first reading, seemingly haggling for God’s mercy.
Embracing Prayer and Working as One
If we are not first nourished — our ears first, then our bodies — in fervent attendance at Mass, we quickly begin to run on fumes, like a car in desperate need of gas. Fill up at the feet of the Lord so that you can share what he entrusts to you.
The Connection Between Scripture, Everyday Life
In today’s Gospel we are treated to the familiar story of the good Samaritan who is held up as a model for us to imitate.
Discipleship and the Call to Proclaim God’s Kingdom
If you channel-surf just about any Sunday morning before heading out for Mass, you are likely to come across any number of televised religious services.
More Than Just Getting The Right Answer
As we invoke God’s grace to accompany Pope Leo XIV in his Petrine ministry, let us also pray through the intercession of Sts. Peter and Paul, that each of us might rely on that grace to be faithful in the discipleship to which Christ himself calls each of us.
The Church as Leaven For a Reconciled World
When was the last time you wrote a letter? I don’t mean an e-mail, or a text from your phone, or a social media posting, but a letter, hand-written on paper, signed, sealed, stamped, and sent off by mail.
God’s Wisdom at Play In the Wonder of Creation
Sunday’s first reading comes from the Book of Proverbs. When we think of proverbs, we usually mean what MerriamWebster.com defines as “a brief popular epigram or maxim,” practical advice about real life.