What are you willing to give?

What are you willing to give?

Christ does not offer us material prosperity or worldly success. Christ offers us true happiness, true fulfillment, true joy, everlasting bliss. And His question to us is, "What are you willing to give – or, unwilling to give – to make that possible?"   Readings at this Mass: 1 Kgs 3:5, 7–12 | Rom 8:28–30 | Mt 13:44–52

Stop trying to pull the weeds

We have a choice whether we are going to be a problem or the solution, whether we will be a weed in the garden or the good wheat that the Master has planted. It is up to us to prepare ourselves. Instead of seeing the outside world as our garden and going around canceling, blocking, or cutting off other people, we must take care of the garden inside ourselves and pull out the internal weeds that get in the way of what God is trying to do in our lives.   Readings at this Mass: Wis 12:13, 16–19 | Rom 8:26–27 | Mt 13:24–43

Faith, FIFA, and Fruit

What fruit is God producing in your life? And through that fruit, what seeds are you scattering into the lives of others? There are parts of our lives where God’s Word has taken deep root and is bearing fruit. There are other parts crowded by anxiety, distracted by the world, or hardened by disappointment and sin. If that’s you, don’t lose hope: God is still in the business of cultivating hearts.   Readings at this Mass: Is 55:10–11 | Rom 8:18–23 | Mt 13:1–23

Resist the scattering

When the world, social media, or certain politicians and podcasters, would have us see one another as enemies, remember that this is demonic in the most basic sense of the word — “demon” from the Greek word meaning to divide or to scatter. As we celebrate 250 years together, my challenge to you is to resist that scattering. Cast out the demonic. There’s a lot of good out there, my friends, if we’re willing to claim it.   Readings at this Mass: Is 55:10–11 | Rom 8:18–23 | Mt 13:1–23

A Declaration of Dependence

Our true freedom can only come from dependence on God, who has endowed us with the gift of life won through His suffering and death. And that it is only through our humble acceptance of Christ into our lives that we — ourselves and this dearly beloved country of ours — will not perish from the earth, but will truly inherit the freedom of the sons and daughters of God, and will have true and eternal life.   Readings at this Mass: 2 Kgs 4:8–11, 14–16a | Rom 6:3–4, 8–11 | Mt 10:37–42