Devotion August 23, 2022

/in /by

Prayer for the Week (August 21, 2022-August 27, 2022)

/in /by
Let us pray that we live as we believe: God our Father, you have given us Jesus, your Son, as the door through which we enter into your kingdom. May we learn to listen to his voice and to follow him without reserve.  May our authentic Christian living bring goodness and joy to this world and lead us to you, our saving God.
Amen.

   (Claretian Publications)

                         

Sunday Reflection (August 21, 2022)

/in /by
Our world is far from perfect and some of that imperfection is driven by our indifference and selfishness. We may find lots of reasons to follow God but make few choices to reflect that following (Isaiah 58). Remember that Jesus did not come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets, rather Jesus certainly embodied that which Isaiah envisioned, and the light of Jesus shone brightly and continues to shine.
Our light shines when we bring about healing and restoration not only to our lives but to the healing and restoration of society to fairness and justice, so that all can live in peace and confidence. What shines forth like the dawn in Isaiah is part of what Christians are to shine forth in their lives and the structuring of society as we follow the crucified Messiah who rose from the dead.

Prayer for the Week (August 14, 2022-August 20, 2022)

/in /by
Let us pray with humility and persistence: Almighty God, ever-loving Father, your care extends beyond the boundaries of race and nation to the hearts of all who live. May the walls which prejudice raises between us crumble beneath the shadow of your outstretched arms. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

   (Sunday Missal)

                         

Sunday Reflection (August 14, 2022)

/in /by
The book of Hebrews describes the Christian life as a race, and it is not a sprint but a long-distance race that continues throughout life (Hebrews 11:39-12:1. What excess weight hinders your journey of faith? What causes you to grow weary in doing good? What causes you to lose heart? What causes you to lose faith?  What sin besets you? There are obstacles that hinder our faithfulness to God and each other yet compared to Jesus we are “left in the dust” (12:2-3).

Our faith is grounded in the faithfulness of the pioneer and perfecter of our faith:
Jesus Christ. The Good News is that the one who was faithful to God and others offers us grace and forgiveness. Jesus stands with us and for us. Furthermore, as we follow Jesus, we are not running this race alone: Not only do we have the saints and the apostles surrounding us, and the saints we have personally known who have gone on before us, we have each other. May we run this race of faith with patience knowing that we are surrounded by scores of saints and we have the Holy Spirit leading us all in the way of Christ.

Devotion August 10, 2022

/in /by

Devotion August 9, 2022

/in /by

Sunday Reflection (August 7, 2022)

/in /by
As we await the Lord’s return, we can become so enmeshed in the ways of society that we betray the way of Christ; thus, Jesus tells us to examine what we truly value. If you do not know what you value, consider where and how you spend your money, your time, and your talents (Luke 12:32-34).
What changes could we make, if we were as concerned about God’s kingdom as we were about who was going to win political elections? How we treat others is particularly important when considering that God is concerned with how we live today and how our actions affect others (Luke 12:41-48).

Prayer for the Week (August 7, 2022-August 13, 2022)

/in /by
Let us pray in all simplicity to our heavenly Father: God our Father, your Son taught us through the Holy Spirit to speak to you with all trust. Do not allow us to forget to pray
for the needs of others and that we pray for the thing that really matters: Your will and your kingdom. We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord.
Amen.

   (Claretian Publications)

                         

Devotion August 3, 2022

/in /by