Prayer for the Week (September 4, 2022-September 10, 2022)

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Let us pray that we follow Jesus consistently through the leading of the Holy Spirit: God our Father, we have accepted your invitation to follow your Son, Jesus, as his disciples. May the Holy Spirit give us the wisdom and strength to take our faith seriously and to accept our task in life with all its consequences. May the Holy Spirit guide us in the way of your Son without fear or discouragement, for we are certain that Jesus will lead us to you, our loving God forever and ever, Amen.
(Claretian Publications)

                         

Devotion August 31, 2022

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Devotion August 30, 2022

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Sunday Reflection (August 28, 2022)

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In the book of Hebrews, Christ became the final sacrifice to end all sacrifices, and I add to end all forms of scapegoating that sacrifice others to appease our anger. Hebrews tells us that “without faith, it is impossible to please God,” and our specific Scripture Reading relates two more ways to please God: Giving thanks and sharing with others (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Prayer for the Week (August 28, 2022-September 3, 2022)

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Let us pray to God who forgives all who call upon him: Lord God of power and might, fill our minds with insight into love so that every thought grow in wisdom and all our efforts be filled with your peace.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

   (Sunday Missal, alt.)

                         

Devotion August 23, 2022

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

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.