How does our view of superheroes affect our relationship with Christ?

Do we want Jesus to swoop in and “save the day”?

Or do we even ask Him for help when we need it?

Or rather looking to our own self-reliance, or escaping from the problems at hand in some unhealthy way?

Jesus came to save us, but it takes more than just passive reception to receive the Salvation He offers.

What is Sacred Scripture? What makes it so special?

This week we get it from the horse’s mouth: Paul, while writing Sacred Scripture which he does not know will be Sacred Scripture, provides Timothy with the reasons and purposes for Sacred Scripture.

At that time Paul could only be referring to Old Testament scripture. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote a lot of the New testament, unknowingly. But can it be denied as Sacred?

The Holy Spirit guides the Catholic Church, and has since Pentecost, before Paul came into the picture – so He was guiding and inspiring Paul.

Understanding and applying Sacred Scripture is simple, but is not something to be done alone. The Holy Spirit has led the Catholic Church through 2000 years of first writing the last Sacred Scripture and then understanding it.

This week we explore how to understand Sacred Scripture, what’s so important about it, why we should know it, and how we can know it. It’s pretty simple!

“Thank you, Lord, for a good day.” Our family ends the day with this prayer, without fail.

Some days it is VERY hard to give thanks to God for that, after everything that happened that day:

Death. Sickness. Pain. Broken hearts. Unruly children, and hurt that our children suffer that we cannot do much to salve.

Recognizing God’s infinite Goodness and thanking Him for it is also very hard to remember to do. In our fallen state, we tend to think how wonderful we are when we accomplish or experience something good.

How often do we thank God for this stuff?

Maybe one in ten times, like the lepers in the Gospel. Maybe it takes seven experiences like Naaman in the Jordan.

Shouldn’t we always be thankful, even in our suffering?

This week we read of these and Paul’s suffering, and learn why bad things happen to good people.

And there’s some wisdom in here that deals with that question directly Why does a Good God make bad things happen?

See if you know the answer…

This week we hear a familiar psalm and a familiar analogy from Jesus.

Does that familiarity breed content or contempt?

Does it increase our faith?

We may be so used to the words of healing from Our Lord that we inadvertently block them from being more than words. Jesus has the words of everlasting life, but we often choose to be deaf to them.

Too busy? Too distracted? Too turned on by politics, news, social media, 15-second videos, even being helpful? Too worried and concerning ourselves about things happening in the world that we can do nothing about? Then our heart is hard.

The mustard seed is all the Lord encourages us to have and give, yet He knows we might only attain a faith the size of a crumb of salt of the earth.

And yet do we aspire to give him even that because of the hardness of our hearts?

This week is all about re-setting, refocusing, and recommitting. Let’s stay focused at Mass, and go forth, living the Gospel by our life!
This allows us to welcome Jesus into our hearts, soften them, and rely on him when we cry out for help – and hear His answer and see His help!

God our loving Father offers us forgiveness and mercy.

But why?

We are sinners, we fail, we fall. Then, we seek forgiveness.

In all humility, we repent and beg for the mercy and forgiveness that only God can provide.

It is an unfathomable truth of our faith that we cling to, just as the forgiving Father in the story of the Prodigal Son clings to his son who returns.

He clings to the hope that his son will return.

We cling to the hope that the Father will take us back.

And He does – every time.

He offers that Forgiveness and Mercy when we repent of our sins.

Humility is a virtue that is highly praised.

How does one keep from becoming “proud” of their humility?

The readings this week give us ample opportunity to reflect on and learn more about this virtue of humility that is so elusive, especially in the current culture of “look at me” – and everybody looking!.

How DO we remain humble when we are constantly bombarded by the message that we need to always be in front, showing off our talents, or bodies?

Thinking of ourselves less while not thinking less of ourselves is a start…

Jesus patiently explains to Martha that her work, though good, is not the most important thing at the moment.

Abraham and Sarah’s patience is rewarded by the promise of their son, Isaac.

The Lord’s infinite patience leads to justice in all His dealings with us, His very impatient and unjust children.

This week we reflect and work on the virtues of patience and justice in how we relate to one another.

With God’s help our patience can lead to justice, too.

What do we rejoice about?

Our accomplishments and those of others whom we love.

This week, Jesus gives us a different perspective – God’s perspective:

We should be most joy-filled because our names are written in heaven.

The Lord has a place for us, ready and waiting!

Our work for Him here prepares us to live eternally with Him in heaven.

That’s worth laboring for!

Following Christ can be difficult, but with His help, it becomes easy.

We place many things and people – obstacles – between us and the Lord.

This week we explore how we can remove the obstacles we put up so we can become better disciples and follow Christ to heaven.

On Pentecost Sunday two thousand years ago, the Apostles received an amazing gift – the Holy Spirit.

Jesus kept His promise and sent the Advocate and amazing works have been done ever since through Him.

How He works in our lives is just as important as how He worked in the lives of the Apostles.

And the gift and work is all connected to the Sacraments.

Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit as our Advocate. And the first reading helps to illustrate what that means and how it “works”.

Reflecting on the role of the Holy Spirit, our Advocate in our faith and in our Church increases our understanding of the gifts we receive at Baptism and Confirmation.

This points us to the practical ways we are called to advocate for others in response to these gifts.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The Lord proclaims that He makes all things new.

New life in Christ is the promise He makes to us and is fulfilled in the love He bears for us through the Cross and Resurrection.

And He calls us to love one another as He loves us.

New life through love – the basics of the Christian life.

Read on to find out how we can embrace and imitate this love and new life!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

“Do you love me?” Jesus asks. We reply with Peter, “Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus gives us a job to do – feed the sheep. We are addressed in this week’s Gospel as much as Peter is. How do we feed the sheep? What are we to do with this mandate?

Read on and get some insights into how we are shepherds and what we can do to learn how to be a better one!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

And He comes to offer His Divine Mercy!

The work of Jesus, through His Apostles down to us is mercy. The unconditional love He has for each of us is a gift of mercy.

We are not worthy that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ should come to us, to heal and forgive us, yet He does! In His Church, His ministers, His people – you and me.

Learn more about how we can allow Jesus to work His Divine Mercy through us. Read on and be ready to be changed!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Our life in Christ, through His Resurrection is what we celebrate at Easter. This gift of salvation is something we are commanded to share!

The readings for Easter this year include several eyewitness accounts of what happened that day. The first reading is Peter’s testimony in Acts; the Gospel is Mary Magdalene’s witness to the Apostles; and the Psalmist declares his own witness.

And if the Psalmist is true, then we will declare the gift of salvation because we are excited about it! Our witness to Christ’s work in our lives is part of being a member of Christ’s Church.

When Mary, Peter, John, and all the other disciples shared their eyewitness accounts, they invited their listeners into relationship with Jesus, so everyone who hears has the opportunity to the new life in Christ. It is too good to keep to ourselves…it is too good not to share with others.

Our Discussion section invites us to remember those who witnessed to us, and our activity rises to the occasion!

We know this parable forwards and backwards, so why is it every time we hear Jesus’ lesson about the Prodigal Son, it seems we hear something different?

Are we the Prodigal Son? Are we the Faithful Son?

Or are we the Forgiving Father?

This week in a short TWMWU (We are all sick so production is at a standstill!) we explore each of the characters in this story to discover who we are at this point in our lives and to prepare ourselves for who we will be tomorrow.