Are you ready to answer the call?

At some point today, be sure you READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass readings. 

Our Gospel today comes from Matthew 4:18-22. Today we see Jesus calling his first disciples to follow him. 

I love how this whole start to Jesus ministry goes down, and the incredible lessons we can learn in a few short verses. 

1. Jesus calls on totally ordinary people to start the greatest ministry in the history of the world. He calls ordinary men to change the course of history! These men became extraordinary because they said "yes" when called upon. 
2. There is never a perfect time to do what we know we must do. These men were in the middle of working. They didn't ask Jesus to wait to finish work, to go home to see their families and make arrangements! They said "yes" and immediately followed. 
3. We don't always need to understand everything or have all the information in order to act. They had no idea what they were about to do, yet they took that leap of faith and learned along the way!
4. Each one of us has something incredible to offer this world if we would just listen for Jesus call and obey Him.

We have each been created for great things, we just need to follow our call and not doubt ourselves. Jesus can use us for incredible things if we believe and allow him to.

Are you ready to answer Jesus call on your life? 

Simple Faith

Happy Tuesday! I pray you have started the New Liturgical year off well! Be sure to READ and/or LISTEN to our readings for today.

I was certainly not the smartest or best student in graduate school (or anywhere, ever, for that matter), but I remember so clearly being in some of my classes and just "getting it" when those who were super intelligent and those with the high averages just didn't.

I remember seeing some of the problems and solutions with such ease, while they struggled. It was almost like they were making it more complicated than it needed to be because they couldn't see it at it's simplest form.

I feel that way about some of these Gospel readings. I feel that sometimes when Jesus tells us we need to have the faith of children and look at situations through the eyes of a child. They see the information in front of them, they don't have all these other places to pull from, they aren't yet tainted by the world and have their vision obscured. They see what's in front of them without doubt or questions.

In our Gospel today (Luke 10:21-24), Jesus is thanking his father for revealing who He is to the "childlike." He reveals himself to those with a pure and simple faith, to those with a childlike faith!

I pray to always have a childlike faith. I pray for the kind of faith that is simple, honest and pure! I pray for a faith that doesn't question or become tainted by the outside world. I pray that I don't lose sight of Jesus and what He wants to reveal to me. He is The Way and the Truth and the Life and the ONLY way to God!

Healing Authority

Happy New Year! It's time to start a new week and head into Advent on the right foot. Be sure to start this week off READING and/or LISTENING to the Mass readings today.

Our Gospel for today (Matthew 8:5-11) is a special one to me. I remember the moment during a Mass (before I converted) that this scripture jumped out and grabbed ahold of me. I totally understood the idea of the centurion asking Jesus to heal his servant by just speaking the servant well. He understood Jesus power and authority and that he just needed to speak and His orders would be carried out.

I just didn't understand how much this particular passage meant to my life until I was speaking those words in Matthew before Eucharist was being given to all the faithful Catholics around me.

"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant shall be healed."

That was when I truly hungered to convert and take part in this communion meal!

These are the words that we speak and pray to Jesus before we partake in the precious body and blood.  We are not worthy, yet He will heal us! We are not worthy and he forgives us of our sins. We are not worthy, but He comes to us every day!

I pray for faith like the Centurion every day. I pray that I don't ever lose sight of Jesus power and glory.

His Word Doesn't Change

Happy Friday. I pray you had a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. As we round out the week, be sure to READ and/or  LISTEN to our Mass readings for today.

I'm not gonna lie, I am struggling with this one. Part of it may be the festivities of yesterday, but the larger part is what I am suppose to take from this one.

In our Gospel (Luke 21:29-33), Jesus gives his disciples a parable about a fig tree. He says we are able to tell the coming seasons by what is happening with the trees. When the leaves come out, Summer is near.

I think He is wanting us to be paying attention to the signs around us. Although we won't know when Jesus will return, we will see many things happen first. There will be signs pointing to the end of this age and the coming of the next.

What we have to always cling to is that God's Word will remain. No matter what happens, or when it happens, God's Word doesn't change and doesn't end.

We know Jesus will come because we are told he will.

As we are ending the church year, are you paying attention to the signs He places all around us? Do you see and feel His presence among you? Have you fully repented (and do you continue to) and follow Him?

I don't know what is to come in my life, but I am comforted that I can place my faith, hope and trust in a God that doesn't change, doesn't lie and is eternal!

Only One Gave Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! I pray you have a wonderful, blessed day! Be sure to get in the Word and READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass readings today.

Do you show gratitude in your life? Do you give thanks in all things, the big and the small?  I remember as a kid calling and/or sending a note to our friends and family when they gave us a gift to thank them. This wasn't an unusual thing to do and it wouldn't surprise anyone to hear it, but I can't tell you how little this happens these days. Too many kids these days don't practice gratitude. They don't understand being thankful and they don't understand how to show thanks.

I know, I sound like a crotchety old person, but I believe it's one of the things that has gone terribly wrong with society today. In this age of everyone wins and everyone gets a trophy, kids are use to getting it all! They are use to being given things and not having to work for them. They are not use to being told no, or even "not right now." Instead of being thankful for something, they have the attitude that they should have gotten it.

Don't get me wrong, adults have gotten terrible at being thankful and expressing their thanks too! When we don't practice an attitude of gratitude, we are allowing our hearts to harden and we are not setting an example for youth to follow.

In our Gospel (Luke 17:11-19) We see mercy, healing, love and thanksgiving!

Jesus is traveling between Samaria and Galilee. During his travels he came across 10 lepers who called out to him asking for Mercy. Jesus sends them away to go see the priest and as they were leaving they were all healed. The one Samaritan in the group realized he was healed and went back to praising God and falling at Jesus feet to give thanks.

All the lepers had great faith and expected healing, but they didn't all give thanks for receiving that gift!

One of the Lepers returned to give thanks, nine did not. The only one who returned was the foreigner, the Samaritan.

We must have a grateful heart, we must be sure to pause and give thanks for everything in our life, all our blessings, not just the big.

Not only did just one return, but he was the one that was in conflict with the Jews. His people didn't get along with Jesus people. He saw and felt great love and compassion in the gift of his healing and he couldn't not contain himself. He showed this by praising God and bowing down at Jesus feet. This gift touched him in a deeper way than the others, but shouldn't they have been more grateful? Shouldn't they have paused to worship God and give thanks to Jesus for the miraculous gift they received?

Let us not get out of the practice of showing gratitude. Let us not take any gifts or gestures in love for granted. Through our posture of gratitude we can receive mercy, compassion and love and we are able to return that love!

We Must Endure

We are mid week. To get over that hump, turn to the Word and READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass Readings for today.

In our Gospel today (Luke 21:12-19), Jesus is continuing to talk about the end times. We are warned that things are going to be more than difficult for us. We will be persecuted, we will have to give a testimony and some of us will be put to death! We will be turned over not just by enemies, but by those we think are friends and even by our families.

We are told not to worry about what we are going to say or to prepare our testimony because we will be given the words. When we trust and listen, we will be led in what to say and it will not be able to be refuted!

Jesus closes our Gospel telling us to endure! If we endure, not a hair on our head will be harmed! We must endure to truly live. When we put our full faith, hope and trust He gives us a supernatural endurance. He gives us strength beyond anything we could muster on our own!

Do not be led astray

Are you ready to get your day moving in the right direction? READ and/or LISTEN to today's mass readings to help you with that!

In our Gospel today (Luke 21:5-21) the people were asking for and wanting a sign of the end times. They wanted to know when the end will come and what it is going to look like.

Jesus answers them (and us) with a warning not to follow the many that will try to come in His name. We are not to be deceived by those claiming to be Him. Jesus warns us that things are going to get really ugly here on earth before the end comes, like really ugly! Earthquakes, famines, plagues and wars.

It gets worse for us personally...before all that we are going to be persecuted and imprisoned! Jesus, however, assures us that when we are called to give testimony of Him, He will strengthen us and give us the words to use.  We need to not be worrying about these things to come, we must just put our faith, hope and trust in Him.

Jesus is telling of the great destruction of the World and everything that the people held near and dear to them!

We must maintain our focus on Him. We must not let the things of the world distract us and take away from Him. We must not allow the world to hold us captive by fear and trust that God will see us through all of the trials we will face during the rest of this life. We must stay strong and not be swayed by those claiming to be Him or claiming to have a better way.

He is the Way! He is the Truth and He is the Life!

Selfless Giving

Happy Monday, Happy Thanksgiving week and it's almost our Church New Year! Talk about an extra GREAT time to READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass Readings from today.

Today's Gospel (Luke 21:1-4) is super short, super simple and such an incredible reminder of true, selfless giving. In our Gospel we read the story of a poor widow who gave out of her poverty, while the wealthy were giving larger amounts of money. She gave when she had nothing left to give, she gave her very best, while the wealthy were giving out of their abundance.

We learn that true giving comes from the heart. True giving isn't about a dollar amount or measurable value, it is about giving our best, sacrificing to give, and giving out of love.

God can take anything given out of love, given with our best effort and multiply it in ways we can't comprehend. Our love is worth more than any dollar amount, and anything given out of love is priceless.

Do you give selflessly out of love?

Are you Hungry?

It's Friday, so let's finish this week strong and go into the weekend even stronger by digging into the Word with by READING and/or LISTENING to the Mass Readings today.

Yesterday we saw Jesus having a very real and raw human emotion when he wept over the city, today, in our Gospel (Luke 19:45-48), we see Jesus express another strong human emotion...anger. Jesus was angry that His father's house was being turned into a market place and not the house of prayer it was intended to be. The poor were being taken advantage of and greed was rampant. He cleared out the temple and brought it back to a place of worship and teaching.

The chief priests and religious leaders wanted to find a way to incriminate Jesus and have him killed for belittling their authority. They wanted to discredit him in front of the people out of jealousy, however, they were unable to get to him because all the people were hanging on His every Word! They hungered to hear what He had to teach!

There needs to be a greater hunger for Jesus Word in this world. We crave the things we feed ourselves. We find ourselves hungry for those things we consume. If you eat a bunch of sugary things, you crave sugar. If you eat a lot of veggies, you will start to crave veggies. If you start feeding yourself the Word of God, that is what you will hunger after!

Once the people heard Jesus speak God's Word with Power and Authority, they hung onto everything he said and wanted more of it.

What do you hunger? Are you filling yourself with too much of the junk in this world, or do you hunger for God's Word?

Finding Peace

Start your day off right. READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass readings and spend some time reflecting on them today!

In our Gospel reading today (Luke 19:41-44) we see Jesus weep! Is there any other more real and honest emotion a human can have? Jesus knows what is going to happen and he is grieving for His people. By not accepting Jesus, the people will not find peace but will only find destruction.

Jesus is our only Hope. By rejecting Him, we reject peace! By rejecting Him we are rejecting love. By rejecting him we are rejecting life!

The only true peace, hope and love is found in Jesus and when the people reject Him, they reject life.

I imagine Jesus is weeping when he looks at our world today. He is mourning over all those who continue to reject Him every day. He is mourning becuase without him there is so much hopelessness in this world! There is war and destruction. We see friends fighting, families torn apart and society crumbling.

Individually me must stop rejecting Jesus and as a society we must invite Him back in if we have any hope for real change!

Individually we must turn and run to Him and not to the world. As a society we must turn away from the wickedness of the world and turn to Him. Then and only then will there be any chance for peace.

Use it or Lose it!

Let's get over that Wednesday hump by diving deep into God's word. Be sure to READ and/or LISTEN to our readings today!

Today's Gospel comes from Luke 19:11-28. In this parable we are learning more about the Kingdom, and the importance of using the gifts we are given.

Our parable today is one of the stories on talents. In the story, a nobleman is going out to get his kingship and before he leaves he gives 10 servants 10 gold coins each to trade with and earn more money.

When he returns after obtaining his kingship he looks to get an account of the money that was earned through trading. 

The first earned an additional 10 and as a reward he was put in charge of 10 cities, the second earned 5 and was put in charge of 5 cities, the next hadn't earned anything! This servant took the money and kept it in his pocket because he was afraid to lose any saying he knew his master was a demanding man. The master was angry. At a minimum, this servant could have put the money into the bank and at least collected some interest. Not only were the 10 coins taken from him, but they were given to the servant who had already doubled the master's money.

Everyone who has more, will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Luke 19:26

I use to think this logic was unfair and didn't really understand the teaching, but I finally "get" it. In it's simplest terms it's like that phrase we heard so often growing up "use it or lose it." 

More than ever I am seeing the truths of the lesson here. God has given each of us gifts. The more we use those gifts, the more opportunities we are given to use them and the more we are able to see the benefits of those gifts. The master was angry at the 3rd servant, not because he didn't earn money, but because he let fear get in the way and didn't even try!

God wants us to use the gifts we are given. God wants to reward us when we use those gifts to bring honor and glory to Him. When He sees us doing good work and sees us using those gifts, He gives us more for it! 

Have you seen this in your life? Have you invested wisely with gifts God has given you only to see them increase? I have seen this with my money, I have seen this with my time, and I have seen this in my business. The more people I help in my business, the more people seem to come my way! 

Just like the Master returning to take an account of what the servants did with the gold coins, Jesus is coming back and will look for an accounting of what we have done with the gifts we are given. 

I want to be a good and faithful servant. I want to make him proud and do more with what I have. It's time to stop letting fear stand in my way and remember that I have been given gifts that I must use! 

Hated by the World, Loved by Jesus

READ and/or LISTEN to our readings today and spend a little extra time with God thinking about His Word.

In our reading yesterday we read about a blind man who saw Jesus through eyes of faith.  In today's Gospel (Luke 19:1-10) we meet another man who saw Jesus wit these eyes as well.

Zacchaeus was a disliked tax collector who was not going to let a crowd or his small height keep him from seeing Jesus. He ran ahead and climbed up a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus as he was walking through town!

Jesus singled him out and called him out of the tree so He could have dinner at his house.

Dude! What would you do if Jesus singled you out of a crowd to have dinner at your house? I feel like I would need to run home and get my house in a more presentable order (even if it already was)! I would be so worried about what to serve to eat and drink. Then, after I was done worrying about all of those things, it would probably hit me how unworthy I am to be in Jesus presence.

Zacchaeus openly welcomed Jesus into his home, and into his heart, for that matter! He did not let the thoughts and opinions of others deter him from having Jesus over. He didn't let their dislike of him effect how he would welcome Jesus. He also didn't let his lack of righteousness keep Jesus away!

When Zaccaeus welcomed Jesus, allowed him into his home and into his heart, he truly repented and was forgiven! When he truly repented he was changed! An outward sign of this internal change was giving away half of his possessions to the poor!

We must continue to call out to Jesus, even when it is hard. We must continue to seek him, even when others are in the way. We must keep our heart open to Him so he may enter and change us!

Eyes of Faith

As we begin a new week, let's get started on the right foot and dig into the word a bit by READING and/or LISTENING to our Mass readings today.

Courage, Faith and Persistence are the words that jump out at me as I read today's Gospel (Luke 18:35-43).

We see a blind man, an outcast tossed aside by society, be bold, brave and courageous. He heard a commotion going on and when he was told it was because Jesus was there, he called out to Him. The blind man was NOT going to let an opportunity, he was NOT going to let Jesus just pass him by.

This man's faith was HUGE. He just knew if he could get near Jesus, he would be healed. He wasn't going to let anyone stop him, not even a crowd who was hushing him and trying to keep him silent! The more they tried to quiet him down, the louder he got!

This blind man saw with eyes of faith! Do you see with eyes of faith? Do you recognize Jesus? Do you show courage, faith and persistence when it comes to things that matter to you? Do you call out to Jesus when you need healing and believe that you will be healed?

It's time to be courageous, it's time to be persistent and it's time to start seeing with eyes of faith!

Don't Get Left Behind

It'a another Friday and close to the week :-) Be sure you READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass readings today and close this week right!

In our Gospel today (Luke 17:26-37) we are hearing more about what the second coming will look like.

The LORD is coming, this is clear, we just don't know when! We are given the analogies of Noah and the people during the time of the flood as well as Lot leaving Sodom. On seemingly "normal" days where people were going about their usual business God came without warning. On the day of the flood, Noah got into the arc and the flood came and wiped out the earth. On the day Lot left Sodom without looking back, fire and brimstone came down and destroyed all the people!

We are told that this is what it will be like when our Lord returns. People will be going about their usual day, working, eating and sleeping. When he comes, we are not to be like Lots wife and look back! When she did, she was destroyed with her city!

We will each be judged individually. Jesus says that we will be eating and one will be taken up and one will be left behind!

God's desire is that we are all taken up to heaven. His desire is that we all live in eternity, but the simple truth is that we won't. We won't because of the choices we make! We have been warned over and over and over again that God is coming. We have been warned that we will be judged. We have been told and even shown how we are to live, act and believe, yet some of us won't wise up!

Jesus is not sugar coating anything, he is warning us out of his great love for us! He wants us all to repent and seek forgiveness for our sins! He wants us all to turn from our former lives and be born again new in Him! He offers the gift of life to us freely and desperately wants us to take it!

To those who refuse this gift and continue to refuse Him, they will be judged on that final day and it will be too late! They will be left behind for the vultures.

If you have not turned to Christ yet, why not? It's time! What if he were to come tonight? He might, we have no idea, are you willing to take that chance with your life? Are you willing to take that chance with eternity?

Repent and turn to Him!

The Coming of the Kingdom

I pray you continue to saturate yourself with God's Word, beginning with READING and/or LISTENING to our Mass readings today.

In our Gospel we are reading about the coming of the kingdom of God. We have read many times in scripture about how we won't know the day or hour, but this scripture get's even more detailed for us.

Jesus confuses the Pharisees by indicating that God's Kingdom is already present among them (in Him).

He then speaks to the second coming. He tells us that the Kingdom of God will come like lightening flashing from one end of the sky to another. This picture is even more vivid if we are paying attention to where this is being told. Storms were not frequent occurrences and lighting would strike without warning. This is how God is going to announce the kingdom!

Like the lightening in the sky, it will be very clear that this is the Kingdom! We are told that we will get so desperate looking that we may think we see it and find it. We don't need to go looking, because we won't be able to find it, there will be no grand announcement, but there will also be no mistaking when the Kingdom is here!

Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead. He won't give us a warning of when He is coming, just that He is coming. What do you want to be doing if He were to arrive today? Are you living the life He would want you to be living? Are you being obedient? Are you living with unforgiveness in your heart?

It's time to start living each moment like it is the moment He is coming back to judge! It is time to serve, love and forgive!

Is it Time to Clean Your Temple?

Today we wake up with a New President elect, and regardless of where you stand on it, we can take comfort in knowing our hope is not in man and that Jesus is our King! Continue to saturate yourself with God's Word and begin that today with our Mass readings. Be sure to READ and/or LISTEN to them today!

In today's Gospel (John 2:13-22) we see Jesus angry. Anger itself isn't a sin, it's what we do with our anger that gets us into trouble. Jesus was angry, but we know he didn't sin!

We see Jesus is so outraged at the practices that are taking place at the temple that we see him drive animals out and flip over tables! The temple was being turned into a market place where sheep oxen and doves were being sold.

The Gospel tells us that Jesus had a "zeal" for His Fathers house that consumed him or burned in him. the word zeal means a strong interest or enthusiasm that causes us to act.

The Jewish people knew the prophetic text about the messiah and wanted a sign from Him as proof to His authority to act the way he did. I, however, don't want to focus on this exchange or the foreshadowing to Calvary that happens next, I want to focus on what was going on at the Temple. I want us to look at how turning the temple into a market place was getting between people and God.

What was taking place at the temple was distracting from God, it was getting in the way of people and true worship. We need to get rid of the all things that hinder us from entering into God's presence. We need to clear the Temple of the junk that is happening in and around it. This includes us! We are a temple of the Holy Spirit! What things are you allowing into your temple that keep you from God? Is it unhealthy cravings for food? Are you filling yourself with unhealthy desires? Are you focusing your heart and mind on the love of money?

We must clear the temple so we can truly enter into God's presence. We must have the same kind of zeal for our Father's house and start treating it that way!

Clean up your Temple!

Do you give your all?

READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass Readings today. It's the best way to get your day going, or to focus you later in the day when you get a chance to check in!

Do you give your best at all times? Do you work hard regardless of the praise, rewards, or effort of those around you?

In our Gospel (Luke 17:7-10) , Jesus is not only calling us to give our best, but to do it with love. He uses a parable of a servant who just finished taking care of his work outside and then when he comes inside he is then asked to prepare and serve dinner and told he can eat after.

Should the servant expect special favor or praise for doing as the Master asks of him? Of course not! This thought sounds so contrary to what we see and hear in society today. We live in a scary time of entitlement. We live in a time where "everyone wins" and people are rewarded for doing the bare minimum in their jobs.

If we want our faith to increase, we must continue to obey Jesus. We must continue to serve without expectation and we must continue to do so with our best effort.

Too many people today want to know "what's in it for me?" What's in it is being satisfied for a job well done! What's in it is obedience, and what's in it is an increased faith when we serve out of love!

When you struggle with this, act as though you are serving Jesus directly! This will certainly give you a new perspective!

"Increase My Faith"

Happy Monday! Monday is my favorite day because it is a fresh start on our calendar! It's time to not dwell on the mistakes of the past (or weekend) and move ahead! As you get your week kicked off, be sure to READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass readings for today.

Our Gospel today (Luke 17:1-6) we hear about and learn 3 key things.

1. Temptation
2. Forgiveness
3. Faith

We first hear about temptations to sin. We are reminded that there are are temptations all around us, and the devil is out there roaming the earth looking to attack us where we are weakest! We must be mindful of this and always be on guard. We must not become lazy or complacent, but always be aware of the sin around us!

Next we are told to forgive! If someone should sin against us and seeks forgiveness, we must grant it. I know, this is way easier said than done, but we must try. We are called to show compassion, Mercy and forgiveness to those who sin against us. We are called to even forgive multiple offenses if forgiveness is sought out. I know I struggle with this in a BIG way! I struggle forgiving certain people and offenses one time, but when they continue to wrong me over and over again I get frustrated and often have a hard heart. I must remind myself daily of the sacrifice Jesus made for me and how many times he forgives the things I continue to screw up over and over again!

Lastly, in this gospel we read about faith. The apostles ask Jesus to "increase our faith." This is a prayer I pray daily! Jesus reminds us that even the smallest of faith can do BIG, HUGE things. When we are faithful and we are obedient, there is no end to what God can do through us!

As you go into your week, pay attention to the sin and temptations that surround you, be strong in your faith and seek God's help to remain obedient and faithful! Remember Jesus and His sacrifices for you as others seek your forgiveness, and then give it freely! Be a light in this dark world by showing the the love, compassion and Mercy of Jesus.

How Prudent Are You?

Get your Friday started right in The Word. Be sure to READ and/of LISTEN to our Mass Readings today.

I'm not gonna lie, this Gospel (Luke 16:1-8) and I really struggle trying to get the message without getting it all wrong. I looked at several other reflections about this parable and it seems like so many others are right where I am on this one.

Today Jesus tells us the story of the Dishonest Steward. In his story, the Master finds out his steward was squandering his property and calls him on it. The Steward realizes his position is about to be taken away, and not only will he be left with nothing, but he will also be left with nowhere to go.

Deciding to act before he is fired, the steward goes about his work collecting debts owed to the Master. Instead of collecting the full amount of the debt owed, he started slashing the bills to much more manageable amounts. Truth be told, he was charging them what was actually owed and taking his portion out. He is making it look like those sales we see at department stores. It looks like we are getting a great deal, but the items are marked up to begin with, so in reality we are paying what the item is worth. 

In doing this, the steward is finding favor with the towns people as well as making his Master look good. He is creating a win win out of this tough spot he got himself in. 

The parable gets confusing for me when Jesus wraps it up saying:

"For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light." ~ John 16:9 

Jesus almost sounds like he is praising dishonest behavior, but we know he isn't. So, what point is Jesus trying to make? 

I was grasping here and looked up the word prudent, it means "acting with or showing care and thought for the future."

Jesus was telling us that someone who is not of this world shows more care about their future than those of us who belong to Him.

These may be a stretch, but these are my thoughts, so bare with me :-) 

1. The Steward is mindful about how his actions in this particular moment will impact his future. 
2. He was mindful about dealing with his possessions and finances.
3. He was very mindful of how he is perceived by others. 

I think Jesus wants us to see that if someone who is of this World, someone who doesn't have the promise of eternal life can be so thoughtful about his life, certainly we should be even more! His actions have earthly consequences, while ours have eternal consequences. 

As we head into the weekend, look at your actions. Are they reflecting Christ and His love? Are you being obedient? Are you more concerned with accumulating "stuff" and wealth, or about taking care of others? Are you careful to act and behave in a way that honors God and brings others to Him? Are you mindful of the perceptions of others when it comes to your faith? Do you behave and act like children of the King?

When the Lost is Found

Be sure you READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass Readings for today!

Have you ever lost something? Have you ever lost something important and valuable? I have and it feels terrible. I start obsessing and can't do anything else until I find it! When I do find that item, the feeling of excitement and joy can't be contained!

In our Gospel reading (Luke 15:1-10) today, the Pharisees are giving Jesus a hard time, yet again, for eating and spending time with tax collectors and sinners. They question him because they think he is above being around "those kind of people," and are probably a bit jealous at the time he is spending with these sinners and not themselves!

Jesus tries to break it down for the Pharisees and explain to them why spending time with these people is so important. He gives them two parables. The first he is talking about lost sheep and then he tells of a woman who lost money.

In both parables something very important is lost. In both parables, everything is put on hold to go searching for the lost item, and in both parables there is great celebration where others are invited when the lost is found.

Jesus is illustrating His purpose and mission. He is here find the lost! He is here to save and heal the lost! It is the sinner that needs him most and he will do everything to save them!

God is not the only one that celebrates, the community of believers must too! We must support, encourage and rejoice when the lost is found!

When the Lost is Found

Be sure you READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass Readings for today!

Have you ever lost something? Have you ever lost something important and valuable? I have and it feels terrible. I start obsessing and can't do anything else until I find it! When I do find that item the feeling of excitement and joy can't be contained!

In our Gospel reading (Luke 15:1-10) today, the Pharisees are giving Jesus a hard time, yet again, for eating and spending time with tax collectors and sinners. They question him because they think he is above being around "those kind of people," and are probably a bit jealous at the time he is spending with these sinners and not themselves!

Jesus tries to break it down for the Pharisees and explain to them why spending time with these people is so important. He gives them two parables. The first he is talking about lost sheep and then he tells of a woman who lost money.

In both parables something very important is lost. In both parables, everything is put on hold to go searching for the lost item, and in both parables there is great celebration where others are invited when the lost is found.

Jesus is illustrating His purpose and mission. He is here find the lost! He is here to save and heal the lost! It is the sinner that needs him most and he will do everything to save them!

God is not the only one that celebrates, the community of believers must too! We must support, encourage and rejoice when the lost is found!

You Are a Gift!

READ and/or LISTEN to our Mass Readings for the day!

There are some really cool take aways from today's Gospel Reading (John 6:37-40). The first big point is that Jesus is very clear He is here on this earth to do God's will, not anything of His own, but only what God has for Him. 

The next big point and the one I want to rest on today is that we are a gift to Jesus from God. Yup, you read that right! Jesus tells us that everything God GIVES Him will go to Him and he won't reject anyone who goes to him.

Yes, God GIVES us to Jesus and Jesus wants to claim us and take us with Him if we are willing to go! He does not want to leave anyone behind. He wants to bring us into eternity with Him and raise us up on that last day! 

Sometimes I am pretty full of myself and think of myself as special, but seriously, to think that we could possibly be a gift to Jesus is beyond mind blowing! To think that Jesus won't reject us if we go to Him is a promise that gives us life! Where else in life do you get a guarantee like that? So many of us have a fear of rejection whether we see it and verbalize it or not. We let that fear of rejection keep us from far too much in this life. 

Jesus won't reject us, in fact, He wants to draw us close to Him!