Sunday Inspiration - Passiontide

As I was preparing to compose this week's Sunday Inspiration post, I came across a post on another blog about the time in the liturgical year known as Passiontide. This period of time lasts from the 5th Sunday in Lent until the Easter Vigil. The post I am referring to contains an excellent explanation of how the liturgy during the Lenten season prepares us for the resurrection on Easter. So for today's inspiration, I recommend reading this post and thinking about how we can make the liturgy of the Church part of our daily lives and thus experience this death and resurrection in our own lives.

Sunday Inspiration - Half-way There

St. Ambrose on the 4th Sunday of Lent:

“Give thanks, Brethren to the Divine Mercy Which has brought you safely half-way through the season of Lent. For this favour they give praise to God, thankfully and with devotion, who in these days have striven to live in the manner in which they were instructed at the beginning of Lent; that is, those who, coming with eagerness to the Church, have sought with sighs and tears, in daily fasting and almsdeeds, to obtain the forgiveness of their sins.”

Sunday Inspiration - Lent - The Acceptable Time

St. Ambrose on Lent:

“Behold, Dearly Beloved, the sacred days are drawing near, the acceptable time, of which it is written: Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation (II Cor. vi. 2). And so you must be more earnest in prayer and in almsgiving, in fasting and in watching. He that till now has given alms, in these days let him give more; for as water quencheth a flaming fire, so does almsgiving wipe out sins (Eccles. iii. 33). He that till now fasted and prayed, let him fast and pray still more: for there are certain sins which are not cast out, except by prayer and fasting (Mt. xvii. 20).

“Should anyone cherish anger towards another, let him forgive from his heart. Should anyone take unjustly what belongs to another, let him restore it; and if not fourfold, at least that which he has taken; if he desires God to be merciful to himself (Lk. xix. 8). And though a Christian should abstain at all times from cursings and revilings, from oaths, from excessive laughter, and from idle words, he must do this especially in these holy days, which are set apart so that, during these forty days, he may by penance wipe out the sins of the whole year.

“Let you believe, and believe firmly, that if in these days you have made a thorough confession of your sins, and done penance as we have told you, you shall receive from Out Most Merciful Lord pardon of all your offences; as did the Ninivites, who earned deliverance from their afflictions by doing penance in sackcloth and ashes (Jn. iii). So you also, following their example, if you cry out with all your heart to the Lord, you will invoke His Mercy on you, so that serene and joyful you will celebrate the day of the Lord’s Resurrection, and thus blessed, you will after this life cross over to your heavenly home, by the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.”

Sunday Inspiration - The Transfiguration

The Transfiguration by Raphael

St. Matthew 17:1-9

“Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and do not be afraid.’ And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, ‘Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’”

From Pope St. Leo the Great's Sermon on the Transfiguration:

“And in this Transfiguration the foremost object was to remove the offense of the cross from the disciple's heart, and to prevent their faith being disturbed by the humiliation of His voluntary Passion by revealing to them the excellence of His hidden dignity. But with no less foresight, the foundation was laid of the Holy Church's hope, that the whole body of Christ might realize the character of the change which it would have to receive, and that the members might promise themselves a share in that honour which had already shone forth in their Head.”

Sunday Inspiration – The Temptation of Christ

Matthew 4:1-11

“At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.’ He said in reply, ‘It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’ Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, ‘All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.’ At this, Jesus said to him, ‘Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’ Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.”


Pope St. Gregory the Great on the Gospel reading:

“…dwelling on the sequence of the temptations, let us consider through what greatness we are delivered from temptation. Our ancient enemy set himself against the First Man, our parent, with three temptations; for he tempted him by gluttony, by vain glory, and by avarice; and tempting him defeated him: for by consenting to the temptation he placed himself under the power of the devil.

“He tempted him through gluttony when he put before him the forbidden fruit of the tree, and persuaded him to eat it. He tempted him by vain glory when he said: Ye will be as Gods (Gen. iii. 5). And he tempted him from the heights of avarice when he said: knowing good and evil. For there is an avarice not alone of money, but of grandeur. Rightly is it called avarice when exaltation is desired above all moderation. For if the seizure of honour did not pertain to avarice Paul would never have said: Who thought it not robbery to be equal to God (Phil. ii. 6). In this the devil led our parent to pride, by provoking in him the greed of human grandeur.

“But by the very means by which he laid low the First Man, by these same did he himself succumb to the Second Man. For he tempted Him by gluttony when he said: Command that these stones be made bread. He tempted Him by vain glory when he said: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down. By greed of dominion when he showed Him all the kingdoms of the earth, and said: All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me. But by these very means by which he gloried in defeating the First Man, was he overcome by the Second; so that defeated he goes out from our hearts by that very way through which, once forcing an entrance, he was wont to hold us in slavery."

Sunday Inspiration - A House Built on Rock

Matthew 7:21-27

Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”


St. John Chrysostom – Homily 24 on Matthew

“He calls the steadfastness of His doctrine a rock; because in truth His commands are stronger than any rock, setting one above all the waves of human affairs. For he who keeps these things strictly, will not have the advantage of men only when they are vexing him, but even of the very devils plotting against him. And that it is not vain boasting so to speak, Job is our witness, who received all the assaults of the devil, and stood unmoveable; and the apostles too are our witnesses, for that when the waves of the whole world were beating against them, when both nations and princes, both their own people and strangers, both the evil spirits, and the devil, and every engine was set in motion, they stood firmer than a rock, and dispersed it all.”

Sunday Inspiration - The Love of God

Isaiah 49:14-15
“Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.”

St. John Cassian, Conference 13
“This providence and love of God therefore, which the Lord in His unwearied goodness vouchsafes to show us, He compares to the tenderest heart of a kind mother, as He wishes to express it by a figure of human affection, and finds in His creatures no such feeling of love to which he could better compare it. And He uses this example, because nothing dearer can be found in human nature, saying: ‘Can a mother forget her child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?’ But not content with this comparison He at once goes beyond it, and subjoins these words: ‘And though she may forget, yet will not I forget you.’”

Sunday Inspiration - Turning the Other Cheek

Matthew 5:38-48
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

St. Augustine – from “on the Sermon on the Mount”
“For it is not easy to find anyone who, when he has received a blow, wishes merely to return the blow; and who, on hearing one word from a man who reviles him, is content to return only one, and that just an equivalent; but he avenges it more immoderately, either under the disturbing influence of anger, or because he thinks it just, that he who first inflicted injury should suffer more severe injury than he suffered who had not inflicted injury. Such a spirit was in great measure restrained by the law, where it was written, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; by which expressions a certain measure is intended, so that the vengeance should not exceed the injury. And this is the beginning of peace: but perfect peace is to have no wish at all for such vengeance.”

Sunday Inspiration - Hard Teachings

Matthew 5:17-37

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with brother will be liable to judgment; and whoever says to brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.
“It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife - unless the marriage is unlawful -causes her to commit adultery,and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.D o not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,' and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.”

St. John Chrysostom
Homily 16 on St. Matthew
“But when you hear, least in the kingdom of Heaven, surmise nothing but hell and torments. For He was used to mean by the kingdom, not merely the enjoyment thereof, but also the time of the resurrection, and that awful coming. And how could it be reasonable, that while he who called his brother fool, and transgressed but one commandment, falls into hell; the breaker of them all, and instigator of others to the same, should be within the kingdom. This therefore is not what He means, but that such a one will be at that time least, that is, cast out, last. And he that is last will surely then fall into hell. For, being God, He foreknew the laxity of the many, He foreknew that some would think these sayings were merely hyperbolical, and would argue about the laws, and say, What, if any one call another a fool, is he punished? If one merely look on a woman, does he become an adulterer? For this very cause He, destroying such insolence beforehand, has set down the strongest denunciation against either sort, as well them who transgress, as them who lead on others so to do.”

Thank God for the absolution that comes from the sacrament of penance! We should frequently seek the forgiveness and grace that the Lord offers us through confession.

Sunday Inspiration - Feast of the Epiphany

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. This is the day we recall the Christ child being visited, brought gifts, and worshipped by the Magi from the East, and therefore being made known to all the earth.

St. Matthew tells us the story (2:1-12):

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.


A while back I was given a wonderful gift, a set of 4 volumes called The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers. The title is quite self-explanatory; it is a collection of sermons related to the Sunday Gospel readings by the great fathers of the Church. I often read through these and have used excerpts on a number of occasions on this blog. For the Feast of the Epiphany, this collection yields 6 wonderful sermons from St. Ambrose, St. John Chrysostom, St. Leo the Great, and St. Gregory the Great. I wish I had the time and space to share these all with you. I encourage anyone who can get their hands on these wonderful sermons to read them. I did want to share at least a bit of these beautiful words of wisdom, however, so from Pope St. Leo's Sermon for the Solemnity of the Epiphany II:

"May this sacred day be therefore honoured among us, in which the Author of salvation revealed Himself to all men: and let us adore Omnipotent in heaven, Him Whom the Magi adored an infant in His cradle. And as they from their treasures offered to the Lord mystic kinds of gifts, so let us bring forth from our hearts gifts that are worthy of Him. For though He is the Giver of all gifts, yet He also looks for the fruits of our diligence: for the kingdom of heaven is not given to those who sleep, but to those who labour and watch in the commandments of God; so that if we have not wasted His gift, through that which He gave us, let us merit to receive that which He promised."

Let us join our prayers today that Our Lord may be made known to all the ends of the earth, so that, as the Psalmist says, "All kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him." And let us not forget our roles in introducing those who do not already know Him to Our Lord and Saviour.

Sunday Inspiration - Gaudete Sunday

Today is Gaudete Sunday, the day during this time of Advent when we joyously look forward to what this whole season is leading to: Christ coming into the world. For this reason, the Priest and Deacon put on Rose colored vestments. As Pius Parsch tells us, "The Church modifies her colors; instead of violet she uses rose, a softened hue of violet and thus a compromise between the colors symbolizing penance and joy." In the Gospel reading we hear St. John the Baptist telling us that one mightier than himself is coming to baptize us with the Holy Spirit.

We also hear from St. Paul today; his words guiding us to joyful preparation for the coming of the Lord (Phil 4:4-7):

"Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

One thing that I believe is something to rejoice about is the Church that Christ created here on earth. With all of the negative things said about the Church, and sometimes done by members of the Church, it is easy for people to have a negative view of it. The tradition of the Church, however, is so rich, so beautiful, and so alive. We need not forget that; in fact, we need to celebrate that.

Over at the blog The Hermeneutic of Continuity, Fr. Tim Finigan recently posted the video I have below. It is a trailer for a film project known as The Catholic Project. Here is the description from their You Tube channel: "Join Fr. Robert Barron on a journey across the planet and deep into the faith. CATHOLICISM is a breakthrough documentary series presenting the true story of Christianity and the Catholic faith." This film is due to be released in 2010. The trailer for this project is truly inspiring.



I pray today that you will be inspired by and rejoice in all of the beauty and tradition that the Church offers us, from the scripture to the liturgy, from the sights to the sounds, by all that Our Lord has blessed us with.

Sunday Inspiration - 1st Sunday of Advent

To You I lift up my soul;

In You, O my God, I trust;

Let me not be put to shame;

Let not my enemies exult over me.

No one who waits for You shall be put to shame.

Happy New Year!

This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, the new liturgical year of the Church. We begin the year by focusing on the coming of our Lord, which we celebrate on Christmas. My prayer for Advent is that everyone will spend this season preparing their hearts room for Jesus Christ.

Of course, as I mentioned in recent posts, many people focus most of this season preparing for Christmas morning with gifts and decorations, neither of which are bad in themselves. But let us not forget about the King of kings, the Lord of lords for whom we are celebrating.

Along those ends, I recently found out about the organization called Advent Conspiracy, which advocates for a changing of priorities in our society during Advent and Christmas. They produced this excellent video which really speaks for itself. Check it out, maybe you'll be inspired:

I really like the idea about taking some money you save from buying less stuff and giving it to those in need. One organization that helps you do this is World Vision . They have tons of options for donating money. You can buy people farm animals, wells, school supplies, and many more things that will help those who are seriously in need. Consider making this a part of your Advent and Christmas traditions.

So as we wait for the coming of Our Lord, let us give thanks for all that we have, but not be so focused on what we do not have that we forget about those who have nothing.

I pray that God blesses everyone during this wonderful season.

More Inspiration - The Youth Bringing Christ to the Streets

I just saw this over at wdtprs and felt that it was more than worthy to be shared.

This weekend the National Catholic Youth Conference was held in Kansas City. There was a Eucharistic Procession of about 22,000 people. The pictures from this event are absolutely amazing and inspiring. I've posted a couple below. Click here to see them in a larger format (my little pictures do not do them justice) and to see other pictures from the event.

What an amazing witness! Imagine someone walking down the street, turning the corner, and seeing this! I would say this is a pretty powerful way to spread the Gospel!

Sunday Inspiration - Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

This Sunday is the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King. This is the last Sunday of the Church year and so we finish the year by celebrating the King of Kings. Next week we begin the season of Advent in which we prepare for the coming of Our Lord. Below is the Gospel reading for this feast, a quote from St. Augustine, and the Collect from the old Roman Missal. I pray that these will help direct all who read them to Our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.

St. John 18-33-37

Pilate said to Jesus,"Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

"For He Who on earth is called the King of the Jews, in heaven is Lord of the Angels"
-St. Augustine

Collect from the old Roman missal:

Almighty and eternal God,
who hast willed to restore all things in Thy beloved Son,
the King of the whole creation:
mercifully grant that all the peoples of the human family
which have been disunited by the wound of sin
may become subject to the most sweet dominion of Him:
Who liveth and reigneth, with Thee
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.
Amen.

Sunday Inspiration

In the Gospel according to St. Mark, we hear this account of Christ's death:

And at three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some of the bystanders who heard it said, "Look, he is calling Elijah." One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down." Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

This calls to mind the beautiful Psalm from which Jesus' words come. This Psalm has been an inspiration to me this week. It begins with the Psalmist seeming frightened and alone, but then, even with so many terrible things going on, he turns and praises God. I pray that this Psalm will also be an inspiration to you in troubled times.

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish?
My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no relief.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the glory of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted and you rescued them.
To you they cried out and they escaped; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me:
"You relied on the LORD--let him deliver you; if he loves you, let him rescue you."
Yet you drew me forth from the womb, made me safe at my mother's breast.
Upon you I was thrust from the womb; since birth you are my God.
Do not stay far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help.
Many bulls surround me; fierce bulls of Bashan encircle me.
They open their mouths against me, lions that rend and roar.
Like water my life drains away; all my bones grow soft.
My heart has become like wax, it melts away within me.
As dry as a potsherd is my throat; my tongue sticks to my palate;
you lay me in the dust of death.
Many dogs surround me; a pack of evildoers closes in on me.
So wasted are my hands and feet that I can count all my bones.
They stare at me and gloat; they divide my garments among them;
for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, LORD, do not stay far off; my strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver me from the sword, my forlorn life from the teeth of the dog.
Save me from the lion's mouth, my poor life from the horns of wild bulls.
Then I will proclaim your name to the assembly; in the community I will praise you:
"You who fear the LORD, give praise!
All descendants of Jacob, give honor; show reverence, all descendants of Israel!
For God has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch,
Did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out.
I will offer praise in the great assembly;
my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.
The poor will eat their fill; those who seek the LORD will offer praise.
May your hearts enjoy life forever!"
All the ends of the earth will worship and turn to the LORD;
All the families of nations will bow low before you.
For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations.
All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God;
All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage.
And I will live for the LORD; my descendants will serve you.
The generation to come will be told of the Lord,
that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought.

Sunday Inspiration - Spreading the Gospel

In Friday's reading at Mass from St. Paul's letter to the Romans (15:14-21), the Apostle says:

"For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum I have finished preaching the Gospel of Christ. Thus I aspire to proclaim the Gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another's foundation, but as it is written:
'Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.'"

The priest at my parish preached an inspiring homily about this reading on not being afraid to spread the Gospel. He reminded us that that is what we are called to do as Christians.

This video, that a friend of mine recently found and posted on Facebook, is a short film about bringing Christ to those who may not know Him. May it inspire all who watch it to do just that.

See more inspiring videos at NYpriest.com.

Sunday Inspiration - All Saints

This Sunday, November 1st, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. On this day we remember all those Holy men and women who have been exemplary imitators of Christ and servants of Him and His Church, and request their intercession for us to Our Father in Heaven.

Today join in this beautiful prayer, the Collect from the traditional Roman liturgy of All Saints:

Almighty and eternal God,
who givest us to celebrate in one solemnity the merits of all Thy Saints:

we beseech Thee to bestow upon us,

through these countless intercessors,

the longed-for fullness of Thy propitiation.

Through Our Lord,

Amen.

Another wonderful prayer for today is the Litany of the Saints. EWTN has an English version here. Below is a beautful version of the Litany of the Saints sung in Latin:

And finally, just for fun:

Sunday Inspiration

The Gospel for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time:

St. Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say,"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more,"Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, saying to him,"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

From St. Thomas Aquinas' Catena Aurea, a summary of Pope St. Gregory the Great's homily on the Gospel:

The blind man is the human race which, in its first parent, turned from the brightness of the heavenly light and suffered the darkness of its own banishment...As our Savior therefore draws nigh to Jericho, the blind man returns to the light; because when divinity assumed to itself the failing of our flesh, mankind received back the light it had lost. He therefore that knows not the brightness of the eternal light is blind. But if he believes in the Redeemer Who said "I am the Way," he is sitting by the way side; if he has believed, and now earnestly implores that he may receive the light he is sitting by the way side, begging.

They who walked in front of Jesus, signify the crowds of carnal desires, and the tumult of the vices, which, before Christ makes entry to our heart, scatter our thoughts, and torment us in our prayer. But he cried out much more; because the more we are afflicted by the excessive troubling of our thoughts, the more earnestly ought we to persevere in prayer. But when in our prayer we still suffer the thronging images of the senses, we are in a manner hearing Jesus passing by. But when we are earnestly insistent in our prayer, God is held fast in our heart, and the lost light is restored.

It pertains to His Humanity that He passes by, and to His Divinity to be still. And so the Lord when passing by heard the blind man crying out, and standing He gave him sight; for suffering with us in His own humanity He hears with compassion the cries of our blindness; but it is by His Divinity that the light of His grace is poured into our souls. For this however He asks the blind man what he wishes: that He may waken our hearts to prayer.

Sunday Inspiration

This weekend, share your faith with someone. Talk to a friend about the joy you experience at Mass. Invite a family member who has fallen away from their faith to come to Mass with you. Let someone know that you're praying for them.

Maybe you could email them a link to this video from Catholics Come Home:

Sunday Inspiration

Miraculous Mass by Simone Martini

For Priests:

Take heed therefore and see what it is of which the ministry is committed to thee by the laying on of the Bishop's hand. Behold thou art made a priest and art consecrated to celebrate. See now that thou do it before God faithfully and devoutly at due time, and shew thyself without blame. Thou hast not lightened thy burden, but art now bound with a straiter bond of discipline, and art pledged to a higher degree of holiness. A priest ought to be adorned with all virtues and to afford to others an example of good life. His conversation must not be with the popular and common ways of men, but with Angels in Heaven or with perfect men on earth.
A priest clad in holy garments taketh Christ's place that he may pray unto God with all supplication and humility for himself and for the whole people. He must always remember the Passion of Christ. He must diligently look upon Christ's footsteps and fervently endeavour himself to follow them. He must bear meekly for God whatsoever ills are brought upon him by others. He must mourn for his own sins, and for the sins committed by others, and may not grow careless of prayer and holy oblation, until he prevail to obtain grace and mercy. When the priest celebrateth, he honoureth God, giveth joy to the Angels, buildeth up the Church, helpeth the living, hath communion with the departed, and maketh himself a partaker of all good things.

-Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book IV, V


For the lay faithful:

Prayer for receiving Holy Communion:
Almighty, Everlasting God, lo, I draw near to the sacrament of Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. As sick, I approach to the Physician of Life; unclean, to the Fountain of Mercy; blind, to the Light of eternal Brightness; poor and needy, to the Lord of Heaven and earth. I implore Thee, therefore, out of the abundance of Thy boundless mercy, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to heal my sickness, to wash my defilements, to enlighten my blindness, to enrich my poverty, and to clothe my nakedness; that I may receive the Bread of Angels, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, with such reverence and humility, such contrition and devotion, such purity and faith, such purpose and intention, as is expedient for the health of my soul. Grant, I beseech Thee, that I may receive not only the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, but also the whole grace and virtue of that Sacrament. O most merciful God, grant me so to receive the Body of Thine Only-begotten-Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which He took of the Virgin Mary, that I may be found worthy to be incorporated into His mystical Body, and accounted among His members. And, O most loving Father, grant that whom now I purpose to receive under a veil I may at last behold with unveiled face, even Thy beloved Son. Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost ever liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.

-St. Thomas Aquinas