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“That we might be called children of God” On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we are invited to rejoice in our truest identity as being the sons and daughters of God. Jesus, our good shepherd, lays down His life for us so that we might know new life in our Father’s house. May the risen Jesus continue to help us embrace the gift of child-like faith so as to be more dependent on our Father in Heaven.
In the first reading for this weekend, we hear of St. Peter boldly proclaiming the truth of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Peter and the other apostles were convinced that the Lord had indeed been raised from the dead and they were convicted by the Holy Spirit to convince the whole world of Christ’s victory. May we continue to grow in our conviction of sharing the Easter joy with others.
"Jesus, I Trust in You" On this Divine Mercy Sunday, we recall the Lord’s incredible gift of reconciliation and forgiveness. When the disciples were hiding in the upper room out of fear after the Lord’s death, Jesus appears before them to offer His peace and healing. May we continue to grow in our faith and trust that the Risen Lord is more powerful than our sinfulness.
“We want to see Jesus” As we move ever closer to the great celebration of the Lord’s death and resurrection, we are reminded of our deep desire to want to see Jesus. The Lord reminds us that we are called to become like the grain of wheat which falls to the ground and dies so that we can receive new life. May His grace always allow us to become more like Him in every way.
“Sinners in the hands of a Merciful God” At this halfway point of our Lenten journey we are reminded of the gift of God’s mercy. Through the death and resurrection, the Lord brings us into the light of life. May we continue this journey of conversion with minds and hearts open to His grace.
“To be bothered by sin” In the gospel today, Jesus cleanses the temple out of desire to free us from the effects of sin. We are called to have the same zeal for the things of the Father that Jesus displayed. May this lent continue to be a time when we seek to grow in holiness and virtue.
“Into the wilderness with Christ” As we begin this Lenten journey, the Lord invites us into the wilderness with Him, which is a place of encounter and testing. By purifying our desires and thoughts, the Lord opens new ways for us to encounter Him. May we have the strength to follow where He leads us.
“If you will it, you can make me clean” As we prepare for the season of Lent, Jesus invites us to grow in humility to admit we need a savior. By acknowledging our brokenness and sinfulness we allow ourselves to be open to receive the transformative power of Christ’s love and mercy.
“To be anxious about the things of the Lord” We have so many things that can bring us anxiety and worry in life. If we surrender to the most perfect will of the Father and concern ourselves with the things that matter to God, we will find a life filled with His peace.
In our Gospel for the second Sunday of Advent we hear the proclamation of St. John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord. We rejoice that Jesus draws near to us as our savior and as one who creates something new in all of us.
As we begin this new Advent season, we are reminded of the incredible gift that Jesus has already appeared in the flesh and saved us from our sins. But we also know that until we are called into eternal life, we are awaiting with hopeful anticipation the fullness of His promises to us. May we spend this season striving to become more like Him.
On this last Sunday of ordinary time, we look forward to the coming of Christ into our lives in new ways. We desire to respond with faith and urgency to the call of Christ in which He invites us to become agents and instruments of His Kingdom.
“The life of missionary discipleship” St. Paul tells us in the second reading this weekend that along with a desire to hand on the Gospel to the earliest believers, he desired to share his very self with them. The Apostle wanted his whole life to bear witness to the transformative power of Christ’s love. May our lives, too, bear witness to others that a life in Christ is possible and worth pursuing.
“To be in the world but not of it” Not only do we celebrate the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time but it is also the feast day of Pope St. John Paul II. Through his intercession we pray for the grace to return our whole life back to God and to concern ourselves with what truly matters to Him.
“Finding our place in the home of the Father”.
In our readings this weekend, we hear of the banquet of Heaven and our invitation to the feast. We desire to grow in the ability to receive that invitation and so take our rightful place around the table of the Lord.
In our readings this weekend, we hear of the banquet of Heaven and our invitation to the feast. We desire to grow in the ability to receive that invitation and so take our rightful place around the table of the Lord.
“You search me O Lord and You know me. In the Gospel today we are reminded of God’s intense closeness to us and how that closeness invites us into the beautiful adventure of stewardship of our lives”
St. Therese of Lisieux teaches us how we can fall in love with the will of God and how we can faithfully follow it. By setting aside our own ego and by recognizing that our life is not our own, we can be confident in our ability to fulfill God's plan for our lives.
During our Family Weekend here on campus we got to reflect on the gift and beauty of family life. Our Heavenly Father teaches us so much about Himself through the family. Listen to this week’s homily about how the journey of the family can lead us closer to the heart of God.
In the gospel this weekend the Lord reveals to us that within the life of communion we are called to be responsible for each other. The path of conversion and transformation within our own lives is a responsibility that helps us fulfill the law of love. But St. Paul also reminds us that the law of love is fulfilled when out of love for each other we desire to enter into the lives of our brothers and sisters so as to bring them to the lord Jesus. May we continue to grow in the gift of responsibility.
“To think like God” In the Gospel today, Jesus challenges Peter to learn how to think like God. Through the way of the cross we see how God can bring incredible new life through the way of suffering. May we be transformed by the renewal of our mind and live out our vocation to proclaim the life of Christ to all.
"Who do you say that I am?" The Lord desires us to know who He truly is so that we may confidently stand on the rock of St. Peter's faith.
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