REAL Word

In spite of our poor choices, God continues to offer us forgiveness… if we humbly ask Him. We know that we’re called to emulate God's compassion by praying for blessings upon others, including those who criticize or even oppose us. And knowing God's desire for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ, we’re encouraged to introduce people to the transformative power of our Savior. In...

We’re living through a difficult time. The world needs true disciples of Christ to share the Good News, to reignite hope, and to build the Kingdom on earth. But when we get discouraged - and we will - we need to remember that the Spirit can bridge any divide and bring people together because, in spite of all our differences, we are ALL equal before the Lord. Jesus challenges you and me to venture...

The Solemnity of the Ascension shares God’s purpose and how the church fits into that plan. The universal Church has a mission to fulfill but it might not be easy because the Church is intended to be universal and inclusive. These two elements coexist so well because Jesus is with us. And if we share the Gospel message, and face the challenges head on, we know that Jesus is right beside us, provid...

As true disciples of Christ, we’re called to lead people to the Lord whenever the opportunities to do so arise. This means we might need to make personal sacrifices for the greater good, including responding to opposition with gentleness and respect. But by loving one another as Jesus loved us, we show our love for him and open ourselves to the love of the Father. So let’s demonstrate our love for...

True disciples of Christ aren’t meant to sit idly by and let things just happen as they may. We are called to actively engage with the world and make a positive difference in the lives of those around us. The role of service has always been critical to the church, and our Gospel reading today shows that without people like us, there is no “spiritual house.” So let’s not be afraid to embrace the ch...

When people are shown the way, the Spirit can move their hearts. Peter encouraged people to repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit… and they listened. We can do the same. We can be shepherds to others by modeling Jesus’ love and radical acceptance. If we let the Spirit work through us, we can lead people to greener pastures. Suffering may be part of the journey, but we know that’s okay....

Quite often, our readings contain lessons on how to live our lives in a better way, but sometimes our readings are focused on the foundations of our faith. We base our faith on the belief that Jesus is the Messiah and that he came to free us from sin and death, just as the prophecies said he would. Our faith and trust in the Lord is what gives power to the Gospel message. Our faith isn’t some must...

When we look at the messages from our readings this week, the overarching theme is a call to return to the essence of early Christianity. We seem to have lost our way, and to get on a better path, we should do more to emulate the early church's focus on sharing the Gospel message, taking care of one another, and inviting everyone to the Lord’s table. But to do that, we need to understand the i...

As Christians, we understand that, through our belief in Jesus Christ, we receive forgiveness of sins and experience the life-changing power of his name. We should strive to let the Gospel message be like new yeast in our lives, spreading and transforming every aspect of who we are. To do that, we need to allow Jesus to change us from the inside out. And even though we may struggle with fears and...

We know that people can become blind to Jesus for many different reasons, proclaiming their righteousness while turning their backs on Christ. It’s easy to fall into that trap because God’s rules are different. When people get caught up in their prejudiced beliefs, they end up being Christians in name only. It’s a difficult problem, so we must answer our baptismal call. Especially when things get...

God can work miracles, including bringing an entire “people” back from exile and protecting them. He did it for the Israelites, and we need to carry that message to the persecuted and marginalized people in our world today. We can be modern day prophets and truly come alive with the spirit. That doesn’t mean we’ll never suffer; but if we end up in one of life’s “dark tombs,” we need to remember th...

We tend to judge OTHERS by their words and actions, but WE expect to be judged by our intent… and we rarely give others the benefit of the doubt. Of course, there are people with bad intentions - and our intentions aren’t always wholesome - but it’s up to God to do the judging. The Lord can see our hearts, so nothing can hide those dark deeds from God. Our judgment is clouded by many things, and w...

During Lent, we’re called to repent for our sins, but we should also take time to think about our blessings. We tend to remember bad things and forget the good, which can give us a negative perception of things and cause us to believe we’re not worthy of God’s love. We must remember that it’s not about worthiness. We’re all sinners and God loves us anyway. In fact, Jesus loves us so much that he’s...

All the great things that have come from our faith happened because people trusted in the Lord. Abram trusted in the Lord, and the first covenant was made. The apostles and the earliest disciples of Christ trusted the Lord, which led to the new covenant. St. Paul trusted the Lord, which allowed him to authentically preach the importance of suffering for the Gospel message, which allowed the early...

We have free will and the knowledge of good and evil, so we should be held accountable for our choices. There are other factors that cloud our judgment though, and we’re tempted to take care of our own needs first, so it’s good that Jesus gave us an example to follow by facing temptation and resisting. We should try to be strong like Jesus and choose to do what’s right. We won’t always succeed, bu...

As Christians, we are called to be holy. In this week's readings, Moses tells us that God wants us to be holy. Paul tells us that we are God’s temple, and what can be more holy than that? And then Jesus explains what it will take for us to be holy as we’re striving to be perfect, like God. But Jesus doesn’t want us to be discouraged by how difficult this all seems. It won’t be easy, but if we sinc...

Because of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we have what we need to live righteous lives, and God has given us the free will to do it. But that also makes us accountable. “Free will” is a tremendous responsibility, but if we can learn to open our hearts and minds to the Spirit, we can embrace the deeper wisdom that God offers. That broader perspective on creation, and our place in it, will help us un...

Being a Christian isn't a spectator sport. God wants us to take positive action and make a difference in the world, and we can do it in big or small ways. We should work together with the Christian community, but we are also called to be conduits for the Holy Spirit. As believers, we are the salt and light of the world, and our lives are sacramental. Our actions should enhance the lives of others,...

Righteousness is about adhering to moral or ethical principles and allowing them to guide our actions. Self-righteousness is the belief that one’s own actions and beliefs are morally superior, which leads to being judgmental. As Christians, we are called to seek righteousness and humility, and to put our effort into boasting about the Lord and not about ourselves. It’s challenging because it requi...

After the imprisonment of John, Jesus left Galilee and the Gospel says, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” The image of great joy and light to people in darkness is followed by the call to repent because it relieves us of our burdens. When we repent, we open ourselves up to the light of Christ and the joy it brings. So, if we keep our focu...

Being true disciples of Christ means answering God’s call, which makes Jesus our Lord. And if Jesus is our Lord, then we must live as he commands and take up his mission on Earth. Like the Suffering Servant, only preaching to believers isn’t enough. We are called to bring the Good News to all nations. If we remember that Jesus came to take away our sins, then perhaps we can see past our privilege,...

The Magi honored the baby Jesus and then went on their way but we know we’re called to do more. We only celebrate Christmas one time every year but we believe the light of Christ is a gift meant to be shared every single day. WE have gifts as well and it’s through the sharing of those gifts that we truly honor Jesus and spread the Gospel message of love, radical acceptance, forgiveness, and salvat...

Knowing we are children of God doesn’t justify judging and condemning others, especially when we know that invoking God’s name to bless those around us gives us countless opportunities to bring God’s divine grace into the world. Today’s readings can help us connect to Mary and embrace her approach, which was to keep the focus on Jesus. If we play our role to the best of our ability and leave Jesus...

We believe God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s a difficult concept and people wonder, “How is that possible?” Not fully understand something doesn’t make it impossible, and nothing is impossible for God. Others ask, “Why would God become human?” Our answer is that it was the ultimate act of love, because the invisible God became visible and tangible. Jesus brought us closer to God in a way t...

The common thread running through our readings today is the gift of God’s grace. Isaiah challenged Ahaz to place his trust in God, and offered a miraculous sign. His prophecy shows that Jesus Christ is the Son of God which, powered by grace, is what called St. Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles. But the ultimate gift of God’s grace came through the Incarnation. The birth of Jesus fulfilled God’...