REAL Word

Delayed gratification is when we resist the temptation for immediate pleasure in hopes of getting a more valuable reward later. Humans are no good at that. We know what we want and we want it now. But the truth is that this way of being is detrimental to us and we’re suffering because of it. Luckily, we know our Messiah will bring healing to the world, and we can help by demonstrating patience and...

We are called to live in the world but not be of the world. One way we can do that is by recognizing the horrible realities mankind faces, while still maintaining a vision of what the world should be! We also need to do what we can to make that vision a reality, and one of the best ways to do that is by accepting one another the way Jesus loved and accepted us. During Advent, we’re not just prepar...

The focus of our readings this week is “preparation,” but we have to figure out what that means. The Gospel shows it’s possible to attend to the tasks of this life while preparing for the next. St. Paul suggests we clothe ourselves with Christ. And if we keep in mind the image of peace from Isaiah, then we've got a pretty good idea of what we need to work for. As Christians, we have to get out the...

The Lord calls certain people to be leaders, and the gifts of the Spirit can help them be extremely successful, whether we understand God’s choice or not. Jesus Christ was before all things and through him, all things were created. So, even though the people didn’t know it at the time, God sent us the King we need, because heaven and earth are held together in Jesus. And no matter how great any ot...

Many people look at today’s readings and see images of doom and gloom. These descriptions of fire, punishment, famine, and war seem to paint a depressing picture of the future - but that’s not the point. As Christians, we’re called to act with justice every day and contribute as much as we can to the benefit of all. We’re called to listen to the teachings of Christ and not dwell in the past or wor...

With so many angry, judgemental, and seemingly hateful people claiming to be Christians, it can be difficult to be a true disciple of Christ. But we need to face life’s challenges and choose Jesus. It won’t be easy, so we need to pray for each other and offer encouragement too. We’re not called to do this alone, so we need to show appreciation and say ‘thanks.’ And we need to remind each other of...

Our planet is in crisis right now. Creation is crying out - and most of humanity isn’t listening. God loves creation, so we should too. According to St. Paul, the best way to praise God is through works of faith, so why aren’t more of us responding to the crisis facing the earth, our common home? The self-righteous are busy pontificating about sexuality and gender while the world burns. They may l...

Humility is an important quality for Christians, but it’s not a quality that’s rewarded in our society. Yet we are called to approach the Lord from a place of humility. If a person is poor or marginalized, humility may come more easily; but for those of us who have much, true humility is harder to achieve. We might find ourselves abandoned by others at times, especially when we're sharing the Gosp...

As Christians, we should understand the power of persistence, but sometimes we can’t achieve our goals alone, so we need the help of others. We’re also called to be persistent in the questioning, correcting, and teaching... of ourselves, so that we can then be careful and patience when sharing the Gospel message with others. And we must be persistent in our prayer, and never lose heart - because o...

The readings today are about the power of faith - with a focus on the healing power that faith can have. But putting our faith in God can be tricky because we want to do it on our own terms. We have faith that God will do some specific thing for us or we have faith that God will make everything work out just fine. St. Paul tried to tell us, sometimes we’re going to suffer and that’s okay. At times...

As disciples of Christ, witnessing all of the violence, cruelty, and injustice in the world can be depressing; but we must trust in the Lord and hold on to our faith. If we can maintain true faith that is only as big as a mustard seed, we can do amazing things. The Spirit will help us share the Gospel message, and we’ll be able to serve others with humility and joy. All it takes is the tiniest amo...

Christians in the United States often dance around issues of economic justice. We can’t be concerned about people in other parts of the world. We think they want what’s ours - that they’re the ones who are greedy. But Jesus disagrees. When we close our eyes to the suffering of others, we’re doing so to protect our wealth. We know where that way leads, so we need to pay attention to Jesus and the p...

Being a Christian isn’t as easy as most people believe. We can do all sorts of good things, while completely ignoring those situations where the scales are tipped in our favor. And when we let injustices continue because we benefit from them, God remembers. So we must pray - to honor God - and to remind ourselves of what’s truly important. We are called to use our time, talents, and treasure for t...

As Christians, we understand that we’re called to recognize our sins, repent, and ask God for forgiveness. It sounds easy, but it’s not, because most truly good people feel generally insignificant. And when you feel that way, you might think your actions don’t matter. You might not think you need to even bother with forgiveness. When that happens, we’re lost. But lucky for us, God has a soft spot...

Christians believe we can find wisdom in God, which should help us understand that being a disciple isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes it’s downright difficult and even painful. Jesus knows that. He knows it’s not an easy path, so he insists that we understand what we’re getting into. Because if we don’t, then it’s likely that we’ll fail. Yes, we’re called to be disciples of Jesus and to follow...

The more successful we are, the harder it is to be humble. We may still let others go through the door first, but that’s simple politeness and not the humility we’re called to show. To be truly humble, we should remember what Jesus has done for us. We should remember that he died to bring us mercy and love. And once we figure out how to be humble and do good works from a place of true humility, we...

Far too often, we hear Christians saying, “Jesus is my personal Lord and Savior” - but Jesus didn’t come just for you. Jesus came for all people. If we’re really disciples of Christ, then our job is to share that Good News with everyone. And when we go through pain and suffering, we need to learn from those difficult times, and then use what we’ve learned to help others. Because ultimately, the on...

While some people rant about the need to make America a “Christian nation,” and then offer up an unaccepting, narrow, judgmental version of the Gospel, it’s time for the true disciples to speak out. These modern-day Pharisees refuse to recognize the complexities of life and they insist on seeing the world as “black and white.” But we’re called to live our lives in a way that demonstrates the love...

Jesus promised he would come again, and we know that God keeps his promises to the faithful. But being faithful means we believe in certain things we can’t actually see, like the fact that the Holy Spirit is active in our world today. We can often see or experience the results of those loving actions, but we can’t see the Spirit with our eyes. Faith is the conviction of things not seen, so even th...

God’s people have always understood that material things were important but not the top priority. The best things in life aren’t things, which is why sin is “the breaking or straining of a relationship.” When we place that much value on relationships, we can more easily see the value in setting aside our differences. Only then can we truly be generous with others. Only then can we stop obsessing o...

If you’ve been Baptized, then you’ve been reborn in Christ. As true disciples, we are called to do certain things; and one of those things is to stand up to injustices, which takes courage. And just like prayer, battling injustice isn’t a one-and-done activity, so we need the help of the Holy Spirit. We must be persistent in our prayer, and the Lord will give us the gift of his Spirit!

The main messages this week seem to indicate different things. Abraham and Sarah are blessed for showing hospitality, while Martha is told it’s not necessary. St. Paul says we should get out and share the Gospel, and even rejoice when we suffer for it. Jesus, on the other hand, indicates that simply sitting at his feet and listening is the better choice. It’s not contradictory though because we’re...

I get confused when Christians talk about being a warrior for Christ. I don’t think we’re called to fight, debate, and attack non-believers. It shouldn’t be hard to figure out because the Holy Spirit is in our hearts and, in Jesus, we have the perfect image of our invisible God. Observing our religious rituals and learning about our faith are important, but they can only be truly authentic if we s...

God’s love for us is never-ending. That doesn’t mean that God controls us, but it does mean that he is intimately involved in everything we do. When we are baptized, we become new creations, called to become intimately involved in God’s work on earth. People need God. Not all are ready to accept God, but we’re still called to help gather them. Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers...

Going to church once a week doesn’t make us Christian, nor does simply receiving the Sacraments. We need to discern the call of the Spirit and be ready to make a radical commitment to follow Jesus. We need to take action and do the hard work of loving our neighbors. We need to live what Jesus taught us and put our faith into action. The journey to God takes place out in the world; and if we put ou...