REAL Word

The feast of Corpus Christi is a time for us to celebrate Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist - the fullness of his life, broken and shared with us. We recognize the roots of the breaking of the bread, but also know that Jesus brought greater meaning to this ancient ritual. Bread is the most common food, so there is no easier way to remember the sacrifice of Jesus than to bless, break, and share brea...

It’s important to remember the interconnectedness that is central to our Christian faith. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three “persons” in one godhead. It’s a mystery that’s central to our faith. The Church is connected to Christ, which means that we are never alone. Remember that the Spirit delighted in mankind from the beginning, helps the Lord do great things through us, and ensures that we...

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

The Solemnity of the Ascension allows us to see God’s purpose laid out for us; including how we, the church, fit into that plan. Jesus ascended into heaven and will come again, but the universal Church must witness and share the Good News. The suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ fulfilled the Hebrew Scriptures, but the story isn’t over yet. Jesus is in heaven, but he sent the Holy Spirit...

This weekend’s readings focus on the Holy Spirit being everywhere, all the time, and it’s something we tend to forget. Looking at the history of the Church, we can see the ever-present guidance of the Advocate; so no matter what we’re doing, the Spirit is with us. We can easily worship God no matter where we are or what we’re doing. Especially during difficult times, we must remember God never lea...

Trying to be a disciple of Christ is a daunting task because of what we’re called to do. We are expected to make disciples of all people, but we’re also expected to suffer while we’re doing it. But we know the power of the Spirit to do amazing things and we find comfort in the knowledge that God will eventually make everything new again. In the meantime, we’re also commanded to love our fellow bel...

We are called to share the Good News - to share the Gospel message to the ends of the earth - but that’s hard to do if we choose to remain silent. We need to speak up, even if it might cause us discomfort or lead to personal suffering. For when we suffer in the name of Jesus, we know we’ll be rewarded in heaven. We are his flock and he will protect us. So listen carefully, discern his voice from a...

Being a Christian doesn’t mean you won’t suffer. The Paschal Mystery promises we’ll suffer, experience loss, and then find new life. But we don’t talk about how the Apostles - some of our spiritual role models - rejoiced when they suffered for Christ. It’s a challenge but it starts by believing that ALL of creation knows Jesus is God. We’re spiritually fed and strengthened through the Eucharist… a...

The Easter season is a time for us to focus on the new life promised by the Resurrection, so we must understand that the Holy Spirit is with us. Just as the Spirit helped the early Church, the Spirit is still helping us today. We know this new life requires us to spread the Gospel message because Jesus has called us to make disciples of all people. Though this might seem like an impossible task, w...

As Christians, we aren’t a people of the crucifixion - we’re a people of the resurrection - and the cross reminds us of Jesus’ victory over death. And if we’ve entered into a new life in Christ, then Jesus’ victory is our victory too. As we celebrate Easter, let’s remember that Jesus rose from the dead and he’s not gone. The tomb is empty but Jesus is alive and his Spirit is active in the world to...

Being a disciple of Christ, at its core, means that we must be willing to follow Jesus’ commands. We need to love the Lord, love one another, and share the Gospel message of love and forgiveness. Doing what Jesus commands may cause us to suffer, and we can’t confront that suffering with power or the desire to rule. We are called to serve; and our service can’t be done from afar. We aren’t called t...

Everyone needs the Creator, whether they believe in God or not - but for Christians it’s much more than that. We need God in our lives to bring meaning, love, and forgiveness; and to help us prepare for eternal life in heaven. Saying that Jesus must be the center of our lives is easy. Figuring out how to actually do it is hard. But it must be done because it’s how we’ll be able to prepare ourselve...

We know that our Father provides for us in many different ways. Our lives change, our needs change, and the blessings we receive will change as well - but only if we remain under God’s care. When we sin, we separate ourselves from our Father and reject what he wants to provide for us. But the Lord is watching for us - waiting for us to return. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we can repair...

Try as we might, we’ll never be able to understand God completely - the creation will never fully understand the Creator - but we don’t need to. We need to understand that the Son has been saving us throughout history, is working to save us today, and will continue offering salvation forever. Our God wants us to be saved; wants us to repent and accept forgiveness, so the great “I am” can have a re...

Abram placed his faith in God though he had experienced little and been promised much. Today, we’ve seen many of God’s promises fulfilled, so it should be easy for us to put our trust in the Lord - but it rarely works that way. We live our lives in the best way we can by looking to Jesus as our role model. We must listen to him and share the Gospel message; because if we hold up our end of the cov...

Our salvation history goes back thousands of years but continues beyond the Bible. Many of the events of our lives become part of that salvation history, so we must remember and celebrate it. Doing so will make it easier to believe in our hearts and bear witness with our mouths. It will also help us pass the tests and temptations we will continue to face throughout our lives. We’ll be able to face...

Professionals are often encouraged to create a “personal brand,” but our readings today show why that’s horrible advice. What we keep inside can’t be hidden forever - the world will eventually see our true nature - and we certainly can’t fool God. So we need to fill our hearts with good treasure and focus on doing the Lord’s work. We’re not called to create a façade; we’re called to improve oursel...

The messages from our Scripture readings this week revolve around forgiveness and compassion, even when it isn’t easy. If we forgive, love, or show compassion to someone who does the same for us, it’s not enough because even sinners do that. We’re called to do more. We’re called to live in a way that reflects the light of Christ - even to those who mistreat us. If we’re honest, then we’ll admit it...

Jeremiah says to put our faith in God and our lives will be fruitful - but what does that really mean? In most cultures, being “fruitful” means having a good family, material possessions, financial security, and the admiration of others. But when the Risen Lord is at the center of our faith, all of that changes. It becomes hard to reconcile our societal picture of success with our Lord’s picture o...

As Christians, we must understand that Jesus has been present throughout history, bridging the past, present, and future. We also need to understand that the Lord can bridge the gap between our sinfulness and holiness. God is searching for us. God has been searching for us. And God will find us. We just need to have faith enough to cross that bridge when he does!

It’s easy to look at this week’s readings and see them as simply a commentary on the past. But when we apply them to ourselves - and to our own calling - they mean so much more. We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ on earth but it won’t be easy. Even Jesus was rejected, so we need to start from a foundation of love and then carry on, trusting that the Lord has our back!

Jesus offers us redemption and that’s not “old news.” In fact, it's news meant for us today. If we look with our eyes of faith and understand the Spirit holds the Body together, then we must understand we need to continue Christ's mission. We must lift up the poor, free the captives, and heal the sick. It's a monumental task because the Word of God is meant for everyone. And that means all of us w...

The Lord created all of us as unique individuals with our own mix of gifts and abilities. This diversity shouldn’t drive us apart - it should be a source of unity for the community of faith. We’re called to recognize that though our gifts may be different, the source of those gifts is the same. And the same Spirit who gave these gifts can help each of us transform into something extraordinary!

As Catholics, we say we have been baptized as “priest, prophet, and king.” We are called to help bring holiness to the community; to speak God's truth, no matter the cost; and to coordinate the gifts of the community and lead others in building the Kingdom. We must bring the light of Christ to the world because the peace of Christ is meant for everyone. And we do this together with each other, and...

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 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, forgiveness, and salvation for all!