17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the first reading, the Psalm, and the Gospel, we are reminded that God is moved by our relationship with Him. This doesn’t mean that God does what we want if we just ask long and hard enough, but rather that our prayers, presence and relationship affect God’s heart. Just as the people we love fill our eyes with spontaneous tears by smiling in a certain way, our affection touches God deeply. Sharing our pain and longing with Him transforms us, even while it draws us deeper into the mystery of God’s life and ongoing action in the world. We worship God who has been so affected by our brokenness that He came to earth and was persistent in loving us even to death on a cross. The second reading reminds us to join our suffering to that of Jesus, so that God can transform it into new life. That is the good news at the heart of the Gospel and of our lives.

Prayer of the Faithful: For persistence in loving God and drawing close to Him even in pain, we pray to the Lord. #SundayMass #CatholicYYC

Text: CCCB
(taken from the Facebook page of Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary)

 

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This story of Martha and Mary is not about prayer being more important than kitchen work; it’s about what happens when we are not present to where we are called. In each and every moment, we can only be in one place, and sometimes we like where we are better than other times. It is true, that like Martha, we have a choice when we do not like where we are, and also that robbing other people’s joy is not the solution to our misery. Jesus challenges Martha to remember that “there is need of only one thing.” What is the one thing God is asking of me right now? Ask Him, and when you get an answer, go and do it. Then, ask again. Sometimes, I need to pray, and sometimes it is my turn to serve. If I do what God asks me to do, it is much easier to delight in what God is asking of others, instead of being jealous, unsatisfied, or frustrated.

For clarity around the one thing God is asking of us, we pray to the Lord.

#CatholicYYC #SundayMass

(taken from the Facebook page of Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary)

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Loving God and your neighbour is not just what we believe — it is what we are asked to live. Salvation is not a gift offered to those who think all the right things, but to people whose lives reflect the truth God reveals. It isn’t enough that you know what the right thing is if you don’t actually do it. So, in the middle of this summer’s “Ordinary Time”, go and love God. Make space to pray from the beach or the boat or in your own backyard. Pray for people He has asked you to carry. Connect with neighbours, stop for someone in need, give some of your time or money to someone who needs it more than you. Salvation isn’t just something we get, but something that gives our lives away at the same time. It’s a beautiful life, now and into eternity….

For the desire to participate in God saving us and the whole world, we pray to the Lord.

Text: CCCB #CatholicYYC

(taken from the Facebook page of Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary)

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Too often, our ideas of abundance are informed by worldly understandings of wealth. The instructions Jesus gives to His disciples stand in contrast to any hope or expectation we have that following God means a guarantee of material excess. Jesus sends the disciples out two by two, and asks them to rely on the provision of those who receive them, offering care and healing in exchange for room and board. If people reject them, Jesus tells them to shake the dust off their feet as they leave town and move on to the next community. We aren’t supposed to find our security in the size of our savings accounts, but in the promise of God’s call and provision. What can we do this week to lessen our trust in our own wealth or capacity, and to increase our trust in God? How can our increased dependence on God be a gift for others as well as for ourselves?

For trust in God’s provision, and generosity with what has been given to us, we pray to the Lord. #catholicyyc #sundaymass

(taken from the Facebook page of Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary)

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

O God, who through the grace of adoption chose us to be children of light, grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error, but always be seen to stand I the bright light of truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Taken from the Living with Christ Missal, Collect – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time