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A beautiful echo from the prayers of the past
Last week, I was on a pilgrimage to the shrines of Mexico. As I prayed in each church, basilica, and cathedral, I discovered a new dimension of my faith. Several of these 500-year-old buildings were built with sweeping Romanesque columns that pull the eyes toward heaven. I was inspired by the genius of the architects and the faith of the people who built these magnificent places of worship. As I sat in each church, my senses came alive. I smelled a faint aroma of centuries of incense and beeswax candles. I saw remnants of the smoke giving the walls and ceilings an ancient hue. I loved the feel of the…
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What do you need to leave behind?
Homily for the 30th Sunday: Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mk 10:46-52) That’s quite a question from Jesus: What do you want me to do for you? The blind Bartimaeus answered, “I want to see.” If Jesus were to ask you the same question, how would you answer: What do you want me to do for you? Think about that answer for a minute or two while I talk about the question. The question reveals a few things about how Jesus relates to us. First of all, the question…
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The three most important items for a faith journey
Jesus sent the twelve on a journey (Mk 6:7-13). Jesus also sends us on a journey. It is a journey of faith, a journey of life, and a journey of mission. Let us join the twelve and learn what Jesus has to teach. It first was a journey of faith. This journey begins in Nazareth. The gospel says that Jesus could not perform any mighty deeds in their lives because of their lack of faith. It might be said that Jesus is unable to perform any mighty deeds in your life because of your lack faith. To improve their lack of faith, Jesus sent the twelve on a journey of…
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A surprising invitation into some new waters
Sometimes God wants us to take the first step.
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Who in the bible is most like me?
Biblical figures have much to teach us, especially if we can identify the parallels between their lives and ours.
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The Discipline of Prayer
God provided the perfect focal point for prayer: a peephole to the heavens!
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How to make sure you satisfy the right type of hunger
What is the secret ingredient to the 'bread' that will endure forever?
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Practice Makes Perfect
Exactly what do we need to practice? Faith. Jesus didn't send the twelve on a mission with nothing because their faith was perfected, but because they needed to shore up what was lacking.
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Strengthening Belief
What can we learn from Nicodemus about strengthening our own belief?
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Are you the one?
Are you the one? A common question, but how to we go about finding an answer?
