Today’s Prayer: May 27, 2020

May 27, 2020thefriarwebmasterEaster, Podcasts, Today's PrayerBeginnings and endings are a small reflection of the ultimate cycle of life and death, Easter, Easter 2020, life is a series of beginnings and endings, our beginning and ending reside with the Holy Spirit

It was once said to me that life is a series of beginnings and endings. We start something, but invariably it comes to an end. We finish something and can find ourselves sad until we begin something new.

Homily: Recognizing the Gifts of the Spirit: May 25, 2020

May 25, 2020thefriarwebmasterEaster, Homilies, Podcastsbaptism, Comparing myself to others, Easter, Easter 2020, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, homilies, Seeing the gifts of God, the grace of God

I played a dangerous game in high school. I compared my individual talents to others, and I found myself lacking. That is because for each individual talent I had, there was always another person who was better. Rather than being able to see the many blessings God gave me, I focused on what I did not have. In today’s first reading, the apostle Paul shows how being baptized helps each of us to see the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Today’s Prayer: May 25, 2020

May 25, 2020thefriarwebmasterEaster, Podcasts, Today's Prayerbaptized in the Spirit, Easter, Easter 2020, Holy Spirit, Life in the Spirit Seminar, relationship with the Spirit

When I was in college, there was a program, popular in parishes and other settings, called “Life in the Spirit Seminars.” It was largely a program that encouraged people to participate in the charismatic renewal by highlighting the importance of a relationship with the Holy Spirit, and the reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament by Saint Paul. The culmination of the program was to be “baptized in the spirit.”

Today’s Prayer: May 10, 2020

May 10, 2020thefriarwebmasterEaster, Podcasts, Today's PrayerA husband and wife answer their vocational call from God by loving each other, Easter, Easter 2020, Every vocation given by God has as its purpose the salvation of souls, Every vocation is about salvation, just as Christ loves his bride, the Bride of Christ, the Church, viewing a family as a domestic Church

One of the great images of the Second Vatican Council was viewing a family as a domestic Church. This is a natural outcome when the Church is seen as the Bride of Christ, for it is this relationship that marriage is called to emulate.

Today’s Prayer: May 9, 2020

May 9, 2020thefriarwebmasterPodcastsCan I rejoice in God’s action, Can I rejoice whenever God is present, Easter, Easter 2020, Easter Prayer, Jealousy and envy can be difficult things, Non nisi te, Nothing but you, Nothing but you Lord, The world provides a seemingly endless number of ways to fill us with jealousy and envy

Jealousy and envy can be difficult things for us to admit to in our lives. We do not usually tell others we are jealous of them, or that we envy this or that thing. Someone else gets recognition for something, when I think it should be me, and I feel jealous. Someone has something I want, and I can envy them.

Today’s Prayer: May 8, 2020

May 8, 2020thefriarwebmasterEaster, Podcasts, Today's PrayerEaster, Easter 2020, How much does he love us, How special is this welcome he makes for us!, I will come back again and take you to myself, If I go and prepare a place for you, Jesus has a place in heaven prepared for us, Now just follow Jesus, so that where I am you also may be, You have a place, You know the way

Just think of it. From all eternity, Jesus has a place in heaven prepared for us. He has shown us the way to this place, because he himself is the way. He has given us a preview of his relationship with him here on earth, as a foretaste of the eternal relationship he calls us to share with him in heaven for ever.

Friarly: Seeing God at Work: Homily for April 29, 2020

Apr 28, 2020thefriarwebmasterFriarlyEaster, Easter 2020, Easter Homilies, friarly.com, God is at work, God working in and through us, look for the Lord working in our lives, our ministry only bears fruit when rooted in Christ, see everything in a new and different way

Often we fail to see the Lord working in our lives. We can believe that all our gifts, all our blessings and talents are of our own making. But the truth is, it is always God working in and through us. Fr. Simon-Felix Michalski, O.P., reminds us to look for the Lord working in our lives and to try and see everything in a new and different way. We have to recognize like Stephen did, that God is at work and our ministry only bears fruit when rooted in Christ.

Friarly: The Gift and the Challenge: Homily for April 27, 2020

Apr 27, 2020thefriarwebmasterFriarlyEaster, Easter 2020, friarly.com, Great gift of Jesus, meaning of the gift, the bread or the sign, The challenge of the gifts of God, What does this tell us about God

In the readings today Christ begins the Bread of Life discourse and we see the great gift that Jesus has given us both in his Body and in His Word. We too are like the crowds and are grateful for the gift. But do we understand what the gifts really mean? Do we understand what they tell us about the giver of those gifts?

Reflections from Msgr. Lavalley: Third Sunday of Easter

Apr 25, 2020thefriarwebmasterReflectionsEaster, Easter 2020, eter changes to a courageous and powerful man, Jesus becomes present in the breaking of the bread, share the gospel, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist we change too

Msgr. Richard Lavalley offers reflections for the readings of the Third Sunday of Easter. He describes the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus becomes present in the breaking of the bread and they understand their role to share the gospel. And just as Peter changes to a courageous and powerful man, so too when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist we change too.

Friarly: We fear no lions: April 25, 2020

Apr 25, 2020thefriarwebmasterFriarlycourage and bravery, Easter, Easter 2020, Easter Homilies, friarly.com, two different portrayals of lions today

We are confronted with two different portrayals of lions today. On one hand, St. Mark, whose Feast is today, is portrayed as a lion. This symbolizes courage and bravery in the face of persecutions and anxieties. We’re all meant to be brave as we proclaim the Gospel. But we also see the Devil portrayed as a lion and the Devil is certainly not noble or brave. In fact, he is weak and he preys on the weak. Listen to Deacon Chris Johnson, O.P., break down what these opposing images mean for us and our faith life.

Tag: Easter 2020