The feast of Christ the King reminds us that Jesus Christ - the king of the universe - comes to us in a loving and accessible way. He's the judge, the savior, the messiah, and the Lord - yet for all that power and glory he breaks through all boundaries to come to us in the midst of our human weakness and fraility.
The king became like us...so we can know him!
November 23, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
We use our calendars to keep us on track. But there are traps:
We can get caught up in the past - and beat ourselves up over our mistakes.
We can get absorbed in the future - wasting time over unknown worry.
Rather, we are called to encounter the present moment - learning from the past as we plan and build for our future. This is true not just for life, but for our spiritual journey as well.
November 16, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica reminds us that our churches are sacred spaces where we encounter the depth and breadth of human experience in the context of God's grace. We come before the Lord in our need - reaching out in gratitude and petition - that we might be renewed in faith, hope, and love.
November 9, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
How do we measure things? Volume, space, time all have tools to help us measure: what about our hearts? We are reminded that LOVE is the benchmark by which we determine our discipleship.
Three key areas surface:
By reviewing these areas we can look at concrete opportunities where we engage our faith through the practical ways we love the Lord and one another.
October 26, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
What does it mean to make an offering to God? Everything we have comes from the Lord, belongs to the Lord, and will one day return to the Lord; when we offer our lives for care and service we conform our lives to Jesus - who offered his life for us all.
October 19, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
Food is more than nourishment. A great meal feeds our bodies and our souls. This is also true for our spiritual nourishment - the Lord feeds us with his Body & Blood - so that we can draw together and be strengthened for service in the world.
October 11, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
Forgiveness is never easy, yet it is the path the Lord has set before us. We forgive others, as God has forgiven us. All of us have made mistakes - said and done things we regret - and in our need the Lord continues to reach out to us with mercy and love.
May we do the same!
October 5, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
"He can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk?" Are our actions congruent with our words? When this happens, we not only follow the Lord's example, but we become instruments of the Lord's mission in the world today.
September 28, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
We are often tempted to try to do things on our own. But when we start looking more closely at our lives, we realize quite quickly that we need each other - consider the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive - that so much of what we do depends on the skills, talents and abilities of millions of people.
"United we stand" speaks to the fundamental truth of life and spiritual life.
First, we cooperate together to have enough.
Second, generosity flows out of our interdependence on one another.
September 20, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
This talk is the third of three given at a KC Men's Retreat. The focus of this talk is on SERVICE - how we intentionally live out our faith, following the example of Jesus Christ. This talk provides a method and general guidelines for the application of faith in daily life.
September 13, 2014 - St. Joseph Church - Hayward, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
This talk is the second of three given at a KC Men's Retreat. The focus of this talk is on PRAYER - how we build and develop our relationship with Jesus Christ. A number of practical points are made to show how each of us can connect with the Lord in ways that make sense to our own unique temperment and style.
September 13, 2014 - St. Joseph Church - Hayward, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
This talk is the first of three given at a KC Men's Retreat. The focus of this talk is on STUDY - how we learn about our faith so we can feed our minds and develop our relationship with Jesus Christ. A number of practical points are made to show how each of us can find particular ways to intellectually grow.
September 13, 2014 - St. Joseph Church - Hayward, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
Keys are part of our lives. Here are three ways in particular:
How will we use the keys we have been given? How will we offer our lives to use what we have been given in good and prudent ways.
August 24, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
Do you remember a time when you were a stranger, visitor, or guest? Were you welcomed? Who welcomed you? How did they make you feel, and how did they help you fit in?
Welcoming others is a central part of hospitality. When we recognize that we are brothers and sisters in the Lord, how do we interact with one another? God reaches out to all people, inviting them to draw near. May the Lord help us to treat one another with the love and enthusiasm of Christ!
August 17, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
Four scenes are touched in this homily:
1) Jesus feeding the 5000
2) Jesus alone in prayer
3) Jesus approaching the boat during a storm
4) Jesus saving Peter
We can enter into each of these scenes and recognize God at work in our lives in moments of gratitude, stillness, fear, help. Just as the Lord was present to the people in the Gospel, he is present to us! May we reach out and let him take us by the hand.
August 10, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
The crowds drawn to Jesus in the Gospel are healed and fed by the Lord, who again at the Last Supper does the following with bread:
This happened at the Feeding Miracle and the Last Supper, and it happens at every Mass! We receive the Lord himself, who strengthens and nourishes us so that we will be a blessing to the people and situations that confront us!
August 3, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
How do we make decisions? What aspects of our Christian faith can help and guide us to choose wisely? Here are three points to keep in mind:
Choices confront us all the time. When we look in, out, and up we make the best decisions possible - drawing on all the resources that God provides.
July 27, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
Seeds and Weeds are part of every garden. Seeds require care and attention; weeds are constant presence that require dedicated effort to remove.
What's true for the garden is also true for our hearts. There are seeds that we want to grow into fruitful harvests of virtue & spiritual gifts, and their are weeds in the form of sin and temptation that we want to remove.
July 19, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
A garden offers many insights for life and spiritual life:
These practical points of gardening can inspire us to apply them to our spiritual lives, that we take the gift of life that we have been given and offer the blessing of our uniqueness opportunities to be a blessing to others.
July 13, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
There are many ways to say "I love you" to the people in our lives:
The reality of love, its power and beauty, can thus be expressed in many different ways. Similarly, the love of God is revealed to us through the mystery of the Trinity: one God, revealed in three Persons.
May we enter into this great mystery of God's love, and may we express this love - in a variety of powerful ways - to the people in our lives.
June 15, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
The Holy Spirit - the third Person of the Trinity - descended upon the disciples and empowered them to proclaim the Good News of Christ. With the power of the Spirit these disciples will change the world.
Here are two powerful ways the Spirit helps us:
The Spirit continues to work through us today - guiding and empowering us to live our lives for the Lord. Come Holy Spirit!
June 8, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
There are times in life when we need to say goodbye - letting go of familiar things and embracing new opportunities and challenges. Transitions are difficult, yet they are a common way we grow.
The Feast of the Ascension reminds us that the disciples faced their transition as the Lord was lifted up to Heaven. We, too, are called to step out and undertake the opportunities and challenges that the Lord sets before us, embracing our transitions so that the Lord can stretch and transform us!
June 1, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
God commands us to love, both the Lord and one another. Love is a way we live - a verb that calls us to actions. 3 thoughts:
May 25, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
For other podcasts, go to "Catholic Inspiration" in iTunes.
Stones are the bones of the earth. They may or may not be attractive, but when they are shaped and formed they can become powerful - capable of supporting tremendous weight.
Our hearts can do the same. When we shape and form our hearts - working together with those around us - we become a living temple that gives glory to God. In our unity we become strong, united in the Lord's love for service in the world.
May 18, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
For more podcasts, go to "Catholic Inspiration" in iTunes.
Jesus is not only the shepherd who calls us, he is the gate that protects and guards. When our our lives on earth are finished, the Lord will not only call us - but he will be at the gate. Will we be ready to greet him? Do we have any unfinished business that needs to be addressed? If so, then perhaps today offers the opportunity for us to attend to our hearts.
May 11, 2014 - Cathedral of Christ the King - Superior, WI
Fr. Andrew Ricci
studyprayserve.com
For more podcasts, go to "Catholic Inspiration" in iTunes.