When St. Paul commands us to "pray always" in his first letter to the Thessalonians, we tend to let it go in one ear and out the other. "Of course, he can't possibly mean that! He really just means to pray a lot." We so easily filter the words of Scripture based on what we think God wants from us, but then we end up missing his true message. God actually wants us to always be praying, just like St. Paul told us!
Our readings today point towards this vision God has for us, particularly when Jesus gives us the image of the vine and the branches. He promises that if we remain in him, we will bear much fruit. If always staying connected to the Lord seems out of reach, then let's remember that when God gives a command he always gives us the grace to respond. How can we stay attached to the vine and learn to pray always?
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3rd Sunday of Easter (Year A)
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus in today’s reading came to know the Lord in the “breaking of the bread”—the Eucharist. We can see that their encounter with Jesus that day parallels the way Jesus comes to meet us in every Mass.
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6th Sunday of Easter—May 6, 2018
The Catholic Church plays a vital role in our ability to remain on the vine throughout all of history. As new circumstances arise, God has given us the gift of the Church to help us recognize where his love is so that we can remain with him. We know that God does not ask anything from us without ...
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4th Sunday of Easter—May 7, 2017
We like the idea of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, but we seldom like the idea of being sheep—people who blindly follow anyone or anything. However, that's not what sheep and shepherds are like in real life.
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