The Inner Word

12 Sep 2010

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

What’s in your heart?

You're in the forgiveness business. How good are you at it?

5 Sep 2010

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

What’s in your heart?

None of us serve as God's counsel, yet through wisdom, witness, and the teachings of God's own Son, divine plans are revealed to us.

29 Aug 2010

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

What’s in your heart?

How do I maintain a sense of healthy humility? Who helps me keep my head on straight? What do I do to avoid the twin pitfalls of self-aggrandizement or self-deprecation? Can I accept that I am a "good-enough" human being?

22 Aug 2010

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

What’s in your heart?

Trials can be rich opportunities on our spiritual path if we see them as "discipline," that is, training in new ways of seeing and living. Can I name a recent trial that helped me be a better disciple?

15 Aug 2010

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Cycle C

What’s in your heart?

"The Almighty has done great things for me . . ." proclaims Mary. Can I list two "great things" God has done for me? How about two more? Make them specific.

8 Aug 2010

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

What’s in your heart?

Abraham obeyed because he trusted the one who bade him to have faith. It was not blind faith, but rather an experience of God as reliable that offered Abraham another way of seeing and evaluating.

1 Aug 2010

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

What’s in your heart?

Qoheleth moans that all of life's labors come to naught. What kind of reward do I expect for the work I do? When I feel my efforts are in vain, what beliefs about life shore me up?

25 Jul 2010

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

What’s in your heart?

In a conversation with God, Abraham explores the range of God's mercy. When have I been surprised by the extent that God extends mercy to me, choosing to forgive me and welcoming me back to the fold?

18 Jul 2010

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

What’s in your heart?

A big part of my ministry is one of hospitality. How comfortable am I with being present to the people of my community? Is my style of preaching welcoming or off-putting? What are some of the reasons I may hold back from other people or remain aloof?

11 Jul 2010

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

What’s in your heart?

If only you would heed the voice of the Lord . . . .” It sounds so simple and  it is—in theory. What keeps me from listening intently and carrying out the Word of God?