Series on The Ascension Lenten Companion by Fr. Mark Toups (Part 5)
Does it have to end in just being able to receive God’s unconditional love? Like Lazarus, the guy beat up on the side of the road. We who have been loved in such messiness are also invited to go into the mess and love. This is a sign that God is alive in us. We now have the dignity of His beloved sons and daughters, of not just being the recipients of His unconditional love, but now being able to love, not only from our strength but in response to God being alive in us.
In this episode, we’ll discuss the story of the rich man and Lazarus and its relation to the other parables discussed in the previous episodes.
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Feeling Good Vs. Being Good
What if the things we use to “feel better” are the very things keeping us from becoming good? In this episode, the friars continue exploring the Beatitude “Blessed are the pure of heart” looking at the quiet ways we avoid honesty with ourselves, through distraction, self-soothing, numbing, or chasing comfort. They unpack why it’s so hard to face what’s really going on inside us, and how purity of heart begins with the courage to stop running and let Jesus meet us in our reality.
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Jubilee and Christ the High Priest
What if your true identity is more sacred than you ever imagined? Jesus is the High Priest, the one mediator who intercedes for us at the Father’s right hand, offering not just prayers but our wounds, our brokenness, and all of humanity’s sins back to God. As His followers, we are invited to imitate and conform to this sacred role—offering spiritual sacrifices and living lives marked by worship…
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Ordinary But Extraordinary
It is easy to fall into the temptation and believe that we can’t do it, that we can’t live a holy life. Although the ordinary life is simple, hidden, and seems kind of normal, there’s so much sanctity in our vocations that are being lived faithfully. It might not be flashy or spectacular but it’s one of the most real ways we can grow in holiness. We may not be in the chapel or church making a eucharistic holy hour, but no matter what our day-to-day experiences look like or what daily lives we are accustomed to, God is there.
