Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

ALL WORKED UP?

“We are truly His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead the life of good deeds.” –Ephesians 2:10 On Ash Wednesday, we began Lent, and the Lord commanded us to keep our works of mercy secret (Mt 6:4). At Easter Vigil, we begin the Easter season, and the Lord through the Church will ask us whether we reject all of Satan’s works. Works are important although we are not saved because of them (Eph 2:8-9). “Faith without works is dead” (Jas 2:26). We will accept or hate the light of Christ depending on our works, for those doing good works...

BEYOND COMPARE

“The Pharisee with head unbowed prayed in this fashion: ‘I give You thanks, O God, that I am not like the rest of men.’” –Luke 18:11 The Pharisee compared himself with the tax collector. He fell into the sin of pride, was not justified, and even deteriorated to the point of “holding everyone else in contempt” (Lk 18:9). Cain compared himself with Abel and became resentful and crestfallen (Gn 4:6). “Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him” (Gn 4:8), becoming the first murderer. Aaron and Miriam compared themselves to Moses. “So angry was the Lord against them that when...

AN IDOL MIND?

“What more has he to do with idols?” –Hosea 14:9 As a Catholic priest, I rarely hear Christians confess that they have committed the sin of idolatry, although the Lord in the Bible refers to idolatry as one of our major temptations. Idolatry is the sin against the first of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:2ff). The prophets repeatedly prophesy against the worship of idols. The writer of the book of Wisdom makes the shocking statement: “The worship of infamous idols is the reason and source and extremity of all evil” (Wis 14:27). St. Paul warned: “I am telling you, whom...

DO YOU RENOUNCE SATAN?

“Some of them said, ‘It is by Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that He casts out devils.’ ” –Luke 11:15 Some people accused Jesus of driving out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. We may have sinned many times, but that’s one sin we likely have never committed. In our secularized society, many don’t even believe the devil exists. Consequently, they would not attribute any of Jesus’ works to the devil. Many are too ignorant or heretical to commit the sin referred to in today’s Gospel reading. In a few short weeks, at every Catholic Mass in the whole...

Matthew 5:18

“Of this much I assure you: until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter of the law, not the smallest part of a letter, shall be done away with until it all comes true.” – Matthew 5:18 In the beginning of creation was the Word. In the beginning of the new creation of this Lenten-Easter time is also the Word. When God’s Word begins to come alive in our lives, we know that the risen life of Easter is not far behind. When our hearts begin to burn as Jesus explains to us the Scriptures, we know that...