Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

“Oh, that today you would hear His voice…” –Psalm 95:7 In today’s first reading, God shares a point of view with many people who are disgruntled with religion. God is dissatisfied with the behavior of His people. He is disturbed by what He sees when He looks at those who were supposed to be faithful to His call. In fact, He is angry with His people, and His anger bursts forth through the prophet Jeremiah: “Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech” (Jer 7:28). To this point, numerous people would agree completely with God: “Yes, the...

“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 During Lent, we imitate Jesus in the desert when He overcame the temptations of the devil. Satan tempts us not only to rebel totally and defiantly against the Lord but also to “cut corners” and mildly modify God’s commands. Jesus, however, challenges us: “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...

“I canceled your entire debt when you pleaded with me. Should you not have dealt mercifully with your fellow servant, as I dealt with you?” –Matthew 18:32-33 Jesus probably could not emphasize forgiveness more. He taught us to pray to be forgiven as we forgive those who have sinned against us (Mt 6:12). Jesus commanded us to forgive seventy times seven times, that is, indefinitely, or be handed “over to the torturers” (Mt 18:34). Even while hanging on the cross, Jesus prayed before His death: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34). The last...

“Leave it another year, while I hoe around it and manure it; then perhaps it will bear fruit. If not, it shall be cut down.” –Luke 13:8-9 The Lord calls us to repent not only of sins of commission but also of omission. In today’s Gospel reading, He calls us to repent of not bearing fruit, that is, of not sharing our faith and leading others to new life in Christ. If we do not bear fruit spiritually, we will be cut down (Lk 13:9) and thrown into the fire (Jn 15:6). We will come to a tragic end (Lk...

“The son grew angry at this.” –Luke 15:28 Unlike his father, the older son wasn’t out looking for his brother to return. The older son was, in a sense, biding his time, serving his father but without much of a relationship with him despite the father’s love for him. The younger son asked for his inheritance, showing so much disdain for his father that he essentially told him to his face that he was more valuable to him dead than alive. The older son showed that he was not that much different than his brother; he considered working for his...