Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

“You sent something for my needs, not once but twice.” –Philippians 4:16 St. Paul told the Philippians that receiving money from them gave him great joy, but not because he needed the money (Phil 4:10-11). Paul had learned to be self-sufficient, and cope with anything (Phil 4:11-12). Therefore, he was not in want and not eager for the Philippians’ monetary gifts, but he was concerned for them to balance their account and pay for the service He gave them (Phil 4:17). Paul gave the impression that the Church doesn’t need money, but people need to give money. The Church is...

“The temple of God is holy, and you are that temple.” –1 Corinthians 3:17 Today we celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, which is considered the mother church of Christianity. Today we remember that there is only one Church because “there is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope given all of you by your call. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:4-6). Jesus prayed “that all may be one as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; I...

“Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.” –Luke 14:27 To be a Christian, that is, a disciple of Jesus, we must put our relationship with Jesus in a class by itself. Figuratively speaking, our relationships with those we love the most are like hatred compared to our love for Jesus (see Lk 14:26). To be disciples of Jesus, we must take up our crosses daily (Lk 14:27; 9:23). This means that we deny ourselves and lose our lives (Lk 9:23-24) in that we decide to depend totally on Jesus and not on...

“He humbled Himself.” –Philippians 2:8 The Lord “humbled Himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!” (Phil 2:8) The Lord wants us to come and learn from Him, for He is gentle and humble of heart (Mt 11:29). The Lord is always teaching us to be humble – from His birth in Bethlehem to His death on the cross, and from His Incarnation to the Eucharist. He teaches us humility both from His strictness and His kindness (1 Pt 5:5). Jesus teaches that humility is a matter of emptying ourselves, that is, of dispossessing ourselves, rather than grasping at...