Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

“Jesus was baptized…” –Matthew 3:16 Mass Readings: January 9 First: Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7; Resp: Psalm 29:1-4,3,9-10; Second: Acts 10:34-38; Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17 Baptism forgives and erases our sins (Catechism, 403, 405). Jesus never sinned. So why did He submit to Baptism? “The baptism of Jesus is on His part the acceptance and inauguration of His mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allows Himself to be numbered among sinners” (Catechism, 536). In addition, the Father reaffirmed Jesus’ Sonship, which was important, since Satan was about to attack His status as God’s Son (Mt 4:3ff). In accepting Baptism, “already [Jesus] is anticipating the...

“What you have done is keep the choice wine until now.” –John 2:10 Mass Readings: January 7 First: 1 John 5:14-21; Resp: Psalm 149:1-6,9; Gospel: John 2:1-11 Most people put things off till the last minute, even Christmas. Jesus, the Reason for the season, desires to come into our lives and be our Lord, but we put Him off. Now we are in the last three days of the Christmas season. Jesus is coming on strong. It’s regrettable we’ve waited until the last minute, spending our Christmas missing out on relationship with Christ. Yet, because He is rich in mercy,...

“I ask you, how can God’s love survive in a man who has enough of this world’s goods yet closes his heart to his brother when he sees him in need?” –1 John 3:17 Mass Readings: January 5 First: 1 John 3:11-21; Resp: Psalm 100:1-5; Gospel: John 1:43-51 John points out the obvious connection between love and need. If we love someone, we will want to provide that person’s needs. Otherwise, our talk about love is mere lip service (Mt 15:8; Is 29:13) and not authentic (1 Jn 3:18). The greatest need of the human person is to know Jesus...