Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

“A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse.” –Isaiah 11:1 Mass Readings: November 29 First: Sirach 44:1,10-15; Resp: Psalm 24:1-6; Gospel: Mark 10:17-21 A stump is what is left over from what was formerly a living, thriving tree. But the tree was either cut down or died and fell over. All that remains is a stump, which is the wood of death. In the world of forestry, however, some trees are known as “stump-sprouters.” These trees, such as the American chestnut, actually sprout from their stumps. For these trees, new life sprouts from the wood of death. Jesus was...

“The fruit of the earth will be honor…when the Lord…purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst.” –Isaiah 4:2, 4 Mass Readings: November 28 First: Isaiah 4:2-6; Resp: Psalm 122:1-9; Gospel: Matthew 8:5-11 As we begin Advent, the Church presents us with a series of mind-boggling prophecies from the prophet Isaiah. These prophecies paint a picture of restoration more glorious than anything we could ask for or imagine (Eph 3:20), a restoration fashioned by the coming Messiah, the Branch of the Lord (Is 4:2). As this is being written, Jerusalem is bloody with the aftermath of a series of suicide bombers in...

“Let us live honorably as in daylight; not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy.” –Romans 13:13 Mass Readings: November 27 First: Isaiah 2:1-5; Resp: Psalm 122:1-9; Second: Romans 13:11-14; Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44 Happy new Church year! Happy Advent! Today, we begin to prepare for Christ’s Christmas coming. We believe that Christmas is not just a memory but a reality. We believe that Jesus comes to us and is born in our lives in a real way each Christmas. Since Christmas is a spiritual birth, Advent is a spiritual pregnancy. Since Christmas...

“Be on guard lest your spirits become bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares.” –Luke 21:34 Mass Readings: November 26 First: Revelation 22:1-7; Resp: Psalm 95:1-7; Gospel: Luke 21:34-36 Not only can our bodies become fat and bloated but even more so can our spirits. In this condition, we cannot protect ourselves from Satan or prepare ourselves for Jesus’ final coming. Because we are not in good spiritual shape, the Lord has delayed His coming and the end of the world (see 2 Pt 3:9). The Lord has given us an extension to get in good spiritual condition. “Train...