Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

AFTER THE MESSIAH COMES

“The reign of God is at hand.” –Matthew 10:7 Isaiah prophesied that after the Messiah comes: “No more will you weep” (Is 30:19). “As soon as He (God) hears He will answer you” (Is 30:19). “The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst” (Is 30:20). “A voice shall sound in your ears: ‘This is the way; walk in it’ ” (Is 30:21). “He will give rain for the seed that you sow in the ground” (Is 30:23). “The wheat that the soil produces will be rich and abundant” (Is 30:23). “Upon every...

“IN YOUR LIGHT WE SEE LIGHT” (PS 36:10)

“As Jesus moved on from there, two blind men came after Him crying out, ‘Son of David, have pity on us!’ ” –Matthew 9:27 Among other things, Christmas is a celebration of Christ, the Light of the world (see Jn 1:5). But what if we cannot see the Light of life (Jn 8:12) and the Light of Christmas? We must be healed of our blindness this Advent. The Lord promises: “Out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see” (Is 29:18). Jesus will touch our eyes, and we will recover our sight (Mt 9:29-30). This happens when...

RELIGION AND SIN DON’T MIX

Jesus said: “None of those who cry out, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.” –Matthew 7:21 When we think of sinners, we think of atheists, agnostics, and those who scorn religion. These people are certainly sinners. Nevertheless, sinners also include religious people who cry out to God, “Lord, Lord,” but do not do His will (Mt 7:21). The first sinners, Adam and Eve, had a personal relationship with the Lord, for they walked with Him in the evening (see Gn 3:8). Cain, the first murderer,...

PREPARING FOR THE AWESOME

“Behold our God, to Whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for Whom we looked.” –Isaiah 25:9 Christmas is Christ’s coming in the next few weeks in a new, powerful, and much needed way. Christmas is not just a remembrance; it is a present reality. Therefore, Christmas will soon be either one of the best things that has ever happened to us or a sadly missed opportunity. When Christ comes this Christmastime, He will provide for us richly. Jesus will “destroy the veil” which keeps us in the dark, free us from the web “woven over all...

ARE YOU SAVED?

“The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye.” ––Psalm 19:9 A few years ago, I attended a cordial meeting with Christians of various faith traditions. One non-Catholic participant excitedly posed a question to the group: “Brothers and sisters, do we not all agree with Romans 10:9, ‘For if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved’ ?” He assumed we would all agree a verbal confession guarantees our salvation. Rather than...