Category: Bible Study

THE SPIRIT OF INFINITY

“He preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ with full assurance and without any hindrance.” –Acts 28:31, our transl. Paul was under house arrest for two years in Rome (Acts 28:16, 30). Before that, he was in prison for two additional years (Acts 24:27). Prior to that, he was in prison several other times (see 2 Cor 11:23). Trial, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, and the sword made it very difficult for Paul to preach the Gospel (Rm 8:35). Nevertheless, the last word of Acts of the Apostles is that Paul “preached God’s kingdom with...

REAL LOVE?

“Do you love Me?” –John 21:15, 16, 17 Mass Readings: May 18 First: Acts 2:44-47;Resp: Psalm 131:1-3;Gospel: Luke 12:22-31 Listen to the Mass Readings Simon Peter honestly believed that there was no reason to doubt that he loved Jesus. That’s why “Peter was hurt because [Jesus] had asked a third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ ” (Jn 21:17) Although Peter had denied Christ a few weeks before this encounter (see Lk 22:57ff), Peter assumed that this was no reason for Jesus to doubt Peter’s love for Him. Moreover, Peter had returned to the fishing business he was working in before...

THE CROSS OF PENTECOST

“I do not pray for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that all may be one as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; I pray that they may be [one] in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” –John 17:20-21 Mass Readings: May 17 First: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; Resp: Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-11; Gospel: John 17:20-26 Listen to the Mass Readings Throughout this Pentecost novena, we are praying to receive more deeply the Holy Spirit of unity (see Eph 4:3) by which we can be one as...

“YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE” (IS 38:1)

“They were deeply distressed to hear that they would never see his face again.” –Acts 20:38 St. Paul knows he is about to die. He is not concerned with himself. He had long ago repented of all sin and abandoned himself into God’s loving hands. Paul is concerned that his followers remain grounded in the truth. He wants them to guard themselves and others against those savage wolves who will try to lead his flock astray with false teaching after he dies (Acts 20:28-30). Jesus is about to die. He is not concerned with Himself, having daily abandoned Himself into...

LAST, PAST, NOW, AND LATER

“I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit and not knowing what will happen to me there.” –Acts 20:22 St. Paul met with the leaders of the Ephesian church for the last time. They would never see his face again (Acts 20:25). Each of us also regularly see people for the last time. Under these circumstances, can we say what Paul said? Can we say that we’ve “told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”? (see Acts 20:20, 27) Have we “insisted solemnly on repentance before God and on faith in our Lord Jesus”?...