Category: Bible Study

“Whoever fulfills and teaches these commands shall be great in the kingdom of God.” –Matthew 5:19 Mass Readings: March 7 First: Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9; Resp: Psalm 147:12-13,15-16,19-20; Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19 Listen to the Mass Readings Many years ago, I told my little daughter to pick up the mess on her bedroom floor. An hour later, I checked her room. “Daddy, daddy!” she exclaimed. “I cleaned my floor as you told me. And look, I also made my bed and dusted my shelf and cleaned my desk!” My daughter kept my command and far exceeded it because of her desire to please...

“My heavenly Father will treat you in exactly the same way unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” –Matthew 18:35 Mass Readings: March 6 First: Daniel 3:25,34-43; Resp: Psalm 25:4-9; Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35 Listen to the Mass Readings “To err is human, to forgive divine.” This saying of Alexander Pope expresses the heart of the Gospel. We must forgive, but only God has the power to forgive. Therefore, we are desperately in need of God’s grace to forgive. The Lord often gives us the grace to forgive others by reminding us of how much He has forgiven...

“Go and wash seven times.” –2 Kings 5:10 Mass Readings: March 5 First: 2 Kings 5:1-15; Resp: Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4; Gospel: Luke 4:24-30 Listen to the Mass Readings Elisha told Naaman to wash seven times to be healed. Likewise, the Church has seven sacraments she offers for us to be healed. Naaman considered the waters of the Jordan River to be ordinary (2 Kgs 5:12). Some Catholics likewise may consider the sacraments ordinary. Yet the sacraments are based on the miraculous. Yes, the sacraments use ordinary materials – bread, water, oil, wine, laying on of hands, human words, and so...

“Jesus would not trust Himself to them because He knew them all. He needed no one to give Him testimony about human nature. He was well aware of what was in man’s heart.” –John 2:24-25 Someone told me that the Ten Commandments have never been more disobeyed in the history of the human race than they are right now. Anytime we put something or someone ahead of God, we break the first of the Ten Commandments and fall into the sin of idolatry (see Ex 20:3). Regarding the second commandment, we constantly broadcast taking God’s name in vain for millions...

“The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, ‘This man welcomes sinners.’ ” –Luke 15:2 Mass Readings: March 3 First: Micah 7:14-15,18-20; Resp: Psalm 103:1-4,9-12; Gospel: Luke 15:1-3,11-32 Listen to the Mass Readings The prophet Micah marveled: “Who is there like You, the God Who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance?” (Mi 7:18) Micah was impressed by God’s unique, unparalleled, and unprecedented forgiveness. Others, however, are depressed and bewildered by God’s forgiveness (see Jon 4:2-3). Imagine if a person murdered your daughter. Then the murderer gives his life to God, Who removes the killer’s guilt and pardons...