Category: Prayers

“God’s bread comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” —John 6:33 Did you ever fall in love with someone and wonder if they really loved you? You might wonder: Does she really love me for who I am, or only for what I can do for her? Will he love me when I grow old? Will she still love me when the attraction fades away? If you aren’t at your best, and your beloved nevertheless loves you even more, then your heart is filled with joy. Jesus, “Who dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Tm 6:16), came down...

“The members of the Sanhedrin who sat there stared at him intently. Throughout, Stephen’s face seemed like that of an angel.” —Acts 6:15 If a large number of people were debating with you, what would be the expression on your face and the reactions in your heart? What if, after your opponents lost the debate, “they persuaded some of the men to make the charge that they had heard” you “speaking blasphemies” (Acts 6:11)? When others lie about you and falsely accuse you, how do you look; how do you act? If these liars were believed and you were accosted,...

“Your faith and hope, then, are centered in God.” —1 Peter 1:21 The two disciples on the road to Emmaus said they “were hoping” that Jesus would redeem Israel (Lk 24:21). The two disciples lost hope when Jesus was crucified. Many likewise may be struggling to hold on to hope. We may feel that we have “toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent” our strength in our families, evangelization, work, or life in general (Is 49:4). We know that the Lord has promised that our “hope will not leave us disappointed,” but we feel disappointed anyway (see Rm 5:5)....

“Then He told them: ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation.’ ” —Mark 16:15 Mark ends his Gospel with Jesus’ command to proclaim the Good News. He begins his Gospel proclaiming “Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mk 1:1). He divides his Gospel into two parts. Each part culminates in proclaiming Jesus as Messiah (Mk 8:29) and the Son of God (Mk 15:39). Mark proclaims Jesus from the beginning to the end of his Gospel. He boasts of nothing but the Lord (2 Cor 10:17; 1 Cor 1:31). During this Easter season, are you...

“If their purpose or activity is human in its origins, it will destroy itself. If, on the other hand, it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them.” —Acts 5:38-39 The apostles had been arrested for teaching the people of Jerusalem about Jesus. They were brought to trial before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish “Supreme Court.” The apostles stood their ground and declared they would continue teaching about Jesus, and would obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). “When the Sanhedrin heard this, they were stung to fury and wanted to kill them. Then a member of the...