Category: Prayers

“Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled while he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” —Luke 18:14 The Pharisee’s prayer was not pleasing to the Lord because he was not humble. One sign of lacking humility is to compare ourselves with others. “The Pharisee with head unbowed prayed in this fashion: ‘I give You thanks, O God, that I am not like the rest of men — grasping, crooked, adulterous — or even like this tax collector’ ” (Lk 18:11). It is obvious that to put others down to make ourselves look better is a comparison steeped in pride. However,...

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” —Mark 12:29-30 The Lord is saying things to us today He’s said surely a hundred times. He says: “Return to Me” (see Hos 14:2), and “love Me with all your heart” (see Mk 12:30). It can be difficult for us to respond to these words. They’re familiar enough to be forgotten. But this Lent, after these days of prayer and fasting, maybe we’ll hear God...

“Did you not know I had to be in My Father’s house?” —Luke 2:49 From a purely human viewpoint, it would appear that St. Joseph was a “surrogate” father to Jesus. When Jesus was twelve, Joseph received a blunt reminder from his Foster-Son that Jesus’ real Father was God the Father, not Joseph (Lk 2:49). From a purely human viewpoint, it would appear that St. Joseph was a “surrogate” husband to Mary. Her Son Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Mary’s true Spouse (Lk 1:35). Joseph’s celibate relationship with Mary would have been ongoing evidence that Mary belonged to...

“Whoever fulfills and teaches these commandments shall be great in the kingdom of God.” —Matthew 5:19 The Lord in the Old Covenant commanded His people to obey 613 commandments. Of course, they were unable to obey them. In the New Covenant, the Lord has much higher standards. We must obey not only the smallest part of the letter of the Law (see Mt 5:18) but also its spirit (2 Cor 3:6). We must obey not only the Ten Commandments but also the Beatitudes. Moreover, Jesus forbids some acts which were previously allowed, such as anger, divorce, swearing oaths, retaliation, and...

“Should you not have dealt mercifully with your fellow servant, as I dealt with you?” —Matthew 18:33 Twenty years ago, on the first Sunday of Lent, March 12, 2000, Pope St. John Paul II did something shocking. He asked for forgiveness of the sins committed by Catholics throughout the centuries. This event was prepared for by a study of the International Theological Commission. In this study, the Commission stated: “In the entire history of the Church there are no precedents for requests for forgiveness by the Magisterium for past wrongs” (1:1). Pope St. John Paul II continued this unprecedented, radical...