Category: Prayers

“A family record of Jesus Christ…” –Matthew 1:1 Today is the first day of the “Second Advent,” December 17-23. This period is akin to the Holy Week of Lent. For the first three weeks of Advent, the emphasis was on the Second Coming of Christ. Now we focus for a week on His first Christmas coming. Today’s Scripture readings focus particularly on establishing the kingly identity of Christ. The genealogy of Jesus establishes that He is descended directly from King David (Mt 1:6, 17). He is also descended from Judah, whose tribe is kingly in nature (Gn 49:9-10). He shall...

“My salvation is about to come, My justice, about to be revealed.” –Isaiah 56:1 This Christmas, the Lord’s salvation is about to come, and His justice about to be revealed. To receive His salvation and justice, we must “observe what is right, do what is just” (Is 56:1). We must especially keep the sabbath free from profanation (Is 56:2, 6). We must obey the Third Commandment and keep holy the Lord’s Day, Sunday, the sabbath of the new covenant (see Ex 20:8). In doing this, we will make our churches and homes houses of prayer (Is 56:7). This will prepare...

“What did you go out to see?” –Luke 7:24 Jesus asks the crowds and us: “What, really, did you go out to see — someone dressed luxuriously? Remember, those who dress in luxury and eat in splendor are to be found in” shopping malls, sleighs, and endless TV Christmas specials (see Lk 7:25). The crowds flock to see Santa, searching for glad tidings, good cheer, and perhaps, somehow, a measure of love. Today, the Church proclaims to the searching crowds that good news and love are available in Jesus. He loves you “with enduring love” (Is 54:8). He has “sworn...

“Blessed is he who takes no offense at Me.” –Luke 7:23, RSV-CE In today’s culture, people are quick to take offense. Here are some aspects of Jesus’ teaching likely to offend the modern ear: the Church’s teaching on chastity and sexual purity, including no divorce and no birth control (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1650, 2370), showing mercy to offenders (Lk 15:22-32), forgiving those at whom you take offense, even abusive people (see Prv 19:11), denying your very self (Lk 9:23), the simple and uneducated being more blessed than the wise, poverty blessed rather than riches (Mt 5:3; Lk...

“I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord.” –Zephaniah 3:12 Today’s readings spotlight the word “refuge.” God’s lowly people shall humbly take refuge in the name of the Lord (Zep 3:12). “No one incurs guilt who takes refuge in” the Lord; He “redeems the lives of His servants” (Ps 34:23). To make God our refuge, we also need to obey Him by humbly staying in the refuge and not wandering away from it. A refuge is a place of safe shelter from external dangers....