Category: Prayers

“My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” —John 10:27-28 Today is traditionally called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The image of God as a Shepherd is ancient and powerful. People of almost every culture have been and are profoundly inspired and consoled by the image of the Good Shepherd. Millions of people have prayed with all their hearts: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps 23:1). Nevertheless, some cultures look down on shepherds (see Gn 46:34). In fact, the traditional conflict between shepherds and...

“It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless.” —John 6:63 At Thursday’s Mass, we heard about the Holy Spirit directing Philip (Acts 8:29). Yesterday, we read about Saul being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17). Today, we hear that with “the increased consolation of the Holy Spirit,” the early Church grew in numbers (Acts 9:31). On Monday we will read about the descent of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his household (Acts 11:15). The Lord through His Church’s daily Eucharistic readings is making it very clear that we must not quench the Spirit (1 Thes...

“Jesus…appeared to you…” —Acts 9:17 The Lord Jesus has enemy-converting power. The fury of enemies cannot stand against the Lord. Saul saw Jesus, or at least the blinding flash of Jesus, the Light (Jn 9:5). This vision of Jesus remained with Saul the rest of his life. Throughout the rest of his life, Saul (later called Paul) would experience sporadic eye problems limiting his physical sight (see Gal 4:13-15; 6:11). However, his spiritual vision was a perfect 20-20; Paul never took his eyes off Jesus again. Paul came face-to-face with Jesus, and his life was forever transformed. Coming face-to-face with...

“Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. This is the Bread that comes down from heaven for a man to eat and never die.” —John 6:49-50 God gave Adam and Eve all kinds of good food in the garden of Eden (Gn 2:16). Sadly, their craving to eat beyond what God provided led to mankind’s downfall (Gn 3:6). God then provided miraculous manna to the Israelites when stranded in the desert (Ex 16:14ff). He “furnished them bread from heaven, ready to hand, untoiled-for, endowed with all delights and conforming to every taste” (Wis 16:20). The manna even...