Category: Prayers

“I tell you, many prophets and kings wished to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” –Luke 10:24 The prophet Isaiah, who gave us today’s first reading, had extraordinary visions of the future kingdom of God (e.g. Is 6:1ff; 11:1ff). No doubt Isaiah would have done anything to trade places with us so he could attend just one Mass. He could not see or hear what we can presently see and hear at Mass. King David, who composed psalms which prophesied the coming Messiah (e.g. Ps 2:7;...

“May He strengthen your hearts, making them blameless and holy before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus.” —1 Thessalonians 3:13 Happy New Year! This is the first day of the Church’s year and the beginning of the Advent season. “This holy season teaches us that Christ’s coming was not only for the benefit of His contemporaries; His power has still to be communicated to us all” (from a pastoral letter by St. Charles Borromeo, read at the Office of Readings for Monday of the first week of Advent). The purpose of Advent is to prepare...

“They shall see Him face to face and bear His name on their foreheads.” —Revelation 22:4 One day we will be able to look into Jesus’ eyes. Imagine the feeling going through our bodies as we see Him face to face. We will see His lips move and His expression of joy. We will see His hair and beard and the strength etched on His face. We will be so much in love and will have eternity with Him. Our future is exceedingly wonderful. It is a far better thing for us to die and see Him in heaven, but...

“They were fishermen. [Jesus] said to them, ‘Come after Me and I will make you fishers of men.’ ” –Matthew 4:18-19 The first calling Jesus gave His disciples was to be “fishers of men.” To Jesus’ first four disciples, the term “fishers of men” meant that: Jesus wanted to use their work experience to build His kingdom. Jesus was calling them out of the commercial fishing business (Mt 4:20). Jesus was calling them to leave father and family (Mt 4:22). They were to catch people, that is, lead people to Christ. Their new kind of fishing would likewise be hard,...

“When you see Jerusalem encircled by soldiers, know that its devastation is near.” –Luke 21:20 Jesus said that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Since Jerusalem was a city specially chosen in God’s plan of salvation, Jesus’ prediction seemed impossible. Less than forty years later, in 70 A.D., Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled. John, in the book of Revelation, prophesied that the Roman empire, symbolized by Babylon, would fall (Rv 18:2). This most stable of empires fell. Jesus said that this world will be destroyed and will pass away (see Lk 21:26, 33; 2 Pt 3:7). He was right about Jerusalem’s destruction, and...