Category: Prayers

“The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, ‘This man welcomes sinners.’ ” –Luke 15:2 Mass Readings: March 3 First: Micah 7:14-15,18-20; Resp: Psalm 103:1-4,9-12; Gospel: Luke 15:1-3,11-32 Listen to the Mass Readings The prophet Micah marveled: “Who is there like You, the God Who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance?” (Mi 7:18) Micah was impressed by God’s unique, unparalleled, and unprecedented forgiveness. Others, however, are depressed and bewildered by God’s forgiveness (see Jon 4:2-3). Imagine if a person murdered your daughter. Then the murderer gives his life to God, Who removes the killer’s guilt and pardons...

“When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.” –Genesis 37:4 Mass Readings: March 2 First: Genesis 37:3-4,12-13,17-28; Resp: Psalm 105:16-21; Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43,45-46 Listen to the Mass Readings Isaac and Rebekah were not the best parents. They each favored different sons (Gn 25:28). This created division in their family. Eventually, Rebekah helped her favorite son, Jacob, deceive Isaac and steal the birthright of his favorite son, Esau (Gn 27:6ff). Jacob was not the best parent. Like his parents, he favored one of...

“Between you and us there is fixed a great abyss…” –Luke 16:26 Mass Readings: March 1 First: Jeremiah 17:5-10; Resp: Psalm 1:1-4,6;Gospel: Luke 16:19-31 Listen to the Mass Readings Note that the rich man’s dialogue with Father Abraham shows that he knew Lazarus by name (see Lk 16:24). Twice the rich man (traditionally called ‘Dives’) asks Father Abraham to dispatch Lazarus to perform tasks that a servant boy would typically perform (Lk 16:24, 27). This indicates that Dives likely knew the poor man lying at his very door. The dogs paid more attention to Lazarus than did Dives. Possibly Dives...

“What is it you want?” –Matthew 20:21 Mass Readings: February 28 First: Jeremiah 18:18-20; Resp: Psalm 31:5-6,14-16; Gospel: Matthew 20:17-28 Listen to the Mass Readings Jeremiah wanted something from God that concerned an important religious matter. Jeremiah faithfully prophesied the hard message of repentance that God had charged him to deliver. The Israelites responded by deciding to kill Jeremiah, preferring false prophecy and lukewarm teaching from their favorite priests and prophets (Jer 18:18). Jeremiah was rightfully angry that his listeners preferred false teaching to God’s truth. This matched God’s desire. However, Jeremiah also wanted God to avenge him and punish...

“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” –Matthew 23:12 Mass Readings: February 27 First: Isaiah 1:10,16-20; Resp: Psalm 50:8-9,16-17,21,23; Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus is gentle and humble of heart (Mt 11:29). He humbled Himself even to death on the cross (Phil 2:8). He commands us to learn humility from Him (Mt 11:29). This Lent, He calls us to break new ground in humility – to be more humble than we’ve ever been before. Grow in humility by: submitting to the authority of even hypocritical leaders (see Mt 23:3), admitting...