Category: Prayers

SEEING AS GOD SEES (SEE NM 24:4)

“Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb…” –Isaiah 11:6 Half of the animals mentioned in today’s first eucharistic reading are predators: the wolf, leopard, lion, bear, cobra, and adder. The other half mentioned are prey: lamb, kid, calf, cow, and baby. The nature and instinct of a predator is to eat the prey. A predator would need an entirely new nature in order to resist eating prey so near at hand. On God’s holy mountain, in His kingdom, a new order is in place. “There shall be no harm or ruin on all My holy mountain” (Is...

THE WORD FOR ADVENT

“From Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” –Isaiah 2:3 Mass Readings: December 4 First: Isaiah 2:1-5; Resp: Psalm 122:1-9 ; Gospel: Matthew 8:5-11 Listen to the Mass Readings This book,One Bread, One Body, is mailed to people in several nations, and it is printed and distributed in a few African and Asian nations. We pray that “all nations shall stream toward” God’s Word andOne Bread, One Body (Is 2:2) to be instructed in God’s ways and to walk in His paths (Is 2:3). We believe that God’s Word is living and effective, sharper...

THE LEFT-OUT CAN REACH OUT

Jesus “watched two brothers, Simon now known as Peter, and his brother Andrew.” –Matthew 4:18 Mass Readings: November 30 First: Romans 10:9-18; Resp: Psalm 19:8-11; Gospel: Matthew 4:18-22 Listen to the Mass Readings Andrew was one of the first two disciples to follow Jesus (Jn 1:40). Andrew even led his brother, Simon Peter, to Jesus (Jn 1:41). Andrew, with Peter, James, and John, was called by Jesus to become a fisher of men (Mt 4:19). However, Andrew’s prominence did not continue. Jesus did not include Andrew in His inner circle of apostles. Only Peter, James, and John were included at...

THE HAND THAT WRITES GOD’S WORD

“A human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace.” –Daniel 5:5 Mass Readings: November 29 First: Sirach 44:1,10-15; Resp: Psalm 24:1-6; Gospel: Mark 10:17-21 Listen to the Mass Readings King Belshazzar and his party companions were terrified but attentive to the words of God delivered in a sensational manner by the hand mysteriously writing on the wall (Dn 5:5ff). The king was consumed by curiosity to know the meaning of the message sent by God. The Lord has also written many other words by hands He has sent to earth. These hands wrote the...

CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE: HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

“The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future; this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure.” –Daniel 2:45 Mass Readings: November 28 First: Daniel 2:31-45; Resp: Daniel 3:57-61; Gospel: Luke 21:5-11 Listen to the Mass Readings The fourth kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision was the strongest because it was made of iron (Dn 2:40). However, this kingdom was fragile because the iron was mixed with clay tile (Dn 2:41-42). This represented that the Seleucid kingdom sealed “their alliances by intermarriage” (Dn 2:43). This was doomed to failure and resulted in the collapse...