Category: Message of the Day

“They beheld stupendous wonders.” –Wisdom 19:8 Mass Readings: November 18 First: Acts 28:11-16,30-31; Resp: Psalm 98:1-6; Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33 Listen to the Mass Readings The whole Israelite nation had been enslaved in Egypt for several hundred years. They had no way of ever being freed. Then the Lord did a series of “stupendous wonders” (Wis 19:8) by which He set His people free, “for all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew” (Wis 19:6). The book of Leviticus prescribes that in the Jubilee Year, slaves are freed, debts are forgiven, and land is restored to its original...

“It will be like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed.” –Luke 17:30 Mass Readings: November 17 First: Sirach 26:1-3,15-18,24; Resp: Psalm 31:4-5,8-9,20,24-25; Gospel: Matthew 25:31-40 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus will return and the world will end: when we least expect it (Lk 12:40), when it is “business as usual” (see Lk 17:27-28), suddenly (see Lk 17:24, 31), after a most severe persecution of the Church (Lk 21:12), after “great earthquakes, plagues, and famines in various places – and in the sky fearful omens and great signs” (Lk 21:11), after the mass apostasy (2 Thes...

“Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily and governs all things well.” –Wisdom 8:1 Mass Readings: November 16 First: Wisdom 7:22–8:1; Resp: Psalm 119:89-91,130,135,175; Gospel: Luke 17:20-25 Listen to the Mass Readings The writer of the Book of Wisdom had such a deep awareness of God’s wisdom that he personified wisdom and saw it as being more than a quality of God. He said of wisdom: “She, who is one, can do all things, and renews everything while herself perduring” (Wis 7:27). The writer of Wisdom may have had an intimation of the Trinity. If the Lord had never...

“He threw himself on his face at the feet of Jesus and spoke His praises. This man was a Samaritan.” –Luke 17:16 Mass Readings: November 15 First: Wisdom 6:1-11; Resp: Psalm 82:3-4,6-7; Gospel: Luke 17:11-19 Listen to the Mass Readings “Recall that Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans” (Jn 4:9). The Jews and the Samaritans had a long history of being enemies. Yet Jesus spoke to and brought salvation to a Samaritan woman (see Jn 4:42). This surprised both the Samaritan woman (Jn 4:9) and Jesus’ disciples (Jn 4:27). Jesus also made a Samaritan the hero of His story...

“We are useless servants. We have done no more than our duty.” –Luke 17:10 Mass Readings: November 14 First: Wisdom 2:23–3:9; Resp: Psalm 34:2-3,16-19; Gospel: Luke 17:7-10 Listen to the Mass Readings To serve the Lord is the most awesome privilege possible for a human being. One day serving in His courts is better than a thousand elsewhere (Ps 84:11). To take out the garbage for Jesus is better than being the CEO for a multi-national conglomerate. Therefore, in serving the Lord, we should not focus on how much we’re doing for Him but on how much He’s doing for...