Category: Message of the Day

“Seeing His mother there with the disciple whom He loved, Jesus said to His mother, Woman, there is your son.’ ” –John 19:26 A few moments before Jesus died, He commanded His mother Mary to adopt all His disciples for all time, who were represented at the cross by a nameless, beloved disciple (Jn 19:26). In effect, Jesus told Mary to adopt those who were accomplices in His brutal death through their sins. Would you have the love, mercy, and forgiveness to adopt someone who helped torture and murder your son? Moreover, Jesus told Mary to adopt us at the...

“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that all who believe may have eternal life in Him.” –John 3:14-15 Mass Readings: September 14 First: Numbers 21:4-9 ; Resp: Psalm 78:1-2,34-38 ; Second: Philippians 2:6-11; Gospel: John 3:13-17 Listen to the Mass Readings “When I behold the wondrous cross on which the King of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.” These words from a traditional hymn are my prayer for you today. May you see in a new way...

“You must put that aside now…put aside your old self with its past deeds and put on a new man, one who grows in knowledge as he is formed anew in the image of his Creator.” –Colossians 3:8, 9-10 Mass Readings: September 13 First: Colossians 3:1-11; Resp: Psalm 145:2-3,10-13;Gospel: Luke 6:20-26 Listen to the Mass Readings Today’s Eucharistic readings address two opposite ways of life. St. Paul calls these two ways the “old self” and the “new self” (see Col 3:9-10). The old self is our life without Jesus, ruled by the world, the flesh, and the devil (see 1...

“At daybreak He called His disciples and selected twelve of them to be His apostles.” –Luke 6:13 Mass Readings: September 12 First: Galatians 4:4-7; Resp: Luke 1:46-55; Gospel: Luke 1:39-57 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus chose twelve apostles, in whom He invested the last three years of His life. We, as followers of Jesus, are also called to invest our lives in not just a nuclear family or a circle of friends, but in a small Christian community. By virtue of our Baptisms, we are called toA live as brothers and sisters in Christ. We should be brothers and...

“We admonish all men and teach them in the full measure of wisdom, hoping to make every man complete in Christ.” –Colossians 1:28 Jesus came that we “might have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10). Today’s first reading reveals the fullness Jesus wants us to have: full sufferings. We “fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ” in our own flesh (Col 1:24) for the good of others, the fullness of God’s Word (Col 1:25), full glory – beyond price (Col 1:27), full revelation (Col 1:26) of what was once a mystery but is now...