Category: Message of the Day
“These witnesses have power.” –Revelation 11:6 Mass Readings: November 19 First: Revelation 11:4-12; Resp: Psalm 144:1-2,9-10; Gospel: Luke 20:27-40 What do you picture when you think of the Church? Do you think of a building, a group of people praying, or a family at table? St. John, in the book of Revelation, pictures the Church as being witnesses (Rv 11:5), people testifying personally and publicly to their relationship with Jesus. John pictures the Church as witnesses because Jesus commanded us before His Ascension to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Thus, to be a witness is foundational and essential to being...
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Jesus “entered the temple and began ejecting the traders saying: ‘Scripture has it, “My house is meant for a house of prayer” but you have made it “a den of thieves.” ‘ He was teaching in the temple area from day to day.” –Luke 19:45-47 Mass Readings: November 18 First: Acts 28:11-16,30-31; Resp: Psalm 98:1-6; Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus ejected the traders from the temple not only by turning over their tables but also by proclaiming a prophecy from Jeremiah and by teaching every day. The Holy Spirit uses the prophetic word like a “two-edged sword” to judge and purify...
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“I wept bitterly because no one could be found worthy to open or examine the scroll.” –Revelation 5:4 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 What is God’s plan for the world and for your life? If you don’t know God’s plan, perhaps Jesus has wept over you and said: “If only you had known the path to peace this day; but you have completely lost it from view!” (Lk 19:41-42) You too should weep bitterly. However, we don’t have to be ignorant of God’s plan, for Jesus “has won the right by His victory” to...
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“Holy, holy, holy…” –Revelation 4:8 Mass Readings: November 16 First: Revelation 4:1-11; Resp: Psalm 150:1-6; Gospel: Luke 19:11-28 The book of Revelation gives us a vision that lifts our minds and our spirits from an earthly to a heavenly perspective. St. John’s vision helps us to set our hearts on heaven rather than earth (Col 3:1-2). More than anything else on earth, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass enables us to have not only a heavenly perspective, but even a heavenly experience. In the Mass, Jesus is present in the Eucharist. Jesus Himself said: “I Myself am the Living Bread...
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“…heed the Spirit’s word to the churches.” –Revelation 3:22 Mass Readings: November 15 First: Revelation 3:1-6,14-22; Resp: Psalm 15:2-5; Gospel: Luke 19:1-10 In His seven letters to the churches in chapters 2-3 of Revelation, Jesus uses the word “repent” seven times. When’s the last time you wrote a letter that mentioned the word “repent” even once, much less seven times? Since Jesus is the same today as He was two-thousand years ago (Heb 13:8), He surely wants churches and individuals to make repentance a top priority. There are 168 hours in a week. It’s not uncommon for parishes to schedule...
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