Category: Prayer Intention

“How narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!” —Matthew 7:14 The homilist at this morning’s Mass gave a vivid example from his childhood of following the narrow way. In his youth, his scout troop was holding a skills contest. One of the skills involved riding a bicycle along a straight and thin line. To succeed in the contest, the bicyclist had to keep his wheels on the line. When he focused on keeping the bike’s wheels on the line, his wheels invariably strayed off in one direction...

“The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb He gave me my name.” —Isaiah 49:1 Scientists talk about the genetic code which determines the physiological characteristics a pre-born baby will manifest. The child in the womb will possess the physical traits programmed into the DNA of the fetal cells. Christians refer to the lifelong calling of God made known not only to the child in the womb (Is 49:1; Ps 139:13-15), but even before the earth was formed (Eph 1:4-5). St. John the Baptizer was “filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb” (Lk 1:15). While still...

“The Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread, and after He had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you.’ ” —1 Corinthians 11:23-24 At the Last Supper, Jesus first gave us His Body and Blood on the night He was betrayed. This was a harbinger of Masses to come. Jesus’ greatest gift, the gift of His own Body and Blood, is often rejected when we refuse to believe in the Eucharist or when we have attitudes of selfishness at Mass. How heartbreaking to Jesus when He sees us...

“I will do no boasting about myself unless it be about my weaknesses.” —2 Corinthians 12:5 St. Paul had been “snatched up to the third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2). He was transported “to Paradise to hear words which cannot be uttered, words which no man may speak” (2 Cor 12:4). Despite these “extraordinary revelations” (2 Cor 12:7), Paul did not base his evangelization on the glory of heaven; instead he focused on the weakness and scandal of the cross (1 Cor 2:2). In today’s society, St. Paul would be inundated with movie offers, book contracts, speaking tours, and interviews to...

“I am talking like an insane person.” —2 Corinthians 11:23, RNAB St. Paul founded the church at Corinth. After he left Corinth, various false apostles passed through town. These traveling preachers built up their own ministries (and their wallets) by pointing to their own “impressive” credentials rather than pointing to Jesus. By comparing Paul unfavorably to themselves, they undermined his position as father of the church in Corinth. More important in Paul’s eyes, they were undermining the true gospel and leading people away from the Lord (2 Cor 11:3ff). The Corinthians, in their foolishness, demanded that Paul once again “prove”...