Category: Prayer Intention

THE ADVENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him.” –Isaiah 11:2 Mass Readings: December 4 First: Isaiah 11:1-10; Resp: Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,12-13,17;Second: Romans 15:4-9;Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 Imagine a world without violence, injustice, tragedy, “harm or ruin” (Is 11:9). Imagine a world where everyone knows the Lord deeply and lives and loves accordingly (see Is 11:9). This is the kind of world that the Holy Spirit is re-creating at this very moment (Ps 104:30). Get out of the “culture of death” (Pope St. John Paul II). Be a part of the “new civilization of love” (Blessed Pope Paul VI). Renew your Baptism...

GIFT LISTS

“The gift you have received, give as a gift.” –Matthew 10:8 Mass Readings: December 3 First: Isaiah 30:19-21,23-26; Resp: Psalm 147:1-6; Gospel: Matthew 9:35–10:1,5,6-8 One of the most famous (or infamous) Christmas songs is “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.” Sadly, if that’s all you want, that may be all you’ll get. I don’t know about you, but I want a lot more than some teeth: I want the sick cured, the dead raised, the leprous healed, and demons expelled (Mt 10:8). I want workers for the harvest (Mt 9:38) and the kingdom of God on...

TRANSFORMATIONS

“Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard, and the orchard be regarded as a forest! On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.” –Isaiah 29:17-18 Mass Readings: December 2 First: Isaiah 29:17-24; Resp: Psalm 27:1,4,13-14; Gospel: Matthew 9:27-31 The word from today’s eucharistic readings is “transformations.” Tyrants who oppress their subjects “will be no more” and the arrogant who torment their neighbors “will have gone” (Is 29:20; see also Rv 18:2; Is 37:36-38). The deaf hear. The blind see. Lebanon, a nation known...

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

“It did not collapse; it had been solidly set on rock.” —Matthew 7:25 Mass Readings: December 1 First: Isaiah 26:1-6; Resp: Psalm 118:1,8-9,19-21,25-27; Gospel: Matthew 7:21,24-27 Every Realtor knows that the future value of a house is based upon its present location. Likewise, Jesus teaches that the future of our lives is based upon our location. We are to build our lives upon every word that comes from the mouth of Jesus (Mt 4:4). If we make Jesus’ words our home (Jn 8:31, JB) and put His words into practice (Mt 7:24), we will build our lives upon the unshakable...

ODD MAN OUT

As Jesus “was walking along the Sea of Galilee He watched two brothers, Simon now known as Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea.” –Matthew 4:18 Mass Readings: November 30 First: Romans 10:9-18; Resp: Psalm 19:8-11; Gospel: Matthew 4:18-22 When Jesus called His first apostles, He started with the quartet of Peter, Andrew, James, and John (Mt 4:18, 21). In fact, Andrew was initially the leader who introduced Peter to Jesus (Jn 1:40-41). We see this quartet together in other parts of the Gospels (e.g. Mk 13:3). However, for some reason Andrew was no longer included...