Category: Daily Reflections
“Jesus said: ‘Let the children come to Me. Do not hinder them.’ ” –Matthew 19:14 Jesus loves children. This means not only that He gives them special graces but also that He expects us to provide the best circumstances for children to grow. This means Jesus expects us to: try hard to stop abortion and contraception, change our lifestyle and make any other decisions necessary to do something about the millions of starving children in the world, promote the covenant of marriage, in which children should be conceived and raised, not condone promiscuity, which often deprives children of two parents,...
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“Let him accept this teaching who can.” –Matthew 19:12 God’s thoughts and ways are not our thoughts and ways (Is 55:8). “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are” His ways and thoughts above ours (Is 55:9). For example, man’s ways are divorce and re-marriage. All human societies have had divorce and re-marriage, because lifelong monogamy is very difficult for us with our fallen human nature. However, God’s ways are: No divorce and no re-marriage (without an annulment). He can have such extreme ways because He is God, Who has given us a new nature in...
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” ‘Pay back what you owe,’ he demanded.” –Matthew 18:28 Jesus commands us to forgive people from our hearts (Mt 18:35). In the context of today’s parable, that means we must, in our hearts, consider the account paid off. The books have been balanced and the slate wiped clean. How can we determine if we’ve forgiven others from our hearts? If we continue to look for some kind of reward or return from those who hurt us, we have not truly forgiven from our hearts. If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you have not closed the books...
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“He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places.” –Luke 1:52 August 6 and 9 are the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. August 9 is the feast of St. Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), who was martyred in a concentration camp. Yesterday we celebrated the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who was starved almost to death in a concentration camp and eventually martyred by lethal injection. Our recollections during the last few days have been sobering. They could even be depressing when we admit...
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“Eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.” –Ezekiel 3:1 Rebellion against the Lord entails not only doing evil but also refusing to totally consume and be consumed by His callings (Ez 2:8). We must eat the scroll of God’s plan for our lives. We must internalize it, digest it, and make it part of ourselves. As we consume God’s callings, we are consumed by God (see Heb 12:29). When we internalize God’s plan, God lives in us and we in Him (see Jn 17:23). We lose our lives (Lk 9:24), and it is no longer we...
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