Category: Daily Reflections

“My purpose here is the fulfillment of Scripture: ‘He who partook of bread with Me has raised his heel against Me.’ ” –John 13:18 Mass Readings: April 26 First: Acts 13:13-25; Resp: Psalm 89:2-3,21-22,25,27; Gospel: John 13:16-20 Listen to the Mass Readings What a terrible sin it was for Judas to betray Christ for thirty pieces of silver! Yet the Lord brought good out of this abomination by predicting it so that, when it took place, Jesus’ disciples believed that He is the I AM, that is, God (Jn 13:19). Out of Judas’ betrayal, the Lord brought salvation and faith...

“Proclaim the good news to all creation.” –Mark 16:15 Mass Readings: April 25 First: 1 Peter 5:5-14;Resp: Psalm 89:2-3,6-7,16-17; Gospel: Mark 16:15-20 Listen to the Mass Readings The early Church, and St. Mark, did their very best to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world (Mk 16:15). The apostles and disciples used every means available to them in the time of Christ: traveling on foot over many miles, meeting people in public places, synagogues, the Temple, in homes, etc. St. Mark, also known as John (Acts 13:5, 13) and John Mark (Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37), even was...

“Then Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for Saul.” –Acts 11:25 Mass Readings: April 24 First: Revelation 3:7-8,10-12; Resp: Psalm 119:137-144; Gospel: John 10:11-16 Listen to the Mass Readings A big temptation of being a disciple of Christ is to do it all ourselves, to be the leader of the pack. Yet St. Barnabas, who was in the position to be the main attraction in the church at Antioch, “was a good man” (Acts 11:24). “Filled with the Holy Spirit and faith” (Acts 11:24), Barnabas realized that he needed help for the job of teaching the fledgling Christians at...

“Who was I to be able to hinder God?” –Acts 11:17, RNAB Mass Readings: April 23 First: Acts 11:1-18; Resp: Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4; Gospel: John 10:1-10 Listen to the Mass Readings St. Peter asks an excellent question: “Who was I to be able to hinder God?” It’s God’s plan to work through people like St. Peter and people like you and me. It’s a great mystery that God, Who is all-powerful, would put Himself in such a position that we humans have the capability to hinder Him! Peter’s question should also be on our lips as well. How many times...

“Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke up.” –Acts 4:8 At the first Christian Pentecost, “all were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4). After Peter and John were released from prison, the first Christian community gathered to pray, and “the place where they were gathered shook as they prayed. They were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 4:31). Stephen, the first deacon and the first martyr, was “a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). Barnabas “was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and faith” (Acts 11:24). The Lord commands us: “Be filled with...