Category: Daily Reflections

“Throughout, Stephen’s face seemed like that of an angel.” –Acts 6:15 Mass Readings: April 16 First: Acts 6:8-15; Resp: Psalm 119:23-24,26-27,29-30; Gospel: John 6:22-29 Listen to the Mass Readings As the early Church received grace after grace, it received suffering after suffering. The first people to receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost were falsely accused of being drunk (Acts 2:13). They were not stopped by this injustice, and three thousand were baptized that day (Acts 2:41). After Peter and John healed the man born lame, they led thousands more to Christ (Acts 4:4). Then the Church suffered the arrest of...

“In their panic and fright they thought they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you disturbed? Why do such ideas cross your mind?’ ” –Luke 24:37-38 Jesus is risen! This proves Jesus is God. This means we should live no longer for ourselves but for Him (2 Cor 5:15). Jesus’ Resurrection and divinity mean that everything Jesus said is true, including His promise to raise His disciples from the dead. The fact that Jesus intends to raise us from the dead has mammoth ramifications for us – not only after our deaths, but also in our...

“They wanted to take Him into the boat.” –John 6:21 Mass Readings: April 14 First: Acts 6:1-7; Resp: Psalm 33:1-2,4-5,18-19; Gospel: John 6:16-21 Listen to the Mass Readings Before Jesus gets into the boat, it is dark (Jn 6:16) “with a strong wind blowing” (Jn 6:18) and the sea “becoming rough” (Jn 6:18). The rowing is difficult, and progress is slow. But when we see the risen Jesus and want “to take Him into the boat” (Jn 6:21), suddenly we cover miles and reach our destination (Jn 6:21). Do you want Jesus to come into the boat of your life?...

“He knew well what He intended to do but He asked this to test Philip’s response.” –John 6:6 Mass Readings: April 13 First: Acts 5:34-42; Resp: Psalm 27:1,4,13-14; Gospel: John 6:1-15 Listen to the Mass Readings When Jesus saw several thousand people “coming toward Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ ” (Jn 6:5) “He asked this to test Philip’s response” (Jn 6:6). Jesus sees over four billion people who don’t know Him personally and therefore don’t even have the chance to love Him. Then, to test you, Jesus says to you:...

“Better for us to obey God than men!” –Acts 5:29 Mass Readings: April 12 First: Acts 5:27-33; Resp: Psalm 34:2,9,17-20; Gospel: John 3:31-36 Listen to the Mass Readings Sin and death entered the world through disobedience (Rm 5:15, 19). Salvation and eternal life came to us through the obedience of Jesus, Who obeyed His Father even to “death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). Thus, life is a matter of being obedient to God (see 1 Pt 1:2), and love is authentic only if we obey God’s commandments (Jn 15:10). To obey the Lord is our delight (Ps 40:9), our food...