Category: Daily Reflections

“I will turn the desert into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water.” –Isaiah 41:18 Mass Readings: December 14 First: Isaiah 41:13-20;Resp: Psalm 145:1,9-13;Gospel: Matthew 11:11-15 Listen to the Mass Readings As the Israelites who were in exile in Babylon returned to their homeland through the desert, God promised to fulfill their needs, especially for water. The Israelites considered their task hopeless; they were weak to the point of considering themselves no more than worms or maggots (see Is 41:14). Yet God would do the miracles necessary for them to have an abundant harvest. Thus God promised...

“They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings.” –Isaiah 40:31 Mass Readings: December 13 First: Isaiah 40:25-31; Resp: Psalm 103:1-4,8,10; Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30 Listen to the Mass Readings The Lord is our Strength (Ps 27:1). The joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh 8:10). In Him Who is the Source of our strength we have strength for everything (Phil 4:13). Samson had incredible physical strength, but spiritually he had weaknesses. If we rely on our own strength, we will falter. However, if we rely on the Lord’s strength, we will...

“Blest is she who trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled.” –Luke 1:45 Mass Readings: December 12 First: Zechariah 2:14-17; Resp: Judith 13:18-19; Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 Listen to the Mass Readings If we would just obey God’s commandments, Christmas would be fantastic, our prosperity like a river, and our vindication like the waves of the sea (Is 48:18). Our descendants would be as numerous as the grains of sand and our name never cut off (Is 48:19). There’d be no stopping us. The Lord says: “If only My people would hear Me, and Israel walk in My...

“Sitting close by were Pharisees and teachers of the law who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem.” –Luke 5:17 Mass Readings: December 11 First: Isaiah 35:1-10; Resp: Psalm 85:9-14; Gospel: Luke 5:17-26 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus was surrounded by a large number of religious leaders and Bible scholars. It was something like a convocation of priests or a symposium of professors. In the midst of this august assembly, the roof was partly dismantled, and a man on a stretcher was lowered through the hole. Jesus said to the paralyzed man: “My friend,...

“Comfort, give comfort to My people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.” –Isaiah 40:1-2 Mass Readings: December 10 First: Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11;Resp: Psalm 85:9-14; Second: 2 Peter 3:8-14; Gospel: Mark 1:1-8 Listen to the Mass Readings This Christmas, the Lord wants us to have a special “encounter” with Him (seeChurch in America, 3). He wants our relationship with Him to be greater than any other love in our life. He will make our relationship with Him so deep, personal, and intimate that He will be a Source of comfort for us even in our worst sufferings (see Is 40:1-2; Ps...