Category: Daily Reflections

“Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.” –Romans 16:16 Mass Readings: November 11 First: Romans 16:3-9,16,22-27; Resp: Psalm 145:2-5,10-11; Gospel: Luke 16:9-15 Listen to the Mass Readings The Lord calls us not only to go to church but to be members of the Church. This means that we are called to be baptized (that is, immersed) in the body of Christ, the Church (1 Cor 12:13). We are to continue steadfastly in Christian community life (Acts 2:42). We must live our baptismal brotherhood and sisterhood “in deed and in truth and not...

“The worldly take more initiative than the other-worldly when it comes to dealing with their own kind.” –Luke 16:8 Mass Readings: November 10 First: Romans 15:14-21; Resp: Psalm 98:1-4 ;Gospel: Luke 16:1-8 Listen to the Mass Readings “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guard the city, in vain does the guard keep vigil” (Ps 127:1). “It is the Lord’s blessing that brings wealth, and no effort can substitute for it” (Prv 10:22). No matter how hard we try, we cannot make the works of God happen. “It is God Who,...

“Zeal for Your house consumes Me.” –John 2:17 Mass Readings: November 9 First: Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12; Resp: Psalm 46:2-3,5-6,8-9; Second: 1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17; Gospel: John 2:13-22 Listen to the Mass Readings The Greek word for “church” means “called out.” The Church is the gathering of people Jesus has chosen out from this world (Jn 15:19). Jesus founded the Church in the shadow of the worldly city, Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:13). He implied the Church would begin attacking the gates of hell by storming the gates of the worldly city (Mt 16:18). We live in the world geographically; spiritually, however, we are...

“Go out into the highways and along the hedgerows and force them to come in. I want My house to be full.” –Luke 14:23 God wants His house to be full for His heavenly banquet (Lk 14:23). His strategy for filling His house is to send His servants all over His kingdom, especially to the byroads (Mt 22:9), alleys (Lk 14:21), and other unlikely places. Thus, God’s banquet will only be filled if His servants “come upon” (Mt 22:9) people that are hard to catch up with. Jesus understands this dilemma. That’s why He specifically calls His servants “fishers of...

“Owe no debt to anyone except the debt that binds us to love one another.” –Romans 13:8 Mass Readings: November 8 First: Romans 13:8-10; Resp: Psalm 112:1-2,4-5,9; Gospel: Luke 14:25-33 Listen to the Mass Readings Many Christians in the Western world are in debt. They owe on their houses, cars, and credit cards. Consequently, they seem to be disobeying the Lord’s command that we owe no debt. Some people try to rationalize this by saying that many other people are in debt – even Christians and churches. However, just because disobedience is popular doesn’t make it something other than disobedience....