Category: Daily Reflections

“…how inscrutable His judgments, how unsearchable His ways!” –Romans 11:33 Mass Readings: November 6 First: Wisdom 3:1-9; Resp: Psalm 23:1-6; Gospel: John 6:37-40 Listen to the Mass Readings The Lord has said: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways” (Is 55:8). That we are so different than God is initially seen as a problem. We even wish that God was more like us. However, if we joyfully accept God’s transcendence and mystery, we can begin to look behind the worst situations and see the hand of God. This fills us with hope rather than discouragement....

“And now, O priests, this commandment is for you.” –Malachi 2:1 “The lips of the priest are to keep knowledge, and instruction is to be sought from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Mal 2:7). When priests do not properly exercise their God-given ministry of teaching, they cause “many to falter” by their instruction (Mal 2:8). Then the Lord, in order to protect His people, tries to correct His priests by turning their blessings into curses (Mal 2:2) and by making the priests “contemptible and base before all the people” (Mal 2:9). If you...

“In respect to the gospel, the Jews are enemies of God for your sake; in respect to the election, they are beloved by Him because of the patriarchs.” –Romans 11:28 Mass Readings: November 4 First: Romans 11:1-2,11-12,25-29; Resp: Psalm 94:12-13,14-15,17-18; Gospel: Luke 14:1,7-11 Listen to the Mass Readings An old saying says God writes straight with crooked lines. “God makes all things work together for the good of those who love” Him (Rm 8:28). God is omnipotent; so He even uses His enemies to further His plan (Prv 16:4). For example, Joseph’s brothers heartlessly abandoned him in a cistern (Gn...

“If before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality.” –Wisdom 3:4 Mass Readings: November 2 First: Wisdom 3:1-9; Resp: Psalm 27:1,4,7-9,13-14; Second: Romans 5:5-11; Gospel: John 11:17-27 Listen to the Mass Readings It is a holy and pious thought to pray for the dead (2 Mc 12:44-45). Because those in heaven or in hell don’t benefit from our prayers, this implies that not everyone immediately goes to heaven or hell after they die. Therefore, when we pray for the dead, we must be praying for people in some other place, usually called purgatory. It is...