Category: Daily Reflections

“See what love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called children of God!” –1 John 3:1 Mass Readings: November 1 First: Revelation 7:2-4,9-14; Resp: Psalm 24:1-6; Second: 1 John 3:1-3; Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 Listen to the Mass Readings To become a saint in heaven, we must be baptized (see Mk 16:16), totally commit our lives to Jesus, and have a strong desire to be holy in every aspect of our conduct (1 Pt 1:15). We must strive “for that holiness without which no one can see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). To do this, we must hunger...

“Hoping for what we cannot see means awaiting it with patient endurance.” –Romans 8:25 Mass Readings: October 31 First: Romans 8:18-25; Resp: Psalm 126:1-6;Gospel: Luke 13:18-21 Listen to the Mass Readings Because we: have been baptized into Christ (Rm 6:3), have the Trinity living within us (see Jn 17:23), are royal, priestly children of God (Rm 8:16; 1 Pt 2:9), are the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Mt 5:13-14), and by faith can do greater works than Jesus did (Jn 14:12), our lives are of great significance for the whole world for all times. Nevertheless,...

“Arise, O Lord, that Your enemies may be scattered, and those who hate You may flee before You.” –Numbers 10:35; see also Psalm 68:2 Mass Readings: October 30 First: Romans 8:12-17; Resp: Psalm 68:2,4,6-7,20-21; Gospel: Luke 13:10-17 Listen to the Mass Readings Moses prayed the above verse whenever the Israelites in the desert prepared to break camp and set out with the Ark of the Covenant on a new stage of their journey. When that day’s travel was finished, Moses prayed: “Return, O Lord, You Who ride upon the clouds, to the troops of Israel” (Nm 10:36). In this way,...

“I love You, O Lord, my Strength.” –Psalm 18:2 Mass Readings: October 29 First: Exodus 22:20-26; Resp: Psalm 18:2-4,47,51; Second: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus revealed that the two greatest commandments were about loving God and our neighbor (Mt 22:37-39). Jesus maintained that His mission was to show us the Father’s love (Jn 15:9). He commanded us to love even our enemies (Mt 5:44). Jesus said that we would be recognized as His disciples because of our “love for one another” (Jn 13:35). Finally, Jesus laid down His life for us when He...

“He called His disciples and selected twelve of them to be His apostles…Simon called the Zealot…” –Luke 6:13, 15 Mass Readings: October 28 First: Ephesians 2:19-22;Resp: Psalm 19:2-5;Gospel: Luke 6:12-16 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus places His heaven-sent ministry in the hands of Simon and Jude, along with ten other apostles. Simon was called the Zealot (Lk 6:15). Zealots were similar to what we would today call “terrorists.” Why would Jesus entrust His ministry and His reputation to a terrorist? Imagine the outcry today if a bishop hired a terrorist to lead a major diocesan ministry! Before meeting Jesus,...