Category: Daily Reflections

“I will do to you just what I have heard you say.” –Numbers 14:28 Mass Readings: August 9 First: Numbers 13:1-2,25–14:1,26-29,34-35; Resp: Psalm 106:6-7,13-14,21-23; Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28 Listen to the Mass Readings Twelve Israelite scouts walked around in the promised land. Ten saw disaster and sowed “discouraging reports among the Israelites” (Nm 13:32); two saw God’s hand poised to bless His people with swift entrance into the promised land, and these two scouts sowed faith and confidence (Nm 14:6ff). The people listened to the majority and died outside of the promised land. Pope St. John Paul II has prophesied that...

“Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses.” –Numbers 12:1 Mass Readings: August 8 First: 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Resp: Psalm 37:3-6,30-31; Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16 Listen to the Mass Readings A few years ago, when the news broke of sexual scandals of some Catholic priests, a certain man was publicly berating all priests, even on occasion during Holy Mass. This angered me to the point that I had to bring it to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A holy priest I knew was hearing Confessions that day. With peaceful calmness, he quietly mentioned that it is a spiritual work of mercy to bear wrongs...

“Israel I would feed with the best of wheat.” –Psalm 81:17 Mass Readings: August 7 First: Numbers 11:4-15; Resp: Psalm 81:12-17; Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21 Listen to the Mass Readings Less than twenty-four hours before His death, Jesus took what appeared to be bread and wine and said “This is My body,” and “This is My blood” (Mt 26:26, 28). The obvious response to these seemingly absurd statements is: “How can He give us His flesh to eat?” (Jn 6:52) Yet, before we dismiss Jesus’ words as those of a lunatic, we should remember that the Lord fed the entire Israelite...

“A surging stream of fire flowed out from where He sat.” –Daniel 7:10 When Jesus was transfigured, “from the cloud came a voice which said, ‘This is My Son, My Chosen One. Listen to Him’ ” (Lk 9:35). However, the apostles did not listen to Jesus, especially regarding His death on the cross and His Resurrection. Even after Jesus died and rose, they didn’t listen to Him. Jesus knew this would happen. He concluded one of His parables with the statement: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if one should...