Category: Daily Reflections
“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves.” –Genesis 11:4 Mass Readings: February 17 First: Jonah 3:1-10;Resp: Psalm 51:3-4,12-13,18-19; Gospel: Luke 11:29-32 The future of a nation which excludes God is dispersion (Gn 11:9), not unity. If a nation’s faith in God is not firm, that nation shall not be firm (Is 7:9). “A nation of firm purpose [God keeps] in peace; in peace, for its trust in” the Lord (Is 26:3). Any lasting unity comes from the Holy Spirit, Who is the Source of...
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“Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earth and subdue it.” –Genesis 9:7 Mass Readings: February 16 First: Isaiah 55:10-11; Resp: Psalm 34:4-7,16-19; Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15 The first recorded words to human beings are the words of the following blessing from God: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gn 1:28; see also 1:22). After the flood, “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: ‘Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth’ ” (Gn 9:1, 7). Jesus said: “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who lives in Me and I in...
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“But the dove could find no place to alight and perch, and it returned to him in the ark.” –Genesis 8:9 Mass Readings: February 15 First: Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18; Resp: Psalm 19:8-10,15;Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46 After forty days and nights of the flood, Noah sent out a raven. Then he sent out a dove three times. On the final occasion, the dove did not return to the ark, for it had found a place to rest (Gn 8:12). That meant destruction had ended and re-creation had begun. The dove resting on Jesus at His baptism meant the Spirit was beginning to re-create...
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“Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” –Mark 8:15 Mass Readings: February 14 First: Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Resp: Psalm 91:1-2,10-15;Second: Romans 10:8-13;Gospel: Luke 4:1-13 I worked in a bakery long ago. The baker would break up a solid block of yeast into small crumbs. Next he painstakingly kneaded the crumbs of yeast all throughout the batch of dough. Then he set aside the dough on the baking table for a while “until the whole mass of dough began to rise” (Lk 13:21). It was amazing to watch such small crumbs of yeast cause...
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“With a sigh from the depths of His spirit He said…” –Mark 8:12 Mass Readings: February 13 First: Isaiah 58:9-14; Resp: Psalm 86:1-6; Gospel: Luke 5:27-32 After Jesus had twice multiplied loaves and fish, had healed countless people of many different ailments, and had delivered many from demons, the Pharisees wanted Jesus to give them a sign (Mk 8:11). The Pharisees were obviously not sincere. They were testing Jesus (Mk 8:11). Jesus refused to play their game. “He left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore” (Mk 8:13). “The chief priests and elders of...
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