Category: Daily Reflections

“He not only was breaking the sabbath but, worse still, was speaking of God as His own Father, thereby making Himself God’s equal.” –John 5:18 It seems that for the last few years the renewal of the baptismal promises has not been successful for the Catholic Church throughout the world. The evidence for this is the continued proliferation of the culture of death, including abortion, contraception, unforgiveness, vengeance, denominations, racism, starvation, and other injustices. Our Baptisms are such great works of God that if millions of Christians renewed their Baptisms, the world could not help but be changed according to...

“Then He brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east.” –Ezekiel 47:1 Ezekiel saw a vision of a miraculous trickle of water flowing from the Temple and becoming a great river of life. St. John, the apostle and evangelist, saw the same river as a picture of heaven (Rv 22:1ff). By baptizing us and giving us a new nature, Jesus has made our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor 6:19). He promises that rivers of living water will flow out...

“This was the second sign that Jesus performed.” –John 4:54 In John’s Gospel, Jesus worked seven signs (miracles) “to help you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, so that through this faith you may have life in His name” (Jn 20:31): 1) changing water into wine at a wedding (Jn 2:1-12), 2) a remote healing of a royal official’s son (Jn 4:46-54), 3) curing a man who was ill for thirty-eight years (Jn 5:1ff), 4) multiplying the loaves and fishes (Jn 6:1-14), 5) walking on the water (Jn 6:19), 6) giving sight to the man born...

“What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah?” –Hosea 6:4 The Israelite worshippers sang a hymn which expressed their confidence that God would respond favorably to their offerings and sacrifices: “He will heal us…He will bind our wounds…He will raise us up, to live in His presence…as certain as the dawn is His coming” (Hos 6:1-3). Jesus painted a similar picture in today’s Gospel reading. The Pharisee offered sacrifices of tithes, fasting, and a life of holy deeds (Lk 18:11-12). Just as his ancestors did, he prayed confidently to God, offering another splendid sacrifice...