Category: Memory Verse

“Yet I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized that they were hatching plots against me.” –Jeremiah 11:19 Mass Readings: March 17 First: Jeremiah 11:18-20; Resp: Psalm 7:2-3,9-12; Gospel: John 7:40-53 Listen to the Mass Readings Two weeks from today is Holy Saturday and Easter Vigil. Spiritual warfare may well intensify as we near the time to renew our baptismal promises. This renewal is the culmination of Lent and the center of the year. Because of this renewal’s strategic importance, the devil rages as we prepare to reject him, all his works, and all his empty promises....

“Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him.” –Wisdom 2:20 If we want to live a godly life, we will be persecuted (2 Tm 3:12). We don’t know the severity of this persecution, but we do know the certainty of it. Although many non-Christians pride themselves on being tolerant, they will probably not tolerate Christians, for we are obnoxious to them (Wis 2:12). They think we are setting ourselves against their doings, reproaching them “for transgressions of the law,” charging them with violations of their training, and censuring...

“How can you believe?” –John 5:47 Mass Readings: March 15 First: Exodus 32:7-14; Resp: Psalm 106:19-23; Gospel: John 5:31-47 Listen to the Mass Readings In a little over two weeks, we will be asked six questions. We have been praying and fasting for about thirty days in preparation for answering these questions and making this greatest of all decisions. These are the most challenging and important questions we have ever been or will ever be asked. On Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday, at every Mass in every Catholic Church in the world, we will be invited to renew our baptismal...

“The man who hears My word and has faith in Him Who sent Me possesses eternal life. He does not come under condemnation, but has passed from death to life.” –John 5:24 Unless you are alive at the time of Jesus’ Second Coming, you are going to die. At present you are living in the time of mercy. “Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor 6:2) Now is the only time you will have to establish a relationship with Jesus as your merciful Savior. When you die, the season of mercy is over for...

“Do you want to be healed?” –John 5:6 Jesus didn’t ask the sick man: “Do you want to be sick?” The sick man, and most people, would answer with a resounding “No.” Jesus asked him, and asks us, “Do you want to be healed?” (Jn 5:6) The sick man didn’t answer “Yes.” Perhaps he wanted to be rid of his sickness, but didn’t want to change the lifestyle of limitations and sin (Jn 5:14) that he’d built around his sickness. He had a soul sickness as well as a physical sickness. It’s not in Jesus’ nature to do a half-healing....