Category: Memory Verse

HE LOVES ME. HE LOVES ME NOT. HE LOVES ME…

“A cloud came, overshadowing them, and out of the cloud a voice: ‘This is My Son, My Beloved. Listen to Him.’ ” –Mark 9:7 “God is for us” (Rm 8:31). He “did not spare His own Son but handed Him over for the sake of us all” (Rm 8:32). After that, will He not “grant us all things besides?” (Rm 8:32) God couldn’t love us more. He loves us unconditionally, sacrificially, infinitely, perfectly, and eternally. Nevertheless, God does things and allows things in our lives which we can’t understand. Although this should make us question our powers of understanding, we...

LIVING LIFE’S COVENANT DIMENSION

“The Lord is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly His own, as He promised you; and provided you keep all His commandments…” –Deuteronomy 26:18 In the old covenant, God made us His people. Our responsibility in the covenant was “to walk in His ways and observe His statutes, commandments and decrees” (Dt 26:17). We were utterly incapable of the complete obedience called for in this covenant. So we broke the covenant. Then God made a new covenant not just with the Jewish people but with all people. He covenanted not only to be our...

REC ROOM

“Go first to be reconciled.” –Matthew 5:24 Mass Readings: February 23 First: Ezekiel 18:21-28; Resp: Psalm 130:1-8; Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26 Listen to the Mass Readings In the Sermon on the Mount, the quintessence of the new covenant, Jesus expresses His divinity by superseding the old law in several ways. Jesus’ first such statement is: “You have heard the commandment imposed on your forefathers, ‘You shall not commit murder; every murderer shall be liable to judgment.’ What I say to you is: everyone who grows angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment” (Mt 5:21-22). Anger, angry words, and angry...

“ROCK”-ING CHAIR

“I for My part declare to you, you are ‘Rock,’ and on this rock I will build My Church.” –Matthew 16:18 Mass Readings: February 22 First: 1 Peter 5:1-4; Resp: Psalm 23:1-6; Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus is the Carpenter (Mk 6:3). He probably built several chairs out of wood. Like any skilled carpenter, Jesus would have built His chairs to last. The chair would have a firm foundation to prevent toppling and give confidence to the one seated in the chair. Jesus is also “Head of the Church” (Eph 1:22). As Founder and Head of...

GREATER THAN JONAH

“You have a greater than Jonah here.” –Luke 11:32 Mass Readings: February 21 First: Jonah 3:1-10;Resp: Psalm 51:3-4,12-13,18-19;Gospel: Luke 11:29-32 Listen to the Mass Readings Jonah was a reluctant, begrudging prophet. He did not want to obey the Lord. Yet he didn’t want to be in the belly of a whale either. However, the wicked Ninevites did not repent with begrudging, complaining reluctance. Incredibly, “they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth” (Jon 3:5). They had sinned with abandon, and they repented with much greater abandon. The queen of the south “came from the...