Category: Verse for the day

“A leper approached Him with a request.” —Mark 1:40 Lepers were obliged by the law to stay away from people so as not to spread leprosy. Lepers had to live in isolated places and warn anyone who unknowingly got near them that they were unclean (Lv 13:45). The leper of today’s Gospel does just the opposite; he approaches Jesus. Jesus also does the unthinkable by stretching out His hand and touching the leper (Mk 1:41). Jesus is approachable no matter what our condition. Jesus will never reject us no matter who we are, what we’ve done, or how we look...

“Jesus likewise had a full share in ours.” —Hebrews 2:14 Jesus had a full share in our human condition. This is a shocking reality. As St. Paul writes, Jesus, Who did not know sin, was made to be sin (2 Cor 5:21). He did not sin, but He took on our sinful condition. Jesus “was tempted in every way that we are, yet never sinned” (Heb 4:15), which teaches that He was tempted to murder, commit sexual sin, gossip, hold a grudge, curse, hate, etc. Although Jesus never sinned, He “atoned for our faults and made satisfaction for our sins...

“Come after Me; I will make you fishers of men.” —Mark 1:17 Jesus continues to say to each of us: “Come after Me.” If we are committed Christians, we tend to think we’ve already done that. Nevertheless, to come after Jesus can mean a new experience each day, as we enter into the mystery of God’s love. Hundreds of millions of Christians do not realize that coming to Jesus means following the Church, her bishops, and her Pope. Some Christians try to follow Jesus without trying to know the Bible. Hundreds of millions of Christians don’t realize that to come...

“Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan.” —Mark 1:9 At the Jordan River, God told Joshua: “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know I am with you” (Jos 3:7). Then Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the land of promise (Jos 3:14ff). Once in the promised land, the Israelites “ate their fill; when filled, they became proud of heart and forgot” God (Hos 13:6). In the same Jordan River, Jesus, the new Joshua, was baptized. When Jesus rose out of the waters...

“He must increase, while I must decrease.” —John 3:30 As we come to the last two days of the Christmas season, we are filled with joy. During Advent, we waited, listening for the Lord (Jn 3:29). In the Christmas season, we have been “overjoyed to hear His voice” (Jn 3:29). With John the Baptizer, we can say: “That is my joy, and it is complete” (Jn 3:29). John’s joy at hearing Jesus’ voice led him to make the resolution: “He [Jesus] must increase, while I must decrease” (Jn 3:30). We should make the same resolution. After being filled with joy...