Category: Verse for the day

“MARY” ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS

“Let us live honorably as in daylight; not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy.” –Romans 13:13 Mass Readings: November 27 First: Isaiah 2:1-5; Resp: Psalm 122:1-9; Second: Romans 13:11-14; Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44 Happy new Church year! Happy Advent! Today, we begin to prepare for Christ’s Christmas coming. We believe that Christmas is not just a memory but a reality. We believe that Jesus comes to us and is born in our lives in a real way each Christmas. Since Christmas is a spiritual birth, Advent is a spiritual pregnancy. Since Christmas...

GOOD SPIRITUAL SHAPE

“Be on guard lest your spirits become bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares.” –Luke 21:34 Mass Readings: November 26 First: Revelation 22:1-7; Resp: Psalm 95:1-7; Gospel: Luke 21:34-36 Not only can our bodies become fat and bloated but even more so can our spirits. In this condition, we cannot protect ourselves from Satan or prepare ourselves for Jesus’ final coming. Because we are not in good spiritual shape, the Lord has delayed His coming and the end of the world (see 2 Pt 3:9). The Lord has given us an extension to get in good spiritual condition. “Train...

BY THE BOOK

“The book of the living was opened. The dead were judged according to their conduct as recorded on the scrolls.” –Revelation 20:12 Mass Readings: November 25 First: Revelation 20:1-4,11–21:2; Resp: Psalm 84:3-6,8; Gospel: Luke 21:29-33 At the Last Judgment, the Lord is seated on “a large white throne” (Rv 20:11). You are standing before His throne as He opens “the book of the living” (Rv 20:12). You hope the Lord will find your name in this book, for “anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the book of the living was hurled into [the] pool of fire” (Rv 20:15)....

TURKEY TALK?

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” –Revelation 18:2 The Scripture readings for today’s Eucharist do not seem appropriate for Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A., especially the reference to “every filthy and disgusting bird” (Rv 18:2). Nevertheless, the Bible here is probably not referring to a turkey, but to the condition of Babylon, which “is a cage for every unclean spirit” (Rv 18:2). In Revelation, Babylon refers to Rome. Today, it possibly refers to the anti-Christian system of secular humanism. The Lord is telling us to break all ties with Babylon. Otherwise, we will be led astray by her sorcery (Rv...

NO COMPROMISE WITH THE SPOILER

“On the sea of glass were standing those who had won the victory over the beast and its image, and also the number that signified its name.” –Revelation 15:2 Mass Readings: November 23 First: Revelation 15:1-4; Resp: Psalm 98:1-3,7-9; Gospel: Luke 21:12-19 Satan does not expect to rally from being defeated by God’s angels. He knows he has lost his love for Jesus forever. All Satan can do is play the role of spoiler. He can’t get people to love him. All he can do is to try to get people not to love God with all their hearts (see...