Tagged: Bible Reading & Meditation

WHAT IS YOUR CROSS TODAY?

“Jesus said to all: ‘Whoever wishes to be My follower must deny His very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in My steps.’ ” –Luke 9:23 Mass Readings: March 2 First: Daniel 3:25,34-43; Resp: Psalm 25:4-9; Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35 The meaning of life and of Lent is to be and make disciples for Jesus. His plan is to send us to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). To be Jesus’ disciples, we must do nothing less than to lose our lives for His sake (Lk 9:24). Disciples “live no longer for themselves, but for Him Who...

PUBLIC OR PRIVATE?

“Blow the trumpet in Zion.” –Joel 2:15 Mass Readings: March 1 First: 2 Kings 5:1-15; Resp: Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4; Gospel: Luke 4:24-30 There is a public dimension to Lent. The ashes on our forehead proclaim to the world that we are mortal, that we are sinners in need of God’s mercy, and that we are united with other Catholics. Together all Catholics fast, pray, do penance, and give alms to grow together as a holy people, powerful in intercession. There is a private, interior dimension to Lent. We are to give our lives to the Lord for His own sake,...

ANOTHER SEASON OF GIVING

“Give to the Most High as He has given to you, generously, according to your means.” –Sirach 35:9 Mass Readings: February 28 First: Exodus 3:1-8,13-15; Resp: Psalm 103:1-4,6-8,11; Second: 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-12; Gospel: Luke 13:1-9 God the Father loves us so much that He gave us His Son (Jn 3:16). Jesus said: “There is more happiness in giving than receiving” (Acts 20:35). The Holy Spirit is both the Gift of the Father and the Son and the Giver of gifts (see 1 Cor 12:4ff). The essence of the Triune God is the giving and the gifts. Thus, those baptized into God are re-born...

SAVING FACE

“You know the commandments.” –Mark 10:19 Mass Readings: February 27 First: Micah 7:14-15,18-20; Resp: Psalm 103:1-4,9-12; Gospel: Luke 15:1-3,11-32 The man in today’s Gospel reading told Jesus that he had kept the commandments since his childhood (Mk 10:20). So Jesus gave him five more commandments: go, sell, give, come, and follow (Mk 10:21). The man refused to obey these commandments. Immediately, his face expressed his rebellion. The verse describing his reaction can be translated: his “face fell” (Mk 10:22). Some of the connotations of the Greek word are: the man glowered; his face became overcast, expressing even tinges of hatred....

COMPLETELY KNOWN AND PERFECTLY LOVED

“He looks with favor upon their hearts.” –Sirach 17:7 Mass Readings: February 25 First: Jeremiah 17:5-10; Resp: Psalm 1:1-4,6; Gospel: Luke 16:19-31 God knows all our ways; “they cannot be hidden from His eyes” (Sir 17:13). All our “actions are clear as the sun to Him, His eyes are ever upon” our ways (Sir 17:15). God knows when we sit or when we stand (Ps 139:1-2). Our journeys and our rest He scrutinizes (Ps 139:3). “Even before a word is” on our tongues, He knows “the whole of it” (Ps 139:4). In God’s book, all our actions are written (Ps...