Tagged: Bible Reading & Meditation

LOVING THOSE WHO HURT YOU

“Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” –Leviticus 19:18 Mass Readings: February 19 First: Ezekiel 18:21-28;Resp: Psalm 130:1-8;Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26 Jesus was asked: “Teacher, which commandment of the law is the greatest?” (Mt 22:36) Jesus surprised His questioner by mentioning not one commandment but two. He surprised all of Judaism by maintaining that loving one’s neighbor as oneself is the second commandment, and together with the first commandment forms the basis of the law and the prophets (Mt 22:40). The Biblical context for the second...

“ONE NATION, UNDER GOD”

“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves.” –Genesis 11:4 Mass Readings: February 17 First: Jonah 3:1-10; Resp: Psalm 51:3-4,12-13,18-19; Gospel: Luke 11:29-32 The future of a nation which excludes God is dispersion (Gn 11:9), not unity. If a nation’s faith in God is not firm, that nation shall not be firm (Is 7:9). “A nation of firm purpose [God keeps] in peace; in peace, for its trust in” the Lord (Is 26:3). Any lasting unity comes from the Holy Spirit, Who is the Source...

“ONE NATION, UNDER GOD”

“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves.” –Genesis 11:4 Mass Readings: February 17 First: Jonah 3:1-10;Resp: Psalm 51:3-4,12-13,18-19; Gospel: Luke 11:29-32 The future of a nation which excludes God is dispersion (Gn 11:9), not unity. If a nation’s faith in God is not firm, that nation shall not be firm (Is 7:9). “A nation of firm purpose [God keeps] in peace; in peace, for its trust in” the Lord (Is 26:3). Any lasting unity comes from the Holy Spirit, Who is the Source of...

FRUIT STAND

“Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earth and subdue it.” –Genesis 9:7 Mass Readings: February 16 First: Isaiah 55:10-11; Resp: Psalm 34:4-7,16-19; Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15 The first recorded words to human beings are the words of the following blessing from God: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gn 1:28; see also 1:22). After the flood, “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: ‘Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth’ ” (Gn 9:1, 7). Jesus said: “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who lives in Me and I in...

REST AREA

“But the dove could find no place to alight and perch, and it returned to him in the ark.” –Genesis 8:9 Mass Readings: February 15 First: Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18; Resp: Psalm 19:8-10,15;Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46 After forty days and nights of the flood, Noah sent out a raven. Then he sent out a dove three times. On the final occasion, the dove did not return to the ark, for it had found a place to rest (Gn 8:12). That meant destruction had ended and re-creation had begun. The dove resting on Jesus at His baptism meant the Spirit was beginning to re-create...