Tagged: daily bread

“If anyone wishes to rank first, he must remain the last one of all.” –Mark 9:35 Rankings! Ratings! Polls! Surveys! Standings! Our culture thrives on these measures. We constantly argue about who is most important (Mk 9:34). We have political approval polls, opinion polls, talk shows, sports standings, Most Valuable Players, Nielsen ratings of TV shows, Fortune 500 companies, and even TV shows which rank who is worthy to “survive” another week at the expense of eliminating someone else. However, our modern culture is not the first to be obsessed about ranking. The apostles on several occasions fell into this...

“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them.” —John 20:22-23 Come, Holy Spirit! Happy Pentecost! Happy birthday to the Church! Alleluia! Before receiving the Holy Spirit, we must repent of sin (Acts 2:38). After receiving the Spirit, we are to proclaim to the nations repentance and the forgiveness of sins (Lk 24:47). After Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the leaders of the Church, He commanded: “If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound” (Jn 20:22-23). In summary, before receiving the Spirit, we must begin...

“It was not you who chose Me, it was I Who chose you.” —John 15:16 “Make known to us which of these two You choose.” —Acts 1:24 Many of you have saved from abortion hundreds and thousands of babies in the womb. Thank God for your love, work, and prayers! Are you pro-choice? This seems like a crazy question to ask strong pro-lifers. However, many pro-lifers wrongly advocate “choice” in situations other than abortion. For example, the whole Christian life is more a matter of being chosen rather than choosing (see Jn 15:16). Jesus said: “I solemnly assure you, the...

“A third time Jesus asked him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ ” –John 21:17 How mercifully and graciously (Ex 34:6) Jesus treated Peter by the lakeshore! Consider the mercy of Jesus: Peter denied Jesus three times.Jesus allowed Peter to undo each denial with three professions of love (Jn 21:15-17). Peter denied Jesus by a charcoal fire (Jn 18:18ff). Jesus recreated the scene of denial with another charcoal fire (Jn 21:9), bringing healing to Peter’s deepest feelings of shame. Jesus could have forgiven Peter privately. However, He chose to restore Peter in front of the disciples, giving Peter...

“Just as you have given testimony to Me here in Jerusalem, so must you do in Rome.” –Acts 23:11 Do you think you’re having a bad week? Compare your worst week to St. Paul’s bad week. Paul was quietly praying in the Temple. Some antagonistic Jews who knew Paul from Asia recognized him and “began to stir up the whole crowd there. They seized him” (Acts 21:27). The whole city came after Paul (Acts 21:30). “Attempts were being made on his life” (Acts 21:31). Soldiers “arrested Paul and had him bound with double irons” (Acts 21:33). A crowd followed Paul,...