Tagged: Daily Promises

“It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless.” —John 6:63 At Thursday’s Mass, we heard about the Holy Spirit directing Philip (Acts 8:29). Yesterday, we read about Saul being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17). Today, we hear that with “the increased consolation of the Holy Spirit,” the early Church grew in numbers (Acts 9:31). On Monday we will read about the descent of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his household (Acts 11:15). The Lord through His Church’s daily Eucharistic readings is making it very clear that we must not quench the Spirit (1 Thes...

“Jesus…appeared to you…” —Acts 9:17 The Lord Jesus has enemy-converting power. The fury of enemies cannot stand against the Lord. Saul saw Jesus, or at least the blinding flash of Jesus, the Light (Jn 9:5). This vision of Jesus remained with Saul the rest of his life. Throughout the rest of his life, Saul (later called Paul) would experience sporadic eye problems limiting his physical sight (see Gal 4:13-15; 6:11). However, his spiritual vision was a perfect 20-20; Paul never took his eyes off Jesus again. Paul came face-to-face with Jesus, and his life was forever transformed. Coming face-to-face with...

“Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. This is the Bread that comes down from heaven for a man to eat and never die.” —John 6:49-50 God gave Adam and Eve all kinds of good food in the garden of Eden (Gn 2:16). Sadly, their craving to eat beyond what God provided led to mankind’s downfall (Gn 3:6). God then provided miraculous manna to the Israelites when stranded in the desert (Ex 16:14ff). He “furnished them bread from heaven, ready to hand, untoiled-for, endowed with all delights and conforming to every taste” (Wis 16:20). The manna even...

“It is the will of Him Who sent Me that I should lose nothing of what He has given Me.” —John 6:39 Jesus’ food was to do His Father’s will (Jn 4:34). Jesus taught us to pray for His Father’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6:10). Jesus even promised: “Whoever does the will of My heavenly Father is brother and sister and mother to Me” (Mt 12:50). Jesus insisted that only those who do the Father’s will can enter His kingdom (Mt 7:21). In the agony before His death, Jesus prayed to His...

“What must we do to perform the works of God?” —John 6:28 As a witness for the risen Christ, are you more fired up for Jesus as the Easter season progresses? Or is your fire out? Are you burnt out? Worse yet, have you never been on fire for Jesus? A piece of paper can be set afire by focusing the sun’s rays on it for an extended time through a magnifying glass. We can be set afire by exposing ourselves for an extended time to God’s grace magnified through Bible study (see Lk 24:32), the sacraments, community life (see...