Tagged: Daily Promises

SUPER PREMIUM

“Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?” –Genesis 17:17 Mass Readings: June 30 First: Genesis 17:1,9-10,15-22; Resp: Psalm 128:1-5; Gospel: Matthew 8:1-4 Listen to the Mass Readings Gas stations offer different octanes in their gas. We can get regular, premium, or super premium. This is also true in our life with the Lord. Abram was blessed with a son, Ishmael. Abram was willing to settle for this regular blessing, but the Lord wanted to give him the premium of the miraculous birth of Isaac from the...

FEAR, GOD’S PROMISES, ANDOUR BAPTISMAL COVENANT

“This word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear not, Abram!’ ” –Genesis 15:1 Mass Readings: June 28 First: Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Resp: Psalm 105:1-4,6-9; Gospel: Matthew 7:15-20 Listen to the Mass Readings When the Lord promises something very great, He often announces His promise by commanding us not to fear (see Lk 1:13, 30; Mt 1:20). The implication is that when we give in to fear, we may sabotage God’s work in our lives. A covenant is one of the antidotes to fear, and it is also an assurance of the fulfillment of God’s promises. After God...

THE GATE, WAY, TRUTH, AND LIFE

“Enter through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to damnation is wide, the road is clear, and many choose to travel it.” –Matthew 7:13 There are two gates in life: the narrow gate and the wide gate. Many choose to enter through the wide gate because it is easy to do so. You would think we would choose a gate based on what’s behind it rather than on how easy it is to get through it. For example, does a person go on a road just because the road is wide, or because it leads to his destination? If...

NOT YET

“To your descendants I will give this land…Then Abram journeyed on.” –Genesis 12:7, 9 As Abram passed through the land of Canaan, God promised him that his descendants would inherit that land. However, the Canaanites were still living in the land at the time (Gn 12:6). Abram then continued his journey south many miles more to the desert of the Negeb. Abram got the promise but no land yet. Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land, but they didn’t possess it right away. God told them they wouldn’t occupy the land in one year; they were not numerous enough....

KNOW JESUS – NO FEAR

“Do not fear.” –Matthew 10:28 Jesus gives us at least four commandments in today’s Gospel reading: “Do not let them intimidate you” (Mt 10:26). “Do not fear those who deprive the body of life but cannot destroy the soul” (Mt 10:28). “Do not be afraid of anything” (Mt 10:31). “Fear Him Who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna” (Mt 10:28). We are fearless of men because we have the fear of the Lord (Sir 34:14). The fear of the Lord is not only the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10) but also of faith, which leads to love. When...