Tagged: Daily Reflection

“The main point in what we are saying is this: we have such a High Priest, Who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, Minister of the sanctuary and of that true tabernacle set up, not by man, but by the Lord.” –Hebrews 8:1-2 Jesus is a better Priest (Heb 7:28) with a better ministry in “a better covenant, founded on better promises” (Heb 8:6). The Jewish people did not think of God’s work with them as completed. They were waiting for the Messiah to give them the new covenant. The...

“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” –Hebrews 7:17; Psalm 110:4 Like almost all peoples throughout history, the Jewish people believed that sacrifice was one of the essential elements for dealing with sin and setting humanity free. The person who offers sacrifices to God on behalf of the people is called a priest. Thus, priests are an essential part of God’s plan of salvation. Consequently, because Jesus is the Savior of the world, He must be a priest. For the Jews, all priests descended from the tribe of Levi. Yet Jesus was from the tribe of...

“Our desire is that each of you show the same zeal till the end.” –Hebrews 6:11 Life in Christ is like running a race (see 2 Tm 4:7; Phil 3:12; 1 Cor 9:24). We must “show the same zeal to the end” and “not grow lazy” (Heb 6:11, 12). We are able to keep running no matter what because we are loved by God and fully assured of inheriting God’s promises (Heb 6:11-12). Love keeps us running for God (see 2 Cor 5:14), and we love because God first loved us (1 Jn 4:19). He sent His Son to die...

“You are a priest forever.” – Psalm 110:4 Fr. Al Lauer, founder and long-time author of One Bread, One Body, often told this story about God’s perspective on fasting: “A man once told God in prayer that he hated the way his priest ran the parish. God responded by telling him to fast for his priest on one meal a day for three months. At the end of the first month, the man reminded God that he had kept his fast, but God hadn’t changed the priest at all. After two months, the man grumbled to God that his priest...

“Here I am. You called me.” –1 Samuel 3:5   The Lord starts this new year by calling us as He called Samuel, Andrew, and Simon Peter. He is calling us to join Him: not in a superficial way, but to love Him with all our hearts (Mt 22:37), in a Christian community of the others whom He has called, and in waking up and renewing a sleeping Church (see 1 Sm 3:2-3). We must accept all three aspects of the Lord’s call, or we have rejected His call. Some say they’ve given their lives to Jesus, but are not...