Tagged: Daily Reflection

“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,...

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to guard them from the evil one.” –John 17:15 We follow the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth (Jn 16:13). “Since we live by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s lead” (Gal 5:25). As we receive the Spirit ever more deeply during the Pentecost Novena and on Pentecost Sunday, the Spirit will guide us to all truth, if we allow Him (Jn 16:13). We will be prompted to speak the truth in love (see Eph 4:15). Throughout history, there have always been those who pervert the...