Tagged: Daily Reflections
“The Lord has made His salvation known.” —Psalm 98:2 Jesus accused the people of His time of standing behind the murders committed by their fathers (Lk 11:48). Their fathers murdered the prophets, who were innocent and holy messengers of God. In doing so, they rejected God, Who sent the prophets (cf Mt 21:33-46). Jesus maintained that His generation would “have to account for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world” (Lk 11:50). The reaction to Jesus’ convicting statements was “fierce hostility” (Lk 11:53). This resulted in the murder of murders committed against Jesus, the...
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“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.” –Galatians 5:24 If you have cancer in your body, you want to get rid of every cancer cell. Leaving behind even one cancerous cell might result in a future outbreak of cancer. If you have weeds in your lawn, you want to get rid of all of them. Leaving even one weed plant can result in the weeds returning in force. Can we see that the sins of the flesh resemble cancer and weeds? Do we regard impurity in the same way? Do we think...
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“I will walk at liberty, because I seek Your precepts.” –Psalm 119:45 When Scripture refers to the law, it is speaking of much of the Old Testament. St. Paul argues strongly that grace is what is critical rather than the law. It’s not that the law does not matter; the law simply pales in comparison to the absolute greatness of Jesus Christ and the grace He offers to each of us. The law deals with the external but, as the Gospel says, God is concerned with the internals, our heart. The law serves a good purpose, establishing the basis for...
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“It was for liberty that Christ freed us. So stand firm, and do not take on yourselves the yoke of slavery a second time.”–Galatians 5:1 It was for liberty from sin that Christ set us free (Gal 5:1). Once we are set free from sin through Baptism, conversion, and the sacrament of Confession, we become a target for the devil and his kingdom of darkness. Satan and his demons constantly appeal to our old human nature that was drowned in the waters of Baptism. That human nature, inherited through original sin, is constantly seeking selfish pleasures. Scripture demonstrates that it...
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“Invite to the wedding anyone you come upon.” —Matthew 22:9 God wants His house to be full for His heavenly banquet (Lk 14:23). His strategy for filling His house is to send His servants all over His kingdom, especially to the byroads (Mt 22:9), alleys (Lk 14:21), and other unlikely places. Thus, God’s banquet will only be filled if His servants “come upon” (Mt 22:9) people that are hard to locate. Jesus understands this dilemma. That’s why He specifically calls His servants “fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). Any fisherman who wants to bring home a catch knows that he will...
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