Tagged: Daily Reflections

“I am going the way of all mankind.” —1 Kings 2:2 In today’s Mass readings, King David dies. A quick summary of David’s life could read like this: David’s courage was spectacular (1 Sm 17:34ff). David’s triumphs were spectacular (1 Kgs 17:49ff). David’s sins were spectacular (2 Sm 11:2-24; 2 Sm 24:2-26). David’s repentance was spectacular (Ps 51:3ff; 2 Sm 12:13ff). David’s worship was spectacular (see 2 Sm 6:14 and all the psalms of praise he wrote). Scripture quotes the Lord as giving this summary of David, a summary to which all of us can aspire: “I have found David…to...

“He could work no miracle there, apart from curing a few who were sick by laying hands on them, so much did their lack of faith distress Him.” —Mark 6:5-6 Will you travel somewhere today? I drove to morning Mass, and then to work. I had faith that the roads were in good condition, that no bridges were going to collapse, and the roads on which I was driving still led to the same places they led yesterday. I had faith in these structures made by the Ohio Department of Transportation. People have faith in worldly things, such as roads....

“My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!” —2 Samuel 19:1 David grieved deeply upon hearing of the death of his son Absalom, who had rebelled against him. However, the true grief of this situation is that it might have been prevented if David had a heart for reconciliation with Absalom a few years earlier. A rift had occurred in David’s family. David’s son Amnon raped Absalom’s blood sister Tamar. David took no action to deal with the situation; he simply “became very angry” (2 Sm 13:21)....

“Go home to your family and make it clear to them how much the Lord in His mercy has done for you.” —Mark 5:19 Jesus was told to leave the Gerasene territory. But He left a part of Himself behind — the man whom He had set free from the demons which possessed him (Mk 5:19). This liberated man was the only one from the Gerasene territory who wanted Jesus in his life. He begged Jesus to let him accompany Him wherever He went. “Jesus did not grant his request” (Mk 5:19). Instead Jesus sent him back into the territory...

Mary and Joseph “brought Him up to Jerusalem so that He could be presented to the Lord.” —Luke 2:22 The Jewish practice of presenting a child to the Lord stems from the concept that the child truly belongs to God. According to the law of Moses, the husband and wife present their first-born child to the Lord, thus acknowledging God as the Author and Owner of the life of this child (see Ex 13:2; Lv 12:6-8). Along with presenting their child, the couple also presents a sacrifice, a kind of payment, in this case a pair of doves, and God...