Tagged: Daily Reflections

“Not the smallest letter of the law, not the smallest part of a letter, shall be done away with until it all comes true.” –Matthew 5:18 During Lent, we imitate Jesus in the desert when He overcame the temptations of the devil. Satan tempts us not only to rebel totally and defiantly against the Lord but also to “cut corners” and mildly modify God’s commands. Jesus, however, challenges us: “I assure you: until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter of the law, not the smallest part of a letter, shall be done away with until it all...

“I canceled your entire debt when you pleaded with me. Should you not have dealt mercifully with your fellow servant, as I dealt with you?” –Matthew 18:32-33 Jesus probably could not emphasize forgiveness more. He taught us to pray to be forgiven as we forgive those who have sinned against us (Mt 6:12). Jesus commanded us to forgive seventy times seven times, that is, indefinitely, or be handed “over to the torturers” (Mt 18:34). Even while hanging on the cross, Jesus prayed before His death: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34). The last...

“Leave it another year, while I hoe around it and manure it; then perhaps it will bear fruit. If not, it shall be cut down.” –Luke 13:8-9 The Lord calls us to repent not only of sins of commission but also of omission. In today’s Gospel reading, He calls us to repent of not bearing fruit, that is, of not sharing our faith and leading others to new life in Christ. If we do not bear fruit spiritually, we will be cut down (Lk 13:9) and thrown into the fire (Jn 15:6). We will come to a tragic end (Lk...

“The son grew angry at this.” –Luke 15:28 Unlike his father, the older son wasn’t out looking for his brother to return. The older son was, in a sense, biding his time, serving his father but without much of a relationship with him despite the father’s love for him. The younger son asked for his inheritance, showing so much disdain for his father that he essentially told him to his face that he was more valuable to him dead than alive. The older son showed that he was not that much different than his brother; he considered working for his...

“The Stone Which the builders rejected has become the Keystone of the structure. It was the Lord Who did this and we find it marvelous to behold.” –Matthew 21:42; Psalm 118:22 Jesus is “the Stone Which the builders rejected.” Jesus was rejected at birth (Lk 2:7). He was rejected by his hometown (see Lk 4:29). He was rejected by the Pharisees, scribes, and priests. He was abandoned by His apostles and disciples, denied three times by Peter, and betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver. At His crucifixion, He was rejected by Pontius Pilate, Herod, the soldiers executing Him,...