Tagged: Daily Reflections

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

“Son and father go to the same prostitute.” –Amos 2:7 My adult son and I are attending early morning Mass on vacation at the beautiful diocesan Cathedral in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Bishop of the diocese is saying a Mass devoted to Mary, Help of Christians. This is a father-son camping vacation. My son and I are doing our best to put God first in our vacation, and the Lord in turn is blessing us abundantly by giving the two of us a Mass said by a bishop. Fathers have been blessed by God to have such a primary influence on...

THE GOOD NEWS, NOT THE BAD NEWS

“Jesus disregarded the report that had been brought.” –Mark 5:36 “He put them all out.” –Mark 5:40 Jesus refused to listen to humanity’s interpretation of an event. He put the naysayers out of the room. He disregarded the news that was reported of a girl’s death. Jesus saw beyond the externals and looked at the heart of the matter (see 1 Sm 16:7). Like Jesus, refuse to allow the world’s messengers to force-feed you with what they consider newsworthy. Rather, make the Good News your home (see Jn 8:31-32). Don’t let the bad news of this world reported by the...

THE DAY OF “WRECKONING”

The Lord “has torn down in His anger the fortresses of daughter Judah.” –Lamentations 2:2 Jesus came to proclaim and establish the kingdom of God and bring salvation to the human race by overcoming the sin of Adam. Jesus destroyed the power of Satan and overcomes him (see 1 Jn 3:8). Satan’s works cannot stand next to those of God. Anything built on a foundation based on evil must first be overturned and destroyed. Therefore, Jesus’ initial work must be that of a demolition crew. First, He needs to make a total wreck of the existing structure, if it is...

LOVE THE CHURCH

“I will build My Church, and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it.” –Matthew 16:18 Today we celebrate that Christ instituted the Church. He calls the Church His Body (e.g. Eph 1:22-23), His bride (see Eph 5:25-27), and “My Church” (Mt 16:18). The Church is the “Mystical Body of Christ” and the “new People of God” (Lumen Gentium, Vatican II, 8, 9). The Church alone is “the pillar and bulwark of truth” (1 Tm 3:15). She can attack the gates of hell, which cannot prevail against her (Mt 16:18). The Church is one, acknowledging one faith, one Lord,...

“I WISH TO KNOW CHRIST” (PHIL 3:10)

“I never knew you. Out of My sight, you evildoers.” –Matthew 7:23 Some of the Jews in exile in Babylon didn’t know God in relationship (see 2 Kgs 24:14ff), and so they didn’t change their lives as they might have had they been in a loving relationship with Him. They knew some information about God, but they didn’t know Him. Because the book of the law had been “lost” in the Temple for many years (see 2 Kgs 22:8ff), many of these Jews did not even know the basic facts about God. Learning facts about Jesus is important, but catechesis,...