Tagged: Daily Reflections

“There was a certain Levite from Cyprus named Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (meaning ‘son of encouragement’). He sold a farm that he owned and made a donation of the money, laying it at the apostles’ feet.” –Acts 4:36-37 Mass Readings: April 10 First: Acts 4:32-37; Resp: Psalm 93:1-2,5;Gospel: John 3:7-15 Listen to the Mass Readings To witness powerfully “to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 4:33), we need people like Mary who will continue steadfastly praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). We also need faithful people like Matthias to replace...

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence, the holy Offspring to be born will be called Son of God.” –Luke 1:35 Mass Readings: April 9 First: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10; Resp: Psalm 40:7-11; Second: Hebrews 10:4-10; Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 Listen to the Mass Readings Christianity is the only religion which believes that God became man. Some religions would even consider the idea of God’s Incarnation blasphemous. Nonetheless, we Christians believe the Incarnation is the only hope for the world. For example, the greatest religion next to Christianity is Judaism. Jesus...

“Jesus was revealed to the Eleven. He took them to task for their disbelief and their stubbornness, since they had put no faith in those who had seen Him after He had been raised.” –Mark 16:14 Mass Readings: April 7 First: Acts 4:13-21; Resp: Psalm 118:1,14-21; Gospel: Mark 16:9-15 Listen to the Mass Readings The apostles didn’t have faith in the risen Christ even after hearing about His Resurrection from Mary Magdalene and the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Mk 16:11, 13). Then the risen Jesus Himself rebuked the apostles for their lack of faith...

“It was done in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean Whom you crucified and Whom God raised from the dead.” –Acts 4:10 Mass Readings: April 6 First: Acts 4:1-12; Resp: Psalm 118:1-2,4,22-27; Gospel: John 21:1-14 Listen to the Mass Readings Peter recognized the risen Christ when he repented of going back into the fishing business (see Jn 21:3ff). Three-thousand people were baptized into the risen Christ when they repented of their part in Jesus’ crucifixion through their sins (Acts 2:38, 41). On the evening after Jesus’ Resurrection, He commanded His apostles to preach to the nations “repentance and forgiveness...

“When Peter saw this, he addressed the people as follows…” –Acts 3:12 Mass Readings: April 5 First: Acts 3:11-26; Resp: Psalm 8:2,5-9; Gospel: Luke 24:35-48 Listen to the Mass Readings When Peter preached the next time after Pentecost, the Lord led many to believe. “The number of the men came to about five thousand” (Acts 4:4). In this preaching, Peter proclaimed that: God healed the lame man to glorify Jesus (Acts 3:13). His fellow Israelites and all of us “disowned the Holy and Just One” (Acts 3:14) and “put to death the Author of life” (Acts 3:15). “God raised [Jesus]...