Tagged: Daily Reflections

“Do not behave like the hypocrites.” –Matthew 6:5 Mass Readings: June 21 First: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Resp: Psalm 112:1-4,9; Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6,16-18 Listen to the Mass Readings The root of the word “hypocrite” means “play-acting.” Jesus teaches that discipleship can never involve play-acting; being a disciple of Christ means to live righteously from the heart. Disciples live to please the Lord God (see 1 Thes 2:4), not to obtain a reward for ourselves. The word “reward,” in this parable, means a limited repayment, which only satisfies the “actor.” The word “repayment,” as applied to God repaying an act of trusting,...

“In the midst of severe trial their overflowing joy and deep poverty have produced an abundant generosity.” –2 Corinthians 8:2 Mass Readings: June 20 First: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9;Resp: Psalm 146:2,5-9;Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48 Listen to the Mass Readings God gives. The Father and the Son constantly and eternally give Themselves to each Other, and Their Gift is the Holy Spirit. God constantly gives us His life with all its love and power. This is called grace. God gave His very self when He gave His Son to die on the cross for us. Jesus, God Himself, even continues to give His...

We are “sorrowful, though we are always rejoicing; poor, yet we enrich many. We seem to have nothing, yet everything is ours!” –2 Corinthians 6:10 Mass Readings: June 19 First: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Resp: Psalm 98:1-4; Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42 Listen to the Mass Readings When we were baptized, all heaven broke loose. We were begotten from above, born again (Jn 3:3, 5), and adopted as children of God. Our bodies were made temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). We became “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Pt 2:9). The Holy Trinity came to live...

“The man who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.” –John 6:56 Listen to the Mass Readings This book, One Bread, One Body, is written to motivate you to go to Mass daily or as often as possible. Our prayer is that you would live the Mass and make our eucharistic Lord the center of your life. Jesus proclaimed: “The bread I will give is My flesh, for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51). This is a hard saying, and “the Jews quarreled among themselves” about it (Jn 6:52). “Thereupon Jesus...

“He died for all so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him Who for their sakes died and was raised up.” –2 Corinthians 5:15 Mass Readings: June 17 First: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Resp: Psalm 103:1-4,9-12; Gospel: Matthew 5:33-37 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus died for us – not only for our benefit, but in our place. Once we accept the grace to believe this, the love of Christ impels us to live no longer for ourselves but for Him Who died for us and was raised up (2 Cor 5:14-15). After grace and...