Tagged: Daily Reflections
“I ask you, how can God’s love survive in a man who has enough of this world’s goods yet closes his heart to his brother when he sees him in need?” –1 John 3:17 Mass Readings: January 5 First: 1 John 3:11-21; Resp: Psalm 100:1-5; Gospel: John 1:43-51 John points out the obvious connection between love and need. If we love someone, we will want to provide that person’s needs. Otherwise, our talk about love is mere lip service (Mt 15:8; Is 29:13) and not authentic (1 Jn 3:18). The greatest need of the human person is to know Jesus...
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“When Jesus turned around and noticed them following Him, He asked them, ‘What are you looking for?’ ” –John 1:38 Mass Readings: January 4 First: 1 John 3:7-10; Resp: Psalm 98:1,7-9;Gospel: John 1:35-42 Andrew and another disciple of John the Baptizer followed Jesus from a distance. Likewise, today there are many long-distance followers of Jesus. Are you close to the Lord? Or are your prayers long-distance calls? Jesus has become a man. He even gives Himself to us in the Eucharist to be closer than close to us. He challenges us to look into our hearts and ask ourselves what...
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“See what love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called children of God!” –1 John 3:1 Mass Readings: January 3 First: Philippians 2:5-11; Resp: Psalm 113:1-8; Gospel: Matthew 1:18-23 Something happened to St. John that needs to happen to all of us. Like many of us, John heard he was a child of God. But by the grace of the Holy Spirit, John realized radically what it means to be a child of God. The Spirit cried out in his heart: “Abba” (Gal 4:6; Rm 8:15). It was as if John had heard the voice of...
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“A week later, the disciples were once more in the room, and this time Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors, Jesus came.” —John 20:26 We have a Church full of doubting Thomases. As Thomas later became a great missionary and martyr, so these doubting Thomases today are called to renew the face of the earth in the power of the Holy Spirit (see Ps 104:30). However, they must first be transformed from having little faith to having strong faith. We have a Church full of fearful disciples. These Christians acknowledge that Jesus is risen. However, because these disciples...
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“Through it all the seed sprouts and grows without his knowing how it happens.” –Mark 4:27. Because the Church was founded by Jesus (Mt 16:18), because Jesus is the Head of the Church (Eph 1:22), and because the Church is the heart of God’s kingdom (see Mt 16:19), the Church will always grow (Mk 4:28) and will last forever (see Heb 12:28). Even if the Church in some areas is as small as a mustard seed, it will surely grow (Mk 4:31ff). Even if Christians are very weak, the Church will become strong, for God’s power reaches perfection in our...
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