Tagged: message of the day

Prayer Looks to the Future

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is GOD’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Gratitude and thanksgiving always look back at the past, although they also take in the present. But prayer always looks to the future. Thanksgiving deals with things already received. Prayer deals with things desired, asked for, and expected. Prayer turns to gratitude and praise when the things asked for have been granted by GOD. As prayer brings things to us that produces gratitude and thanks giving, so praise and gratitude promote prayer and encourage more and better...

“ROCK”-ING CHAIR

“I for My part declare to you, you are ‘Rock,’ and on this rock I will build My Church.” –Matthew 16:18 Mass Readings: February 22 First: 1 Peter 5:1-4; Resp: Psalm 23:1-6; Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus is the Carpenter (Mk 6:3). He probably built several chairs out of wood. Like any skilled carpenter, Jesus would have built His chairs to last. The chair would have a firm foundation to prevent toppling and give confidence to the one seated in the chair. Jesus is also “Head of the Church” (Eph 1:22). As Founder and Head of...

GREATER THAN JONAH

“You have a greater than Jonah here.” –Luke 11:32 Mass Readings: February 21 First: Jonah 3:1-10;Resp: Psalm 51:3-4,12-13,18-19;Gospel: Luke 11:29-32 Listen to the Mass Readings Jonah was a reluctant, begrudging prophet. He did not want to obey the Lord. Yet he didn’t want to be in the belly of a whale either. However, the wicked Ninevites did not repent with begrudging, complaining reluctance. Incredibly, “they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth” (Jon 3:5). They had sinned with abandon, and they repented with much greater abandon. The queen of the south “came from the...

THE SPIRIT TEACHES US THE “OUR FATHER”

“This is how you are to pray.” –Matthew 6:9 Mass Readings: February 20 First: Isaiah 55:10-11; Resp: Psalm 34:4-7,16-19; Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15 Listen to the Mass Readings Prayer is to communicate with the infinite, perfect, all-holy God, Who is Love (1 Jn 4:16). Therefore, prayer is one of the most important aspects of being a human being. Prayer is an awesome privilege and power. In prayer, we are necessarily “in way over our heads.” Because of this, “we do not know how to pray as we ought” (Rm 8:26). Thankfully, the Holy Spirit “helps us in our weakness” (Rm 8:26)....

BREAD FROM HEAVEN

“Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You?” –Matthew 25:37 When Jesus comes in glory on Judgment Day, He will judge us on whether we fed Him by feeding the least of His and our brothers and sisters (Mt 25:35, 42). Jesus is so concerned with feeding us that, when Peter told Jesus that he loved Him, Jesus said: “Feed My lambs” and “Feed My sheep” (Jn 21:15, 17). To feed us, Jesus even went to the unimaginable extreme of making Himself the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35) and feeding us with His own body and blood (Jn...