Tagged: message of the day
“[Jesus] went off to the mountain to pray.” –Mark 6:46 In today’s Scripture readings, love is not contrasted to hate. Rather, love is contrasted with fear (1 Jn 4:18), and the antidote to fear is prayer. Thus, the Lord teaches us that love increases through a relationship with God. Prayer is a conversation with God, with us doing most of the listening and God doing most of the speaking. Consider a young man and woman in love. They contemplate marriage. Considerable risks and expenses are involved: one spouse might die prematurely, the expenses of bearing, raising, and educating children, risks...
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Jesus “broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to distribute. He divided the two fish among all of them and they ate until they had their fill.” –Mark 6:41-42 In the Christmas season, we celebrate the historical event that God became man and was born in Bethlehem. Christmas should not be about fictitious reindeer, snowmen, and other cartoon characters. Christmas is about the Word of God literally becoming flesh (Jn 1:14). Jesus’ birth in a stable at Bethlehem is not just a symbol but a fact. In today’s Gospel reading, we read about another fact: the multiplication of...
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“And this is how we know that He remains in us: from the Spirit that He gave us.” –1 John 3:24 At the Christmas season, we celebrate not only Immanuel, “God with us” but also God within us. “Those who keep His commandments remain in Him and He in them” (1 Jn 3:24; see also 1 Jn 4:16; 5:20; Jn 14:20; 6:56; 17:23). Christ in us is our “hope of glory” (Col 1:27). However, “perhaps you yourselves do not realize that Christ Jesus is in you” (2 Cor 13:5). “This is how we know that He remains in us: from...
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“Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” –Isaiah 60:1 On every Epiphany, the Lord commands us to “rise up in splendor,” to put the light of our lives in Christ on the lampstand to give light to all in darkness (see Lk 8:16). We must let our “little light shine” and let the world know the true message of Christmas – that Jesus became a human being, was born, died on a cross, and rose from the dead to save us. Before we rise up, we must see two things. First,...
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“I have written you these things about those who try to deceive you.” –1 John 2:26 “Who is the liar?” (1 Jn 2:22) Satan is “the father of lies…the truth is not in him” (Jn 8:44). Our secular culture believes the lies Satan is constantly feeding them: You won’t go to hell; there is no hell. In fact there is no sin. If it feels good, do it. Sexual acts outside of marriage are not a sin; everyone does them. Marriage is not just between one man and one woman and “same-sex” marriage is legal, therefore, it’s not sinful and...
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