Tagged: Prayers in English

ROBBED BLIND

“The evil one approaches him to steal away what was sown in his mind.” –Matthew 13:19 Mass Readings: July 28 First: Exodus 20:1-17; Resp: Psalm 19:8-11; Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23 Listen to the Mass Readings How much of God’s Word have you heard over the years at home, in church and school, through reading and teaching? How much of God’s Word do you know and live? The difference in the answer to these two questions shows us how much the evil one has robbed us. Many of us have been exposed to God’s Word for years but have little to show...

THE MOST BLESSED

“To you has been given a knowledge of the mysteries of the reign of God, but it has not been given to the others.” –Matthew 13:11 Mass Readings: July 27 First: Exodus 19:1-2,9-11,16-20; Resp: Daniel 3:52-56; Gospel: Matthew 13:10-17 Listen to the Mass Readings Less than one-third of the people on earth have been baptized into the Church and have become children of God. If you are in that number, consider yourself very blest. Less than one-fifth of the world has received Holy Communion – even once. A smaller percentage of these people have the opportunity of going to Mass...

FARM WORK

“One day a farmer went out…” –Matthew 13:4 Mass Readings: July 26 First: Sirach 44:1,10-15; Resp: Psalm 132:11,13-14,17-18; Gospel: Matthew 13:16-17 Listen to the Mass Readings The kingdom of God is like breaking ground. The ground may be rock, a footpath (Mt 13:4), or just rocky (Mt 13:5). In our post-Christian, anti-Christian culture of death, groundbreaking is a major task. We can break open the hardest ground and hardest hearts by obeying the Lord. Often He calls us to pray and fast, prophesy, and suffer redemptively. These are principal ways in which the Lord lets us join in groundbreaking. The...

THE CONTINUAL, CONSTANT CROSS

“Continually we carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus.” –2 Corinthians 4:10 Mass Readings: July 25 First: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15; Resp: Psalm 126:1-6; Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28 Listen to the Mass Readings Although James and John wanted prosperity and success, Jesus wanted them to take up the cross (see Mt 20:22ff). Jesus invites us not only to suffer in the pattern of His death (Phil 3:10) but even to be crucified with Him (see Gal 2:19). Furthermore, He calls us to make the cross not only an occasional moment in our lives but to “continually…carry about in our bodies...

GRAND STAND

“Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the Lord will win for you today.” –Exodus 14:13 Mass Readings: July 24 First: Exodus 14:5-18; Resp: Exodus 15:1-6; Gospel: Matthew 12:38-42 Listen to the Mass Readings If we stand our ground, we will see the victory of the Lord, for He will fight for us (Ex 14:14). Moses made this promise before the Lord rescued the chosen people by drowning the Egyptians in the Red Sea. This is a symbol of Baptism. When we stand on the ground of our Baptism, we will see the Lord’s victory. We must stand...