Tagged: verse for the day

FAITH-SHARING

“I am ‘a voice in the desert, crying out: Make straight the way of the Lord!’ ” —John 1:23 As we begin a new year, the Lord reminds us that people and even demons are lying in an attempt to deceive us (1 Jn 2:22, 26). If we fall for their deception, we will lose everything, that is, eternal life (see 1 Jn 2:25). This deception is focused on getting us to deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Because Jesus is the only Way to the Father (Jn 14:6) and the only One...

FAITH-SHARING

“I am ‘a voice in the desert, crying out: Make straight the way of the Lord!’ ” —John 1:23 As we begin a new year, the Lord reminds us that people and even demons are lying in an attempt to deceive us (1 Jn 2:22, 26). If we fall for their deception, we will lose everything, that is, eternal life (see 1 Jn 2:25). This deception is focused on getting us to deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Because Jesus is the only Way to the Father (Jn 14:6) and the only One...

PEACEMAKING

“The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!” —Numbers 6:24-26 For almost fifty years, the popes have been calling us to devote this first day of the year to praying for peace and justice. Few Catholics have listened to the popes, and we have reaped the wages of our disobedience in war and death (see Rm 6:23). May this New Year’s Day be new. May we obey and be peacemakers (see Mt 5:9). Mary, the queen of peace,...

HOW TO END A YEAR

“Children, it is the final hour; just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many such antichrists have appeared.” –1 John 2:18 Many “antichrists have appeared.” “It was from our ranks that they took their leave — not that they really belonged to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have stayed with us” (1 Jn 2:19). There are baptized Christians who are officially members of the Church but do not belong to the Church in their hearts. These people have joined the Church socially and culturally but have not totally given their lives...

HERODS CAN BECOME “HOLY INNOCENTS”

“…Rachel bewailing her children; no comfort for her, since they are no more.” –Matthew 2:18 Why does the Lord permit evil? Why did He allow “the massacre of all the boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and its environs”? (Mt 2:16) One explanation is that He loves the Herods of the world very much and wants to save them all (see 1 Tm 2:4). The suffering of these innocents is the most powerful means in God’s plan of salvation for changing the most hardened Herod-hearts. We see this in the deaths of the martyrs and especially in the...