Tagged: verse for the day
Jesus “touched their eyes and said, ‘Because of your faith it shall be done to you’; and they recovered their sight.” —Matthew 9:29-30 The Church prepares us for Christ’s Christmas coming by proclaiming Jesus healing the blind (see Is 29:18; 35:5). This applies not only to the physically blind, but especially to the spiritually blind, who have been blinded by the darkness of sin (see 1 Jn 2:11) and “the god of the present age” (see 2 Cor 4:4). The cause of spiritual blindness is sin, and we are freed from spiritual blindness by repentance. When we sin, it is...
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“Trust in the Lord forever!” —Isaiah 26:4 Advent is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. Just as a mother has nine months to prepare her home for the arrival of her baby, so we have four weeks to prepare the way of the Lord in our life. It’s easy to give Jesus only lip-service, and not life-service (see Mk 7:6-7). A litmus test for our hearts is to compare our lifestyle and our actions against the Word of God: 1) Are you keeping God’s commandments? Jesus says: “If you love Me, keep My...
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“Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message.” –Psalm 19:5 Christians are living in love (Jn 15:9-10) with God Who is Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16). Impelled by love (2 Cor 5:14), we publicly “confess with [our] lips that Jesus is Lord” and Love (Rm 10:9). We are not ashamed of the Good News of God’s love, although it is crucified love (Rm 1:16). Love is to be expressed and shared — no matter what the consequences in a hateful world (see Prv 27:5). In God’s love, we are bound to overturn...
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“I am not worthy to have You under my roof. Just give an order.” –Matthew 8:8 On this second day of Advent, we must be careful to get off to a good start. We need to come to the Lord, to Mass, to prayer, and to repentance when the Lord orders us to “come” (see Mt 8:9). We also need to do good, do justice (Is 1:17), and do His will when Jesus commands us: “Do this” (see Mt 8:9). Jesus is God and He alone knows how to prepare us for His special coming this Christmas. Consequently, with the...
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“You must be prepared in the same way. The Son of Man is coming at the time you least expect.” –Matthew 24:44 Happy Advent! Advent is about the three comings of Christ: 1) Jesus first came to earth as a Baby, humble and lowly, at Bethlehem (Lk 2:4ff). 2) Jesus will come again at His Second Coming on the last day (Mt 24:30-31). This coming will be as majestic as His first coming was humble (1 Thes 4:16; Lk 21:27). 3) The third coming of Jesus is the coming of the Eucharistic Jesus into our souls today. Jesus’ coming in...
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