Tagged: verse for the day

“They came…in accord with the dictate in the law of the Lord.” –Luke 2:24 In today’s Gospel reading recounting the presentation of Jesus and the purification of Mary in the Temple, Mary and Joseph do everything according to the law of Moses. Mary presents herself in the Temple to be purified forty days after the “uncleanness” of childbirth, though this was unnecessary since she was sinless and ever pure (see Lv 12:6-8). Mary and Joseph offered their first-born Son, Jesus, to the Lord, though this was unnecessary because the Baby Jesus was God Himself. However, the law required the first-born...

“He ordered the massacre of all the boys…in Bethlehem.” –Matthew 2:16 At the first Christmas, Herod killed several innocent children. This Christmas, many thousands of innocent children will be killed each day not only through surgical but especially chemical abortions. Today’s death toll of innocent babies is unprecedented in the history of the human race. St. Joseph saved his Foster-Son, Jesus, from death by obeying a revelation he received in a dream. Likewise, the Lord has revealed to us how we can stop the massacre of infants. He told us through Pope St. John Paul II that prayer and fasting...

“This life became visible.” –1 John 1:2 St. John proclaims the Incarnation in a spectacular fashion. The God Who is outside of time and space has entered into both in order to be with us, to become flesh and make His dwelling among us (Jn 1:14). Human beings could see, touch, hear, and even eat Jesus, the Word made flesh (1 Jn 1:1-2; Jn 6:50-58). St. John never got over the marvelous truth of the Incarnation, that the majestic God of Whom he wrote could be embraced, heard, and seen. John even leaned back against Jesus and felt Jesus’ Sacred...

“How beautiful…are the feet of Him Who brings glad tidings.” –Isaiah 52:7 In the days before modern global communications, messengers ran or walked to deliver their news transmissions. They brought news from loved ones in far-off places to people who could not travel. These messengers were most welcome couriers. Today, on this Christmas Day, we celebrate a pair of tiny, beautiful feet (Is 52:7) – those of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In times past God sent His messages “in fragmentary and varied ways…through the prophets” (Heb 1:1). “In this, the final age, He has spoken to us through...

“Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, uttered this prophecy.” –Luke 1:67 Zechariah had been unable to speak for nine months. He repented, obeyed God, and “snapped out of it,” as He was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” The Church is full of people like Zechariah. These people have prayed for years and are good people, but in some ways they are spiritually deaf, mute, blind, or paralyzed. Although they may be very active in their churches and doing a lot of good, something is holding them back from a full life in the Holy Spirit. On this Christmas...