Tagged: verse for the day

“He touched their eyes and said, ‘Because of your faith it shall be done to you’; and they recovered their sight.” –Matthew 9:29-30 In today’s Scripture readings, the Church is proclaiming God’s promise that “the eyes of the blind shall see” (Is 29:18). She implies that Jesus will heal blind people this Christmas season. This is great news for the physically blind, those who love the blind, and those who realize their spiritual blindness. All of us are spiritually blind in some way. For example, some people honestly don’t see what’s wrong with artificial birth control. This blindness warps their...

“It is trampled underfoot by the needy, by the footsteps of the poor.” –Isaiah 26:6 Before Jesus’ birth, Mary praised and prophesied: God “has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. The hungry He has given every good thing, while the rich He has sent empty away” (Lk 1:52-53). Before this year’s Christmas celebration of Jesus’ birth, Mary’s prophecy will again be fulfilled. God “chose the world’s lowborn and despised, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who were something” (1 Cor 1:28). “He humbles those in high places, and the...

Jesus “took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks He broke them and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. All ate until they were full.” –Matthew 15:36-37 Because Jesus is the same today as yesterday (Heb 13:8), this Christmas season will be a mountain-top experience. “The Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples” a great feast (Is 25:6). The result of this Christmas season will be “great astonishment” as we behold “the mute speaking, the deformed made sound, cripples walking about, and the blind seeing” (Mt 15:31). “The Lord...

“I tell you, many prophets and kings wished to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” –Luke 10:24 The prophet Isaiah, who gave us today’s first reading, had extraordinary visions of the future kingdom of God (e.g. Is 6:1ff; 11:1ff). No doubt Isaiah would have done anything to trade places with us so he could attend just one Mass. He could not see or hear what we can presently see and hear at Mass. King David, who composed psalms which prophesied the coming Messiah (e.g. Ps 2:7;...

“May He strengthen your hearts, making them blameless and holy before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus.” —1 Thessalonians 3:13 Happy New Year! This is the first day of the Church’s year and the beginning of the Advent season. “This holy season teaches us that Christ’s coming was not only for the benefit of His contemporaries; His power has still to be communicated to us all” (from a pastoral letter by St. Charles Borromeo, read at the Office of Readings for Monday of the first week of Advent). The purpose of Advent is to prepare...