Tagged: verse for the day

THE PENTECOST NOVENA

“On that day you will have no questions to ask Me.” –John 16:23 When we are with Jesus in heaven, all the difficult questions will pass away. We won’t need to know why bad things happen on this earth. Seeing Jesus face-to-face will be more than enough. Being with Jesus will cause all else to melt away. Until that day in heaven for which we long and sacrifice, we do not have the answers we want. Rather, we have the Answer, that is, the Holy Spirit. Today begins the Pentecost Novena, nine days of prayer to prepare for receiving the...

TALKING IN CHURCH

“Every sabbath, in the synagogue, Paul led discussions in which he persuaded certain Jews and Greeks.” –Acts 18:4 Mass Readings: May 10 First: Acts 18:1-8; Resp: Psalm 98:1-4; Gospel: John 16:16-20 Listen to the Mass Readings It’s not unusual to see people talking in church in the USA. People greet one another before or after Mass. They talk about their children, politics, sports, the obituaries, school, the weather, etc. Some even discuss church-related things, such as parish politics or issues about the parish school. How many people in church talk about Jesus? Every week, St. Paul talked in church about...

HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOU WANT?

“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.” –John 16:12 Mass Readings: May 9 First: Acts 17:15,22–18:1; Resp: Psalm 148:1-2,11-14; Gospel: John 16:12-15 Listen to the Mass Readings We need the Pentecost Novena, which starts in two days, because we are not ready to hear what Jesus desires to tell us. No matter how close we are to the Lord, He always has “much more” for us (Jn 16:12) – more ministry, more peace, more stretching. We may already be stretched as far as we think possible. Like a woman in the last month of...

HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOU WANT?

“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.” –John 16:12 Mass Readings: May 9 First: Acts 17:15,22–18:1; Resp: Psalm 148:1-2,11-14; Gospel: John 16:12-15 Listen to the Mass Readings We need the Pentecost Novena, which starts in two days, because we are not ready to hear what Jesus desires to tell us. No matter how close we are to the Lord, He always has “much more” for us (Jn 16:12) – more ministry, more peace, more stretching. We may already be stretched as far as we think possible. Like a woman in the last month of...

THE ONLY LIFE WORTH DYING FOR

“I will give thanks to You, O Lord, with all my heart.” –Psalm 138:1 Mass Readings: May 8 First: Acts 16:22-34; Resp: Psalm 138:1-3,7-8; Gospel: John 16:5-11 Listen to the Mass Readings The “radical newness” of the Christian life (see Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People, Pope St. John Paul II, 10) is sometimes buried under our sins and lukewarmness (see Rv 3:16). In our refusal to abandon ourselves totally to the Lord, we make Christianity a club, game, organization, or private avocation. However, life in Christ is not merely one option as a possible way of life. It is...