Tagged: verse for the day

Jesus said: “The reign of God is also like a dragnet thrown into the lake, which collected all sorts of things.” –Matthew 13:47 Mass Readings: August 3 First: Exodus 40:16-21,34-38; Resp: Psalm 84:3-6,8,11; Gospel: Matthew 13:47-53 Listen to the Mass Readings At this moment, the dragnet is being pulled over the earth. It is collecting all sorts of things – churches, committed Christians, the lukewarm, sinners, denominations, ministries, the “religious,” church-goers, etc. The Lord will sift through this motley crew when the net is finally hauled ashore on Judgment Day at the end of the world. Then the angels will...

“The skin of Moses’ face was radiant.” –Exodus 34:35 Mass Readings: August 2 First: Sirach 24:1-4,16,22-24; Resp: Psalm 34:5,7,9-10,18-19; Second: Galatians 4:3-7; Gospel: Luke 1:26-33 Listen to the Mass Readings When “Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments” (Ex 34:29), he had the first halo ever seen. He got this halo by conversing with God (Ex 34:29) and on the occasion of receiving the Ten Commandments. Like Moses, we should receive haloes. In fact, we have a greater opportunity to receive a halo than did Moses (see Mt 11:11), for we have access to...

“The field is the world.” —Matthew 13:38 Mass Readings: August 1 First: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5-9,28; Resp: Psalm 103:6-13; Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43 Listen to the Mass Readings The field is the world. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” to give up all that He owned, purchase that field, and die in agony on His cross so the field and its inhabitants might not perish, but have everlasting life (Jn 3:16; Mt 13:44). The field is full of people. Jesus loves all people, for they are made in His image and likeness (Gn 1:27). To Jesus, this...

“What did this people ever do to you that you should lead them into so grave a sin?” –Exodus 32:21 Mass Readings: July 31 First: Exodus 32:15-24,30-34; Resp: Psalm 106:19-23; Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35 Listen to the Mass Readings Aaron’s leadership style was to satisfy the people. When the people approached him with a problem, Aaron didn’t consider God’s wishes. Instead, he tried to satisfy the people’s desires. Not succeeding, he simply “let the people run wild” (Ex 32:25). Under Aaron’s weak “leadership,” sinfulness, chaos, and confusion reigned instead of godly order (see 1 Cor 14:33, 40). Diotrephes, an early Christian...

“The reign of God is like a buried treasure which a man found in a field.” –Matthew 13:44 Just because we’re in the Lord’s dragnet doesn’t mean He will retain us at the end of the world (Mt 13:47ff). Just because we’re in the Lord’s field, it doesn’t mean we are God’s wheat. We may be weeds to be burned (Mt 13:40). Just because we go to church doesn’t mean we are automatically living in God’s kingdom. Doing Christian things and living in the midst of Christians doesn’t make us Christians (see Lk 13:26-27). We are Christians and followers of...