Tagged: verse for the day

Jesus said: “None of those who cry out, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.” –Matthew 7:21 When we think of sinners, we think of atheists, agnostics, and those who scorn religion. These people are certainly sinners. Nevertheless, sinners also include religious people who cry out to God, “Lord, Lord,” but do not do His will (Mt 7:21). The first sinners, Adam and Eve, had a personal relationship with the Lord, for they walked with Him in the evening (see Gn 3:8). Cain, the first murderer,...

“Behold our God, to Whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for Whom we looked.” –Isaiah 25:9 Christmas is Christ’s coming in the next few weeks in a new, powerful, and much needed way. Christmas is not just a remembrance; it is a present reality. Therefore, Christmas will soon be either one of the best things that has ever happened to us or a sadly missed opportunity. When Christ comes this Christmastime, He will provide for us richly. Jesus will “destroy the veil” which keeps us in the dark, free us from the web “woven over all...

“The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye.” ––Psalm 19:9 A few years ago, I attended a cordial meeting with Christians of various faith traditions. One non-Catholic participant excitedly posed a question to the group: “Brothers and sisters, do we not all agree with Romans 10:9, ‘For if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved’ ?” He assumed we would all agree a verbal confession guarantees our salvation. Rather than...

“Let us walk in the light of the Lord!” –Isaiah 2:5 In the northern hemisphere, the days are growing ever darker as we approach the shortest and darkest day of the year, the winter solstice on December 21. In the world, we are a people that walks in ever-increasing darkness (see Is 9:1). In the spiritual world, though, we have the light of the Lord (Is 2:5). We prepare during this time of Advent for the coming at Christmas of the Christ-Child. In the world, there is indeed darkness and gloom (Is 9:1), resulting from a world of sin and...