Tagged: verse of the day

O, COME, O, COME – TO THE CROSS

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon your shoulders.” –Matthew 11:28-29 Mass Readings: December 7 First: Isaiah 40:25-31; Resp: Psalm 103:1-4,8,10; Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30 In eighteen days, we will be singing “O come, all ye faithful.” When we come to Jesus with all our weariness and burdens, He will give us rest by first unburdening us and then re-burdening us with His yoke, the cross. When we realize that Jesus is about to put the weight of the cross on our lives, we are afraid and...

THE POWER OF ONE

“Here comes with power the Lord God…like a shepherd.” –Isaiah 40:10, 11 Mass Readings: December 6 First: Isaiah 40:1-11; Resp: Psalm 96:1-3,10-13; Gospel: Matthew 18:12-14 The Lord God comes with power and rules with His strong arm (Is 40:10). The Lord God also comes like a humble, gentle shepherd, and His strong arm gently gathers us, His lambs, with tender care (Is 40:11). How does this seeming paradox work? God’s purpose in coming to earth and exercising His power is to gather all people together as one and keep us united as His body (see Jn 11:52; 17:21; 10:16; Eph...

WANTED: STRETCHER-BEARERS AND ROOFERS

“They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but they found no way of getting him through because of the crowd, so they went up on the roof.” –Luke 5:18-19 Mass Readings: December 5 First: Isaiah 35:1-10; Resp: Psalm 85:9-14; Gospel: Luke 5:17-26 Many people, even Christians, have been so brainwashed, manipulated, and overwhelmed by the consumeristic hype of Christmas that they can’t see the Christ of Christmas because of the crowd of obstructions. Nevertheless, some of these people have not been so enslaved that they are helpless. These people, like Zacchaeus, can climb a tree,...

THE ADVENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him.” –Isaiah 11:2 Mass Readings: December 4 First: Isaiah 11:1-10; Resp: Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,12-13,17;Second: Romans 15:4-9;Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 Imagine a world without violence, injustice, tragedy, “harm or ruin” (Is 11:9). Imagine a world where everyone knows the Lord deeply and lives and loves accordingly (see Is 11:9). This is the kind of world that the Holy Spirit is re-creating at this very moment (Ps 104:30). Get out of the “culture of death” (Pope St. John Paul II). Be a part of the “new civilization of love” (Blessed Pope Paul VI). Renew your Baptism...

GIFT LISTS

“The gift you have received, give as a gift.” –Matthew 10:8 Mass Readings: December 3 First: Isaiah 30:19-21,23-26; Resp: Psalm 147:1-6; Gospel: Matthew 9:35–10:1,5,6-8 One of the most famous (or infamous) Christmas songs is “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.” Sadly, if that’s all you want, that may be all you’ll get. I don’t know about you, but I want a lot more than some teeth: I want the sick cured, the dead raised, the leprous healed, and demons expelled (Mt 10:8). I want workers for the harvest (Mt 9:38) and the kingdom of God on...