Tagged: word of god

“Vanity of vanities!” –Ecclesiastes 1:2 Mass Readings: September 22 First: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11; Resp: Psalm 90:3-6,12-14,17; Gospel: Luke 9:7-9 The book of Ecclesiastes is traditionally attributed to Solomon because its author, Qoheleth, is identified as David’s son (Eccl 1:1). This association makes the message of Ecclesiastes more poignant. Qoheleth, or possibly Solomon, announced that everything is vanity, work and money are useless (Eccl 1:3), “there is nothing man can say” (Eccl 1:8), and all our entertainments are empty (Eccl 1:8). This is quite a statement for anyone to make, but it’s even more significant coming from the mouth of the wisest,...

“Jesus saw a man named Matthew at his post where taxes were collected.” –Matthew 9:9 Mass Readings: September 21 First: Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13; Resp: Psalm 19:2-5; Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13 Matthew was a tax collector. To a Jew, this was one of the most despicable jobs possible (see Mt 18:17). Tax collectors usually perpetrated violence and injustice against the poor. Worse than that, however, they sold out to the enemy, the Romans. Moreover, their association with the Romans made them unclean. Thus, tax collectors gave up their participation in the Jewish community and its worship. Because of all this, a good Jew...

“No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel basket or under a bed; he puts it on a lampstand so that whoever comes in can see it.” –Luke 8:16 Mass Readings: September 19 First: Proverbs 3:27-34;Resp: Psalm 15:2-5;Gospel: Luke 8:16-18; Jesus commanded us to put His light on the lampstand and proclaim the gospel to the whole world (Lk 8:16). He also said His Word would get out to people even if we failed to proclaim it. “There is nothing hidden that will not be exposed, nothing concealed that will not be known and brought to light”...

“Prayer of this kind is good, and God our Savior is pleased with it, for He wants all men to be saved.” –1 Timothy 2:3-4 The Lord wants us to pray that the world be governed so as to promote the best conditions for accepting His salvation. He wants all to be saved. He even became a human being and died on the cross so that all could be saved. “The grace of God has appeared, offering salvation to all” (Ti 2:11). What must we do to be saved from sin, Satan, hell, slavery, self-hatred, and darkness? What must we...

“This is the meaning of the parable…hear the word in a spirit of openness, retain it, and bear fruit through perseverance.” –Luke 8:11, 15 Mass Readings: September 17 First: Galatians 6:14-18; Resp: Galatians 2:16,20. Philippians 1:20-21; Gospel: Luke 9:23-26 Ground is valued by its fertility, that is, how productive and fruitful it is. Jesus tells us exactly how to bear fruit: “Hear the word in a spirit of openness” (Lk 8:15). To hear the Word of God, we must eliminate any background noise. We must cultivate a spirit of openness. Just like a farmer turns over the ground by plowing...