Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

“At daybreak He called His disciples and selected twelve of them to be His apostles.” –Luke 6:13 Mass Readings: September 12 First: Galatians 4:4-7; Resp: Luke 1:46-55; Gospel: Luke 1:39-57 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus chose twelve apostles, in whom He invested the last three years of His life. We, as followers of Jesus, are also called to invest our lives in not just a nuclear family or a circle of friends, but in a small Christian community. By virtue of our Baptisms, we are called toA live as brothers and sisters in Christ. We should be brothers and...

“We admonish all men and teach them in the full measure of wisdom, hoping to make every man complete in Christ.” –Colossians 1:28 Jesus came that we “might have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10). Today’s first reading reveals the fullness Jesus wants us to have: full sufferings. We “fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ” in our own flesh (Col 1:24) for the good of others, the fullness of God’s Word (Col 1:25), full glory – beyond price (Col 1:27), full revelation (Col 1:26) of what was once a mystery but is now...

“You shall warn them for Me.” –Ezekiel 33:7 Millions of parents are killing their newly-conceived children by the “pill,” Depo-provera, Norplant, and other abortifacient methods. If we don’t speak out to dissuade these people from sinning and killing, we will be partially responsible for their deaths, meaning their deaths due to sin, which is ultimately damnation (see Ez 33:8). Each of us probably know people who are racially prejudiced, taking advantage of others in their business, committing sexual sins, being unforgiving to their enemies, or committing other sins. If we do not warn these people and call them to repent,...

“But now Christ has achieved reconciliation for you.” –Colossians 1:22 Mass Readings: September 9 First: Colossians 1:21-23; Resp: Psalm 54:3-4,6,8; Gospel: Luke 6:1-5 Listen to the Mass Readings Without Jesus, we would die doomed to alienation from God, other people, the world, and ourselves (Col 1:21). Without Jesus, we would nourish hostility in our hearts (Col 1:21). “We went our way in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another” (Ti 3:3). We were dead because of our sins (Eph 2:1). We “gave allegiance to the present age and to the prince of the air, that spirit who is...

“But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me One Who is to be Ruler in Israel.” –Micah 5:1 Mass Readings: September 8 First: Micah 5:1-4; Resp: Psalm 13:6; Gospel: Matthew 1:1-16,18-23 Listen to the Mass Readings The “little town” of Bethlehem was too small to be on the map of the tribe of Judah, even though it lay within Judah’s borders. God, however, has a different map, and Bethlehem was big in His plans, for it would be the birthplace of the Ruler of Israel and Savior of the...