Category: Message of the Day

UPSIDE-DOWN

“Those whom He foreknew He predestined to share the image of His Son.” –Romans 8:29 Mass Readings: September 8 First: Micah 5:1-4; Resp: Psalm 13:6; Gospel: Matthew 1:1-16,18-23 It’s not surprising when children look like their parents; after all, children inherit their genetic makeup from their parents. However, Mary looked like Jesus. Although she was Jesus’ mother, she was made in the image of her Son (Rm 8:29). This is because those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rm 8:29). Mary was conformed to the image of God. Her birth prefigures our...

THE BEATITUDES-BATTLE

“Then, raising His eyes to His disciples, [Jesus] said: ‘Blest are you poor; the reign of God is yours.’ ” –Luke 6:20 Mass Readings: September 7 First: 1 Corinthians 7:25-31; Resp: Psalm 45:11-17; Gospel: Luke 6:20-26 Because “the Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching” (Catechism, 1716), they are extremely important and therefore are vehemently opposed by the devil. Because the Beatitudes are “paradoxical promises” (1717), which “confront us with decisive choices concerning earthly goods” (1728), we naturally resist living the Beatitudes. Because the world, the flesh, and the devil hate the Beatitudes, they put extreme pressure on us...

SUING AND REAPING

“Why, the very fact that you have lawsuits against one another is disastrous for you.” –1 Corinthians 6:7 Mass Readings: September 6 First: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11; Resp: Psalm 149:1-6,9; Gospel: Luke 6:12-19 The Lord reveals in the Bible that it is disastrous for Christians to sue Christians. This results in injuring and cheating those who may have injured and cheated us (1 Cor 6:8). Suing other Christians can make us unholy and deprive us from inheriting God’s kingdom, even though we have been “washed, consecrated, justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our...

THE YEAST OF THE BRETHREN

“Do you not know that a little yeast has its effect all through the dough?” –1 Corinthians 5:6 Those who commit sin are like yeast which has its effect all through the Christian community. Therefore, we must: overcome temptations to sin so as not to hurt ourselves and others, repent and go to Confession as soon as possible if we have sinned, forgive those who are sinning and are thereby hurting themselves and our community, be ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18) by praying for those who have sinned (1 Jn 5:16), correcting them (Lk 17:3; Mt 18:15; Ez 3:18;...

SUPREME AND EXTREME LOVE

“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters, indeed his very self, he cannot be My disciple.” –Luke 14:26, our transl Mass Readings: September 4 First: Wisdom 9:13-18; Resp: Psalm 90:3-6,12-13,14-17; Second: Philemon 9-10,12-17; Gospel: Luke 14:25-33. A traditional hymn begins: “Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All, how can I love Thee as I ought?” We love Jesus as we ought by loving Him with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength (Lk 10:27). When we give our “all” to Jesus, our...