Category: Daily Reflections

MIRACLE OF MIRACLES

“That we have passed from death to life we know because we love the brothers. The man who does not love is among the living dead.” —1 John 3:14 Throughout Advent, the Lord through His Word has promised us a miraculous Christmas. The blind would see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the dumb speak. Many of us may not have experienced such dramatic miracles this Christmas season. Nonetheless, there’s another miracle that is even more dramatic and more important: the miracle of unconditional love, love for enemies, love for the unlovable. This is the ultimate miracle of the...

A CLOSE CALL

“When Jesus turned around and noticed them following Him, He asked them, ‘What are you looking for?’ ” —John 1:38 Andrew and another disciple of John the Baptizer followed Jesus from a distance. Likewise, today there are many long-distance followers of Jesus. Are you close to the Lord? Or are your prayers “smoke signals”? Jesus has become a man. He even gives Himself to us in the Eucharist to be closer than close to us. He challenges us to look into our hearts and ask ourselves what we are looking for (Jn 1:38). Jesus, our Rabbi and Teacher (see Jn...

O HOLY NIGHT

“If you consider the holiness that is His, you can be sure that everyone who acts in holiness has been begotten by Him.” —1 John 2:29 One of the main purposes of the Christmas season is to grow in holiness — to become more like God, to take on God’s character. This holy Christmas time begins a holy year in a holy life, which begins a holy, eternal life. The Lord has created us to be holy as He is holy (see 1 Jn 3:3), to be “perfect in holiness” (1 Thes 5:23). We should “hunger and thirst for holiness”...

FAITH-SHARING

“I am ‘a voice in the desert, crying out: Make straight the way of the Lord!’ ” —John 1:23 As we begin a new year, the Lord reminds us that people and even demons are lying in an attempt to deceive us (1 Jn 2:22, 26). If we fall for their deception, we will lose everything, that is, eternal life (see 1 Jn 2:25). This deception is focused on getting us to deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Because Jesus is the only Way to the Father (Jn 14:6) and the only One...

FAITH-SHARING

“I am ‘a voice in the desert, crying out: Make straight the way of the Lord!’ ” —John 1:23 As we begin a new year, the Lord reminds us that people and even demons are lying in an attempt to deceive us (1 Jn 2:22, 26). If we fall for their deception, we will lose everything, that is, eternal life (see 1 Jn 2:25). This deception is focused on getting us to deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Because Jesus is the only Way to the Father (Jn 14:6) and the only One...