Category: Daily Reflections

“They were fishermen. [Jesus] said to them, ‘Come after Me and I will make you fishers of men.’ ” –Matthew 4:18-19 The first calling Jesus gave His disciples was to be “fishers of men.” To Jesus’ first four disciples, the term “fishers of men” meant that: Jesus wanted to use their work experience to build His kingdom. Jesus was calling them out of the commercial fishing business (Mt 4:20). Jesus was calling them to leave father and family (Mt 4:22). They were to catch people, that is, lead people to Christ. Their new kind of fishing would likewise be hard,...

“When you see Jerusalem encircled by soldiers, know that its devastation is near.” –Luke 21:20 Jesus said that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Since Jerusalem was a city specially chosen in God’s plan of salvation, Jesus’ prediction seemed impossible. Less than forty years later, in 70 A.D., Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled. John, in the book of Revelation, prophesied that the Roman empire, symbolized by Babylon, would fall (Rv 18:2). This most stable of empires fell. Jesus said that this world will be destroyed and will pass away (see Lk 21:26, 33; 2 Pt 3:7). He was right about Jerusalem’s destruction, and...

“You will be brought to give witness.” –Luke 21:13 Throughout the history of the Church numerous martyrs have testified in their court trials that they were Christians, that they feared none but God alone, and that they preferred to die rather than renounce their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Most of us will not have to testify before rulers and powers intent on forcing us to deny Jesus or die. Some of you may be required to do so; may you be inspired by the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading. Nonetheless, most of us are put on trial...

“Now is the time to reap.” –Revelation 14:15 At the end, Jesus, the King of kings (Rv 17:14), will come riding on a white cloud with a gold crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand (Rv 14:14). He will gather the harvest of justice (Rv 14:16). Then an angel will come from the temple in heaven. He will also wield a sharp sickle to gather the grapes of wrath (Rv 14:19). We will all be harvested, either by our loving Lord or by the “grim reaper.” “When will this be, Teacher? And what will be the...

“I heard a sound from heaven.” –Revelation 14:2 To be with the Lord forever in heaven, we must: decide to have the Lord’s name written on our foreheads (Rv 14:1), that is, be baptized in His name and live our Baptisms fully and publicly, sing a new hymn before God’s throne (Rv 14:3) as we worship Him “in Spirit and truth” (Jn 4:24), let the Lord ransom us from the world (Rv 14:3) and “have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords” (1 Jn 2:15), be “pure and follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rv...