Tagged: message of the day

THE END OF ANOTHER YEAR OF LOVE

“Of His fullness we have all had a share – love following upon love.” –John 1:16 Every day this year Jesus offered Himself to you in the Eucharist. The Word became flesh (Jn 1:14) and made Himself lovingly available in case you wanted Him. To you, who are “His own, He came” (Jn 1:11). Every day this year, Jesus, “the Word” (Jn 1:1), made His holy word available to you. His love letters to you, the Bible, were constantly present to you in case you wanted to listen to Him. Every day this year, Jesus made sure that your lungs...

THE FAMILY FIGHTS BACK

“The Lord sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority He confirms over her sons. He who honors his father atones for sins.” –Sirach 3:2-3 Mass Readings: December 30 First: Sirach 3:2-7,12-14; Resp: Psalm 128:1-5; Second: Colossians 3:12-21; Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15,19-23 The Christian family is being assaulted with a vehemence which is unprecedented. Promiscuity, contraception, abortion, abuses, addictions, and divorces are rampant. Bitterness, resentments, and unforgiveness poison family relationships. Fewer families are surviving. The Lord wants this Christmas season to be the time for a counter-assault by the Christian family on the culture of death. We need...

Joy in God’s Presence

“How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising you.” Psalms 84:1-2, 4 Far too often we envy people because they have things that we lack. We forget that material things do not determine our joy and that they can never give true satisfaction and contentment. Only a healthy relationship with God can ensure that you will have eternal joy. Praise God for the blessings that He gives His faithful children: grace, protection, prosperity, honor and joy....

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

“It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not experience death until he had seen the Anointed of the Lord.” –Luke 2:26 Mass Readings: December 29 First: 1 John 2:3-11; Resp: Psalm 96:1-6; Gospel: Luke 2:22-35 Sometimes when we look at the manger scene, we don’t see how we fit into Christmas. We see figures from ancient times in a distant land. Yet how do we live Christmas in the here and now? Thank God the reality of Christmas is not limited to a particular time or place. Christmas transcends geography and chronology. It is not...

ROYAL FLUSH

Herod “ordered the massacre of all the boys two years old and under in Bethlehem.” –Matthew 2:16 Mass Readings: December 28 First: 1 John 1:5–2:2; Resp: Psalm 124:2-5,7-8;Gospel: Matthew 2:13-18 Herod understood part of the meaning of Christmas. He understood that Jesus’ life and birth were an immediate and a long-term threat to his kingship. Herod understood and believed what Mary prophesied in relation to Jesus’ birth. In her “Magnificat,” she proclaimed: The Lord “has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. The hungry He has given every good thing, while the rich He...