Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” -John 20:28 What a humble, loving, and merciful God we have! He meets our every need. St. Pope John Paul II taught that what humanity needs most is God’s merciful love: “There is nothing…
Happy Easter! Our Lord is risen, indeed, He has truly risen! Easter is a time of newness of life. There’s a freshness in the air. A renewed energy and hopefulness. Pope Francis has declared this a Jubilee year of Hope. As Christians, nothing could bring us more hope than Jesus’s empty tomb. Take a moment and imagine if St. Mary Magdalen had found the tomb sealed with Jesus’s body remaining there. Everything would be different.…
My Beloved One, What made you think you could work to build my kingdom without sharing in my royal crown of thorns? jagged – piercing – countless barbsIt was the only crown that graced my head while I walked as King among you. cruel – blinding – breaking inSee the hands of thoseof those who forced itupon my head? mocking – bleeding – themselves tornThe Kingdom I ask you to buildis not of this world.…
Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? – Isaiah 43:18-19 Did you know that I am a convert? Yes! I went through RCIA and became Catholic when I was 17 years old. One of my dearest childhood friends is Catholic, and I sensed something different and beautiful about her family’s faith. The way…
While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. Luke 15:20 Are you as struck as I am by the love of the father in this Sunday’s Gospel reading, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:1-32? After the sinful son comes to his senses (Luke 15:17), he examines his conscience, prepares to confess his…
…he came in search of fruit on it but found none. – Luke 13:6 What’s going on with the fig tree in this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Luke 13:1-9)? It has failed to bear fruit for three years. It’s just there among the other trees of the orchard taking up space and water and depleting the nutrients in the soil. The one who owns the orchard tells the gardener–the one in charge of caring for the…
…they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. Luke 9:32 In the Transfiguration of Christ, each of the Persons of the Holy Spirit is present. It is a theophany–a tangible manifestation–of the Holy Trinity. Jesus appeared in glory, the shining “Light of the World” (John 8:12); the Holy Spirit appeared as a “bright cloud;” and the Father spoke: “then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my chosen Son;…
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Luke 4:3-4 Do you ever wonder how Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days? It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “Jesus is God. He doesn’t need to eat!” But “Jesus Christ is true God and true man, in the unity…
A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit (Lk 6: 43). What is this “good fruit” that Jesus speaks of in our Gospel this Sunday? Fruits of the Holy Spirit are “perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory…[they are]: ‘charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity’” (CCC 1832). These are most definitely “good fruits.”…
…love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27-28 Here’s one of those Bible verses that’s easy to remember, sounds simple enough, but is one of the most difficult virtues to live out as a Christian disciple: love your enemies. We think to ourselves, “Yes, I strive to love everyone, even my enemies.” But then when the rubber meets the road…