“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.’” – Matthew 16:24 What does it mean to “deny” yourself? We might take that to mean that we don’t allow ourselves certain pleasures. For example, a person would deny himself a second helping of dinner. But that’s not exactly what Jesus is asking of His disciples. According to the USCCB Bible Commentary, “to…
“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18) Just what is a missionary disciple? A simple answer is a disciple who has a mission. In this Sunday’s Gospel passage, Jesus changed Simon’s name when he became the foundation of the Church. Simon’s new name, Petros–Rock, reflected his new mission to be the solid ground for the Church to be built upon. God also…
“Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David – Matthew 15:22 Each of the readings for this Sunday talk about unity, the coming together of different people from various places, all oriented toward the Lord. Isaiah writes the prophecy of all nations being united in the Lord: “my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7). In the Responsorial Psalm we cry out, “O God, let all the nations praise…
Listen, my faithful children: open up your petals, like roses planted near running waters, Send up the sweet odor of incense, break forth in blossoms like the lily. Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise; bless the Lord for all he has done! – Sirach 39:13-14 A few years ago I started a Mary garden. It’s just a simple collection of plants that are associated with our Blessed Mother. As we prepare…
The rosary is an ideal tool for spiritual warfare. When the Israelites marched against their enemies, they carried the Ark of the Covenant with them, blowing trumpets announcing the Lord’s presence: “So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, ‘Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.’ And he said to the people, ‘Go forward;…
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20) This weekend we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. Jesus told the apostles that he would be with them always just before He left them. How is it possible for Him to be both sitting at God’s right hand (Ephesians 1:20) and with us here on earth? How can he remain Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) after His ascension?…
Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope… (1 Peter 3:15) Easter is a season of joy and hope. During Lent I was focused on allowing God to bring me to healing in a couple of areas, but as Easter approached I felt Him moving me away from that work and toward joy and hope. I think He knew I needed a break from the…
During His trial, Christ told Pilate His purpose: “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” To which Pilate famously asked, “What is truth?” (John 18: 37-38). His question was rhetorical—he probably didn’t really want an answer. But Jesus had given the disciples this answer already, and we hear it in today’s Gospel reading. Jesus…
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.- John 10:10 The Bible verse above is one worth memorizing. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, gave us a secret to joyful, fulfilling life in this summation of His rescue mission to save us. He came to give us His abundant life, both in this life here and now and the next. So if Jesus came to give us an abundant life, why do…
Imagine walking with the two disciples on the way back home to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). It was the day of the Resurrection, a mere three days after Jesus was crucified. He had indeed risen, as He had promised, but these two disciples had already given up hope. They were downcast and they had lost hope. Notice the past tense: “But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel” (21). How strange:…