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…
…when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself. – John 12:32 All people belong to Jesus. Everyone. Not just Christians, all of mankind. He is King of the Universe, after all! In our Gospel passage for this Sunday (John 12:20-33), notice Jesus’s curious reaction after Andrew and Philip told Him that some Greeks wanted to speak with Him: “Jesus answered them: ‘The hour has come for the Son of…
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. – John 3:16 Surely this is a Bible verse to commit to memory if ever there was one. But why is this verse so famous? I believe it’s because it reveals some very important truths in one succinct sentence. It tells us why Jesus came to us and…
Jesus “did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.” – John 2:25 In the last line of our Gospel passage this Sunday*, St. John tells us that Jesus knows our human nature. What does he mean by this? For one, Jesus knew how fickle the crowds in Jerusalem were. They were coming to believe in Him because of the signs He was doing (John 2:23). Because He is God…
Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them… -Mark 9:2 The Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9:2-12) is an astonishing event to consider. It might seem so fantastical that it’s difficult to get your mind around what happened that day on Mt. Tabor. Or maybe you’ve heard this passage so many times that some of the wonder and awe have worn off,…