“The voice of the Lord is over the waters, the Lord, over vast waters. The voice of the Lord is mighty; the voice of the Lord is majestic.” – Psalm 29: 3-4 This scene of the Baptism of the Lord (Matthew 3:13-17) is one of the few times when we hear directly from God the Father. His voice resounds over the waters of the Jordan and reveals Jesus’s identity: “And a voice came from the…
…rejoice because your names are written in heaven. – Luke 10:20 I have several friends named Jennifer. I think I have at least five really great Jennifer friends! (Shout out to all my Jennifers!) Each one of them is a bright and shining light in her own way. You might say she each reflects a particular shade of her favorite color. Each one beautiful and unique and completely different from every other Jennifer who ever…
Each of us has a deep longing in our hearts: to love and be loved. Pope Francis said that the ideal of love is “the most authentic desire of our hearts.” The Holy Trinity is love itself: an eternal exchange of love between God the Father and His Beloved Son. The Holy Spirit, “who proceeds from the Father and the Son” (Nicene Creed), is the result of this fruitful and creative love between God the…
O God, be merciful to me a sinner. – Luke 18:13 It can be difficult for me to admit my wrongdoings. It’s not easy to look at myself with honesty to see my true faults. In truth, I can only do this peacefully by seeing myself as a beloved child of God, no matter what my sins have been. This Sunday’s Gospel passage shows us a model for what admitting our sinfulness means. First off,…
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. – Luke 14:11 Humility is how you see yourself in relation to God. God is omnipotent and perfect; I am His creation, flawed but also His daughter. God’s will is infinitely good, full of love and mercy; mine strives to be loving and good, yet it often falls into restless self-seeking. When I humbly put my will…
As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you. – Isaiah 62:5 It’s no surprise that Jesus performs His first sign in the Gospel of John at a wedding (John 2:1-11). There is rich marriage imagery in the Bible from Genesis to Song of Songs to Isaiah. It continues through the Gospels and epistles and culminates in…
And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” – Luke 3:22 Baptism washes away sin, so why did Jesus need to be baptized? He was sinless: “…he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). This is why John the Baptist tried to prevent him from being baptized: “‘I need to be baptized by you, and do…
I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me. – John 10:14 Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows and loves you inside and out. You are one of His beloved sheep. He knows and calls you by your name: “the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). This is your identity: a beloved son or daughter of God the Father, named…
You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased. Mark 1:11 Imagine yourself in our Gospel passage today. You are standing on the bank of the Jordan River. John is baptizing people, and Jesus appears, asking John to baptize Him. He enters the river and is submerged into the water. When He comes back up, you see the sky being torn open (cf. Mark 1:10). What does that look like? Does it make…
“I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock…” -Ezekiel 34:11 This Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. King of the Universe! This brings up images of the grandest splendor: fine garments, a glorious throne, a magnificent array of pomp and circumstance. But listen closely to the scripture readings for this feast today. They’re focused on Christ the Good Shepherd. Shepherds…