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…
“People…were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.” – Mark 1:5 Advent is a time of preparation and penance to help us prepare our hearts for Christmas. One of our parish priests said recently that lighting the candles on our Advent wreaths reminds us that “Christmas is near, not here.” It’s so easy to want to rush the Christmas festivities. But our Church,…
“The greatest among you must be your servant.” – Matthew 23:11 Last Sunday we considered the Greatest Commandment to love God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). A key to loving God and others well is having a virtuous attitude of humility and service. Jesus pointed out a vice and pitfall to this attitude in this Sunday’s Gospel passage: pride (Matthew 23:1-12). Jesus warned His disciples not to follow the bad example set by the Pharisees. They…
“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…
This Sunday, Jesus demonstrates the power of obedience and humility. The Holy Spirit led Him to the desert to be tempted (Matthew 4:1). Israel was called but failed to persevere the temptations of the desert; Jesus had to undo this knot of disobedience in the desert. Notice that Satan, the prideful fool, took Jesus ever higher to tempt Him after the first attempt failed: “the pinnacle of the temple” (4:5), “a very high mountain” (4:8).…
Blessed are they…-Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes are a rule of life that can help us live a life that is truly happy and holy. It’s a picture of a life lived virtuously, full of faith in the Lord, confident hope in His promises, and love of God and neighbor. Following the Beatitudes is like a blueprint for conforming our hearts to Christ’s Sacred Heart. Christ is the exemplary image of each one of the Beatitudes.…
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…
I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? “Father, save me from this hour?” But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” John 12:27-28 Lent is a time when we can practice dying to ourselves. By dying to our own desires, we learn to live this verse: “whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life” (John 12:25). Hating our lives does…
A great faith is a powerful thing. A faith that is firmly grounded in Christ enables great virtues to grow in us and enables us to trust in the Lord, which empowers us. When we believe that “for God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26), we are able to trust in His providence for us. A person of faith knows that God wants good things for us and that He will bless us with them…