God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. Psalm 47:6/9 St. Augustine said, “Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him.” What does this mean to you, to have your heart ascend with Christ? In the Mass, during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the celebrant prompts, “Lift up your hearts.” We respond, “We lift them up to the Lord.” This is a…
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; remain in my love. John 15:9 What exactly does it mean to “remain” in Jesus’ love? Jesus tells us that one way to remain in His love is by keeping His commandments, just as He has kept God the Father’s commandments (John 15:10). Then He goes on to sum up what He means by “commandments” into one thought: “This is my commandment, that you…
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…
If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 What does it mean for God to be “for us?” We can begin to understand by thinking of it in ways that are familiar to us. Do you have a family member or good friend who is always there for you? He or she is there to support you, just listen, or act on your behalf when you need it. They are always…
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…
The whole of the Christian life can be summed up in these four words: love God, love others. Our Gospel reading for this Sunday holds a beautiful gem. Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is this: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor…
Jesus offers us the key to discipleship in today’s Gospel reading: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16: 24-25). Paradoxically, this is also the key to fulfillment and happiness. To be Christian disciples, we must deny ourselves by emptying ourselves of sin, pride,…
For this week’s reflection, I want to focus on just one of the types of soil from the parable of the sower: the thorny soil. Jesus said, “The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit” (Matthew 13:22). It’s important to remember that God has chosen us, His disciples, to bear fruit. Jesus told His…
You are a beloved child of God. Each and every human life is precious in God’s eyes. It doesn’t matter what family you were born into; your social status; the amount in your bank account; the positions of power or weakness you hold; your race, creed, color, ethnicity, nationality, class…you name it. None of that is important in God’s eyes. You have dignity and purpose, because you are made in His image and likeness (Genesis…