He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him. Mark 1:27 There are many accounts in Mark’s Gospel where demons or unclean spirits obey Jesus. Mark 3:11 tells us that “whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God.’” Chapter 5 shows Jesus commanding the many demons called “Legion” out of the Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20). As we travel through Mark in this year’s…
“Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.” -Psalm 40:8-9 The Psalm often gives us a hint at the “theme” of the readings during Mass. It is usually sung or simply chanted and allows us to meditate on the theme by engaging our bodies and hearts in a different way. When we sing sacred music, we use our body, mind, and spirit together to praise God. The Psalm should focus our hearts and…
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes. – Matthew 21:42, Psalm 118:22-23 Jesus is the Head and Cornerstone of the Church. He is the Head, the one who leads the Church with wisdom (CCC 792). He is also the Cornerstone, the foundation of the Church, the one on which all worship, liturgy, sacraments, ministry, and teaching are built…
“Which of the two did his father’s will?” – Matthew 21:31 Two of my favorite saints have feast days in October: St. Therese of Lisieux on October 1 and St. John Henry Cardinal Newman on October 9. Both saints wrote about obedience to God as a path to holiness. Our Gospel reading this Sunday shows an example of faithfulness demonstrated by obedient actions (Matthew 21:28-32). The first son in the parable said he would do…
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. – Psalm 95:8 Just how can we hear the voice of God? We can hear Him speak His Word to us through the Scriptures, in personal prayer, in our conscience that convicts us of right and wrong (CCC 1777), in the liturgy of the Mass, through the writings of the saints, and through godly people. The adage goes, it’s one thing to hear and another…
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).…
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.- Matthew 5:17 Have you heard the saying that the secret ingredient to any special recipe or good meal is love? Actually, it’s the secret ingredient to anything creative. You can tell when something has been created with love. There’s just something “extra” you can taste or sense. This Sunday’s readings are all…
Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. – John 14:23 Where does God live? (I’ll give you a hint: there’s more than one answer to this.) One answer is that He lives in heaven where He is the light and temple of the City of God: “I saw no temple in the city for its temple is…
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. – John 18:37 Happy Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe! Wow—what a title. Jesus, our brother who died for us, is the king of the entire universe. Jesus, who we receive in the Eucharist under humble appearances of bread and wine, has “dominion,…
Moses spoke to all the people, saying: “A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen. – Deuteronomy 18:15 Have you ever heard of “active listening?” It’s an exercise where you seek to actively listen to and understand the sentiment that a person is communicating to you. It takes an effort to listen, refrain from interrupting, and strive to truly understand…