“As they were going [the lepers] were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.” – Luke 17:14-15 One of the results of Original Sin is that each and every person is in need of healing in some way, be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Some theologians call Original Sin the “Original Wound.” St.…
“Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.” – Psalm 113:1 This week, let’s focus on the Responsorial Psalm. Specifically for this Sunday, let’s focus on the exhortation in Psalm 113 to praise God. There are many Psalms that urge the faithful to praise God, but why, and just how can we do that in our daily lives? The Catechism teaches: “Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately…
Rejoice, dear friends, rejoice! For Christ is on His way. Prepare the path, make it smooth and flat. Rejoice again, I say! Rejoice, dear ones, rejoice! Put cares and fears away. Make your kindness known to one and all. Rejoice with me today! Rejoice for Christ is near! At His feet we soon will fall. His love and peace shall guard our hearts. Rejoice, give thanks, ye all! Based on Luke 3:4-5, Philippians 4:4-7
God has done so much for us. We can ask ourselves if we truly give thanks each and every day for all that God has given us. Like the leper in today’s Gospel reading who returned to give thanks to God for his healing, the first step of gratitude is simply to notice how God cares for us. Each of us has so much to be thankful for. We’ve received small, everyday gifts and large,…
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). Over and over, Scripture exhorts us to rejoice in our Lord. The Psalms, especially, are full of calls to worship God, praise His holy name, and sing of His glory: “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy” (Ps 66: 1). Rejoicing is a joyful cry of the heart. When we worship—especially when we sing from our hearts at…