Most Recent Posts
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The Chalice of Persecution and the Ransom for Many
Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent: Jeremiah 18:18-20, Matthew 20:17-28. Today’s readings display two things clearly: how clueless the chosen people can be, and (somewhat related) the inevitable persecution of those who proclaim the Word of God. Jeremiah was a prophet 100 years after Isaiah, and the major power threatening Israel and Judah is…
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Led by the Master
Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20, Matthew 23:1-12. Today’s readings reveal much about the Master, that is, Christ, as well as how He wants His people to live in his Spirit. The Word of God spoken by Isaiah makes clear that religious customs won’t save the Jews, instead they must cleanse…
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The Examined Self Before God
Monday the Second Week of Lent: Daniel 9:4b-10, Luke 6:36-38. Today’s readings call us to reflect on our sins. In the Book of Daniel, we are shown the model of a contrite heart for past sins. In the gospel of St. Luke, Jesus instructs us on how to avoid sins in the future. Now for…
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The Transfiguration Reveals Truth “According to His Own Design”
Second Sunday in Lent, The Transfiguration of Christ: Genesis 12:1-4a, 2 Timothy 1:8b-10, Matthew 17:1-9. Today we hear of the Lord’s glorious Transfiguration, set up wonderfully by yesterday’s readings on covenants (see The Difficult New Covenant of Love). There are many signs that point to the New Covenant, including the Annunciation, the Lord’s Baptism, the…
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The Difficult New Covenant of Love
Saturday in the First Week of Lent: Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Matthew 5:43-48. A covenant is an agreement, a pact, a legal contract. When covenants are offered by God, they take on more significance, guaranteeing protection and favor for the people in exchange for adoration and obedience to God. Covenants with God are so important in the…
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Salvation Is Based on Our Core Person, a Deep Adherence to the Law
Friday in the First Week of Lent: Ezekiel 18:21-28, Matthew 5:20-26. Today’s readings are very much concerned with what is central to a person, as opposed to the actions they take on the surface. First from the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel and then from the mouth of the Lord Himself, we hear how God…
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Esther: Model of How to Petition the Father
Thursday in the First Week of Lent: Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25, Matthew 7:7-12. With eight kids vying for attention and elbowing for their piece of pie, my mother was fond of the saying, “Ask and you shall receive.” I must have heard it a hundred times growing up. Today, we hear the origin of this…
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Woe to (and Deliverance for) the Faithless Generation
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent: Jonah 3:1-10, Luke 11:29-32. We receive a warning from Jesus today about faithlessness. The readings trace his presence among several faithless generations who came to trust and fear God, including those of his time who challenged his authority. This is a valuable lesson for us not to question…