HARMONYHave you ever known a moment when, just for a brief instant, you felt that all was right with the world?It is just such a moment, stretched into eternity, that the writer of Isaiah describes in today’s first reading: the perfection of everything, centered in God’s spirit, where knowledge, justice, and awe in God’s presence…

Sunday’s Readings: Is 2:1-5/Rom 13:11-14/Mt 24:37-44Lecturas del Dia PEOPLE OF THE LIGHTWe are called to reflect the light of God’s love through the ways in which we live our lives. Imagine theimpact if each of us took this call to heart, every day, at home, work, or school, in our parish, in the world. “All…

Sunday’s Readings: 2 Sm 5:1-3/Col 1:12-20/Lk 23:35-43Lecturas del Dia THE TRUE KINGSHIP OF JESUS CHRISTWhat kind of King is Jesus? How do you envision him? Remembering that they were promised a king from the line of David, the Israelites hoped for a Messiah who would set their political problemsaright and bring about a worldly kingdom…

Sunday’s Readings: Mal 3:19-20a/2 Thes 3:7-12/Lk 21:5-19Lecturas del Dia THE END OF DAYSAs we prepare for next Sunday’s feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, we hear descriptions of dire and catastrophic events. Sometimes it seems as though we ourselves are living inthe end times, when life as we currently know it…

ETERNAL LIFEWhat happens after we die? Most religions and philosophies provide some notion of this, but we are confounded by the mystery of it all. Today’s readings give us a glimpse through the faith of martyrs and in the words of Jesus. In the Old Testament reading, the Maccabee brothers assert with total confidence that…

Sundays Readings: Sir 35:12-14, 16-18/2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18/Lk 18:9-14Lecturas del Dia MADE RIGHT BEFORE GODAlthough the opening lines of today’s first reading claim that the Lord “knows no favorites” (Sirach 35:15) and is “not unduly partial toward the weak” (35:16), the remainder of the passage makes it clear that the Lord does indeed pay special…

PERSISTENCEExodus recounts the journey of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to the land promised to their ancestors. It was not an easy journey. In today’s reading, they are attacked by Amalek and his soldiers, members of one of the peoples who live in the land through which the Israelites are traveling. Moses was…

THE GIFT OF SALVATIONNaaman and the leper who returned to Jesus saw God’s hand in their healing. Only through God’sintervention could they have been cured. Through this recognition of God’s presence and action in theirlives, they grew in faith. For what are you grateful? Pause for a moment to reflect on all of the blessingsin…

THE GIFT OF FAITHFaith is a gift. When the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith, they were going to thesource of that faith with their request. God is the giver of all good gifts, including faith. When we put our faith in Christ, we believe that God is with us, even though we cannot…

CARE FOR EACH OTHERDon’t delude yourselves, Jesus says through the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. We really are supposed to care for others. It is not enough to go to Mass and occasionally serve at a parish or outreach function. We cannot remain complacent and consider ourselves followers of Jesus. No matter how…