“For I know what my plans for you are, plans to save you and not to harm you., plans to give you a future and to give you hope.” (Jer 29:11) God’s plan for us is salvation and salvation begins when we begin to ‘know’ Jesus Christ. Simply claiming to be a good Catholic and to have spent time with [...]
Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (21:28-31) tells a parable of two sons: “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son [...]
Fire is a mechanism that is powerful. It can be destructive, it can also purify. This fiery baptism that Jesus speaks of, aims to destroy the old ways and the kingdom of sin, while purifying the Faithful like gold in a crucible. (cf. Lk 17:29). We see a glimpse into the depths of Jesus’ soul as He speaks passionately and [...]
The life of Mother Teresa has been well-documented. In her interviews, she related the story of a man that she had found in the street drains. His body had been infested by maggots and his face had been almost half-eaten by these worms that plagued him. As she tended to his wounds and cleaned him up, picking out maggot after [...]
“Sell your possessions and give alms.” “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” “You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Is your treasure of this world or are you rich in love, faith, hope, charity, and trust in our Lord’s providence? Are you [...]
In Joel 2: 1-2, we read of how the Day of the Lord harkens. We are extolled to “blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and [...]
The term “freedom” is thrown about without a care these days. The world is abuzz with trending topics such as 1) “The freedom to love” – I should be free to love whoever, and however I want, and marry whomever I wish, be it with regard to homosexual, promiscuous flings – heterosexual or otherwise, polygamous sexual relations, with a non-living [...]
Am I my brother’s keeper? In Genesis chapter 4, we read of how Cain brought grain and how Abel brought the best part of the firstlings of his flock as First Fruit offerings to the Lord God. While Abel’s offering was seen as acceptable, and the Lord God knows the heart and the secret intentions of His people, Cain’s offering [...]
The word, “hospitality” can be traced to the 14th century Old French, ospitalité which means “hospital”, and which in turn comes from the Latin, hospitalitem, which means “friendliness to guests” (Online Etymology Dictionary, n.d.). Hospitality places emphasis on a relationship between the host and guest, to the extent that the host is expected to provide respite and care to the [...]
We actually spend a lot of time investing in, considering, and preparing to sin. As the account goes in 2 Samuel 11, we read of how King David becomes besotted with lust for Bathsheba. There are several steps that he begins to undertake to first woo her, seduce her, and eventually cover up his sin. Sin red flag 1: As [...]