In today's reading, King David sinned by ordering a census to count his soldiers in preparation for war. God punished him, giving him a choice between the inevitable fruits of war: famine, pestilence, and more war. Do we stand with God against war, and demand that our politicians work to end war, not extend it?
In a healing within a healing, a woman who has suffered for twelve years finds enough faith approach Jesus for a cure. What renews your own faith today? Grab on to it.
On this Feast of the Epiphany, we recall that the magi found Jesus because they followed the signs and looked for him. If we follow the signs that God gives us and search for Jesus, we also will find him, and have an epiphany of our own.
On this optional memorial for St. André Bessette there are at least 12 options for the two readings at mass. Which truth is for us today? We each need to honestly search our hearts for what seems to be the deepest truth and follow that today.
Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP breaks open the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, in which God puts King David in his place and the angel Gabriel announces the Good News to Mary that she will bear a son, Jesus, who is the center of salvation.
For 18 December 2023, December 18, based on Matthew 1:18-25
John the Baptist is preparing for the coming of the Lord as he waits for it. Each of us must find that balance between being ready and watchful and working to help the world to be ready when God comes.
In our Gospel today, Jesus passes his healing ministry on to his disciples. Are we willing to pass along our own ministries to the next generation, or do we think that we are more irreplaceable than Jesus?
Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple and his disciples want to know when it will happen and what will be the sign. Instead, Jesus suggests that they should focus their attention on living rightly in the now.
Jesus comments that, with two small coins, the widow donated more than all the rich people because she gave what she needed to live on. When we look at the context, Jesus clearly thinks this is a bad thing. When deciding right from wrong, do we pay attention enough to the context?