Posts by Dr. David Cooper
On His Law They Meditate Day and Night
In his Confessions, St. Augustine cried out in prayer to God, at a point of despair of not being able to follow Jesus Christ fully and give up his concubine. He heard a child’s voice saying, “Take and read.” He opened St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans 13:13-14 and read “Let us conduct ourselves becomingly…
Read MoreZeal For Your House Will Consume Me
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome Today is the Feast of the Dedication of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, dedicated by Pope Sylvester I in 324 AD to Christ the Savior. It is the cathedral of the Roman bishop, the Pope, and thus holds the primacy over the…
Read MoreThe LORD’s Saving Power
“The LORD has revealed to the nations His saving power!” (Psm 89:2b) This refrain from today’s Responsorial Psalm is the theme of our Mass readings. Because “all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God,” we are all commanded to sing joyfully to God and praise him with daily, deep gratitude.…
Read MoreMemorial of St. Peter Claver, Apostle to Africans Enlighten Me LORD!
Today’s Good News comes from Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, through which Jesus began to teach his disciples the morality of the Kingdom of God, which brings true beatitude. Today’s passage underscores the fact that judgment belongs to God alone. His disciples are called to be merciful and forgiving like the Master.…
Read MoreBe a Beggar for the Word
Fr. Brian Pierce OP tells the story of a young Dominican friar, Jorge, who was a missionary in the state of Tabasco in Mexico. Every morning while walking to breakfast from the house he slept in to one where he was to eat, he noticed that an old man was seated with a Bible in…
Read MoreTrusting in the Father, Whose Eye is on the Sparrow
“Do not be afraid” is the theme of all the Mass readings today. Jesus calls us to trust in the Father, who knows the number of hairs on your scalp and sees the sparrows fall from the sky. Ethel Waters, the great American blues singer and actress, popularized the hymn “His Eye is on the…
Read MoreElijah, A Model Prayer Warrior
Many Jewish, Christian, and Muslim pilgrims who travel to Israel visit Mt. Carmel, to honor the memory of the greatest Jewish prophet, Elijah, a great prayer warrior. There is a thirty-foot statue of Elijah with his right arm raised holding a sword, with his left foot standing on the neck of a false prophet of…
Read MoreAbundant Life Through the Paschal Mystery
One of my favorite Bible illustrations, when I was growing up, was a picture painted by Alford Usher Soord, British painter (1868-1915), of “The Parable of The Lost Sheep.” It depicts a lamb stranded halfway down a steep cliff with the shepherd hanging perilously over the edge. He risking his own life to save it.…
Read MoreThey Planned to Kill Him
Today’s grim gospel conspiracy to put Jesus to death is sandwiched between the beautiful miracle of the raising of Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary of Bethany, and the unforgettable act of love that Mary offered Jesus when she anointed his feet with perfume and wiped them with her hair. In these stories, we see…
Read MoreThe Sign of Jonah
“A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.” Psm 51:17b This refrain from our responsorial psalm was King David’s cry of repentance for his sins of adultery and murder. It is a groan full of remorse, acknowledging his sins against others and his God. Yet it is full of the hope of…
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