Daily Reflections

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

Crossing the Rubicon

By Fr. Mike Moore / December 5, 2021 /

I remember the first time I crossed the Rubicon; or, rather, the second time I crossed the Rubicon. Julius Caesar ‘Crossing the Rubicon’ is a phrase made famous by Julius Caesar, when he rebelled against the authorities of the Roman Republic and seized power for himself. The Rubicon River in…

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Help Wanted

By Paul Verderber / December 4, 2021 /

In the readings for today, one phrase stood out amongst the others. The key line for me was that “the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.” I am not going to write about the sweet potato or cotton harvest season here in Eastern North Carolina, USA, however. The…

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Cycles of Habitual Vice and Healing

By G K Zachary / December 3, 2021 /

There was a blind gentleman who used to come to our home twice a year seeking employment. He specialized in repairing cane and wire furniture, a common enough fixture in homes around the neighborhood. Given the presence of two young boys, prodigious quality control experts in their own right, this…

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Speechless Posted By DSouza Family

What We Say vs. What We Do

By Fr. Christian Amah / December 2, 2021 /

We are very familiar with the saying, “Action speaks louder than words.” God’s word speaks the loudest in and through His incarnate Word, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. I consider the Scripture verse, John 1:14, as one of the most succinct and powerful presentations of the Christian faith. The…

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Abundant Life from the Mountain

By Fr. Maurice Emelu / December 1, 2021 /

It’s Advent Day-4. I reflect on the symbolism of the mountain as a place of divine revelation, and the Church as its true meaning.  The Great Invitation  The prophecy of Isaiah 25:6 sets the ecstatic tone of God’s invitation to us: “On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will provide for…

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Costs and Benefits: Feast of St. Andrew, the Apostle

By John and Kathy Schultz / November 30, 2021 /

What is the Cost? When a decision involving finances arises, the practical approach is to do a CBA or “cost benefit analysis.” In other words, we take the time to review the options which provide the best approach to achieving benefits while preserving savings. (Thank you, Wikipedia!) If you have…

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A Centurion’s Story

By Deborah van Kroonenburg / November 29, 2021 /

Unworthy ‘Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof … but only say the word and my soul shall be healed’ The priest lifts up the consecrated host and Jesus Christ is really truly present with us, body blood, soul and divinity. As we gaze on…

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Keep the Fire Burning

By Sister Veronica Schueler, F.S.E. / November 28, 2021 /

Signs in the Sun and Moon There is a moment in Cormac McCarthy’s dystopian novel The Road when a character says, “Keep a little fire burning; however small, however hidden.” Like the depictions of hell in Dante’s Inferno, it is not hard to picture what the Apocalypse might entail. In…

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Be Vigilant and Alert at All Times

By Fr. John Opara / November 27, 2021 /

On New Year’s Eve, most people normally keep vigil to welcome the New Year. In most traditional cultures, people stay awake to usher in the New Year or to celebrate the gift of the New Year. Christians also stay awake on the eve of the New Year, to welcome it…

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Advent Is Coming

By Arlene Braganza / November 26, 2021 /

Today’s first reading sounds scary and apocalyptic, with horrendous visions of weird-looking beasts looking to devour and destroy anything in their paths. And then we have the image of the Ancient One with hair as white as wool, who I liken to God the Father. He was attended to by…

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