Daily Reflections
The centurion from today’s Gospel could not have known that his very words were not only being recorded, but that they would have a central place in every Holy Mass celebrated throughout the centuries across the world! This centurion was not a follower of Christ; he was presumably not even…
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Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Man thinks and approbates in terms of success, glory, human honor, first places, and the like. But God’s ways are different. He stated, “My ways are not your…
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Today we observe the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Two distinct events are rolled into this special day, to make today significant for Catholics and Christians alike. Tradition says that Roman Emperor Constantine’s mother, St. Helena, discovered the true cross in Jerusalem on this date in 326. It was taken…
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Imagine a garden, teeming with diverse plants, each unique and beautiful in its own way. Some plants bloom quickly, while others take time to mature. The health of the garden depends on the quality of the soil and the care it receives. In a similar way, our lives as Christians…
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The Passage: “Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours, do not demand it back.” Lk 6:29. A literalist reader of this passage would say: “That is what the Bible says, so that is what it means.” Yet, we recognize that interpretation…
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The evangelist Luke revisits the beautiful passage of the Beatitudes found in Matthew (5:2-12), simplifying it and adding four “woes” to the four blessings. Luke contrasts two lifestyles, turning our perspectives upside down. According to worldly logic, those who lead a comfortable life are considered blessed and fortunate, while Luke…
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Matthew 5:48 says, “Be perfect, just as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” For most of my life, I have had a very distorted view of this injunction to perfection. Sure, in a vague, amorphous sense, I understand the need to strive for these ideals. But therein lies the rub. How…
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Often, the question of the rule of law and the rule of love seem to clash or contradict one another. In 2015, many parts of the world, especially Europe, experienced an influx of migrants due to the conflict in Syria. Europe was challenged between self-protection, the rule of love, and…
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus refers to Himself as the “Lord of the Sabbath” and uses this authority to rebuke the Pharisees for their misplaced zeal in the observance of the Jewish Sabbath. Yet, His dominion over the Sabbath should also call us to reflect on our observance of the Sabbath…
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