As we begin our meditation, let us place ourselves in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask Him what He desires us to hear in today’s readings. I invite you to pray the Psalm from today with me: “Teach me your ways, O Lord.” The first reading starts…
To those who questioned the Lord about the census tax, Jesus replied, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Mark 12:17). His audience was stunned because they expected Him either to condemn the emperor’s taxation or make a comment that could be misconstrued,…
As the Church begins the month of June, traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we remember Saint Justin, Martyr, a man who stood at the crossroads of philosophy and faith. Justin died around the year 165 AD, beheaded in Rome under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Justin witnessed to Christ…
By What Authority? “By what authority are you doing these things?” (Mk 11:28) ask the chief priests, scribes and elders in the temple. What are “these things” that Jesus is being questioned about? Well, it is actually quite a bit! In Mark’s gospel we read that on the proceeding day…
I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord. (Jo 15: 16) Pentecost by Titian1 Last Sunday we celebrated the culmen of the Catholic Easter liturgy, that is, the Solemnity of Pentecost. Christ breathed the Holy Spirit into the nascent Church. Pentecost…
After Adam and Eve sinned and ate from the forbidden tree, God punished them. The Catechism explains clearly the consequences of the original sin: “Adam and Eve immediately lose the grace of original holiness. They become afraid of the God, of whom they have conceived a distorted image – that…
Jesus Christ stands at the center of God’s plan of salvation for humanity. The New Testament presents Him as the mediator between God and human beings. In our first reading (1 Peter 2:21–25), Christ is described as the innocent lamb who bore humanity’s sins and as one who brings healing,…
Today’s first reading is from the first letter of St. Peter, written to Christians in far-flung areas of Asia Minor who were experiencing ostracism and persecution for their faith. He speaks to them of the ancient prophets who foretold the coming of the Holy Spirit with the promise of grace…
The Church’s liturgical calendar is a well-structured and interconnected cycle. The placement of the different liturgical feasts through the year is not done arbitrarily but usually guided by their meanings and interconnections. Today, the Church celebrates Mary as the Mother of the Church, and it is linked to the solemn…
The most common and ancient prayer to the Holy Spirit is this: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.” It comes directly from the liturgy of Pentecost. These first lines are the verse of the Alleluia before the Gospel.…