Daily Reflections
For the last week, we’ve been dipping into the Sermon on the Mount. The Lex Talionis or law of the Talon was the Old Commandment and the early civilization practice of retribution, such that acts resulting in bodily injury were in turn meted out to the perpetrator in precise proportion,…
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In the Gospel of today, Jesus feels pity and compassion for the crowd whom the Evangelist describes as being like sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36-10:8). Jesus knows that the sheep are susceptible to a lot of risks and dangers due to lack of shepherds. Many of them can go…
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Yesterday was the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. We are reminded that Jesus’ heart burns as a furnace, inviting all other hearts to cast themselves freely into these flames to be purified in His all-abundant and seeking love. Jesus gives each person His heart with such tenderness…
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On this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, take a moment to gaze at an image of the Sacred Heart. As I was writing this reflection, I found myself lost in time as I searched online through numerous images of the Sacred Heart. I was particularly intrigued by…
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In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that unless our righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, we will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. To be righteous is to obey the commandments of God for the sake of the love of God. It is to be right and…
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Today’s Gospel from Matthew focuses on the Ten Commandments. As I teach in Sunday School, there are indeed ten of them. We don’t just get to pick the top five or top eight that we want to follow easily. It is not like a menu in a restaurant, where you…
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Our world needs prophets like Isaiah more than ever, who, through their words and actions, bring glad tidings, healing to the broken-hearted, and liberation to captives. Our world needs prophets who, like Isaiah, offer comfort to the grieving and announce freedom and liberation to captives and prisoners, drawing inspiration from…
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“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This beatitude promises a present blessing, while others offer future blessings. Note the difference as you read. Others have a “will be” future tense consolation. Here, we must recognize our spiritual poverty and our need for God’s…
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Last month our 7th child, sweet Flannery, received her very first Holy Communion. The entire day was nothing short of captivating. Flannery was bursting with joy as she anticipated reception of our Lord and Savior for the first time. I confess, my eyes leaked watching this precious child kneel before…
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To give out of one’s plenty is simple enough. Yet giving out of one’s own lack is a different matter entirely. How does one give when there is nothing left over for oneself? Is it even possible? Logic tells us that the emptier our purse, the more we ought to…
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