Verse

Mark 1:9-11

You are My Beloved Son

“It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Reflection:

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord concludes for us the Christmas Season and transitions us into the beginning of Ordinary Time. From a Scriptural point of view, this event in Jesus’ life is also a transitional moment from His hidden life in Nazareth to the beginning of His public ministry.

As we commemorate this glorious event, it’s important to ponder a simple question: Why was Jesus baptized? Recall that John’s baptism was one of repentance, an act by which he invited his followers to turn from sin and to turn to God. But Jesus was sinless, so what was the reason for His Baptism?

First of all, we see in the quoted passage above that Jesus’ true identity was made manifest through His humble act of baptism. “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,” spoke the voice of the Father in Heaven.

Furthermore, we are told that the Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove. Thus, Jesus’ baptism is in part a public declaration of Who He is. He is the Son of God, a divine Person Who is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This public testimony is an “epiphany,” a manifestation of His true identity for all to see as He prepares to begin His public ministry.

Second, by His baptism, Jesus’ incredible humility is made manifest. He is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, but He allows Himself to become identified with sinners. By sharing in an act that was focused upon repentance, Jesus speaks volumes through His action of baptism. He came to unite Himself with us sinners, to enter our sin and to enter into our death. By entering the water, He symbolically enters into death itself, which is the result of our sin, and rises triumphantly, allowing us to also rise with Him to new life.

For this reason, Jesus’ baptism was a way of Him “baptizing” the waters, so to speak, so that water itself, from that moment onward, would be endowed with His divine presence and could be communicated to all who are baptized after Him. Therefore, sinful humanity is now able to meet divinity through baptism.

Lastly, when we share in this new baptism, through water that has now been sanctified by our divine Lord, we see in Jesus’ baptism a revelation of who we become in Him. Just as the Father spoke and declared Him as His Son, and just as the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, so also in our baptism we become the adopted children of the Father and are filled with the Holy Spirit. Thus, Jesus’ baptism gives clarity as to whom we become in Christian baptism.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2024/01/07/you-are-my-beloved-son-3/

Mark 1:9-11 Read More »

Matthew 2:1-2

Daily Reflections, Verse

A Manifestation to the World

“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.'”

Reflection:

The Magi were most likely from Persia, modern-day Iran. They were men who regularly engaged in a study of the stars. They were not Jewish but were most likely aware of the popular belief of the Jewish people that a king would be born who would save them.

These Magi were called by God to encounter the Savior of the World. Interestingly, God used something very familiar to them as an instrument of their calling: the stars. It was among their belief that when someone of great importance was born, this birth was accompanied by a new star. So when they saw this new, bright and brilliant star, they were filled with curiosity and hope. One of the most significant aspects of this story is that they responded. God called them through the use of a star, and they chose to follow this sign, embarking on a long and arduous journey.

God often uses those things most familiar to us that are part of our daily life to send forth His calling. Recall, for example, that many of the Apostles were fishermen, and Jesus used their occupation to call them, making them “fishers of men.” He especially used the miraculous catch of fish to clearly indicate to them that they had a new calling.

In our own lives, God is constantly calling us to seek Him out and worship Him. He will often use some of the most ordinary parts of our lives to send forth that calling. How is He calling you? In what way is He sending you a star to follow? Many times when God speaks, we ignore His voice. We must learn from these Magi and diligently respond when He calls. We must not hesitate and must seek to daily be attentive to the ways that God invites us to deeper trust, surrender and worship.

Reflect, today, upon God’s call in your life. Are you listening? Are you responding? Are you ready and willing to abandon all else in life so as to serve His holy will? Seek Him, wait on Him and respond. Doing so will be the best decision you ever make.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2024/01/06/a-manifestation-to-the-world-3/

Matthew 2:1-2 Read More »

Luke 3:23-24

Daily Reflections, Verse

The Genealogy of Jesus

“When Jesus began his ministry he was about thirty years of age. He was the son, as was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Melea…”

Reflection:

One of the two options for today’s Gospel is the genealogy of Jesus according to Saint Luke. Recall that Matthew’s Gospel also shares a genealogy of Jesus. Matthew’s version might be more familiar since it comes at the very beginning of his Gospel. Though the two genealogies differ significantly for various reasons, they both have the goal of tracing Jesus’ lineage.

Luke inserts the genealogy of Jesus in Chapter Three of his Gospel, after Jesus is baptized and just before His public ministry. He presents the genealogy in ascending order, starting with Jesus and ending with Adam, identifying seventy-seven generations. Matthew presents the genealogy in descending order, beginning with Abraham and concluding with Jesus, identifying forty-one generations.

Saint Augustine, in commenting upon Luke’s genealogy, points out that Luke identifies seventy-seven generations because Jesus states that we must forgive seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:21–22). Furthermore, since Jesus had just entered the waters of baptism, Augustine sees this as a way of saying that the Sacrament of Baptism offers all people of all times the unlimited gift of the forgiveness of sins.

Perhaps one of the most important reflections we can take from either of Jesus’ genealogies is the fact that He came to give us the gift of new life as the new Adam. His gift of baptism is a way of starting over with fallen humanity. From the time of our creation, we sinned. Adam and Eve sinned. And all generations to follow have sinned. Thus, in Christ, through Baptism, we are able to begin again, to be born again, and to be transformed from the natural fallen order to the supernatural order of grace.

We will soon celebrate the Epiphany and the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. After that, we enter into the beginning of Ordinary Time when we ponder the public ministry of Jesus. As we do so, we must regularly remind ourselves of the reason Jesus came. He did not come simply to inspire us or to teach us His wisdom. Rather, He came to save fallen humanity in accord with the perfect plan of the Father.

The Father’s plan began at the beginning of time when humanity fell from grace. From there, the Father prepared the world for the coming of His divine Son through generation after generation of prophets, priests and kings. Slowly, He revealed His plan of salvation until it came to fruition and perfection in the Person of His Beloved Son.

Reflect, today, upon the eternal plan of the Father to save us from sin by sending His divine Son as our Savior. The plan, spanning many generations from the beginning of time, will continue to unfold until the end of time when Jesus will return in splendor and glory. Spend time pondering this incredible plan and incredible gift you have been given. As you do, seek to foster the deepest gratitude in your heart.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2024/01/05/the-genealogy-of-jesus-2/

Luke 3:23-24 Read More »

John 1:43-45

Daily Reflections, Verse

Conversion is Contagious

“Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

Reflection:

Recall that in the previous passage of John’s Gospel, Andrew had gone to his brother Peter to tell him that he had found the Messiah. As a result, Peter went to see Jesus and also became His disciple. We have a similar story in today’s Gospel passage that happens shortly after the story in John’s Gospel.

After Jesus called Philip to be a disciple, Philip immediately went to find his brother, Nathanael, to tell him the good news. As a result, once Nathanael has a brief encounter with Jesus, Nathanael converts, saying, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

In a sense, we can say that conversion is contagious. Once God calls a good and humble soul to follow Him and that soul responds, that person is almost always compelled to share their conversion with others whom they love. And when they share the conversion of their heart with another, their loved one will often become intrigued themselves, possibly even converting.

Conversion is indeed contagious! This is because when we come to know God, fall in love with Him and choose to follow Him, the joy and conviction of our conversion of heart are things we naturally want to share with others. We want others to experience the spiritual peace and joy we have found by discovering Christ with us.

So this begs the question: Has your love of God affected others in your life? If the answer is “Yes,” then this is something to be grateful for. But if the answer is “No,” then perhaps it’s worth pondering why not. Though it may not at all be your fault, it’s good to examine whether you have first allowed yourself to truly experience a deep conversion to Christ and then to ponder whether you have been open to sharing your heart with others.

So begin with the first question. Have you allowed yourself to truly go through a conversion to Christ? A conversion will take on varying degrees. At first, a conversion changes the direction of our lives by opening our eyes to see what truly matters in life. We discover the glory of God and the fulfillment that comes from embracing His will. When this happens, the initially converted soul will often begin to turn from all serious sin, to pray, to read the Scriptures, and to manifest these changes to others.

But conversions are not only a one-time event. Saint John of the Cross, for example, goes to much length to explain that as a person advances in the life of holiness, there will be a time when they must go through a whole new conversion. Their following of Christ will draw them to another and more profound change in life. Don’t be content with only an initial conversion. Seek also the ongoing process of change that is required by a commitment to follow Christ.

As for the second question, whether or not your own conversion has inspired those you love to follow Christ, simply pray that God uses you as He wills. Be open to Him, do not be afraid to share your heart, and work to allow the joy of following Christ to radiate from your own life. If others are open, then God will touch them through you.

Reflect, today, upon these two fundamental questions of the spiritual life and recommit yourself to a lifelong process of change, as well as an openness to allowing God to touch others through you. In the end, these two things are all that really matter in life and for eternity.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2024/01/04/conversion-is-contagious-2/

John 1:43-45 Read More »

John 1:38-39

Daily Reflections, Verse

Come, and You Will See

“They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day.”

Reflection:

What an interesting exchange. Andrew was one of two disciples of John the Baptist who heard John say that Jesus was the “Lamb of God.” As a result, Andrew and the other disciple left the Baptist and started to physically follow Jesus. As they began to follow Jesus, He turned to them and asked them what they were looking for. And their response, followed by Jesus’ invitation, is recorded above.

Jesus’ invitation was unique: “Come, and you will see.” With that invitation, these two disciples went and remained with Jesus that day. But that’s not all that happened. It is clear from the subsequent passage that by spending the day with Jesus, these two disciples came to faith in Who Jesus was. Later in the passage, Andrew goes to his brother Peter to tell him, “We have found the Messiah.” What was it about their day with Jesus that convinced them of Who He was?

Though the details of their stay with Jesus are not included in the Gospel, it seems clear that simply being in Jesus’ presence is all that these disciples need. Consider, again, Jesus’ twofold invitation: “Come…” followed by “and you will see.”

When our Lord speaks to each of us, His invitation is quite similar. First, He will invite us to come with Him. We are to come to the place where Jesus is staying. Where is that? For us, it is not necessarily a physical place; rather, it is first and foremost a place of prayer. We must hear Jesus invite us to come to Him through the interior journey of personal prayer. It is there, within the depths of our soul, that we will rest with our Lord. He invites us to simply be there in His divine presence.

When we come to Him and rest with Him in His presence, another thing will happen: “and you will see.” We will see Him, come to know Him, be enlightened by Him and come to faith in Him. At first, this happens by His spoken Word. Ultimately, this takes place through an interior revelation that we can only receive in prayer.

Reflect, today, upon this gentle invitation that our Lord gave to these disciples. As you ponder these words, hear them spoken also to you. At first, spend time reflecting only upon the word “come.” Allow it to penetrate your soul. Allow it to become deeply personal. Know that it is a real and loving invitation from Jesus. After that, try to spend time pondering the words “and you will see.” What is it that God wants you to see? What personal revelation of faith does God want to bestow upon you? “Come, and you will see.” Allow these words to change your life, just as they changed the lives of these first disciples of our Lord.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2024/01/03/come-and-you-will-see-2/

John 1:38-39 Read More »

John 1:32-34

Daily Reflections, Verse

Hearing God Speak

“John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

Reflection:

It’s interesting to note that in the Gospel of John, Saint John the Baptist never baptized Jesus, as is depicted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Instead, in the Gospel of John, John the Baptist simply witnessed the descent of the Holy Spirit from a distance, and then spoke the quoted line above. The next day, the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” and two of his own disciples left the Baptist to follow Jesus.

Why is there this apparent discrepancy between the Gospel of John and the three Synoptic Gospels? Though it’s hard to answer that for certain, one thing that is made uniquely clear in the Gospel of John is that the Baptist was given a unique spiritual knowledge by the Father that Jesus was the “Lamb of God.”

In this Gospel, the revelation of Who Jesus was did not take place in a way that everyone present heard and saw. Rather, John’s Gospel focuses upon the interior realization that John the Baptist received from the One Who sent him. And the One Who sent him was the Father in Heaven.

One spiritual truth worth pondering from the account of the Gospel of John read today is that the conviction and certainty given to the Baptist about Jesus’ identity was so certain that he knew Who Jesus was beyond any shadow of a doubt. This personal revelation given to the Baptist changed his life. From that moment on, all he did was point people to Jesus.

As you ponder this spiritual revelation about Jesus that the Baptist received from the Father in Heaven, consider for yourself what would be more convincing. Would it be more convincing to hear an audible voice from Heaven declare Who Jesus was? Or to receive this same knowledge through an interior and spiritual communication from the Father? If you believe that the former, the external and audible voice, would be more convincing, then you might want to pause and think again.

The truth is that God’s clearest and most certain form of communication to us is one that is internal. And even if there were an audible voice spoken from Heaven, as depicted in the Synoptic Gospels, that Voice would have to also be interiorly confirmed by faith in the hearts of the hearers so as to convince them on the deepest level.

Reflect, today, upon the spiritual truth that God the Father wants to speak to you in the depths of your own soul so as to draw you into a certainty about Himself and all that He has spoken as true. Do you hear God speak? Have you allowed yourself to be convinced by His Voice? Listen to Him today and allow all that He speaks to you to become the source and goal of all that you say and do in life.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2024/01/02/hearing-god-speak-2/

John 1:32-34 Read More »

John 1:26-27

Daily Reflections, Verse

The Greatness of Humility

“I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”

Reflection:

Now that our Christmas Octave is completed, we immediately begin to look toward the future ministry of our Lord. In our Gospel today, Saint John the Baptist is the one who points us to that future ministry of Jesus. He acknowledges his mission to baptize with water is one that is temporary and only a preparation for the One Who is coming after him.

As we saw in several of our Advent readings, Saint John the Baptist is a man of great humility. His admission that he is not worthy to untie even Jesus’ sandal straps is proof of this fact. But ironically, it is this humble admission that makes him so great!

Do you want to be great? Deep down we all do. This desire goes hand in hand with our innate desire for happiness. We want our lives to have meaning and purpose, and we want to make a difference. The question is “How?” How do you do this? How do you achieve true greatness?

From a worldly perspective, greatness can often become synonymous with success, riches, power, admiration from others, etc. But from a divine perspective, greatness is achieved by humbly giving God the greatest glory we can with our lives.

Giving God all the glory has a double effect upon our lives. First, doing so allows us to live in accord with the truth of life. The truth is that God and God alone deserves all our praise and glory. All good things come from God and God alone. Second, humbly giving God all the glory and pointing to the fact that we are unworthy of Him has the reciprocal effect of God reaching down and elevating us to share in His life and His glory.

Reflect, today, upon your calling to imitate the humility of Saint John the Baptist. Never shy away from humbling yourself before the greatness and glory of God. Doing so will not demean you or hamper your greatness. Rather, only in the deepest humility before the glory of God is God able to draw you into the greatness of His very life and mission.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2024/01/01/the-greatness-of-humility-4/

John 1:26-27 Read More »

Luke 2:19

Daily Reflections, Verse

The Mother of Jesus is the Mother of God

“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”

Reflection:

Today, January 1, we complete our octave celebration of Christmas Day. It’s an often overlooked liturgical fact that we celebrate Christmas Day for eight straight days. We do this also with Easter Day, which concludes with the great celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday.

On this, the eighth day of the Octave of Christmas, we turn our focus to the unique and beautiful fact that God chose to enter our world through a human mother. Mary is called the “Mother of God” for the simple fact that her Son is God. She was not the mother of her Son’s flesh alone, nor the mother only of His human nature. This is because the Person of Jesus, the Son of God, is one Person. And that one Person took on flesh within the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Though becoming the Mother of God was a pure gift from Heaven and not something that Mother Mary merited on her own, there was one particular quality that she had that made her uniquely qualified to fulfill this role. That quality was her immaculate nature.

First, Mother Mary was preserved from all sin when she was conceived within the womb of her mother, Saint Anne. This special grace was a grace that was imparted to her from the future life, death and resurrection of her Son. It was the grace of salvation, but God chose to take that gift of grace and transcend time to impart it to her at the moment of her conception, thus making her the perfect and pure instrument necessary to bring forth God into the world.

Second, Mother Mary remained faithful to this gift of grace throughout her life, never choosing to sin, never wavering, never turning from God. She remained immaculate throughout her life. Interestingly, it is this choice of hers, to forever remain obedient to the will of God in every way, that makes her more fully the Mother of God than the simple act of bearing Him within her womb. Her act of perfect unity with the will of God throughout her life makes her, also, the perfect mother of divine grace and mercy and perpetually the spiritual Mother of God, continually and perfectly bringing Him into our world.

Reflect, today, upon these most solemn mysteries of our faith. This eighth day of the Octave of Christmas is a solemn celebration, a celebration worthy of our pondering. The Scripture above reveals not only how our blessed Mother approached this mystery but also how we are to approach it. She “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” Ponder these mysteries, also, in your own heart and allow the grace of this holy celebration to fill you with joy and gratitude.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2023/12/31/the-mother-of-jesus-is-the-mother-of-god-3/

Luke 2:19 Read More »

Luke 2:39-40

Daily Reflections, Verse

The Family as a Communion of Love

“When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”

Reflection:

Today we honor family life in general by pausing to ponder the particular and beautiful hidden life within the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In many ways, their daily life together would have been very similar to other families at that time. But in other ways, their life together is entirely unique and provides us with a perfect model for all families.

By God’s providence and design, the family life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was spoken of in the Scripture very little. We read of the birth of Jesus, the presentation in the Temple, the flight into Egypt and the finding of Jesus in the Temple at age twelve. But other than these stories of their life together, we know very little.

The line from today’s Gospel quoted above does, however, give us some insight worth pondering. First, we see that this family “fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord…” Though this is in reference to Jesus being presented in the Temple, it should also be understood to apply to all aspects of their life together. Family life, just like our individual lives, must be ordered by the laws of our Lord.

The primary law of the Lord regarding family life is that it must share in the very unity and “communion of love” found in the life of the Most Holy Trinity. Each person of the Holy Trinity has perfect respect for the other, gives selflessly to each other without reserve, and receives each person in their totality.

It is their love that makes them one and enables them to act together in perfect harmony as a communion of divine Persons. Though Saint Joseph was not immaculate in his nature, the perfection of love did live in his divine Son and in his immaculate wife. This overwhelming gift of their perfect love would have daily drawn him into the perfection of their lives.

Ponder your own closest relationships today. If you are blessed with a close family, ponder them. If not, ponder the persons put into your life who you are called to love with familial love. Who are you to be there for in good times and in bad? Who are you to sacrifice your life for without reserve? Who are you to offer respect, compassion, time, energy, mercy, generosity and every other virtue? And how well do you fulfill this duty of love?

Reflect, today, upon the fact that God wants you to share in a communion of life, not only with the Most Holy Trinity but also with those around you, especially your family. Try to ponder the hidden life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and seek to make their family relationship the model for how you love others. May their perfect communion of love be a model for us all.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2023/12/30/the-family-as-a-communion-of-love-3/

Luke 2:39-40 Read More »

Luke 2:36-38

Daily Reflections, Verse

A Unique and Sacred Calling

“There was a prophetess, Anna…She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Reflection:

We all have a unique and sacred calling given to us from God. Each one of us is called to fulfill that calling with generosity and wholehearted commitment. As the famous prayer of Saint John Henry Newman puts it:

“God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons…”

Anna, the prophetess, was given a very unique, one-of-a-kind mission. When she was young, she was married for seven years. Then after losing her husband, she remained a widow until she was eighty-four. During those decades of her life, the Scripture reveals that “She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.” What an incredible calling from God!

Anna’s unique calling was to be a prophetess. She fulfilled this calling by allowing her whole life to be a symbol of the Christian vocation. Her life was spent in prayer, fasting and, most especially, in anticipation. God called her to wait, year after year, decade after decade, for the one and definitive moment of her life: her encounter with the Christ Child in the Temple.

Anna’s prophetic life tells us that we each must live our lives in such a way that our ultimate goal is to continually prepare for the moment when we meet our divine Lord in the Temple of Heaven. Unlike Anna, most are not called to literal fasting and prayer every day all day within the church buildings.

But like Anna, we must all foster an interior life of ongoing prayer and penance, and we must direct all of our actions in life to the praise and glory of God and the salvation of our souls. Though the way this universal vocation is lived out will be unique to each and every person, Anna’s life is nonetheless a symbolic prophecy of every vocation.

Reflect, today, upon how well you imitate this holy woman in your own life. Do you foster an interior life of prayer and penance and daily seek to devote yourself to the glory of God and the salvation of your soul? Evaluate your life this day in light of the wonderful prophetic life of Anna that we are given to ponder.

Source: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2023/12/29/a-unique-and-sacred-calling-2/

Luke 2:36-38 Read More »

Mark 1:9-11

You are My Beloved Son

Matthew 2:1-2

A Manifestation to the World

Luke 3:23-24

The Genealogy of Jesus

John 1:43-45

Conversion is Contagious

John 1:38-39

Come, and You Will See

John 1:32-34

Hearing God Speak

John 1:26-27

The Greatness of Humility

Luke 2:19

The Mother of Jesus is the Mother of God

Luke 2:39-40

The Family as a Communion of Love

Luke 2:36-38

A Unique and Sacred Calling

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