Lent – Its Origin and Purpose Lent – Its Origin and Purpose Lent is a time when the whole Church reflects on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; at the same time, it is a time for the unbaptized to prepare for baptism and for those already baptized, it is a time for personal spiritual renewal. In the 3rd to 4th century Church, preparation for baptism lasted several years. During that time of preparation, the unbaptized…
Peter’s Speech In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught His disciples that it is not enough not to kill, but that they must not have anger in their hearts and be reconciled with their brothers. Jesus taught them that it is not enough not to commit adultery, but that one must not look lustfully at others, and that there can be no divorce in lawful marriages. Jesus taught them that it is not enough not to take a false…
Salt and Light “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in…
Living a Blessed Life The Gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to Him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them. Great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from…
From Galilee to the World Why did Jesus begin His ministry in Galilee? As the Gospel of Matthew tells us, Jesus left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a…
The Sacrament of Baptism Isaiah 49:1-7 contains the second of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles. It contains the prophecy: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” In the context of the Old Testament passage, these words were meant for Israel. However, could it be that like many of the Old Testament prophecies, this one was also fulfilled by Jesus Christ in the Gospels? Let us…
Epiphany What is the meaning of Epiphany? Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God and Savior of the world. (CCC 528) The difference between the Epiphany of the Lord Jesus Christ and the revelations of God in the Old Testament is that in Jesus, the Son of God revealed Himself to the world in His human nature – in flesh and blood. Traditionally, the Solemnity of Epiphany celebrates 3 events in the life of Christ on earth:…
Mary, Mother of God When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. (Galatians 4:4-5) St. Paul writes to the early Christian community in Galatia regarding the birth of Christ, that at the time which God deemed as the perfect time (the fullness of time), He sent His Son to be born of a woman (Mary of Nazareth).…
The Peace of Christ Perhaps you have heard someone say, “The peace of Christ be with you!” But what does it mean? One of the readings for Christmas from the Book of the prophet Isaiah foretells that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, will be born (cf. Isaiah 9:5). But more than 2,000 years later after Jesus walked on this earth, why is there still so much war and violence? Luke’s Gospel account on the birth of Jesus begins with the…
Why was Jesus born? Why was Jesus born; in other words, why did Jesus take on human flesh and became man? The History of Salvation began in Creation and culminated in Jesus Christ (CCC 280). God freely wills to communicate the glory of His blessed life to man. Such is the plan conceived by the Father in His beloved Son before the foundation of the world. This plan unfolded in the work of creation, the whole history of salvation after…