Thanking God When was the last time you thanked God? Do you remember how you thanked God? If we tend to think that thanking God is merely saying a quick “thank you,” then we ought to know other ways in which we can fittingly thank God. For Catholics, the most fundamental way to thank God is to go to Mass. That is because Holy Mass is the celebration of the Eucharist, which is an action of thanksgiving to God (CCC…
The Angels of God What are angels? There are at least 4 things that we know about angels. First, they were created by God and therefore they are creatures of God. Second, they are pure spirits; which means that they do not have physical bodies like human beings do. Third, they are intelligent and immortal creatures (CCC 330). The intelligence of angels far surpasses that of man, but unlike God, they do not know everything. For example, they cannot see…
The rich and the poor The parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) clearly illustrates the teaching of the “Sermon on the plain”, where Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh… Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who…
Dishonest wealth The parable of the dishonest steward is not easy to understand and one of the common questions about it is: Why did the master commend the dishonest steward? One thing that can be said of this parable is that the master was not commending the steward for his dishonesty. After all, the steward was fired for his dishonesty – he was squandering his master’s property. One of the plausible explanations for this parable is that the steward had…
The lost and the found The Gospel of Luke presents three parables of what was once lost but was later found: the parables of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1–7, Matthew 18:12–14), the lost coin (Luke 15:8–10) and the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32). Three parables which are similar and yet different in some ways. The reason I point out these similarities and differences is so that they may be used as points of reflection. All three parables are similar in the…
How far will we go? The Gospel of Luke tells us that great crowds were traveling with Jesus, but it doesn’t say why. Possibly, some were following Jesus to obtain healing or deliverance, some were hoping to be fed again since the miraculous feeding the multitude, some out of curiosity, and still some because they felt a calling to become a disciple of Christ. Jesus turned to them and using quite strong words, He said, “If anyone comes to me…
Please take your seat The parable of the invited guests in Luke 14:7-14 has two moral teachings: first, those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Jesus gave the example of a guest who took the place of honor at a wedding banquet, but was asked to move to a lower place. You never know if there is a more distinguished guest who would later show up at the banquet, so better…
Will only a few people be saved? In Luke 13, someone asked Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Jesus replied, “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” (Luke 13:23-24) This response is similar to Matthew 7, where Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through…
Disciples on fire Jesus said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! (Luke 12:49-50) What is this fire that Jesus was talking about? In the context of chapter 12 of Luke, this fire refers to the fire in one’s heart and soul in being a disciple of Christ. The eagerness…
Becoming a Vigilant Servant Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in…