Near the Feet of the Shepherd

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IN my last general reflection, I wrote of the Great Antitdote that St. Paul gave to his readers to counter the “great apostasy” and deceptions of the “lawless one.” “Stand firm and hold fast,” said Paul, to the oral and written traditions that you have been taught. [1]cf. 2 Thess 2:13-15

But brothers and sisters, Jesus wants you to do more than cling to Sacred Tradition—He wants you to cling to Him personally. It’s not enough to know your Catholic Faith. You have to know Jesus, not just know about Him. It is the difference between reading about rock climbing, and actually scaling a mountain. There is no comparison to actually experiencing the difficulties and yet the exhilaration, the air, the elation of reaching plateaus that bring you to new vistas of glory.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. 2 Thess 2:13-15

A New Creation

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 31st, 2014
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WHAT happens when a person gives their life to Jesus, when a soul is baptized and therefore consecrated to God? It’s an important question because, after all, what is the appeal of becoming a Christian? The answer lies in today’s first reading…

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Why We Don't Hear His Voice

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 28th, 2014
Friday of the Third Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

JESUS said my sheep hear my voice. He did not say “some” sheep, but my sheep hear my voice. So why then, you may ask, do I not hear His voice? Today’s readings offer some reasons why.

I am the Lord your God: hear my voice… I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Hear, my people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, will you not hear me?” (Today’s Psalm)

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Listen to His Voice

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 27th, 2014
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

HOW did Satan tempt Adam and Eve? With his voice. And today, he works no differently, except with the added advantage of technology, which can propel a horde of voices at us all at once. It is the voice of Satan that led, and continues to lead man into darkness. It is the voice of God that will lead souls out.

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Bringing Jesus Into the World

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 26th, 2014
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

Henry Ossawa Tanner's The AnnunciationThe Annunciation, Henry Ossawa Tanner (1898)

 

 

BRINGING the presence of Jesus into the world is not a complicated process requiring a Masters in Divinity. It is a matter of imitating Jesus:

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. (John 15:10)

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A Prophetic Sign

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 25th, 2014
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Liturgical texts here

 

VAST parts of the world no longer believe in God because they no longer see God among us. “But Jesus ascended into Heaven 2000 years ago—of course they don’t see Him…” But Jesus Himself said that He would be found in the world in His brothers and sisters.

Where I am, there shall my servant be also. (cf. Jn 12:26)

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Stoning the Prophets

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 24th, 2014
Monday of the Third Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

WE are called to give a prophetic witness to others. But then, you should not be surprised if you are treated as the prophets were.

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A Prophetic Life

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 21st, 2014
Friday of the Second Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THE Church needs to become prophetic again. By this, I do not mean “telling the future,” but by our lives becoming a “word” to others that points to something, or rather, Someone greater. This is the truest sense of prophecy:

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Planted by the Stream

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 20th, 2014
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

TWENTY years ago, my wife and I, both cradle-Catholics, were invited to a Baptist Sunday service by a friend of ours who was once a Catholic. We were amazed at all the young couples, the beautiful music, and the anointed sermon by the pastor. The outpouring of genuine kindness and welcoming touched something deep in our souls. [1]cf. My Personal Testimony

When we got into the car to leave, all I could think of was my own parish… weak music, weaker homilies, and even weaker participation by the congregation. Young couples our age? Practically extinct in the pews. Most painful was the sense of loneliness. I often left Mass feeling colder than when I walked in.

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Footnotes

The Great Antidote

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Stand your ground…

 

 

HAVE we entered into those times of lawlessness that will culminate in the “lawless one,” as St. Paul described in 2 Thessalonians 2? [1]Some Church Fathers saw the Antichrist appearing before the “era of peace” while others toward the end of the world. If one follows St. John’s vision in Revelation, the answer seems to be that they are both right. See The Last Two Eclipses It is an important question, because our Lord himself commanded us to “watch and pray.” Even Pope St. Pius X raised the possibility that, given the spread of what he called “a terrible and deep-rooted malady” that is dragging society to destruction, that is, “apostasy”…

…there may be already in the world the “Son of Perdition” of whom the Apostle speaks. —POPE ST. PIUS X, E Supremi, Encyclical On the Restoration of All Things in Christ, n. 3, 5; October 4th, 1903

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 Some Church Fathers saw the Antichrist appearing before the “era of peace” while others toward the end of the world. If one follows St. John’s vision in Revelation, the answer seems to be that they are both right. See The Last Two Eclipses

From Sin

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 19th, 2014
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Solemnity of St. Joseph

Liturgical texts here

Ecce HomoEcce Homo, by Michael D. O’Brien

 

 

ST. PAUL once said that “if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty, too, your faith.” [1]cf. 1 Cor 15:14 It could also be said, if there is no such thing as sin or hell, then empty too is our preaching; empty too, your faith; Christ has died in vain, and our religion is worthless.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. 1 Cor 15:14

Call No One Father

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 18th, 2014
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Liturgical texts here

 

 

“SO why do you Catholics call priests “Fr.” when Jesus expressly forbids it?” That’s the question I am frequently asked when discussing Catholic beliefs with evangelical Christians.

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Lord, Forgive Us

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 17th, 2014
Monday of the Second Week of Lent
St. Patrick’s Day

Liturgical texts here

 

 

AS I read today’s first reading and Psalm, I was immediately moved to pray it with you as a prayer of repentance for this generation. (I want to make a comment on today’s Gospel by looking at the Pope’s controversial words, “Who am I to judge?”, but in a separate writing for my general readership. It is posted here. If you are not subscribed to my Spiritual Food for Thought writings, you can be by clicking here.)

And so, together, let us beg God’s mercy upon our world for the sins of our times, for refusing to hear the prophets He has sent us—chief among them the Holy Fathers and Mary, Our Mother… by praying with our hearts today’s Mass readings:

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Who Am I to Judge?

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Photo Reuters
 

 

THEY are words that, just a little under a year later, continue to echo throughout the Church and the world: “Who am I to judge?” They were Pope Francis’ response to a question posed to him regarding the “gay lobby” in the Church. Those words have become a battle cry: first, for those who wish to justify homosexual practice; second, for those wish to justify their moral relativism; and third, for those who wish to justify their assumption that Pope Francis is one notch short of the Antichrist.

This little quip of Pope Francis’ is actually a paraphrase of St. Paul’s words in the Letter of St. James, who wrote: “Who then are you to judge your neighbor?” [1]cf. Jam 4:12 The Pope’s words are now being splattered on t-shirts, fast becoming a motto gone viral…

 

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. Jam 4:12

Removing the Restrainer

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THE past month has been one of palpable sorrow as the Lord continues to warn that there is So Little Time Left. The times are sorrowful because mankind is about to reap what God has begged us not to sow. It is sorrowful because many souls do not realize that they are on the precipice of eternal separation from Him. It is sorrowful because the hour of the Church’s own passion has come when a Judas will rise up against her. [1]cf. The Seven Year Trial-Part VI It is sorrowful because Jesus is not only being neglected and forgotten throughout the world, but abused and mocked once again. Hence, the Time of times has come when all lawlessness will, and is, breaking forth across the globe.

Before I go on, ponder for a moment the truth-filled words of a saint:

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same loving Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and everyday. Either he will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings. —St. Francis de Sales, 17th century bishop

Indeed, this blog is not here to scare or frighten, but to confirm and prepare you so that, like the five wise virgins, the light of your faith will not be snuffed out, but glow ever brighter when the light of God in the world is fully dimmed, and darkness fully unrestrained. [2]cf. Matt 25:1-13

Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matt 25:13)

 

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Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 cf. The Seven Year Trial-Part VI
↑2 cf. Matt 25:1-13

Be Merciful

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 14th, 2014
Friday of the First Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

ARE you merciful? It is not one of those questions that we should toss in with others such as, “Are you extroverted, a choleric, or introverted, etc.” No, this question lies at the very heart of what it means to be an authentic Christian:

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36)

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Being Faithful

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 13th, 2014
Thursday of the First Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

IT was a cool evening as I stood outside my father-in-law’s farmhouse. My wife and I had just temporarily moved in with our five young children into a basement room. Our belongings were in the garage overrun with mice, I was broke, jobless, and tired. It seemed that all my efforts to serve the Lord in ministry were failing. That’s why I’ll never forget the words I heard Him speak in my heart at that moment:

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On Temporal Punishment

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 12th, 2014
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

PURGATORY is perhaps the most logical of doctrines. For which one of us loves the Lord our God with all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul? To withold one’s heart, even a fraction, or to give one’s love to even the smallest of idols, means there is a part that doesn’t belong to God, a part that needs to be purified. Herein lies the doctrine of Purgatory.

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When God Listens

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 11th, 2014
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

DOES God hear every prayer? Of course He does. He sees and hears everything. But God doesn’t listen to all our prayers. Parents understand why…

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Authentic Holiness

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 10th, 2014
Monday of the First Week of Lent

Liturgical texts here

 

 

I OFTEN hear people say, “Oh, he’s so holy,” or “She is such a holy person.” But what are we referring to? Their kindness? A quality of meekness, humility, silence? A sense of God’s presence? What is holiness?

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One Foot in Heaven

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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 7th, 2014
Friday after Ash Wednesday

Liturgical texts here

 

 

HEAVEN, not earth, is our home. Thus, St. Paul writes:

Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. (1 Pet 2:11)

We all know there is a battle brewing everyday of our lives between the flesh and the spirit. Even though, through Baptism, God gives us a new heart and renewed spirit, our flesh is still subject to the gravity of sin — those inordinate appetites that want to drag us from the orbit of holiness into the dust of worldliness. And what a battle it is!

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Soft on Sin

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NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 6th, 2014
Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Liturgical texts here


Pilate washes his hands of Christ, by Michael D. O’Brien

 

 

WE are a Church that has become soft on sin. Compared to the generations before us, whether it’s our preaching from the pulpit, penances in the confessional, or the way we live, we have become rather dismissive of the importance of repentance. We are living in a culture that not only tolerates sin, but has institutionalized it to the point that traditional marriage, virginity, and purity are made out to be the real evils.

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Even Now

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  NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 5th, 2014
Ash Wednesday

Liturgical texts here

 

 

FOR eight years, I have been writing to whoever will listen, a message that can be summed up in one word: Prepare! But prepare for what?

In yesterday’s meditation, I encouraged readers to reflect on the letter Dear Holy Father… He is Coming! It is a writing that, in summarizing the early Church Fathers and the prophetic words of the Popes, is a call to prepare for the “day of Lord.”

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Fulfilling Prophecy

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    NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 4th, 2014
Opt. Memorial for St. Casimir

Liturgical texts here

 

 

THE fulfillment of God’s Covenant with His people, which will be fully realized in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, has progressed throughout millennia like a spiral that becomes smaller and smaller as time goes on. In the Psalm today, David sings:

The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

And yet, the revelation of Jesus was still hundreds of years away. So how could the salvation of the Lord be known? It was known, or rather anticipated, through prophecy…

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He Loved Him

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 NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 3rd, 2014

Liturgical texts here

 

 

Jesus, looking at him, loved him…

AS I ponder these words in the Gospel, it’s clear that when Jesus looked at the rich young man, it was a gaze so full of love that it was remembered by witnesses years later when St. Mark wrote about it. Although this glance of love did not penetrate the young man’s heart—at least not right away, according to the account—it penetrated the heart of someone that day such that it was cherished and remembered.

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Global Revolution!

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…the order of the world is shaken. (Psalm 82:5)
 

WHEN I wrote about Revolution! a few years ago, it was not a word being used much in the mainstream. But today, it is being spoken everywhere… and now, the words “global revolution” are rippling throughout the world. From the uprisings in the Middle East, to Venezuela, Ukraine, etc. to the first murmurings in the “Tea Party” revolution and “Occupy Wall Street” in the U.S., unrest is spreading like “a virus.” There is indeed a global upheaval underway.

I will rouse Egypt against Egypt: brother will war against brother, neighbour against neighbour, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. (Isaiah 19:2)

But it is a Revolution that has been in the making for a very long time…

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