Catholic Daily Reflections

Read Online“But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.” John 10:2–4Do you recognize the voice of the Shepherd? Does He lead you each and every day, guiding you into His holy will? How attentive are you to what He speaks each day? These are some of the most important questions to ponder.Recognizing God's voice is something that many people struggle with. There are often many competing “voices” that speak to us each and every day. From the latest news in the headlines, to the opinions of friends and family, to the temptations all around us within the secular world, to our own self-drawn opinions, these “voices” or “ideas” that fill our minds can be hard to sort through. What is from God? And what is from other sources?Recognizing the voice of God is indeed possible. First of all, there are many general truths that God has already spoken to us. For example, everything contained in the Holy Scriptures is the voice of God. His Word is alive. And when we read the Scriptures, we become more and more familiar with God's voice.God also speaks to us through gentle inspirations that result in His peace. For example, when considering a certain decision you may need to make, if you present that decision to our Lord prayerfully and then remain open to whatever He wants of you, oftentimes His answer comes in the form of a deep and certain peace of heart.Learning to recognize the voice of God in your daily life is accomplished by building an interior habit of listening, recognizing, responding, listening some more, recognizing and responding, etc. The more you hear the voice of God, the more you will recognize His voice in the most subtle of ways, and the more you come to hear the subtleties of His voice, the more you will be able to follow. In the end, this is only accomplished by an ongoing habit of deep and sustaining prayer. Without that, it will be very difficult to recognize the voice of the Shepherd when you need Him the most.Reflect, today, upon how attentive you are to God in prayer. What does your daily prayer look like? Do you spend time each day listening to the gentle and beautiful voice of our Lord? Do you seek to form a habit by which His voice becomes clearer and clearer? If not, if you do struggle in recognizing His voice, then make the decision to establish a deeper habit of daily prayer so that it is the voice of our loving Lord Who leads you every day.Jesus, my Good Shepherd, You speak to me each and every day. You are constantly revealing to me Your most holy will for my life. Help me to always recognize Your gentle voice so that I can be led by You through the challenges of life. May my life of prayer become so deep and sustaining that Your voice always echoes within my heart and soul. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Cadetgray, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineJesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.” John 10:27–28The image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is an endearing image. Many artists have depicted the gentleness of Christ as He leads His sheep or carries a straying lamb on His shoulders. We are given this image today as we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday.In our short Gospel passage today, Jesus addressed some of the Jews who were trying to trap Him in His speech. Prior to this passage, they asked Him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” To that, Jesus responded, “I told you and you do not believe.” Jesus answered this way because the people questioning Him were not interested in actually knowing whether He was the Messiah. Instead, they wanted to accuse Him of blasphemy. But Jesus tells them that He already told them Who He was through His works: “The works I do in my Father's name testify to me.”Do you see the works of God in your life? If you do, then it is important to understand that Jesus' works are one of the primary ways that He speaks to you and leads you as your Shepherd. God certainly speaks to us through His Word as it is revealed in the Scriptures and in the teachings of the Church. But He also speaks to us through His works. Among the many works of God in your life is the work of grace by which God enables you to grow in virtue. Therefore, it is important to look for the ways that supernatural virtue grows in your life. For example, do you see courage in the face of fear? If so, what is God saying to you through the increase of this virtue? Do you see a supernatural ability to forgive another? If so, what is God telling you through the increase of that virtue? Do you see an increase in the virtue of piety, by which your life of prayer becomes more important to you? If so, what is God saying to you through the increase of this virtue?The discernment of the will of God enables us to hear His voice and follow Him. And one of the best ways to discern the will of God is to look for the ways that God is touching your life. Where you see virtue increase, the will of God is present and is calling you to grow in that area. Conversely, if there is something in your life that leads you to sin, and, thus, a decrease in virtue, then this is also God's voice telling you to avoid these things. Reflect, today, upon God's actions that are perceptible in your life. Even though God speaks clearly to us through His revealed Word, He also speaks to us and shepherds us through His discernable touching of our souls. Where you see virtue increase, you will find the will of God. Where you see virtue decrease, you will not find the will of God. Listen to God as He speaks to you this way so that you will hear His voice, follow Him and receive eternal life.My revealing Lord, You speak to me day and night, calling me to follow You as my Shepherd. May I learn to perceive Your voice as You speak to me in varied ways so that I can more readily follow You wherever You lead. Jesus, my Good Shepherd, I trust in You.  Main image via Adobe StockSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineAs a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” John 6:66–67Today's Gospel concludes the beautiful and profound sermon on the Bread of Life (see John 6:22–71). When you read this sermon from beginning to end, it is noticeable that Jesus moves from more general statements about the Bread of Life that are easier to accept to more specific statements that are challenging. He concludes His teaching just prior to today's Gospel by saying very directly, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” After Jesus said this, many who had been listening to Him left Him and no longer followed Him.There are generally three common attitudes people have toward the Most Holy Eucharist. One attitude is that of profound faith. Another is that of indifference. And a third is what we find in today's Gospel: disbelief. Those who walked away from Jesus in today's Gospel did so because they said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” What a great statement and question to ponder.It is true, in a certain way, that the teaching of Jesus on the Most Holy Eucharist is a hard saying. “Hard,” however, is not bad. It's hard in the sense that belief in the Eucharist is only possible through a faith that comes from a deep interior revelation from God. In the case of those who walked away from Jesus, they heard His teaching, but their hearts were closed to the gift of faith. They remained stuck on a purely intellectual level, and, thus, the idea of eating the Flesh and Blood of the Son of God was more than they could comprehend. So who could accept such a statement? Only those who listen to our Lord as He speaks to them interiorly. It is only that interior conviction that comes from God that can be proof of the truthfulness of the Holy Eucharist.Do you believe that when you consume that which appears to be only “bread and wine,” you are actually consuming Christ Himself? Do you understand this teaching of our Lord on the Bread of Life? It is a hard saying and a difficult teaching, which is why it must be taken very seriously. For those who do not flat out reject this teaching, there is also the temptation to be somewhat indifferent to the teaching. It can easily be misunderstood to be just symbolism in the way our Lord talks. But the symbolism is much more than just symbolism. It's a profound, challenging, and life-changing teaching of how we share in the divine and eternal life our Lord wishes to bestow upon us. Reflect, today, upon how deeply you believe this hard saying of Jesus. The fact that it is a “hard” saying should make you seriously examine your own faith or lack thereof. What Jesus teaches is life-changing. It's life-giving. And when clearly understood, you will be challenged to either believe with your whole heart or turn away in disbelief. Allow yourself to believe in the Most Holy Eucharist with your whole heart and you will find that you are believing one of the most profound Mysteries of Faith. My glorious Lord, Your teaching on the Most Holy Eucharist is beyond human comprehension. It is a mystery so deep that we will never fully understand this precious gift. Open my eyes, dear Lord, and speak to my mind so that I may listen to Your words and respond with the deepest faith. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink.” John 6:53–55On a philosophical level, it's useful to consider various things that appear to be “competing forces.” Good appears to be the opposite of evil. Light the opposite of dark. Heat the opposite of cold. And life the opposite of death. But are they truly opposites in the sense of being competing forces? When considered carefully, it is clear that good and evil, light and dark, heat and cold, and life and death are not actually “competing forces;” rather, evil is simply the absence of good, darkness the absence of light, cold the absence of heat, and death the loss of life. And though this philosophical distinction may not seem that interesting to some, and confusing to others, it is a helpful truth to ponder in light of today's Gospel.Today's Gospel tells us that failure to “eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood” results in death. Death is the loss of life, and the Eucharist is the source of life. Jesus says that if you fail to eat His Flesh and drink His Blood, “you do not have life within you.”This bold teaching of Jesus should cause us to stop and examine our approach to the Most Holy Eucharist. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that going to Mass and receiving Communion is something we do as a “favor” to our Lord. But in truth, it's God's most profound favor to us, because the Eucharist is the gateway to eternal life. And without it, we have no life within us. Our spirits die because we lose the presence of God.Looking at the negative effect of not receiving the Most Holy Eucharist can be very useful. Sometimes we need to consider the consequences of our actions as a way of motivating us to greater fidelity. For that reason, considering the fact that failure to eat the Flesh of the Son of God results in death should be very motivating. It should fill us with a holy fear of the loss of the life-giving presence of God within us. This “holy fear” is a true gift from God and is, in fact, one of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.Reflect, today, upon your interior attitude toward the Most Holy Eucharist. Do you see your participation in the Holy Mass more as a favor you offer to our Lord? Or do you see it as it is: the life-giving source of eternal life? Reflect upon how important this precious gift truly is and recommit yourself to a faithful and devout participation in this most holy Gift.My Eucharistic Lord, Your Flesh and Blood are truly the source of eternal life for all who receive You in faith. I thank You, dear Lord, for this most precious Gift of the Most Holy Eucharist, and I pray that I will be filled with a deep hunger and thirst for You always. Jesus, I trust in You.Fra Angelico (Guido di Pietro) 1400-1455. Florence. Le sermon sur la montagne by jean louis mazieres, license Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineI am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” John 6:51Jesus was starting to stir up the emotions of some within the crowd. They began to ridicule Him because He had said that He was the “bread that had come down from heaven.” Thus, many of those who had sought Jesus out in hopes of another miraculous free meal began to murmur among themselves and ridicule Him. As a result, Jesus began to speak even more clearly and shockingly. He then went even further and said that He is not only the “living bread that came down from heaven” but that those who want to “live forever” must also eat His “Flesh.”How would you have reacted to such a statement if you were among those within the crowd? Consider the fact that you would have recently seen, with your own eyes, the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Therefore, you would have realized that Jesus was someone special, to say the least. But how would you have reacted to this statement of Jesus, “and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world,” if you had heard it spoken at that time? Most likely, your reaction would have been the same reaction that you have right now to the teaching of the Most Holy Eucharist.Many who heard Jesus speak this way may have thought it was a bit of an unusual thing to say. Some would have reacted strongly, while others would have reacted with indifference. But some would have had an entirely different reaction. Some would have heard Jesus speak these new and shocking words, would have realized that they did not fully understand what He meant, but would have believed deeply on account of the gift of faith. Somehow they would have known, in the depths of their consciences, that they did indeed need to eat the Flesh of Him Who came down from Heaven since He was indeed the Bread of Life.Believing in the Eucharist, in the fact that these tangible and visible gifts of the Sacred Host and the Precious Blood are, in fact, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Eternal Son of God, can only happen through the interior and transforming gift of faith. How else can you believe such a teaching? How else could you believe that these words in today's Gospel have come true? And that the reception of the Most Holy Eucharist is the pathway to eternal life? The gift of faith in the Most Holy Eucharist is the one and only way to understand, accept and deeply believe what our Lord has spoken in this Holy Gospel. Reflect, today, upon Jesus speaking these most holy words for the first time: “...the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” As you prayerfully reflect upon these words, ponder how deeply you believe them. How deep is your faith in the Most Holy Eucharist? The Eucharist is the fulfillment of this passage, and our divine Lord invites you to not only believe in His holy words but to allow this truth to transform you in ways beyond what you could ever imagine. My Eucharistic Lord, You are truly the Bread of Life, and all those who eat Your Flesh and drink Your Blood will inherit eternal life. I do believe this, dear Lord. I believe that the Most Holy Eucharist is You, Your Soul and Divinity, given to me so that I can share in Your holy life. Give me the grace I need to deepen my faith in the Most Holy Eucharist so that I will be drawn more fully into the joys of Your Eternal Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Christ Preaching By Rembrandt, public domain via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” John 6:40Do you believe in Jesus? Unquestionably the answer is “Yes.” However, to believe in our Lord is something that must deepen with every passing day. Therefore, if you do have faith in Jesus, you can also admit that you do not have faith enough. In this Gospel passage in which the “Bread of Life Discourse” is continued, Jesus calls us to do two things. First, we must see Him. Second, we must believe. Let's start with the first.When Jesus first spoke these words to the crowd, they did see His physical presence. But many of them did not see beyond the surface. They saw His miracles, heard His teaching, but very few saw the deeper reality of Jesus as the Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the World.If you are to believe in our Lord and all that He is, then you must first see Him. One of the best ways to foster this “holy sight” of our Lord is to gaze at Him in the Most Holy Eucharist. When you attend Mass or spend time in adoration and  look upon the Most Holy Eucharist, what do you see? Do you see the Eternal Son? Do you see His holy divinity? Do you see your God and the Lord of all?As we stand or kneel before our Lord, present in the Most Holy Eucharist, it's easy to become distracted. It's easy to allow our minds to wander to the many other aspects of our daily lives and to fail to see the eternal Son of God as He is present to us. Reflect, today, upon the way you look at our Lord. If you want to deepen your faith, your belief, then start with your sight. Start by considering how you look at Jesus, present in the Most Holy Eucharist. If you are blessed to be with Him this day at the Holy Mass or in adoration, examine the way to see Him. Gaze at Him. Make an intentional act of faith in His divine presence. Acknowledge His Godhead, His glory, His holiness and His sacred presence. If you can look beyond the surface and lift the veil that covers His glory, then this holy gift of sight will give way, also, to the gift of profound faith. My ever-present Lord, I thank You profoundly for the way You come to me in the Most Holy Eucharist. I thank You for Your divine presence and glory. Help me to see beyond the veil of the appearance of bread and wine so that I can see more clearly Your divinity. As I see Your divine presence, dear Lord, help me to profess my belief in You with greater certitude and faith. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Rembrandt, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineSo they said to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” John 6:34–35Imagine if you were to never grow hungry or never thirst again. On a natural level, this would be an interesting reality.Of course, if you never had physical hunger or thirst, then you may never enjoy the delight of good food and drink. So why would anyone want to lose out on such delights? Of course, Jesus was not speaking of natural food and drink, He was speaking of supernatural hunger and thirst. And He was not saying that the spiritual food and drink He came to give us would eliminate our ability to delight in spiritual fulfillment. On the contrary, Jesus was saying that the spiritual food and drink He was to provide would result in never-ending fulfillment and satisfaction.Chapter 6 of John's Gospel will continue to be read throughout this week, the Third Week of Easter. This chapter presents us with what is traditionally called the “Bread of Life Discourse.” It's John's deep, mystical and profound teaching on the Most Holy Eucharist.First of all, it's useful to look at this Gospel within its context. Recall that on the previous day, Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and a crowd of people who had been fed by Him were now seeking more food. Jesus uses their desire for more food to begin to teach them about the Most Holy Eucharist, and He wants to do the same for you.Put yourself into this scene. What is it that you hunger and thirst for the most? Perhaps you have plenty of physical food, but perhaps you don't. If you do, what else do you crave? What do you desire? When you have identified your deepest desires right now, use these desires to allow our Lord to teach you about the Bread of Life. It might be useful to say to our Lord, “Here are my current desires in life…” And then, allow yourself to hear Jesus say to you, “I want to give you so much more. I am what you truly long for. If you come to Me, you will have all your desires fulfilled and more.” This is essentially the conversation Jesus had with this crowd throughout John Chapter 6.Do you believe that the Most Holy Eucharist is capable of fulfilling you on the deepest level? Too often we approach that Sacrament in a lazy and distracted way. As a result, we often fail to truly receive our Lord on a level that provides this deepest delight and satisfaction.Reflect, today and throughout this week, upon your approach to Holy Communion. The Eucharist is Christ Himself. It's a gift that has the potential to not only sustain us in every way but also to draw us into the greatest Heavenly delights. Believe Jesus' words in this holy chapter of John's Gospel. For if you deepen your belief in all that Jesus has said, you will begin to realize that all you crave in life will begin to be fulfilled by this precious gift in ways beyond your imagination.My Eucharistic Lord, You are the Bread of Life. You are all that I desire in life. Give me the grace of understanding, dear Lord, so that I can come to believe all that You have revealed about the Most Holy Eucharist. I do believe, my God. Help my unbelief. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Christ the Saviour Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, via Wikemedia Commons Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” John 6:25–27What do you work for in life? That which ultimately perishes? Or that which is eternal? This is an important question to sincerely answer. Too often we spend most of our lives putting most of our time and energy into those things that have little value for eternity.The day before the above quoted conversation, Jesus had multiplied the loaves and fishes and fed five thousand households. The people were so impressed that the next day, when they were hungry again, they came looking for Jesus and found Him on the other side of the lake. Jesus, of course, immediately understands the situation. He realizes that the crowd of people who found Him were more interested in another meal than they were in the spiritual food that is eternal. So Jesus gently uses the opportunity to give them this short lesson about what is most important. The “food that endures for eternal life” is ultimately faith in Jesus.Imagine if you were one of those people who witnessed, first hand, the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. What sort of an impact would that have had on you? Would it have drawn you into a deep faith in Jesus, the Son of God? Or would you have been more impressed with the free and miraculous food? What's interesting is that Jesus feeds the five thousand when they are not expecting it and not desiring it. But when they do come expecting it and desiring it the next day, He refuses. Jesus refuses another miracle because He wants the people to look deeper to the eternal reality. In our own lives, living primarily for the deeper and eternal reality is often hard to do. It's easy to keep our eyes on the superficial and less important aspects of life. How do I make more money? Or buy a new car? Or have a fancier meal? How can I better entertain myself? What new piece of clothing should I buy? And the list goes on. Of course none of these things are evil, but they are all passing and will not have an effect upon our eternal soul. And, in fact, if we give too much attention to the superficial and least important aspects of life, they will have the effect of distracting us from that which is most important.Reflect, today, upon this challenge from Jesus. Do not work for that which perishes; work for that which is eternal. Look at your priorities in life. Where is your focus? What concerns you the most every day? Hopefully your greatest concern is to grow deeper in faith in the Son of God. Hopefully it is to live the charity that is eternal. If you honestly look at your life and the goals you have and see yourself overly concerned with the things of this world, then allow these words of our Lord to speak to you directly so that you are storing up riches for eternal life.My most glorious Lord, You are the Food that is eternal. You are the Food for everlasting life. Give me the wisdom I need, dear Lord, to turn my eyes from the passing and least important things of this world and to turn, instead, to that which is eternal. May I keep my eyes upon You and be nourished by my faith in You. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Cosimo Rosselli, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineWhen it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. John 21:4–6Recall the first time there was a miraculous catch of fish in the Gospels. In Luke 5:1–7, Jesus was preaching to the people on the shore from where He sat in Peter's boat just a short distance away. After preaching, Jesus told Peter, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Peter did so and there was such a large catch of fish that the Apostles needed help to haul it in.In today's Gospel, some three years later after the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples from the shore and instructed them to cast their nets “over the right side of the boat.” They did so and caught 153 large fish. In commenting on these two passages, Saint Augustine teaches that the first miraculous catch was a sign that the Gospel would be preached to all people, which is indicated by Jesus simply saying “lower your nets.” But after the Resurrection, Jesus specifically tells the disciples to cast their nets “over the right side” to indicate that grace is now given to those who stand on His right side and are separated from the condemned who are on His left. Thus, this second miraculous catch symbolizes the end of the age when the good and the bad are judged. Saint Augustine also notes that the 153 large fish, caught off the right side of the boat, are a symbolic representation of those who conform not only to the Ten Commandments but also receive the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit by grace. He explains that 10 + 7 = 17 and if you add all the numbers together between 1 and 17 you arrive at 153. Thus, these 153 fish represent everyone who receives His gift of grace and obtains salvation. The boat represents the Church, and the gift of salvation is offered by Christ through His Church.One clear message we must take from Saint Augustine's interpretation is that grace and mercy are offered to all, but not received by all. At the end of our lives and at the end of the world, judgment will take place. Those who responded to the offer of grace and mercy, repented of their sins and gave their lives to Christ will eternally share in the Resurrection. But those who refused to follow His Commandments and closed themselves to the transforming power of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit will be separated from eternal joys.Facing the reality of hell is not pleasant, but it is a message that must not be ignored. It is a message that is real and, therefore, hell is a possibility for us all. Therefore, it is important to remind ourselves from time to time of this spiritual truth. Are you among those 153 large fish found on the right side of the boat? Do you allow the ministers of Christ within the Church, represented by the disciples in the boat, to draw you to Christ through preaching and the Sacraments? Though all of us might quickly answer “Yes” to that question, we should never fail to be attentive to the fact that salvation requires action on our part. It requires that we accept Christ Jesus by following His Commandments and live by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit as it is dispensed by the Church.Reflect, today, upon the symbolism found in this Resurrection account. Consider the fact that the Gospel has, indeed, been shared with you. Have you listened to the Word of God as it is preached by the Church? Do you immerse yourself in the grace given through the Sacraments? Do you follow the Ten Commandments faithfully? Do you continually open yourself to the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit? Seek to be among that catch of fish caught on the “right side.” Never doubt that hell is real and possible. For that reason, never waver from your fidelity to Christ, so that you will remain firmly grounded in His grace and share one day in His Resurrection.My resurrected Lord, You have offered Your grace and mercy to all, but not all have responded. I pray that I will always be among those who continually respond to Your invitation. I repent of my sin, dear Lord. Please help me to stay faithful to Your commands of love and to be daily immersed in Your transforming Spirit. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Adobe Stock Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlinePhilip said to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'?” John 14:8–9Today's liturgical feast is in honor of two of the Apostles, Philip and James the Lesser.  Little is known about James other than that he was chosen by our Lord for the apostolic ministry and that we have one of his letters, which is contained in the New Testament.  James eventually went to Jerusalem and led the Church for a few decades until he was stoned to death as a martyr. Philip preached in Greece, Phrygia and Syria.  He and Saint Bartholomew were thought to have been crucified upside down. Philip preached upside down from the cross until his death.In the Gospel for today's Mass, we are presented with an encounter that Philip had with Jesus. Though this encounter appears to be a rebuke of Philip by Jesus, it's a rebuke that is quite heartfelt. Jesus says, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?” Jesus did, indeed, spend much time with His disciples. They stayed together, ate together, traveled together and spent much time talking with each other. Therefore, Jesus' comments to Philip emanated from His real and lived personal relationship with Philip.Take the first part of that statement to begin with. “Have I been with you so long…” Imagine Jesus saying this to you. Is this something He would be able to say to you? Is it true that you do spend much time with Him? Do you spend time reading the Gospels, speaking to Him from the depths of your heart, conversing with Him, praying to Him and listening to His gentle voice?But Jesus goes on: “...and you still do not know me...?” This is a humble truth that is important to admit. It is true that even those who have a very deep and transforming life of prayer do not know our Lord deeply enough. There is no limit to the transformation that can take place in our lives when we know Jesus personally.Jesus' statement goes on: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” So the next question is this: “Do you know the Father?” Do you know the Father's love, His care for you, His perfect will? Though the Father and the Son are united as one God, They are still distinct Persons, and we must, therefore, work to establish a relationship of love with each one of them.As initially mentioned, the comments from Jesus are a gentle rebuke of love to Philip, and He wants to speak this same gentle rebuke to you. But it's a rebuke of love meant to encourage you to get to know Him better. It's an invitation to personalize your relationship with Jesus and the Father in a real and concrete way. Do you know Him? Do you know the Son of God? Do you know the Father in Heaven?Reflect, today, upon these loving questions of our Lord as if they were spoken to you. Let His words encourage you to get to know Him more deeply. Pray for your relationship to become more personal and transforming. And as you get to know our Lord more intimately, know that it is also the Father in Heaven Whom you are getting to know. My divine and personal Lord, it is the deepest desire of Your Sacred Heart to know me and to love me. Fill my heart with this same desire so that I will not only know You, dear Lord, but also the Father in Heaven. Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your perfect love and pray that I may open myself to that love more fully each and every day. Saints Philip and James, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.Paolo Veronese, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.” John 6:12–13John's Gospel is filled with much symbolic meaning. The passage above concludes the story of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. After feeding the multitude of people with only five barley loaves and two fish, they were able to fill twelve wicker baskets with what remained. What was the reason for the extra?Saint Augustine, in commenting upon this passage, explains that Jesus provided more than the people could eat as a way of symbolically representing spiritual truths that were beyond what the vast crowds could comprehend. Thus, Jesus' teachings spiritually nourished the crowds to the point that they were fully satisfied. But even though the general crowds were satisfied with what Jesus taught them, there was still so much more that He had to teach. These deeper spiritual truths are represented by the extra twelve baskets.The twelve baskets represent the Twelve Disciples. They were the ones specially chosen by Jesus to receive so much more. Recall the times when Jesus taught the crowds in parables and then, later, would explain the meaning to the Twelve in private. He revealed to them certain truths that most people could not understand and accept.It is helpful to consider three different groups of people in this miracle and apply those groupings to us today. The first group of people are those who were not even present for the miracle. Those who did not make the journey to be with Jesus in the wilderness. This is the largest group of people within society who go about their daily lives without even seeking minimal nourishment from our Lord. The second grouping of people is this “large crowd” who followed Jesus to the remote side of the Sea of Galilee to be with Him. These represent those who diligently seek out our Lord every day. These are those who are faithful to the celebration of the Mass, the reading of Scripture, to daily prayer and study. To this grouping of people, our Lord teaches many things, and they are nourished by His holy Word and Sacraments.The third grouping of people, the Twelve Disciples who are represented by the Twelve wicker baskets left over, are those who are exceptionally faithful to our Lord and continue to be nourished by Him in a superabundant way. These are those who seek to understand and embrace the deepest spiritual truths so as to be nourished and transformed on the deepest level.Reflect, today, upon the fact that the spiritual food our Lord wishes to offer you is most often far more than you can immediately accept and consume. But understanding that fact is the first step to disposing yourself to receive even more. As you reflect upon this superabundance of spiritual food from our Lord, recommit yourself especially to seek out that remaining “twelve wicker baskets” of spiritual truths. If you do, you will discover that there is truly no end to the transforming depths of the gifts of grace our Lord wishes to bestow upon you.My most generous Lord, You not only give spiritual nourishment to Your people, You give it in superabundance. As I daily seek You out and am filled with Your mercy, help me to never tire of feasting upon the superabundant gift of Your grace. Please do nourish me, dear Lord, and help me to consume Your holy Word. Jesus, I trust in You.Ambrosius Francken I, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineThe Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. John 3:35It's interesting to note that the words of today's Gospel appear to be from Saint John the Baptist, since they come within the context of his testimony to Jesus. Some commentators, however, suggest that they are words that were actually spoken by Jesus and that the Evangelist inserts them here as a continuation of the testimony of the Baptist, attributing them to Saint John. Regardless of who actually spoke these words, the line quoted above gives us much to reflect upon, in that it gives us insight into the very meaning and practice of true love.What is love? Is it a feeling? An emotion? A drive or a desire for something or someone? Of course, the secular understanding of love is much different than a divine understanding of love. Oftentimes the secular view of love is more self-centered. To “love” someone or something is to want to possess that person or object. “Love” from a secular view focuses upon the attraction and desire. But true love, from a divine perspective, is very different.The line quoted above tells us two things: First, we are told that “The Father loves the Son…” But then we are given a definition of that love. We are told that love in this case results in the Father giving “everything over” to the Son. When we consider the word “everything” in this passage, it is clear that this can only refer to the Father giving Himself to the Son in totality. Within the life of the Father, everything means His very essence, His being, His personhood, His whole divine self. The Father does not say, “I want;” rather, the Father says, “I give.” And the Son receives all that the Father is.Though this is deep and mystical language, it becomes very practical for our lives when we understand that divine love is not about wanting, taking, desiring, feeling, etc. Divine love is about giving. It's about the giving of oneself to another. And it's not just about giving some of yourself away, it's about giving “everything” away.If the Father gave everything to the Son, does that mean that the Father has nothing left? Certainly not. The beautiful nature of divine love is that it is never ending. The more one gives themself away, the more they have. Thus, the gift of the life of the Father to the Son is infinite and eternal. The Father never ceases to give, and the Son never ceases to receive. And the more the Father gives Himself to the Son, the more the Father becomes the essence of love itself.The same is true in our lives. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that love should only go so far. But if we are to strive to imitate and participate in the love the Father has for the Son, then we must also understand that love is about giving, not receiving, and that the giving must be a gift of everything, holding nothing back. We must give ourselves away to others without counting the cost and without exception.Reflect, today, upon your view of love. Look at it from a practical perspective as you think about the people whom you are especially called to love with a divine love. Do you understand your duty to give yourself to them completely? Do you realize that giving yourself away will not result in the loss of your life but in the fulfillment of it? Ponder the divine love that the Father has for the Son and make the radical and holy choice today to strive to imitate and participate in that same love.My loving Lord, the Father has given all to You, and You, in turn, have given all to the Father. The love You share is infinite and eternal, overflowing into the lives of all Your creatures. Draw me into that divine love, dear Lord, and help me to imitate and share in Your love by fully giving my life to others. Jesus, I trust in You.Sancta Trinitas by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” John 3:16We continue, today, to read from the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus, the Pharisee who ultimately converted and is venerated as one of the early saints of the Church. Recall that Jesus challenged Nicodemus as a way of helping him to make the difficult decision to reject the malice of the other Pharisees and to become His follower. This passage quoted above comes from Nicodemus' first conversation with Jesus and is often quoted by our evangelical brothers and sisters as a summary of the whole Gospel. And indeed it is.Throughout Chapter 3 of John's Gospel, Jesus teaches about light and darkness, being born from above, wickedness, sin, condemnation, the Spirit and much more. But in many ways, all that Jesus taught in this chapter and throughout His public ministry can be summed up in this short and to-the-point statement: “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” This short teaching could be broken down into five essential truths.First, the Father's love for humanity, and specifically, for you, is a love so deep that there is no way we will ever fully understand the depths of His love. Second, the love the Father has for us compelled Him to give us the greatest gift we could ever receive and the greatest gift the Father could give: His own divine Son. This gift must be prayerfully pondered if we are to come to a deepening understanding of the infinite generosity of the Father. Third, as we prayerfully enter deeper and deeper into our understanding of this incredible gift of the Son, our only appropriate response is faith. We must “believe in Him.” And our belief must deepen just as our understanding deepens.Fourth, we must realize that eternal death is always possible. It is possible that we eternally “perish.” That realization will give even greater insight into the gift of the Son, in that we will realize that the first duty of the Son is to save us from eternal separation from the Father.Lastly, the gift of the Son from the Father is not only to save us but also to draw us to the heights of Heaven. That is, we are given “eternal life.” This gift of eternity is of infinite capacity, value, glory and fulfillment.Reflect, today, upon this summary of the whole Gospel: “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Take it line by line, prayerfully seeking to understand the beautiful and transforming truths revealed to us by our Lord in this holy conversation with Nicodemus. Try to see yourself as Nicodemus, a good person who is trying to understand Jesus and His teachings more clearly. If you can listen to these words with Nicodemus and accept them deeply in faith, then you, too, will share in the eternal glory these words promise. My glorious Lord, You came to us as the greatest Gift ever imagined. You are the gift of the Father in Heaven. You were sent out of love for the purpose of saving us and drawing us into the glory of eternity. Help me to understand and believe all that You are and to receive You as the saving Gift for Eternity. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Matthias Stom, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineNicodemus answered and said to him, ‘How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.”  John 3:9–11As we reflected upon yesterday, Nicodemus is one of the only Pharisees who ultimately converted, became a follower of Jesus, and is today considered a saint. The only other Pharisees who were recorded by name as converts to Christianity were Saint Paul and Gamaliel. Acts 15:5 also indicates that some other Pharisees ultimately converted.When the many encounters between Jesus and the Pharisees are considered as a whole, it's clear that there was great resistance among them toward Jesus and His teaching. They were constantly seeking to trap Him and, of course, ultimately were responsible for His death, along with other leading religious leaders from the Sanhedrin. For that reason, it's easy to understand that there must have been great pressure upon all the Pharisees to reject Jesus. Each one of them would have felt the power of peer pressure to act in accord with the general view of Jesus' condemnation. This is the context of this passage above in which Nicodemus questions Jesus. This passage continues yesterday's Gospel conversation in which Jesus says clearly to Nicodemus that the way to Heaven is to be “born from above.” Nicodemus questions how one can “be born again,” and then Jesus issues this apparent criticism of Him quoted above.It's helpful to understand that Jesus' criticism was not a condemnation of Nicodemus. It was not in the tone of His normal “Woe to you…” statements; rather, it was a gentle but very direct challenge to Nicodemus so as to move him from his questions to faith. And that's the key. Nicodemus did not come to Jesus to trap and condemn Him like the other Pharisees did. Nicodemus came because he was confused. And most likely, he was confused because he felt great peer pressure from his fellow Pharisees to condemn Jesus.Understanding this context should help us understand not only the goodness and courage of Nicodemus but also the loving boldness of Jesus. Jesus knew that Nicodemus was open. He knew that Nicodemus could be won over. But Jesus also knew that Nicodemus needed to be challenged in a direct and firm way. He needed a bit of a “holy push” so as to enter into the gift of faith. Of course, Jesus' challenge ultimately won Nicodemus over.Reflect, today, upon any way in which you, too, need a “holy push” from our Lord. What form of worldly pressure do you experience in life? Do friends, neighbors, family members or co-workers impose upon you in some way a peer pressure that is contrary to the life of true holiness? If so, ponder the ultimate courage of Nicodemus, Saint Paul and Gamaliel. Let their witness inspire you and allow our Lord to challenge you where you need it the most so that you, too, will receive the “holy push” that you need to be a more faithful follower of Jesus.My Lord of all strength, You are unwavering in Your determination to challenge me in the area that I need it the most. Help me to receive Your gentle rebukes of love when I am weak so that I will have the courage and strength I need to be a faithful follower of You. Give me clarity and understanding, dear Lord, and help me to overcome the misleading pressures of the world. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: John La Farge, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineThere was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” John 3:1–2Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, is mentioned three times in the Gospel of John. The passage above comes from the first time he's mentioned. The second time is when he reminds the Sanhedrin that Jesus should be heard by them before they condemn Him, and the third time is when Nicodemus assists with Jesus' burial after His death. John's Gospel is very symbolic. He especially uses the images of light and dark. For example, when Judas went out to betray Jesus, John's Gospel notes that “it was night.” In the passage above, John's Gospel notes that Nicodemus came to Jesus “at night.”Saint Augustine, in commenting upon this passage, says that Nicodemus came to Jesus “at night” because Nicodemus was not yet fully born again and, therefore, was not yet living fully in the light of faith. But the fact that Nicodemus does come to Jesus and questions Him at length shows that he had a spark of faith and that he wanted to deepen that faith. He clearly hoped that Jesus was the Messiah and professed that Jesus was “a teacher who has come from God.”From early times, prior to the formalization of canonization practices, Nicodemus has been given the title of “saint” within the Catholic Church as well as in the Orthodox Church. He is especially venerated because he stood up against the other religious leaders at the time to defend Jesus and show support for Him. This took courage. He was ridiculed and risked being shunned by the others. But Nicodemus knew there was something special about Jesus, and he persevered in following that inspiration.In many ways, Nicodemus is a great example for us today in our modern world. More and more, in most secular world cultures, being a follower of Jesus is looked down upon. This is especially true if you choose to live your faith openly and believe all that the Gospels teach. Many Christians find that living their faith openly, especially within the workplace, school environments, and other civic circles, is challenging. And like Nicodemus, many find it easier to come to Jesus “at night,” meaning, in a hidden way. And though Nicodemus started this way, he eventually spoke openly in defense of Jesus in the presence of his fellow Pharisees who, according to some traditions, persecuted him and drove him into exile. Reflect, today, upon Saint Nicodemus. He allowed the spark of faith within him to grow as He listened to Jesus, struggled with the pressure from his peers, but ultimately openly professed his faith in Christ. And though this hurt his worldly position of honor within the Sanhedrin and among the earthly rulers, it earned Nicodemus an eternal honor in Heaven. Reflect upon the courage he must have had to go against the pressure of his peers by allowing the faith he found in Christ to grow and fill his life with the light of Truth. Seek to imitate this good man and allow yourself to be inspired by his courage so that you, too, will receive the same eternal glory he now enjoys in Heaven. Lord of light and truth, You reveal Yourself to those who come to You with faith. Help me to follow the example of Nicodemus so that all confusion and darkness will be dispelled by the light of Your truth. Give me courage, dear Lord, to follow You and to set my heart on all that You reveal. Jesus, I trust in You.  Henry Ossawa Tanner, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineToday is the Feast of all Feasts! It is the Feast of Mercy! This Feast originated from the private revelations given to Sr. Maria Faustina Kowolska, a Polish cloistered nun who died in 1938. In the year 2000, she was canonized by Saint Pope John Paul II, and the Feast of Mercy was instituted as a universal Feast of the Church. To better understand this Feast, let's read some of the private revelations Jesus gave to Saint Faustina:“Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (Diary #300).“This Feast emerged from the very depths of My mercy, and it is confirmed in the vast depths of my tender mercies” (Diary #420).“On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flows are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy” (Diary #699).“Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to our neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to absolve yourself from it” (Diary #742).“Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them the last hope of salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy. If they will not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity” (Diary #965).“I want to grant complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy” (Diary #1109).In addition to the above quotes about the celebration of the Feast of Mercy, below are some quotes revealing more about The Divine Mercy itself:“Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My Mercy” (Diary #300).“My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy” (Diary #367).“I desire trust from My creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My mercy” (Diary #1059).“Tell all people, My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls” (Diary #1074).“My daughter, write that the greater the misery of a soul, the greater its right to My mercy; urge all souls to trust in the unfathomable abyss of My mercy, because I want to save them all” (Diary #1182).Reflect, today, upon God's infinite and unfathomable Mercy. The Divine Mercy is especially for those who struggle with sin. Jesus says, “The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy” (Diary #723). The Divine Mercy is the very tenderness and compassion of God. Run to Him, trust in Him, open your soul to Him and allow Him to pour forth an ocean of Mercy on this holy day.Most Merciful Lord, I desire to receive the superabundance of Your Mercy poured forth from Heaven today. Please open my heart so that I will turn to You in my need. I am a sinner, dear Lord, but for that reason I am in most need of You in my life. Help me to trust in You with all my might. Jesus, I do trust in You!Eugeniusz Kazimirowski, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineWhen Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. Mark 16:9The first person recorded in Scripture to whom Jesus appeared was Mary Magdalene. Notably, she was the one out of whom Jesus cast seven demons. Being possessed by seven demons has traditionally been understood to mean that she was completely possessed. Prior to Jesus freeing her, satan and His demons had completely taken over her will by her free submission to evil. And yet, it was to her, a woman with such a horrible past, that Jesus chose to give the honor of His first appearance. What an amazing fact!Everyone has a past. Some have been grave sinners. Others, like Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, have never committed a mortal sin. Obviously, the beauty of a soul like Saint Thérèse is deeply admirable, and such a soul will be greatly rewarded in Heaven. But what about the grave sinner? What about those like Mary Magdalene who have lived horribly sinful lives? What does our Lord think about them?The fact that Mary Magdalene is the first person recorded in Scripture to have seen the risen Lord should tell us much about how Jesus views a person who has greatly struggled with serious sin but has later overcome that sin and turned wholeheartedly to our Lord. Sin is demoralizing. When unrepented, it leaves a loss of dignity and integrity. However, even after one has repented, some people will continue to struggle with unhealthy guilt and shame. And for some, these struggles can become a weapon by which the evil one tries to discourage them from feeling worthy to serve our Lord with zeal and passion.But the truth in the mind of God is that repentant sinners are true jewels and beautiful in the eyes of our Lord. They are worthy of the greatest honors. God does not dwell on our past sin. Instead, our past sin, when it has been repented of and forgiven, will be an eternal sign of the love and mercy of God.How do you deal with your past sin? First, have you completely acknowledged it, repented of it and sought forgiveness from our Lord? If so, does it still haunt you? Does the evil one still try to remind you of your past and strip away your hope in the mercy of God? Reflect, today, upon the most grievous of your past sins. If you haven't yet confessed them, then do so as soon as you can. If you have, try to see your soul through the eyes of God. God does not see your past sins with anger and disgust. Rather, He sees only the depth of your conversion, sorrow and repentance. And, to Him, this is holy and beautiful. Ponder the beauty of your repentant heart and know that, as you do, you will be looking at your own heart through the eyes of God.My most merciful God, You love the sinner and hate the sin. You love me in ways that are beyond my understanding. Help me to understand how deeply You love my heart when I completely repent. And help me to see my heart only through Your eyes. I thank You for Your love and mercy, dear Lord. Help me to love You all the more. Jesus, I trust in You.Rembrandt, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineJesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead. John 21:12–14The appearances of Jesus after His Resurrection were cloaked in mystery. Not a mystery of confusion, but a mystery of profound depth and awe. On this, the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples, Jesus first spoke to them from the shore after they had been fishing all night without catching anything. He told them to try again and to throw the net over the right side of the boat. They did so without even realizing that it was Jesus Who was speaking to them. But upon catching more than they could handle, they realized it was the Lord.The “mystery” present in this resurrection appearance has many aspects. Why did the disciples not recognize Jesus at first? Why did Jesus instruct them to throw the net over the right side of the boat? Why was Jesus made known through this catch of one hundred and fifty-three large fish? Why was Jesus cooking breakfast for the disciples on the shore? And why did John record that “none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?'” Though all of these mysteries have answers that have been offered over the centuries by the saints and great Scripture commentators, it's useful to also simply ponder the fact that Jesus' resurrection appearances were, indeed, cloaked in mystery.In a mystery novel, the reader is given various vague clues to help them try to figure out the mystery and solve it. The clues are vague intentionally so as to make the solving more enjoyable and challenging. However, when it comes to a “mystery of faith,” such as the mystery of faith surrounding Jesus' resurrection appearances, the mystery is of an entirely different sort. In these cases, the mystery is one of depth and breadth and is something that has the potential to draw us deeper and deeper into the infinite nature of God and His saving action.Take, for example, this one line quoted above: “And none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?' because they realized it was the Lord.” It appears that the disciples gathered around Jesus as He was preparing breakfast on the shore and sat there in awe of Him. Their silent awe of Him in this appearance reveals that words are not sufficient. Normally, when you see someone whom you are happy to see, you greet them and start talking, asking them how they are, etc. But here, the disciples remained in this holy awe, listening to Him, receiving this meal and pondering the mystery of His resurrected presence.Reflect, today, upon the ways that our Lord comes to you. It's easy to miss Him since His ongoing presence in our lives is also mysterious. Imagine if the disciples would have ignored Jesus' call to “Cast the net over the right side of the boat…” If they would have ignored that command, they may have never come to realize it was the Lord. Reflect upon the ways that our Lord speaks to you. Do you respond? Do you recognize Him? Do you allow yourself to be drawn into this holy awe of His divine presence? Follow the example of the disciples and be on the lookout for the ongoing presence of our Lord all around you.My divine Lord, You are constantly present to me, day and night, and yet I so often fail to perceive You and adore You. Help me to become more aware of Your presence in my life. As I do, help me to enter more deeply into these holy mysteries with love, devotion and awe. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineThen he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” Luke 24:45–48Jesus once again appears to a group of His disciples, and He once again gets straight to the point. He “opened their minds” so that they would understand all that the Scriptures revealed about Him. He helped them to see that His death and Resurrection were fulfillments of the teachings of Moses and the prophets. And then Jesus says something new: “You are witnesses of these things.” As we saw in yesterday's Gospel, it's clear that the disciples did not yet understand why Jesus had to die and then rise again. They were still in shock and traumatized by these events. Therefore, Jesus had to carefully explain to His disciples the meaning of what had just taken place. They needed to understand this on a level that they couldn't comprehend by themselves. They needed Jesus' clear and detailed explanation as well as a special grace by which their minds would be opened to an understanding of these profound mysteries of faith.We are no different than these disciples. It's easy to believe in Jesus for insufficient reasons which only result in superficial faith. Some believe simply because that's what they were taught when they were young. Some believe because it makes them feel better to believe. Some believe because they don't know of anything better to believe. But then there are those who believe for the right reason. Like the disciples in this resurrection appearance, they have listened to Jesus speak clearly and in detail to them, such as through their study of Scripture, the Catechism, or other holy sources, and then they were given a special grace from God that “opened their minds” to an understanding that goes far beyond human rational abilities alone. Are you one of those people?If you are, then you have another duty. Not only must you continue to internalize these truths, allowing them to deepen and change your own life completely and totally, but you must also become a “witness” to these things. When you grow in an authentic knowledge of the faith revealed by our Lord, you must also share it with others. Real faith must be shared! Reflect, today, upon this powerful resurrection appearance. As you do, ponder whether or not you have allowed our Lord to speak to you in the same way that He did to these disciples, and whether or not you have truly internalized all that He has spoken to you and explained to you. If you are among this grouping of people, reflect also upon your duty to be a witness of these truths to others.  Jesus wants to appear in His resurrected form to many others, but He especially does this, today, through the mediation of His faithful followers who are now sent forth to be witnesses to Christ and His glorious Resurrection. My risen Jesus, You gave Your disciples a glorious gift when You opened their minds to Your holy Truth and taught them many things. Please open my mind also, dear Lord, so that I will comprehend the deep and profound mysteries of faith. Help me to understand Who You are, why You had to die, and how to share in the new life of Your Resurrection. Please also use me as Your witness so that many will come to know You and share in the new life won by Your Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Luca Signorelli, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineAnd it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:30–31Two of Jesus' disciples had been discussing the events of the past week as they walked the seven-mile journey along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They previously had hoped that Jesus was the one Who would redeem Israel—but then He was killed. And three days later, there were rumors of His Resurrection, which only left them confused. As they journeyed, Jesus appeared to the two disciples, but they did not recognize Him at first. His identity was hidden from their eyes. Jesus listened to them and expressed sorrow at their lack of understanding, so He explained to them the teachings of Moses and the prophets and that the Messiah needed to suffer, die and rise on the third day. As Jesus spoke, the disciples began to understand, and their hearts burned within them. Finally, in the gift of the Holy Eucharist, in the breaking of the Bread, their eyes were opened to see that it was Jesus with them.Why did Jesus hide His risen presence from these disciples? It appears that He did so because they lacked faith. They said, “...we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.”  But the Crucifixion was too much for them to handle. They could not comprehend why the Redeemer had to suffer as Jesus did, so they began to doubt.Too often we are like these disciples who are confused about matters of faith and who struggle with doubts. For that reason, we must see ourselves in the persons of these disciples as they walked the road to Emmaus. Jesus offered these disciples a wonderful gift of mercy by helping them to understand His saving act. He explained to them all that was taught in Scripture regarding Him. And as these disciples listened to Jesus teach them, they slowly came to believe. We, too, must allow Jesus to teach us about the transforming power of His death and Resurrection. We must listen attentively and allow our hearts to burn within us as we listen to His holy Word. Only in this way will we come to the level of faith we need to more fully comprehend and accept the transforming power of the Paschal Mystery. Reflect, today, upon these disciples and their need to reflect upon the Word of God so as to understand, believe and have their eyes opened. Know that you need this same grace. You need to spend time with our Lord, immersed in His Word, listening to His voice, so that you will come to believe more fully. Allow the message of Jesus' death and Resurrection to burn within you so that you, too, will come to believe. My resurrected Lord, You appeared to these disciples who lacked faith and understanding and gave them the gift of Your holy teaching. Teach me, dear Lord, all that I must come to understand and know about You, Your death, Resurrection and glorious gift of new life. May Your Word burn within me and lead me to a transformation of my life. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Abraham Bloemaert, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineJesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” John 20:17Mary of Magdala was one of the first persons to whom Jesus appeared. She was deeply devoted to Him, especially because of the great mercy He offered her when He forgave her manifest sins and expelled seven demons from her. After He had done that, Mary became a devout follower and was one of the few who remained faithful to Him, even as He hung upon the Cross.On the first day of the week, the Sunday after the Crucifixion, Mary came to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body in accord with Jewish custom. But when she arrived, Jesus' body was gone. And when Jesus appeared to her as she was weeping, she didn't immediately recognize Him, for He had His new glorified body. But when Jesus spoke her name, Mary, she recognized Him. But rather than embracing her, Jesus said, “Stop holding on to me…” Why would Jesus say this?Even though Mary's attachment and devotion to Jesus was beautiful and holy, it wasn't yet perfected. She wanted her Lord Whom she had come to know and followed. She wanted her former relationship with Jesus to be returned to her. But for this reason, Jesus said, “Stop holding on to me…” Jesus wanted much more. He was telling her that her relationship with Him was soon to change for the better. No longer would He simply be her earthly companion; instead, He would soon live within her, dwell within her very heart, become one with her, and be her Bridegroom for eternity. But this could only happen once Jesus ascended to the Father in Heaven to complete His divine mission of salvation.At times, we also seek favors from our Lord that are purely temporal. Though we do need to trust Him for “our daily bread,” meaning, for all the basic necessities of life, we must realize that the gifts God wants to give us far surpass anything in this world. The supernatural gift of grace, the gift of the Indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity, the gift of oneness with our Lord is what we are made for and is the end goal and desire of our Lord.Reflect, today, upon these words Jesus spoke to Mary: “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.” But do so with the knowledge that, now, Jesus has indeed ascended to the Father. Therefore, He now invites us all to cling to Him as He reigns in Heaven. Ponder the deep desire in the heart of our Lord that you cling to Him with every fiber of your being. He wants to dwell within you, to become one with you and to transform you in every way. This holy union is now being enjoyed for all eternity by Saint Mary of Magdala, and this same gift is being offered to you. Cling to Him and never let go, for this will be your eternal joy.My risen and ascended Lord, You now reign in Heaven in perfect glory and splendor. Draw me into Your glorious life and invite me to cling to You with all my heart. I invite You, dear Lord, to come and make Your dwelling within me so that I can hold on to You forevermore. Jesus, I trust in You.Tretyakov Gallery, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineThe chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.' And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” Matthew 28:12–14The Lord of all rose from the grave, conquering sin and death, making it possible for us all to share in His glorious Resurrection! Death had lost. Satan had lost. The corrupt religious leaders had lost. And all those who believed in Jesus now had their eternal hope renewed. Sadly, though, what was the greatest victory ever known for humanity, a victory that opened the doors to eternal glory for all who believe, could not be accepted by the chief priests and elders of the people. They saw to His death, and, now that He had risen, they scrambled to do all they could to hide that truth.Pride is hard to overcome. When a person professes they are right, when in fact they are wrong, and when they are then confronted with their error, the sin of pride will inevitably tempt them to further sin. This is what we see today in this passage from our Gospel. The chief priests and elders were informed by the soldiers that when the women came to the tomb early in the morning, there was a great earthquake, and they saw an angel of the Lord descend from Heaven, roll back the stone, and sit on it. When they saw this, “The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men” (Matthew 28:4). And after they heard the angel tell the women that Jesus had risen, the guards went off to tell the chief priests and elders.After all the miracles and powerful preaching of Jesus, you would think that the chief priests and elders would have believed. But they didn't. And then, after hearing the testimony of these soldiers, you would think they would have fallen on their knees, repented of their hardness of hearts, and come to believe. But they didn't. They doubled down in their sin and added sin upon sin.Some forms of sin can more easily be admitted, especially sins of weakness. When one is weak and falls, it may not be always easy to overcome that sin in the future, but it is easier to acknowledge it as sin when it is caused by human weakness. But a sin of weakness is much different than a sin of obstinate pride. Obstinate pride is not only hard to overcome, it's hard to admit. It's hard to admit our sin when it is based on our obstinacy and pride. As a result, this type of sin often leads to other sins such as ongoing deception, manipulation and anger. This is illustrated by these chief priests and elders. But if you can humble yourself and admit your sin when it comes from your pride, that humility can have a powerful and transformative effect upon your life.Reflect, today, upon these chief priests and elders of the people. Try to ponder their hardness of heart and the sad situation they found themselves in as they attempted to cover up their error and sin. Resolve never to fall into this form of sin yourself. However, if this is a struggle for you, seek humility so that you can be freed of this heavy burden by the grace of the Resurrection of our Lord.My resurrected Lord, You conquered sin and death and brought forth new life for all who believe in You. Give me the grace, dear Jesus, to never allow my sin of pride to keep me from being open to the glorious and transforming action You desire to do in my life. Please give me the gift of humility so that I may always turn from my sin and turn to You. Jesus, I trust in You.  Resurrection by Piero della Francesca., license Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA 2.0)Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineAfter the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men. Matthew 28:1–4The angels of God have been present at the most significant moments of human history. There are numerous mentions of angels in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the Incarnation of the Savior of the World was announced by an archangel. Myriads of angels were present at His birth. An angel spoke to Saint Joseph on four different occasions. As Jesus began His public ministry and overcame the temptations of the devil in the desert, angels from Heaven came to minister to Him. When Jesus prayed in solitude, especially during His agony in the garden, He was comforted by angels. At the empty tomb, it was an angel who first announced the good news that our Lord had risen. And at the end of time, it will be the angels of God who bring forth God's justice.Today's angelic salutation to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at the empty tomb should teach us that the message of the Resurrection is among the most important lessons we can ever learn. Furthermore, the message of this angel, given to these holy women, was intended not only for them, it is also spoken to us today.The angel made an appearance that depicts absolute power and sanctity. He arrived with the speed of lightning. His countenance was radiant with Heavenly light. He instantly moved the large stone and sat upon it, pointing these holy women to the empty tomb. Today, if we have the eyes of faith, we will also receive an interior revelation from Heaven, just as these women did. Though we will not see with our eyes what they saw, we will see and hear through faith all that was spoken to them.  The message of the Resurrection of Christ is being spoken to you today. Do you hear it? Do you comprehend the voice of this angel from Heaven? If you do, the first thing you will hear are the words, “Do not be afraid!” Fear is one of the greatest obstacles to the reception of the Word of God in our lives. The evil one sows fear; the angels of God dispel it. So begin by considering whether fear clouds your ability to receive the Word of God. The angel then said, “I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.” In other words, these women had not yet understood the Resurrection. They were still seeking the dead body of our Lord. Similarly, we often find ourselves focusing upon our losses, sufferings and trials. As a result, it can be difficult for us to see the ways that our Lord desires to transform the crosses in our lives and bring from them the glory of the Resurrection. The angel then said, “He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.” When we allow God to transform every cross in our lives, those crosses and sufferings disappear as they give way to the new life God brings forth from them.Finally, the angel tells the women, “Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead…'” When we come to faith in the death and Resurrection of Christ, we cannot keep it to ourselves. We must go forth and proclaim the Resurrection of Christ to others. It cannot be contained. Reflect, today, upon the most glorious, awe-inspiring, life-changing message of Christ's Resurrection. If you find that you do not understand this message, then this Easter Season is an important time for you. It must be a time in which you dispel any fear that clouds your thinking. It must be a time when you listen most attentively in faith. It must be a time when you hear God speak to you about His glorious triumph over sin and death. It must be a time when you more fully penetrate the mystery of the Resurrection. And it must be a time when you recommit yourself to go forth and share that message with others. Listen to the angels of God. Receive their message and allow Christ's Resurrection to change your life forever.Most holy angels of God, please come to me, speak to me and reveal to me the most glorious message of the Resurrection of Christ. Lord, I pray that my heart be freed of all fear and that my mind be opened to all that You wish to reveal to me. I do believe in the glory of Your Resurrection; help me to believe with all my heart and to proclaim that truth to others. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Image via Adobe StockSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineThe Savior of the World died a cruel death upon the Cross. His broken body was laid in the tomb. His disciples scattered and were fearful that they would be next. But our Blessed Mother kept vigil in the perfect hope that her Son would soon rise.Traditionally, Saturdays within the Church year are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This ancient tradition developed in part due to the belief that, as others were filled with fear and confusion, Mother Mary kept vigil on Holy Saturday in prayerful anticipation of Jesus' resurrection. She knew her Son would rise. She had hope beyond hope. Her faith was certain. Her love kept her vigilant as she awaited the return of her Son.For many centuries, it has been suggested that the first person to whom Jesus appeared after His Resurrection was His own mother. Pope Saint John Paul II believed this. Saint Ignatius of Loyola believed it. And many others throughout the centuries shared this belief.For these reasons, Holy Saturday is an ideal day to ponder the pondering heart of our Blessed Mother. There are several times in Sacred Scripture where we are told that Mother Mary pondered the mysteries of her Son's life in her heart. She was one of the few who stood by Him in His agony and death. She stood before the Cross and prayerfully pondered His perfect sacrifice. The Blessed Mother held His dead body in her arms and pondered where His spirit had gone. And today she keeps vigil, pondering His imminent return to her.Ponder her pondering heart. Try to unite your own heart with hers. Try to understand what she was thinking and hoping. Try to feel what she felt this sorrowful day. Try to experience her faith, her trust and her joyful expectation. So many people in this world walk in despair and confusion.So many have lost hope in the new life that awaits them. So many have their own form of interior death without allowing God to draw them into His Resurrection. So many people today need the hope that was so alive in the heart of our Blessed Mother that first Holy Saturday. Ponder the reality of Holy Saturday in silence this day and allow the glorious heart of our Blessed Mother to inspire you and draw you more deeply into her life of faith, hope and love.Dearest Mother Mary, on that first Holy Saturday, you kept vigil for your Son. You allowed the divine gift of hope to grow within you, and you allowed that hope to be your strength in the midst of the horror of the Cross. Pray for me that I may ponder your beautiful heart this day so that I, too, may be filled with hope as I endure the challenges of this earthly life. Give me a heart of joyful anticipation as I await the grace of new life our Lord so deeply desires to bestow upon me. Mother Mary, pray for me.  Jesus, I do trust in You.  Guercino, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineStanding by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. John 19:25–27If you spent time this Lent pondering the beautiful image of Jesus' mother standing by the foot of the Cross, then you have some insight into her motherly love and experience on Good Friday. She was faithful to the end. She would have been no other place than at the foot of the Cross, gazing upon the sacrificial death of her own divine Son for the salvation of the world.From all the perspectives that we can use to gaze upon the Cross, the perspective of Jesus' own mother is the best. The soldiers stood there mocking our Lord, perhaps some confused and perhaps some even feeling pity for Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees looked on with contempt and self righteousness, doubling down on their hatred and jealousy. Most of the Apostles had fled, one of them betraying Jesus and another denying that he even knew our Lord. But Jesus' own mother, accompanied by some other holy women and the beloved disciple, John, stood there with love, offering consolation to the Heart of Jesus.The love shared between mother and Son at the foot of the Cross was twofold in the heart of Mary. Her love for her Son expressed her unwavering fidelity to Him. It dispelled all fear. It was singularly focused. It was all-consuming. As she shared this love for her Son, she truly consoled Him. This is a significant fact to ponder. Since Jesus was the Son of God, He didn't need the human consolation of His mother's love at that moment. But by becoming human, Jesus chose to accept her love. In that act of acceptance, He allowed her human love to console His human heart. This consoling and steadfast love expressed the perfection of human love.The second form of love shared between mother and Son at the foot of the Cross was the love given by Jesus to His mother. At its core, this love was the gift of salvation. For her, the grace of His Cross transcended time to the moment of her conception, freeing her from Original Sin. Jesus' love on the Cross transformed her, retroactively, into the Immaculate Conception and enabled her to know Jesus not only as her Son but also as her Savior. Jesus' love in that moment on the Cross is also expressed in His unwavering commitment to care for her in her human state. He gave her to John to care for her as his own mother and, in so doing, He gave her to all of us who stand at the foot of the Cross with her as our own spiritual mother.If you want to understand the love of God, look no further than this immaculate and perfect love shared between mother and Son at the foot of the Cross. Today, especially, you are invited to stand with the Apostle John and gaze upon this shared love of mother and Son. John is there as an invitation to you to stand with them and to share in this holy exchange of love.As you witness this love, think about your own life and what it would take for you to participate in such love. Consider the courage and strength you need. The ability to forgive all who harmed you. Freedom from all bitterness. Unwavering commitment. Perfect affection. These, and many other qualities that were present in the hearts of mother and Son at the Cross are all qualities that God wants to bestow upon you. He wants you to bring them into every relationship in your life. He wants the perfection of this love to come upon you and for you to  express this love always.Reflect, today, on this Good Friday, upon this most holy scene of the love of this mother and this Son. As you do, try to examine your own life. As you look at this mother and Son's many virtues, allow that gaze to reveal to you the ways you need to grow in virtue. The Mother of God is now your mother, and the Son of God is now your Savior. Speak to them, listen to them, love them and allow the love that flows from their hearts to penetrate your own so that you can receive their love and share it with others. My dying Lord, You freely embraced human death for the salvation of the World. It was the greatest act of love ever known. As You hung upon the Cross in agony, Your own dear mother, the Immaculate Conception, stood by You, receiving Your love in its fullness and offering her love to console Your suffering soul. Please draw me into that love and help me to not only receive it but also to offer it to all in need. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via Adobe StockSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher' and ‘master,'  and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” John 13:12–15Do you want to be holy? Perhaps this question is not one that everyone will immediately answer with a resounding “Yes.” Sadly, holiness, for some, can seem boring and unattractive. The lure of evil is very enticing on a confused and superficial level. So what is your answer to this question? Do you want to be holy?As we begin today the sacred Triduum, we enter into the holiest days of the Church year.  We walk with our Lord through His final glorification today as He celebrates the Passover with His disciples and enters the Garden of Gethsemane to await His arrest. Tomorrow we walk with Him through the stations of His Cross. On Saturday, we sit in silent adoration of His tomb as we await the Resurrection.In the Gospel quoted above, Jesus gives us a model for holiness by the witness of His actions. He Who is the God of the Universe, the Creator of all, the Eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, humbles Himself and takes on the form of a lowly servant by washing the feet of His disciples. He then offers them the Most Holy Eucharist for the first time, before He goes to meet His persecutors.The model Jesus gives us is a prophetic action by which Jesus tells us that true greatness, that is, true holiness, is found in humility. Holiness is realized in our lives when we turn our eyes from ourselves and love others as their servants. None of us are the Savior of the World, but each of us must become instruments of His saving act for others. As we accept Jesus' gift, we must then turn to others and humble ourselves before them. We must help them to see our love and their dignity. We must serve them with humility and put them first. Doing so will then enable us to invite them to imitate us as we imitate Christ. Thus, our humble imitation of Jesus becomes a means by which Jesus invites others to follow Him.Reflect, today, upon the invitation of Jesus: “...as I have done for you, you should also do.” Jesus gave us everything, so we must give everything to others. We must serve without counting the cost. We must love them, putting their needs before ours. We must become a model of the love of Christ for them. Ponder Jesus' service today and throughout the Triduum and commit yourself to live the invitation given you by our Lord.My humble Lord, may Your name be praised and adored above all things. May You be exalted by Your humility and lowly service. I see in Your humble act, dear Lord, the deep love You have for me and for all. May I imitate that humble love in my own life so that my imitation of You will help to share Your saving love with others. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Palma il Giovane, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineOne of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. Matthew 26:14–16The desire for money can become a powerful incentive to betray our Lord. In this Gospel passage, it seems clear that Judas' betrayal was based on his desire for money. He most likely had some level of faith in our Lord, or he wouldn't have become His disciple. But even if Judas did have some level of faith, his desire for money appeared to overshadow the faith he may have had.One of the central lessons we can learn from Judas is that the desire for money is a powerful incentive for the decisions we make. So many of the great saints have taught us that the path to holiness consists, first, in a purification of all our disordered affections. And since one of the most powerful attachments that many struggle with is an attachment to money, this is an important desire to purify in all of our lives.It's true that material possessions are not evil when they are used for the fulfillment of God's will. But the desire for more, for an excess, will always cloud our ability to see clearly the will of God and live for His glory alone.Once Judas had betrayed our Lord and Jesus was arrested, recall that Judas “deeply regretted what he had done.” And during Jesus' trial, Judas went back to the chief priests and said “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood” in an apparent attempt to stop the trial. But Jesus' death was set in motion and could not be stopped. As a result, Judas returned the money and sadly went off to hang himself (See Matthew 27:3–5).The desire Judas had for money clouded his thinking. And his sin did to him what sin always does. As soon as his sin of betrayal was done, Judas saw the consequences of that choice. And the consequences grieved him deeply. He learned that choosing sin ends with an empty promise. He realized that thirty pieces of silver was not worth the value of his soul. But of course, even then Judas could have repented and received the mercy of God. But he didn't. He simply ended his life in ultimate despair. Reflect, today, upon the witness of Judas. Use him as a source of meditation and self-examination this Holy Week. What is it in your life that you desire more than our Lord? What temptation clouds your thinking and leads you to choices that you know will end in emptiness? Strive to eradicate every disordered desire within you this day and choose wisely the will of God instead. Do not let yourself continue to believe the lies that keep you from making Jesus and His holy will the one and only focus of your life. My divine Lord, You and You alone must become the focus of my life. You and You alone are of the greatest value in life. Help me to shed all earthly desires in life so that I will not fall into the temptations that lead to empty promises and so that I will embrace the true and fulfilling promises that come from You. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Giotto, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once.”  John 13:31–32Jesus speaks this line about Himself being glorified immediately after Judas leaves the supper to go forth to betray Him. Jesus had just finished washing the feet of His disciples, and soon He would finish the Last Supper, go to the Garden of Gethsemane, be arrested, beaten and crucified. And this was to all take place through the betrayal of one of the Twelve. Yet rather than speak of these pending events in a fearful or anxious way, Jesus points to the glory He will receive through them.Everything in life has the potential to become an instrument of the glory of God. Even our sin can end in God's glory when we repent and receive God's forgiveness. It will not be our sin that glorifies God but His mercy poured forth from the Cross upon us that gives Him glory.The same is true with the events of Holy Week. When looked at from a purely human perspective, what Jesus endured was tragic and horrific. One of His closest companions betrayed Him. The religious leaders of the time betrayed Him. The civil authorities betrayed Him. And all of the disciples except John fled in fear as Jesus was betrayed. But Jesus did not look at any of this through human eyes alone. He saw it all from the eternal perspective and clearly taught that all of these seemingly tragic events would end in His glory.When we commit ourselves to the following of Christ, we can be assured that we will also share in His Cross. We will experience the sins of others, encounter mistreatment, and have to endure various sufferings. The question for us all as we have these encounters in life is whether we will endure them in anger and despair or with the hopeful confidence of our Lord. Again, everything in life has the potential to become an instrument of the glory of God. Nothing in life has the power to steal away that glory when we keep our eyes upon the will of God and His power to use all for His glory. Reflect, today, upon your call in life to see everything from the divine perspective. If you are upset, angry, despairing or confused at times, know that God wants to bring clarity and grace to every situation. He wants to show you how you can share in His divine mission of transforming every evil into God's glory. Seek out the ways that your life must give glory to God in everything, especially those things that seem incapable of being used for good. The more an experience in life seems incapable of being used for God's glory, the more that experience is capable of giving true glory to God. My glorious Lord, You brought forth good from all things. Even the grave evil of Your betrayal was transformed into a manifestation of Your glory. I offer to You, dear Lord, all that I endure in life and pray that You will be glorified in all things, and that my life will continually become a manifestation of the glory due Your holy name. Jesus, I trust in You.  Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Image: Philippe de Champaigne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Read OnlineThen Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages and given to the poor?” John 12:4–5Jesus was with His disciples at the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. He regularly spent time at their home and was close to them. This meal took place just before Jesus entered into Jerusalem for the first Palm Sunday and Holy Week. It was six days before Jesus would die on the cross.Recall that Lazarus had recently been raised from the dead by Jesus and also that Mary, Lazarus' sister, was deeply devoted to Jesus and is recorded as the one who sat at His feet, while her sister Martha served. During this visit, Mary offered another act of devotion to Jesus when she anointed Him with “a liter of costly perfumed oil.” She offered Him an act of love and devotion. The Scripture passage above records Judas' response as he also was at the meal. Jesus rebukes Judas and defends the act of devotion given by Mary, and the meal continues on. One clear lesson this teaches us is that nothing is too good for our Lord. It's true that we must do our part to help care for the poor, but Jesus' response to Judas is quite interesting. He says, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” Jesus was not downplaying the importance of caring for the poor; He was emphasizing the importance of offering acts of love and devotion to Him.As we enter into this the holiest week of the year, we are given this image of Mary lavishing upon Jesus this liter of costly perfumed oil as a way of inviting us to do the same. Though we serve Christ in others who are in need, we must also seek to regularly offer Him devotion and love directly, even in ways that others may think is excessive. Honoring Him, expressing our love, spending time with various devotions, praying for extended periods of time, and even offering Him our financial resources are all ways in which we give Jesus the glory that is due Him. Reflect, today, upon ways in which you can imitate this act of loving devotion offered by Mary to Jesus. In what ways can you pour forth in an abundant way your time, money, talents, and energy upon our Lord? How can you best express your devotion to Him this Holy Week? Seek out ways to do this directly for the one and simple reason that you love our Lord and want to express that love this week. My glorious Jesus, You are worthy of all praise and honor. You are worthy of our deepest devotion and love. As I enter into this Holy Week, I pray that it will be a time in which I may express my deepest love for You. Help me to pour forth that love in abundance this week so as to show You the glory and praise You deserve. Jesus, I trust in You.  James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” Luke 19:38–40At the foot of the Mount of Olives was the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus agonized in prayer and was arrested. But several days before that happened, our Lord crossed over that hill next to the Mount of Olives with His Apostles and then approached the slope heading toward the Garden. As He descended, He encountered “the whole multitude of his disciples” who “began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen.” They then cried out: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” They met Him within eyeshot of the gate of the city of Jerusalem. This must have left the Twelve in amazement.Among those who were amazed were the Pharisees. But they were not amazed with joy. Their amazement was caused by envy and led to condemnation. Jesus' response was very clear: “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” That begs the question: If these disciples had not offered our Lord this glorious welcome, would the stones truly have cried out? Most certainly they would have! They did so just several days later after Jesus had been abandoned by the crowds.Recall that when Jesus was crucified, almost every one of these disciples abandoned Him. They fled in fear. Even most of the Twelve ran and hid. Only our Blessed Mother, Saint John and a few others remained. Therefore, when Jesus died on the Cross, abandoned by the crowds, this prophecy of His came true. “And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised” (Matthew 27:51–52).We must never keep silent in praise and worship of God. There is an important lesson to learn from these two moments from that first Holy Week. At the beginning, as Jesus entered Jerusalem with much excitement, there were many who offered Him praise. It's easy to give praise and glory to God when it is popular and when many others are doing so. Contrast this with the end of Holy Week when Jesus was persecuted and killed. Suddenly, praise and open acclamations were not that popular. Fear had the effect of silencing the crowds and ending their worship of our Lord. For that reason, the stones did cry out and the earth quaked. As we enter this Holy Week, consider whether you are more like the “whole multitude” of Jesus' disciples who praised Him when it was easy and popular, or whether you are more like our Blessed Mother and Saint John who remained faithful to Him when it was anything but popular to do so. Do you persevere in your praise and adoration of God during difficult times? Or do you allow fear of what others may say, fear of rejection and other forms of humiliation to deter you from your sacred calling? Reflect, today, upon these two contrasting moments of that first Holy Week. Join, today, with the crowds as they acclaim Jesus as King. As you do, turn your eyes to the King Whom you worship. Choose to follow Him to His betrayal, His suffering and His death. Commit yourself to fidelity, especially when it is hard to do so. Do not waver in your commitment. Look at the love in the heart of Jesus' own mother and pray to her that you will have the courage she had to remain faithful to our Lord, lest the stones be forced to cry out in your place. Most glorious King, You were fittingly worshiped and adored as You entered Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. I commit myself to that adoration and praise, and I pray that I will honor and love You, not only when it is easy but also when it is unpopular. May I never allow fear to deter me from my love of You and follow You all the way to the glorious throne of Your Cross. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via Adobe StockSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineSo the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” John 11:47–48Jesus' public ministry had two primary effects upon the people. For many, they were coming to believe in Him and were hanging on His every word. They sought Him out and began to understand that He was the promised Messiah. This was the response of faith. But the reaction of the chief priests and the Pharisees was far more worldly. In the passage above, we see a group of religious leaders who are completely consumed with worldly concerns to the point that these concerns drown out all matters of faith.As the Sanhedrin convened and discussed what they should do, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, spoke up and gave advice that perfectly depicts this worldly vision. He said, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” Caiaphas and many other religious leaders at the time appeared to be far more concerned with their worldly status and power than they were with matters of true faith and eternal salvation. If they were men who deeply loved God and sought only His holy will, then they would have rejoiced that Jesus' ministry was so fruitful in the lives of the people. They would have offered thanks to God, day and night, for the privilege of seeing the prophecies of old about the Messiah come to fruition before their own eyes. They should have had joy and gratitude, and they should have allowed those spiritual blessings to grow within them and give them the courage they needed to go forth and die with our Lord if necessary. But instead, they chose their comfortable lives and worldly status above the truth, and they decided that Jesus needed to die.One beautiful truth to reflect upon within this context is that God uses all things for His glory and for the salvation of those who believe. With this meeting of the Sanhedrin, these men began to plot the death of Jesus. Eventually they used deceit, manipulation, intimidation and fear to accomplish their goal. But even though from a worldly perspective these misguided religious leaders “won,” from a divine perspective, God used their evil to bring about the greatest good the world had ever known. Through their malice, Jesus' passion and death gave way to the new life of the Resurrection. Reflect, today, upon the fact that God is able to use all things for our good. Be it in the midst of corruption, persecution, discord, sin, illness or any other evil in life, when we turn to God in faith and surrender, He is able to transform all things and bring forth an abundance of good fruit through them if we only let Him and trust in faith. Prayerfully surrender over to God, today, any of the above concerns that have affected you, and allow yourself to believe the simple truth that nothing can keep you from the glorious fulfillment of the will of God. All things can help toward the salvation of your soul and end in God's eternal glory. My glorious Lord, You were loved by many but also hated by some. Those with power and authority could not see beyond their worldly ambitions, so they began to plot against You. Give me the grace, dear Lord, to see every act of evil inflicted upon me as an opportunity for You to bring forth good. You are glorious, dear Lord. May You be glorified in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via Brooklyn MuseumSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” John 10:37–39These words spoken by Jesus took place during the feast of the Dedication in Jerusalem. Jesus had been preaching clearly about His relationship with the Father in Heaven, and this was causing some to become outraged to the point of them trying to arrest Him right then and there. But He escaped and went back into the wilderness where He had been baptized by John. As Jesus remained there in the desert, many people came to Him to be with Him and to listen to His words. As they listened, they began to believe.It's interesting to note the contrast of reactions. In Jerusalem within the Temple area, among large crowds gathered for the feast of the Dedication, Jesus was increasingly rejected and persecuted. But when He returned to the desert and people had to come to see Him, they listened and believed. This contrast presents us with one way in which we will more easily grow in our faith and help others grow in their faith. Specifically, we are invited to go into the “desert” to encounter our Lord, away from the busyness of life, and we must also invite others to join us in such a journey.It's true that, while in Jerusalem, there were people who happened to stumble upon Jesus as He was teaching and were moved by His word and came to believe. But it's also clear that, when people had to commit to the effort of seeking Him out in a deserted place, His words were even more transformative. In our own lives, within the ordinary activities of life, such as regular attendance at Mass, we will be given the opportunity to hear the Gospel and deepen our life of faith. But all of us need to take time to seek Jesus out “in the wilderness,” so to speak, so as to be even more disposed to hear Him and believe. These “desert experiences” come in many forms. Perhaps it's an experience as simple as going into your room alone to pray and ponder the Word of God. Or perhaps it's a participation in a Bible study, an online devotional program, or parish catechesis event. Or perhaps it's the choice to go away for a weekend or longer for a guided retreat where all you do for some time is pray and listen to our Lord.Throughout history, saint after saint has shown us the value of going off to pray to be with our Lord, in a place where the many other distractions of life and the many voices of the world are silenced, so that God can speak to the heart and so that we can more fully respond.Reflect, today, upon the invitation Jesus is giving you to go out to meet Him in the wilderness. Where is that place? How can you accomplish this short journey while keeping up with the important duties of life? Do not hesitate to seek out the desert to which our Lord is calling you, so that you will be able to meet Him there, listen to His voice, and respond with complete generosity.My Lord Jesus, You are calling me to enter deeper into a relationship of love with You, my divine Lord. Give me the grace I need to say “Yes” to You and to enter into the desert of silence and prayer I need so as to hear Your voice. Draw me to You, my Lord, and help me to more fully believe all that You wish to say. Jesus, I trust in You.  James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineJesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area. John 8:58–59When Moses encountered God in the burning bush, God revealed His name: I AM. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that this revelation of God's name “​​is at once a name revealed and something like the refusal of a name.” It expresses that God is “infinitely above everything that we can understand or say.” He is the “hidden God.” He is also a “God who makes himself close to men” at each and every moment of our lives (See CCC #206).In our Gospel today, Jesus identifies Himself with this hidden God. He states that He alone knows His Father and that the Father glorifies Him because He is the great I AM. To the people of that time, this was a shocking revelation, at least to those who failed to comprehend this truth in faith. But that mysterious name reveals to us not only the essence of God, it also reveals how we ought to relate to this infinite, hidden, exalted and glorious God.As Jesus revealed His identity, He did not say, “before Abraham came to be, I was.” He says, “I AM.” This reveals that Jesus not only existed before Abraham, but that His existence transcends all time. He always and everywhere IS. Though this might seem overly philosophical to some, it is an important concept to understand for two important reasons. First, it gives us greater insight into God. But, second, it reveals to us how we ought to relate to God every day.God is not a God of the past. He is not a God of the future. He is a God of the present moment. If we are to enter into a relationship with God, then we must realize that we can only encounter Him in the present moment. He is the Here and Now, so to speak. And we must seek Him here and now, in this present moment alone.Sometimes we find ourselves dwelling on the past. To the extent that our past has helped or hurt us in this present moment, we need to address it. But the way this is done is by seeking God's healing grace today, allowing the past to disappear into His abundant mercy. Other times we try to live in the future, becoming anxious about what is to come. But God does not dwell in the future for, to Him, all time is here and now. Therefore, we ought not to become anxious about the future, worry about it or try to live in it now. All we have is this present moment, and it is in this moment that God comes to meet us. He is here, and we must meet Him here, turning to Him and His grace today. Reflect, today, upon this deep and mysterious revelation from our Lord. Think about his identity as the great “I AM.” Ponder that name. Ponder its meaning. See it as a way by which Jesus is inviting you to encounter Him in this present moment alone. Live in this moment. The past is gone; the future is not yet here. Live where God exists, here and now, for that is the only place that you will meet our Lord. My Lord, You are the Great I Am. You transcend all time. Help me to meet You today, to let go of the past, to look forward to the future, and to live with You in this moment alone. As I meet You here, dear Lord, help me to love You with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.  James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read postJesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31–32These words have the potential to make a transforming difference in our lives. Note that Jesus spoke these words “to those Jews who believed in him.” That is, those who had accepted His word and were, therefore, His true disciples. We who also believe in Jesus should consider these words carefully. The heart of this teaching is twofold: you must come to “know the truth” so that the truth you come to know “will set you free.”  This teaching of Jesus is exceptionally helpful on both a psychological and spiritual level. First of all, on a purely psychological level, one of the greatest helps to good mental health is the truth. Most often when one struggles with various forms of depression, it's because they are seeing aspects of their life with confusion. “Why did this person do this to me?” Or “How will I ever get through this?” Or “My life is a mess and there is no way out.” These and other similar thoughts will inevitably lead to depression for one simple reason: they are based on erroneous thinking.One of the best forms of psychological counseling is what could be called “truth therapy.” Every despairing question that we have and every depressing conclusion that we have come to in life must be reexamined in the light of the mind of God. What does God think? What is in the mind of God in this regard? Those truths that are waiting to be discovered are the truth that “will set you free.” Depression is more easily overcome when we look at our life in the way that God looks at our life. This produces hope, and hope brings freedom to the chains of depression and confusion.On a spiritual level, these principles apply all the more. The truth about sin, forgiveness, salvation and Heaven must be known deeply and embraced fully. When we deny the truth of sin or forgiveness, then we live within a lie and we remain bound by that lie. True spiritual freedom that leads to salvation and eternity in Heaven is obtained only when we wholeheartedly embrace the holy and perfect spiritual truth given to us by God. We must clearly know our sin, repent of it, seek the forgiveness of God, amend our lives and live the new life of grace to which we are called. Reflect, today, upon this powerfully transforming teaching of Jesus: “know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” What psychological and spiritual truths do you need to more deeply know? What confusion or blindness remains? Seek the remedy of the Truth as it is in the mind of God and know that freedom awaits.God of all Truth, Your Word is liberating, transforming and fills us with hope. May I turn my mind to You and to Your holy Word so that I may know the Truth as You speak it and allow that transforming Truth to set me free. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via UnsplashSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineBecause he spoke this way, many came to believe in him. John 8:30Jesus had been teaching in veiled but deeply profound ways about Who He was. In prior passages, He referred to Himself as the “bread of life,” the “living water,” the “light of the world,” and He even took upon Himself the ancient title of God “I AM.” Furthermore, He continually identified Himself with the Father in Heaven as His Father with Whom He was perfectly united and by Whom He was sent into the world to do His will. For example, just prior to the line above, Jesus states clearly, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me” (John 8:28). And it was because of this that many came to believe in Him. But why?As John's Gospel continues, Jesus' teaching remains mysterious, deep and veiled. After Jesus speaks profound truths about Who He is, some listeners come to believe in Him, while others become hostile to Him. What is the difference between those who come to believe and those who ultimately kill Jesus? The simple answer is faith. Both those who came to believe in Jesus and those who orchestrated and supported His murder heard the same teaching of Jesus. Yet their reactions were so very different.The same is true for us today. Just like those who heard these teachings for the first time from Jesus' own lips, we also are presented with the same teaching. We are given the same opportunity to listen to His words and either receive them with faith or reject them or be indifferent. Are you one of the many who came to believe in Jesus because of these words?Reading these veiled, mysterious and deep teachings of Jesus as they are presented in the Gospel of John requires a special gift from God if these words will have any impact upon our lives whatsoever. Faith is a gift. It's not just a blind choice to believe. It's a choice based on seeing. But it's a seeing made possible only by an interior revelation from God to which we give our assent. Thus, Jesus as the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the great I AM, the Light of the World, and the Son of the Father will only make sense to us and will only have an effect upon us when we are open to and receive the interior light of the gift of faith. Without that openness and reception, we will remain either hostile or indifferent. Reflect, today, upon the deep, veiled and mysterious language of God. When you read this language, especially in the Gospel of John, what is your reaction? Ponder your reaction carefully; and, if you find you are any less than one who has come to understand and believe, then seek the grace of faith this day so that our Lord's words will powerfully transform your life. My mysterious Lord, Your teaching about Who You are is beyond human reason alone. It is deep, mysterious and glorious beyond all understanding. Please give me the gift of faith so that I may come to know Who You are as I ponder the richness of Your holy Word. I believe in You, dear Lord. Help my unbelief. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Adobe StockSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineBut no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.  John 8:20This short line comes at the end of today's Gospel after Jesus, once again, directly confronted the Pharisees.  He confronts them, in this situation, by speaking the truth of His union with the Father and the power and authority He had on account of this union.  The Pharisees attempt to confront and challenge Him but He speaks the truth right back to them in clear language.  Their response to Jesus' words is not recorded but it's clear that they do not know what to say and it's clear that they remain skeptical and desirous of trapping Jesus.This passage quoted above reveals to us the profound truth that neither the malice of the Pharisees nor that of anyone else could ultimately triumph since Jesus' “hour had not yet come.”  What does this mean?  Here are two truths we should take from this line.First, malice cannot overpower the will of God.  Since God the Father did not permit Jesus' arrest at that time, those with evil intentions were powerless to do so.  Jesus was able to speak clearly and openly, challenging the Pharisees with the truth, and they could do nothing to stop it.  Though His words stung them to the heart, they could do no more than listen and grow in anger and obstinacy toward our Lord.  But they could not harm Him.  This shows that God is ultimately in control of even the malice of others and will only allow malice to appear to triumph when He sees some greater purpose for allowing such a thing to happen.  Secondly, it reveals that there is a coming “hour” when Jesus will be handed over to sinful men.  But in John's Gospel, this hour is not an hour of shame and disgrace for Jesus; rather, it is an hour of total triumph over sin and death.  From a worldly perspective we know that His hour of arrest, persecution and Crucifixion takes on the public appearance of horror and disgrace for Jesus.  It appears as if He lost and the Pharisees won.  But from the perspective of God, which is the only true perspective, Jesus triumphs gloriously.  In fact, the Father ultimately permits the malice of the Pharisees to be the instrument of Jesus' glorification through the sufferings He endured in this hour.  From the divine perspective, His hour does not become one of defeat; rather, it becomes one of ultimate victory.Reflect, today, upon the coming hour of Jesus.  Soon we will enter into the glories of Holy Week and ponder, once again, that the Father did permit Jesus to enter into the most cruel suffering and death imaginable.  We will be confronted with the apparent scandal of His arrest and the illusion of the victory of the malicious leaders of the day.  But their victory is only an illusion since the permissive will of the Father had other intentions.  Begin preparing for this annual celebration of the hour of Jesus and enter into it with the utmost confidence and faith.My glorious Lord, I glorify You for Your wisdom and power and rejoice in the perfect will of the Father in Heaven.  The Father sent You on a mission of redemption and salvation and permitted You to ultimately suffer and die.  But through this suffering He brought final victory over death and all evil.  Give me faith to know and believe this truth with my whole heart.  Bless this coming Holy Week, dear Lord, and permit me to rejoice in Your glorious victory.  Jesus, I trust in You.Image: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineJesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. John 8:1–3What a painful and humiliating experience this must have been for this woman! Fortunately, the Savior of the World was there to care for her and to help her navigate this situation through His abundant mercy. Though she was a sinner, God's mercy offered a remedy for her sin and its consequences.Interestingly, this story is not included in some of the most ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of John. Saint Augustine believed that it was excluded by some of the early copyists of this Gospel because they were moral rigorists and were scandalized by the depths of Jesus' mercy. They feared that if this incredible act of mercy was conveyed to others, it would lead to a relaxation of moral rules.The scribes and Pharisees who brought this woman to Jesus also appeared to be scandalized by Jesus' mercy. Thus, the depths of mercy offered to this woman was one of many occasions in which Jesus was merciful to a point that was hard for the people to comprehend.How about you? How far are you willing to go when it comes to mercy? It is easy for us to resort to condemnation when we see the sins of others. We might feel justified in condemning them and even obliged to do so out of a desire to condemn sin itself. But Jesus' action shows that the sin must not be equated with the sinner. Sin must be condemned and was condemned by our Lord when He said to this woman, “Go, and from now on do not sin any more.” Though He condemned her sin, he did not condemn her: “Neither do I condemn you.”The mercy of God is incomprehensible. For example, recall that Jesus cried out from the Cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Imagine the surprise that the first hearers of those words would have had. How could this man ask that God forgive the people who were murdering Him? Perhaps the only person who truly understood this prayer of mercy from the Cross was Jesus' own mother as she stood there gazing at Him with love.An important lesson for us to learn from Jesus' depth of mercy is that, at first, it will most likely scandalize us also. Mercy to this extent is supernatural. It challenges our natural reason and calls us to a new way of thinking and relating to others. The only way to overcome the “scandal” we might feel in the face of God's mercy is to live it ourselves. Doing so will require that we put on new eyes to see sin, mercy and forgiveness through the eyes of God. If doing so shakes you to the core of your being, that might be a good sign. Are you allowing the apparent scandal of God's abundant mercy to transform you so that it is no longer a shock or scandal to you, but is experienced as good and holy and from the Heart of our God? Reflect, today, upon how deeply you understand God's mercy. Do you rejoice when mercy is offered to another? Or do you find yourself condemning? Our Lord said, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” None of us are without sin; therefore, none of us has the right to cast a stone at another. Allow the apparent scandal of God's mercy to challenge you so that you come to not only understand God's infinite mercy but also to act as an instrument of that mercy to everyone. Most merciful Lord, You came to call the sinner to repentance and salvation. You offer mercy and forgiveness in superabundance. When faced with the sins of others, help me to imitate Your love for them and to show mercy and compassion to the greatest degree. I love You, Lord. Help me to love You and others with Your Heart of merciful love. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Adobe StockSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineThe guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” John 7:46–49Hopefully the Pharisees mentioned above went through a deep interior conversion before they died. If they did not, then their day of particular judgment would have been shocking and frightening to them. The greatest act of love ever known was God becoming one of us, being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, growing up in the household of Saint Joseph, and eventually beginning His public ministry by which the saving truth of the Gospel was proclaimed so that all may come to know God and be saved. And it was of this act of perfect love given to us by God that the Pharisees attacked and called those who believed in it “deceived” and “accursed.”Though the Pharisees do not offer us much by way of inspiration, they do provide us with many lessons. In the passage above, the Pharisees model for us one of the most common tactics of the evil one. In his spiritual classic, The Spiritual Exercises, Saint Ignatius of Loyola explains that when a person is moving from a life of sin to a life of holiness, the evil one will attack in various ways. He will try to unsettle you and cause an undue anxiety about serving God, he will try to sadden you with an unexplained sorrow, put obstacles in your way of virtue causing you to feel overwhelmed and think you are too weak to live a good Christian life of virtue, and he will tempt you to lose your peace of heart by doubting God's love or His action in your life. It seems clear that this attack by the Pharisees also has these goals.Again, though this may not appear “inspiring,” it is very useful to understand. The Pharisees were vicious in their attacks, not only to Jesus but also upon anyone who began to believe in Jesus. They said to the guards who were impressed by Jesus, “Have you also been deceived?” This was clearly the evil one at work through them trying to intimidate the guards and anyone who dared believe in Jesus.But understanding the tactics of the evil one and his messengers is of great value, because it helps us reject the lies and deceptions spewed out at us. Sometimes these lies come from individuals and are directed directly at us, and sometimes the lies are more universal, coming through the media, the culture and even the government, at times. Reflect, today, upon the distasteful and bitter words of these Pharisees. But do so to help yourself understand the tactics the evil one often takes as you seek greater holiness in life. Be assured that the closer you get to God, the more you will be attacked. But do not be afraid. Identify any personal, social, cultural or even governmental attack for what it is. Have confidence and do not be deterred as you seek to follow Christ more completely every day. My divine Judge of all, at the end of time, You will establish Your permanent Kingdom of truth and justice. You will reign over all and will bestow Your mercy and justice on all. May I live fully in Your truth and never be deterred by the attacks and lies of the evil one. Give me courage and strength, dear Lord, as I always trust in You. Jesus, I do trust in You.  Image: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineJesus moved about within Galilee; he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret. John 7:1–2; 10The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was one of three great feasts during which the people made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem to commemorate God's saving action in their lives. This particular feast was to commemorate the 40 years that the Israelites traveled through the desert and dwelt in tents, or booths, as they wandered and were led by Moses. Therefore, the feast is also referred to as the “Feast of Booths.” During the seven days of this feast, people would set up tents (booths) around the Temple area and live in them to commemorate the journey of their ancestors.In the Gospel passage quoted above, we read that Jesus went up to the feast secretly. Saint Augustine explains that this means that though Jesus was present, the full revelation of His divine identity was hidden from many. He was physically there, but many did not know Who He was.That particular year, when the feast was half over, Jesus appeared in the Temple area and began to teach. Many were amazed at His words, and others thought He was possessed. After teaching the people, there was much disagreement among them about our Lord's identity. Jesus said to them, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” In that statement, Jesus essentially was saying that among those listening to Him, some had come to faith in Him and discovered His true identity as the Messiah, while others lacked the gift of faith and remained blind to Him. To them, His divine essence remained a secret.In a symbolic way, Jesus' presence at the Feast of Tabernacles reveals Him as the new Moses. It was Moses who led the people through the desert for 40 years toward the promised land while they dwelt in tents. Our Lord now took on that role of leading the people who were commemorating this 40-year journey by appearing in the Temple and pointing the people to Heaven, the true Promised Land.Today, our Lord continues to lead His people through the journey of life by coming to each of us to teach us and to reveal His divine presence. Some listen and believe and continue on the journey. To them, the secrets of our Lord are revealed. Others do not believe and, as a result of their lack of faith, fail to discover the hidden presence of our Lord all around them. Reflect, today, upon the image of Jesus coming to you during your long journey through the desert of this life. He initially comes to you in secret, veiled in His true essence. As He teaches you, He desires to lift that veil and reveal to You His true glory. He desires that you dwell with Him through prayer and remain attentive to His Word. As you gaze upon our Lord, reflect upon the question of how clearly you hear Him speak each day. He is here, with you always. But are you with Him? Do you hear Him, believe in Him, follow Him and serve Him? Do you allow Him to lead you every day toward His promises of new life? Allow our Lord to pitch His tent next to yours so that You will daily be attentive to His teaching and be led by Him to the glories of Heaven. My hidden Lord, You came to reveal to all people Your burning love and invitation to eternal life. Please come and dwell with me during my journey through life, and open my mind and heart to all that You wish to reveal. May I know You fully and follow You to the Promised Land of Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?” John 5:44It's quite normal and healthy for a parent to praise a young child for the good that they do. This healthy positive reinforcement is a way of teaching them the importance of doing good and avoiding what's wrong. But human praise is not an infallible guide of what is right and wrong. In fact, when human praise is not based in the truth of God, it does great damage.This short Scripture quote above comes from a lengthy teaching from Jesus about the difference between human praise and “the praise that comes only from God.” Jesus makes it clear that the only thing that has value is the praise that comes from God alone. In fact, earlier in this Gospel, Jesus says clearly, “I do not accept human praise…” Why is that?Turning back to the example of a parent praising a child for the good they do, when the praise they offer is truly a praise of their goodness, then this is much more than human praise. It is praise from God given through a parent. A parent's duty must be to teach right from wrong in accord with the will of God.As for the “human praise” of which Jesus speaks, this is clearly praise of another that is void of the truthfulness of God. In other words, Jesus is saying that if someone were to praise Him for something that did not originate from the Father in Heaven, He would reject it. For example, if someone were to say of Jesus, “I think He would be a great governor of our nation because he could lead a revolt against the current leadership.” Obviously such “praise” would be rejected.The bottom line is that we must praise one another, but our praise must only be that which originates from God. Our words must be spoken only in accord with the Truth. Our admiration must only be of that which is the presence of God alive in others. Otherwise, if we praise others based on worldly or self-centered values, we only encourage them in sin.Reflect, today, upon the praise you give and receive. Do you allow misguided praise of others to misdirect you in life? And when you compliment and praise another, is that praise based on the Truth of God and directed to His glory? Seek to give and receive praise only when it is grounded in the Truth of God and directs all to His glory.My praiseworthy Lord, I do thank You and praise You for Your perfect goodness. I thank You for the way that You act in perfect union with the will of the Father. Help me to listen only to Your voice in this life and to reject all the misleading and confusing voices of the world. May my values and choices be guided by You and You alone. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.” John 5:19–20The most central and most glorious mystery of our faith is that of the Most Holy Trinity. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God yet three distinct Persons. As divine “Persons,” each one is distinct; but as one God, each Person acts in perfect union with the others. In today's Gospel, Jesus clearly identifies the Father in Heaven as His Father and clearly states that He and His Father are one. For this reason, there were those who wanted to kill Jesus because He “called God his own father, making himself equal to God.”The sad reality is that the greatest and most glorious truth of God's inner life, the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, was one of the primary reasons that some chose to hate Jesus and sought His life. Clearly, it was their ignorance of this glorious truth that drove them to this hatred.We call the Holy Trinity a “mystery,” not because they cannot be known but because our knowledge of Who They are can never be fully understood. For eternity, we will enter deeper and deeper into our knowledge of the Trinity and be “amazed” on a continually deepening level.One additional aspect of the mystery of the Trinity is that each one of us is called to share in Their very life. We will forever remain distinct from God; but, as many of the early Church Fathers liked to say, we must become “divinized,” meaning, we must share in God's divine life through our union of body and soul with Christ Jesus. That union also unites us with the Father and the Spirit. This truth should also leave us “amazed,” as we read in the passage above.As we continue to read this week from the Gospel of John and continue to ponder the mysterious and profound teaching of Jesus on His relationship with the Father in Heaven, it is essential that we not simply gloss over the mysterious language Jesus uses. Rather, we must prayerfully enter the mystery and allow our penetration of this mystery to leave us truly amazed. Amazement and transforming edification is the only good response. We will never fully understand the Trinity, but we must allow the truth of our Triune God to take hold of us and enrichen us, at very least, in a way that knows how much we do not know—and that knowledge leaves us in awe.Reflect, today, upon the sacred mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Pray that God reveals Himself more fully to your mind and more completely consume your will. Pray that you will be able to share deeply in the life of the Trinity so that you will be filled with a holy amazement and awe.Most holy and triune God, the love You share within Your very being of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is beyond my comprehension. The mystery of Your triune life is a mystery of the greatest degree. Draw me in, dear Lord, to the life You share with Your Father and the Holy Spirit. Fill me with wonder and awe as You invite me to share in Your divine life. Most Holy Trinity, I trust in You.Image: Andrei Rublev, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineOne man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” John 5:5–6Only those who have been crippled for many years could understand what this man endured in life. He was crippled and unable to walk for thirty-eight years. The pool he was laying next to was believed to have the power of healing. Therefore, many who were sick and crippled would sit by the pool and try to be the first to enter it when the waters were stirred up. From time to time, that person was said to have received healing.Jesus sees this man and clearly perceives his desire for healing after so many years. Most likely, his desire for healing was the dominant desire in his life. Without the ability to walk, he could not work and provide for himself. He would have had to rely upon begging and the generosity of others. Thinking about this man, his sufferings and his ongoing attempts for healing from this pool should move any heart to compassion. And since Jesus' heart was one that was full of compassion, He was moved to offer this man not only the healing he so deeply desired but so much more.One virtue in the heart of this man that would have especially moved Jesus to compassion is the virtue of patient endurance. This virtue is an ability to have hope in the midst of some ongoing and lengthy trial. It is also referred to as “longsuffering” or “longanimity.” Usually, when one faces a difficulty, the immediate reaction is to look for a way out. As time moves on and that difficulty is not removed, it's easy to fall into discouragement and even despair. Patient endurance is the cure for this temptation. When one can patiently endure anything and everything they suffer in life, there is a spiritual strength within them that benefits them in numerous ways. Other little challenges are more easily endured. Hope is born within them to a powerful degree. Even joy comes with this virtue despite the ongoing struggle.When Jesus saw this virtue alive in this man, He was moved to reach out and heal him. And the primary reason Jesus healed this man was not just to help him physically but so that the man would come to believe in Jesus and follow Him.Reflect, today, upon this beautiful virtue of patient endurance. The trials of life should ideally be seen not in a negative way but as an invitation to patient endurance. Ponder the way you endure your own trials. Is it with deep and ongoing patience, hope and joy? Or is it with anger, bitterness and despair. Pray for the gift of this virtue and seek to imitate this crippled man. My Lord of all hope, You endured so much in life and persevered through it all in perfect obedience to the will of the Father. Give me strength in the midst of the trials of life so that I can grow strong in the hope and the joy that comes with that strength. May I turn away from sin and turn to You in complete trust. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineNow there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” John 4:46–48Jesus did end up healing the royal official's son. And when the royal official returned to discover his son healed, we are told that “he and his whole household came to believe.” Some came to believe in Jesus only after He performed miracles. There are two lessons we should take from this.First of all, the fact that Jesus performed miracles is a testimony to Who He is. He is a God of abundant mercy. As God, Jesus could have expected faith from those to whom He ministered without offering them the “proof” of signs and wonders. This is because true faith is not based upon external evidence, such as seeing miracles; rather, authentic faith is based upon an interior revelation from God by which He communicates His very self to us and we believe. Therefore, the fact that Jesus did signs and wonders shows just how merciful He is. He offered these miracles, not because anyone deserved them but simply because of His abundant generosity to help spark faith in the lives of those who found it hard to believe through the interior gift of faith alone.With that said, it's important to understand that we should work to develop our faith without relying upon external signs. Imagine, for example, if Jesus would have never performed any miracles. How many would have come to believe in Him? Perhaps very few. But there would have been some who came to believe, and those who did would have had a faith that was exceptionally deep and authentic. Imagine, for example, if this royal official did not receive a miracle for his son but, nonetheless, chose to believe in Jesus anyway through the transforming interior gift of faith.In each one of our lives, it is essential that we work to develop our faith, even if God doesn't seem to act in powerful and evident ways. In fact, the deepest form of faith is born in our lives when we choose to love God and serve Him, even when things are very difficult. Faith in the midst of difficulty is a sign of very authentic faith.Reflect, today, upon the depth of your own faith. When life is hard, do you love God and serve Him anyway? Even if He doesn't remove the crosses you carry? Seek to have true faith at all times and in every circumstance and you will be amazed at how real and sustaining your faith becomes. My merciful Jesus, Your love for us is beyond what we will ever fathom. Your generosity is truly great. Help me to believe in You and to embrace Your holy will both in good times and in difficult ones. Help me, especially, to be open to the gift of faith, even when Your presence and action in my life seems silent. May those moments, dear Lord, be moments of true interior transformation and grace. Jesus, I trust in You.Paolo Veronese, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineTax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable. Luke 15:1–3This is good news! Our Lord “welcomes sinners and eats with them.” For that reason, there is room at His table for you!Sometimes it's hard to admit that we are sinners. Of course we know in our minds that we are. But our pride can easily lead us to justify our sin, downplay it and conclude that we are not that bad after all. If you find yourself thinking this way, be careful. Doing so will make you like the Pharisees and scribes in the passage above. Clearly they did not see themselves as sinners, which is why they condemned Jesus for welcoming sinners and eating with them. The passage above comes from the beginning of Chapter 15 of Luke's Gospel and serves as an introduction to three subsequent parables. First, our Lord tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep, then the Parable of the Lost Coin, and then the Parable found in the rest of today's Gospel passage, the Parable of the Lost Son. In the first parable, the shepherd who finds his lost sheep rejoices. In the second parable, the woman who finds her lost coin rejoices. And in the parable we read today, the father who finds his lost son rejoices and throws a party to celebrate.Return, again, to the passage above that introduces these three parables: “Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus.” Once they drew near, Jesus spoke to them about the joy of finding that which was lost. Perhaps as Jesus initially spoke about the finding of the lost sheep and lost coin, this would have resonated with these tax collectors and sinners to a certain degree. But then our Lord tells them the long and detailed story about this boy who disrespects his father, takes his inheritance, squanders it on illicit living, and ends up with nothing. The story expresses the confusion of this boy, his desperation, his guilt and his shame. We learn of his interior thinking, reasoning, fears and anxiety.As you ponder this parable, try to understand the effect that it would have had upon the tax collectors and sinners who all drew near to our Lord. They were spiritually hungry, just as the prodigal son was. They had a past full of regret, just as this boy. They were unsatisfied in life and were looking for a way out, just as this son of the loving father was. For these reasons, those tax collectors and sinners who drew near Jesus would have been mesmerized by all that Jesus taught them and filled with hope that they, too, could share in the joy that was so generously bestowed upon this wayward son. Reflect, today, upon the touching image of these tax collectors and sinners drawing near to Jesus. Though they may have had a certain fear and caution, they would have also had hope. Try to understand what they must have thought and felt as they heard this story of the father's abundant mercy. Think about how they would have related as they discovered that there was hope for them, too. If you struggle with being like the scribes and Pharisees, reject that temptation. Instead, see yourself as one of those sinners who drew near to our Lord and you will be the cause of joy in the Heart of the Father in Heaven. Most loving and compassionate Lord, tax collectors and sinners were drawn to You. They found in You someone Who could free them from the burdens they carried within. Please help me to see myself as one of those humble souls in need of You and Your mercy. I reject my pride that leads me to self-justification and pray for humility so that I can come to You and gladden the Heart of the Father in Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Read OnlineJesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.” Luke 18:9–10This Scripture passage introduces the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. They both go to the Temple to pray, but their prayers are very different from each other. The prayer of the Pharisee is very dishonest, whereas the prayer of the tax collector is exceptionally sincere and honest. Jesus concludes by saying that the tax collector went home justified but not the Pharisee. He states, “...for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”True humility is simply being honest. Too often in life we are not honest with ourselves and, therefore, are not honest with God. Thus, for our prayer to be true prayer, it must be honest and humble. And the humble truth for all of our lives is best expressed by the prayer of the tax collector who prayed, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”How easy is it for you to admit your sin? When we understand the mercy of God, this humility is much easier. God is not a God of harshness but is a God of the utmost mercy. When we understand that God's deepest desire is to forgive us and to reconcile us to Himself, then we will deeply desire honest humility before Him.Lent is an important time for us to deeply examine our conscience and make new resolutions for the future. Doing so will bring new freedom and grace into our lives. So do not be afraid to honestly examine your conscience so as to see your sin clearly in the way God sees it. Doing so will put you in a position to pray this prayer of the tax collector: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”Reflect, today, upon your sin. What do you struggle with the most right now? Are there sins from your past that you have never confessed? Are there ongoing sins that you justify, ignore and are afraid to face? Take courage and know that honest humility is the road to freedom and the only way to experience justification before God.My merciful Lord, I thank You for loving me with a perfect love. I thank You for Your incredible depth of mercy. Help me to see all of my sin and to turn to You with honesty and humility so that I can be freed of these burdens and become justified in Your sight. Jesus, I trust in You.Barent Fabritius, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:29–30Why would you choose anything less than to love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind, and with ALL your strength? Why would you choose anything less? Of course, we do choose many other things to love in life, even though Jesus is clear with this commandment.The truth is that the only way to love others, and even to love ourselves, is to choose to love God with ALL we are. God must be the one and only focus of our love. But what's amazing is that the more we do this, the more we realize that the love we have in our lives is the kind of love that overflows and overflows in superabundance. And it is this overflowing love of God that then pours forth on others.On the other hand, if we try to divide our loves by our own effort, giving God only part of our heart, soul, mind and strength, then the love we have for God cannot grow and overflow in the way God wants. We limit our capacity for love, and we fall into selfishness. Love of God is a truly amazing gift when it is total and all-consuming.Each one of these parts of our lives are worth pondering and examining. Think about your heart and how you are called to love God with your heart. And how does this differ from loving God with your soul? Perhaps your heart is more focused on your feelings, emotions and compassion. Perhaps your soul is more spiritual in nature. Your mind loves God the more it probes the depth of His Truth, and your strength is your passion and drive in life. Regardless of how you understand the various parts of your being, the key is that every part must love God in fullness.Reflect, today, upon the beautiful commandment of our Lord. It's a command of love, and it is given to us not so much for God's sake but for ours. God wants to fill us to the point of overflowing love. Why would we ever choose anything less?My loving Lord, Your love for me is infinite and perfect in every way.  I pray that I will learn to love You with every fiber of my being, holding nothing back, and to daily grow deeper in my love of You. As I grow in that love, I thank You for the overflowing nature of that love, and I pray that this love of You will flow into the hearts of those around me. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Pixabay.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” Luke 11:20The Kingdom of God can come upon us in a variety of ways. The line from today's Gospel above comes in the middle of a story of Jesus casting out a demon from a man who was mute. Once the demon was cast out, the mute man began to speak, and all were amazed. And though some were amazed and grew in faith as a result, others turned their amazement into irrationality. The irrationality of some was that they saw what Jesus did, but they didn't want to accept that His power was divine. Therefore, some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” They couldn't deny that Jesus drove out a demon, since they saw it happen with their own eyes. But they were unwilling to accept Jesus' divinity, so they jumped to the irrational conclusion that Jesus' act was done by the power of “the prince of demons.”This irrational stance of some people is one of the most dangerous stances one can take. It's the stance of an obstinate heart. They were given the incredible witness of the power of God at work but refused to respond in faith to what they witnessed. For those who are obstinate, when the Kingdom of God comes upon them, as Jesus stated above, the effect is that they react in a violent, angry and irrational way. This form of reaction is exceptionally prevalent today in the secular world. Many in the secular media, for example, constantly react violently and irrationally to all that is part of the Kingdom of God. As a result, the evil one easily misleads many, causing confusion and chaos.For those who have eyes to see clearly, this violent and irrational rejection of the Kingdom of God is very clear. And for those with faith and an open heart, the pure message of the Gospel is like water to a dry and parched soul. They soak it up and find great refreshment. For them, when the Kingdom of God comes upon them, they are energized, inspired and driven with a holy passion to further God's Kingdom. Irrationality disappears, and God's pure Truth prevails.Reflect, today, upon your heart. Are you obstinate in any way? Are there teachings from Christ and His Church that you are tempted to reject? Is there some truth that you need to hear in your personal life to which you find it difficult to be open? Pray that the Kingdom of God come upon you today and every day and, as it does, that you will be a powerful instrument of its establishment in this world.My glorious King of all, You are all-powerful and have full authority over all things. Please come and exercise Your authority upon my life. Come and establish Your Kingdom. I pray that my heart be always open to You and to the direction you give. Jesus, I trust in You.James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” Matthew 5:17–18The Old Law, the law from the Old Testament, prescribed various moral precepts, as well as ceremonial precepts for worship. Jesus makes it clear that He is not abolishing all that God taught through Moses and the Prophets. This is because the New Testament is the culmination and completion of the Old Testament. Thus, nothing of old was abolished; it was fulfilled and brought to completion.The moral precepts of the Old Testament were laws that flowed primarily from human reason. It made sense that one should not kill, steal, commit adultery, lie, etc. It also made sense that God should be honored and respected. The Ten Commandments and the other moral laws still hold today. But Jesus brings us much further. He not only called us to go much deeper in the keeping of these commandments, He also promised the gift of grace so that they could be fulfilled. Thus, “Thou shall not kill” is deepened to the requirement of complete and total forgiveness of those who persecute us. It's interesting to note that the new depth of the moral law Jesus gives actually goes beyond human reason. “Thou shall not kill” makes sense to almost everyone, but “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” is a new moral law that makes sense only by the help of grace. But without grace, the natural human mind alone cannot arrive at this new commandment.This is extremely helpful to understand, because oftentimes we go through life relying upon our human reason alone when it comes to making moral decisions. And though our human reason will always direct us away from the most obvious moral failures, it will be insufficient alone to guide us to the heights of moral perfection. Grace is necessary for this high calling to make sense. Only by grace can we understand and fulfill the call to take up our crosses and follow Christ. Reflect, today, upon your own calling to perfection. If it doesn't make sense to you how God can expect perfection of you, then pause and reflect upon the fact that you are right—it doesn't make sense to human reason alone! Pray that your human reason will be flooded with the light of grace so that you will be able to not only understand your high calling to perfection but that you will also be given the grace you need to achieve it. My most high Jesus, You have called us to a new height of holiness. You have called us to perfection. Enlighten my mind, dear Lord, so that I may understand this high calling and pour forth Your grace, so that I may embrace my moral duty to the fullest extent.  Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Aron de Chaves de Chavez. (Painter at Amsterdam in 1700.)The original uploader was F67HGBVN at Hebrew Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineThe angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”  Luke 1:26–28Imagine if the Angel Gabriel, the glorious Archangel who stands before the Most Holy Trinity, were to come to you and announce to you that you were “full of grace” and that “The Lord is with you.” What an indescribable and awe-inspiring experience that would be! And yet this is exactly what happened to this young teenager, the Blessed Virgin Mary.We celebrate today this amazing event that took place, marking the moment when God took on human flesh within her blessed womb. Note that today is nine months before Christmas. The Church gives us this Solemnity today to invite us to walk with Mary over these coming nine months so as to join her in her rejoicing over the birth of her divine Son.Much could be said about this glorious Solemnity. We could ponder Mother Mary and her Immaculate Conception. We could ponder the very words spoken by the Archangel. We could ponder the mystery surrounding her pregnancy and the way in which God chose to set this gift into motion. And we could ponder so much more. Though all of these aspects are worth fully pondering and praying over, let's focus upon the reaction of this young woman to the angelic announcement.First, we read that Mary was “greatly troubled” and “pondered” these words spoken by the Archangel. Being troubled reveals that Mary did not have full knowledge of what the Archangel was revealing. But the fact that she pondered the words also reveals her openness to a fuller understanding. She then seeks a deeper gift of knowledge by asking, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” This response is first an assent of belief in faith followed by a request for a deeper understanding of this revelation. Faith is the ability to assent to that which we do not fully understand, but true faith always seeks a deeper understanding—and this is what Mary did. After being given some further revelation by the Archangel, Mary fully accepts what was revealed and trusts that what she was told was all she needed to know at that time. And then she offers what has come to be known as her “fiat.” She says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” This fiat of Mary is her perfect prayer of surrender to the will of God, and it is also the perfect model for how we all must respond to the will of God. We must see ourselves as true servants of His will, and we must fully embrace whatsoever God asks of us, completely uniting our wills to His.Reflect, today, upon these words of our Blessed Mother: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” How is God asking you to make this your prayer also? How is God calling you to serve His most holy will? Are you willing to fully assent to anything and everything God asks of you? As you prayerfully reflect upon this fiat of our Blessed Mother, seek to unite her response to yours so that you, too, will be a servant of the most high God.Father in Heaven, You sent Your Son to become incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Your glorious Archangel Gabriel brought forth this Good News. May I always be attentive to the messages You send forth to me as You invite me to join in Your divine mission of bringing Your Son into the world. I say “Yes'' this day, dear Lord, to serve Your most holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.Benvenuto Tisi, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read OnlineWhen the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away. Luke 4:28–30One of the first places Jesus went to begin His public ministry was His own home town. After entering the Synagogue and reading from the Prophet Isaiah, Jesus proclaimed that the prophecy of Isaiah was now fulfilled in His very person. This caused His townspeople to be outraged at Him, thinking He was blaspheming. So they shockingly sought to immediately kill Jesus by driving Him out of their town to the brow of a hill off which they meant to throw Him. But then something fascinating happened. Jesus “passed through the midst of them and went away.”The Father eventually permitted the grave evil of the death of His Son to take place, but only in His time. It's unclear from this passage how Jesus was able to avoid being killed right then at the beginning of His ministry, but what's important to know is that He was able to avoid this because it was not His time. The Father had more for Jesus to do before He would permit Him to offer His life freely for the salvation of the world.This same reality is true for our own lives. God does permit evil to happen, at times, because of the irrevocable gift of free will. When people choose evil, God will allow them to proceed—but always with a caveat. The caveat is that God only permits evil to be inflicted upon others when that evil is able to be ultimately used for God's glory and for some form of good. And it is only permitted in God's time. If we do evil ourselves, choosing sin rather than the will of God, then the evil that we do will end in our own loss of grace. But when we are faithful to God and some external evil is imposed upon us by another, God permits this only when that evil can be redeemed and used for His glory.The best example of this is, of course, the passion and death of Jesus. A far greater good came forth from that event than the evil itself. But it was only permitted by God when the time was right, in accord with God's will. Reflect, today, upon the glorious fact that any evil or any suffering inflicted upon you unjustly can end in the glory of God and the greater salvation of souls. No matter what you may suffer in life, if God permits it, then it is always possible for that suffering to share in the redeeming power of the Cross. Consider any suffering you have endured and embrace it freely, knowing that if God permitted it, then He certainly has some greater purpose in mind. Surrender that suffering over with the utmost confidence and trust and allow God to do glorious things through it. God of all wisdom, I know that You know all things and that all things can be used for Your glory and for the salvation of my soul. Help me to trust You, especially when I endure suffering in life. May I never despair when treated unjustly and may my hope always be in You and in Your power to redeem all things. Jesus, I trust in You.James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Read Online“‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'” Luke 13:7–9Imagine for a moment that you were the owner of the orchard in which this fig tree was planted. After the gardener asked you to wait for one more year and promised to fertilize the unfruitful fig tree and cultivate the ground around it, you agreed. Then imagine coming to inspect that same fig tree the next year. Imagine three scenarios. First, what would you do if, once again, there were no figs present? Second, what if there were only a few figs? Third, what if the tree suddenly produced an abundance of good fruit?It seems clear that in the first scenario, if for the fourth year in a row not a single fig was produced, it would be time to cut down the tree. This depicts the justice of God sent forth on those who obstinately resist His grace. In the second scenario, the decision might be more difficult. If the tree produced only a few figs for the first time, then perhaps that would provide enough hope for the future of that tree to ask the gardener to continue caring for it. This depicts those who are in a state of grace but are still lazy in their service of the will of God. In the third scenario, however, the reaction of the owner of the orchard would be clear. There would be much excitement and gratitude that the gardener's good work paid off.Jesus is the Gardener, and we are the fig tree. This parable should lead us to look at our lives and examine whether or not we bear good fruit for the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus comes to you to cultivate the soil of your heart, fertilizing it with His holy Word, watering it with His Sacraments and doing all He can to give you the opportunity to produce the fruit of charity in your life. How successful are these actions of our Lord in your life?Too often, when we see only a little good fruit being borne from our lives, we are satisfied. And though any good fruit is good, we are wasting our lives if we do not do all we can to become as abundantly fruitful as possible. Imagine the joy in the Hearts of our Lord and the Father in Heaven if they were to look upon you and see good fruit being produced beyond expectation. Why wouldn't this be your goal in life? Our Lord is patient, but He is also just. Do not try His patience, and do not succumb to His justice. Reflect, today, upon the image of you being this fig tree and our Lord as the divine Gardener. Commit yourself to His actions of tilling and fertilizing. You do so by strengthening your commitment to reading and understanding the Word of God, by participating more fully in the Sacraments, by being more focused upon your daily prayer, by examining your conscience more fully, and by sincerely confessing your sins. Do all you can to cooperate with the action of our divine Gardener and you will be amazed at the good fruit that begins to pour forth from your life. My divine Gardener, You have committed Yourself to the humble work of tilling the soil of my heart and fertilizing it with Your abundant mercy. I choose, this day, to respond to Your grace and pray that my cooperation with You will produce an abundance of good fruit in my life for Your glory and the building up of Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: The Vine Dresser and the Fig Tree (Le vigneron et le figuier) - James Tissot, Image via picyrlSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.