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February 1, 2016 Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 2 Sm 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13 An informant came to David with the report,"The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom."At this, David said to all his servantswho were with him in Jerusalem:"Up! Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom.Leave quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us,then visit disaster upon us and put the city to the sword." As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing.His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot.All those who...

"Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called" (Ephesians 4:1). Compared to walking worthy of Christ, nothing else is really important. Let's review what Paul has taught us from Ephesians 4:1-6. God has chosen and called us to be part of His family, and He expects us to act like His children. He wants us to walk worthy of Christ and be unified. To follow God's will in this, we must, with His help, deal with our sin and develop godly virtues. Our lives must first be marked by "all humility" (v. 2). We...

God exalted Christ "and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all" (Eph. 1:22-23). The church was designed to complement Christ. Here Paul uses a graphic analogy to illustrate the relationship of Christ to the church: He is the head; believers are His body. Paul elaborates that we're to hold "fast to the head [Christ], from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God" (Col. 2:19; cf. Eph. 4:15-16). Just as...

January 31, 2016 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jer 1:4-5, 17-19 The word of the LORD came to me, saying:Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,before you were born I dedicated you,a prophet to the nations I appointed you. But do you gird your loins;stand up and tell themall that I command you.Be not crushed on their account,as though I would leave you crushed before them;for it is I this daywho have made you a fortified city,a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,against the whole land:against Judah's kings and princes,against its priests and people.They...

"One God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:6). There is only one God, and we will have a strong testimony by worshiping Him and holding on to what unites us. The last point of Christian unity Paul mentions in Ephesians 4:4-6 is that Christians have "one God and Father." In Paul's day, people believed in many gods; so he emphasizes our God's uniqueness. No person or object can compare with God because He is "above all," which means He is the sovereign creator and controller of the universe; He is...

God exalted Christ "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet" (Eph. 1:21-22). Now and forever Christ is the Supreme One! Yesterday we saw that Christ has both an exalted name and an exalted, authoritative position. In verses 21-22 Paul elaborates on the extent of Christ's authority, which is "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion." "Rule," "authority," "power," and "dominion" are designations for angelic beings, whether...

January 30, 2016 Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 2 Sm 12:1-7a, 10-17 The LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he came to him,Nathan said: "Judge this case for me!In a certain town there were two men, one rich, the other poor.The rich man had flocks and herds in great numbers.But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb that he had bought.He nourished her, and she grew up with him and his children.She shared the little food he had and drank from his cup and slept in his bosom.She...

Donald Trump is failing to gain support among American church leaders, new research has found, with just five per cent of Republican Protestant pastors saying they would vote for him. Results of a survey conducted among ministers were released by Lifeway research, where senior church leaders were asked: "If the 2016 presidential election were held today, for whom would you vote?" Ted Cruz won the race among pastors who identified as Republican, with 29 per cent of those polled saying they would vote for him. More than a third (39 per cent) were undecided, but one in ten said they...

The situation in China is far more complex than a simple chronicle of antagonism, suspicion, and persecution; progress and hope also punctuate the narrativeBeloved, do not be startled at the trial by fire now taking place among you to prove you, as if something strange were happening to you; but rejoice, in so far you are partakers of the Suffering of Christ. (1 Peter 4:12) "Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief," asserts Article thirty-six of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, "No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to...

"One Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5). All Christians have a common Lord, common beliefs, and a common public testimony. Yesterday we looked at what Christians have in common through the Spirit. Today's verse teaches us what we share through Christ. Christians have only "one Lord," the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 says, "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." Paul says in Romans 10:12, "There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord...

"[God] seated [Christ] at His right hand in the heavenly places" (Eph.1:20). Christ occupies the highest place of power, prominence, authority, and honor. To exalt someone is to elevate that person in status, dignity, power, and honor. As God, Jesus possesses all power and authority and is deserving of all honor and glory. But when He was on earth, most people refused to give Him the glory He deserved. Instead they mocked and eventually murdered Him. Just prior to His death, Jesus prayed to the Father, "Glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I ever had...

January 29, 2016 Friday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time Reading 1 2 Sm 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17 At the turn of the year, when kings go out on campaign,David sent out Joab along with his officersand the army of Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.David, however, remained in Jerusalem.One evening David rose from his siesta and strolled about on the roof of the palace.From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful.David had inquiries made about the woman and was told, "She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Joab's armor...

From time to time I hear from old friends, and sometimes from strangers, wondering why I occupy myself with what they regard as “woo-woo” stuff – that is, New Thought and positive-mind traditions. They are right about my commitments. Since the 2014 publication of my One Simple Idea, a history and analysis of positive-mind metaphysics, I have grown more dedicated to exploring the use and viability of the core mind-power thesis, which is: thoughts are causative. My aim is not to disembark from “serious” esoteric traditions (more on that in a moment); nor is it to discontinue my work as...

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:4-6). All Christians are part of the same Body, with the same Spirit, who is our pledge of eternal life. Everything God ever designed for the church is based on the unity of believers. Paul emphasizes that by listing seven "ones" in these verses. One is the key; it is the cause of the worthy walk. How many...

"These are in accordance with the working of the strength of [God's] might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead" (Eph. 1:19-20). In Christ you have all the power you will ever need. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the great hope of believers. Because He lives, we will live also (John 14:19). Peter said we have been "born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away" (1 Pet. 1:3-4). We and what we...

January 28, 2016 Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 2 Sm 7:18-19, 24-29 After Nathan had spoken to King David, the king went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, Lord GOD, and who are the members of my house, that you have brought me to this point?Yet even this you see as too little, Lord GOD; you have also spoken of the house of your servant for a long time to come: this too you have shown to man, Lord GOD! "You have established for yourself your...

Yitro is one of the most enigmatic figures in the entire Torah. He is introduced to us as an adviser to Pharaoh (Sotah 11a) who was told about a plan to enslave and kill members of the Hebrew nation living in Egypt. In that meeting, Yitro counseled the Egyptian monarch not to harm the Hebrews. His first appearance in the lines of the written Torah occurs in parashat Shemos, as the father of Tziporah, who would marry Moshe Rabbeinu. In this week's parshah, Yitro comes with his daughter and grandsons and meets up with Moshe in the wilderness. Though warmly...

"I . . . entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). God is most concerned about who we are, because who we are determines what we do. Now that we've looked in depth at Ephesians 4:1-3, let's take a step back. These verses reveal a basic truth: the Christian life is not primarily about what we do but who we...

"I pray that ... you may know ... the surpassing greatness of [God's] power toward us who believe" (Eph. 1:18-19). The same divine power that created, sustains, and controls the universe secures your salvation. God's power is awesome! David wrote, "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand...

January 27, 2016 Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 2 Sm 7:4-17 That night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:"Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD:Should you build me a house to dwell in?I have not dwelt in a house from the day on which I led the children of Israel out of Egypt to the present, but I have been going about in a tent under cloth.In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel, did I ever utter a word to any one of the judges whom I charged to...