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June 13, 2016 Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church Reading 1 1 Kgs 21:1-16 Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreelnext to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,since it is close by, next to my house.I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbidthat I should give you my ancestral heritage.”Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answerNaboth the Jezreelite had made...

“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of...

"One who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does" (James 1:25). Doers of the Word are persevering learners. The phrase "and abides by it" in James 1:25 demands our close attention. "Abide" translates a Greek word that means "to stay beside," "remain," or "continue." The idea is that a doer of the Word continually and habitually gazes into God's perfect law. In other words, he is a persevering learner. When you have that level...

In his latest Facebook post, the two-time Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks urges his legion of fans to see the documentary film “Chuck Norris vs. Communism.” Directed by Ilinca Calugareanu, the film is set in 1980s Romania, under the rule of the notorious Nicolae Ceausescu. It is a testament, Hanks suggested, of “The power of film! To change the world.” Well, film played a role in the transformation of Romania from the communist state it was during Ceausescu’s 22-year reign of repression to the free, democratic society it is today. But it was the power of God that toppled Ceausescu’s...

June 12, 2016 Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 2 Sm 12:7-10, 13 Nathan said to David: “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king of Israel.I rescued you from the hand of Saul.I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own.I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah.And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.Why have you rejected the LORD and done evil in his sight?You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword;you took his wife as your own,and him...

"One who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does" (James 1:25). God blesses you when you obey His Word. James 1:21-24 contrasts hearers of the Word and doers of the Word. Hearers don't respond to Scripture or benefit from its truths—though they may study it in depth. Doers receive it in humility and obey its commands. James 1:25 adds that they are blessed in what they do. That means there is blessing in the...

“And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king” (Daniel 1:21). People of integrity are people of significant spiritual influence. When King Nebuchadnezzar took Daniel as one of his personal servants, it was just the beginning of a ministry that would last for seventy years. Daniel 2:48 records that soon afterward “the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.” At Daniel’s request, the king also appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to positions of authority, thereby...

June 11, 2016 Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle Reading 1 Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3 In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord.The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.When he arrived and saw the grace of God,he rejoiced and encouraged them allto remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.And a large number of people was added to the Lord.Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,and when he had found...

There are no guarantees that life will be easy, comfortable, and pain-free. As Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16.33). Our peace comes not because our life is problem free but from our unity with Christ. In fact, he doesn’t promise a tear-free life. He doesn’t say that if we follow him, life will be smooth sailing and all our dreams will come true. Rather, he says we will face heartache in this world....

“[The disciples] began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, ‘Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?’” (vv. 16–18). - Mark 8:16–21 Dr. R.C. Sproul, commenting on today’s passage in his commentary Mark, writes, “We all need to examine ourselves in the light of God’s Word to be sure the deadly leaven of the Pharisees...

June 10, 2016 Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-16 At the mountain of God, Horeb,Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter.But the word of the LORD came to him,“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;the LORD will be passing by.”A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountainsand crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind.After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake.After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire.After...

“[Jesus] cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod’ ” (v. 15). - Mark 8:14–15 Yeast is the secret to making bread rise. When added to a lump of bread dough, the yeast ferments the starches in the dough and causes the dough to increase in size. Without yeast to leaven the dough, the loaf that comes out of the oven is flat. Remarkably, it takes little yeast to make dough rise. A small amount is sufficient to leaven dough thoroughly. In today’s passage, Jesus alludes to this phenomenon of yeast’s...

“As for [Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego], God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17). Godly wisdom guards against the influences of a godless society. From the beginning of human history Satan has tried to confuse and confound God’s purposes by corrupting man’s thinking. In the Garden of Eden he succeeded by calling God’s character into question and convincing Eve that her disobedience would have no consequences. To this day he continues to deceive entire civilizations by blinding “the minds of the unbelieving, that...

"Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves" (James 1:22). It’s a delusion to think you can hear God’s Word, then disobey it without cost. Matthew 7:21-23 records the tragic results of spiritual delusion. Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And...

June 9, 2016 Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Kgs 18:41-46 Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink,for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”So Ahab went up to eat and drink,while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel,crouched down to the earth,and put his head between his knees.“Climb up and look out to sea,” he directed his servant,who went up and looked, but reported, “There is nothing.”Seven times he said, “Go, look again!”And the seventh time the youth reported,“There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from...

"Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves" (James 1:22). A doer of the Word obeys what Scripture says. Effective Bible study is built on three key questions: What does the Bible say? What does it mean? How does it apply to my life? Each of those questions is important, but applying the Word must always be the highest goal. Knowledge without application is useless. Both the Old and New Testaments emphasize the importance of applying Scripture. For example, just prior to leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, Joshua received this message from God:...

“So [the king’s overseer] listened to [Daniel and his friends] in this matter and tested them for ten days. And at the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables” (Daniel 1:14-16). All spiritual commitment will be tested. When God wants to prove the quality of one’s commitment, He tests it. The test may come directly from Him, as with Abraham when God...

When Christ purchased His bride, He bought a bride who was “damaged merchandise.” His bride was sullied by manifest impurities. She was covered by spots and marred by wrinkles. Yet what He purchased He also sanctifies: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for herto make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. (Eph. 5:25–27, NIV) Christ prepares His bride for His wedding feast envisioned in...

June 8, 2016 Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Kgs 18:20-39 Ahab sent to all the children of Israeland had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel. Elijah appealed to all the people and said,“How long will you straddle the issue?If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.”The people, however, did not answer him.So Elijah said to the people,“I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD,and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.Give us two young bulls.Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the...

“The commander of the officials said to Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.’ But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be observed in...