Hearing Maccabees today reminds us that much of what seems powerful and immutable in our own time will one day pass away. As believers in a God who has “cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly” (Luke 1:52), we know the kingdom of Christ is the only one that will truly last.
May our heartfelt prayer be not only “Lead me, Lord, along the everlasting way”—but also “Give me the grace—and the will—to follow.”
Throughout his ministry, Jesus noticed who wasn’t at the table. Welcome all to the table.
How blessed we are that this same way to holiness is open to us all.
We must love God with all our faculties of mind and heart, for they are created by a love that is transcendent and eternal.
The psalmist’s invitation to “sing joyfully to the Lord” requires no audition or musical expertise. What, then, causes us to muffle our voices over the years?
In today’s reading, we see this attitude on display when he complains that God has spared the city of Nineveh from foretold destruction. Both God and the reader are left with the same question: Why is Jonah so upset?
The mandate of discipleship, two thousand years ago and now, is to point to God as the source of all life. Only when we choose God can we choose life.
The challenge for each of us is to expand our vision and our hearts to embrace the whole family of God. Can we look beyond our blood relatives and beyond our national boundaries to include all of God’s children in our love and concern?
St. Paul outlines a high standard of what it takes to be a trustworthy bishop or deacon. Certainly, anyone who exercises power in the Church should be hospitable, level-headed, and “not a lover of money.” But there are other qualities that should not be missed.
