"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV). These short verses pack quite a punch. Each command comprises a verse to itself, so it seems that St Paul, as well as the early Church Fathers who settled on this …
The Yardstick of Love…
"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. …
A New Name…
"...To him who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it." Rev. 2:17 (RSV) Most of us have "pet names" for the ones nearest and dearest to us: our …
“Be Perfect??”…
"...But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father...So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:44-45a, 48) What does Jesus mean here when he says, "be perfect"? Does he mean: be totally without sin, without fault? …
Make Me a Gift, Lord!
"Father, they are your gift to me..." (John 17:24a, NAB version) I recently read the New American Bible version of the "Upper Room discourse" in the 17th chapter of the Gospel of John. I was struck by how Jesus refers to us - "those who will believe in me through their [the disciples'] word" - …
Hearing the Shepherd’s Voice…
"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27) Yesterday was "Good Shepherd Sunday" in the Catholic Church, and this verse was part of the Gospel reading for the day. Jesus here says, "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me". So it's interesting to consider how well we …
Kept and Pondered…
"But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2:19, RSV) What were these "things" our Blessed Mother was keeping and pondering? And what exactly do those two key words signify? While of course we can't know exactly what Mary was thinking, it seems pretty obvious to me what she must have …
Expectations (and disappointments…)
"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in man." (Psalms 118:8, RSV) I read verses like this and wholeheartedly agree - with my mind, at least. I know that all my expectation should be from God alone: the God who made me, who knows me better than I know …
The Only Unforgivable Sin…
"... when he came to himself he said...I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son'...But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion..." (RSV …
Purify My Heart…
"... the grace of God...teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives... while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify …
Lessons From Love School 