Our Journey to Salvation

October 23, 2023     Good afternoon everyone, sorry for the week gap, I was booked all week and couldn't find any time to write, but it's a new week and we are here to start off fresh. Today's reading came from the book of Luke, chapter 12, verse 13-21. The Parable of the Rich Fool:      Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me." He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?" Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions."     Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones . There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to...

   October 15, 2023     Holy, holy sunday everyone!!! Today's reading jumped from the book of Luke to the book of Matthew, chapter 22, verse 1-14:     "Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast , but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready ; come to the feast."' Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited we...

   October 14, 2023     Happy Saturday everyone! Today's reading came from the book of Luke, chapter 11, verse 27-28:      "While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed." He replied, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."     When I first read this reading I saw it as if Jesus brushed away the woman's comment and changed the topic, but it didn't feel right. I had a feeling that I was missing something. So I decided to read it again... and again... and again. I think I read this paragraph 5 times before I got the meaning of what Jesus was trying to say. What I did was break the reading into two parts, what is the woman saying? and what is Jesus saying in response? Let's break it down together.      "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you n...

   October 13, 2023     Happy Friday everyone!!! Today's reading continues in Luke 11, 14-26:     When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relie...

October 12, 2023 Happy Thursday to everyone out there! Today's reading is from the book of Luke, chapter 11, verse 5-13: Jesus said to his disciples:      "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.      "And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives ; and the one who seeks, finds ; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a ...

   October 11, 2023     Good day to everyone I hope you had a blessed day today, I know I did. Let's end off the day with the daily reading. Today's reading is from the book of Luke, chapter 11, verses 1-4:     "Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name , your Kingdom come . Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test. "     In this reading, Jesus teaches his disciples the Our Father, one of the most common and powerful prayers that we have as Catholics. I broke it down into 5 different lines and would like to talk to you about each line and what it means to me.       "Father, hallowed be your name." A quick ...