James (probably not one of the Twelve but still a leader in the early Church) advised that trials test faith and lead to perseverance in resisting temptation. He reminded people that God does not tempt us; our desires do. Recalling leftovers gathered up after the two miracles of loaves and fish, Jesus provided a reminder that nobody needed the hypocritical ideas fed to people by self-serving Pharisees and Herod. Saint Paul said plainly that we should serve as ambassadors for Christ. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and Scripture challenges us to m

Ceremoniously placed in the Temple during Solomon’s reign, a chest known as the Ark of the Covenant contained two stone tablets chiseled with words cementing the relationship between God and His people. Jesus called Pharisees hypocrites. For example, they demanded ritual washing but allowed people to wash their hands of responsibility for elderly parents. (Donors had use of Gorban Temple donations for themselves—but not for parents in need.) When a Gentile asked Jesus to cure her daughter, the Lord mimicked what God’s “chosen people”

In the Old Testament, young King Solomon pleased God by asking for wisdom. When Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the synagogue in accordance with Mosaic Law, a man named Simeon recognized the Child as the awaited Christ. Later, the Lord’s wisdom and works astonished people who knew Him only as the son of the carpenter and Mary. Jesus met a synagogue official who did not give up hope upon receiving word that his daughter had died. Meanwhile, a woman in the crowd touched the Lord’s cloak and had her hope of healing fulfilled. Jesus sent the

If we refuse to accept the forgiveness offered to us, we blaspheme against the Holy Spirit—the only unforgivable sin. Many failed to understand Jesus’ parables, and the Lord even had to explain to His inner circle the one about seed scattered on different types of ground. It means that the Word only takes root in people receptive to it. Given the light of faith, Jesus taught the Disciples not to hide it! Afraid of perishing at sea and—worse yet—afraid that the Lord didn’t care, the panicked Disciples woke Him as a gale threatened to s

Like a bridegroom who wanted wedding guests to celebrate with him, Jesus made exceptions to the rules on when to fast. Pharisees saw Jesus bursting with ideas fermenting in people’s minds. Desperate to challenge Him, some scribes and Pharisees asked why the Lord allowed His Disciples to pick and eat heads of grain while walking along on a Sabbath day. In a synagogue, Jesus saw a man with a withered hand and asked the Pharisees if they had any objection to doing something good on the Sabbath. They declined to answer, and Jesus healed the man.

Following John the Baptist’s arrest, Jesus preached the Kingdom of God at hand. In the synagogue in Capernaum, He amazed people by teaching with authority and even banishing an unclean spirit from a man. Having cured Peter’s mother-in-law and many others who then came to the house, the Lord got up early the next morning to find a place to pray. Peter and company tracked Him down. After his request for healing, a leper could not abide by the Lord’s request to keep the miracle quiet. As His fame spread, Jesus could hardly escape the limelig

Magi followed the Star of Bethlehem, presented gifts befitting of a king to Jesus, and left by a route that avoided reporting to King Herod. (His son, Herod Antipas, later had John the Baptist imprisoned and beheaded.) Whether preaching to a crowd, providing a miraculous meal of loaves and fish, or healing a leper one-to-one, Jesus carried on while also preparing the Twelve to minister in His name. The first Letter of Saint John focuses on Jesus’ commandments to believe in Him and love one another. In love, God sent the Son, and the Son gave