Reflection for the Week

Two servants entrusted with gold from a nobleman wisely used it to earn much more and received handsome rewards in Jesus’ parable. Using God’s gifts wisely, especially the gift of faith, leads to heavenly reward. When the Lord saw the temple area turned into a marketplace that stole glory from God, He drove the thieving sellers away. A blind man shouted for Jesus from the roadside, and Zacchaeus climbed a tree so that he could see the Lord from above the crowd. Jesus noticed, giving sight to the man who longed to see and the assurance of sa

Pharisees asked when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus said to look around. The Lord would suffer, though, and come back. Our readiness requires more than obeying Commandments. Gratitude matters! Jesus cured ten lepers, but only one returned to give thanks. Gratitude shows! Recalling the parable of a widow who persisted until the judge made a decision, we should pray and forgive unrelentingly. Will we meet the Lord with no desire to look back?

Talk about a snub. A man invited people to a huge dinner, and everyone begged off with one excuse after another. The host filled the dining room with impoverished, handicapped, and other guests invited off the street. At the home of a Pharisee, the Lord advised inviting people in the future who couldn’t reciprocate. God does that with us. Jesus welcomed his listeners to count the cost before deciding to follow Him. If anyone in His flock strayed, the Lord would seek the lost sheep and rejoice over having the whole flock together again. When b

Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a huge batch of dough leavened by a small amount of yeast. The little things we do matter in God’s Kingdom because every person we encounter matters to our heavenly Father. Bread dough rises, gets punched down, and rises again. We sometimes feel beaten down, but we can still grow in faith. When someone asked Jesus if only a few would experience salvation, He answered that many would not have the strength to enter. Nevertheless, laden with the burdens we face, the Lord wants us to come to Him with faith tha

With a bumper crop and barns too small to store all of the produce, a landowner decided to build bigger barns. He could have chosen to feed the hungry. With the master of the house away, servants had the choice of performing their duties loyally or lackadaisically. Jesus advised steadfast readiness for His return, since we won’t get advance notice of the date and time. Like a person who looks at the weather conditions when making outdoor plans, doing the right thing depends on looking at the needs around us. The parable of an orchard owner wh

God had sent Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh to repent or perish. Jonah refused to go until he got thrown overboard a ship, swallowed by a giant fish, and had three days to think things over before getting spewed onto dry land. Jonah preached, and the Ninevites repented of their violent ways. Centuries later, the crowd around Jesus clambered for a sign. The Lord said that they already had the example of Jonah, not to mention the Son of Man among them. Face to face, the Lord rebuked Pharisees for seeking honor for themselves and chastised s

Samaritans and the Jewish people had parted ways in some of their beliefs and religious practices, although they remained neighbors geographically. Both groups believed in the Ten Commandments, though. When a scholar of the law asked Jesus to define “neighbor” in the second Commandment, the Lord told His parable of the good Samaritan. The scholar would have preferred a hero from his side of the ideological fence. Visiting with friends, Jesus encountered Martha, his overwhelmed hostess. Martha got nowhere by asking Jesus to tell her sister