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Daily Reflections

Daily Scripture, September 17, 2025

Scripture:

1 Timothy 3:14-16
Luke 7:31-35

Reflection:

Our readings today might aptly be described as a “lesson on manners,” a brief but very insightful tutorial on how Christians ought and ought not to behave. In the passage from 1 Timothy, we are reminded that through baptism we were incorporated into “the household of God.” Even though all of us belong to multiple “households” (family, friendships, local communities, groups and organizations), none should ever become more important than the household of God, which is “the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.” The household of God is our true place of belonging, the foundation and center of our lives; no other “household” should ever supplant it.

Lest we think the household of God is a haphazard collection of individuals, each doing as he or she pleases, the writer insists that every member should “know how to behave in the household of God.” That’s because as we grow as members of that household, we are initiated into the ways of God that have been revealed to us in Christ. By learning the “manners” of Christ, we can fulfill our baptismal vocation of witnessing Christ in our lives until, as 1 Timothy promises, he is “believed in throughout the world.”

By contrast, today’s strange nugget of a gospel shows us how not to behave; it is a pithy, if initially perplexing, lesson in “bad manners.” Jesus zeroes in on people who are always finding fault, always criticizing, and using that as an excuse to reject the message as well as the messenger. John the Baptist comes along, and rather than taking his message to heart, they declare, “He is possessed by a demon.” Then Jesus stands right in front of them, and rather than opening their hearts to receive him, they mock him as “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” As a result, they stay exactly as they were, untouched, unchanged, unredeemed. That’s not only bad manners; it’s also an inconsolable tragedy.

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology & Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family of Holy Cross Province.

Daily Scripture, February 20, 2024

Scripture: Isaiah 55:10-11Matthew 6:7-15 Reflection: Here we are at the very beginning of our Lenten Season.  It’s the very first week, just seven days into this forty-day journey.  As we » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, February 19, 2024

Scripture: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18Matthew 25:31-46 Reflection: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  -Leviticus 19:18  The Lord’s call to holiness for His people is consistent. Just as He told the Israelites » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, February 18, 2024

First Sunday of Lent Scripture: Genesis 9:8-151 Peter 3:18-2Mark: 1:12-15 Reflection: “Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.  Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, February 17, 2024

Scripture: Isaiah 58:9b-14Luke 5:27-32 Reflection: The Lenten message is simple, but easily missed and almost always quickly forgotten: Following the ways of the Lord brings happiness and life. If we » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, February 16, 2024

Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-9aMatthew 9:14-15 Reflection: Our Lenten season began with the prophet Joel’s exhortation to “rend your hearts, not your garments.” The challenge to “fast” stares us once again in » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, February 15, 2024

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:15-20Luke 9:22-25 Reflection: In our Gospel reading for today, after Jesus predicts His own Passion and death and resurrection, He tells His disciples what it means to be » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, February 14, 2024

Ash Wednesday Scripture: Joel 2:12-182 Corinthians 5:20-6:2Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Reflection: Between the jubilant melodies of Fat Tuesday and the delightful chocolate bunnies of Easter Sunday lies the season of Lent. » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, February 13, 2024

Scripture: James 1:12-18Mark 8:14-21 Reflection: The text for today is immediately following Jesus feeding the crowds for a second time, the Pharisees demand for a “sign” and Jesus’ refusal to » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, February 12, 2024

Scripture: James 1:1-11Mark 8:11-13 Reflection: Today’s readings present a captivating contrast between faith and agnosticism.  In Mark’s gospel, Jesus has arrived in the region of Dalmanutha, on the northwest coast » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, February 11, 2024

Scripture: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-461 Corinthians 10:31-11:1Mark 1:40-45 Reflection: “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Several times in the Hebrew Bible, God punished people for their disobedience by inflicting » Continue Reading.

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