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Fr. Mike draws our attention to the descriptions of wisdom found in our readings for today and reflects on the beauty of wisdom’s feminine nature. He also discusses the death of Antiochus Epiphanes and offers two perspectives on reconciling God’s role in suffering. Today’s readings are from 2 Maccabees 9, Wisdom 7-8, and Proverbs 25:1-3.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/Bx7Kp2AnF_M
Today, Fr. Mike discusses the confidence that faith in God can provide as we fight the battles of our lives. He also engages with the riddles found in Wisdom 10 and points out that we can now not only understand the characters, stories, and allusions of Scripture, but can recognize the fingerprints of God in the world around us and better understand the main character of Scripture: God. Today’s readings are 2 Maccabees 10, Wisdom 9-10, and Proverbs 25:4-7.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/Pi-1cVOzSK4
Fr. Mike highlights how God fights as a heavenly ally with the people of Israel in 2 Maccabees 11, and encourages us to actively fight alongside God in our daily battles. In our reading of Wisdom, Father points out how God corrects us little by little so we can learn to trust him. Today’s readings are 2 Maccabees 11, Wisdom 11-12, and Proverbs 25:8-10.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/EfS1EQOPm8U
Fr. Mike breaks down the doctrine of purgatory as we read about Judas Maccabeus and his army praying for the dead in 2 Maccabees 12. We learn that purgatory is a process of purification that our hearts need in order to be ready to love God and to enter into his presence. In our reading of Wisdom today, Fr. Mike emphasizes the insanity of worshipping idols and how it’s more tempting to make idols out of good things rather than evil things. Today’s readings are 2 Maccabees 12, Wisdom 13-14, and Proverbs 25:11-14.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/3TAqAFIpp30
Fr. Mike points out how easy it is to take good things and make idols out of them, setting them up as God’s rivals for our hearts. We can discover these rivals by noticing the things we prioritize over spending time
Click on link: https://youtu.be/3qZbUdJeNHc
As we get closer to the end of the Old Testament, Fr. Mike highlights one of the lessons we’ve seen time and time again—that God continues to fight for each of us, despite the brokenness and messiness of our lives. He also points out how the reading from Wisdom foreshadows the coming of Jesus. The readings are 2 Maccabees 14, Wisdom 17-18, and Proverbs 25:18-20.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/PzsctVQ5s4I
Fr Mike celebrates the accomplishment of reading the entire Old Testament and wraps up the books of 2 Maccabees and Wisdom, talking through the key themes of the Old Testament visible in the conclusions to these books. He also discusses the motivation of the Maccabees to defend the temple and maintain its purity as well as uphold God’s honor. Today’s readings are from 2 Maccabees 15, Wisdom 19, and Proverbs 25:21-23
Click on link: https://youtu.be/H2vXfX9lwdk
As we begin reading the Gospel of Luke, Fr. Mike draws our attention to Mary. He clarifies the difference between Zechariah’s response and Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel, and also explains why Mary is the Ark of the new Covenant. We learn that through Mary, God begins to fulfill his promises to the people of Israel. Today’s readings are Luke 1-2, and Proverbs 25:24-26.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/urplVNHhRLg
Fr. Mike elaborates on the significance of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. He points out that the location of the Jordan River is particularly noteworthy because it’s the same river that Joshua crossed over to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, signifying that Jesus will bring about a new exodus. Additionally, it’s the lowest spot on the planet, symbolizing Jesus’ humility. Finally, Fr. Mike emphasizes that when we are baptized, we are adopted as beloved sons and daughters of God because what belongs to Jesus by his nature is given to us by God’s grace. Today we read Luke 3-5 and Proverbs 25:27-28.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/R2fNUca2HAw
In light of a series of miracles in our readings for today, Fr. Mike focuses on our Lord’s compassion and our call to be merciful, as he is. He emphasizes the beauty of God’s mercy and his offering of it despite our unworthiness. He also strikes a balance between the goodness of humanity as God’s creation and our brokenness due to original sin. Today’s readings are Luke 6-8 and Proverbs 26:1-3.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/tHwiu0_6paw
