Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Ephesians 3:2–12 Saint Paul speaks today about the mystery of Christ. For us, the word “mystery” can sound like a puzzle or a secret code. But for Paul, the mystery is God’s hidden plan, now revealed in Christ. And what is this mystery? That the Gentiles are also heirs. They are members of the same body. They share in the same promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. ...

Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Ephesians 2:12–22 Saint Paul tells the Ephesians to remember where they came from. Before Christ, they were far away. Living without hope And without God in the world. That sounds very sad. But it also sounds very modern. Many people today also feel far away. Far away from God. Far away from others. Far away from themselves. They do not know where their life is going. ...

Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Ephesians 2:1–10 History is often divided into two parts: before Christ and after Christ. But this can also happen inside a human life. There can be a time before Christ, and a time after Christ. This is what happened to the Ephesians. Before they knew the Gospel, before they believed in Christ, they were spiritually dead. Saint Paul says they were dead ...

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 45:1, 4–6; 1 Thessalonians 1:1–5b; Matthew 22:15–21 The Pharisees and the Herodians came to Jesus with a trap. “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” If Jesus said yes, many people would see Him as supporting Roman oppression. If He said no, He could be accused of rebellion against Rome. But Jesus did not step into their trap. He asked them to show Him the coin used for the tax. ...

Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr Ephesians 1:15–23 Saint Paul has heard good news about the Ephesians. He has heard about their faith in the Lord Jesus. He has heard about their love for all the holy ones. So he gives thanks. And he prays for them. Faith and love are already present in the community. Hope also appears in Paul’s prayer. ...

Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time Ephesians 1:11–14 Saint Paul tells the Ephesians something very important about their identity: they have been chosen by God. Their lives are now part of God’s purpose. This does not mean that everything in life is easy to understand. Many things remain confusing. Many things are painful. Many things feel unfinished. But Paul wants believers to know this: their lives are held within God’s plan. ...

Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time Ephesians 1:1–10 Some lives are changed by adoption. Maggie MacNeil was born in China. As a baby, she was left behind and placed in an orphanage. Then a Canadian couple adopted her. They gave her a home. They cared for her health. They raised her. They loved her. Years later, at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Maggie won a gold medal in swimming for Canada. ...

Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time Galatians 5:18–25 In the Bible, there are two ways. The way of life. And the way of death. In the Book of Deuteronomy, the Lord says: I set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life. Jesus says something similar. The way that leads to life is narrow. The way that leads to death is wide and easy. Many take the wide road. ...

Tuesday of the Twenty-eight Week in Ordinary Time Galatians 5:1–6 Saint Paul says something very strong to the Galatians: If you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. For us, this may sound strange. Circumcision is not our problem. But the deeper problem is still ours. The Galatians thought that circumcision could make them right before God. They were tempted to place their trust in something other than Christ. ...

Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time Galatians 4:22–24, 26–27, 31–5:1 Saint Paul reads the Old Testament with the eyes of Christ. He sees that the old stories are not only old stories. They carry a hidden light. They point forward. They prepare the way. Saint Augustine later expressed it in a famous sentence: The New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New. ...