Page 6 - Nihil Obstat News Today

urban developer “After sunset, as evening drew on, they brought Him all who were ill, and those possessed by demons. Before long the whole town was gathered outside the door.” —Mark 1:32-33 Job faced reality head on and declared: “Life on earth” is “a drudgery” (Jb 7:1). He described life as being “assigned months of misery” (Jb 7:3). Nights are long; days are short (Jb 7:4, 6) and, when we reach the end of them, we are without hope (Jb 7:6). The only Answer to the drudgery of...

lift up your leaders “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over you as men who must render an account. So act that they may fulfill their task with joy, not with sorrow, for that would be harmful to you.” —Hebrews 13:17 At this morning’s Mass, I am seated next to the Head Director of Presentation Ministries. When I heard the above passage proclaimed by the lector, my heart went out to my brother in Christ. He pours out his heart and his life to lead all of us. He an...

amazing faith “...so much did their lack of faith distress Him.” —Mark 6:6 Jesus was amazed at the Syro-Phoenician woman’s faith (Mt 15:28). He was amazed at the centurion’s faith (Mt 8:10).  He was amazed at the lack of faith of the people of Nazareth (see Mk 6:6).How do we get amazing faith?  1) We must ask God for it. Faith is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22).  2) We must accept the discipline of the Lord (Heb 12:5ff). That in itself gives evidence of our faith. By humbling ours...

public speaking “[Anna] talked about the Child to all.” —Luke 2:38 The Baby Jesus could not speak for Himself at His Presentation in the Temple, for He was only forty days old. Others, however, spoke for Him. Joseph and Mary would have spoken to the temple officials as His parents, Simeon (Lk 2:29ff) and Anna (Lk 2:38) prophesied for Him. It’s still like this today. Though the Baby Jesus did grow up and speak eloquently about the Kingdom of God, many are unable to hear Him. That’s why...

out of egypt? “They were begging Him to go away from their district.” —Mark 5:17 It is thought by some that the devotion of Catholics to the Crucified Jesus, to His Passion and sufferings, the Stations of the Cross, the Precious Blood of Jesus, and to the relics of martyrs is morbid. This is hard for a non-Catholic to understand. Yet there is fascination with the macabre in the secular culture of death. Rock groups celebrate the Grateful Dead, the Satanic and Gothic. Halloween is often t...

faith-full? “Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see.” —Hebrews 11:1 Faith is an assurance. This confident assurance concerns what we hope for but can’t see. We are saved by faith in Jesus (Eph 2:8). “All depends on faith” (Rm 4:16). Without faith, it’s impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). The conquerors of the world are those who have faith that Jesus is the Son of God (1 Jn 5:5). When Jesus comes back a second and final...

spiritual suicide? “Do not, then, surrender your confidence; it will have great reward.” —Hebrews 10:35 Satan is trying to get us to surrender our confidence, to draw back (Heb 10:38-39), to give up, to commit spiritual suicide. To keep the faith, we have to endure “a great contest of suffering” (Heb 10:32). This contest lasts a long time. Relief in our sufferings seems indefinitely delayed (see Heb 10:37). Any benefits from our sufferings seem to be invisible or negligible. Under the...

miracle grow “But those sown on good soil are the ones who listen to the word, take it to heart, and yield at thirty- and sixty- and a hundredfold.” —Mark 4:20 Jesus tells the crowds about the fruitfulness of good soil and the reasons why soil does not bear fruit. He also gives advice on how to turn unproductive soil into fruitful ground. Jesus can soften the hardest, rockiest ground, as He did with St. Paul. But we are God’s coworkers, and Jesus plans to use us to till the ground and c...

family tree “For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God bestowed when my hands were laid on you.” —2 Timothy 1:6 How well do you know your Catholic ancestry? Do you realize Timothy and Titus were ordained bishops? (see 2 Tm 1:6) By the laying on of hands, the Apostle Paul commissioned them for evangelistic work. “As for Titus, he is my companion and fellow worker in your behalf” (2 Cor 8:23). This illustrates New Testament-era apostolic succession. Paul also assi...

jesus and food Jesus “returned to the house with them and again the crowd assembled, making it impossible for them to get any food whatever.” —Mark 3:20 Jesus was and is a sign of contradiction (Lk 2:34). As the Prophet, He did and said things which were challenging, confrontational, even shocking. Although He “ruffled a few feathers,” people didn’t get too upset over these things. Yet when Jesus put Himself in such a crowded situation that it was impossible even to get food to Him,...