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Reflections on the daily Gospel to help you prepare your morning meditation. The Saint John Society (www.socsj.org) is a society of priests in the Catholic Church, dedicated to the new evangelization. Fr. Lucas Laborde and other priests in the DGM team started this podcast in 2019 to encourage Catholics around them in the daily practice of lectio divina, or meditation.
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The preparedness Jesus wants for us - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Is my attention too focused on world events? What would Jesus bring to my attention if I complained about what is going on in society? How has He manifested his patience toward me? What kind of fruit is He hoping to find in me?…
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What does Jesus mean when He asks us to settle accounts with our opponent? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Are there situations in which you may be walking in some inconsistency? In what ways is the Lord inviting you to take a second look at the signs, the voice of conscience, his teaching, what others are saying?…
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Why did Jesus say He would cause trials and division? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What are the desires that prevail in the heart of Jesus? What are the desires that prevail in your own heart? Has Jesus placed desires in you that you are not cultivating, out of fear of their unintended consequences?…
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Am I supposed to watch over others? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.How have you been helped by good stewards who recognized your needs and encouraged you? Who are the people that God has entrusted to your care? Is He encouraging you to take on more responsibilities? How could you become a better steward in God’s kingdom?…
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Watching over your own soul - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What is the Lord encouraging you to do, so as to be more vigilant? What’s the temptation for you? What could make you become spiritually drowsy? In what ways has the Lord visited you and waited on you lately, so as to encourage you? is He about?…
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The spiritual trap of greed - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Can you trace some conflicts in your life back to the desire for possessions and control? In what ways would Jesus want to see you freer, so that you may use resources and success, without being dominated by them?
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Is it good to be ambitious? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What ambitions would Jesus want you to express to him? How would He redirect those? What chalice would He invite you to drink with him? How does your heart interpret the power and influence that has been given you?
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Why is it risky to be ashamed of our faith? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Whose witness has been instrumental in your own coming to Christ? What has been the spiritual fruit of sharing your faith? In what situations should you be bolder about it? When is it reasonable to be quiet because of the circumstances?…
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In what ways does the instruction to the 72 apply today? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Who were those disciples that made the kingdom of God available to you? What was moving about their witness? Which lines of the gospel do you see reflected in them? How is Jesus encouraging you to carry the same message to others? What woul…
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Why did Jesus say they would pay for the crimes of prior generations? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What inconsistencies has the Lord led you to discover in your own heart? Have you experienced in some way the cumulative effect of an inconsistent course of action? How can you better utilize your knowledge in the service of Go…
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Distortions in the application of the Law - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Are any of these distortions a temptation in your own journey? Could secondary details be eclipsing essentials in your faith life? Do you find that meeting people’s approval is too much of a concern for you? How are you using your knowledge of faith to se…
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Why did Jesus rebuke his host? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Do you detect some ongoing dissonance between your heart and what you say and do? Is there something Jesus is inviting you to give away? What’s the freedom of heart that the Lord wants for you? What does it look like? What does it feel like?…
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What did Jesus mean by the ‘sign of Jonah’? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Who has been a sign to you? Whose life has had the greatest impact in your faith journey? In what ways has the presence of Jesus been a sign for you? How are you responding to the signs that God is placing around you right now?…
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The call to follow Christ - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.How does this passage resonate with you? What did you discover about the greatness you were made for when you encountered Jesus as a real person? What fears did you have to fight back then? Are those fears still lingering around? What have the rewards of being a disciple…
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God’s grace will enhance human relationships - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What is Jesus teaching you about what the highest blessing is? Is He addressing any misplaced expectations? What inspires you about his emotional balance? How has God’s grace purified and perfected your relationship with others?…
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How Jesus confronts suspicion - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Putting the lessons of this gospel together with your experience, in what ways are the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness different? What are some of the lies and accusations that the evil one has used to lead you to distrust God or to lose courage?…
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Seek and you will find - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.In what ways has perseverance in prayer helped you grow? How has the Lord purified your desires through that insistence? What is that “more” that Jesus wants you to seek? What fears could be blocking your spiritual growth?
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“Lord, teach us how to pray.” - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Why is Jesus telling you to pray in that way? Why do you need this kind of prayer?
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The better part of Mary - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What’s the voice of Martha like in your case? What voices are the most pressing ones? How can prayer help you discern and balance those out? What are instances of activity done in Christ, and instances of activity that stem from unclear ground? How do you distinguish those…
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The parable of the good Samaritan - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Are there situations in which twisting the law to your advantage could be a temptation? Who has been like a good Samaritan to you? In what ways is Jesus is encouraging you to replicate that toward others?
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Why does Jesus uphold such a challenging teaching on marriage? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What is the divine wisdom behind marriage? Why does Christ uphold it so clearly, in spite of how challenging it is for our broken humanity? If you are married: how is Jesus inviting you to renew your marriage covenant, expressing in i…
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Discovering deeper levels of joy - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What are those moments in your faith journey that allowed you to discover new levels of joy? What is the greater joy that Jesus wants to open up for you now? In what aspects would you describe yourself as humble and teachable? Are there other aspects in which you …
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Why did Jesus rebuked the cities He visited? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What are some of the signs and graces that God has given you in recent times? How have you taken advantage of those for your spiritual growth? Is it a temptation for you to reject a message that comes from the Lord because of the imperfection of the me…
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In what sense did Jesus bring peace to the world? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Why did Jesus provide those spiritual keys in his instructions to the disciples? How do these instructions provide spiritual keys for your own mission? What are the challenges you need to face to bring the peace of Christ to others?…
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On humility and personal dignity - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.How does pride manifest itself in your life? In what concrete ways is Jesus inviting you to be like a child, and walk humbly with him?
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Jesus as a model of fortitude - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What do you find especially inspiring in Christ’s strength of character? In which situations would the Lord invite you to be more patient? In which situations would He invite you to be more assertive and resolute?
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Fighting the root sin of pride - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Why do you think it’s important to be freed from pride? How is the greatness of saints different from the greatness of the prideful? How does the root of pride manifest in your life and how is Jesus encouraging you to fight against it?…
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The openness and strictness of Christ - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Can you trace that activity of the Holy Spirit in your own soul before you came to Christ? Do you know people who are not walking in faith yet, but are being prompted by the grace of God to take good steps? And then, are there things that Jesus is asking you …
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Understanding the significance of the cross - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Are there areas of faith or areas of your heart in which you don’t want to enter? Why would Jesus want you to learn about the wisdom of the cross? What is his purpose in teaching you about it?
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Why doesn’t God change things more forcefully? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Do you recognize in our world the signs of the same impatience Christ had to deal with? Why did God choose to do things the way He did? How are you faring with God’s patience, with the fact that He will give you the light you need, but won’t immediat…
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The ambivalence of the human heart - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Why do you think Herod wanted to see Jesus? In what sense do you think Herod was and wasn’t free? How do you see yourself reflected in the ambivalence of Herod’s soul?
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The careful formation of the disciples - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Do you see this dynamic at work in your own life? Who were your mentors and guides? How have you been formed and sent? What is Jesus showing you through these lines of the gospel?
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Bonds arising from new life in Christ - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Is Jesus inviting you to assert the precedence of his calling in an area in which that precedence is challenged by others? How can you tell whether you follow some lifeless principles, or the living Law that is the person of Jesus?…
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Why are we asked not to hide our faith? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.In what situations are you tempted to hide the light? And how could you shine your light before others? Have you noticed in your own experience that virtuous cycle, of being receptive to God’s word, sharing it, and growing from it?…
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Why it’s not wrong to seek greatness - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Do you sense at times there’s a disconnect between your priorities and those of Jesus? What does it mean for you to seek greatness? Are you seeking the kind of greatness that Jesus wants for you, or greatness according to the world?…
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When did Matthew discover his real self? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.How does this account illumine your own conversion? In what ways Jesus’ calling revealed to you your true identity? Was some bridge person instrumental in your own faith journey? Do you think Jesus may have called you because you are meant to be a bridge p…
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The possibility of living for God as a new reality established by Christ - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Has something new been enabled in your life, or in people around you, because of Christ’s proclamation? What has the Lord provided for you through the presence of consecrated people in your life?…
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The difference between shame and contrition - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Have you experienced the difference between shame and contrition? In what situations would Jesus challenge your pride, and invite you to have a truer view of the big picture? How would Jesus want you to express your love for him and for others?…
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God’s case against fallen humanity - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Have you been tempted to find fault with God’s ways? Why do you think God may have emphasized one side of the coin or the other, in your own case? What was key for you to recognize his ways in your life?
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Miracles that go beyond natural outcomes - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What traits of the heart of Jesus do you perceive in this account? Can you think of an instance of a spiritual resurrection? What is the Lord trying to convey to you through these miracles?
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Why Jesus praised the centurion’s faith - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings. What calls your attention about this story and especially about the character of the centurion? What is the Lord trying to tell you, by setting the centurion as an example of faith?
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How Jesus revealed his identity - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Have you experienced how God leads you to gradually understand one thing after another, that you now understand things that would have been hard to get at the beginning of your journey? Is the Lord encouraging you in a certain area to think the way He does, not the…
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How to understand the cross - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What does the Lord want to show you through the mystery of the cross? How could some trials become the occasion for God’s light to be manifested? What crosses have resulted from your faithfulness to Christ?
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What is spiritual blindness about? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What are some of your blind spots? How has Jesus helped you see more clearly in the past? What are some of the disciplines that help your vision remain unclouded?
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Replicate the love you have received from God - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.When have you experienced God’s love in your life? Have you ever witnessed this kind of love in others, or even received it from someone you treated like an enemy? What are the steps that Jesus would encourage you to take to imitate this higher love?…
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The significance of the beatitudes and woes - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.Where does your heart usually go? What are the things you think about the most? What does usually cause changes in your mood? What is it that you most admire in people who live by the beatitudes? What step could you take today to draw closer to that ide…
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Why did Jesus establish the Church? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.What calls your attention about this election of the Twelve? In what ways do you think that Jesus wants to shine his light through you? What would the Lord want you to do to be faithful to the mission He has for you in this life?…
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How to apply the law of the sabbath in today’s context - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings. If there’s a capacity that Jesus would want to restore in you today, what would that be? What are the voices that Jesus would oppose, so that you can regain the balance you need? How can you recover the sense of purpose in what you do?…
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The healing of our capacity to connect with others - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.How does this story relate to the transformations the Lord has done in your own life? How has He enabled you to communicate with others in a deeper way? Is this an area in which Jesus wants to help you grow even more?…
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Does the sabbath have significance for a Catholic? - Fr. Lucas Laborde. Click here for today’s readings.How are you honoring the Lord’s day? How could you use it better? How should you set boundaries around the demands of work? How can Jesus’ interpretation of the law help you, in the way He teaches us to balance things, and to see them in their ri…
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