Access daily Mass readings, meditations and articles, as well as special resources, by becoming a subscriber or logging in. Subscribers: Please log in to view the Mass readings. Not a subscriber? Subscribe for only $12 (Save $4). I know him in whom I have believed. (2 Timothy 1:12) What a wonderful, bold statement from St. Paul! He knows Jesus, the One in whom he has believed, and he has built everything else in his life on that foundation. As a faithful Jew, Paul would have loved the Scriptures. He would have had a prayer life. He would have known about God’s promises for his people. But what was it that transformed his life so completely? What enabled him to proclaim the gospel so confidently and endure hardship so patiently? Paul went from knowing about God’s loving plan to actually knowing Jesus, the One who brought that plan to fulfillment. All the blessings of God’s plan, his grace-filled intentions for the human race, and the fulfillment of his promises were made manifest in the Person of Jesus Christ. He “destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). And even though Paul likely had never met Jesus when he walked this earth, Paul still knew him. He had encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus and experienced Jesus’ power to bring him salvation, to forgive his sins, and to call him to a completely new life. That made all the difference! Because as Pope Benedict XVI explained, our faith is “not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with . . . a person” (Deus Caritas Est, 1). It is Jesus who changes our hearts and sets us on a new path. We can know Jesus like that, too. We can encounter him and form a relationship with him that grows throughout our lives and becomes the foundation on which we build everything else. Knowing Jesus can inspire us to proclaim the good news without shame, just as Paul did. It can enable us to bear hardship for his sake. And it can cement our trust that God is loving and taking care of us and will accomplish his plans in and through us. So spend time with Jesus today, whether at Mass, Adoration, or your prayer time. Let him bring you to a deeper knowledge of himself so that you can proclaim with Paul, I know him in whom I have believed! “Jesus, help me to come to know you better. I believe in you and want to build my life on you!”
Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial)
DAILY MASS READINGS AVAILABLE WITH A SUBSCRIPTION
Daily Meditation: 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14