One of My Favorite Quotes by a Pope

I am barely into Spe Salvi yet, but I just have to share this.

"Jesus was not Spartacus" (Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi, 4).

Spe Salvi

Don't forget to read the pope's new encyclical, Spe Salvi

A Week's Meditation on Hope

Sunday - John 11:17-27

Monday - Matthew 10:24-33

Tuesday - John 6:35-59

Wednesday - John 14:1-6

Thursday - Luke 24:55-53

Friday - Luke 21:5-19

Saturday - Luke 21:20-36


We rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God...and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:2, 5)

A Month's Meditation on Caring Only About What God (and not other people) Think(s) About Us

WEEK 1

Sunday - Matthew 3:13-17

Monday - Matthew 6:1-17

Tuesday - Matthew 10:16-39

Wednesday - Matthew 15:10-20

Thursday - Matthew 20:20-28

Friday - Matthew 22:15-22

Saturday - Matthew 23:1-12

WEEK 2

Sunday - Luke 4:16-30

Monday - Matthew 24:3-19

Tuesday - Matthew 25:1-13

Wednesday - Mark 3:1-6

Thursday - Mark 6:14-29

Friday - Mark 7:1-8

Saturday - Mark 8:31-38

WEEK 3

Sunday - Luke 6:20-26

Monday - Luke 6:27-36

Tuesday - Luke 6:37-42

Wednesday - Luke 7:18-35

Thursday - Luke 9:51-62

Friday - Luke 14:25-35

Saturday - John 2:13-25

WEEK 4

Sunday - Luke 16:10-15

Monday - Luke 18:9-14

Tuesday - John 12:36-43

Wednesday - John 15:18-27, 16:1-4

Thursday - John 17:6-19

Friday - John 19:1-16

Saturday - Matthew 17:1-8

Bible Verses on Chastity and Purity

Prayerfully reading and meditating upon passages from Scripture transforms our hearts and minds, "for the word of God is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb 4:12). When unclean or base desires habitually reside in our hearts, the word of God exposes them, and helps, through our own active response to the grace of God, to pry them out, replacing the vices of the flesh with the virtues of the Spirit. Continual reflection upon passages which illustrate certain virtues helps us to assimilate those particular virtues into our lives, proving ourselves to be among "those who, hearing the word, hold fast to it in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Lk 8:15). This is the principle behind all the weekly meditations on certain virtues and truths of the faith which I have posted lately - that, in identifying the virtues which we need to particularly emulate, or the truths of the faith which we are called to understand better, we may focus on them in a special way in Scripture (though it may definitely take longer than a week to master them).

At one point in my life few years back I was personally making a concerted effort to grow in the virtue of chastity. At that point, I made an effort to look for passages and verses on the virtue in Scripture. As I have become much more familiar with Bible throughout the past few years, I have now developed a list of verses and passages on chastity and purity I wish I had then. A reader recently asked me for such a list, and I have developed one which I think is worth posting. Here it is.

Psalm 24:3-4

Psalm 51:10

Psalm 73:1

Psalm 119:9

Isaiah 1:16-18

Matthew 5:1-12 (pure in heart)

Matthew 5:27-30

Matthew 6:22-23 (or Luke 11:33-36)

Matthew 19:3-12

Matthew 22:23-33

Mark 7:14-23

John 8:2-11

Romans 1:18-32

Romans 6:12-23

Romans 12:1-2

1 Corinthians 6:9-20

2 Corinthians 11:2

Galatians 5:16-26

Ephesians 4:22-24

Ephesians 5:21-33

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

1 Timothy 1:5

2 Timothy 2:20-22

2 Peter 2:4-22

1 John 2:15-17

Jude 5-7

Revelation 14:1-5

Blood of Christ, in which we are washed,
be our salvation!