Episode 19: Light in the Darkness

11/14/24 • 42 min

There’s plenty of darkness to be found in the world: natural disasters, the death of a family member or friend, work or school stress, financial hardship, loss of a friendship, loss of a job, homelessness, illness, or divorce. How that darkness affects us depends upon our age, our background, our life experiences, and our faith. So, what gives us hope amidst all the darkness? Where do we turn to find light in the world?

This week's readings:
Gospel - Mark 13: 24-32
1st Reading - Daniel 12: 1-3
Psalm 16
2nd Reading - Hebrews 10: 11-14, 1

Since this week's episode mentions the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, I will be posting pictures showing what the Temple would have looked like at the time of Jesus (from the model at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem) and what the Temple Mount looks like today. I will also include an image of the Mount of Olives for perspective.

To see those photos, follow me on Instagram as @fromhiswordtoourhearts.

This week's readings:
Gospel - Mark 13: 24-32
1st Reading - Daniel 12: 1-3
Psalm 16
2nd Reading - Hebrews 10: 11-14, 1

To see those photos, follow me on Instagram as @fromhiswordtoourhearts.

Previous Episode

Episode 18: Treasure or Gift?

In this world, people are often split into two groups – those who have wealth, possessions, honor, power, and influence and those who do not. If we are fortunate enough to be among those who possess many things, do we recognize that they belong to us or do we fall into the trap of belonging to them? Because when we belong to our possessions, we begin to view them as treasures to be kept solely for ourselves and our own benefit. Instead, Jesus invites us to consider all these good things as gifts, entrusted to us for a short time, so that we can share their bounty with others.

This week's readings:
Gospel [2:25] - Mark 12: 38-44
1st Reading [15:41] - 1 Kings 17: 10-16
Psalm 146 [31:17]
2nd Reading [34:10] - Hebrews 9: 24-28

To see images related to this week's episode, follow me on Instagram as @fromhiswordtoourhearts.

Next Episode

Episode 20: Christ our King

Our faith reminds us that this world, despite all its goodness, is not our final home, but we don’t always act as if we believe that. We devote too much of our time and energy trying to create a place for ourselves within the kingdoms of this world and we need to change that. How do we shift our focus away from the world and onto God’s kingdom? Acknowledging that Jesus is the King of the entire Universe, of which we are a part, would be a good starting place. So, we need to ask ourselves... is Jesus Christ the King of our lives?

This week's readings:
Gospel - John 18: 33b-37
1st Reading - Daniel 7: 13-14
Psalm 93
2nd Reading - Revelation 1: 5-8