If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He Is. Read chapter 20 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. What is the nature of God? Do we have eternal souls? Will our bodies rise from the dead? The Jews of Jesus’ time wrestled with these
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He sees us. Read chapter 19 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. The encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus is a vivid illustration of Jesus’ saving power at work. Luke tells us that Zacchaeus was a tax collector
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He loves children. Read chapter 18 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. Jesus tell His disciples, “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Why, or in
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He is the kingdom of God in our midst. Read chapter 17 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. What is the kingdom of God? Let’s start with what it’s not: an earthly kingdom, a worldly power. Most
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He is just. Read chapter 16 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is in many ways a reverse image of the parable of the prodigal son and the parable
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know His mercy. Read Chapter 15 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son to illustrate the great mercy of God. The story first illuminates the gravity of our sins. It might be
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He wants to be your center. Read chapter 14 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. Jesus is preparing a great banquet for us. He is preparing a place for us in Heaven, where every tear will be
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He is patient with us. Read chapter 13 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. The patience of Jesus is illustrated in the parable of the fig tree. For three years the fig tree has failed to produce
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He commands us not to worry. Read chapter 12 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. Jesus wants us to share in His divine love. He knows that worldly anxiety can prevent us from doing this. He invites
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He teaches us how to pray. Read chapter 11 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. The gospels record only the essential details of Jesus’ life. Yet Luke and his fellow evangelists often note that Jesus would withdraw
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He is the Good Samaritan. Read chapter 10 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. The Good Samaritan may be the most famous of Jesus’ parables. It begins with the lawyer asking Jesus what one must do to
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He is the Messiah of God, and the Son of Man. Read chapter 9 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. Jesus asks His disciples who the crowds say He is. The disciples respond that the crowds liken
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He is unsettling. Read chapter 8 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. One of the strangest stories in the gospel of Luke is the visit of Jesus to the territory of the Gerasenes. Gerasa was a prosperous city east
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He is a man with authority, and a man of compassion. Read chapter 7 of the gospel according to Saint Luke here. The centurion understands authority. He commands soldiers and slaves, and he in turn reports to a superior
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He turns everything upside down. Read Chapter 6 of the Gospel according to Saint Luke here. Jesus says blessed are the poor, the hungry, those who are weeping, and those who are hated on His account. He proclaims woe
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know He is calling you. Read Chapter 5 of the Gospel according to Saint Luke here. In chapter five, we see three principal elements of Jesus’ earthly ministry. He calls people, he heals people, he forgives sins. These three are intimately
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know that He was tempted by the devil. Read Chapter 4 of the Gospel according to Saint Luke here. What brings two people close together? One of the best things to bring people close together are shared experiences, especially if those
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know His family. Read Chapter 3 of the Gospel according to Saint Luke here. Luke and Matthew include a genealogy of Jesus in their gospel narratives. Why did they do this? In these short accounts of Jesus’ life, why was this
If you want to know Jesus, you need to know Him as an infant. Read Chapter 2 of the Gospel according to Saint Luke here. The incarnation of Jesus is an awesome mystery. The angel Gabriel tells Mary that Jesus is the Son of the Most High God. Saint John
The Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Little Flower, Saint Therese of Lisieux, on October 1. Therese Martin was born in Alencon, France, in 1873, the youngest of nine children of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin. She entered a Carmelite convent at the age of 15, and died of