Crown Wealth

  Choose Life: The Cost and the Reward of Following Christ Readings: First Reading - Deuteronomy 30:15–20 Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 1:1–4. 6 Glory and Praise - Matthew 4:17 Gospel Reading  -  Luke 9:22–25 Today’s readings present us with a clear and unavoidable reality: life is shaped by choices . God places before us two paths — and invites us to choose wisely. Life and Death Set Before Us In Deuteronomy 30 , Moses speaks plainly to the people: “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction… Choose life.” God does not manipulate or force. He presents the consequences honestly. Loving Him, walking in His ways, and keeping His commandments lead to life. Turning away leads to loss. This is not merely about physical survival. It is about spiritual vitality — the kind of life that flourishes under God’s guidance. Choosing life means choosing obedience, even when it is difficult. Two Ways, Two Outcomes Psalm 1 reinforces this imag...

  Return to Me with All Your Heart Readings: First Reading - Joel 2:12–18 Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 51:3–6. 12–14. 17 Second Reading - 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2 Glory and Praise  -  Psalm 95:7–8 Gospel Reading  - Matthew 6:1–6. 16–18 The message running through today’s readings is urgent, tender, and deeply personal: “Return to Me.” Not partially. Not outwardly. But with your whole heart. A Call to Return Through the prophet Joel, God speaks: “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” This is not merely an invitation to religious activity. It is a call to inner transformation. Joel adds something powerful: “Rend your hearts and not your garments.” In biblical times, tearing one’s garment was a sign of grief or repentance. But God is not interested in external drama. He desires inward surrender. True repentance is not performance. It is conversion. A Broken and Contrite Heart Psalm 51 gives us the prayer of a ...

  Guarding the Heart and Trusting God’s Faithfulness Readings: First Reading - James 1:12–18 Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 94:12–15. 18–19 Alleluia - John 14:23 Gospel Reading -  Mark 8:14–21 Today’s readings speak deeply about temptation, trust, and spiritual understanding . They remind us that while trials refine us, temptation can mislead us — and only a rooted heart in God can discern the difference. The Crown After the Test James says: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, for when he has been tested he will receive the crown of life.” Trials are allowed by God to strengthen us. Temptation, however, does not come from God. James is clear: “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” Temptation begins within — when desire pulls us away from truth. If unchecked, desire conceives sin, and sin, when fully grown, brings death. This is not meant to frighten us but to awaken us. Spiritual decline rarely begins dramatically. It begins quietly...

    The Lenten Season: A Journey of Repentance, Renewal, and Return to God. The Lenten season is one of the most sacred and transformative periods in the Catholic Liturgical Year. It is a solemn forty-day journey of prayer, repentance, sacrifice, and spiritual renewal that prepares the faithful for the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter. Beginning on Ash Wednesday and culminating in the Sacred Paschal Triduum, Lent invites every believer into deeper conversion of heart. Rooted in Scripture, the forty days of Lent echo significant biblical events: the forty days of rain in the time of Noah, the forty years of Israel’s journey in the desert, and most especially the forty days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the wilderness before beginning His public ministry. In the Gospel accounts—particularly in Gospel of Matthew 4:1–11—Christ models spiritual discipline, resisting temptation and surrendering fully to the will of the Father. Lent calls the Church ...

  The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order — A Friendship Rooted in Mary The story of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order is not the story of one dramatic hero, but of seven friends who allowed God to transform their lives together. Their witness reminds us that holiness is not only personal — it can also be communal.  From Success to Surrender In the 13th century, in the city of Florence, seven prosperous merchants felt an inner restlessness. Though respected and successful, their hearts longed for something deeper. Through prayer and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, they discerned a call to leave behind wealth, status, and comfort. These men — later known as the Seven Holy Founders — withdrew from the world and settled on Monte Senario. There they embraced a life of prayer, penance, fraternity, and devotion to Our Lady. Their decision was radical: they chose simplicity over prestige, contemplation over commerce, and spiritual riches over material wealt...

  Faith That Endures Without a Sign Readings: First Reading - James 1:1–11 Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 119:67–76 Alleluia - John 14:6 Gospel  Reading  - Mark 8:11–13 Today’s readings speak to us about steadfast faith , especially when life feels uncertain, difficult, or unclear. They challenge us to grow beyond emotional faith and into mature trust. Joy in Trials? James begins with words that seem almost impossible: “Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials.” How can suffering be joy? James is not glorifying pain. He is revealing purpose. Trials test our faith, and tested faith produces endurance. Endurance shapes maturity. And maturity anchors us in Christ. Faith that has never been tested remains shallow. But faith refined by difficulty becomes steady and deep. James also reminds us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God — but ask in faith, without doubting. A doubting person, he says, is like a wave driven and tossed by the wind. Steadine...

  What are The Freedom to Choose Life? Readings: First Reading - Sirach 15:15–20 Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 119:1–2. 4–5. 17–18. 33–34 Second Reading  - 1 Corinthians 2:6–10 Alleluia - Matthew 11:25 Gospel Reading  - Matthew 5:17–37 Today’s readings center on one powerful truth: God has given us the freedom to choose — and with that freedom comes responsibility. You Are Set Before a Choice In Sirach 15 , we hear these striking words: “If you choose, you can keep the commandments… Before you are fire and water; stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.” God does not force obedience. He gives us freedom. We are not puppets. We are moral beings capable of choosing good or evil, life or destruction. This is both a gift and a weighty responsibility. The world often defines freedom as “doing whatever I want.” But Scripture defines freedom as the ability to choose what leads to life. True freedom is not the absence of boundaries; it is the wisdom to choose ...