DAILY READING John 4: 27-45 REFLECTION Leave the Water Jar Behind By Michael Guastella At the start of John 4, we see Jesus crossing boundaries, both geographical and cultural.  He engages the Samaritan woman and has a dialogue with her, and by the time we get to verse 27, Jesus has identified himself as the Messiah to the woman at the well.  And then, the transformation begins. A bit earlier in verse 25, the woman expresses her faith that she knows the Messiah is coming, and she is waiting...

DAILY READING John 15: 12-17 REFLECTION No Greater Love Than This By Michael Guastella When Jesus says "this is my command", it's always a good idea to pay attention to what comes right after that. We open this passage with exactly that - a command. And this one is very, very important. We are called to love each other, but very specifically, we are called to love each other as Jesus has loved us. Elsewhere in the Bible, Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to love God,...

DAILY READING Isaiah 66: 18-23 REFLECTION Gathered to Witness His Glory By Michael Guastella I saiah ends his book on quite the crescendo of promises from God. The first part of the chapter is God exposing hollow religion, promising vindication for the humble, and announcing judgment on the rebellious. But then, where we pick up in verse 18 is a beautiful promise: everyone from all walks of life, in every nation, from every dialect of every language, will be gathered to witness the glory...