Church of the Nativity

What beautiful complementarity we see in today's first reading and Gospel. In the first reading we see a penitent and humble Queen Esther pleading with God for salvation. In the Gospel, Jesus invites us all to come to Him with the same confidence that Esther had. 

So today’s Gospel comes in the same chapter after Jesus was casting an evil spirit out of someone and the man was healed physically, but some of the people who saw it were saying that Jesus was doing these healings by the power of the devil.

Do you realize how much God loves you? "Of course!" you'll say. "I've heard that all my life! How could I not know that?" Unless you have experienced God's love for you and kept it in the front of your mind ever since.