Deacon Dana Bible Study Reflections

#24 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection looks at the healing power of God, demonstrated throughout Sacred Scripture but especially in the public ministry of Jesus. He cures all who come to Him for healing, whether for themselves or for others. He heals all maladies -- physical, mental, spiritual -- and gives us His great healing gift of the Eucharist offering us a sjare of His divine life.

#23 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection takes a look at Advent, that season of anticipation as we await the celebration of the birth of Our Lord and look forward, too, to His return in glory.

#20 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection looks at the call to evangelization and emphsizes some key points: we are all called to do God’s work to evangelize the world; we need God's help to accomplish His work, His ministry of evangelization; to accept fully God’s call to ministry, we must first empty ourselves of ourselves. Kenosis, therefore, is fundamental to the work of evangelization and becomes an essential companion to God’s call.

#19 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection looks at two healings described in Mk 5:21-43. We encounter two people who ask for healing, one for his dying daughter and another for herself -- two very different people who approach Jesus at the same time yet from two very different earthly and spiritual directions.

#18 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection looks at our nation, its Constitution, and the God-given rights it enumerates. I call on all believers to remember that our Bill of Rights protects the people from government power because it is the people's government, not that of politicians and bureaucrats. I use Jesus' visit among the Gadarenes as an example of Satan's chilling effect of people.

#17 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection looks at John's description of the appearance of the Risen Jesus to the Apostles. It addresses the gift of faith, while touching on the doubts and fears that attack those who do not fully accept this gift from God. We see the doubts of Thomas (and the others as well) and come to a better understanding of God's mercy.

#16 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection takes a look at the source of true happiness -- the blessings of God's grace -- and the role that humility plays in learning to be truly happy.

#15 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection focuses on God's limitless love for us, our love for Him, and the manifestation of this loving relationship in how we extend love to each other.

#14 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection offers a brief look at the prophet Zephaniah whose wonderful little book leaves us with a message of hope, and one of joy as well, as he reveals God's plan not only for His chosen people, but also for us.

#13 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection encourages us to neither worry about the past nor fear the future. God is with us now! Today is God's gift and we should make the most of it, living the moment in faith. Let us rejoice and be glad!

#12 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection turns to the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well (John 4:4-42) and draws on this Gospel passage to examine the call to discipleship.

#11 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection looks at the practice of alms-giving encouraged by the Church, and mentioned on Ash Wednesday as a good Lenten practice. Here we address alms-giving as a continual Christian practice.

#10 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection looks at the faith of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar from Jericho who is healed by Jesus and goes on to be a disciple.

#9 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection builds somewhat on Reflection #8 and offers some thoughts about how to approach and deepen your prayer life: with humility, striving for holiness, and filled with faith. We are encouraged to pray faithfully, every day, even when our prayer is poor, brief and distracted.

#8 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection turns to the Psalms, God's Book of Prayer, as a wonderful source of prayerful inspiration. I address the wide variety and types of prayer evident in the Psalms and introduce just a few that have been particularly helpful to me in my own prayer life.

#7 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection addresses the current unrest, violence, and division plaguing the nation and the hatred filling the hearts of so many. God wants us to speak the truth, to judge rightly, to love and pray for those who do evil. Only this will lead to the unity we should really want.

#6 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection reminds us that fear and worry accomplish nothing, and that trust in God is the only antidote. Complete trust demands abandonment, the willingness to turn all over to God focusing only on doing His will in our lives. The reflection turns to the words of St. Paul and Blessed Charles Foucauld.

#5 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. In this reflection we focus on the faith of the disciple and the role of the Holy Spirit in overcoming fear. The call of the disciple is to do God's will by making disciples by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others...all others.

#4 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection addresses God's Divine Mercy, something without which our lives would be filled with despair.

#3 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection reminds us of the wonders of God's creation, but looks specifically at the gift of trees and their role as living creatures in God's revelation.

#2 of my Bible Study reflections during the COVID pandemic. This reflection looks at the Book of Job, which I trust will help some folks as they make their way through the current pandemic.

#1 of my Bible Study Reflections during the COVID pandemic. This first reflection reminds us of Gods' continued healing, loving, and merciful Presence.