Today we consider the call to continue the mission of Jesus by engaging in some form of ministry. The first and the last readings are call narratives; the epistle contains a…
In a time (in the Western world at least) when there seems to be a growing gap between the old and the young, it is good to reflect on this Gospel incident.…
The prophet Isaiah had drafted a manifesto for divine action in the world. Jesus of Nazareth is divine action in the world, and no doubt his fellow villagers in Nazara would have been thrilled that one of theirs would ‘set the downtrodden free’.…
The readings that are offered to us as we begin Ordinary Time carry over some of the themes that we considered during the Christmas season. Then we celebrated the new era that God inaugurated through the birth of Jesus.…
A small text later in the Gospel of Luke offers us a key to understanding today’s gospel. During his public ministry, Jesus says: ‘Up to the time of John it was the Law and the Prophets; since then the Kingdom of God has been preached’ (Luke 16:16). Jesus' baptism marks the turning point..…
Unlike the writers of the horoscope columns in our newspapers, these Wise Men were scholar astrologers, probably from Syria or Iraq. They believed that the stars controlled the destiny of human beings, but they were open enough to the Hebrew scriptures to be led to the amazing discovery of a star-child in Bethlehem.…
Forget the tinselly sentimentality of most depictions of the Holy Family. This Gospel is real life. Anyone who has temporarily lost their child in a crowd knows the stabbing pain of uncertainty and fear…
This little gospel story tells us that ‘the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped’ and not merely leaped, but leaped ‘for joy’. Is this just poetic hyperbole?...
We are at the midpoint of Advent. Today we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. The principal theme of the day is joy. According to Paul, joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22). Such joy is a religious sentiment, not emotional happiness. Along with gratitude, it is the heart’s response to God’s goodness...
Do we have to be like John the Baptist, eccentrically dressed and scavenging for food, to prepare the way of the Lord? No. You and I are called to be a John or Joan the Baptist, preparing people’s hearts in our own time and place.
Sometimes our own lives, the life of the Church, the life of societies and nations cry out for Our Lord Jesus Christ to come again right now and rescue us right now…
Each one of the readings depicts the enthronement of Christ who is revealed as the messiah-king…
A great reckoning is coming – a great judgment – when those who are oppressing you and the wicked will be cast down, and you will be vindicated and brought into the fullness of life…
The willingness to give all that one has is the central theme of today's readings. They offer us three models…
Jesus does not command us to love ‘God’ in the abstract. Teaching Jew to Jew he says: ‘You shall love the Lord your God’ – the Lord who had rescued the Jewish people from slavery. So, commanding a love which responds to…
Our Scripture this weekend invites us to worship Christ Jesus, who opens our eyes to the marvels that he has done for us as our high priest, and reveals to us the Father. The readings also assure us that…
As we contemplate Jesus as the Servant King, our readings today challenge us to consider themes of service and sacrifice. The First Reading comes from…
The readings this week give us an opportunity to step back from the busy-ness of our everyday lives to consider more deeply the riches we have been given, and what it is we truly value. In the First Reading...
Our readings today lead us to consider the importance of several elements in Jesus’s teaching: marriage and commitment, families and children, struggle and compassion. In the First Reading we...
Today’s readings show how God’s spirit works in unexpected ways. Anyone can be chosen to share God’s message, even those who...