Mercy, Not Sacrifice

Mercy, Not Sacrifice

In today’s Gospel Jesus applies the prophetic message of Isaiah and Hosea to a practical question of what can be done on the Sabbath.  Last week Hosea proclaimed that “God desires mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6) and this past Monday Isaiah proclaimed, “Though you...
Saint Bonaventure

Saint Bonaventure

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Bonaventure, a Franciscan bishop and doctor of the church.  Bonaventure was filled with the spirit and love of St. Francis of Assisi.  The rule and spirituality of St. Francis imbued the spiritual and theological writings of...
Worship and Justice

Worship and Justice

This week we will be reading from the prophet Isaiah.  Today’s first reading is from the 1st chapter of Isaiah.  This chapter provides an overview to the whole book of Isaiah, sounding some of its key themes and words.  Like the prophet Hosea before him and Jesus...
The Kingdom of Heaven

The Kingdom of Heaven

In today’s Gospel Jesus commissions the Apostles to preach his message: “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10:6).  This is the same message that both Jesus (4:17) and John the Baptist preached (3:2).  The Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of God is at hand...
Outsiders

Outsiders

In today’s readings we have two outsiders, Amos the prophet and Jesus the Son of Man.  Amos was from the southern Kingdom of Judah but God sent him to the northern Kingdom of Israel.  Amos condemned King Jeroboam and Israel for their social injustice and apostasy:...