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:...
As Jesus is nearing the end of his Sermon on the Mount (5:1-7:28) he warns religious leaders to practice what they preach and exhorts all his disciples to practice what they profess. The key phrase in today’s Gospel calls us as his disciples not only to hear his...
Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel is quite simple: “Stop it!” He knows that religious people, be they Jewish or Christian, tend to be self-righteous and judgmental. His teaching is simple and direct: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged.” He does not say, “do...
In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches us how to pray. He teaches us not only the words to use but also our attitude in approaching God. We should approach God with simplicity and trust. We do not need to use a lot of honorific titles to “butter” God up to make him listen...
In today’s Gospel Jesus continues his teaching on “greater righteousness” that he called for at the beginning of the section with these words: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of...
