The author of Hebrews brings his work to a conclusion with an exhortation to love: “Let mutual love continue.” Throughout this work the author moves between exhortations, “love one another,” and doctrinal issues, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and...
In today’s Gospel Jesus sends out the Twelve to expand his mission of healing and repentance. Jesus calls the Twelve and sends (apostello) them out on mission. The vocation or “calling” of these Twelve is to be apostles (apostolos). An apostle is one who is sent...
In today’s Gospel some of the Jewish scribes demonize Jesus. They accuse him of being in league with the devil. They cannot deny that Jesus has been performing healings and exorcisms, so they claim that he is able to do this not by the power of the Spirit but by the...
In today’s first reading from Hebrews, we hear that Jesus is our high priest. The reading proclaims that Jesus is our heavenly high priest: “It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the...
Jesus puts a key question to the Pharisees and to all of us in today’s Gospel: “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Some Pharisees have a rather strict interpretation of the Sabbath Law. Some are...
