The first reading today begins with a very strong claim: “Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.” That is not a small disagreement; it is a statement about...
The Essentials
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Friar Reflection
Peace
The Easter season is a time to renew ourselves in the basic Christian virtues that grow out of our experience of the risen Christ in our daily lives. St Paul calls the basic virtues faith, hope, and...
The Advocate
In today’s Gospel Jesus makes a promise to his first disciples and to all of us. His promise is to send the gift of the holy Spirit. Right before today’s Gospel Jesus promises that he will never...
Mary and Service
Today we start the month of May which is dedicated to Mary. May is a time of Easter joy. May is a time of beauty where spring is in full swing with all the new flowers starting to bloom and the...
A Word of Exhortation
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles Paul gives the homily (“word of exhortation”) during a Sabbath synagogue service at Antioch in Pisidia. The synagogue service was much like...
The Light
Jesus’ comments in today’s Gospel reading were made at the time of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem just before his passion, death, and resurrection. He was surrounded by a large crowd of...
Voices
In the gospel reading for today we heard Jesus tell some bystanders who wanted Jesus to plainly say that he was the Messiah. Jesus replied: “But you do not believe because you are not among my...
The Good Shepherd
Shepherds were very common in Jesus’ time and in the area where Jesus went about preaching and teaching. So, it made sense to use them as concrete images for his teaching. In the Old Testament...
The Call of St. Paul
Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles is the story of St. Paul’s call or conversion. We have three accounts of Paul’s conversion in Acts (9:1-18; 22:3-16; 26:2-18) as well as Paul’s...
The Bread of Life
In today’s Gospel Jesus once again solemnly declares: “I am the bread of life.” Jesus himself gives the gift of eternal life to those who come to him and believe in him. Jesus fulfills our deepest...
The Will of the Father
When I was in college I had my favorite hamburger chain. It had bigger burgers, more toppings and it was made to order. When I would come home every three years from Peru for vacation in the States,...
Bold St. Stephen
The Acts of the Apostles is an astounding and inspiring testimony of faith of the first Christian community in Jerusalem. Today we look at St Stephen, the first martyr. His preaching was bold and...