The Apostles have been commissioned to preach the Gospel to the whole world: “But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout...
Paul and the Athenians
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Friar Reflection
Blessing and Praising God
Today we see an amazing attitude in Paul and Silas – an attitude that has been largely forgotten by modern day Christians. After preaching they are arrested. At the public trial the whole crowd of...
Spirit and Persecutions
The readings for today continue the account of the early Church as told in the Acts of the Apostles and continues the Farewell Discourse from the Gospel of John in which Jesus, on Holy Thursday,...
Listening to the Word of God – Service and Praise
The month of May in North America brings new life and joy through the warm spring weather and the blossoming of the plants and trees. The whole world seems to wake up suddenly from a long cold...
Much Debate
Controversy and debate are not something new in the church. As we hear in today’s first reading even in the earliest church there was “much debate.” Luke begins this chapter by presenting the...
Pruning the Branches
The gospel today is talking about vineyards. Vineyards are like a garden - sort of. Unlike a garden where you can grow all kinds of flowers and vegetables, vineyards grow one thing: grapes - and...
Peace
In John’s Gospel just before his passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus prepares his apostles for his imminent physical separation from them with prayer, peace, and a sign of sacrificing service....
St. Catherine of Siena
Today is the Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena, along with St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Italy! As a feast day, there are readings specific to the occasion, taken from the First...
In my Father’s house…
Today’s gospel also happens to be, in part, the gospel for this coming Sunday - the 5th Sunday of Easter (Year A). The gospel contains the verse we all remember from the King James translation...
Evangelist
There are many theories about St. Mark’s life and journeys. But we do know that the Gospel of St. Mark is the earliest of the four Gospels. One of the oldest traditions about Mark says that he...
Light
Light and darkness are important themes in John’s Gospel right from the beginning up to the end. Today Jesus says very clearly that his mission is to bring the light to those who are in darkness. It...
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...