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...
Is It Lawful?
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Friar Reflection
The Law
Natural religiosity is a way of relating to God based on sacrifice, rigid observance of rules, judging others, and external signs of holiness. For many people in Israel their relationship with God...
An interesting intersection
Today is an interesting intersection of national events. President Trump's return to the oval office after four years will begin today with his inauguration. The same day in which we celebrate...
I Forgive You
The key question in today’s Gospel is about forgiveness and who has the authority and the power to forgive sins. Some of the Jewish scribes maintain: “Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus...
Sharing Our Faith Experiences
Today’s Gospel gives us insight into who Jesus is, the importance for us to maintain faith’ and our mission to announce that faith. In the times of Jesus leprosy was a terrible disease. It brought a...
Flesh and Blood
Jesus is one of us! Our first reading proclaims this perhaps surprising and even shocking message. Jesus, the Son of God, is one of us, our “flesh and blood.” He shared not only the life that...
Astonishing New Authority
There is a lot going on in today’s Gospel reading, especially in the background. At the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus goes to the synagogue at Capernaum which was a city located at a...
God Speaks
God wants to speak to us, are we listening? Today’s first reading from Hebrews proclaims how God has spoken to us in the Old Testament and now speaks to us in a unique way in Jesus Christ. “In...
A Love Letter
Since Tuesday of this week (today is Friday), the first reading has been from the First Letter of John starting with the fourth chapter. John’s letters are sometimes a challenge to read and often...
Amazing Fulfillment
All this week between the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord, the readings concentrate on who Jesus is. Who is this Prince of Peace, this Christmas Christ Child born rejected, persecuted, and poor...
Passing By
Today’s gospel (Mark 6:45-52) has some verses that have always, for me, lingered between odd and troubling: “When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and [Jesus] was alone on shore. Then...
Jesus’ Compassion and Living in That Compassion
Jesus is the manifestation of God’s love and compassion for all of us. God showed himself to Israel and to us constantly through indirect means: through the council and word of the prophets, judges,...