In today’s readings we hear from the Book of Jonah and Jesus’ reference to “the sign of Jonah.” I think we have been conditioned to think: “Jonah, three days in the belly of the whale. Jesus, three...
Our Choice
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Friar Reflection
Prayer
In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches us, His disciples, how to pray and what words to use. We pray for the coming of God’s Kingdom in these words: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.” God’s Kingdom is...
Judgement
How will we be judged? What if someone is not baptized or born again, can they be saved? What about someone who is an atheist, can they be saved? In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches that the...
Fasting
When and how should we fast? In today’s first reading Isaiah tells us that a true fast is not just refraining from food but refraining from “your own pursuits, and drive[ing] all your laborers.” A...
The Choice is Ours
God presents to us two choices. In the First Reading, Moses lays out two choices that the Israelites have: life or death. Life with God through obedience to God’s precepts; a life that comes from...
More precious than gold
Just last Friday, the first reading was from the Letter of James, in which he admonished the faithful to endure: “Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered” (James 5:11). In yesterday’s first...
Praise
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Today’s first reading from 1 Peter begins with praise of God: “Blessed be God…” To “bless” God means to praise God. Peter then gives us...
Following the Path Together
“Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge is standing before the gates.” At first glance, I thought this did not happen much. However,...
Weep and Wail
The Epistle of James is very tough on the rich as we hear in today’s first reading: “Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away…” James seems to be...
What life will be like…
Today’s first reading continues to work its way through the Letter of James. 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business,...
Fallible Shepherds
In today’s first reading St. Peter exhorts the church leaders to “tend the flock of God.” Peter, through his own experience, knows what it means to both confess Christ and to deny Christ. He...
Wisdom and Understanding
From our first reading today: “Who among you is wise and understanding?” (James 3:13a) That is not the kind of question for which people are going to raise their hands and cry out “Me!!.” But it is...