Once again, the Gospel relates to us a typical day in the life of Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry. And once again, we see the importance of prayer in his life and consequently in our...
Today you might ask a new neighbor or a new parishioner, “Where are you from?” It is a normal question. Growing up in the South it was equally likely for someone to ask, “Who are your people?”...
In today’s first reading from Colossians Paul is probably quoting from a very early Christian hymn. This hymn sings and teaches us about Jesus and therefore about the one true God. First, we hear...
The life of professional fishermen does not change much. There is the repetitive flow of the seasons and the work of casting nets, repairing nets, and hauling fish. Peter, James, and John knew all...
It is interesting to see how Jesus started his public ministry. In Luke’s Gospel after his baptism by John and the temptations in the desert, Jesus begins his public ministry in his hometown of...
“The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2) - so proclaims our first reading. I have to admit “like a thief in the night” is a disturbing simile. But the point...
Today our Gospel begins a largely continuous reading from the Gospel of Luke at the weekday masses. Today’s Gospel is often referred to as Jesus’ inaugural or programmatic address. He attends the...
In today’s gospel we heard the well known account of the beheading of John the Baptist. I have to admit, I wonder if John should have played the long game. He didn’t need to call out King Herod. It...
In today’s first reading we continue with Paul’s First Letter to the Christian Community in the Greek city of Thessalonica. This is probably the first letter that Paul wrote and indeed the earliest...
In today’s Gospel Jesus continues to pronounce a sevenfold woe against the scribes and Pharisees: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites….” Today he again accuses them of hypocrisy...
Today Jesus starts off by sending “woe” to the hypocritical religious leaders. To me, this saying always seems like a Jesus is sending a curse on them. According to Google and Bing woe means great...
A starting note about language. “Woe to you.” We are conditioned to understand the phrase “Woe to you” as one of condemnation, or at least as a warning of the coming condemnation. The phrase calls...