Whenever we pray the Our Father, we say the following words: “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done” (Matthew 6:10). God’s Kingdom is present whenever we do God’s will. Jesus teaches in today’s Gospel...
Thy Will Be Done
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Friar Reflection
Feeding So Many with So Little
A scripture scholar in reflecting on this passage points out that in three successive stages of ministry Jesus ended each stage with a meal. First there was the feeding of the five thousand that...
But how can they?
Today is the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. St. Andrew is the patron saint of several countries, notably Scotland and Russia - as well as patron of many other activities, including the Russian...
The Parade of Nations
In our modern times there is perhaps no “parade of nations” more famous than the ceremony that begins the modern Olympic Games. All the nations of the world, national flags at the fore, people...
The Kingdom of God is Near
Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God two thousand years ago, but it is still maturing, and it has not yet reached its fullness. He has entrusted this to us, to his Church which is always animated by...
A Time for Rediscovering
So, what is Thanksgiving? It is a time for rediscovering the meaning of giving thanks. To rediscover the gifts, the good things that we have been given, and not take them for granted. We live in a...
The Memorial of Andrew-Dung-Lac and Companions
“Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans” (Mt...
The End
How will it all end? It is natural human curiosity to want to know how things will end. We hate TV shows that end the season with “cliffhangers” since we have to wait to see if all the main...
Jesus’ Lament
As Jesus arrives at the holy city of Jerusalem he weeps and laments over the city, its fate and how some Jewish religious leaders have led it astray. He laments over the coming fate of Jerusalem:...
What is Your Priority?
Ten years ago, when I was attending classes at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, CA, one of my professors shared with us that when Franklin Roosevelt was president, he preferred...
Church and State
“Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Mark 12:17). We have all heard this famous saying of Jesus. At first Jesus seems to call for an equal distribution of...
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
The gospel today is in celebration of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. In her short life, Elizabeth manifested such great love for the poor and suffering that she has become the patroness of Catholic...