We all have our blinders and prejudices. The first disciples were no exception. So, when Philip told Nathanael that Jesus from Nazareth was the one foretold in the Scripture, Nathanael found this...
Come and See
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Friar Reflection
We Give Thanks…
Today we begin to read from 1 Thessalonians, the earliest writing in the New Testament. The Gospels were not written until the 70’s & 80’s. Paul wrote his letters in the 50’s and Thessalonians...
Wherever You Go
Love and faithfulness…that is all God requires. Both readings today give us insight into the meaning of this requirement. A Jewish scholar of the Law asks Jesus which commandment is the greatest,...
Here I am Lord. I come to do your will.
Many are invited but few are chosen. When I reflect on the Gospel reading from today, I imagine a beautiful handwritten envelope among the mail I usually get. It is not just any envelope. This one...
Gratitude not Jealousy
One year, when Valentine’s Day fell on a Sunday, the pastor of a small parish had an idea to mark the occasion. As couples came into church, ushers would present each wife with a rose. During...
Eye of the Needle
In today’s Gospel we have the famous expression: “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass...
What must I do?
The question of the young man in today’s Gospel is a question, I am sure, all of us have asked at one time or another: “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus gives what seems to...
The Assumption
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven is the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. This belief is part of the treasury of the Roman Catholic...
The God of Mercy
Today’s Responsorial Psalm has the refrain, “His mercy endures forever.” It is an important refrain that we need to keep repeating because as we pray these words, we are not only talking to God but...
Forgiven
When was the last time you made a dumb, embarrassing, costly mistake and you were not only forgiven but helped to make things right? Was there a time when your frustration caused you to lash out,...
The Feast of St. Clare of Assisi
Today across the Church universal and especially among the Franciscan communities, we celebrate the Feast of St. Clare of Assisi. It is a very appropriate Gospel chosen for the feast day. In the...
Love and Hate
“Whoever loves their life loses it, and whoever hates their life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” Hate yourself! At first this seems to be what Jesus is demanding in today’s...