Would that acquiring our funds for paying taxes were simply a matter of taking an afternoon off and going fishing. Wouldn’t that be nice! I think today’s Gospel is one of those accounts which people...
Paying Attention
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Friar Reflection
Transfiguration
This had to be a special moment in the lives of the disciples. They had been with Jesus for some time and had experienced the ups and downs of Jesus’ ministry. The miraculous cures, the messages...
Peter – the Rocky Rock
Saints never have a bad day, never do anything wrong, they are “goody two-shoes.” At least that is what I thought growing up and why I had such a difficult time identifying with saints. They were...
Crossing Over
I am sure each one of us has our own story of a time when we came to that bridge too far and we didn’t cross over. Didn’t cross over, couldn’t cross over, refused to cross over – these are very...
Before the Storm
The Sea of Galilee has a temperament of wind and storm that can turn on the unwary sailor. The seas and wind are building. Is this just the front of a more powerful trailing storm? It’s the dead of...
We Want Food!
In today’s first reading the Israelites murmur: “Would that we had meat for food.” They remember the “good old days” as they complain: “We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt…But...
Different Kinds of Pearls
Off the shores of the Philippines, a fisherman discovered a very large, misshapen pearl. It was not pretty. It looked more like an amoeba, with blobs and folds everywhere. He took the unusual find...
Poor Martha
Poor Martha…She works so hard while all her sister Mary does is sit around listening to Jesus. When she complains, Jesus tells her that Mary has chosen the better part. Poor Martha, she even no...
Things to Treasure
The parable of the “pearl of great price” and “treasure buried in a field” are well known. Did you know that these are unique to Matthew’s gospel? “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in...
Weeds and Wheat
In the “Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat” (Matthew 13:24-30) Jesus gives us His view of His disciples and of the church. They are a mix bag! Among His disciples and in the church are both weeds...
Small Beginnings
Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed and its growth into a tree. The point is that the Kingdom of Heaven starts with the smallest beginnings, but no one knows where it will end....
Parable of the Sower
“Hear the parable of the sower…” There are two ways to hear Jesus’ parable: 1.) the parable tells us something about Jesus, and 2.) the parable tells us something about ourselves. The parable...