Even though we are in the fourth week of the Easter season, today’s gospel passage takes us back to the night when Jesus ate and drank with His friends and prepared them for the new Passover. There...
The Challenge of Love: Service
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Friar Reflection
Starting Again
Today’s Gospel serves as a bridge between the Johannine account of the public ministry of Jesus and beginning of his passion and glorification. The verses close out the section of John’s gospel...
Belonging
It’s a late December day in Jerusalem. Jesus is walking in the Temple area, and as usual, He's drawing a crowd during the Feast of the Dedication (better known to us as Hanukkah). The people have...
God Mad Me Do It
“God made me do it!” This is Peter’s answer and justification for eating with “unclean” Gentiles in today’s 1st reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Some Jewish Christians had accused Peter:...
Learning Process
There is a saying that perhaps you have already heard: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” In other words, when we are told how to do things, we will forget...
Bread of Life, Love
In today’s Gospel God invites all of us to come to Jesus: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw them, and I will raise them on the last day.” God’s Will is to save all and so...
Our Deepest Desire
One of the most famous and insightful sentences in Christian history comes from the first page of Saint Augustine's Confessions. As the book unfolds, Augustine describes his extensive experiences...
Leading a horse to water
You know the old expression: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” The proverb is thought to go back to the 12th century. It’s said to have made an appearance in a book...
Martyr, Forgiveness, Faith
In today’s first reading we begin to hear the story of Stephen, the first martyr. The Greek word martyr means to be a “witness.” In this sense all of us are called to be martyrs as were the first...
Wait-and-See?
“So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be...
Faith and Action
The binomial used by John in the passage we have in today’s Gospel is interesting. Have you noticed that he says: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will...
The Jailbreak
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.” (Acts...