Friar Daily Reflection
The Invitation
In this day and age, we receive all manner of electronic invitations (evites): to meetings, parties, events and more. Upon receiving the invitation, are we excited? Were we just hoping for a day or evening off? Does this seem more obligatory than interesting? Do we...
A Fickle God?
God is not fickle! That is the good news in today’s first reading from Romans. In Romans 9-11 Paul deals with the issue of his fellow Jews who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Paul previously asked the question about his fellow Jews, “I ask, then, has...
Jesus the Jew
Both Jesus and Paul were Jews. Jesus attended the synagogue on the Sabbath and join the pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem and the Temple for Passover. Paul was a zealous Jew, a Pharisee. Paul even persecuted his fellow Jews who proclaimed Jesus as Messiah and Lord. ...
Constancy For the Long Walk
The event in today’s Gospel happens right after Jesus’ comments in yesterday’s Gospel about the narrow gate. A group of Pharisees comes up to Jesus right after his teaching session and tells him he has to leave because he is under a threat of death from the king....
The Narrow Gate
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” The question proposed in today’s Gospel a very basic question about our relationship with God. It is a question that still rolls through our minds and souls today. As usual Jesus does not directly answer the question. Instead,...
The Foundation
The gospel for today’s Feast of St. Simon and Jude is the simple list of the Apostles as given in the Gospel of Luke. Early Christian writers and later stories link Simon and Jude as missionary partners, evangelizing together in Persia (modern Iran) or Mesopotamia...
Adoption into Glory
For more than a week we have been reading from The Letter to the Romans. We transitioned from hearing about Abraham as an example of faith working its way through human imperfection to the source of that imperfection: sin. “Through one man sin entered the world, and...
Amazing Grace
Today’s first reading from Romans forms the basis of the well-known hymn “Amazing Grace.” The hymn begins with the words, “Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That sav'd a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.” These words are...
True Freedom
What is true freedom? A common understanding of freedom is the right to do what I want, whenever I want with no burdens and no responsibilities. As we hear in today’s first reading this is not what Christian freedom is. Paul tells us true freedom means being a...
Steward = Faithful, Prudent, Responsible, and Blessed
The disciples were full of questions, especially when Jesus spoke in parables. Jesus’ answers to their questions help us to understand the Word of God more fully. Jesus starts off today with the image of always being prepared, just as a homeowner must be prepared for...