Friar Daily Reflection
Lessons from Suffering
In the first reading, Job was nearly crushed by the pain of suffering. He tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground when he heard that his children had died (Job 1:20). He then cries out in despair: “Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. Job spoke out...
Lead Us Not into Temptation
Today’s first reading is from the book of Job. This book is long and complicated but rich in meaning and relevance. This book is like a parable of Jesus. It tells a story not necessarily historical to teach us about God and the ways of God. In this inspired book...
In Season
As a confessor you encounter all kinds of people whose perspective on sins runs the gamut from everything is sin (most mortal!) to “well… I haven’t killed anyone, so I must be good.” Of course, there are very few who inhabit the extremes. Most folks are somewhere in...
Vanity
In today’s first reading Qoheleth declares: “Vanity of vanities...All things are vanity!” The Hebrew word Qoheleth means “speaker” or “preacher.” His message seems to be very pessimistic: “Vanity of vanities...vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” “What...
Kingdom of God
In today’s Gospel Jesus sends out the Twelve to preach the Gospel. They are to “to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Their message and ministry are the exact same as Jesus’ message and ministry: “Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:...
Sacrifice and Love
When Jesus encountered the scribe who asked what is the greatest commandment, Jesus answered to which the scribe’s response was: “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’ 33 And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all...
Light
If you have ever been in a blackout, you know how important light is. We stumble and grope about if we don’t have light. As we get older, we notice it gets harder and harder to see if there is not enough light. Light is vital to our daily wellbeing. In Jesus’ day...
Sharing Forgiveness and Love
Today’s Gospel tells us of an encounter that Jesus had with two people at a dinner invitation. First was the uninvited woman who manages somehow to get into the house and secondly the host. The woman is identified as a sinful woman. So, her sins must have been of a...
You and Your Generation
Jesus looks out on the folks of his generation and see resistance to God’s plan. Even though his presence was announced by the John the Baptist and despite his own presence there, the people resisted God’s action in their lives to save them. They are like a bunch of...
Moving Parts
Historically, humans have always formed tribes, clans, and eventually cities, nations, and empires, driven by the need for cooperation, structure, and survival. It’s a natural part of human development. It serves as a way of managing resources, cooperation, and...