Friar Daily Reflection
The Woes
This is the week of “woes” as we listen to the reading of Matthew’s 23rd chapter. In English woe means sadness or distress. Seven times Jesus judges and rebukes the pharisees by saying sadness on you. In Spanish the translation is simply an emotional exclamation, not...
Judgement, Mercy, and Fidelity
Certain things in the Word of God are easy to measure, control, and even accomplish. Paying a tithe of a certain product is rather easy. All we do is weigh our harvest and then pay the percentage. We even get a receipt for our payment to prove that we are doing things...
Hypocrites
In today’s Gospel Jesus continues his denunciation of the scribes and the Pharisees. These along with the Sadducees were the religious leaders at the time of Jesus. At the time of the writing of Matthew’s Gospel (around 85 A.D.) the Pharisees were the main religious...
Love
As a teacher I always wanted to make sure that the student focused on the essential or core element. Sometimes a student would get lost in a vast array of information as they were reviewing their notes and readings. I would direct them in their studies to always ask...
The Invitation and the Tunic
God invites all to be part of his life, the great banquet. We like the sound of that. It’s all inclusive and we don’t have to do much. But then the parable takes a strange turn. People don’t want to go to the banquet and others who actually go, are thrown out for lack...
Our Justice and the Generosity of God’s Love
This parable is so shocking. Seemingly it makes no sense at all. It goes against all our human sense of logic, justice, and order. How could those who worked less receive the same payment as those who worked more? When we maintain this vigilante sense of justice, we...
Bonfire of Our Vanities
The first reading is from the Prophet Ezekiel from a larger section known as the “Oracles Against the Nations.” In our reading the charge leveled against the prince of Tyre is simple and direct: you have become arrogant, or as we read “haughty of heart”. The prophet...
Treasure in Heaven
In today’s Gospel a young man asks a question that all of us have asked: “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus’ reply might surprise and even shock us: “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.” Jesus is of course...
God’s Vision
Jesus responds to the disciples’ question about divorce and marriage in a very direct and clear way. It is a response that goes beyond the tradition in Israel at the time. Jesus looks at us and the world through the eyes of God. To answer the concerns about divorce,...
Assumption
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. As we hear in today’s Gospel, Mary is “blessed…among women.” Elizabeth goes on to exclaim, “blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Elizabeth also calls Mary blessed because of her faith: “Blessed are you who believed...