Friar Daily Reflection
The Light of Your Face
Today’s first reading from the book of Exodus describes the appearance of Moses as he comes down from the presence of God on Mount Sinai: “…the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord.” Moses had been on Mount Sinai receiving the two...
Living in the Midst of Tares – Evil
Jesus uses the parable of the good wheat and the tares to explain the Kingdom of God and the presence of evil. Today we hear the explanation of the parable. The parable is a bit disturbing. In fact, it is so disturbing and unexpected that the disciples insisted that...
Forgetting God
Today’s reading is from the “golden calf” incident recorded in the Book of Exodus. You know the story: Moses comes down from the mountain top carrying the 10 Commandments carved into stone tablets. He comes upon the scene of people dancing wildly around a statue of a...
Your feet in the soil
Today’s gospel was part of the Gospel for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time but it is noteworthy that there was a shorter and a longer option. The shorter included the parable only, while the longer version included our gospel for today - an explanation of the parable....
Mysteries
In today’s Gospel Jesus addresses the first disciples and all of us disciples: “But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.” What is it that we see and hear? We hear the Word of God proclaim the mystery of God overflowing love and...
Jesus the Farmer
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the story of a farmer who goes out to sow. He sows here, there, and everywhere. Jesus, of course, was not a farmer but a carpenter, “Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary…And they took offense at him.” (Mark 6:3). Jesus caused...
Jars of clay
Today’s first reading is one of my favorite passages from St. Paul: “We hold this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Cor 4:7) - also as "jars of clay". It points out one of the great paradoxes of this life of discipleship: it leads to glory, but entails suffering along...
Signs
It is a natural human desire to see signs, signs of God’s presence, signs of God’s power, of God’s goodness, of God’s love. Some of the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel respond to that human desire: “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” People today also...
Passover and Sabbath
In today’s Gospel Jesus once again cites the prophet Hosea, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13; 12:7). Neither the prophet Hosea nor Jesus wants to do away with the cult, the sacrificial system and worship of the Jews. The cult and solemn...
What am I to tell them?
Today’s first reading continues the story of Moses’ encounter with God on Mt. Horeb. God has commanded Moses to return to the “scene of the crime,” - his own taking of a life and Pharaoh’s attempted infanticide. Moses asks a reasonable question, “When I go to the...