Friar Daily Reflection
An Unpopular Stand
It is always a tough thing to take an unpopular stand especially when among people you know will not support. Do we shy away from the moment - I mean, why waste time and effort? But what about as a listener? What about when one message is something you agree with or...
Jeremiah’s Message
The last of the righteous and faithful kings of Israel, Josiah, died in 609 BC. He was a reforming king who relentlessly called the people of Judah to return to the Lord, be faithful to the covenant, and live righteous lives. Jeremiah was a prophet who echoed Josiah’s...
Living or Judging
Today’s parable shows us a way of looking at our lives and the world that has not really penetrated well into our Christian culture. The fishing nets collects all kinds of fish that eventually have to be separated into those that are edible and non-edible. Jesus said...
Woe to Me
Jeremiah was to say the least, a reluctant prophet as we heard in the story of his call: “The word of the Lord came to me: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I dedicate you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. ‘Ah, Lord God’ I...
Weeds and Wheat
In today’s Gospel Jesus explains to his disciples the meaning of the parable of the weeds and the wheat that he previously told (Matthew 13:24-29). In the parable the Master of the household ordered his servants to allow the weeds and the wheat to grow together until...
The Messiah and Son of God
Today is the memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. As we hear in today’s Gospel Mary comes to full faith in Jesus: “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” The only other figure in...
Joachim and Anne
In the Scriptures, Matthew and Luke furnish a legal family history of Jesus, tracing ancestry to show that Jesus is the culmination of great promises. Not only is his mother’s family neglected, we also know nothing factual about them except that they existed. Even the...
Service and Sacrifice
Today is the feast of the apostle James, often known as St. James the Greater perhaps because he was older or perhaps taller than the other apostle named James. In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches James and the other apostles that the way to true greatness is through...
Too Young
Today’s first reading describes the call of the prophet Jeremiah. The Lord God tells Jeremiah that he has been predestined to be his prophet: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed...
Spouses, Mothers, and Brothers
Just a few Sundays ago, the gospel reading from Mark recounted a moment from early in the public ministry of Jesus. He and the disciples had been to many towns and villages in Galilee and in the neighboring Decapolis region. There Jesus had cured many, cast out...