Friar Daily Reflection
Evangelist
There are many theories about St. Mark’s life and journeys. But we do know that the Gospel of St. Mark is the earliest of the four Gospels. One of the oldest traditions about Mark says that he traveled with St. Peter and wrote down Peter’s catechesis and discourses,...
Light
Light and darkness are important themes in John’s Gospel right from the beginning up to the end. Today Jesus says very clearly that his mission is to bring the light to those who are in darkness. It only takes one small candle to give enough light to dispel the...
Voices
In the gospel reading for today we heard Jesus tell some bystanders who wanted Jesus to plainly say that he was the Messiah. Jesus replied: “But you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them...
God Made Me Do It!
In today’s first reading we continue to hear the story of the conversion of a Gentile, named Cornelius. Peter’s outreach to non-Jews causes some controversy for the early church who saw themselves as a Jewish sect, that is, Jews who believed that Jesus was the...
Conversion
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear the first of three different accounts of the conversion of St. Paul (Acts 9:1-20; 22:3-16; 26:2-18). Paul was a zealous persecutor of the early church but became a zealous Christian. Paul encounters...
Outcasts
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear how the early church continues its mission despite persecutions. Philip is one of the seven who was appointed with Stephen and the others to a ministry of service. With the martyrdom of Stephen, all were...
The Bread of Life
All of us have probably used the expression “I am dying of hunger!” While we probably were not literally dying for lack of food, we probably were very hungry. In today’s Gospel Jesus states: “I am the bread of life.” In Jesus’ day if you didn’t have bread, you were...
The Testimony of Stephen
Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin where, as we heard yesterday, the whole council recognized that he was like an angel. When Stephen spoke in his own defense against the false accusations, he used clear, direct, uncomplicated language. He did not mince words....
Stephen’s Action and Message
Stephen was a man filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit. He was so alive with the power of the Spirit that he was overwhelming and explosive. He was focused on one thing: sharing the experience of the risen Lord in his life with everyone else around him. His words...
Witnesses of the Resurrection
Mary Magdalen and the other disciples had experienced the death and burial of Jesus as a tragic moment in their lives. All their hopes and plans had been crushed in a most cruel way from one day to the next. One day they entered the city with Jesus as a new king...