Friar Daily Reflection
Stingy is as Stingy Does
With all apologies to Forrest Gump, St. Paul's message in our first reading might well carry the moniker, “stingy is as stingy does.” In these verses, Paul speaks about the importance of generosity and the blessings that flow from a heart that is open to giving. It...
Paradoxes of Faith
St. Paul’s letters to the community in Corinth, both the 1st and 2nd letters, are addressed to men and women who had accepted the good news of Christ and were now trying to live it - not always successfully and not without facing hardships and pushback from family and...
The Fruitless Fig Tree and the Cleansing of the Temple
There is a lot happening in today’s Gospel. It is marvelous to see how a holiness, confidence in prayer, and the Word of God are all connected in Jesus’ words and actions. We see a Jesus in today’s Gospel that we are not accustomed to seeing. This an angry, forceful...
Lord, have Mercy!
Today’s Gospel is the story of the healing of a blind man. His name is Timaeus, the Son of Timaeus, Bar-Timaeus. (Bar is the Aramaic word for son). This blind man, hearing that Jesus of Nazareth is near, cries out, “Lord, have mercy!” Jesus heals him with the...
A piece of the Tapestry
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation when the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth immediately after the events of the Annunciation when the Angel Gabriel proclaimed the conception of the Christ Child by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lucan...
Wisdom of Sirach
The first reading for today comes from the Book of Sirach (also known as the Wisdom of Ben Sira and as Ecclesiasticus, or more literally, “Church Book.”) The author, a sage who lived in Jerusalem, was thoroughly imbued with love for the wisdom tradition, and also for...
Memorial
Today we celebrate both Memorial Day and the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Church. In today’s Gospel Jesus hands over the care of his mother to the Beloved Disciple: “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to...
The Demands of Love
Jesus asks Peter three questions: Do you love these more than these? They were in a boat and Jesus may have been referring to the fishing equipment and the catch of fish. He may have been asking if Peter was willing to give up his job, and reasonably comfortable...
Jesus Prays
In today’s Gospel Jesus continues the prayer he began in yesterday’s Gospel. Jesus began his prayer yesterday with praise of God, his heavenly Father: “Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may...
Being Vigilant
In today’s first reading, St. Paul warns the nascent Christian community of Melitus, “Know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the...