Friar Daily Reflection
False Messiahs
It is right in front of you! You just need to know where to look. This is Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel. People search high and low for a new messiah, claiming some emperor, some king, or some president is the one who will save and deliver us. Jesus warns us...
Authority and Humility
The first reading for today is from the Book of Wisdom (6:1-11), which at first blush you might think does not apply to you: “Hear, O kings, and understand; learn, you magistrates of the earth's expanse! Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude and lord it...
Service and More Service!
One point in the Gospel is very clear from beginning to end: Christian life is service, service to others, service to God. Life is nonstop, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week service. God’s son Jesus comes to us to share our lives and integrate us into the life of the...
Sin and Forgiveness
In today’s Gospel Jesus warns his disciples against causing scandal: “Things that cause sin (skandala) will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur.” Jesus calls for both fraternal correction and forgiveness: “If your brother or sister sins,...
Waiting at the Subway Station: Be Attentive; Be Prepared
During the COVID19 pandemic I lived in the northern part of the Bronx and among other activities, I worked in Harlem giving out food to people on the street and those living outdoors in Marcus Garvey Park. I traveled on the Metro North train between the Riverside (in...
Jesus is Lord
In today’s first reading we hear once again that Jesus is Lord, the Lord of all: “This is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” This means, Paul suggests, that none of us is our own Lord but Jesus is our Lord...
First Love: The Cross and Our Christian Vocation
Today’s Gospel is probably one of those passages from the Gospel that would we prefer to skip over or completely edit out of the Gospel. Many people say that Jesus is being excessively hard here. Love and care for family is a basic human need and experience. For human...
The Invitation
In this day and age, we receive all manner of electronic invitations (evites): to meetings, parties, events and more. Upon receiving the invitation, are we excited? Were we just hoping for a day or evening off? Does this seem more obligatory than interesting? Do we...
A Fickle God?
God is not fickle! That is the good news in today’s first reading from Romans. In Romans 9-11 Paul deals with the issue of his fellow Jews who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Paul previously asked the question about his fellow Jews, “I ask, then, has...
Jesus the Jew
Both Jesus and Paul were Jews. Jesus attended the synagogue on the Sabbath and join the pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem and the Temple for Passover. Paul was a zealous Jew, a Pharisee. Paul even persecuted his fellow Jews who proclaimed Jesus as Messiah and Lord. ...