Friar Daily Reflection
Taking up the cross
In today’s gospel when Jesus says: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16:24-25) – what did you hear? Because…
Transfigure Us, O Lord!
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ transfiguration this way: “his [Jesus’] face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” Jesus’ divinity shines forth to Peter, James, and John. God the…
In the boat
In our gospel we find the disciples battling against the tempestuous waves and howling winds. They were caught in a storm that threatened to overwhelm them. Amidst this chaos, they spotted Jesus walking on the water towards them. Filled with awe and faith, Peter cried…
Lord, save me!
In many ways the first disciples mirror our own faith journey. In today’s Gospel the disciple Peter is both a man of faith and a man of little faith. He shows his faith and trust in Jesus when Jesus invites him to come to him walking on the water. However, when…
Jeremiah Must Die!
In today’s first reading the prophet Jeremiah is condemned to death by some religious leaders and some of the people: “When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests, the prophets, and all the people laid…
Goin’ Fishing
In today’s Gospel Jesus continues to teach us about the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of God. He has been teachings about the Kingdom using different concrete examples from everyday life such as Sowing and Fishing. So, in today’s Gospel he begins his teaching with…
Waiting with Quiet Conviction
There are seasons in life when faith feels less like certainty and more like waiting. We pray for healing, but the illness remains. We pray for reconciliation, but the relationship is still broken. We pray for guidance, but the way forward remains unclear. We pray for…
Being Seeds and Living in the Midst of Evil
God created us with free will. The capacity to choose the path for our own lives. That means we are not obligated to unite our will or lifestyle to the will of God the Father, our creator. Hence there is a lot of evil in the world. There are many evil people, who…
Small – The Most Important
Contemplating nature is a wonderful experience. Looking at the sky on a clear night is awesome. This is especially so if you are someplace where there are no electrical lights – like in a desert or a forest. That experience of God’s creation just seems to put us into…
Sacred Things, Sacred Hearts
There is one verse in today’s first reading that almost takes us by surprise. The prophet Jeremiah says: “They will in those days no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD!’ They will no longer think of it, or remember it, or miss it, or…