Friar Daily Reflection
The Christ of God
Jesus’ question in today’s Gospel is pointed and personal: “But who do you say that I am?” In yesterday’s Gospel Herod the tetrarch is curious: “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” (Luke 9:9). Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus in...
Who Is This?
Herod’s question in today’s Gospel becomes the defining question for the rest of the Gospel: “Who then is this about whom I hear such things?" While Herod the tetrarch asked the question, he never allows Jesus to challenge him or his own self-understanding and world...
Without Superpower but with Purpose
In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out the Twelve with power and authority to cast out demons, to cure diseases, and to proclaim the Kingdom of God. It’s a dramatic moment. They are given extraordinary gifts and a clear mission. But what about us? Most of us are not sent...
Let us go rejoicing
The year is 587 BC. The armies of Babylon have captured and destroyed the city of Jerusalem - including the Temple built by Solomon. The people are taken into the diaspora that will be known as the Babylonian Captivity. “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat weeping...
Faith That Shines
“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.” (Luke 8:16) Jesus uses a simple image—a lamp—to teach a profound truth about discipleship. Think about the...
Love and Money
In today’s first reading, St. Paul gives us one of the most quoted lines in all of Scripture today: “The love of money is the root of all evils.” It’s important to notice that he does not say money itself is evil. Money is a tool, something necessary for daily life;...
Love and Forgiveness: External Piety or Action and Service
Sometimes I think the Gospel is a collection of Jesus’ shocking attitudes, actions, and comments. Today we find Jesus in a really shocking scene. He is invited to dine in the home of a pharisee. That home and that supper would have been completely proper and formal in...
What about this generation?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares His generation to children in the marketplace. No matter what song is played, they refuse to respond. So Jesus offers them a new song: a lament. John the Baptist came in austerity fasting, wearing rough clothing, calling for...
The Widow
As modern-day readers of the Gospel, it is easy for us to miss the profoundness of what really happened in today’s incident from the Gospel. When a husband dies, we are accustomed to counting on life insurance, savings, Medicaid, Medicare, veteran benefits, retirement...
Behold, Your Mother
Today is the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. The Gospels, particularly the Gospels of John and Luke, bring out the sorrows and pains that Mary had to endure as she saw the great suffering of her Son. When Jesus’ parents presented him in the Jerusalem Temple the...