Friar Daily Reflection
Journey On
A homily for the Feast of the Exaltation of the True Cross at FriarMusings.com
The Yoke
A yoke is a heavy restricting harness that is used to force large animals of burden to work together to pull heavy loads. Usually, a yoke is made of a beam of wood that rests on the oxen’s shoulder and more wood that wraps around the neck and chest to force two or...
Love Your Enemies
In today’s Gospel is Jesus’ most difficult and challenging teaching. It was difficult in the 1st century, and it is difficult in our time, especially today as we remember the terrorist attack of our enemies on 9/11. Jesus’ words are especially difficult to hear on...
Seek What Is Above
Today’s first reading from Colossians exhorts us to “seek what is above” in other words, to seek and do the will of God. We know the will of God because through our baptism we are already “living” in heaven. In baptism we die to our old self and rise to become new...
One Night of Prayer – Explosive Action: 12 Apostles, Healing, Preaching, and Curing
Once again, the Gospel relates to us a typical day in the life of Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry. And once again, we see the importance of prayer in his life and consequently in our lives as Christians. Today the Gospel story starts with one night of...
Family Stories
Today you might ask a new neighbor or a new parishioner, “Where are you from?” It is a normal question. Growing up in the South it was equally likely for someone to ask, “Who are your people?” Today’s gospel is the answer to that question, which at first hearing,...
Jesus and God
In today’s first reading from Colossians Paul is probably quoting from a very early Christian hymn. This hymn sings and teaches us about Jesus and therefore about the one true God. First, we hear that “Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God.” From the Greek...
Deep Water
The life of professional fishermen does not change much. There is the repetitive flow of the seasons and the work of casting nets, repairing nets, and hauling fish. Peter, James, and John knew all the secrets of their craft. They knew where, when, and how to cast the...
Preaching, Healing, Prayer, and Then…
It is interesting to see how Jesus started his public ministry. In Luke’s Gospel after his baptism by John and the temptations in the desert, Jesus begins his public ministry in his hometown of Nazareth. He was not accepted there as a prophet nor was his message...
The Day of the Lord
“The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2) - so proclaims our first reading. I have to admit “like a thief in the night” is a disturbing simile. But the point is not the comparison to the Lord and a thief - but it is indeed meant...