REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Jer 23:1-6 Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In the world that seeks much publicity, including the use of misinformation and disinformation, Matthew has a lesson for us. He points out that Jesus seeks to avoid publicity in his care of the sick, unlike most miracle workers. Matthew also applies the Servant figure to Jesus by...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In their zeal to safeguard the Sabbath rest, the Jewish rabbis have forbidden the performance of 39 tasks, among which is reaping, here equated with picking of the heads of grain. Jesus defends the disciples by reminding the rabbis that David and his men, out of hunger, had...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Greek word nepioi, here rendered as childlike, has two levels of meaning. In one level, nepioi refers to the little ones and the poor who are objects of Jesus’ Good News (Mt 11:5). Jesus calls them blessed because to them belongs the Kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3). The nepioi,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus is not asking his disciples to junk the fourth commandment: that of honoring one’s father and mother (Dt 5:16). In fact, Jesus expressly commands his disciples to honor and support their parents and condemns those who use the law to escape from this responsibility, as in...
REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Amos 7:12-15 Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos, “Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying, but never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.” Amos...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The sparrow (Hebrew tsippor) is one of the cheapest articles sold for food, yet Jesus says that even this trifling creature is under the heavenly Father’s care. And while the strands of hair are too numerous to be counted, God has counted them all. These Semitic hyperbolic...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Matthew 10:16-23 The Bible refers to sheep more than 500 times, with specific terms indicating types on the basis of age, sex, and breed; in the Hebrew Scriptures most references are literal, while most in the New Testament are metaphorical. Domestic sheep...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In view of the abundant harvest and the need for laborers, Jesus, after inviting his disciples to pray for workers, immediately provides the initial answer to the prayer by commissioning his twelve disciples to become his co-workers in the reaping. Jesus does not only share his...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Perceiving the need of the people for a leader and guide, Jesus sees an opportunity: a bountiful harvest for the reaping. The harassed and helpless condition of Israel makes it ready to respond to the Gospel. “Harvest” (Hebrew qazir) is the time when God will judge the world,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In the book of Numbers (15:38), the Israelites are instructed to “make tassels for the corners of their garments, fastening a violet cord to each corner.” This dangling ornament is meant to serve as a reminder of God’s presence, salvation, and commandments. In the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mark 6:1-6 Today’s Gospel narrates the rejection of Jesus by the townspeople of Nazareth. The word Mark uses to describe the people’s reaction to Jesus is skandalon, which could be translated as “scandalized,” but is rendered here as “they would not accept...
