REFLECTIONS TODAY The heart of the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples is the very first word: “Father!” This corresponds to the Aramaic word abba. In Luke, whenever Jesus speaks to God in direct speech, he addresses him as “Father!” which reveals his familial intimacy with God. In...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The key to the prayer lies in our relationship with God. God is not some distant stranger. The Israelites to whom God revealed himself considered him as wholly “Other”—the Creator and Savior, the Almighty who dwells in the high heavens. The people looked at God with awe and...
REFLECTIONS TODAY On Feb. 2, 2021, Pope Francis approved the changing of the liturgical feast of St. Martha (July 29) to include her sister and brother, Mary and Lazarus, on the Church’s universal calendar of feast days. In the household of Bethany, as we read in today’s Gospel, Jesus...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In the parable, the priest and the Levite are joined because they share high status in the community. Born into the priestly family, they are part of the world of the Temple. In a world with strict boundaries between clean and unclean, their association with the Temple commends...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Matthew 21:33-43 Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey....
REFLECTIONS TODAY When they return from their mission, the seventy-two disciples can report to Jesus, “Mission accomplished.” They are happy to share that they were given hospitality in villages where they healed the sick with the power given them by Jesus. And probably to their great surprise,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The reproaches of Jesus to unrepentant towns follow the sending of the 72 disciples. They will repay “peaceful” people who will receive them with the healing of the sick in their village. But for others who will not receive them, a severe judgment awaits (Lk 10:6-11). A...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Gospel reading is part of Jesus’ Community Discourse (Matthew 18), a collection of Jesus’ sayings for the guidance of the believers in their life in common. And at the core of this teaching “for adults” is to become like little children. The disposition that Jesus asks...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Mt 21:28-32 Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, 28“What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus predicts, for the second time, his being handed over to men, the first time being right after Peter’s confession (Lk 9:22). The apostles simply cannot understand why their Master should suffer such a shameful fate. Jesus has just been transfigured. Some of them have seen...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus makes this unusual compliment to Nathanael upon seeing him for the first time. No one has ever made a comment like this. How did Jesus know him? Jesus does not take offense at Nathanael’s question, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46), when Philip reports...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus calls the Twelve (apostles) and gives them power to exorcise demons and to heal the sick. As he sends them, Jesus asks them to travel light. They should not bring anything extra or superfluous. They are not there to impress people with non-essential things. Jesus...
