REFLECTIONS TODAY In the Wisdom tradition of Israel, Wisdom personifies herself with this claim: “Those who eat of me will hunger still, those who drink of me will thirst for more” (Sir 24:21). While the Jews believe that the Law is God’s greatest gift, and “in all wisdom, the observance of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY “Gospel” means not just the word of Jesus but also the message about Jesus. The disciples who hear him speak and witness his powerful deeds see him as more than a prophet or miracle worker. In the light of his resurrection, they believe him to be the Messiah and the Son of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The crowds who have experienced the multiplication of the bread follow Jesus with such haste and urgency, believing that he is the answer to their immediate need of hunger. But Jesus chides them in searching for him for the wrong reasons. They are looking for bread, the way their...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Though loneliness can at times lead to desperation, it can also be the start of a journey to faith. To be lonely once in a while is a reminder that within us is a void that can be filled only by Jesus who walks with us, even if often unrecognized. This is the symbolism of the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Greek Ego eimi literally means “I am.” Here it is translated as “It is I,” for the sake of smoothness. In the context of the story, Jesus may have said to the disciples, “It is, I, Jesus—your Master. There is no need to be afraid.” But these words of assurance do...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • John 6:1-15 Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Eternal life (Greek aionios zoē) appears frequently in John. It means that death is not the final word; eternal life awaits people beyond this earthly life. It is a life of happiness with God. But with Jesus, eternal life begins to be a reality in this life. Jesus has the words...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The revelation of the Father in Jesus, the coming of the light into the world, elicits two responses. One is faith; the other, incredulity and unbelief. John describes the first reaction—faith in Jesus as revealer of God—as coming to the light (v 21). Those who believe that...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In the perspective of the evangelist John, Nicodemus is a figure who little by little comes out of darkness — the realm of evil, untruth, and ignorance — into the light, none other than Jesus, the Light of the world (3:19; 8:12). In their conversation, Jesus reverses the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The week following Easter is devoted to reflection on the fundamental sacrament of the Church: Baptism. The Gospel reading is taken from Jesus’ nocturnal encounter with Nicodemus during which Jesus explains “birth” to the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus represents Torah-observant...
REFLECTIONS TODAY John 20:19-31 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The...
REFLECTIONS TODAY At the end of Mark’s Gospel, there seems to be a lingering ambivalence regarding the resurrection of Jesus. The faith of the early Christian community must pass through stages of faith development, from “unbelief and hardness of heart” (v 14) to belief in the risen Lord....
