The disciples are caught in the middle of nowhere, covered by darkness. Their boat is being battered by strong waves and howling wind. They are also dismayed that Jesus is asleep in the stern and does not seem to care about them at all. We cannot discount the possibility that Jesus is testing his...
REFLECTIONS TODAY We enjoy the ease and convenience of having modern light fixtures in our homes. At the click of a finger, we can brighten up a room. The Jews who lived in Jesus’ time did not experience such comfort. Their way to bring light into the house was crude and primitive. They put oil...
REFLECTIONS TODAY News about Jesus’ healing miracles have gone far and wide, and the crowds come to him in multitude. They are not only Jews from the Galilean towns but also from Judea and Jerusalem. There are also mostly pagan people from Tyre and Sidon, Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan. We...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Struck by disease, forced to live far from the community, and separated from the worship of God, a leper in Jesus’ time is practically a “dead man walking.” There is also the stigma of being stricken by God because of personal sins. Because contact with the leper renders a...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus speaks of the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses in the desert (Nm 21:4-9). The Israelites who were wandering in the desert were losing their faith and rebelled against God and against Moses. In punishment, the Lord sent seraph serpents...
Luke gives a summary of Jesus’ initial success in preaching the Good News of the Kingdom: news of him has spread throughout Galilee. When Jesus returns to Nazareth, he is given a prominent place during a synagogue service due to the “prestige” he has acquired. The ceremony usually begins...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel pericope belongs to the “Missionary Discourse” of Jesus. In the historical context of Jesus’ ministry, the disciples are sent (they become apostles—“those sent”) to the people of Israel. Opposition to their message comes from the religious leaders,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Is 9:1-6 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when...
REFLECTIONS TODAY John the Baptist is in prison because he has condemned Herod Antipas for taking Herodias, his brother’s wife, to be his own. It is often said that hell has no fury like a woman scorned; Herodias had surely a hand in John’s imprisonment. It is now Jesus’ turn to bear...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel pericope concludes Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Here, Jesus is presented as a “lawgiver” like Moses and as a “wisdom teacher.” In the perspective of Matthew, Jesus brings from the storeroom of Israel the old treasures with which he...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Gospel passage reminds us of Jesus’ lament over the destruction of the City of Jerusalem as punishment for not recognizing the day of his visitation. Now, it is repeated, and it is even more dramatic as it gives more details about how it will be destroyed. There will be so...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Arriving at the spot where he has a beautiful sight of the city of Jerusalem, Jesus cries instead of rejoicing. He laments over the destruction of the city, for not recognizing the time of his visitation. His presence there is his visitation. He is there to announce the good news...
