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....
REFLECTIONS TODAY The great haul of fish is rich in symbolism in the new mission entrusted to the disciples—the shift from mere fishermen to “fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). The great catch of fish represents the gathering of the various types of people into the Church, the community of Jesus. The...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Luke continues to present to the disciples that Jesus’ bodily resurrection is real. As proof, Jesus points out the marks of the passion still visible on his hands and feet, and dares them to touch these. Then, he asks for food and eats with the disciples. Jesus of Nazareth is...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Sorrow shared is halved. We all need listening ears, especially when we experience a big loss in life. The two disciples choose to stick together and trudge their way back to Emmaus with heavy hearts. To them, Jerusalem is the city of dashed dreams and failed promises. The...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Mary of Magdala is overcome with sorrow as she weeps outside the tomb. The body of Jesus could not be found there. She was denied the chance to anoint her Master with spices and perfume. It could have been her final act of homage and love for her Rabbouni who rescued her from...
REFLECTIONS TODAY There are several women who actually meet the risen Christ. They are even able to embrace his feet and do him homage. There is nothing secret in Jesus’ message to them. He says to the women who are fearful yet overjoyed: “Do not be afraid” (v 10). The time of Jesus’...
