REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Luke 7:11-17 A biblical scholar once confessed how he searched the Gospels in trying hard to find a funeral sermon by Jesus. In the end, he gave up, saying he found none because at every instance, Jesus tried to “raise up the dead”! And so also in this Gospel...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus manifests his surprise as the centurion, presumably a nonbeliever and a representative of the occupying forces in the land of Israel, confesses his faith in Jesus’ authority. Call it “faith in unlikely places,” but it is there present; Jesus acknowledges it and...
REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Is 50:5-9a The Lord God opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today the Church commemorates the discovery of the cross of Christ in Jerusalem by Queen Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, in AD 320. The Gospel rightly brings to fore the meaning of Christ’s death on the cross. While we may look at it as the defeat of God’s Son,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The integrity of a person is seen in his or her degree of self-awareness and in the recognition of one’s deficiencies and limitations. The consistent and sincere living out of this virtue sooner or later helps the person to serve as a guide and teacher to others as well. But...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Sometimes we might think that the perfection God is asking from us is to do things flawlessly and with precision. We struggle to be the super responsible parent, exemplar employee, devout parish worker, and the like. But Jesus makes it plain that the perfection God wants from us...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Luke’s version of the Beatitudes is penetrating. In this account, Jesus addresses his disciples in “direct speech”: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours” (v 20). He also makes the conditions “instantaneous”: “Blessed are you who are now...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The mission of Jesus must go on even after he will be physically gone from the earth. At this point of the Gospel narrative, Jesus perceives the mounting pressure his detractors put on his way and that he will soon be gone. He brings this foreboding before his Father and spends...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus’ courage and integrity in the face of opposition leads to the cure of the man with the withered hand. As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus consistently chooses to “save life,” giving the Sabbath law the completion of its purpose. He looks for those who are in the margins,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mark 7:31-37 Among the different senses, the sense of hearing is oftentimes taken for granted. We do not consider it as important as the sense of sight or taste. But come to think of it, without hearing, even our speech can be affected. Unable to hear and speak, we...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus is Lord of even the worthiest of religious traditions because he upholds life and creation to the full. The hungry needs to eat, even, and perhaps especially, on the Sabbath. If Jesus changes or breaks with tradition, his reason for doing so is always to uphold the value of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Luke 5:33-39 The word “new” recurs in this passage several times, all connected to the images proposed by Jesus to understand his true identity and mission. The Pharisees and their scribes are, in fact, perplexed with Jesus: Why does he do things differently? To...
