REFLECTIONS TODAY The brothers James and John have hardly speaking lines in the Gospel, and these reveal that they are “without understanding” like the rest of the Twelve. They ask Jesus to grant that they may sit one at his right and the other at his left in Jesus’ glory, only to be told...
REFLECTIONS TODAY LUKE 16:19-31 Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Gospel is Jesus’ second prediction of his passion. He declares, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” The passive form is understood in the theological sense. It is a divine passive. Thus God’s action is referred to in an indirect way, typical of Hebrew...
REFLECTIONS TODAY When Herod the tetrarch heard about what was happening around Jesus’ ministry, he was perplexed and asked, “Who then is this ...?” (Lk 9:9). His initial fear that Jesus might be John the Baptist whom he had put to death is seconded by some people who are saying that “John...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The tetrarch Herod in today’s Gospel is Herod Antipas who was appointed by the Roman emperor Augustus to rule over Galilee and Perea at the death of his father Herod the Great. He divorced his first wife, the daughter of King Aretas of Nabatea, in favor of Herodias who had been...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In Galilee in Jesus’ time, the ruling elites (Herod Antipas and his cohorts) controlled fishing by the Sea of Tiberias. They sold fishing rights to the “brokers” (telonai, commonly translated as “publicans” or “tax collectors”) who, in turn, contracted with the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In Scriptures, to “hear” (Hebrew shemah, Greek akouein) does not just mean to use one’s ear to perceive a message, but to pay attention that one may understand and obey. To “hear” and to “obey” go hand in hand, especially if what is communicated is the word of God or...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Luke, who addresses his Gospel mostly to Gentile believers, pictures a Hellenistic house with an entrance from which the light would shine on those entering. In Matthew, the lamp gives light rather to all who are in the house (5:15). In either case, the application is clear: a...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Luke 16:1-13 Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ The...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The sowing has many loses, but at the end it affords an abundant harvest, contrary to all expectations. This is a picture of Jesus’ work of ushering in the Kingdom. He meets many obstacles, but ultimately, he achieves success which far outweighs any failure. In the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus differs radically from the usual Jewish understanding of women’s role. The rabbis exclude women from their disciples. To them, the women seem incapable of studying the Law. On the contrary, Jesus cures women, associates with them, and includes them among his followers....
REFLECTIONS TODAY Mary, as Our Lady of Sorrows, is presented in John’s account as standing by the cross of Jesus on Calvary. Pope Francis presents her thus: “Without yielding to evasions or illusions, she accompanied the suffering of her Son; she supported him by her gaze and protected him with...
