The Lenten practice of “almsgiving” is best expressed in the corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, giving shelter to travelers, visiting the sick and those imprisoned, and burying the dead. Mercy is not an abstract word; it is a lifestyle...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Matthew 4:1-11 At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The cross (Greek stauros) is an ancient instrument of execution, probably originated by the Persians and often employed by the Greeks and the Romans for its deterrent value, especially against rebellious slaves and seditious provincials. The condemned, with a placard proclaiming...
The Gospel underlines a twofold healing: Physical healing from deafness, and healing from fear. Just as “hearing” and “speaking” are intimately connected to each other (a person replicates in speech the sound that he or she hears), so also experiencing compassion frees us from fear. Mark...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Two figures stand out from today’s readings: Solomon and the Syrophoenician woman. They represent two opposing paths: Solomon’s journey from the living God to idolatry, and the Syrophoenician woman’s journey from paganism and idolatry to the living God. In explaining the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Leaving Nazareth, Jesus goes around the towns and villages of Galilee to proclaim the reign of God. He then summons the Twelve disciples and sends them out two by two. In being sent, the disciples become “apostles” (from Greek apostelein = to send). They take nothing for the...
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...
