REFLECTIONS TODAY REFLECT In the ancient world, salt was very important: the Greeks thought it contained something almost divine. The Romans even sometimes paid their soldiers with salt. Jesus reminds his audience how valuable they are in society. He calls his hearers to be like salt. They are to...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Sermon on the Mount runs through chapters 5-7 of Matthew’s Gospel. Today, we begin reading it, starting with the Beatitudes, its opening words. They are called beatitudes, coming from the Latin beati, which means “happy.” Each beatitude claims that a group of people,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY MARK 14:12-16, 22-26 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Jesus makes a stark comparison. Both the scribes and the widow practice religion but with different perspectives. The religion of the scribe is self-serving. The widow practices a genuine piety which spirit is described in today’s First Reading: “Prayer and fasting are good,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The scribes taught that the Messiah was to be the son of David. During Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem the people acclaimed Jesus as the son of David. How could Jesus be both the son of David and the LORD of David? As Jesus’ opponents repeatedly try to “trip him up” with their...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Sadducees’ question to Jesus tries to prove the absurdity of the resurrection. When the seven brothers and the one woman are resurrected, whose wife will she be? The Sadducees are assuming that resurrection will just be a continuation of this present life. But Jesus informs...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Pharisees and Herodians are flattering and courteous but they mean to trap Jesus. They are not interested in the truth. If Jesus affirms Roman taxation, he risks criticism from his followers who regard the Romans as oppressors. If he rejects it, he will face charges of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today is the Feast of the Visitation. From Nazareth, Mary visits her kinswoman Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea, in a place known today as the Ein Kerem or the “Spring of the Vineyard.” Today’s Gospel narrative appears to frame Mary’s song of the Magnificat. The song...
REFLECTIONS TODAY MATTHEW 28:16-20 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and...
REFLECTIONS TODAY James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to Jesus requesting for privileged positions reserved for the great ones since what they expect Jesus to have are political authority and earthly glory. Jesus corrects their way of thinking. The other ten become indignant of James and John...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In today’s Gospel, Peter declares that they, the disciples, have given up everything and followed Jesus. One’s capacity to give up everything to become a disciple is in itself a gift from God. How is it possible for someone to give up the former way of life for the sake of the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Gospel has three parts: Jesus’ mother and the Beloved Disciple standing underneath the cross, the death of Jesus, and the piercing of Jesus’ side. On the cross, Jesus “handed over” (parédōken) the spirit, which may mean the passing on of his mission to his...
