REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mark 16:15-18 The Church celebrates the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on Jan. 25, the only one of a kind in the liturgy. There are other “turnabouts” that have left an indelible mark in the history of Christianity — e.g., Emperor Constantine’s...
REFLECTIONS TODAY After ministering to a vast crowd, Jesus goes up the mountain to commune with the heavenly Father. After praying, he summons those he wants to be with him, and selects twelve to be his intimate companions. Later on, these will be known as a distinct group — the Twelve (Greek:...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The fame of Jesus’ healing and exorcism spreads fast and wide. A quick glance at the map of territories mentioned in the Gospel shows us the diversity of peoples flocking to Jesus. Galilee and Judea, including the city of Jerusalem, are Israelite territories. Idumea, south...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Obviously, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. But for the Pharisees, doing good refers to observing the practices of the Sabbath like resting from work and attending to the synagogue services. It excludes what Jesus does—healing a man with a withered hand—which is a...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Hebrew shabbath means to cease or to rest. The Sabbath day commemorated God’s day of rest after he finished the work of creation. It was a sign of the covenant between God and his people. “Remember the Sabbath day—keep it holy,” God commanded his people (Ex 20:8). And...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The only fast prescribed in the Torah of Moses was that of the Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement (Lv 16:31). Regular fasting became common in later Judaism when pious Jews fasted twice a week out of devotion. Some occasionally fasted out of grief. However, some fasted for a...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Matthew 18:1-5, 10 Bible scholars note that Matthew had gathered Jesus’ teachings in five discourses or “books,” probably after the “five books” of Moses or the Pentateuch. The fourth book is often called the “Church Order” discourse, but rather than...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In Capernaum, when it is made known that Jesus is at home (probably in Simon’s house), people flock to the house, some bringing with them their sick, like the paralyzed man. Mark mentions “mat” (“bed” in Matthew and Luke) and the “(thatched) roof” (“tiles” in...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Leprosy is a sickness that makes a person unclean, not only physically, but also ritually. The suffering of those who are afflicted is more psychological than physical. Lepers were ostracized and kept away from the community. Despite his need to be cleansed, it is interesting that...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mark 1:29-39 The Jews and other Mediterranean people in Jesus’ time were patrilocal. As norm, the woman would stay in her husband’s house, or in the house of her married son, not with the family of her married daughter who now belonged to her...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Gospel • Mark 1:21-28 The power that Jesus shows in driving out the unclean spirits (demons) is a manifestation that the dominion of God is now being established over the “dominion of Belial,” freeing human beings from the subjection of the devil. Ancient peoples...
