CHRIST THE KING

Jn 18:33-37Dear Friends, Today’s readings on this last Sunday of the Church Year have a clear and powerful message. Besides the celebration of the Jesus beginning the reign of God, we also celebrate the invitation into divine life that Jesus offers so generously.In the Gospel of John, the story of Jesus...

Read More

THEN THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN THE CLOUDS

Thirty Third Sunday of Ordinary TimeMk 13:24-32Dear Friends, The apocalyptic language that Mark uses in today’s gospel passage lends itself to many interpretations. It is deeply rooted in the many visionary messages of the Old Testament. This language points to Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of God....

Read More

THE ILLUSION OF WEALTH MAKES US THINK WE ARE IN CONTROL

Thirty Second Sunday of Ordinary TimeMark 12:38-44Dear Friends, Today’s gospel places the self-promotion of the Scribes and the heroic generosity of the poor widow in disparity to each other. In the person of the widow, we are offered an example of true piety and faithfulness. On the other hand, we...

Read More

YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

Thirty First Sunday of Ordinary TimeMk 12:28-34 Dear Friends, In his response the scribe’s question, Jesus begins with the phrase, “Hear O Israel! (Mk 12:29) These words hold profound significance in understanding Jesus’ statement on love of God and love of neighbor. First of all, he places his response...

Read More

WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU

Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary TimeMark 10: 46-52Dear Friends,For two and half chapters (Mk 8:22-10:52), Mark has Jesus challenging the disciples to realize his singular goal is to follow the Father’s will. In this commitment to go to Jerusalem there are clear consequences. He declared these consequences:...

Read More

THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED

Twenty Ninth Sunday of Ordinary TimeMk 10:35-45Dear Friends,Today’s passage from Mark is preceded by the most detailed foretelling of the passion and death. In fact, in Mark’s story, Good Friday was only six days later.This is Mark’s third episode of Jesus with the disciples on the road to Jerusalem....

Read More

SO YOU WILL HAVE A TREASURE IN HEAVEN

The Twenty Eighth Sunday of Ordinary TimeMark 10:17-30Dear Friends,Right after my ordination in 1962, a very good friend, Bob, gave me a challenge. He asked me to talk to his sister and guide her back to the Church. She had become an Evangelical and he was heart-broken about it. I was sure it would...

Read More

LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME

Twenty Seventh Sunday of Ordinary TimeMk 10:2-16Dear Friends,The seemingly arbitrary connection between the issue of divorce and the rejection of the children highlights Jesus’ teaching on human relations. Jesus consistently called us beyond the legalistic and limiting formulas of the law. His was a...

Read More

DO NOT PREVENT THEM

Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary TimeMark 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48.Dear Friends, What seems like a simple lesson in Mark’s gospel passage for today, offers us a lot more. The teaching is about the presence of good outside the community and brokenness inside the community. Once again, Jesus’s words call us...

Read More

WHOEVER RECEIVES ONE CHILD SUCH AS THIS IN MY NAME, RECEIVES ME

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary TimeMark 9:30-37 Dear Friends, Our Catholic Faith is often described as a service from the cradle to the grave. Actually, we are very emphatic that it starts before the cradle at the moment of conception. I think we all have difficulty with this universal demand...

Read More

“WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

The Twenty Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time Mk 8:27-35 Dear Friends, This encounter between Jesus and Peter identifies the centerpiece of Mark’s Gospel. The rich description of Jesus’ activities up to this point in Mark’s Gospel leads to the critical question of Jesus, “Who do you say I am?”...

Read More

Ephphatha

Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary TimeMark 7:31-37 Dear Friends, In the world that Mak addresses in his Gospel, the people had a much more intense outlook about the devil than is the case in our day. For them, the basic conflict of good and evil was a struggle between God and the power of darkness residing...

Read More

THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR FROM ME

Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary TimeMark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23Dear Friends.Often in the Gospels, we find that Jesus’ conflict with the Pharisees and Scribes leads to a deeper dimension of his message. In today’s passage from Mark, Jesus addresses the distortion of the purity laws. Over time, these good...

Read More

“MASTER, TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?

Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary TimeJohn 6:60-69Dear Friends, In these last five weeks we have been pondering Jesus as the Bread of Life. The heart of the lesson is that Jesus is the revelation of God, a saving God who calls us to eternal life through his beloved Son. “It is the spirit that gives life;...

Read More

JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE

Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary TimeJohn 6:51-58Dear Friends, Today we continue our journey with John’s theme of the Bread of Life. Up to this point, the message has been Jesus the Bread of Life as a gift of wisdom. He is the full revelation of God including the loving plan of redemption and the call of...

Read More

JESUS AS THE BREAD OF LIFE IN THE EUCHARIST

Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary TimeJohn 6:41-51Dear Friends, In today’s liturgy we continue the discourse on the Bread of Life in chapter six of John’s Gospel. Jesus’ message emphasizes his identity as the Bread of Life. It is only through him, as the Bread of Life, that we will get to know the Father....

Read More

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE

Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary TimeJohn 6:24-35 Dear Friends, The folks in today’s Gospel were happy with the free meal of fish and bread but they had their eyes on much bigger stakes. They were hoping Jesus would be the answer to the centuries’ old longing for a return to glory for Israel. They...

Read More

JESUS ​​TOOK THE LOAVES AND DISTRIBUTED THEM

Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary timeJn 6:1-15Dear Friends, For the next five weeks we move from Mark to John for our gospel readings. We take time to consider selections from Johnn’s Discourse on the Bread of Life in his marvelous chapter six. John presents two major themes in this remarkable teaching...

Read More

HIS HEART WAS MOVED WITH PITY FOR THEM

Dear Friends, Jesus has a plan to take the disciples away for rest and prayer. He is sidetracked by the large gathering of people. Mark says, “His heart was moved with pity for them.” (Mk 6:34)Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 6:30-34This Greek word that is here translated, pity, is used two...

Read More

OUR CHRISTIAN CALL TO BE MISSIONARY DISCIPLES

Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary timeMk6:6-13Dear Friends, Jesus invited the Apostles to join the battle between good and evil, sin and grace. Their weapons were their experience with Jesus, the power of God’s word, the call to confront the demons and the healing power of God revealed in Jesus. These elements...

Read More