Pray

Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? Once again Jesus faces the judgment of religious leaders.  The Pharisees note that Jesus’ disciples do not fast as do those of John and the Pharisees.  Jesus simply responds that the wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is there.  Taking the gospels in […]

Your sins are forgiven Jesus looks up and sees a stretcher being lowered through the roof.  Around the hole made in the roof are the four friends of the paralytic.  It must have been quite a surprise to the crowd and more so for the owner of the house!  Jesus responds to this act of

Let us kneel before the Lord who made us Today we reflect on the psalm of the liturgy, particularly the response: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” The portion used for the liturgy begins by inviting us to kneel before the Lord who made us.  We are reminded to whom we

He cured many who were sick Jesus is having a busy day healing and preaching.  The first healing of the day is Peter’s mother-in-law. Jesus touches her hand, and she is healed of her fever.  Her encounter with Christ results in an immediate response of serving others. She serves as an example of how we

What is man that you are mindful of him Today’s first reading continues exploring the nature of Jesus as fully human and fully divine.  As human he became lower than the angels and as divine, all things were subjected under his feet.  Of the many points that the author of Hebrews makes, one of the

Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men Jesus passes by Simon and Andrew, and then a little later he passes by James and John.  We don’t know what happened prior to this “passing by.” Regardless, there was something remarkably compelling about Jesus to cause these four fishermen to drop their nets

I do will it. Be made clean A man with leprosy goes to Jesus seeking healing.  Since few, if any of us, have ever seen leprosy, we cannot imagine what he may have looked like at this stage nor what he has thus far suffered.  We know that a leper lived completely isolated from his

We love God because he first loved us The first reading continues its journey through chapter 4 of 1 John.  We are reminded that God loved us first, but that love is not to stay with us alone. We are given a commandment that we must love our brother and sister, something easier to do

If God so loved us, we also must love one another The verses found in 1 John 4 are quoted often on signs and cards; so much so that the profundity of the words can pass through quickly.  Yet this chapter has deep meaning with many themes.  Here are but a few: -God so loved

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity Jesus has been teaching for much of the day.  He realizes that it is impossible to send them away without something to eat and challenges his disciples to respond to their needs.  They take Jesus quite literally and only refer to a few