Solomon prayed for the gift of discernment, something that we all need as our guide in making decisions. All things have their own intrinsic value, but if we over-value any of our favourite “things”, we devalue God. Deep down, I need to loosen my grip on what is transient, and hold firm to what is eternal, in the spirit of faith-filled discernment. I need to find what is the real treasure, the one thing really worth
This summer Sunday, those who gather for worship rejoice in many gifts, including the promise that all will share in Christ’s glory. At Mass, they give thanks for these treasures, as they continue on the journey to the fullness of the kingdom of heaven.
(from an address of pope Benedict XVI in St Peter’s Square, October 28, 2010.)
I would like to present the figure of St Bridget of Sweden, co-patroness of Europe, her message, and the reasons why this woman has much to teach — even today — to the Church and to the world. We know well the events of her life, because
(by Jane Williams). In recent years St Mary Magdalene must have become one of the best known characters of the early church. Yet even before Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code she seems to have been a woman around whom myths and legends have gathered.
The Scriptures identify two different moments in our lives: first, as in Exodus we are fired with dreams and visions; later these early ideals become memories to inspire us anew and correct our meandering ways. Sometimes in the gospel God speaks to us plainly, at other times in riddles.
Today we begin reading from Jeremiah, one of the most influential prophets, whose impact on the popular piety of Israel was immense. The fame of Jeremiah probably explains why the book is textually so mixed up, between the Hebrew and its early Greek translation. A book that is in such
The Exodus text and the final prayer in Micah both tell of Israel’s liberation and journey towards the promised land; and each stresses Israel’s separateness from all other nations. Matthew, on the contrary, sees Jesus forming a new family of outsiders, based on “whoever does the will of my Father.” This qualification
How few of us are willing to really trust in God. We are like the Israelites, who after their release from Egypt were still fearful that God would abandon them in the desert. Unless they could see immediate solutions that did away with all risk, the people complained and put this bitter question to Moses:
At the start of Mass for this mid-July Sunday, the celebrant may greet the people in these words: “We have been called together by the Spirit of God to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The Spirit teaches us to pray, and moves us to glorify the Lord’s name.”
The Spirit of Jesus helps us in our weakness; and God has sown the good seed in our hearts. We have all that we need to make our lives successful, with the help of the divine mercy. The power to pray, to be in conversation with our God, is given to every one of us. In the end, we must entrust everything to Providence, that all will turn out for the best.
Each of these responses, towards gentiles (foreigners) or natives (fellow-Israelites) is reflected in our own lives. These texts invite us to learn wisdom. Despite the stringent separation of the chosen people from the non-chosen Egyptians, foreigners continue to have a role in
Ther are various ways of responding to God’s law. Exodus provides a careful set of rules for the celebration of Passover , while Matthew give examples of adapting the law to meet the circumstances. In fact, Exodus 12 contains two sets of regulations for Passover.
The long night is coming to an end. The yearning through the darkness is almost over and Israel is about to be liberated from slavery. We not only learn to appreciate God’s presence with us in our suffering, but come to realize that salvation must be shared before it can be accomplished.
Today’s gospel lets us eavesdrop on a secret moment of revelation, for we are not simply told that Jesus stole away to spend time in prayer; we get a rare opportunity to hear the actual words of his prayer. In Exodus we watch in awe as Moses approaches the burning bush in reverential fear, and hear
The gospel puts in question the purpose of miracles. Both Chorazin and Capernaum witness many miracles, yet the people in those cities at the northwest corner of the Lake of Galilee remained unconvinced by the message of Jesus and he
Benedict , the founder of western monasticism, was born at Nursia, c. 480 and died at Monte Cassino in the year 543. The earliest life of Benedict, in St Gregory’s “Dialogues”, is more character sketch than biography,
On this July Sunday, Christians gather as pilgrims on a journey, asking God to keep them steadfast until they reach their eternal home: “In the Spirit, let us worship God who cares for us according to our needs.”
We celebrate Christ the gardener, who came to sow the seed of God’s word in our world. The fate of that seed depends on the type of soil where it is sown. The growth of his grace in our lives all depends on how we receive it. Adding a very hopeful note, St Paul assures us that all of creation is in a state of evolutionary growth, to become all that God wants it to be: his own flourishing “Kingdom”.
In the tradition of dedicating Saturdays to Mary, the mother of Jesus, we can blend all the crisscrossing ways of life, which converge in the mystery of divine providence.
There is no logical order in the various maxims gathered in the Gospel. In fact, the some of same maxims are quoted in other gospels while giving them a different application. To get their meaning,
Today’s texts are appropriate for Friday, the day when we commemorate the death of Jesus on the cross. We read of tears of agony and persecution as well as of joy and relief. Joseph and Jacob weep over their long separation and final reunion. The gospel too, while it does not mention tears, implies them as brother hands brother over to death, and children “turn against parents and have them put to death.”
