Sir 6:5ff. Let your friends be tried and trusted.A faithful friend is a tonic for those who fear God. Mark 10:1ff. Jesus’ condemnation of divorce and remarriage. Marriage and Friendship The gospel applies to marriage the ultimate conclusions to be reached from Sirach, about friendship and truthfulness. Though our acquaintances be many, only “one in…
Sir 5:1ff. Rely not on your wealth nor on your strength; do not delay your conversion to the Lord. Mark 9:41ff. A drink of water given to a follower of Christ will be rewarded; warning against scandal; primacy of the eternal life. Primacy of the Hereafter Some lurid statements must be taken figuratively, for in…
Sir 4:11ff. The following of wisdom which brings happiness and reveals life’s deepest secrets. Mark 9:38ff. Jesus corrects the apostles for blocking a man, not of their group, from casting out devils in his name. Wisdom Dearly Bought While Sirach, the wise old head of a Jerusalem school of practical philosophy, tends towards caution and…
Feast of The Chair of St Peter The early Christians in Rome celebrated the memory of the day when the Apostle held his first service with the faithful of the Eternal City, under the title “Cath. Petri In Roma” (the Chair of Peter in Rome)” The earlier tradition was to celebrate this on 18 January….
Sir 1:1ff. All wisdom comes from God and returns to him.It produces fear of the Lord, and gives length to our days. Mark 9:14ff. The mute spirit which convulses the boy is driven out by Jesus’ faith and prayer. Qualities of True Prayer Three great and related moments in Mark’s gospel – Jesus’ baptism, transfiguration…
Theme Our instinct of self-preservation makes us naturally resent and resist those who do us wrong. But unresolved hatred can come between us and our loving God, who wants us to be more forgiving, like him. St Paul’s great collective image of the church as a living temple, into which each of us is built,…
Hebrews 11:1ff. Some famous incidents from the origins of the human race (Gen 1-11) that make clear how faith is assurance of what we hope for, and do not see. Mark 9:2ff. Jesus’ transfiguration, when he appears in glory between his major fore-runners, Moses and Elijah. Faith and Visions The need for faith is not…
Gen 11:1ff. When people sought independence from God, their language is scrambled and they are dispersed. Mark 8:34ff. One must lose one’s life in order to save it.What is the good of gaining the whole world and losing oneself? Conflicting Aspirations The tower of Babel and the hill of Calvary: two ways of approaching heaven…
Gen 9:1ff. The rainbow, a perpetual sign of God’s covenant with Noah and the human race. Blood and life belong to God. Mark 8:27ff. Peter confesses Jesus as the Messiah; then he is reprimanded for rejecting the Passion prediction. The Cross And The Rainbow The two great signs of the covenant between God and the…
Gen 8:6ff. From the dove Noah learns that the flood is over and offers sacrifice.The Lord promises never again to destroy the earth. Mark 8:22ff. Jesus cures the blind man in stages, secretely, with spittle and the touch of his hands. Maturing by Stages The gospel suggests the long, gradual process by which we come…
Gen 6:5ff. The beginning of Noah’s flood, caused by human wickedness; the Lord’s regret at creating the human race. Mark 8:14ff. Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees! Jesus is amazed at the blindness of his disciples. A Word Deeply Rooted On first reading today’s texts are focussed on externals. We are fascinated by the…
Saints Cyril and Methodius, Patrons of Europe Saints Cyril and Methodius were two Byzantine brothers born in Thessalonika, northern Greece, in the 9th century They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Great Moravia and Pannonia (modern Czech Republic and Hungary). Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for…
Theme Perhaps our greatest human quality is our freedom to choose, to freely opt for quality in our lives and our relationships. The Bible sets great store on our responsibility to serve God freely, and to show loving respect towards our neighbour. This does deeper than the commandments, though they are great pointers towards what…
Gen 3:9ff. The Lord sentences the serpent, and Adam and Eve, who are expelled from the garden. Mark 8:1ff. Jesus, out of compassion for hungry people, multiplies bread and fish for about four thousand people. Sentenced and Reprieved In Genesis we have heard how our first parents are condemned to return to the ground from…
(There is an optional memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes) Gen 3:1ff. Woman and man disobey God and attempt to hide from him in the garden; now their nakedness makes them ashamed. Mark 7:31ff. Jesus cures a man who was deaf and dumb, and the people are amazed as his power. Paradise Lost and Found…
Gen 2:18ff. God forms woman who alone of all earth’s creatures stands equal to man; they are to be joined as one body. Mark 4:24ff. By humble, persevering faith, a Syro-Phoenician woman induces Jesus to cure her daughter, despite his initial reluctance. Generosity between the Sexes Women hold the centre stage in today’s readings. In…
Gen 2:5ff. God creates Adam and sets him in the garden to cultivate it, forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Mark 7:14ff. What renders us impure is not what enters us from outside but rather the wickedness in the deep recesses of the heart. Wisdom from Above The…
Gen 1:20ff. After forming man and woman to the divine likeness,God rested and blessed the seventh day. Mark 7:1ff. Jesus brands it a crime to nullify the plain sense of God’s word by recourse to human traditions and practices. God’s Dwelling on Earth The Scriptures for today proclaim the sacredness of the created world. In…
Gen 1:1ff. God creates light, the sky, the earth and the sun, the moon and stars, on the first four days of creation. Mark 6:53ff. Wherever Jesus went, the sick were brought to him.Whoever touched him got well, due to the combination of his healing power and the sick person’s faith. Where is the Real…
Theme Tyranny and oppression still flourish in many parts of the world. Other facets of unfairness and structural abuses often stare us in the face, closer to home, such as long-term poverty, unemployment and homelessness. Christ’s message calls for our solidarity with people in dire need. How seriously do we take his call and challenge,…
