Tag Archive for ‘Jesus’
Thursday 14 June
1 Kings 18: 41-46. Psalm 65, Matthew 5: 20-26 Important words Jesus is giving teachings about loving kindness, and yet his statements seem unusually harsh. Why? To understand this, we need to know something about the Aramaic way of giving emphasis to a message. Exaggeration has a specific function. The greater the exaggeration, the more […]
Wednesday 13 June
St Anthony of Padua 1 Kings 18:20-39, Psalm 16, Matthew 5:17-19 Fulfilment of the Law We have a clearer picture of this gospel reading if we see that it follows the Beatitudes. It’s in the Beatitudes that Jesus revealed the fulfilment of the rules and regulations that were so important to the scribes and Pharisees. […]
Tuesday 12 June
1 Kings 17: 7-16, Psalm 4, Matthew 5: 13-16 Inner light In Judaism, it is said that the soul is a spark of God, and it’s our task on this earth to fan that spark into a flame. These verses from Matthew tell us that Jesus, the great fire of God, said much the same […]
Sunday 10 June
TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Genesis 3:9-15, Psalm 129, 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1, Mark 3, 20-35 The politics of fear In many of the gospel readings this last week we see Jesus criticised by fear-filled people. With two thousand years of hindsight, we have 20/20 vision. But how do we react today when someone offers spiritual […]
Saturday 9 June
Immaculate Heart of Mary Isaiah 61:9-11, Canticle 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Luke 2:41-51 Distraught parents Only Luke gives us a glimpse of Jesus as a boy, and it’s a very human story. At 12, Jesus is close to being recognized as an adult and no doubt he has a lot to discuss with the teachers in […]
Friday 8 June
SACRED HEART Hosea 11:1,3-4,8-9, Canticle Isaiah 12:1-6, Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19, John 19:31-37 The Pierced Heart The Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most significant symbols of our faith. When we are committed to answering Jesus’ call, he not only walks with us, he also reveals that our lives are echoes of his. It’s […]
Thursday 7 June
2 Timothy 2:8-15, Psalm 25, Mark 12: 28-34 The Kingdom of God The Jewish phrase ‘The Kingdom of God’ was for those who had grown into mature faith. Today we would probably describe it as ‘enlightenment.’ The scribe in Mark’s gospel had been listening to debates and arguments based on law. He asked Jesus what […]
Wednesday 6 June
ST MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT 2 Timothy 1:1-3,6-12, Psalm 123, Mark 12:18-27 Life after life The Pharisees believed in the continuation of the soul. The Sadducees did not. Here, we see another trick question from the second-to-largest group of Jewish teachers. The enquiry is based on ignorance and Jesus is quick to deal with it. His insights […]
Tuesday 5 June
St Boniface 2 Peter 3: 11-15,17-18, Psalm 90, Mark 12: 13-17 Trick Question In today’s gospel, the Pharisees were sure they had Jesus cornered. The law of Moses cited God as the only sovereign to receive tribute. So was it lawful to pay taxes to the Romans? Jesus cleverly used a coin to have the […]
Saturday 2 June
Jude 17: 20-25, Psalm 63, Mark 11: 27-33 Divine authority The Pharisees used legalistic language to trap Jesus. Their words were designed to condemn him, no matter which way he answered. Here, they question his authority. This suggests that Jesus had not been trained as a Pharisee and they considered him an outsider. I carry […]
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