Tag Archive for ‘mercy’
Sunday 9 July
FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Zechariah 9:9–10; Psalm 145; Romans 8:9,11–13; Matthew 11:25–30 Yoke of God A yoke was a frame used to control animals. Under the yoke of Egypt or Rome was a way of speaking of oppressive rulers and nations. The word translated as ‘wearied’ was used for beatings, physical weariness from work, […]
Friday 7 July
Genesis 23:1–4,19–24:1– 8, 62–67; Psalm 106; Matthew 9:9–13 Jesus embodies mercy Within healings of outsiders, Jesus calls a marginalized Jew to follow him. The tax collector, Matthew, belongs to a despised group who collaborated with the occupying Romans and were thought to be dishonest. Jesus and his disciples join tax collectors and sinners for dinner. […]
Tuesday 4 April
Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 102; John 8:21-30 What I have learnt … Jesus has learnt God’s mercy and compassion from the Father, and has declared it to the world. He has done nothing that was not in accord with his Father’s will, and as a consequence he was lifted up on the cross. The fruit of […]
Thursday 30 March
Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 106; John 5:31-47 Our testimony Jesus castigates the Jewish leaders for refusing to accept all his miracles as evidence that he came from God. ‘These same deeds testify that the Father has sent me.’ We, Christ’s disciples, are also ‘sent’ by God, to bring his love, compassion, healing and mercy to others, […]
Friday 17 March
St Patrick Jeremiah 1:4-9; Psalm 106; Acts 13:46-49; Luke 10:1-2, 17-20 Proclaiming the Good News In both his words and his actions Jesus proclaimed the good news of salvation, that God is a loving, compassionate and merciful God, who extends an invitation to all – Jews and gentiles, saints and sinners, — to enter his […]
Saturday 4 March
Isaiah 58:9-14; Psalm 86; Luke 5:27-32 Dinner with Jesus Can you envisage the dinner conversation between Jesus and the ‘tax collectors and sinners’? Would he have admonished them for their sinful lifestyles? I doubt it. Small talk? Probably. Questioning them about themselves? Yes. Answering their (many) questions? Certainly. But, most importantly, by his conversations with […]
Thursday 23 February
St Polycarp Ecclesiasticus 5:1-8; Psalm 118; Mark 9:41-50 Your darkness Sometimes our sinfulness puts us into a dark place. Guilt and shame can weigh heavily and may dominate our moods and thinking. Rainer Maria Rilke has a poem in which he observes that darkness also has a positive side to it. It has a special […]
Saturday 18 February
Hebrews 11:1-7; Psalm 145; Mark 9:2-13 My beloved Jesus is the beloved of God. Our faith and our life of prayer are founded on our belief that Jesus came to us from God. In him, we see the face of God. In him, too, we encounter God’s compassion and love for us, God’s mercy and […]
Tuesday 7 February
Saints Paul Miki and his Companions, Martyrs Genesis 1:20-2:4; Psalm 8; Mark 7:1-13 In the image of God God saw that all things he created were good and blessed them. Among the most blessed of God’s creation is man, male and female, made in God’s own image and likeness. The reading in Genesis challenges us […]
Monday 30 January
Hebrews 11:32-40; Psalm 30:20-24; Mark 5:1-20 Welcoming Jesus One of the most striking things in today’s Gospel is that the local people, instead of being grateful for what Jesus has done in their area, beg him to leave the neighbourhood. We can be like them – keen for God to help us but frightened when […]
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