Tag Archive for ‘Pharisees’
Thursday 13 June
ST ANTHONY OF PADUA, PRIEST, DOCTOR 2 Corinthians 3:15-4:1, 3-6; Psalm 85; Matthew 5:20-26. The virtue of the Pharisees Obedience to the law was the special virtue practised by the Scribes and Pharisees. Their righteousness offended Jesus and evoked his fury. Jesus came with a message that offered new life. We are no longer required […]
Saturday 9 March
Isaiah 58:9-14; Psalm 86; Luke 5:27-32 Forgiving others In the Gospel today, the Lord is calling sinners to repentance. He is offering them new life and a way to break free from what enslaves them. The Pharisees say they want this too. But the difference is that Jesus wants to be close to sinners to […]
Tuesday 12 February
Genesis 1:20-2:4; Psalm 8; Mark 7:1-13 God’s image We are made in the image of God, and this can never be lost. Our likeness to God may be damaged, and even lost, through our wilfulness and sin. The Lord always calls us back, though, just as he called the Pharisees and scribes, for he has […]
Thursday 15 November
Philemon 7-20; Ps 146; Luke 17:20-25 The question is Jesus really puts the question of the coming of the Kingdom back onto the Pharisees – ‘the Kingdom of God is among you’. It is already here, so what are you going to do about it? How prepared are we for that message? What are we […]
Saturday 18 August
Ezekiel 18:1-13, 30-32; Psalm 51; Matthew 19:13-15 Do not stop them. The disciples, Jesus’ best friends, sometimes operated as bouncers. They thought they knew what he wanted, who he liked. Tired after arguments with the Pharisees, they wanted a break. Then people started pushing children towards him. The disciples responded “get outta here,” “take them […]
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 […]
Tuesday 20 March
Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 102:2-3, 16-21; John 8:21-30 He who sent me is with me The rebellious impatience of the people and the blind opposition of the Pharisees confronted Moses and Jesus. In each situation, God offers the balm of mercy. The Lord to Moses: “Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If […]
Tuesday 27 February
Isaiah 1:10, 16-20; Psalm 50; Matthew 23:1-12 Obedience is something active “Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed” – that is how obedience to God expresses itself in the way we are to live. Otherwise, obedience becomes a word empty of conviction, and we are no different from […]
Tuesday 13 February
James 1:12-18; Psalm 94; Mark 8:14-21 Choosing the true bread In our Gospel reading, Jesus tries to get his disciples to look beyond their stomachs and to understand who he really is. Feeding a multitude from a few loaves of bread is, indeed, humanly impossible – but, for God, all things are possible – so, […]
Sunday 5 November
31st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Malachi 1:14-2:2, 8-10; Psalm 131, I Thessalonians 2:7-9, 13; Matthew 23:1-12 Good example is encouraging The teacher who says to others, “Do this,” and does the opposite, loses credibility very quickly. We hope people will practice what they preach. Jesus often took issue with the Pharisees for this very reason. […]
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