Posts by Jerry DeMelo Jr.
We are Sheep Among Wolves
“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.” Mt 10:16. The discipleship command given to the Apostles and to us as His disciples, seems difficult to understand. Has anyone ever met sheep that are as shrewd as serpents? We have an idiom…
Read MoreI Have Come to Fulfill the Law
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one…
Read MoreSolemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Most of us who are fans of the Star Wars movie series remember the 1999 release of the so-called Episode 1, which was, in fact, the fourth Star Wars movie. The idea was to go back in time to events preceding the previous three movies. In Daniel Chapter 7, we have a director’s cut of…
Read MoreThe Prestigious House of Hillel
The Story of a Family: At the time of Christ, two prominent Rabbinic schools guided the people in understanding the Torah. The two founders of these schools, Hillel and Shammai, were the most influential rabbis of the day. These two academies vigorously debated ritual practices, ethics, and theology. Indeed, Jesus would at times cite and…
Read MoreThe Cure of the Crippled Man at the Pool of Bethesda
Allegorical Background: The pool of Bethesda, known for its five porticoes, was special in a unique way.Periodically, an angel stirred its waters, and it was known that the first person to enterthe waters would be healed of his affliction. As such, many crippled and infirm peoplesurrounded the pool awaiting the stirring in the hope that…
Read MoreJames and his Letter of Contradictions
Who Was the Author of the Letter of James? Lokobos Mikros, more commonly known as James the Less, or James the Younger – an apostle and first bishop of Jerusalem wrote the Letter of James. He was also one of the brothers of the Lord, a fact that can be discerned by a careful reading…
Read MoreThe Healing of the Paralytic
The Setting for the Miracle: The healing of the paralyzed man by Jesus in Capernaum is covered in all three synoptic Gospels. It appears Our Lord had not returned in a public manner but had done so in a private way. Eventually, it became known that He was back in Peter’s house, and a large…
Read MoreThe Continuing Influence of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe is not just a symbol of faith or an accident of history. She has promoted unity without sacrificing cultural identity and her influence still transcends religious boundaries, extending into the realms of social justice thus leaving an indelible mark on the Americas. The Cultural Unifier The story of her apparition to…
Read MoreThe Parable of the Ten Virgins – a Jewish Insight
The Yom Kippur overlay: The parable of the Ten Virgins is centered around 10 Virgins awaiting a long-delayed Bridegroom who would arrive and open the doors to a Wedding Feast. It was important to be prepared for His arrival, for once he entered the doors would be locked. To fully understand the parable, we must…
Read MorePersistence – Lack of Faith or Hope in Action
Knocking on a Friend’s Door: “Here you go, since you persisted in waking up all of my children to give you bread. Now go home and quit bothering us.” -A paraphrase. Today’s Gospel begins with the parable of a man who at midnight goes to a friend seeking bread loaves to feed a traveler who…
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