Daily Reflections
The last segment of today’s gospel (Mark 6, 30-34; 34,) reads: “his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” The first reading (Hebrews 13, 15-17, 20-21), already opens up the themes where Jesus is…
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John the Baptist was a man that easily stood out from the crowd. He was a powerful preacher that spoke of a coming Messiah that would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He lived in the desert and survived on locusts and wild honey. Today’s Gospel recalls that, despite…
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Catholics are being criticized for their devotion to the angels and the saints. Non-Catholics do not understand why anyone should ask the angels or the saints to intercede for them since Jesus is the only mediator between God and man. The first reading of today explains to us why we…
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When I was a kid, I received a lot of corrections from my parents, especially from my mother. Evidently, I did not like to be corrected or to be told “no”. I remember that one time (I must have been seven or eight years old), after receiving a strong correction…
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In today’s Gospel, I hear God the Father speaking through Christ to us, His Daughters, and Sons, both then and now. In His encounters with the man and the woman, the Lord’s words of love are those of the Father for His children. A Woman and Jairus Amidst the crowds,…
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Years ago, I engaged in a heated game of ultimate frisbee. During the match, one of the veteran players had the reputation for sprinting down the field, frisbee in hand, while crying aloud: “How much do you want it!?” Again and again, he’d shout throughout the game, “How much do…
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In today’s Gospel passage (Luke 2:22-40), we encounter Simeon and Anna—two individuals who eagerly awaited the redemption of Israel. Their lives were marked by expectation and hope for the salvation of their people. As we reflect on the liturgical celebration of the Presentation of the Lord, these two themes—expectation and…
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This line from the Letter to the Hebrews struck me in a new way today: “All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar…” (Hebrew 11:13). Faith is the theme of today’s reflection. Pastoral ministry exposes a priest…
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In his encyclical ‘Spes Salvi’ (Saved in Hope), Benedict XVI distinguished two words from our first reading today. These are “endurance” and “drawing back,” as our lectionary translation puts it. Endurance is perseverance, patiently enduring trials as to receive what God has promised. The Greek word used by the Letter…
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I was recently in the hospital for some major surgery, and Praise be to God, things turned out okay . During this serious time, I put extra effort into putting my lamp on the lampstand (like in Mark’s writing of today), to let my light shine. I used Jesus’ name…
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