“Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” The words of the blind beggar from today’s Gospel echo in our hearts. How many times have we had the same prayer? ‘Let this suffering end!’, ‘See that I am perishing!’, ‘You can do all things, let this chalice pass from me!’,…
The year is slowly winding down. We feel it in the shorter days, the cooler air, and the quiet sense that another chapter is closing. In two weeks, the Church’s liturgical year will end, and Advent will usher in a new beginning. The readings at this time of the year…
Prayer sits at the heart of the spiritual life, and Jesus teaches it through his words and actions. As God, he did not need to pray, yet he prayed constantly, showing us how vital prayer is for communion with the Father. He began his ministry with fasting and prayer (Matthew…
Created things can easily draw our gaze away from the One who fashioned them. The world is drenched in goodness, so much so that its radiance can eclipse our desire to look beyond it. A simple domestic scene teaches the point: once a meal is served, the cook is forgotten;…
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, the Word of God today invites us to open our hearts to the very mystery of God’s presence in our lives. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom paints an image of divine wisdom as a living spirit, full of light and goodness.…
Rigorous scrutiny of those in power. Today’s first reading at Mass contains a warning for those in power to rule justly, as God would. The broader application The opening verses of the passage warn those who rule over others to “hear” and “learn” as one who is guided by humility.…
“We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do”. (Luke 17:10) · LI Unprofitable? In what sense? Does it mean that we are of no use at all? Jesus did not say these words in today’s Gospel to humiliate us or make us feel we are…
Have you ever wondered what allows some people to believe, while others do not? What special trait or disposition of mind equips one person to participate in faith, while another continues in his own ways? Why do some souls readily see the deeper layers of reality, while others see only…
The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica is a reminder that the Church is our home in God. It is also an invitation to reverence God in our bodies as God’s living temple. The Church refers to the Lateran Basilica as “Mater et Caput,” meaning “mother and head”…
Dear friends, in today’s Gospel (Luke 16:9–15), Jesus reminds us of something deeply challenging, namely, the importance of being faithful and trustworthy in the small things of life. He tells us that those who can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much. At first glance, the passage…