The Gospel Passage: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? …Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that…
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After presenting the Beatitudes, the keys that reveal where happiness lies (the Gospel of yesterday, Lk 6:20-26), Jesus now indicates the way to reach that true happiness. It is a hard path full of thorns, but worth taking. His words, in the Gospel of today, are demanding. “Love your enemies.”…
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Years ago, I first mustered the courage to walk into a Catholic church, and I imagined I would stand out like a sore thumb. I assumed the people there would turn me out as soon as they saw me. As far as I knew, churches were for Caucasians who had…
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I strongly believe that ardent Catholics are children of God. Our mission is to become good and obedient children of God, as we are his children, after all. We are his work, as we are his children, so he is compassionate to us, whether we know it or not. What…
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The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a celebration of the birth of a historical figure, Mary, the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary’s birthday is itself a profound reminder of God’s faithful and mysterious providence. Mary’s birth, quiet and hidden from the eyes of…
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In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple. Our Blessed Lord addresses us today with very difficult words, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life,…
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Today’s Gospel presents us with an incident on the Sabbath with the disciples. The parallel text in Matthew’s Gospel reads “At that time, Jesus was going through a field of grain,” Saint Thomas Aquinas says that this phrase “at that time,” is actually quite important, because it means that Christ…
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Every Friday, during Lent, we fast in the seminary. Following the invitation made by the readings of Ash Wednesday, we make a sign during lunch, and instead of eating a regular meal, we only have bread and water. We eat in silence, while a seminarian reads an account taken from…
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Today’s Entrance Antiphon draws us straight into the heart of Peter’s cry in the Gospel: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all day long. O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of mercy to all who call to you.” This is the heart of…
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As I meditate on today’s Gospel, the following phrase stands out to me: “At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place” (Lk 4:42). When we zoom out and look at the rest of the Gospel, we will notice how often Jesus pulls away from His ministry in order…
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