Listen To the Bible! | King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus continues to teach the people the true meaning of purity. In preceding verses, Jesus has told the scribes they are hypocrites, with a mistaken idea of what truly constitutes prayer, who lead people through their teachings to distorted and false understandings of how to love God and how to do well by other people within the community [ … ]
Jesus teaches us to be bold and to have faith and confidence in the light of persecutions. His listeners are told that, when they are accused, the Spirit will be with them, guiding their words such that they become a living testimony to Jesus. The Christians’ accusers will be unable to answer their words then – the force of their witness will be irresistible [ … ]
Saint Bernard returns us to the core Advent mystery: Christ comes to us not only in history and at the end of time, but also now—quietly, inwardly, transforming the heart. Bernard’s teaching is characteristically clear and architectural: three comings, three modes of divine presence, three points along the path of Christian life. Yet the emphasis is unwaveringly experiential. Bernard is not giving us a speculative map but a description of how grace actually works in the soul [ … ]
As Pope from 590 to 604, Pope Saint Gregory the Great (c. 540–604) led the Church during a time of great upheaval, marked by political instability, the collapse of Roman infrastructure, and the threat of barbarian invasions. Gregory’s interpretation of Job is deeply Christological and ecclesiological, meaning he sees Job as both a prefiguration of Christ and a representation of the Church. His exegesis follows the tradition of allegorical and moral interpretation that was common among the early Church Fathers, reading Scripture not only as historical narrative but as a living spiritual reality that speaks directly to the Christian experience [ … ]
The First Letter of Clement is one of the earliest post-New Testament Christian writings, dating to around 95 A.D. Clement was the third successor of Saint Peter as Bishop of Rome, and his letter was written to address a crisis in the Corinthian church, where a group of younger Christians had ousted their elders from leadership. Clement’s primary aim was to restore harmony and proper ecclesial order. Against this background, his call for unity, humility, and order takes on profound urgency [ … ]
Origen of Alexandria, also known as Origen Adamantius, lived during a formative period of Christian thought in the Roman East. His life was shaped by early Christian devotion, intense scriptural study, pastoral work, ecclesiastical conflict, and the intellectual currents of Alexandria and Caesarea. Origen’s writings occupy an important place in the history of biblical interpretation and early Christian theology. At the same time, doctrines associated with his name became sources of dispute long after his death, influencing the Catholic Church’s decision that he be not a saint [ … ]
Psalm 46 is a testament to God’s unwavering protection, strength, and sovereignty in the midst of life’s challenges. It is a source of solace, reminding readers of the enduring refuge found in God’s presence. This psalm is an enduring declaration of trust in God’s ultimate control over the world’s affairs, even in times of turmoil and uncertainty [ … ]
As I reflect upon the Annunciation to Mary, I am filled with a sense of awe and wonder at the way God works in our lives. The story of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary to announce that she will conceive and bear a son is a powerful reminder of God’s love and mercy, and of the miraculous ways in which He works in our lives [ … ]
On the Sabbath, the day of rest and prayer, the Jews would gather in synagogues to recite the Shema and the eighteen blessings, which would be followed by readings from the Book of the Law, the Pentateuch, and from the Prophets. In today’s Gospel verses, Jesus has returned home to Nazareth, where, in the synagogue, he volunteers to read [ … ]
Psalm 109 is unique and challenging. This psalm is often classified as one of the ‘imprecatory’ psalms due to its intense language of cursing and calls for judgment against the psalmist’s enemies. The psalm stands out for its raw emotion and the stark contrast it presents to the more familiar themes of praise and worship found in other psalms [ … ]
Psalm 76 is a hymn of praise that celebrates the mighty deeds of God and God’s sovereignty, particularly in times of victory and deliverance. It highlights the recognition of God’s presence in the land of Judah, the sacredness of His dwelling in Zion, and God’s power to subdue even the most formidable adversaries [ … ]
The paralyzed man would not have been able to come to Jesus without the help of his friends. It is his friends’ faith, and their initiative and bravery, as well as his own that work together to find a way to come to Jesus. Jesus is touched by their faith and their friendship. We may think now as well about the help we give others and the help which we receive from others, in matters of faith and as we confess our sins and seek spiritual healing. Our sins can be like a form of spiritual paralysis, in which condition we may rely a great deal on our friends to bring us back to Jesus [ … ]
Jesus has fed the multitude, the multiplication of loaves and fish prefiguring the Eucharist, through which all share, in community, the body and blood of Christ, becoming one. Now Jesus sends his disciples ahead of him, to cross the Sea of Galilee to the pagan regions on the other side, where the evangelizing mission will continue. There is symbolism here, as the early Christians are called upon by Matthew’s Gospel to make transition from the old observances to the new Law of Jesus’ love. Jesus meanwhile takes time alone to pray [ … ]
The image of children in these Bible verses is curious. We could read the lines as suggesting childishness, with one group of children expecting to amuse another and reacting peevishly when those others do not move according to the music they play. We could more broadly read these verses as suggesting a disconnect between various children, a failure of communication, recognition, response, which is emblematic of Christ and his followers and those who reject him …
In these verses of the Bible, Christ expresses the love of God for all people. Christ’s is not an exclusive calling, nor especially a calling to those who most clearly, visibly, seem to adhere to the requirements of the Old Law; he has come to bring home to God those who have wandered, sinners who have fallen far from the Law. When a sinner comes home to God, there is incredible rejoicing in heaven. So we, though we may sin, should never be afraid to return to the Church, to say sorry, confess our sins, and find forgiveness [ … ]
Jesus teaches us to be bold and to have faith and confidence in the light of persecutions. His listeners are told that, when they are accused, the Spirit will be with them, guiding their words such that they become a living testimony to Jesus. The Christians’ accusers will be unable to answer their words then – the force of their witness will be irresistible [ … ]
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the presence of the angel becomes a symbol of divine comfort and support during Jesus’ moment of utmost agony. As Jesus withdrew a stone’s cast away from his disciples and fell on the ground to pray, sweating blood, the world’s sins and crucifixion-horror pressed heavily upon him [ … ]
Saint George was born in Cappadocia, present-day Turkey, to Christian parents in the late 3rd century. His father was a Roman army official, which influenced George’s decision to pursue a military career. Saint George rose to a high rank within the Roman army but faced a turning point when Emperor Diocletian issued edicts against Christians in 303 AD [ … ]
Jesus links the symbolic imagery of the sheep, the shepherd and the sheepfold with the Temple and the Jewish authorities, and with their abuse of the Jewish people. In Bible times, it was the custom [ … ]
Jesus’ disciples have opened their hearts to Jesus. They have responded to Jesus by being receptive to the Christian truth he brings, and therefore they may be given to understand the parables. The disciples’ understanding of the presence of the Kingdom in their lives, of which the parables speak, follows upon their faith in Jesus [ … ]
The crowds gather to see and to hear Jesus. Among them, as Matthew relates in his Gospel (Matthew 12: 38-42), are the scribes and Pharisees, who ask for a sign from Jesus to prove his divinity. Jesus refuses to confirm his preaching with dramatic signs. It is his teaching Jesus wishes the people to hear. Through seeking to taunt Jesus, and through their unbelief, the scribes and the Pharisees express the hardness of their hearts. Christ is present to them and they refuse to see. Christ is speaking to them and they refuse to hear. Through the Gospel, we have witnessed Christ’s miracles. And we are called to hear his word. ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign.’ [ … ]
In Matthew, Jesus teaches the Our Father, the Lord’s Prayer, as part of the Discourse on the Mountain, in which we are instructed in the correct ways of practising almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Certain tendencies of the Jewish converts are corrected, particularly a certain ostentation and vacuity in the manner of prayer, giving and fasting to which they were accustomed. When they are praying, Jesus orders his followers not to be like the Gentiles, who heap up long-winded but ultimately empty phrases in the vain and superstitious belief that this will impress God. True piety means looking to God with simplicity of heart and true love through the course of each day. Spoken prayer is good and necessary, but the words only count if they express the truth of our inner feelings [ … ]
The First Letter of Clement is one of the earliest post-New Testament Christian writings, dating to around 95 A.D. Clement was the third successor of Saint Peter as Bishop of Rome, and his letter was written to address a crisis in the Corinthian church, where a group of younger Christians had ousted their elders from leadership. Clement’s primary aim was to restore harmony and proper ecclesial order. Against this background, his call for unity, humility, and order takes on profound urgency [ … ]
This remarkable 6th century reflection from an anonymous African author offers a rich theology of Pentecost, drawing together ecclesiology, pneumatology, and missiology with great pastoral clarity. Writing within the context of the post-Roman North African Church—one marked by persecution, doctrinal strife, and cultural transition—this author bears witness to a theology of hope, rooted in the enduring and unifying presence of the Holy Spirit [ … ]
This reflection, drawn from Saint Cyril of Alexandria’s commentary on the Letter to the Romans, richly develops the theological significance of unity, divine mercy, and the universality of salvation. The passage resonates deeply with themes central to Eastertide: renewal, reconciliation, and the triumph of divine love through the risen Christ. St Cyril, a towering figure in patristic theology and a staunch defender of orthodoxy at the Council of Ephesus, here offers a profound meditation on the body of Christ and the universal scope of redemption [ … ]
Melito of Sardis, writing in the second century, gives us one of the earliest and most powerful reflections on the mystery of Easter. His homily, poetic and theological, offers not just a celebration of the resurrection but a sweeping vision of salvation history fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The tone is triumphant and exultant—fitting for the season of Easter—but the substance is rich with meaning. At its heart, the homily proclaims a profound truth: that in Christ, death is not the end, but the beginning of new and eternal life [ … ]
On Holy Thursday, the Church gathers to remember the Last Supper—the evening when Jesus, in a quiet upper room, gave his friends the gift of the Eucharist, and with it, a new covenant sealed in his blood. The reading from Saint Melito of Sardis, a bishop from the second century, helps us understand the deeper meaning of what took place that night and how it connects to the cross and the resurrection that followed [ … ]
Origen of Alexandria, also known as Origen Adamantius, lived during a formative period of Christian thought in the Roman East. His life was shaped by early Christian devotion, intense scriptural study, pastoral work, ecclesiastical conflict, and the intellectual currents of Alexandria and Caesarea. Origen’s writings occupy an important place in the history of biblical interpretation and early Christian theology. At the same time, doctrines associated with his name became sources of dispute long after his death, influencing the Catholic Church’s decision that he be not a saint [ … ]
We are given different accounts of Jesus teaching his disciples the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, in today’s verses from the Gospel of Luke, and also in the Gospel of Matthew, during the Sermon on the Mount. Here the situation is quite different from that of Matthew. Jesus has been praying, seemingly apart, to his Father, and so it is after this that the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. This is unusual: prayer, especially of the psalms, would have been an integral part of these Jewish people’s daily routine. We are alerted to the Lord’s Prayer being an additional offering, an innovation of grace, and a further initiation for the Christian. The prayer furthermore reflects John the Baptist’s teaching of his disciples [ … ]
Psalm 54 is a plea for divine assistance in the midst of adversity. This psalm encapsulates a moment of distress and danger in the life of the psalmist, who seeks refuge in God’s unwavering strength and protection [ … ]
Psalm 30 is a hymn of thanksgiving and praise, capturing the profound emotions of a soul who has experienced both adversity and deliverance. It is a deeply personal and heartfelt expression of gratitude to the Lord for His healing, salvation, and the transformation of sorrow into joy [ … ]
Psalm 62 expresses faith and trust in God, highlighting the unwavering relationship between the psalmist and God. The psalm is a testament to enduring belief in God’s unchanging character and His role as ultimate source of salvation and refuge [ … ]
The image of children in these Bible verses is curious. We could read the lines as suggesting childishness, with one group of children expecting to amuse another and reacting peevishly when those others do not move according to the music they play. We could more broadly read these verses as suggesting a disconnect between various children, a failure of communication, recognition, response, which is emblematic of Christ and his followers and those who reject him …
Saint Peter Chrysologus reflects on the long history of God’s dealings with humanity and sees one thread running through it all: God counters human fear with love. When the world fell into sin, God did not abandon it or treat it only with justice. Instead, he drew near with tenderness, guiding, calling, comforting, and reshaping hearts so that love—not fear—would be the foundation of worship [ … ]
In today’s verses, Jesus pays tribute to John the Baptist, telling the crowds that John the Baptist, until the dawn of the New Testament, the arrival of the Kingdom of God, was the greatest of people. John the Baptist was a courageous, inspirational figure and had the honour of proclaiming Christ’s presence, then he looked on satisfied as his disciples went from him to follow Christ: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’
Saint Augustine sets before us the great pattern of God’s dealings with humanity: first the time of promise, then the time of fulfilment. The prophets spoke God’s pledges across the centuries, and John the Baptist concluded this long preparation. With Christ’s coming, the promises enter their moment of completion. God has not changed, but the stage of his plan has moved from expectation to realisation [ … ]
O Lord, as I begin this journey through the Stations of the Cross, I ask you to be with me and guide me. Help me to open my heart to your love and to be present to your presence in each moment. May this time of meditation deepen my understanding of your sacrifice and strengthen my faith in your redeeming power. I ask this in your holy name. Amen [ … ]
We all face difficulties in our lives. The crowds who listen to Jesus must have felt cruelly burdened, labouring and seeming to find no true reward. They must have sensed injustice and longed for their Messiah to set them free [ … ]
