Listen To the Bible! | King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version
The Jews of Jesus’ time hold varying and confused views as to the resurrection of the dead, indeed the Sadducees denying resurrection. The concept of the immortal soul had developed through time. It was with Christ that we attained full and perfect knowledge of the soul’s immortality and of the life to come [ … ]
In today’s Bible reading, we hear how Jesus left Galilee to travel to Tyre and Sidon. These Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean coast were outside of the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas and they were largely non-Jewish, howbeit there would be a significant presence of those Hellenized Jews who constituted a general diaspora [ … ]
In this deeply moving catechesis, St. John Chrysostom leads us into the mystery of Christ’s Passion, focusing our attention on the extraordinary power and significance of his blood. For Chrysostom, this blood is not just a historical detail or a symbol of suffering—it is life itself. It is protection, healing, rebirth, and nourishment. It is the very source from which the Church is born [ … ]
In this reading, Saint Basil explains the work of the Holy Spirit in giving life to the body of Christ and shaping the Christian life. A spiritual person is not one who rejects the body, but one who no longer lives according to the flesh alone and is guided by the Spirit of God. Such a person is called a child of God and is reshaped according to the likeness of God’s Son [ … ]
The second-century homily develops early Christian theology of repentance that is both moral and eschatological. It presents repentance not as a fleeting emotion but as a transformative act that reshapes the believer’s life before the final judgment. The homilist combines vivid imagery with ethical exhortation, expressing the conviction that human freedom and divine mercy must meet in time if salvation is to be realised [ … ]
Fear is a powerful destroyer of the mind, stripping away confidence and holding us captive. It clouds our thoughts and overwhelms us with doubt, eroding our ability to take action. It keeps us stagnant, preventing us from reaching our full potential [ … ]
We are invited to imagine a time when it seems that honesty and trustworthiness are fading away. Psalm 12 captures this sentiment, as the psalmist contemplates the challenges of finding genuine people and reliable words [ … ]
When we bear false witness about ourselves, pretending to be faultless or righteous, we deceive not only others but also ourselves. Jesus calls us to be authentic, acknowledging our need for his grace and our dependence on his power to live according to his commandments [ … ]
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.’
Psalm 60 seeks divine intervention in times of trouble. It is a plea for God’s guidance and protection during challenging moments. The psalmist begins by acknowledging a sense of abandonment and dispersion by God, recognizing the need for divine favor once more. Imagery of a trembling earth and brokenness symbolizes turmoil faced by the psalmist and the people [ … ]
Psalm 120, a cry for deliverance and peace, is the first of the fifteen Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134) in the Book of Psalms. Traditionally attributed to King David, these psalms were sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem for the great feasts. Psalm 120 reflects a deep yearning for deliverance from deceit and falsehood [ … ]
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 [ … ]
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 [ … ]
Jesus’ public ministry begins as John the Baptist’s concludes, John being imprisoned by Herod for speaking out against the immorality of Herod’s sexual relationship with his brother’s wife. Mission comes with danger, and John the Baptist was not afraid. Nor now is Jesus. Indeed, Jesus begins to preach with the very same words with which John had warned the people to beware of their sins: Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand [ … ]
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 [ … ]
Christ offers himself to the people as the good shepherd, recalling a favourite theme of Old Testament prophecy. Priests and kings are so described, and indeed God is spoken of as a shepherd, as we hear, for example, in Psalm 23: THE Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want [ … ]
There are people who say: I forgive, but I do not forget. Why? we may ask. Of what use is this? It is as if we were to attach a condition to our forgiveness, saying, in effect, that we forgive up to a point, but that our forgiveness is not total. Our forgiveness comes with a threat: Your crime is noted. We are really saying: we don’t forgive you all [ … ]
Jesus works so hard to overcome division and to bring people together. Jesus always in his teaching is breaking down the petty divisions that keep people apart: he drives a sword through ready made social definitions and prejudice, saying instead that we are all human beings, called to be together and to be with God, as God’s chosen [ … ]
Our prayer must be true to God. It is natural to petition God for what we need. It would indeed be arrogant to ‘go it alone’ and not humbly to share with God our needs and to ask Him for help, as if He were not our Father and we His children and creation. We are called by Jesus to acknowledge that all we have, we have through God. And we are called to develop our conversation with God through a life of prayer [ … ]
Jesus has come to break Satan’s hold – on the people of Jesus’ time and for all time. Accused by some of being a servant to Beelzebub, Jesus exposes the error and absurdity of what his accusers are saying. If Satan casts out Satan, then Satan is divided against himself and his house falls – he self-destructs [ … ]
In this deeply moving catechesis, St. John Chrysostom leads us into the mystery of Christ’s Passion, focusing our attention on the extraordinary power and significance of his blood. For Chrysostom, this blood is not just a historical detail or a symbol of suffering—it is life itself. It is protection, healing, rebirth, and nourishment. It is the very source from which the Church is born [ … ]
Saint Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310–367) was a bishop and doctor of the Church known primarily for his role in defending the Nicene faith against Arianism. This heresy denied the full divinity of Christ and therefore threatened the entire theological foundation of the Incarnation, Trinity, and Eucharist. In his principal theological work, De Trinitate (‘On the Trinity’), Hilary argues forcefully for the unity of the divine and human in Christ. The Eucharistic theology expressed in this passage reflects and supports that Christological argument [ … ]
Jesus promises his disciples that they shall be persecuted. It is an extraordinary knowledge to impose. We might wonder at the courage and bravery inspired by Jesus in these most early Christians to witness Jesus Christ and to be the first Christian Church. Gradually, through his time with his disciples, Jesus teaches his disciples to anticipate and to understand the crucifixion – the Christian Cross [ … ]
This is the third day of Holy Week. Through these verses of John’s Gospel, Jesus experiences great emotion, great sorrow, as he prepares for his betrayal and passion. He has given everything to Judas. He has washed his feet along with those of the other disciples. He shares an intimate and important meal with him. Judas has been one of the closest with Jesus for three years. Even now he shows compassion and does not name his betrayer to the other disciples. Instead he says: ‘One of you shall betray me.’ [ … ]
In this deeply moving catechesis, St. John Chrysostom leads us into the mystery of Christ’s Passion, focusing our attention on the extraordinary power and significance of his blood. For Chrysostom, this blood is not just a historical detail or a symbol of suffering—it is life itself. It is protection, healing, rebirth, and nourishment. It is the very source from which the Church is born [ … ]
Mark’s Gospel, thought by many to be the earliest written, does not present an account of the birth of Christ. He begins with the proclamation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, leading into his baptism by John. Toward the end of the Gospel, when the crucified Christ dies, the centurion standing by him will affirm this, saying: ‘Truly this was the Son of God.’ Throughout this most fast paced of gospels, this is Mark’s message, to give his readers the knowledge that Christ is the Son of God [ … ]
Psalm 4 is like a heartfelt chat with God, where someone shares their worries and looks for comfort. Imagine sitting down with a close friend and sharing your troubles – that’s what this psalm is like, but with God [ … ]
The psalm extends from individual predicament towards cosmic reality – the overarching knowledge of God as the reality of the universe [ … ]
Psalm 53 reflects on faith and consequences of disbelief. The psalm echoes themes found in Psalm 14, offering a compelling exploration of the nature of human folly and the importance of seeking God [ … ]
Tomàs is in trouble. If truth is love and love is truth, then the Church is wrong. A time in seminary…
At the beginning of the first century CE, Alexandria occupied a distinctive position within the Mediterranean world. It was at once a Greek city, an Egyptian city, a Jewish city, and a Roman city. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE and governed successively by the Ptolemies and the Romans, Alexandria became one of the principal centres of commerce, administration, and intellectual life in antiquity. Yet its historical importance rests not merely upon its size or wealth, but upon the kinds of thought that emerged within it [ … ]
Acts 2 records the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter’s address to the people gathered in Jerusalem, and the emergence of the Church as a visible community. The chapter continues themes established in the Gospel of Saint Luke: fulfilment of Scripture, the action of the Holy Spirit, witness concerning Jesus Christ, repentance, and the gathering of God’s people [ … ]
Acts chapter 20 records the latter stages of Paul’s missionary journeys and contains his farewell address to the elders of the church at Ephesus. The chapter combines travel narrative, ecclesial instruction, pastoral exhortation, and preparation for suffering. Luke presents Paul as a missionary, teacher, pastor, and witness whose ministry is shaped by service, endurance, and obedience to the calling of God [ … ]
Acts 7 is among the most profound and dramatic passages in the New Testament. Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, stands before the council and offers not merely a defence of himself, but a sweeping interpretation of the whole history of Israel. His speech traces the movement of God’s covenantal action through Abraham, Joseph, Moses, the tabernacle, and the prophets, culminating in a fierce indictment of those who resisted the Holy Spirit and betrayed Jesus [ … ]
The Priestly Prayer of Jesus concludes the discourse of the Last Supper. Immediately afterwards, Jesus will be arrested, betrayed. Jesus prays to his Father in a very moving way. He offers to the Father the imminent sacrifice of himself, praying that his sacrifice may be acceptable to the Father, that his holy human nature may be glorified. Jesus’ prayer is spoken aloud, so that his disciples and we also may receive his last testament, as Jesus intercedes on our behalf with the Father [ … ]
