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Jesus has withdrawn from Galilee, and from the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas, to Tyre and Sidon, Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean coast, in what is now Lebanon, there to escape persecution from Herod and the Jewish authorities, and to concentrate on training his apostles [ … ]
We are called to self-knowledge by Jesus. It can be strange to realise that we have been looking at life, and other people, through the filter of our own prejudices, our own mental baggage, the accumulation of our individual and less than perfect history. Our experience, good and bad, and the impact of our experience constitute in large measure the glasses, the spectacles, through which we see the world and regard other people [ … ]
In this reading, John the Serene reflects on Christ as light and on the change that this light brings to human life. Taking his starting point from the psalm, ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?’ he explores what it means to live in the illumination given by God [ … ]
In this Easter sermon, Saint Augustine speaks tenderly and passionately to the newly baptized, those who have recently passed through the saving waters of baptism at the Easter Vigil. His words are full of warmth, joy, and hope, as he invites these ‘little children in Christ’ to recognize the extraordinary gift they have received and to live according to the new life that has been planted within them [ … ]
Saint Augustine continues his reflection on Ezekiel 34 and the charge against negligent shepherds. The Lord’s accusation—’You have failed to strengthen the weak’—is interpreted in relation to two categories of believers: the weak and the sick. Augustine distinguishes between the two. The weak are those who sincerely wish to live a good life and even attempt good works, but lack the endurance to withstand trials. Their danger is not wrongdoing but fragility under pressure. The sick, by contrast, are those weighed down by sinful desires that prevent them from doing good at all [ … ]
Saint Irenaeus, in this passage from Against the Heresies, presents a powerful reflection on God’s covenant and the purpose of the law. His approach to salvation history is deeply pedagogical: God does not impose laws arbitrarily but gradually leads humanity toward its true end—friendship with God [ … ]
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 [ … ]
There is something deeply human about Thomas the Apostle. He is not content with hearsay, not satisfied with the testimony of others, even those closest to him. “Unless I see… unless I touch… I will not believe.” His words are often remembered as a failure—but they may also be understood as a kind of honesty. Thomas refuses to pretend [ … ]
Jesus has invited the disciples to come away with him to find a lonely place, where they might rest. The pressures of the apostolic ministry have been so great, there has not been time even to eat. Jesus and the apostles have gone away from the crowds in a boat, but the people have seen them leave and have run ahead to find them, arriving at the place before Jesus does. Jesus, then, changes his plans. The rest period is not to be. Jesus feels compassion for the spiritual needs of the people. They need the teaching Jesus is able to give to them. They are as sheep without a shepherd. This need is paramount [ … ]
Psalm 39 is a contemplative reflection on the fleeting nature of human existence. Attributed to King David, this psalm delves into themes of silence, self-control, and brevity of life in face of God’s eternal nature [ … ]
Psalm 40 is a song of deep personal reflection attributed to King David. It tells a powerful narrative of waiting patiently for the Lord, being lifted from depths of despair, and responding with heartfelt praise [ … ]
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 [ … ]
Today’s parable may seem to us to be very strange. Fired for corruption, for being wasteful with the rich man’s property, the dishonest steward goes on to compound the error with outright criminality, marking down the debts of the rich man’s debtors in order to secure future favours. And Jesus praises him! [ … ]
The Galileans Herod has had killed have not behaved any better or worse than other people; they were not worse sinners than whose to whom Jesus addresses his words. God does not always punish sinners in this life. Accidents and acts of brutality may constitute no particular moral judgement. We are sinners. We stand in need of God’s mercy. We must repent [ … ]
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. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters [ … ]
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 [ … ]
Saint Gregory, one of the Cappadocian Fathers and a central figure in fourth-century theology, explores what it means to bear the name ‘Christian’. Drawing heavily from the writings of Saint Paul, he lays out a vision of spiritual transformation in which the believer becomes an ‘alter Christus’ – another Christ [ … ]
In this passage from Against the Heresies, Saint Irenaeus presents a sweeping vision of salvation history, showing how God, from the very beginning, has been preparing humanity for full communion with God. Central to Irenaeus’ theology is the idea that divine pedagogy unfolds in stages, accommodating human weakness while always pointing toward Christ. Through the law, the prophets, and acts of providence, God was training his people, drawing them from earthly concerns to heavenly realities [ … ]
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 [ … ]
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 112 centralizes the concept of the righteous life. The psalm praises those who fear the Lord and delight in his commandments. This fear is not about being afraid, but about respecting and revering God, and finding joy in following his teachings. This respect for divine commandments sets the stage for a life guided by ethical and moral values [ … ]
The psalm begins with an invocation of praise for God’s enduring goodness and mercy. This introduction sets a tone for recounting of Israel’s history, a pattern of divine intervention and human failure. From the Exodus to their wanderings in the desert, and eventual settlement in the Promised Land, each episode in Psalm 106 highlights a cycle of sin, punishment, repentance, and redemption [ … ]
The psalm begins with an invocation, a plea to the Lord on behalf of the one in need. The psalmist implores God to hear his supplication in times of trouble, invoking the name of the God of Jacob, a symbol of the covenant between God and the people of Israel. This sets the tone for the psalm, emphasizing reliance on God’s divine protection and guidance [ … ]
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 [ … ]
