Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

  Tuesday – St. Thomas Aquinas Gospel – Mark 3:31-35 Mamas and Papas Anointing Stone, Church of Holy Sepulchre “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Given Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel, there is one thing I know for certain.   If I ever said anything similar about or to my parents, my ability to sit in a chair would be painful for about a week.   But this is Jesus and we know that there is something else going on here. In truth, Jesus is not rejecting his parents, his family.   Instead, He is offering an invitation to all of us to be a part of His family if we only believe and do the Father’s will.   Imagine that!   Jesus invites each of us to be His brother or sister!   Isn’t that exactly what we were baptized into?   Aren’t we all part of a family of faith, a f...

  Monday – 3rd Week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Mark 3:22-30 Inner Demons Stormy Night on Mediterranean Sea, near Tel Aviv Revisiting a favorite story! One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.   He said "my son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all. One is evil. it is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.   T he other is good. It is joy, peace love, hope serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "which wolf wins?..." The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one that you feed" Most historians believe that today’s Gospel reading was the basis for Abraham Lincoln’s “a house divided against itself cannot stand” speech. He had just been no...

  3 rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel – Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21 In The Beginning… Synagogue Church, Nazareth Almost 5 years ago, I was sitting here staring at the computer screen, preparing to compose my first Gospel reflection.   My fingers were poised over the keyboard, ready to start typing away.   And I paused!   Where to begin?   How to begin?   Where do I find the words?   What the heck am I doing?   I’m sure we have all had that moment of hesitation.   Maybe it was that final term paper in college!   Maybe it was that heartfelt letter of sympathy after a loved one’s passing.   Maybe it was that message of reconciliation after years of silence.   A bit of hesitancy?   A hint of nervousness?   Where do you start? Luke the Evangelist, in today’s Gospel, doesn’t seem to share that pause of uncertainty.   Unlike the other Synoptic Gospel writers, Luke is a Gentile and a doctor.   He was not ...