“For they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.” I wonder how often that thought enters into our thinking. While Christ taught that the last…
Today’s Gospel is a story about eyes and sight. But it is also about hands and touch. The word “hand” is mentioned three times in just four verses. The first…
When it comes to holiness and purity of heart, the bottom line is love of God and love of neighbor. “The whole law and the prophets,” Jesus says, “depend on…
Our reading from Hebrews today could easily slip by us, but it bears an important message. The author contrasts an approach to God marked by fear, leading Moses to say,…
“Woman, behold, your son.” “Behold your mother” (see John 19:26-27). Jesus’ last words included a dramatic family re-creation from the cross. After his death, his mother and the disciple he…
The crowd in today’s Gospel has set out on a journey, coming from all corners of the land in a common quest. They have come from nearby neighborhoods, from Jerusalem,…
Let’s face it: there is a reason we call winter “dead.” Lifeless. The Big Chill. In mid-January in North America, we are far from the Magi’s Star, the cozy eggnog…
When the Gospel of Mark intones the “sheep without a shepherd,” it is an invocation of an ancient prophetic theme. Prophets recognized that Israel was not without leaders, whether kings…
The Octave of Christmas concludes today, eight days after celebrating the birth of Christ. On this day we focus on Mary, Mother of God, our Blessed Mother. From my childhood,…
Today’s story from the Gospel of John takes place at the empty tomb on the day of Jesus’ resurrection. At the outset of this reflection, I must ask the age-old…
