Open Your Mind and Heart to the Lavish Love of God. When the Israelites asked for food in the desert, God gave them exactly what they needed. Their grumbling didn’t put him off; he fed them with manna and quail. God only asked them to trust in his loving care for them. When crowds of…
Trust in the Lord Today’s Gospel passage from Saint John reflects the first reading. Jesus asks Philip to feed the people and Philip knows right away that there is not enough food. He complains that not even a large amount of money would be able to purchase enough food. Philip forgets the teaching that…
A Place to Rest a While who is a good shepherd? Is a good shepherd one who encourages people to “fight like hell” when asserting their own baseless allegations? Is a good shepherd one who sells arms to nations engaged in wars and violence that cause the most vulnerable to suffer the worst? Kwame…
Blessed with a Purpose Today gospel reading shows that purpose in action as Jesus summons the twelve disciples and sends them out. As a missionary church, Jesus also wants to send each of us out to accomplish the tasks only we are gifted to do. Though we’re all given particular charisms at baptism, it’s…
Jesus is Rejected in His Hometown. Today’s Gospel describes what many believe to have been the typical pattern of Jesus’ ministry: teaching in the synagogue followed by acts of healing. In his hometown of Nazareth, the people are amazed by what they hear, but they also cannot comprehend how someone they know so well…
The Healing Power of Love Our reading this week from the Gospel of Mark depicts two parallel miracles by Jesus: one of a twelve-year-old girl who is dying and the other of a woman who has been hemorrhaging for twelve years. From the gospel we learn that the bleeding woman is suffering immensely, with…
Finding Faith in the Storms of Life “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” In today’s gospel, Jesus poses a poignant question to his apostles amidst the storm. It’s an inquiry that resonates with us today, challenging us to examine the depth of our faith in times of turmoil. Jesus has gathered…
Trusting in God’s Plan The readings for this week teach us to trust in God’s plan, even if it starts small. We might feel insignificant or think our actions do not matter. But God can use our small efforts to create something wonderful. Just like the small shoot in Ezekiel and the mustard seed…
Whoever Does the Will of God is Brother and Sister and Mother to Me In the section of the Gospel just before these verses, Jesus calls his Twelve Apostles. Now he performs his first exorcism. It is told within the context of conflict with his family. A crowd so large has gathered that Jesus…
In the gospels there are plenty of times when Jesus is with people eating and drinking and today’s gospel is no exception. As always, Jesus is concerned with people and their real needs. They are hungry, so he feeds them. He is gracious in his abundant giving. But he feeds them not only with food;…