The Messiah, it turns out, isn’t quite who people expected. In Mark’s Gospel this Sunday, Jesus returns to his ‘native place’, his hometown of Nazareth, and when people hear him teaching in the synagogue, they can’t believe it. “Astonished” is the adjective Mark uses – and not in a good way. As the evangelist writes:…
Jb 38:1, 8-11 Ps 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31 2 Cor 5:14-17 Mk 4:35-41 Rembrandt got it. Centuries ago, the artist captured the scene in this Sunday’s Gospel – a scene full of raging waves and gathering clouds and sheer, unabashed terror. The apostles are screaming in fear. One of them is leaning over the side…
The Sunday Gospel Gn 3:9-15 Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 2 Cor 4:13—5:1 Mk 3:20-35 You’re in good company. The Scriptures this Sunday show what Jesus went through in his hometown – and they offer us a valuable perspective. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus hears some criticism and name-calling that is downright blasphemous, with relatives claiming…
The Sunday Gospel Dt 4:32-34, 39-40 Ps 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22 Rom 8:14-17 Mt 28:16-20 Periodically, people ask me, “What is your favourite part of being a deacon?” Near the top of my list would have to be the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament of baptism. There’s just nothing like it. There is…
This is a Sunday of beginnings and endings. We hear the very first words of the Acts of the Apostles – and then, moments later, the last words of the Gospel according to Mark. Both focus on The Ascension – a moment that ties together two remarkable parts of our salvation, marking the end of…
Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 9:26-31 Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32 1 Jn 3:18-24 Jn 15:1-8 The readings for this Fifth Sunday of Easter introduce us to someone we don’t hear about very much. But he has a lot to say to us, especially now. I’m talking about St Barnabas. The reading from Acts describes…
“You are witnesses of these things.” It almost sounds like an episode of CSI: Jerusalem. But the case unfolding in this Sunday’s Gospel is part of a larger story that gives the overwhelming events of Holy Week and Easter a surprisingly relatable, realistic dimension. Luke gives us a risen Jesus who not only appears,…
‘Did you hear…?’ In our modern information-saturated age, those three little words say a lot. They sum up so much of how we live. Face it: We are bombarded incessantly by news. Our phones buzz, cable news squawks, social media chirps and pings. There’s a lot going on out there. What are we missing? Almost…
Whatever else we may be thinking about in these last days of Lent, the readings for this fifth Sunday make it clear: Something’s coming. You can’t help but feel that the winds are shifting. The reading from Jeremiah promises, “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with…
We’ve all been there. At the end of a long day, the phone rings, there’s a knock on the door, the boss stops by your desk, or an email arrives. “Can you help me with something?” “Someone has called in sick.” “We need to get this out tonight.” And there goes the rest of your…