With Jesus asleep although a storm threatened to sink their boat, frantic Disciples woke Him up to save them. When scribes regarded Jesus’ forgiveness of sins as blasphemy, He showed His authority by telling a paralytic to walk. Matthew, newly called as an Apostle, invited Jesus to a party among tax collectors and sinners. They needed Him! The Lord had foretold His Resurrection, but Thomas had to see Jesus to believe that He had Risen. When we feel cloaked in spiritual wanting, do we ask the Lord to patch things up or consider that He wants u

Childless in old age, Abraham believed God’s promise of a son. His wife initially laughed at the idea but later gave birth to Isaac. A leper approached Jesus, hoping that the Lord would desire to cure him. A centurion, accustomed to issuing orders to soldiers under his command, trusted in Jesus’ authority to heal a paralyzed servant by just saying the word. The Son of God worked the miracles. Peter experienced miracles worked through him and for him. Recalling that Jesus entrusted Peter with keys to the Kingdom of heaven, how do we use the

Jesus challenged His disciples to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” When we make the most of good opportunities, God makes the most of our efforts. Perfect! If we hoard shining treasure but have lackluster love, or prefer a pat on the back to praying behind a closed door, we refuse rewards that God wants us to have. Saint Paul advised choosing now as a time for patience, kindness, love, and righteousness, regarding today as the day of salvation. Finding it hard to go the extra mile in forgiving or helping others, do we

Jesus helped people see the Old Testament in light of unsurpassable love. In times of discouragement, mourning, injustice, or discord, God’s love enables the faithful to find and even give hope, comfort, understanding, and peace. The Lord called the Disciples “light of the world” but also “salt of the earth.” Salt from the sea, from marshes, and from mining all taste different, yet all are salt. God gives us one faith but also individuality. Does our faith seem bland, or do people around us want a taste of the salt that flavors what w

Jesus told a parable of a vineyard owner whose tenants killed servants and the owner’s son who came to collect a due share of the produce. Religious leaders understood it as a warning that they could be replaced. Pharisees (religious leaders) and Herodians (a political party) formed an unlikely team when asking Jesus’ opinion about paying the Roman census tax. Supporting the tax would alienate the Jewish people. Opposing it would pit Jesus against the Roman emperor. The Lord said to pay to God and Caesar what belonged to each of them. A poo

This week’s Gospel readings address both passionate faith and gentle compassion. A blind beggar named Bartemaeus ignored bystanders’ pleas to stop calling out to Jesus, and the Lord cured him. The Lord displayed His own passion when He angrily ransacked a makeshift market in the Temple area. Enduring Crucifixion, Jesus ministered to the last as He commended Mary and a beloved Disciple (probably John) to one another as mother and son. Why do we sometimes avoid expressing the depth of our faith?

Although the Disciples believed in Jesus, they would scatter when He faced Crucifixion. Jesus prayed for them! He also promised them Baptism with the Holy Spirit and power to continue His ministry. The Risen Lord asked Peter three times to confirm his love—the same number of times that Peter had fearfully denied knowing Jesus. After the Lord’s Ascension, two men in white asked why the Disciples continued to stand there, staring at the sky. Do we follow Jesus’ example of raising our eyes to heaven in prayer but also looking around to see w