Reflection for the Week

When a rich young man asked Jesus how to gain eternal life, Jesus said to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. All of that seemed like too much to ask! On the other hand, Saint Peter pointed out how much the Disciples had already given up, and Jesus said the rewards far exceed such sacrifices. Of course, the motivation—love of God and neighbor—mattered. In a parable, workers who had put in a full day in a landowner’s vineyard griped because late hires who worked for only an hour received the same pay. Another tale descr

Adults often commend self-reliance. Jesus liked the humility of children, who readily accept help with the many things they cannot do for themselves. Some Pharisees used Mosaic law regarding marriage in an attempt to trip up Jesus. Even people who try to abide by the Lord’s teachings sometimes get misled. With sensitivity, people of faith can help to bring them back. If talking one-to-one fails, the Lord suggested involvement of another person or two. When Jesus said that God grants anything for which two people have prayed, it goes without s

In the Old Testament, the hero of the Book of Daniel received God’s promise of freedom from Babylonian captivity and experienced spectacular visions of the Father, heaven, and the Son of Man (Jesus). Later, the Disciples Peter, James, and John witnessed the Transfiguration of the Lord, giving them a glimpse of Jesus in His heavenly glory. Scripture also depicts Jesus’ humanity. When a Canaanite woman begged Jesus to cure her daughter, the Lord mimicked others’ wronghearted belief that helping her would seem like throwing food meant for ch

Martha confirmed her belief in Jesus as the Son of God before the Lord raised Lazarus, her brother, from the dead. Goodness and evil in the world will get sorted out, like wheat and weeds growing together until harvesttime, or like saleable and scrawny fish caught in the same net. Desiring heaven entails giving our all. Jesus compared the mindset to a merchant who sells everything to buy one rare pearl. In Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, people knew Him as the son of Mary and the local carpenter. They remained skeptical, despite miraculous works

Mary Magdalene mistook the Risen Lord for a gardener until He exclaimed her name. Jesus counts anyone who does the Father’s will as family and knows us by name. Teaching from a boat for people on shore, the Lord told a parable of seed scattered on all kinds of ground. The story teaches the importance of receptiveness to His Word. When the mother of James and John wanted Jesus’ assurance that her sons would sit beside Him as King, the Lord told all Twelve of the Disciples that servants rank highest in heaven. Why do we set ourselves apart, w

In the Old Testament, Isaiah proclaimed that God has never asked for meaningless offerings. Sacrifices to work toward justice have purpose as crosses to bear. Despite witnessing miracles in their towns, people did not always repent. Jesus openly praised the Father because children could grasp what educated adults missed. For example, Pharisees deemed it unlawful for Jesus’ Disciples to pick and eat heads of grain while walking along on a Sabbath. Jesus had no problem with the snacking. Burdens in our lives may seem unnecessarily heavy, but th

With faith, a woman touched Jesus’ cloak and received healing from Him, just as she had hoped. The Lord rewarded an official’s faith by bringing his daughter back to life. Crowds that followed Him seemed like sheep without a shepherd. Sending the Apostles to preach and heal in His name, Jesus thought of them like sheep among wolves. For the time being, at least, Jesus told the Twelve to avoid pagan towns. Whether denied welcome or detained for persecution, the Apostles should flee as soon as they could. He assured them of the Holy Spirit’