Reflection for the Week

Rumors spread as people speculated that John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the other prophets had come back to life as Jesus. Our Lord said that Peter got it right when he called Jesus the Christ of God. At last, the Light of the world didn’t have to feel like a hidden lamp. Nevertheless, our Lord frequently referred to Himself as the Son of Man, a title that serves to remind us that He humbly embraced His humanity. When word reached Jesus that members of His family had joined a crowd outside, Jesus described people who hear and act upon t

John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey. Jesus dined among sinners, eating whatever table fare they offered. People said John was possessed and called Jesus a glutton. A Pharisee invited the Lord to his home but denied Him the common courtesy of a basin of water to rinse the road dust from His feet. Then a sinful woman approached Jesus, bathed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with ointment. She received His forgiveness and gave her love. A centurion, admittedly unworthy to have Jesus under the same roof

Before healing a man’s withered hand, Jesus asked the scribes and Pharisees in the synagogue if they thought it lawful to do something good on the Sabbath. After spending a night in prayer, Jesus chose the Twelve to become Apostles. By His actions as much as His words, Jesus helped people get their priorities in line. He didn’t come to condemn the world, after all, but to save it. The poor could look forward to God’s Kingdom. The hungry would have their fill. Weeping would turn to laughter. Anyone hated because of the Lord would receive a

In his hometown, people just about ran Jesus off of a cliff for putting gentiles on equal footing with the “chosen people.” People of Capernaum, however, didn’t want Jesus to leave. On the shore of Lake Gennesaret (the Sea of Galilee), a crowd pressed toward Jesus until He got into Peter’s boat to preach. Afterward, when the Lord advised heading out to deep water for a catch, Peter knew that the best time for fishing had come and gone. Fish filled the nets, and Peter acknowledged his sinfulness in doubting. Pharisees stuck with the tact

Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees exactly what He thought of them. They kept others out of the Kingdom of God with their focus on ritual, instead of righteousness. In biblical times, a bride and her bridesmaids didn’t know the date or time that the groom’s party would arrive to escort them to the wedding celebration. For us, waiting for the Lord can mean joyful anticipation or getting startled awake. It depends on how we use what God has entrusted to us. When we stop listening attentively because we have heard the Word of God before or s

Saint Peter wanted to know the perks for giving up everything to follow Jesus. In a parable, vineyard workers groused about getting the same pay for a whole day as others received after working for just an hour. A young man who obeyed the Commandments went away sad because Jesus expected more of him. Things didn’t seem fair! After Philip made the introductions, Jesus said that He already knew Nathaniel as “a true child of Israel” and a person of integrity. Do we give more priority to meeting challenges or facing them with integrity, no ma

The Lord let Peter off the hook for prematurely telling a tax collector that Jesus paid the temple tax, miraculously providing two coins in the mouth of a fish to pay up. After Jesus affirmed the sanctity of marriage, Pharisees pointed out that Moses had allowed divorce. Our Lord didn’t take the bait, explaining that some marriages lacked validity in the first place. The Disciples wanted to know who ranked highest in the Kingdom of heaven, and Jesus advised them to become like children. Little ones bring their needs to those who love and care