Videos

In our first reading from the Song of Songs, we encounter lovers who thrill to be in each other's company, and we remember God's love for his people, and Jesus' love for each of us. In the Gospel, Mary, full of love, rushes out to help her cousin Elizabeth, not worrying for herself. God loves each of us, and if we allow ourselves to be touched by that love, we respond both to God and to the world in overflowing love. Are you a lover? What would it take for you to become one this Christmas season?

King Ahaz refused to listen to God's plans to defend Israel, prefering to trust the fate of the country to his own plans. In contrast, upon hearing of God's surprisings plans for her, Mary said "let it be done unto me according to your word." Do we prefer our own plans for our life, or God's, and what does it cost us?

In today's Gospel, a blind man hears that Jesus is coming and calls out to him. The crowd tells him to shut up, but Jesus calls him over and heals him. This is a complex story about the many ways we respond to God's presence in our life. Are we like the blind man, the crowd who tells him to shut up, or the crowd who is amazed at the healing? Which type of encounter do we want to have with Jesus?

In today's Gospel Jesus talks about the end times, when heaven and earth will pass away. What is revealed is that we are not masters of the world or even of our own lives. God is. We are only stewards of our little corner of it. The Good News is that when this time comes, God will collect and protect his faithful. So don't worry, just tend to the little part of the world that God has given you to be steward over. The Master will handle the rest.

In today's Gospel, Jesus condemns both the Scribes and the Pharisees because they love honor and legalism more than helping others. In the first reading St. Paul tells us that we should look at the fruits of our actions to know if they are in line with the Spirit: are our actions full of love, joy, and patience, helping others live better lives?

In the Gospel today, Jesus challenges the Pharisees to see beyond themselves, helping others by giving to the poor rather than worrying about being seen as adhering to externals such as following the letter of the law. Then they will be right with God. This is an ongoing challenge to you and me, that today we might give alms and be made more as God would have us be.

Jesus asked his disciples to follow him and learn to be like him. We do not have to be perfect disciples when we start, we simply need to keep learning from the one teacher, Jesus, and to lead others to follow him as well.

Jesus told his disciples that they must love their enemies, just as God is kind even to the wicked. This is no easy thing for us, but we can start by recognising that we are already loved, and thus can reflect that love to others. Then, we can practice by loving others with an open hand, or in secret expecting nothing in return.

On this Feast of St. Lawrence, Fr. Jordan relates that the Gospel passage chosen for Lawrence is the same one he used for his solemn vows when he gave his life to the Order of Preachers. Is there a scripture passage that describes your life's work?

Based on John 12:24:

Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

Jesus tells us, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." In this, Jesus sets us free from all of the goods of this life, so that we might get something better—eternity with him in the life to come.

Under attack from the Pharisees, Jesus appropriated the words of the prophet Isaiah as his own, "He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smouldering wick until he brings justice to victory." Jesus fights for us, but he does so fearlessly but tenderly, and would never crush or harm us. We should love others as he loves us.

Jesus defends his disciples picking grain on the sabbath not because he has no care for the law, but because he is the new place of encounter with God, and by being with him, his disciples are fulfilling the command for resting on the sabbath. How can we draw nearer to God today?