Today’s gospel selection is a continuation of last Sunday’s gospel – instructions for Christian missionaries in the eighties of the first century of Christianity. The author of the Gospel accord-ing to Matthew gradually moved his catechesis from specific instructions for missionar...
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The context of this gospel selection is the second of five great sermons the author of Matthew’s gospel constructed from traditions about Jesus. This sermon is called “Missionary Instructions.” The headline: “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Pray, therefore, t...
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The gospel for the Feast of Corpus Christi is the heart of the Bread of Life Discourse in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John. In the skillful arrangement of catechesis in this chapter John begins with a miracle, the sign of Jesus feeding a multitude of five thousand with a few loaves of bread...
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For the existence of the Holy Trinity we must rely entirely on revelation in the New Testament and the oral tradition of the Church which was the foundation of the New Testament. Human reason or observance of nature does not reveal the Trinity.  Some claim that the Holy Trinity is revealed in...
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What is the meaning of the Greek word Pentecoste? It is the ordinal number ‘fiftieth.’ Greek-speaking Jews used this word for the fiftieth day after Passover. The Aramaic or Hebrew equivalent is Shavuoth, meaning ‘Weeks,’ or the Feast of Weeks. The name refers to the seven w...
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THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD, YEAR A MATTHEW 28:16-20 (Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9; Ephesians 1:17-23)   The Gospel of Matthew closes with the Great Commission – the gospel selection for the Ascension of Jesus.  In Matthew 28, the faithful women disciples from Galilee had watch...
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Selections from the Last Supper Discourse of Jesus with its theme of departure continues on this Sunday, but with a difference. Last Sunday the emphasis was on faith in Jesus, and faith in God as the same faith. This Sunday the emphasis is on love  - love of Jesus by his disciples. This gospel...
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For the Fifth Sunday of Easter, the liturgy presents us with a gospel reading from Jesus’ Last Supper Discourse in the Gospel of John. Seems a bit odd as we work our way toward the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost. Although the farewell theme of the Last Supper Discourse applies first of all...
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Christians are familiar with the parable of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. It is found in the 10th chapter of the Gospel of John. The first 10 verses of chapter 10 contain two parables that introduce the Good Shepherd parable.  A parable is a comparison which teaches a lesson. The first little pa...
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A masterful composition is Luke’s story of Jesus’ encounter with two of his disciples returning from Passover in Jerusalem to their hometown Emmaus. En route they were discussing the events they had witnessed in Jerusalem – the death of Jesus and now a report from some women who h...
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