Even for pagans, even for those known for their cruelty, like the people who enslaved the Jews, it is possible to be converted. When the author of the Book of Jonah told this to the Jews, it was an astonishing message to them. For Jews, yes, but for pagans? Jesus seems to turn things around: […]
God speaks his word to people in many ways: first of all, his word-in-action, that is, his saving deeds; secondly, his words written down in the Bible. Above all, God speaks his living Word, Jesus Christ. God’s word can be heard only and find resonance when it takes on flesh and blood – when it
Encountering God in people It is striking how the Bible insists, even in the Old Testament, that God is present where people love one another and do the
Greeting (See Second Reading) We are gathered in the name of Jesus. He brought us life instead of death; by his obedience he made up for our disobedience. May his grace and peace be always with you. R/ And also with you. Introduction by the Celebrant I Will Serve When we take a serious look
Jesus came to call sinners. It is they that need him, not so much the just or the righteous. It is the sinners who need healing. We are among them, and so we need healing. The Pharisees considered themselves just, but there was little mercy in them; their hearts were dried up. It is mercy
People in the Old Testament ask: “What is the use of fasting?” God seems not to be near when they fast. The prophet tells them that real fasting consists in justice and love. Since God made a covenant with his people, that covenant also encompasses justice and love between people. In the Gospel, the disciples
Faithfulness is not easy except if we are intensely committed to a person we love. If we are loyal, we share in the joys and trials of the other person and we never lose our serenity or basic happiness. This is also true in our relationship with God, which we live most intensely if we
Greeting The peace and reconciliation of the merciful Father be always with you. R/ And also with you. Introduction by the Celebrant 1 “I Will Serve” Today we begin our forty days of Lent, forty days of preparation for Easter. Why these forty days of penance? To return to our roots—to God, to our better
James calls blessed those who resist the test of temptations. But temptations do not come from God but from the concupiscence within ourselves. From God comes all good gifts. The theme of yesterday is continued in today’s reading. We should not ask for extraordinary signs but learn to see God’s presence and saving action in
For two weeks (but this year only two days, because we are beginning Lent), our first reading in Year II is taken from the letter of James, a relative of Jesus and leader of the Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem. He draws heavily from the Jewish wisdom literature and the teachings of the Gospel. His key
