Today’s liturgy reminds us of God’s power to restore and renew His people. In the first reading (Ezra 1:1-6), the Lord stirs the hearts of His people to return and rebuild His house in Jerusalem. With the proclamation of Cyrus, king of Persia, who freed the exiles, the Jews could return to Jerusalem to rebuild […]
I Have Entrusted Much to You God or Mammon For today’s well-known and often confusing parable of the unjust steward, we cannot consider satisfactory a widespread commentary that says, “Jesus praises the steward for his slyness, not for his dishonesty,” especially if the man is deemed to act dishonestly, cancelling or reducing debts
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio: 1887–1968), Priest—Memorial : Patron Saint of adolescents and civil defence volunteers; Invoked by those in need of stress relief, spiritual healing; Canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002. Saint Padre Pio, born Francesco Forgione in Pietrelcina, Italy, grew up in a devout family and felt called
Open Your Eyes Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor Greeting (See Second Reading) Blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ: to him be honor and everlasting power. May his grace and peace be always with you. R/ And also with you. Open Your Eyes How come that we are so little aware of
From a despised tax-collector, appraised no higher than a public sinner or a pagan, Matthew becomes an apostle. He is living proof that Jesus came to call sinners. And among the apostles he is one of the two who witnessed to Christ not only with their life and work but also their writing. He is
How will the dead rise? A person dies, but dies like a seed, and from that seed a new plant is born and rises in glory. At the end of his letter, Paul gives Timothy a program of life to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. We hear today Luke’s version of the parable
In today’s first reading, Paul gives a summary of his first letter to Timothy and blames the false teachers who cause difficulties in the community. Most of the time they sow dissent by disputes about words and interminable discussions. Today’s liturgy invites us to walk closely with Christ in simplicity and devotion. St. Paul urges
Today’s liturgy invites us to reflect on faith lived with sincerity and love. In the first reading, Saint Paul urges Timothy to be a true example for the community, not through words alone, but by the way he lives his faith, nourished by Scripture and strengthened through perseverance. In the Gospel, we encounter Jesus at
We hear today the core of St Paul’s first letter to Timothy. The Church is the community of the living God that makes Christ visible to the world. At a time when Christians had no temples or churches, he speaks of the living Church, the body of the faithful, which must bear witness to the
St Paul writes to Timothy on people fit to be ministerial leaders in the Church: bishops, priests, and deacons. He presupposes that they are from the people and close to the people, as they still were in those days. Then, aside from having some leadership qualities, they must first of all be good Christians themselves,
