At the beginning of the 19th Century, social concern was almost nonexistent, and poverty was considered an insoluble problem, with children as the great victims. Especially in cities, they grew up in alleys and slums, roaming the streets. Turin had thousands of them. Don Bosco took the initiative to care for these neglected children and
We hear for the first time that the “Hebrews” for whom this letter was destined had to undergo persecution and various difficulties for following Christ. The author encourages them vividly to persevere in their faith, for God is faithful to his promises. The kingdom of God does not irrupt in our human world with extraordinary
We hear David thank God for giving stability to his kingdom; he prays that God’s blessings may come down on the royal house. In the Gospel, the parable presents Jesus’ message as a lamp that cannot be hidden; it will blaze brightly in the end time. We must respond generously to his message of light.
A man of faith, David wants to build a house for God, to house the Ark of the Covenant, as the Ark was the sign of God’s presence and union with his people. But David’s loyalty to the covenant is enough for God. Instead, God will build a house for David: his royal house will
We honour today St. Thomas Aquinas, who was one of the greatest theologians in the Church’s history, yet his life was marked by simplicity. He succeeded in achieving a harmonious synthesis of Aristotle’s philosophy and the theological thought of the Bible and St. Augustine. Prayer and contemplation were the sources of his theology. In his
By transferring the Ark to Jerusalem, the new political centre, David made the city also the religious centre of Israel. Always interested in worship – is he not at the origin of the first collection of psalms? – he sang and danced before the Ark. For liturgy is life and joy. It is a confirmation
It is strange and really sounds like ill will when the Scribes ascribe the good that Jesus does, especially that he drives out demons, to the power of Satan, the prince of demons. Should they not have recognised that God’s Spirit was working in Jesus? In messianic times, the Jews expected the Spirit of God
Today, we celebrate two close associates of the apostle Paul. Paul put them in charge of Christian communities and wrote letters to them, outlining what is expected of leaders of Christian communities, especially that they be servants and models to the people entrusted to them. Opening Prayer Lord our God, Saints Timothy and Titus, assistants
The Seventh Sunday of the Word of God This year, it is celebrated on Sunday, 25 January 2026, with the motto: “The word of Christ dwells among you” (Col 3:16). The celebration was established by Pope Francis in September 2019 by Motu proprio Aperuit Illis, “devoted to the celebration, study, and dissemination of the word of
A messenger comes to announce to David that King Saul and his Son Jonathan have died in battle, and David mourns them deeply, even though Saul had sought David’s life. The few verses of today’s Gospel tell us no more than that the crowd was so eager to hear Jesus’ message that they left him
