Archive | Question of the Week

When asked which of the commandments is the greatest, Jesus proclaims that there are two: to love God above things and our neighbors as ourselves. in His view, these are quite inseparable; one cannot be kept without the other. We cannot say we love God and then refuse to love our neighbor. Jesus makes two […]

Like Bartimaeus, we, too, as disciples of Jesus, have vision problems. We often are blinded to the fact that there are more lessons to learn. Arrogance is very often the root of our blindness. We often prefer monologue to dialogue, refusing to see any point of view but our own. We are blinded to the […]

As followers of Christ, today’s Gospel applies to us as well. We are called to the humility of service that seeks neither personal glory nor gain. We are called to use what authority we may have in the world for the benefit of our brothers and sisters, not for the sake of stroking our own […]

Even obeying the “law” is not enough to inherit eternal life. We put obstacles in our own way. For some of us it may be wealth or possessions, for others the quest for success or the desire for popularity. Or it may be entirely different. God knows, and deep down we do too. Today, Jesus […]

Like children who implicitly trust their parents, believers trust God. Faith is not about knowing everything or doing everything right. It is about knowing that, no matter what happens, our Father will take care of us. That trust in Him, even when life is terrifying and sad and makes no sense, is what makes a […]

The second teaching in today’s Gospel invites us to reflect on the temptations and sources of sin in our lives. Spend time in honest conversation with God, and pray for forgiveness and the strength to overcome temptations. Make time to experience God’s healing love and grace in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Adults: From […]

Using a child as an example for us today, Jesus is simply teaching us that we have to become like children in order to be great. Of course, this does not mean being childish or foolish. Instead, it means that we have to live our lives in humble service to God and to one another […]

St. Mark’s words of Christ illustrate what practical form our appreciation and gratitude for Christ’s sufferings should take. We must be ready to follow him on the road to Calvary. We must deny ourselves – deprive ourselves not only of sinful pleasure or gain, but even of lawful things at times, in order to be […]

Today’s Gospel is helpful. We need to do what the deaf man did: seek out Jesus. We need to go off with him, away from the crowd; spend time in his healing presence and give Jesus a chance to touch our hearts. We need to open our ears to his word and use our mouths […]

The goal of the Pharisees’ external rituals was to keep the people mindful of their duty to God and neighbor while immersed in the details of daily life. Jesus knew that even the best intentions can become corrupted. They can become substitutes for devotion to God while our hearts are occupied with thoughts that promote […]