Archive | Question of the Week

In Jewish society, family relationships are extremely important. The family took its meals together and aided one another. Jesus uses this concept of family to cause His followers to judge their relationships in the light of the criterion of the Father’s will. The reign of God makes demands on the personal commitment of a disciple, […]

Why did Jesus arrange for this transformation of bread and wine into His Body and Blood? Because he intended another kind of transformation. The bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ which are, in turn, meant to transform us. Ever hear the phrase: “you are what you eat?” The Lord […]

The commission Christ gave us doesn’t stop at “baptize all nations”, and too often what follows is the Great Omission in the life of the church. We’re called not just to baptize. We’re not called to make churchgoers, people who include religion as one among many respectable civic activities. We’re called to make disciples, people […]

Through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation we have been gifted with the Holy Spirit. We may not have heard rushing winds or seen tongues of fire but the Spirit lives just as truly in the hearts of Jesus’ followers today as in the time of the first disciples. Jesus’ words to his disciples “As […]

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples to “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” That message is for us, also. We are called to be ‘other Christs’, to be people who wish to make known and spread the love of God and his care for his people […]

In today’s Gospel we are reminded that a disciple is one who has been chosen. To be chosen by Jesus, however, is not to be set apart from the world. Instead, to be chosen by Jesus is to be sent to serve the world as he did. The disciples of Jesus were chosen and were […]

If we let fear into our hearts it will surely paralyze us. However, why fear if we have faith and belief in Jesus? The apostles did not let fear defeat them for they knew that even if there was no physical manifestation of His presence there was always His spiritual and sacramental presence before them. […]

While we can and should take comfort in the Shepherd’s provident care and protection – and the gift of eternal life that he offers us – we can only say we truly know this Good Shepherd if we are willing to listen to his voice and follow his commands in the cacophony of the noisy […]

Their encounter with Jesus in the opening of the Scriptures and breaking of the bread is life-changing for the two disciples in today’s Gospel story. We have our encounter with Jesus in a similar way during the Mass as we listen to scripture and receive the Eucharist. These sacramental encounters should be life-changing for us, […]

In our day to day lives there are many opportunities for conflict. Jesus did not promise us the absence of conflict. Instead, he gave us the gifts of peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation so that we could reduce conflict. One of the measures of Christian life is not the absence of conflict, but the manner in […]