He brought in the head [of John the Baptist] on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl, in turn, gave it to her mother. This is one of the most horrific scenes in the gospels. The only real response to it is horror. Since Mark’s gospel is focused on Jesus, why is […]

But my just one shall live by faith, and if he draws back, I take no pleasure in him. What does it mean to live by faith? It does not imply believing a list of truths. It means having enough confidence in everything that Jesus has done for us that we are willing to base […]

Memorial of Saint Andre Bessette And this is the testimony [of John]: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. What a consoling message from the greatest of the Old Testament prophets! We […]

Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Today, the Church lifts up the Holy Family as an inspiration for all Christian families. We need to resist the temptation to look at this family as setting an unreachable ideal—so that we can hide behind excuses not to pursue growth and holiness in our […]

Thus says the Lord GOD: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me… (Malachi 3:1). As we approach the feast of Christmas, our reading from Malachi is paired with Luke’s account of the birth of John the Baptist. As Malachi tells us, he will be the Lord’s messenger to prepare the […]

John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, “He is possessed by a demon.” The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, “Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:18-19). In politics, there are always issues that divide people. Jesus had the […]

Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near. In today’s gospel passage, Jesus is responding to the disciples’ anxious plea for a “when” and a “with what warning” the end will come (Luke 21:7). He tells them that […]

Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son. Both readings today differ markedly from each other. The gospel deals with being ready for the end times. The […]

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. As Jesus did before crucial moments in his life, turning to God in prayer was his way of assuring that he was acting in accord with the Holy Spirit. He also […]

“I tell you, my friends, I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who, after killing, has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.” This quote from today’s gospel is one of four sayings loosely linked together. The passage embraces several themes that […]