Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. (Rv 3:20) Perhaps you have seen the painting Jesus Knocking at the Door of Our Hearts by the English Victorian artist William Holman Hunt […]

Today’s Gospel reading presents us with the compelling encounter between Jesus and the blind man. At the beginning we see the man’s persistence in believing Jesus would respond to his needs if he could just get his attention. He persists in the face of being hushed by the crowd. Jesus calls him and we see […]

We’re approaching the end of the liturgical year. In the tradition of our Jewish brothers and sisters our scripture readings depict the end of the world. The passage from the prophet Daniel sets the stage. In a time unsurpassed in stress Michael will appear to cleanse the world of evil and darkness, and call the […]

Luke tells us that Jesus’ teaching today is how to pray always without becoming weary. Jesus uses the example of a widow who continues to badger a crooked judge so he renders a just judgement in her case. The judge finally caves in because of her persistence. That takes care of the persistence part. What […]

Saint Margaret of Scotland and Saint Gertrude the Great, holy women honored in today’s liturgy, personify in diverse ways the message of today’s first reading “Let us love one another.” This second letter of John is addressed to a “chosen lady,” most likely a leader of a fledgling Christian community and reflects the Johannine theme […]

The Pharisees ask Jesus when the kingdom of God will come. Jesus answers: The coming of the kingdom cannot be observed. It is among you. In other words, it is first of all God’s mystery, secret. But more importantly, it is something that is already “among you.” In other verses of his gospel Luke says […]

In today’s first reading, Paul exalts the mercy God shows to his people. “But when the kindness and generous love of God our Savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth.” There is an acclamation that I have heard […]

Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, “Come here immediately and take your place at table”? Would he not rather say to him, “Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and […]

In the Gospel today, Jesus says, “If your brother (let me add “sister”) sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.” This passage reminds me of that passage in Matthew […]

With the hesitant sharing of her last piece of bread with the hungry prophet Elijah, the widow at Zarephath trustingly accepted Elijah’s promise that his God of Israel would give all of them daily bread thereafter to sustain life. This was a deal the widow could not ignore. Many years later, Jesus would declare: I […]