The Gospel text today is the endearing story of Jesus and the little children. The disciples were trying to keep the children away from Jesus by rebuking them or scolding them. At that point we read a word that is not often used to describe Jesus; we are told that he became indignant for separating him from the children. Why would the disciples do this in the first place?
Children, and by...
In the chapter thirty-four of the Book of Exodus, God engages in self-revelation. Atop Mount Sinai, God places Moses in the cleft of the rock and covers his eyes so that as God passes by, Moses will not be able to see God’s face. As he passes by Moses, God proclaims: “The LORD, the LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity…”...
The lengths to which Jesus asks us to go to remove the things in our life that lead us to sin is expressed in very extreme language. Plucking out our eyes or severing parts of our bodies would be extreme. However, when we look for meaning in Jesus’ words, there are several things that we must take into consideration.
First, deformity such as birth defects or blindness or deafness...
Human beings have not changed much since the time of Jesus. We still tend toward polarization and the illusion that we are in control. When the apostles become upset because someone else is using the name of Jesus to cast out demons, he tries to set them straight about who is with him and who is against him.
At the very least, the apostles should realize that no human being can control the...
As we re-enter Ordinary Time, we turn back to the Gospel of St. Mark and pick up just about where we left off before we entered Lent. Today’s Gospel text is typical of St. Mark’s writing style. His Gospel is the shortest of the four. His writing style is spare and direct. He doesn’t use five words when two will do.
Today we hear Jesus speak of his coming passion, death,...