The Good Word

A couple weeks ago I attended a daily mass in a Manhattan church Pretty big church people spread out but enough people present so that everyone was just a couple pews from everyone else at most At the Sign of Peace many people just stood in place and gave a polite wave Often they were jus

Following upon the central parable of the sowing if you do not understand this parable how will you understand any other is the parable of the lamp This small parable about light meant to shine is interpreted by the notions of secret come to light Given the next words of Jesus meanin

Vineyards are one of the most powerful and pervasive symbols in the Bible with lots of stories involving them variously in both testaments The vineyard scenario is rich and malleable with changes able to be rung easily Today Isaiah s vineyard song the psalm snippet and Jesus parable all

We are at another occasion somewhat vaguely Mark joins disparate episodes into his coherent story Mark introduces us to a situation noted before where Jesus teaches large crowds so large that this time he teaches from a boat But new here is a use of parables those stories which are fictiti

Mark makes much use of shocking contrast as he presents the public life of Jesus Messiah and Son of God While Jesus pursues his life s goal of obedience to his Father others begin to define their relationships to him Crowds look on him with great favor and travel long distances to enjoy bot

Mark s progression of stories shows Jesus carrying out the obedience he understood to be owed to Him who said You are My Son My Beloved on you My favor rests The stories are in the main stories of miracles but the stories often carry other affirmations about Jesus beyond the expression of

A young priest was sent by his Bishop to a parish that had a red light district within its boundaries On his first day in the parish a nun who had worked in the area for many years took him on a tour of her beat the area where all the women-in-prostitution were plying their trade As they

The Gospel for the Memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina priest September 23 2008 is Luke 8 19-21 which I will cite in full The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd He was told Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and the

As Mark builds his story that shows Jesus to have the powers of the Messiah he also includes elements that go beyond miracle-working These three stories show some of these elements 1 Pious Jews were used to fasting though frequent fasting was not obligatory In this religious climate it is

As many readers of this blog probably know The Synod on the Word of God begins in October and lasts for most of the month The purpose of the gathering is for the world s bishops to discuss the place of Scripture in the life of the church America s special issue on the synod has just been pub