Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent a period of 40 days of prayer and penance which reaches its climax and goal in the solemn celebrations of Jesus rsquo death and resurrection in Holy Week One of the traditional Lenten observances is fasting During Lent Catholics are asked to abstain fro

In almost all of Jesus rsquo healing miracles the person in need of healing displays an attitude of faith in him and his power In Mark rsquo s account of the healing of the paralyzed man however it is the man rsquo s friends who display faith by the extraordinary way they bring their friend to

It is no secret that today there are deep divisions in our society and in our churches This Sunday rsquo s Scripture readings remind us that there were deep social and religious divisions in the Judaism of Jesus rsquo day as well and in the Christian communities founded by Paul They also remind u

It is hard to imagine a human being who does not want to be happy free and fulfilled It is a paradox of human existence however that genuine happiness freedom and fulfillment seem to come mostly to those in the service of a noble cause or project Caught up in his own losses and sufferings the

In 2006 Year B in the Sunday Lectionary cycle the Gospel reading is usually from Mark This is the shortest and earliest Gospel written around A D 70 probably at Rome Mark was the first to provide a narrative framework or plot for the traditional sayings and stories related to Jesus He seems

The central character in Mark rsquo s Gospel is Jesus of Nazareth who is identified as the Son of God both at the outset 1 1 and at the moment of his death 15 39 In between Mark presents Jesus as a miracle worker who heals the sick frees individuals from demonic possession and manifests powe