Ordinary Time

We have received, through the grace of baptism certainly but also through the grace of revelation, a knowledge or awareness of the mystery of the kingdom of Christ. Giving us this grace and blessing was the Father’s good pleasure. In other words, God the Father delights to give us knowledge, insight and revelation into the […]

Catholic social teaching has largely owned the Parable of the Good Samaritan and in a way rightly so, because it highlights the care and solicitude we owe every human being, but particularly those in dire need physically, emotionally or spiritually. However, ask yourself, if you will, whether there is a deeper meaning to the parable?

Jesus often asked direct, upfront and personal questions. ‘Who do the people say I am?‘ was just such a question (v. 18). It invited the disciples to focus not on others but on themselves. Others had their views and opinions on who they thought Jesus was: John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets. The

Prostitutes appear a lot in the Gospels and in Jesus’ life. That thought may offend you — it certainly offended a lot of people in Jesus’ day, especially the Pharisees, teachers of the law and scribes, who didn’t like prostitutes very much at all. Indeed, it is very clear that Simon the Pharisee, whom we

What could be more heartbreaking than to witness the tears of a mother (a widow) mourning the loss of her only son! Luke does not make specific reference to her weeping but we can be assured that it was the grief of the widow (and how else is grief expressed if not through tears?) that

Simon and his companions were fishermen who came from a fishing community. It was something they had done all their lives, and they never anticipated any change in their lifestyle. They probably loved their work, but no doubt they had had many days like this one, with nothing to show for their efforts. At times

At the point when today’s Gospel begins, Jesus has just read from the Hebrew Scriptures in the synagogue. His reading, from Isaiah, has been received with reverence. On sitting down, Jesus makes a shocking declaration. The promise of Isaiah is fulfilled here, today. The response of the people is fascinating. They embrace and accept him.

The Gentiles, like Luke himself, had believed in Christ on the testimony of others, not because they were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life, ministry and resurrection. Attacks on the historical existence of Jesus began to undermine their faith. To build up their faith, Luke wrote down an orderly account of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry ‘just