Monthly Archives: August 2023

STAY AWAKE 1 THESSALONIANS 3:7-13; PSALM 90; MATTHEW 24:42-51 We are so familiar with the phrase “stay awake” that we don’t even bother to contemplate the reality that it communicates. Like a familiar alarm, we easily press the snooze button and keep sleeping. Many Christians are still sleeping despite the alarming sound of salvation today. […]

INNER RIGHTEOUSNESS 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Psalm 138; Matthew 23:27-32 Jesus says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of uncleanness.”  In many ways, we are not different from the […]

SENSUAL DANCE AND HEROD 1Thess.2:1-8/ Ps. 139/ Mark 6:17-29 Mark 6:17–29 describes the beheading of John the Baptist by Herod Antipas (King Herod, with the title tetrarch—ruler of a quarter). He was a callous and debauched man who, possibly to fortify a political relationship, first married an Arab princess. When he traveled to Rome, his […]

  Pharisaic Behaviour 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8-10; Psalm 150; Matthew 23:13-22 Believing, preaching, and practicing are basic themes in the Bible. It is unfortunate that many people today are becoming believers; preachers are increasing, but just a handful practice. As a result, society is experiencing an upsurge in evil. In today’s narrative, Jesus chastises the […]

THE AUTHORITY AND IDENTITY  Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20 The Authority of the Church and the identity of Christ are the central themes in our readings of today. The word “church” appears for the first time in the four gospels in today’s narrative (Matt. 16:13–20). The second instance is in Matthew 18:15–17, […]

Hypocrisy  Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11, 4:13-17; Psalm 127; Matthew 23:1-12 In the gospel reading, Jesus condemns the Scribes and Pharisees for not practicing what they preach. If we do not practice what we preach, then we are not in any way different from the Scribes and Pharisees. Practicing what we preach is a necessity for fulfilling […]

SACRIFICIAL LOVE Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14-16, 22; Psalm 146; Matthew 22:34-40 In the Gospel, in response to the Pharisees, Christ says love is the greatest commandment. We must love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. Loving God above all things entails sacrificial or genuine love. In the first reading, Ruth demonstrated sacrificial […]

Revelations 21:9-14; Psalm 145; John 1:45-51 Today is the feast of St. Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, one of the Twelve Apostles (John 1:45–49; 21:2). Bartholomew is a Hebrew surname meaning “son of Tolmai. Nathanael is the son of Tolmai. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46) is one of his well-known quotes. He […]