Monthly Archives: January 2024

JESUS HEALS ON THE SABBATH 1 Samuel 17:32–33, 37, 40–51; Psalm 144; Mark 3:1–6. In the Gospel, Jesus miraculously restored a withered hand. The Scribes and Pharisees rose against him because of the Sabbath’s protocols and structures. For Jesus, every law must give expression to love and compassion. No genuine law is against love and […]

The Sabbath and Man Samuel 16:1–13; Psalm 89; Mark 2:23–28 “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Jesus made this statement in response to the accusation raised by the Pharisees. For them, the disciples of Jesus were breaking the law of the Sabbath by plucking heads of grain. The response of […]

THE QUESTION ABOUT FASTING 1 Samuel 15:16–23; Ps. 50; Mark 2:18–22 In the gospel, the Pharisees questioned Jesus about fasting. They said, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” (Mark 2:18). In response, Jesus confronts the legalistic mindset of the Pharisees. For him, love […]

Jesus calls Levi and eats with sinners 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19, 10:1/Ps. 21/Mark 2:13-17 Jesus says to Matthew, “Follow me,” the same way he said to Peter and Andrew, “Follow me,” and to James and John, “Follow me.” To follow him is a call to discipleship—a divine office that requires sincerity. If we follow him, […]

Carried by Friends 1 Samuel 8:4–7, 10–22 ; Psalm 77; Mark 2:1–12 Like the friends of the paralyzed, we must make every effort to bring our friends, the unbelievers, and the spiritually paralyzed to Jesus. We must pray and ensure that carnally-minded friends become spiritually-minded. Some will ask, Why do Catholics baptize infants when they […]

SPIRITUAL LEPROSY 1 Samuel 4:1-11 PSALM 44; Mark 1:40–45 Jesus cures a leper in today’s gospel passage. In the Biblical sense, leprosy was described as a swelling of the skin with a crust and a whitish patch, whose severity might have been evaluated by the depth of the affected skin. It leaves the leper horrible, […]

 HEALING MINISTRY 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20; PSALM 40; Mark 1:29–39 The gospel of today presents us with the healing ministry of Jesus. His healing ministry is all-encompassing; it involves teaching (Mark 1:21), deliverance (Mark 1:25), healing (Mark 1:29–34), praying (Mark 1:35), and preaching (Mark 1:39). These categories capture the manifesto of Jesus Christ in Luke […]

Divine Authority 1 Samuel 1:9-20, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8, Mark 1:21-28 In Capernaum, the gospel states that “He taught them as one who had authority.” Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. For Jesus, authority was for service. He used his authority to set them free. He said […]

Benefits of Baptism  Isaiah 55:1-11; Psalm – Isaiah 12:2-6; 1John 5:1-9; Mark 1:7-11 ********************  The Baptism of the Lord is the feast day commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. The feast of the Baptism of the Lord traditionally marks the end of the Christmas season as well as […]