Reflection: John 20:1,11-18 Today the Church celebrates the feast of the first witness to the Risen Lord – St. Mary Magdalene. She is most remembered for her Easter testimony. She is the only woman disciple of Jesus named by all the four evangelists. Being present at the crucifixion, and at the empty tomb, she was […]
Madrid, Spain. “In the presence of God, I feel that it is time to begin again”, said the newly ordained priest Charles R. Rolón by way of prayer at the end of the celebration last July 16 in the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Ferraz Street, in Madrid. This date is always for us, the […]
July 21, Wednesday SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME It is quite likely that the delicious manna was not as plentiful and frequent as the epic description of Exodus seems to imply. But the authors bring out its theological meaning. When food is scarce and always the same, when the Hebrews cry out for the false […]
Reflection: Matthew 13: 1-9 We are reading here from Matthew 13. The whole chapter consists of “parables of the Kingdom.” Pope Francis calls the Parable of the Sower as the ‘mother’ of all parables, because it speaks about listening to the Word. The Word of God is a seed which in itself is fruitful and […]
SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B Introduction The Israelites were caught by panic facing the Canaanites. To instill courage in them, Joshua and Caleb, men of imposing stature, exclaimed: “Do not be afraid, for they will be bread for us!” (Num 14:9). Curious coincidence: the Hebrew root of the word “bread” is composed of […]
July 20, Tuesday SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME In epic style and with a superabundance of poetic detail, the authors of Exodus write down, centuries after the events themselves, the realization that God himself had saved his people. The waters of the Sea of Reeds engulfed slavery and marked the beginning of freedom in […]
Reflection: Matthew 12:46-50 With this question, Jesus challenged his hearers to reflect on who are the members of their family, their relatives and loved ones. Then he sets a new criterion for the Family of God: “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother” (v. 50). The challenge […]
July 19, Monday SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME As soon as their faith makes demands on them, as soon as they don’t see clear, the Hebrews complain and would choose slavery in Egypt rather than a difficult march through the desert to freedom. They don’t trust yet in God. They want signs of God’s […]
Reflection: Matthew 12:38-42 Evangelist Matthew presents the Pharisees and the scribes as the adversaries of Jesus. Most of the arguments against the teachings and signs of Jesus come from these religious leaders. Here they are at it again, but with a seemingly genuine request – for a sign from heaven. Matthew had already reported a […]
July 18, Sunday sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time What a pity if our world would become so heartless as to do away with compassion, with pity! We hear today’s Good News that God cares for us with a love deeper and even more tender than that of a mother for the child to which she […]