THIS was clearly expounded by Christ himself when he said, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.” (Mk 9,43) And he...
“WHOEVER is not against us is for us.” (Mk 9,40) Words of Christ in response to his disciples who said, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” If we have the...
THE gospel reading of the Mass on Tuesday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time (Mk 9,30-37) reminds us that true wisdom, given our wounded human condition here on earth, can only be found in the cross of Christ. “The Son of Man is to be...
IN the gospel reading of the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, (Jn 19,25-34) we see how Christ entrusts his mother to St. John. “Woman, behold, your son,” Christ told his mother to St. John who was also present at the...
WITH the celebration of Pentecost Sunday, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit is always with us, always intervening and directing our life toward its proper end and its fullness or perfection. He is leading us toward how we should be, that is, that we...
THAT’S what Christ told Peter after telling him what to expect as the rock on which Christ would build his Church. (cfr. Jn 21,19) “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when...
ONCE again, we are made to consider the greatest desire Christ expressed just before his passion, death and resurrection in the gospel reading of the Mass on Thursday of the 7th Week of Easter. (cfr. Jn 17,20-26) His desire was “that they (we, all of us)...
“THAT they may be one, as we also are one.” (Jn 17,11) Words of Christ just before he entered into the culminating act of human redemption, expressing his greatest desire for us. We have to realize that this is the ultimate goal of our life...
THE gospel of the feast of St. Matthias on May 14 tells us about how much God loves us, where we can find that love and how that love gives us also the complete joy. (cfr. Jn 15,9-17) “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As the Father...
“BEHOLD, the hour cometh, and it is now come, that you shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” (Jn 16,32) These words of Christ should remind us of...