This week’s Gospel passage is so well-known and beloved that it has even garnered its own cliché, “walk on water.” The dramatic scene of Jesus walking across the water and Peter walking on the water toward Jesus is the highlight of the passage.
There is, however, an act of faith made by the disciples just prior […]

Most versions of the Bible depict this week’s Gospel passage as the “Parable of the Sower” or the “Parable of the Seed.” These titles focus the readers’ attention upon Our Lord (the sower) or the seed (the Word of God). While this focus on Our Lord and God’s Word is always appropriate, we also know […]

In St. Matthew’s recounting of the calling of the Twelve Apostles, he provides us with the names of the men chosen by Christ to be His most intimate friends and to whom He would give the authority to lead the Church. While we may be familiar with most, if not all, of the names of […]

Until recent years, it had been very common to see a sign that read “John 3:16″ at football games, usually held by a spectator sitting behind the goalposts that could be seen when an extra point was being attempted after a touchdown. The sign was intended to lead the viewer to open up his Bible […]

Scripture scholars tell us that it is most likely that Jesus spoke the words in John 14 while He was teaching in Capernaum, a town on the Sea of Galilee, which was the base of Jesus’ preaching ministry. In Capernaum, pilgrims can still visit the synagogue where Jesus taught the doctrine of the Eucharist (John 6), which is located next to a series of primitive dwellings that formed a cluster of homes.

The last sentence of the Easter Sunday Gospel reads, "For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead." St. John's insight gives us clear evidence that the resurrection of Christ confounded the Apostles. Like the Apostles, we ask, "What does the resurrection really mean? What did the Apostles see in the empty tomb and why should it gives us new hope in life beyond death?"

In the Gospel account, we observe that while Mary Magdalene was the first to arrive at the tomb, it was Peter and John who were the first to examine the evidence that Christ had been resurrected. St. John devotes painstaking detail regarding the status of the burial cloths and the cloth that covered Our Lord's head in the tomb. The original Greek text reveals much more about the status of the burial cloths than our English translation.

The narrative of the Samaritan woman at the well in chapter four of St. John's Gospel serves as a metaphor for personal conversion. While the events in the narrative are historically accurate, they also provide an image of our blessed Lord's call to each of us to honesty about ourselves, repentance and change. Hence, the […]

Forms of the word "repent" appear in the Bible 37 times. It is the most common theme found in the exhortations of the prophets, and its imperative is found in the book of Revelation six times. Scripture consistently reveals an intrinsic relationship between repentance and salvation. It should surprise no one that it is the […]

It is indisputable that Our Blessed Lord held His second cousin, John the Baptist, in high regard. Jesus said, "Among those born of women, there has been none greater than John the Baptist." Why did Christ pay John such high praise? The Gospel reveals at least two reasons.
First, Christ praised John for his humility and […]

Just days removed from the end of the liturgical year, the Gospel accounts take a more apocalyptic tone. The narratives of the end times — with stories of wars, insurrections, natural disasters, persecutions, family divisions and awesome sights in the sky — can cause one to believe that the end of the world will be […]

There's a surprise twist in the parable of the dishonest steward who cheats his master of what he is owed by several debtors. One would expect the master to be angry with the dishonest steward, knowing that he had absorbed losses on account of the dishonest steward's attempts to secure friends who may help him […]

As He makes His way to Jerusalem, Jesus is asked, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" Jesus' reply is startling. He says that although many will attempt to enter (heaven) through the narrow gate, they will not be strong enough. He goes on to explain that many people will claim to be friends […]

St. Luke's account of the Lord's Prayer is a powerful reminder of the efficacy of Divine Providence. After presenting the reader with the text of the Lord's Prayer, we are assured that our heavenly Father, the addressee of the prayer, is eminently aware of our various needs and that we can approach Him with confidence […]

After rebuking James and John for their vengeful designs to obliterate a Samaritan village for its unwillingness to welcome Him, our blessed Lord encounters three men who seek to become His disciples. Their interactions with Christ give us insights into the nature and mission of authentic discipleship. Jesus' words are antithetical to the spirit of […]

When speaking with Catholics and non-Catholic Christians, one can almost always assume that God is understood as a Trinity of persons. For the Jews, our forefathers in faith, this basic understanding of God is untenable. Therefore, when Christ revealed that God is not only Father (He told His hearers to call him "Abba"), but also […]

The Catholic faith contains within itself several mysterious paradoxes. For example: the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is born in poverty and born of a virgin. The apostles, charged with the spreading of the Faith, are mostly unsophisticated men.
This week's Gospel passage contains another: after Judas leaves the upper room to betray our […]

Every time we celebrate morning Mass on Easter Sunday, we hear the same eyewitness account taken from the Gospel of St. John. One of the unique features of this account is the painstaking detail John devotes to the status of the burial cloths and the cloth that covered our Lord's head in the tomb.
The Greek […]

The subject of the fourth luminous mystery of the rosary is one of the most dramatic scenes in all of Scripture. It places Jesus between Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the Prophets) as the Lord of all history and the fulfillment of God's promise of a savior. This moment made such an impression […]

The term "epiphany" finds its roots in a word that means "manifestation." The Christ Child is manifested not only to Jewish shepherds, but to Gentile wise men, the Magi.
The story of the Magi reveals to us important symbolism, such as the significance of the gifts presented to Jesus, and God's desire to make Himself […]

Of all the moral teachings that our Lord gave us during His time on earth, He was never more specific in His instruction than when He discussed marriage. The Pharisees tested Jesus on this particular teaching by referencing the law that permitted divorce which had been given to them through Moses. In order to fulfill […]

At first glance, the actions taken by our Lord to heal the deaf and mute man may seem somewhat intrusive. The thought of putting one’s finger in another person’s ears or applying saliva on another person’s tongue offends our notions of personal space and hygiene. And yet these actions, captured in vivid detail by St. […]

Jesus’ hearers cannot believe the seemingly unbelievable. When Jesus makes the radical claim, “I am the living bread come down from heaven,” He is not only asking the Jews to accept His assertion that He can give His body as flesh to eat under the appearance of bread, Jesus is asking the Jews to believe […]

The time-honored Catholic tradition of making a pilgrimage dates back to before the Middle Ages. Stories such as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales depict the practice of making a pilgrimage. Unlike modern-day pilgrims who often have the luxuries of motor coaches and four-star hotel accommodations, pilgrims of old traditionally made the journey by foot (or by horse, […]

St. Mark’s version of the Last Supper includes a rather detailed account of the precise preparations that Jesus asks two of His disciples to make in anticipation of the Passover. The details of this preparation are not incidental — they carry within themselves rich messages of how we ought to prepare ourselves when we encounter […]

There’s a legendary story about St. Teresa of Avila, who was taking a trip by horse and carriage to visit another monastery. Suddenly, the carriage struck a rock along the road and threw the future saint from the carriage into a puddle of mud. Covered in sludge, she looked up to heaven and said, “If […]

The story of St. Thomas the Apostle or Doubting Thomas is not unfamiliar to us. When Jesus appears to the Apostles a week after the Resurrection, our Lord challenges Thomas in his unbelief and brings him to humble adoration. Thomas is moved to say, “My Lord and my God.”
Just a week earlier, Thomas had said […]

With the season of Lent rapidly approaching, it is providential that this week’s Gospel discusses the issue of fasting. Jesus is questioned about why His disciples do not practice fasting as compared to the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees.
In His reply, our Lord uses nuptial imagery to explain why His disciples do […]

Jesus’ hearers are vastly impressed with our Lord’s discourse and his capacity to exorcise demons. St. Mark writes, “All were amazed and asked one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him.’”
Some have tried to reduce this exorcism to a type of therapeutic remedy […]