Catholic Reflections On the Gospels

The violent storm can allude to any crisis that can happen to any Christian: loss of a loved one, terminal illness, financial ruin, etc. Indirectly, it poses to any Christian the question of Jesus: why are you afraid? Have you no faith? Naturally, these questions do not mean that nothing bad can happen to the believers of Jesus for that is daily contradicted by experience. But these questions bring home the realization that no storm however furious it may appear to be, is fatal. All of us know that the see and storms will obey God because they are only part of the creation. We also know that there is no problem too big for God to solve, yet our worries have no ends and our troubles too trouble us because most of us prefer to fight them out on our own. The disciples are specimen of the common man. Even when Jesus was with them, they are frightened of a storm! Abram’s faith is the perfect solution. If only man left all his worries and pains to God! Faith is the sounding theme of to...

Though legend said Peter is the gatekeeper in heaven; there are actually many who falsely claim to be gatekeepers there, neither do they enter, nor do they allow others to enter. This happens to many leaders of different religions who claim to have purchased the patent rights of selling God. In fact, the Kingdom of God does not depend on agents for its growth. Man makes a big mistake when these instruments consider themselves to be the authors. Some individuals and organizations who have taken up the cause of religion think that if they withdraw their support, God is doomed.  Ridiculous!! Does God need saviors to redeem Him? If not, why do people and organizations indulge in killing each other, spreading hatred and violence, creating divisions in the society in the name of God, to save religion? We believe in God, to make sure our salvation and of others, not to save God from extinction. God’s work should be understood as God’s work; no man can substitute Him to do it. The Gosp...

Jesus’ sermon about the parables of Kingdom reflects-few qualities of life. The lamp is the symbol of spread of light something keeps away the fear. Transparency is the hallmark of the Kingdom of God there will no fear anything. One needs to be generous in giving oneself totally in order to get the best of the Kingdom of God. The one who does not give wholeheartedly loses both the thing given and the joy of a wholehearted giving. We have a good chance of getting a smile from someone, if we first offer that person a smile. To get a letter, we often first need to send a letter. If we are expecting to receive a unique blessing, spiritual etiquette would say, we must first offer a prayer. How often we might complain about our situation and feel neglected both by God and others because we have not received something. But the first question to ask is how much have we given. This is what Jesus questions us today. Generosity is one of those talents and lights which we are not to be hidden ...

Jesus gives an idea on how do we respond to God’s call, how more are we give ways to Satan and how less importance to the Almighty through the parable of sower. The parable depicts the sower, the seed, the roadside, the rocky ground, the thorny ground and the fertile ground. Jesus has well explained the parable in the context of hearing the Word of God and responding to it, a requisite for His disciple as His mother, true brother and true sister. There is something very important that we must learn from at least two things on the sower and the seed. The Sower is always generous, impartial and optimistic. He is generous because He continues to sow irrespective of the different responses from the ground. He is impartial because He sows irrespective of the quality of the ground. He is optimistic because He continues to sow hoping that some seed will grow somewhere, in some measure.  The seed is obedient, adaptable, potent and responsive. It does not demand a particular ground from...

People often have serious conflicts over how much time they should devote to their jobs and how much should be given to their families. The same situation was also present in the life of Jesus. According to epistle, doing the will of God is far better and acceptable to God. Offering a sacrifice is not a big thing as long as it does not touch one’s life. The rich can easily offer costly sacrifices from their riches. On the other hand, doing the will of God can be very hard, especially when the will of God contradicts one’s individual preferences. But, to be in Jesus’ company, it is necessary to surrender one’s will to the will of God. Like what He himself did during his agony in the garden. Here Jesus was at work this day, right in the midst of His talk before a large audience, His mother and some other family members try to call Him from the dais to speak with Him personally. Don’t wonder what in the world was so important that they would interrupt Him at that time! We are never told...

Jesus appointed seventy two disciples for the purpose of helping people both hear and accept His teachings. Their assistance was needed, not for some future date after Jesus had ascended into heaven but during the time He was there in flesh. They worked in pairs to give support and companionship to each other. Imagine what tremendous results could be achieved if our churches, each day would send out seventy two Christian believers to work in the community. These teams of disciples could show the poor how they can be spiritually rich and convey to those in the inner city that there is hope. Our thirty six pairs of disciples could comfort the dying with the message that in other world they will have another opportunity to live. The public, in general, could find encouragement in the wonderful messages from Psalms. How happy some would be to hear modern-day disciples speak of God’s law refreshing the soul? The world could be led to understand that God’s wisdom comes to those with open m...

An exclamation ‘He is gone mad!’ speaks on the importance of works of Jesus done for the people of times. Who is out of mind? Jesus or those who said that He is out of mind? It is better not to produce just an answer instead produce answer with reasonable tags for the cause. The people of times from the birth of Jesus until His death were actually absent-minded. When Jesus was born they had sudden joy of the New King born thinking an authoritative Ruler would come. Instead their thoughts could be spiritual so at least they would grow up in faith following ways of Jesus. Still even at Jesus’ public ministry people lived just the same life of misery though Jesus lived among them made no difference. When they required a hand of help, remembered Jesus to cure them and it was just a moment of time it took place and was forgetful at the next moment. That is why they said, ‘He is gone mad!’ whatever Jesus did for them was just a classical show. Those who criticized Jesus did not ev...

The passage can be illustrated with the different ideas and ways. In the natural means: The election of the twelve apostles provides us with five insights into apostleship. First, Jesus’ action of going up to the mountain and calling the twelve to Him indicates that apostleship is divine. The mountain stands for the meeting place of God and man. Even in the Old Testament, the prophet Moses was called to the mountain. Secondly, they are called to be with Him. Apostleship binds union with Jesus. Third, they are empowered by Jesus to cast out demons. It’s a special power to conflict with evil power they received. Fourth, they are sent to preach, preaching and teaching are inseparable parts of apostleship. Fifth, they are called by name and at times given new names. This is personally given by Jesus to His followers with a changed personality to work with Him closely. In a dramatically and considering the background of the elected apostles, the view goes like this: The J...

We know how famous celebrities or ministers are protected by security guards when they move among the crowds. Many times there is waiting car, near at hand for the celebrities/ ministers to make an escape from the rushing mob which often accompanies their appearance. Jesus also faced similar problems. Jesus withdraws to the lakeside, leaving the synagogue where He had given enough provocation to the Jewish authorities because the time for the final confrontation had not yet come. Large crowds gathered even from very far off places and pagan lands mainly to be cured by Jesus. The people try to reach out to touch and shake hands with Jesus for they could get healed. Jesus told his disciples to have a fishing boat ready for Him so that He could keep some distance between himself and the crowd. The attraction continues to draw people to Jesus even today. We come to our liturgies, private prayer, scripture readings or meditation to be close to Jesus and receive His blessing. We come ...

In the reading Mark narrates the outraged character of Jesus. Jesus at his teaching near Lake Galilee found an Officer by profession Tax Collector and by name Levi, son of Alpheus. Being in his office Jesus called him at once saying ‘follow me.’ The followed path finally led to his house. Here Jesus’ two actions scandalized to the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus at the house of Levi became friends with everyone especially with tax collectors and with outcasts. Also altogether everyone including Jesus and his disciples joined at the banquet served by Levi. This disturbed the minds of the scribes and the Pharisees. Thus they question with the disciples,” Why does He eat with such people?” hearing their question at the side, Jesus answered as ‘people who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call the respectable but the outcasts.’ The behavior of Jesus with the outcasts was the ‘matter of fact’ for the scribes and Pharisees. Since it was the Je...

The passage narrates the debate between Jesus and the Jewish authority about working on Sabbath. There are two significant and contrasting opinions about one what should do or not to do on Sabbath day. According to Pharisees none must work on Sabbath at any cost for it was holy. Whereas Jesus promotes to work on Sabbath day when it is absolute necessary especially saving someone’s life or helping one in need. The fact that the Jewish authorities were trying to trap Jesus was with their evil intention and impurity of heart mainly concerning on His works. The law of Levitical priesthood could not attain what was perfect and permanent. But some teachers of the law and Pharisees clung on its strict and harmful interpretation. When Jesus pointed out this mistake in interpretation, they would not come to their senses because they were corrupted and selfish. Of course this was the sad news to Jesus. To be shriveled is to be dried up, drawn tightly or to have a lack of moisture. Our...

The issue under conflict on the Sabbath brings out relevant ideas. The question of Pharisees on the act of Jesus’ disciples picking ear of corn justified in the right examples. “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath” is an idolized and ancient law of Moses. And we would hardly think of disputing it. The religious leaders of the people in the Old Testament had defined the precise limitations which one should not transgress, in order to keep the Sabbath rest. Jesus breaks the law and allows his disciples to do the same. The reason: He had a different, a higher law to follow. Jesus gave the example of David who worked on a Sabbath day and did what was necessary. Jesus gives approval of what David did, even though he had technically broken the law by doing what was prohibited on the Sabbath. Hence it is a conflict between two extreme thoughts whether to follow the law or to show emphasis on human needs. For Jesus, human need was important than the written law. Since the law came fro...

A question ‘Why are the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but yours do not?’ is about a question of empty faith or a futile. The answer does not seem to be an answer but a suitable example to the questionnaire. The guests at wedding party leave without food or not? Secondly patching new piece of cloth to an old coat which is null and void because it may cause get even a bigger hole. Anyone does not pour new wine into old wine skins because it may burst the skin. These examples produced by Jesus in a way to understand the people of times and know what is right. A question arose with regarding fasting but answer was sarcastically meant to develop the minds of unbelievers. Jesus defined the purpose of fasting is considered to be one of the mean to avoid sin, follow the law of Moses, follow religious rites and a sign of penance for sins. Finally it was all for God as a means of sacrifice to be pure and holy. Moreover it was a practice carried ...

The theme of reading ‘Jesus as the Lamb of God’ continued by John the Baptist. He introduced Jesus as the ‘lamb’ to his two disciples. They heard him say and at once went with Jesus.  Jesus questioned them saying, what they were looking for? But they addressed Him as Rabbi (Teacher) and asked where did He live? Here Jesus gave them an open invitation to become his disciples and asked them to ‘come and see.’ Those who went, saw and experienced Jesus, joined his group, leaving everything behind. This gradually revealed the identity of Jesus to the disciples. After remaining with Jesus they proclaimed that they found the Messiah. This led them to become Heralds of the Good News. It was certainly Andrew told his brother Simon that he found the Messiah (Christ). But the real meaning was understood in the latter days, when Jesus suffered for the sins of the world and was crucified.  Finally it was Jesus who called Simon as ‘Cephas’. This is the same name as Peter = ‘a rock’...

Searching and finding out Jesus and after being found at Capernaum, many people gathered to listen to Jesus. While he was preaching, a strange thing happened. A group of four men arrived carrying a paralytic man to Jesus. But they could not reach Jesus because of the crowd and tried to get in by an alternative way, opening the roof of the house and lowered down the paralytic man in front of Jesus. When paralytic was brought to Jesus for physical healing, Jesus healed him at first was his spiritual wound. ‘My son, your sins are forgiven.’ People of the times and even now some believed that every physical illness was caused by sin or related to spirituality or religion or ungodliness of their act or through their ancestors. For Jesus, spiritual healing was very important than the physical healing. In fact, physical illness often gave people an opportunity to find God and save poor souls. The faith of the men who carried a paralytic was firm in finding way to Jesus even thou...