Year II. Paul reminds his Corinthians that he had preached them the simple, uncomplicated message of the crucified Christ. That was a message of faith, not of human wisdom. Gospel. From now on until Advent begins, we shall read the gospel of Luke, the evangelist who pays special attention to the Holy Spirit, the mercy […]
Year II. Little people, like most of the Corinthians, should be aware that they are great before God. God chooses what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. Their boast, their wisdom, is God. Gospel. In today’s parable of the talents, Jesus speaks of what we do for the kingdom of God with
Year II. Paul knows that the Christians of Corinth are not only divided in their loyalties but are also influenced by the Greek tendency to philosophise about everything. But their salvation, their true wisdom, lies in Christ, who saved them by the cross. Gospel. The key point of the parable of the wise and the
Year II. For three-and-a-half weeks, we will hear in the first reading excerpts from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In this letter, Paul faces practical problems in a young Christian community in pagan territory, particularly internal divisions into factions, lapses in morality, relations with pagans, the role of charisms, and faith in the resurrection,
Year II. Our guide should be the solid traditions of our faith, not private revelations. Gospel. We probably agree with Jesus’ strong condemnation of the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. But hypocrisy is still with us today. The whitewashing of tombs continues, and from individual corruption, it has pervaded society itself. The wrongs of the state, and the
Year II. Paul is aware that his Thessalonians are in danger of becoming an end-of-the-world sect, something we can easily understand in light of the many similar sects appearing among us today. Paul invites them to look serenely at the traditions of the early Church about the end of the world, which Paul had brought
Year II. Before the exile, Ezekiel had warned the people against the punishment awaiting them. When the exile had come, he consoled them and gave them the hope that God would live again among his people with all his glory. Gospel. The Lord abhors duplicity and hypocrisy, particularly in religious leaders. The scribes had rendered
Year II. At a time when many people are confused and uncertain about the future of the Church and even the world, the prophecy of Ezekiel is heartening. God can revive his people and breathe his Spirit into dry bones, making them come alive. Is it not the life of Christ and his Holy Spirit of
Year II. Israel had profaned God’s name among the nations, making it look weak when he had to send Israel into exile. Now Ezekiel consoles them when they are in exile. He will restore his people again, giving them a new heart and a new spirit. Gospel. All are invited to the kingdom of God,
Year II. After the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel criticises the kings who have led the people into their misery as bad shepherds. They should have pastured the people in the name of God, and not played politicians. Gospel. The parable of the labourers in the vineyard tells us, contrary to what we often hear, that
