6,915 total views
6,915 total views Another parable, which is peculiar to Matthew (20:1-16), is read today. Though bracketed by the saying of Jesus on the reversal of fortune in the reign of God (19:30 and 20:16), in itself it may be referring to the equality of everyone to be admitted into the kingdom of God and the reward
6,644 total views
6,644 total views Continuing last week’s lesson from the Gospel regarding the relationship of the members of the Christian community where the paramount goal is to bring back to full communion a member who sins, today’s gospel focuses on an interpersonal offense and the need for forgiveness (Mt 18:21-35). Jesus’s response to Peter, (who probably imagined
6,661 total views
6,661 total views Considering the previous parable on the lost sheep (Mt 18:12-14) as the immediate context of the gospel reading today (vv 15-20), the motive behind the three-step procedure regarding erring brothers becomes obvious. In keeping the desire of the ‘heavenly Father that none any of these little ones should perish’ (v14), it aims to
6,527 total views
6,527 total views Now that his purpose and mission have been revealed in his confirmation of Peter’s confession of him as Messiah (cf last Sunday’s gospel), Jesus speaks now about the implications of his identity (Mt 16:21-27). He immediately points to the shadow side of the Servant role: his impending suffering, death, and resurrection. The passion
4,005 total views
4,005 total views All three synoptic Gospels narrated Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah (Mk 8:27-29; Mt 16:13-30; Lk 9:18-20). In today’s Gospel Matthew significantly modified Mark’s version: a. in his question regarding his identity (v13), Jesus used the title Son of Man, a self-designation frequent in this gospel (Mt 8:20; 9:6; 10:23; 11:19: 12:8, 32,
2,892 total views
2,892 total views Earlier in the gospel of Matthew it was narrated that Jesus and his disciples were on the boat when a violent storm broke. Jesus was asleep and has to be wakened up, (8:23-27). In today’s Gospel, Jesus, while at prayer and not with the disciples, a strong headwind raises high and batters the
2,169 total views
2,169 total views The Feast of the Transfiguration may have originated early from the three basilicas on Mt. Thabor and was celebrated in Syrian, Byzantine, and Coptic rites as early as the 9th century. In 1456, the Kingdom of Hungary repulsed an Ottoman invasion of the Balkans by breaking the siege of Belgrade. News of the
