Author: Paul Grimes

As we approach the end of the liturgical year of the Church, the Word of God Reveals the core and foundation of our Christian life. Jesus teaches the scribe in the Gospel of Mark (Mk 12:28-34) about the two greatest commandments. A scribe is a scholar and interpreter of the law. He asks Jesus about the first of all the …

The story of Bartimaeus, who is blind and beggar, is a masterpiece of Mark (Mk 10:46-52). It is the last healing miracle of Jesus before His entry to Jerusalem. It points to the total healing that Jesus will perform on the Cross. God restores wholeness. Jesus restores our original integrity: created in the likeness and image of God. Salvation is …

In the Gospel of Mark (Mk 10:35-45), Jesus predicted for the third time His passion, death and resurrection. He was preparing His disciples for His impending death. Instead, the disciples did not understand Him. James and John asked Him to be seated at His right and left. They wanted the two highest places of honor. The rest of the apostles …

In the Gospel of Mark (Mk 10:17-30), Jesus gives another radical and uncompromising teaching and the focus is on wealth. He is preparing His disciples for His impending death. He is on His way to Jerusalem and His Cross. He teaches them about the proper way of using wealth because riches and possession could own, possess and corrupt us. He …

The Gospel of Mark (Mk 10:2) tackles the difficult issue of divorce which is a very sensitive and painful reality in our society today. Divorce was also controversial during the time of Jesus. In fact, in that culture, there was an easy divorce policy that prevailed. It was initiated by man and not by woman. Marriages were arranged between families …

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus prepares His disciples for His impending death. He is on His way to Jerusalem and the Cross. He teaches them that discipleship is humble service rather than position and power. Service and humility are sterling qualities of discipleship and true marks of greatness. They have to learn from Jesus that ministry is shared responsibility …

Jesus is the wisdom of God in person, the summit of the divine wisdom, the intelligence of God who comes down from above. The wisdom of God is contained in the teachings of Jesus and is accessible to those who live by His Spirit. God’s wisdom is found only along the way of the Cross. It is only through the …

In the Gospel of Mark (Chapter 8:27-35), Jesus speaks for the first time about the Cross. He speaks for the first time about His passion and death. And that was shocking to the disciples especially Peter because the Jews expected the Messiah to be a powerful, triumphant military king like David who will drive out the Romans and reestablish the …

The sayings and teachings of Jesus are hard. His disciples were shocked to hear His bread of life discourse. They said, “Who can accept it?” And many of them left and no longer accompanied Him. There are many hard  sayings of Jesus that He left us. “Love your enemies, pray for your persecutors, forgive your brother not seven times but …

Jesus is the perfect revelation of God’s love. He is the sign par excellence of the invisible God. He speaks and acts in the person of the one true God. Hence, He is the New Temple, the new place of encounter with God. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the bridge between …