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In the Gospel of Matthew (13:44-52), Jesus gives three parables that illustrate the Kingdom of God. They are the parable of the treasure buried in the field, the parable of fine pearls and the parable of the dragnet. They reveal that God is the highest, supreme good, the absolute treasure, the summum bonum. In the first parable, a man finds …

In the Gospel of Matthew (13:24-30), Jesus gives three parables or images of the kingdom that illustrate God’s reign. In the parable of the weeds among the wheat, it acknowledges the coexistence of good and evil. The slaves asked the master, “Where have the weeds come from?” They knew that the master only sowed good seeds. It is very significant …

The Parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Matthew (13:1-23) highlights the message of hope and confidence. It points to the growth of the Kingdom of God because of the promise of a vast harvest. Nothing will frustrate God’s plan. The Word of God will not return to Him empty. Parables are metaphors, comparison and symbols drawn from everyday …

In the Gospel of John (14:15-21), Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always!” The Advocate in Greek is parakletos which means counselor, comforter, consoler, mediator, intercessor, interpreter, aid and helper in times of need, guide and teacher. Jesus is the first Advocate and the Holy Spirit is the …

The Risen Christ is the fountain of endless and infinite mercy. He is the King of Divine Mercy. He alone is our peace and joy. His love is everlasting. The Divine Mercy is God’s initiative. It reveals God’s extravagant, excessive and steadfast love. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. No one can frustrate God’s plan to save …

In the Gospel of John, signs are indicators of the power of God. They point to Him and can be seen only through the eyes of faith. The raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-45) is the greatest of the signs performed by Jesus. It reveals that He is the Lord of life. He has authority over life and death. It also …

It’s 9:08 on a Saturday morning, and I am too darn busy for confession. I’ve probably written before about how hard I find it to get to confession — I say ‘probably’ because I really can’t remember. I whine about it so frequently that it’s hard to tell if I’ve made it the subject of a written piece or if …

The story of the woman caught in adultery in the Gospel of John (8:1-11) is a story of solidarity. She represents all of us sinners. She is used by the religious leaders as a tool to trap and test Jesus. She is seen not as a human being but as an object to be manipulated by the religious authorities. The …

The Transfiguration of Jesus is narrated by all three Synoptic gospels (Luke, Mark, Matthew). It is a very important event in the early Christian community. It is theophany which means divine revelation. It is the revelation of the true identity of Jesus who is fully human and fully divine. He is the chosen Son of God. It is also the …

When I was a young boy in Burlington, Vermont, my dad had a good friend named Phil who owned a sporting goods store. I loved sports, so meandering the treasure-filled aisles was an unmitigated joy. One afternoon, we were shopping for a baseball glove. Dad said to me, “Hey Johnny, see that man who just walked into the store? That’s …