Vineyards are one of the most powerful and pervasive symbols in the Bible with lots of stories involving them variously in both testaments The vineyard scenario is rich and malleable with changes able to be rung easily Today Isaiah s vineyard song the psalm snippet and Jesus parable all

We are at another occasion somewhat vaguely Mark joins disparate episodes into his coherent story Mark introduces us to a situation noted before where Jesus teaches large crowds so large that this time he teaches from a boat But new here is a use of parables those stories which are fictiti

Mark makes much use of shocking contrast as he presents the public life of Jesus Messiah and Son of God While Jesus pursues his life s goal of obedience to his Father others begin to define their relationships to him Crowds look on him with great favor and travel long distances to enjoy bot

Mark s progression of stories shows Jesus carrying out the obedience he understood to be owed to Him who said You are My Son My Beloved on you My favor rests The stories are in the main stories of miracles but the stories often carry other affirmations about Jesus beyond the expression of

A young priest was sent by his Bishop to a parish that had a red light district within its boundaries On his first day in the parish a nun who had worked in the area for many years took him on a tour of her beat the area where all the women-in-prostitution were plying their trade As they

The Gospel for the Memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina priest September 23 2008 is Luke 8 19-21 which I will cite in full The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd He was told Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and the