This Sunday is the 20th in Ordinary Time Fr Daniel Harrington writes that Luke s Gospel reading presents three initially puzzling sayings of Jesus He proclaims that he has come to light a fire on earth to undergo a baptism of death and to bring division rather than peace What happened to an

Twentieth Sunday of the Year Later in this Mass we will remember what Jesus told his disciples Peace I leave you my peace I give to you and we will then exchange a greeting of peace But in today s gospel reading Jesus says I have come not to establish peace on the earth I have come for

One of the traditional ways for Christians to understand the prophets of ancient Israel is to see the prophets as those who predicted the coming of the Messiah Such connections were made early on even in the New Testament itself making it is hard for Christians to hear a voice cries in the w

20th Sunday Jer 38 4-6 8-10 The vivid image of Jeremiah plopping ignominiously into the cistern of Prince Malchiah generates a pair of insights for me First the courage of the person who rescued him The man s name is not given and perhaps he was called Ebed-Melek which is Servant or sla

The verb assume has several meanings Its primary meaning is take up which is precisely the sense intended in today s celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary As we pray in the Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer Today the virgin Mother of God was taken up into heaven We ce

If preaching the Gospel is a vocation it seems odd that little attention is paid to its potential in candidates for the priesthood Can he do the studies is the first question that tends to come to mind meaning the whole panoply of academic philosophy and theology that will engage him for six o