Jesus and the Young People   In his three short years of his public activity and ministry Jesus went of out his way to seek out and find those who were ignored, rejected and often despised by others. He sat and ate with those others called sinners; he literally reached out to touch those who...

Welcoming and accepting others   The gospel today begins with the disciples of Jesus giving out and complaining. They say to him; ‘Teacher, we saw someone healing in your in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ They don’t want to recognise the good that this person was...

Loving and Serving each other   The gospel today begins with the same stark warning that Jesus spoke of in last Sunday’s gospel; he will suffer, die, but he will rise three days later. He clearly puts this reality before his followers then, and each of us, today. They don’t seem to have heard a...

Who do you say that I am?   When Jesus asks his friends in the gospel today, ‘Who do people say I am?’ they offer him a list of famous names from their own history and tradition; ‘John the Baptist,’ they said, ‘others Elijah; others again, one of the prophets.’ Jesus doesn’t seem to be...

Jesus wants to heal us   The first reading today from the Prophet Isaiah proclaims with great energy; ‘Say to those who are afraid, “Be strong, do not be afraid! Here is your God… he is coming to save you.” Then the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will walk, and those...

Lip service or service of the heart   In the gospel today, while the conversation with Jesus and the religious leaders is still about food, it is more about the Pharisees and their ancient rules and rituals; The Jewish Law. They gather around Jesus and accuse him and his followers of eating without washing their...

Jesus the Word of Life   Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. Today we continue the conversation that Jesus is having with the people about his claim to be the Bread of Life that has come down from heaven. As the conversation continues, so too does the conflict and their...

The Assumption of Mary   Today in union with the Church, we are honouring Mary as we celebrate her Assumption into heaven. Along her Annunciation, the Visitation, The Presentation, the Finding in temple, to her vigil at the cross and finally while she was with the others at Pentecost, this is the culmination of her...

Jesus nourishes and strengthen us Our readings this Sunday continue the message that we were offered last week; that of food and Jesus being the Bread of Life. In the first reading from the Book of Kings, Elijah is in the desert. He is tired, sore and hungry. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘I have had enough....

Jesus – The Bread of life  Last Sunday Jesus fed the crowd by multiplying the loaves and the fish. The message of food is contained in both the first reading and the gospel today. In the first reading the people who have been freed from slavery are complaining and hungry. It seems they were happier...