A Vincentian reading of the Sunday readings

Adore the Father in Spirit and Truth

Jesus shows us how to adore the Father in Spirit and truth. To learn from him, then, means to keep the true religion.  At Sinai, God tells the Israelites that they are not to adore other gods. Yet they later adore a molten calf. And they hail it as Israel’s god that...

Miracles, Prodigious Signs of the Messiah

Jesus preaches the Good News to the poor and works miracles for those who are sick and hurting.  He is the Messiah Israel waits for.  Miracles, wonderful deeds, spectacular events, both attract and frighten most of us humans. So, it does not come as a surprise that...

Beginnings in Eden and in the Desert

Jesus obeys to the point of death on a cross.  He does so to lead us to God and to the beginnings in Eden and in the desert, and to make us all just, washed in the waters of new birth.  Jesus stays in the desert for forty days, which sends us back, in the first place,...

Anger that Is Just and Constructive as Jesus’

Jesus brings in the kingdom of God and his justice.  So, his anger blazes as he sees us looking out for just our own interests, not caring about those who are poor. A leper comes to Jesus, kneels down and begs him: “If you wish, you can make me clean.” The account...
Lift up the Son of Man on the Cross

Go out of the Old World of Old Men

Jesus sees fit to go out of the bosom of the Father to announce the Good News to the poor and to bring in the new heavens and the new earth.  It seems that John, like Jeremiah, has the Lord’s word in his heart as a fire one cannot put out. It makes the son of...

Lift up the Son of Man on the Cross

Tasks for the Servants of Jesus

Jesus has chosen and brought us to his house.  And he has assigned us tasks that we have to carry out as we wait for him to come back. There are not a few of us who do not do not fulfill our assigned tasks.  Is this due to our not being of those who are wise,...

Lift up the Son of Man on the Cross

Brother Especially to the Outcasts

Shepherd and King, Jesus leads us and saves us.  He is a brother to all, especially to those who are poor.  He wants us to be brothers and sisters to all as he is. Our Leader and Savior is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.  This, of course, means that he is...

Lift up the Son of Man on the Cross

Fire up Our Whole Selves with Love

Jesus makes known by words and deeds that we cannot love God without loving our neighbor.  We Christians seek to fire up ourselves with love. The Church asks us today to keep watch. For we do not know the day or the hour when the Son of Man will come back. And to keep...

Lift up the Son of Man on the Cross

Slaves in the Same Way as Jesus

Jesus takes the form a slave and becomes like us.  We who seek to follow him are to become lowly slaves in the same way that he is.   For us who try to be and live as Jesus, to be first means to be slaves (Mk 10, 43-45). And today’s gospel teaches the same lesson. ...

Lift up the Son of Man on the Cross

Sweat in Seeking the Other’s Good

Jesus shows us how to love in truth God and our neighbor.  Out of love for them, he has to sweat blood and give himself wholly. To strive and to sweat.  This is what love for God asks of us who are of the Vincentian Family (SV.EN XI:32).  That is to say, it is not...

Lift up the Son of Man on the Cross

Reflect the Creator and Owner of All

Jesus is the image of the God whom no one has ever seen.  Hence, he cannot but reflect God who is merciful, kind, and faithful. No doubt, we Christians want to reflect Jesus.  And we believe, of course, that to reflect him means to reflect also the very God whose...

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