A Vincentian reading of the Sunday readings
Followers of Jesus, Thinking, Wise
Jesus embodies what he teaches on being thoughtful and purposeful. He asks all his followers to be so, and thus the...
Lowliness, Simplicity, Truth and Freedom
Jesus is the poorest of the poor on whom God looks with favor due to the simplicity, lowliness and awe of him that...
Meal of Salvation, Meal of Judgment
Jesus is the meal to which we are all invited, so that we may not perish but have eternal life. Do we come to it...
First and Greatest of All the Commandments
Jesus teaches that the first and the greatest of all the commandments is to love God and the neighbor. The Teacher practices, moreover, what he teaches. According to Jewish teaching, there are 613 commandments. Of these, 365 are prohibitions and 248 are positive...
Leap of Faith, Hope and Great Joy in the Dark
Beset by weakness himself, Jesus understands those who sit by the roadside. Calling them, he makes them leap, so that they may come to him and follow him on the way. Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is passing by. There is no indication that the blind feels his heart...
Enthusiasm to Serve to the Bitter End
Jesus is the model of determined and enthusiastic service. His true followers also serve to the end with determination and enthusiasm. One can rebuke Zebedee’s sons for not understanding and for being ambitious. But we cannot accuse them of unwillingness, indecision...
Everything, Give Up Everything for Jesus’ Sake
Jesus proclaims the Good News of the Kingdom and helps all kinds of needy people. Those who give up everything to follow him will inherit the Kingdom and its assets and riches. While Jesus is setting out on a journey, an unidentified man runs up to him. As...
Count Those Who Are Nothing in the Eyes of the World
Jesus is a stronghold for the oppressed. He wants us to shield the helpless. And he commands us to count those who are nothing in the eyes of the world. One can suppose that women and children do not count in Herod’s world. For he had no qualms about ordering the...
Wholeness and Unity of the Body of Christ
Jesus gives spiritual gifts to us who gather in his name. He expects us to keep the wholeness and unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Right after Adam and Eve have given in to the serpent’s temptation, their personal wholeness starts to erode. For they no...
Helpless, Wounded, Not Knowledgeable, but Chosen
Jesus saves and shelters those who are helpless as are children. He puts his arms around them, heals them and feeds them with his body and blood. For the second time, Jesus announces to his disciples his passion, death and resurrection. And no one among them dares...
Hostility Between the Serpent and Human Beings
Jesus is the Christ. His mission is to bring the Good News to the poor. He does not turn back in the face of hostility. After the disciples’ spokesman’s right confession that Jesus is the Christ, the latter warns them not to tell anyone about him. That’s because he...
Deaf People Hear the Word, the Mute Proclaim It
Jesus makes the deaf hear and the mute speak. He wants us to hear clearly the word of God and to proclaim it rightly. Those who have witnessed the healing of a deaf-mute recognize that Jesus brings in the new creation. They proclaim that the healer of the deaf and...