A Vincentian reading of the Sunday readings

The Gospel, the Good News, is Jesus himself, his preaching, his ministry.  That is why his presence fills us with consolation, joy and hope. The Gospel implies newness, which shows up in the beginning.  That is because John the Baptist is a different, a new, prophet....

Jesus, who rose from the dead and went up to heaven, will not fail to return in his glory.  Of course, he wants us to be always watchful and hard-working. Jesus exhorts all of us to be watchful.  And the exhortation sounds urgent, for he repeats it in several ways: ...

Jesus is the Evangelizer of the poor.  All those who live announcing the Good News to the poor belong to him and are heirs to the kingdom. Jesus goes around to all towns and villages.  He teaches in the synagogues and proclaims the Gospel of the kingdom.  Moreover, he...

Going up to heaven, Jesus entrusts gifts and talents to his disciples.  He expects them to be faithful, no matter the kind or the amount of the gifts or talents they receive. In the parable of the talents, the good and faithful servants are those who right away trade...

Jesus is the bridegroom whom we await.  We will enter with him into the wedding feast, if with wisdom we stay awake and are ready, with our lamps burning. Jesus informs us that we really do not know the day or the hour of his coming.  He can come any day, even at an...

There is, in Jesus, consistency between thought and word, also between preaching and doing.  We are not Christians if we lack such simplicity. Jesus addresses this time the crowds and his disciples to reassure them.  That is because a religious leader’s bad behavior,...

Jesus shows us the right way to love God and our neighbor.  Those who love, as Jesus does, overcome chaos and darkness together with him. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, bringing order out of chaos and dispelling the darkness.  He brought...

Jesus has the wisdom in speaking that his adversaries will be powerless to resist or refuse. The Pharisees love it when people recognize their wisdom and call them teachers.  And they are wise, undoubtedly, as the tricky question they address to Jesus through theirs...

Jesus himself is the garment we need in order to take part in the heavenly feast.  By clothing ourselves with him, we are assured of entry into the banquet of the Kingdom. The guests come from street corners.  But even so, only one does not get to put on, to his own...