Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (3: 31-35) in which, Jesus asks, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers and sisters?’. In this Gospel, Fr Paul says we hear that the mother, brothers and sisters of Jesus appear. They will appear again in the scene of the rejection of Jesus at [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (3: 22-30) in which, Jesus says ‘If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last’. Fr Paul says the fact that ‘scribes’ come down from Jerusalem indicates that the reputation of Jesus has already spread that far from Galilee, about a week’s journey. [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (3: 20-21) in which, Jesus’ family, when they learn of his situation, goes to check on him, convinced he is out of his mind. Fr Paul says this reading and those of the two following days are about the rejection of Jesus. First, as we [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (3: 13-19) in which Jesus went up on a mountainside and summoned those he wanted, so they came to him, and he appointed twelve as companions and to proclaim God’s Kingdom. Fr Paul says the names of the Twelve vary in different accounts of the [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (3: 7-12) in which large crowds from all over the country follow Jesus everywhere and unclean spirits that saw him, fearfully recognised him as the Son of God. Fr Paul says Jesus withdraws to the lakeside, where the great crowd gathers which, Matthew will use [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (3: 1-6) in which Jesus cures a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. Afterwards, Fr Paul shares a little about the life of St Anthony, whose memorial we celebrate today. Fr Paul says St Anthony is the originator of the monastic life. He [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (2: 23-28) in which Jesus says to the Pharisees, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, so the son of man is master even of the Sabbath”. Fr Paul says in Mark’s account this story is subtly different from the more [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (2: 18-22) in which Jesus is questioned about his followers not fasting, when the disciples of others are. Fr Paul says today’s reading comes from Mark’s collection of several confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees in Galilee. The Pharisees were absolute sticklers for observance of [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (2: 13-17) in which Jesus stuns the Pharisees and the teachers of the law by keeping company with tax collectors and sinners. Fr Paul says the Gospel story today starts with a piece of local lore and, also, a puzzle. The piece of local lore [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (2: 1-12) in which Jesus cures the paralysed man who was lowered down through the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching. Fr Paul says the healing of the paralytic is a double cure because he is cured of both sin and disease. Mark [...]