Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of 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. Fr Paul notes that the names of the Twelve vary in different accounts of the Gospels. For example, in the Gospel of [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (3: 7-12) in which large crowds from Galilee follow Jesus to the lake, where Jesus has to get into a boat to prevent being crushed by the crowd. Fr Paul says Jesus withdraws to the lakeside, where a great crowd gathers, which in Matthew’s [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (3: 1-6) in which Jesus heals the man with a withered hand, after asking the Pharisees, “Is it against the law on the Sabbath day to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” Fr Paul says this is the last of a [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (2: 23-28) in which Jesus tells the Pharisees, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So, the Son of Man is master even of the Sabbath.” Afterwards, Fr Paul will share a little about the life of St Anthony of Egypt [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (2: 18-22) in which the Pharisees question Jesus about fasting; ‘How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?’ they asked. Fr Paul says today’s reading comes from Mark’s collection of several confrontations between Jesus and [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (2: 13-17) in which Jesus calls Levi, the tax collector, to follow him, which draws the ire of the Pharisees. Fr Paul says the Gospel today starts with a piece of local lore and a puzzle. The piece of local lore is that Capernaum is [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (1: 40-45) in which, Jesus willingly reaches out to touch a leper and heal him. Fr Paul says, Mark shows the warmth of Jesus’ humanity and his concern for the leper. The leper has no right even to approach Jesus, but he must have felt [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (1: 29-39) in which, Jesus, after spending the previous day healing many, rises early, finds a lonely place and prays. Fr Paul says the snippets we hear of today’s gospel reading give us a sample of Jesus’ life at Capernaum, which is a little fishing village [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (1: 21-28) in which, as Jesus teaches in the synagogue, a man with an impure spirit says to Jesus, ‘I know who you are – The Holy One of God!’Fr Paul says this story takes us a step further in showing the growing authority of [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (3: 13-17) in which Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John, who tries to dissuade him, saying, “It is I who need baptism from you, and, yet, you come to me?”Fr Paul says the account of the baptism of Jesus [...]