Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (6: 1-6, 16-18) in which Jesus tells his disciples “Be careful not to parade your good deeds before others to attract their notice, by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven”. Fr Paul notes that today’s Ash Wednesday reading, from [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (9: 30-37) in which Jesus is teaching his disciples and says to them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will put him to death, and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again”. [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (9: 14-29) in which Jesus says, “Everything is possible for one who believes” and the father who is seeking healing for his son says, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”Fr Paul says this vivid account of the healing of the epileptic boy is perhaps [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (9: 2-13) in which Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, and there, when they were all alone, he was transfigured before them. Fr Paul says, as the time for the Passion approaches (the time of Jesus’ arrest, [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (8: 34 – 9:1) in which Jesus says, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine let them renounce themselves and take up their cross and follow me”.Fr Paul says each of the three great prophecies of the Passion (the death and Resurrection of [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (8: 27-33) in which Jesus, as he and his disciples were visiting villages around Caesarea Philippi, asked them ‘Who do people say I am?’. Fr Paul says today’s reading is the turning-point in Mark’s Gospel. Up until now the stories we have heard have all shown [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (8: 22-26) in which Jesus helps the blind man at Bethsaida see clearly. Fr Paul says the positioning in the Gospel of this restoration of a man’s sight is really symbolic: it is placed immediately before Peter is granted the clarity to see who Jesus is. [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (8: 14-21) in which Jesus warns the disciples to be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. Afterwards Fr Paul shares a little about Saints Cyril and Methodious whose memorial we celebrate today.Fr Paul says Methodious was born in Thessalonica and [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (8: 11-13) in which the Pharisees question Jesus and ask him for a sign from heaven. Fr Paul says the little passage we’ve heard today is really puzzling. The request for a sign comes four times in the Gospel. It is only in this particular [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (8: 1-10) in which Jesus takes pity on a large, hungry crowd which has been with him for three days with nothing to eat. Fr Paul says both Mark and Matthew give two stories of the wonder of Jesus feeding the crowds. It is possible [...]