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 [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (7: 31-37) in which Jesus heals the deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, saying ‘Ephphatha’, which means ‘be opened’. Afterwards, Fr Paul shares a little about St Scholastica, whose memorial we celebrate today. Fr Paul notes Scholastica was born in Nursia in [...]
Gospel Reflection for Thursday – 5th Week of Ordinary Time (9 February) The astute Syro-Phoenician woman Our Gospels return after the fierce storm which caused extensive damage to Fr Paul’s office in Port Macquarie. Today Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (7: 24-30) in which a pagan woman, by birth a [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (6: 53-56) which notes that as soon as Jesus and his disciples arrived by boat at Gennesaret Jesus was recognised, people begged him to let the sick touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. Afterwards Fr Paul shares [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (6: 30-34) in which Jesus says to his disciples, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’.Fr Paul says at both beginning and end of this section of the Gospel we are reminded that the foremost duty [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (6: 14-29) which tells of John the Baptist being beheaded at the order of King Herod. Fr Paul says the story of the Passion of John the Baptist is told by Mark with more attention and sympathy than by either of the other two synoptic evangelists [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (2: 22-40) which tells of the time when Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him at the Temple for the purification rites as required by the Law of Moses.Fr Paul says the story of the Presentation of the child Jesus in the [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (6: 1-6) in which Jesus, accompanied by his disciples, visits his hometown where he is amazed at the people’s lack of faith.Fr Paul says the very last sentence of today’s Gospel reading speaks of the people’s lack of faith. What is this lack of faith? We know [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (18: 1-5) in which Jesus tells his disciples whoever takes the lowly position of a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven… And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. After reading the Gospel, Fr Paul shares a little about [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (5: 1-20) in which Jesus drives unclean spirits out of a man and into a herd of pigs.Fr Paul says today’s Gospel is the dramatic story of the healed demoniac, which is special in several ways.Firstly, this is the only occasion in Mark’s Gospels where [...]