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 [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (1: 40-45) in which a leper appeals to Jesus saying, ‘If you want to, you can cure me.’ Fr Paul says Mark in this Gospel shows the warmth of Jesus’ humanity and his concern for the leper. The leper had no right even to approach [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (1: 29-39) in which Jesus heals many people including the mother-in-law of his disciple, Simon-Peter. Fr Paul says the snippets gathered in the Gospel reading give us a sample of Jesus’ activity in Capernaum, a little fishing village on the edge of the Lake of [...]
Fr Paul Gooley begins by explaining the cycle of readings we hear on Sundays and on weekdays and then he reads today’s Gospel from Mark (1: 21-28) in which Jesus commands an unclean spirit to ‘Be quiet!’ and to come out of person it was possessing. Fr Paul says this story goes one [...]
Today as we start the first week of Ordinary Time in the Church’s year, we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Mark (1: 7-11) in which, John the Baptist tells his followers ‘The one who comes after me is more powerful than me… I baptize [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Mark (1: 6-11) in which, as Jesus was coming up out of the water after John baptized him, a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, the beloved; my favour rests on you.” Fr Paul says we might just reflect for a moment – [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of John (1: 43-51) in which word about Jesus spreads and Philip, who has decided to follow him, invites Nathanael to do the same. Fr Paul says this third reading ends Jesus’ gathering of the first group of disciples. Why is it placed here, just at [...]