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 [...]
The first miracle Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (2: 1-11) in which Mary comes to Jesus at a wedding feast in Cana saying, ‘they have no wine’ and he, reluctantly, performs his first miracle, changing water into wine. Fr Paul says this reading from John is the symbolic beginning of [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (1: 6-11) in which tells of John the Baptist baptising Jesus in the Jordon and of a voice from heaven saying: “You are my Son, the beloved; my favour rests with you.” Fr Paul asks, what did Jesus experience at his baptism? As we hear in [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (1: 43-51) in which, Jesus calls Philip and Nathaniel to follow him. In this third reading of this week, Fr Paul notes, we hear Jesus’ gathering of the first group of disciples. Why is it placed here, just at the beginning of the year? It seems [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (1: 35-42) in which, after hearing John the Baptist call Jesus ‘the Lamb of God’, some of John’s followers went and spent time with Jesus. Fr Paul notes this story of the call of the first disciples takes place in the Jordan valley, where John was [...]