Jesus teaches the people to pray the Our Father Matthew’s Gospel (6:7-15) today, expands on one of the topics mentioned in yesterdays’ Gospel – Prayer. Fr Paul provides a context for this passage letting us know that it comes in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is talking [...]
Jesus talks about prayer, alms giving and fasting In today’s Gospel (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18), Jesus talks about the three works of Judaism: Prayer, Alms Giving and Fasting. Reflecting on the Gospel, Fr Paul says Jesus uses repetition to make his point about these three concerns. It reminds him of the way a [...]
Love your enemies Fr Paul reads from Matthew’s Gospel (5:43-48), which presents the last of six contrasts delivered by Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount. This one is about loving your enemies. Jesus reflects early in this Gospel that we’ve learned to love but that we’ve also learned to hate. He challenges [...]
Jesus says turn the other cheek Today Tony Worner reads from Matthew’s Gospel (5:38-42), which continues the Sermon on the Mount discourse begun last week and, except for a couple of major solemnities, will continue for the next couple of weeks. In his reflection, Tony focuses on the line in which Jesus says, “But [...]
Feast of St Anthony of Padua Fr Peter reads from the Gospel of Matthew (5:33-37) in which Jesus talks about making promises. Reflecting on this passage, he says we all make promises from time to time either formally or informally. Fr Peter invites us to think about our faith and the promises [...]
The nature of sin Fr Peter says today’s Gospel (Matthew 5:27-32) passage is very challenging, especially when we reflect in our spiritual life on the nature of sin and its effect on us. When we recall those moments when we have turned away from the love of God we may feel that [...]
Feast of St Barnabas Today we honour St Barnabas, one of the twelve apostles chosen by God himself, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Gospel from Matthew (10:7-13) gives an insight into how they lived and served the Lord. When we think of the Saints, we think the example they lived is [...]
Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to complete it In today’s Gospel of Matthew (5:17-19), Jesus once again gathers his disciples, telling them he came not to abolish the Law of the Prophets but to complete it. Fr Peter, reflecting on this passage, says sometimes we can get caught up [...]
Salt and Light Anne notes that Jesus preferred using simple every day imagery to make his point as demonstrated in today’s Gospel (Matthew 5:13-16). Jesus articulates very clearly what is expected of his followers, using the powerful images of salt and light. We are to be the salt of the earth. We are [...]
The Beatitudes Many will be familiar with today’s Gospel from Matthew (5:1-12): the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount is one of best-known teachings of Jesus. The first word of the first discourse from the Sermon on the Mount (which we hear over the next three weeks) is ‘blessed’ or ‘happy’. [...]