In 2001 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, published a small book entitled “God Is Near Us”. One of the chapters in that book is headed The Presence of the Lord in the Sacrament. It makes wonderful reading. He begins this chapter with the very text of the Gospel of today’s Mass: He...

Last week Jesus offered the people true bread, the bread of God, which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. They had responded enthusiastically: Sir … give us that bread always. Jesus’ reply was unexpected and challenging: I am the bread of life. He who comes to...

Why does Jesus hold such interest after two thousand years?  Can he solve the problems of today’s world?  What can we expect of him?  What can he give to support persons of our time?  Is there anything in this life that can truly satisfy our deepest hunger and longing? The...

The event we read about in today’s Gospel, the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, is one of the most extraordinary miracles Jesus did during his earthly life. Even though we weren’t there 2000 years ago to be fed by the hands of the disciples, this miracle is also one...

Plans. All of us are familiar with plans. There are family plans, school plans, plans at work, travel plans, game plans, and all sorts of other plans. Our days are lived out in them. Even our fun times are planned… sometimes over-planned. Some people can’t stand plans. They want things...

We all know the light of the sun in the daytime, and of the moon in the night. We know the useful light of a torch, the revealing light of a spotlight. We know the lights blazing down on the football field and the comforting lights in the dark street...

Today I’d like to reflect a little on the role of the prophet who, arguably, has the most difficult of all vocations. There are two kinds of prophets; false prophets and true prophets. False prophets support and sustain people in their illusions about life and about themselves; they encourage self-deception....

Hope and Faith   The gospel story offers an image of two figures — a woman afflicted for twelve years with a disease that has strained her strength and her money, and a twelve-year-old girl who has died.  We see Jesus in a situation where two people have every reason...

I want to begin today with some interesting parallels involving John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Both the birth of Jesus Christ and the birth of John the Baptist were surrounded by angels. Each of their births were mysterious; each accompanied by special acts of God. John the Baptist and...

Reading today’s Gospel I realized or was reminded that there are Laws of Growth. What I mean by that? Firstly, that such laws do exist and they are rather rigid. They demand obedience – preparing the soil, planting, watering, composting, weeding, sunlight, and so on. Farmers know all about these...