SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION

November 17 2024. Thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time

Exclusive to this website English translation of a great homily from Vatican Radio for this Sunday's Gospel. The homilist, Fr Fabio Rosini, is a renowned speaker and fills the Roman basilicas with young people!

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, 

Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

November 10th 2024. Thirty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL: Mark 12,38-44

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading . . .

GOSPEL: Mark 12,38-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honour in synagogues,
and places of honour at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

SUMMARY OF HOMILY

1. If God is not our Saviour, then we will seek to be filled by something else, causing us to “devour” what is around us.

This account of the widow’s contribution to the Temple treasury is the final story recounted in Mark’s Gospel at the end of public life of Jesus. Following this, Jesus gives his discourse on the destruction of the Temple, and then the Passion narrative begins. The passage presents us with two contrasting figures, one who uses God to promote himself, the other who gives of herself in order to submit to God. The Scribe goes around in flowing robes, looking for attention. He uses religion to advance his own agenda, his own public image. Jesus had just commented that people of this sort “devour” the houses of widows. This expression – to devour – is significant. It shows the desperate anxiety to fill the void within. Our ego gets its energy from the fear of nothingness. We have nothing without God, and this nothingness fills us with terror, causing us to devour everything around us. When our Saviour is not Christ, there are many others, and they are vain.

 

2. The Gospel cannot be reduced to mediocrity. We either rely on God as our Saviour or we try to live by our own works and the esteem of others.

The Scribes live by vanity, to be seen by others. But what does Jesus see? He see the widow, who in contrast to the Scribe, puts her last two coins into the Temple treasury. By so doing, she manifests her radical relationship with God. She could have held one coin back for her own needs, but instead she gives both. There are no half measures here. She empties herself in order to live out her relationship with God, whilst the Scribe uses his relationship with God to try to fill himself. Either our heart rests in God depending on his providence, or we live by our own works and the esteem of others. Today, let us move the centre from ourselves to God. We are called to enter into a true relationship with Christ. What do we really love? The Gospel is radical. It cannot be reduced to mediocrity. Either it is the centre or it is nothing.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, 

Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

November 3 2024. Thirty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL Mark 12:28-34

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading . . .

 
GOSPEL: Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, 
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbour as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

SUMMARY OF HOMILY

 

1. Our love for God must be global and involve the integration of our entire being.

This dialogue between Jesus and the Scribe regarding the greatest of the commandments occurs in the final part of Mark’s Gospel dedicated to the public ministry of Jesus. We are in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel. Chapter thirteen will contain Christ’s discourse on the destruction of the Temple and the end times, while the fourteenth Chapter contains the beginning of the account of the Passion. The dialogue between Jesus and this particular Scribe is the only one of these encounters that has a positive outcome. The Scribe asks for the greatest commandment and Jesus says, “"The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Here, Jesus states that we must love God with all three dimensions of being: the heart (our interior affectivity), the mind (our reason) and our strength (our works). This all begins with hearing, with receiving the word of God. It Is not enough to perceive God with our feelings, or to think about him with our minds. Nor is it enough to do the works of God without understanding him or feeling him in the profundity of my being. No, the love of God must have this globality, the integration of mind, heart and actions.

 

2. Faith cannot be merely horizontal or vertical. It must embrace both.

Jesus is often awkward in these discussions with the religious leaders, answering questions with other questions. But here he is much more straightforward and gives a direct response. However, then he adds something that has not been asked of him: the second commandment – “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. Why does Jesus make this addition? If we take the first commandment without the second, we are effectively taking the first tablet of the old Law (man’s relationship with God) and disregarding the second tablet (man’s relationship with others). The faith can be reduced to purely devotional practices, a “vertical” relationship with God that neglects my responsibilities towards others. Equally, it is possible to live only the “horizontal” dimension of the faith, forgetting its transcendent and invisible aspect. The two aspects are essential. I cannot love God authentically without loving my neighbour. It is possible to live in a religious community, carrying out liturgical devotions with perfection, yet without having civil relations with other members of the community. Such a situation is a sacrilege and makes all the devotions vain.

 

3. It is essential that we unite our hearts, minds and actions, loving God and neighbour in an integral way

Often it is easier to do something for someone rather than to wish them well or to take the time to listen to them. It is not enough to do works for others with our hands, we must welcome them with our hearts and listen to them with our minds, so that mind, heart and body are all involved in an integral relationship. God is not someone merely to be understood, nor is he someone merely to be served. He must be known and served. As Jesus says, the Lord our God is Lord alone. He is one. He is not disordered but is harmonious, the sort of harmony that we exhibit when we cooperate with one another. We are on a journey towards union, not uniformity or conformity. A person is composed of mind, heart and body, but is one thing and loves God in an integral way. To unify our love of God with love of neighbour using our hearts, minds and body is an ESSENTIAL task for the Christian. The Scribe responds well and remarks that the love of God and neighbour is worth more than sacrifices or holocausts. Jesus replies that he is not far from the Kingdom of God. The Scribe has understood everything, but he does not enter the Kingdom unless he enter into a relationship with Christ. Entering the Kingdom is not a technique but a relational act. We must entrust ourselves to him and be drawn into his life, which is what is described in the greatest of the commandments..

 

ALTERNATIVE HOMILY . . . In Sunday’s Gospel, a scribe asks Jesus which is the first of all the commandments. Jesus gives the traditional reply, to love God with all of one’s being. This is a verse that would have been recited by the scribes a few times daily. They knew the theory perfectly. In fact, Jesus says, “You are not far from the Kingdom”. But for the scribes, this remained something abstract, something to be repeated and argued over. Jesus is the one who goes beyond the theory. The scribes knew it, and it was for this reason that “no one dared to ask him any more questions”.  Jesus is the one who lives the “all” that is repeated four times in the first commandment. It is this complete love, without reserve, that enables him to be crowned with thorns, to endure the evil which surrounds him, to be crucified. He loves without keeping anything for himself. Jesus tells us that this complete love is what we need to live an authentic life. What is the alternative to this love? If a man said to his wife, “I love you with part of my mind and part of my heart. I will do certain things for you but not everything”, no woman would be impressed! The alternative to the completeness of Christ’s love is the mediocrity with which we live our lives. He loves without conditions and without reserve. Jesus puts flesh on the first commandment. And when we allow ourselves to be loved by him, then his flesh begins to become ours. On this 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time, we consume the Eucharist in order to have this “all” in our hearts, so that we too, through his grace, can become capable along with him of loving without mediocrity, without half measures, but right to the end.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, 

Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

October 27th 2024. Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL Mark 10:46-52

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading . . .

 
GOSPEL Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

SUMMARY OF HOMILY

 

1. This Gospel demonstrates the struggle involved in prayer

This Gospel recounts the final event before Jesus enters the holy city of Jerusalem. The first reading from Jeremiah speaks of the pathway that the people of God must follow before they return to their own land. The blind, the lame, those expecting children, will all return in great numbers and will not stumble on their way to being restored. Jesus too is following a pathway from the cursed city of the Old Testament (Jericho) to the holy city, where he will restore all things. As we shall see in this Gospel passage, it will be a blind man who will end up following Jesus along the way, just as Jeremiah had prophesised. Bartimaeus (which means the “son of Timaeus) calls upon the Son of David. Eventually he will be healed and will follow Jesus, but - in between - there is the struggle of prayer. He calls out to the Lord, but the crowd tells him to be quiet. All of us experience this struggle. Exterior voices of mundanity and internal voices of doubt all tell us that prayer is useless.

 

2. Bartimaeus’ prayer arises from his deepest desire to live in a more profound sense.

The great strength of Bartimaeus is that he is not content to remain on the margins of life earning a few coins to help him to survive. What gives us the power to pray is the desire to live in a fuller sense, the awareness of the deficiencies of life as we now live it. Bartimaeus overcomes these obstacles with his tenacity. Prayer must not solely be done out of obligation but must arise in the depths of our hearts. In the profundity of our hearts we want to live, to see again, to escape mediocrity.

 

3. Our hearts were made to encounter God. Let us discover the deepest desires of our hearts and bring them to prayer!

Jesus asks him what he wants. The power of prayer is to want those things that the Lord wishes us to ask for. Many of our desires are just for those few coins that help us to survive. It is important that we express the desires that are in the bottom of our hearts, for our hearts were made to encounter God. Our hearts were created to go to Jerusalem with Christ. It is interesting that when Bartimaeus receives his sight, he does not use it for little things. He looks upon Christ and begins to follow him. The point was not being healed for the sake of being healed but in order to follow Jesus. In the depths of all of our hearts there is this thirst for life. Prayer is not just a devotional obligation but the means by which we uncover this desire. Bartimaeus leaves behind his cloak, the symbol of his life as a beggar. In prayer, we are to leave behind our old lives in order to embrace the new. This Sunday may the Lord grant us the courage to plumb our hearts for their deepest desires, which are the soul of genuine prayer.

 

ALTERNATIVE HOMILY . . . In Sunday’s Gospel the blind man, Bartimaeus, calls out insistently, “Jesus son of David, have mercy on me!” Prayer demands perseverance and resolve on our parts. But what is it that makes us persevere? When we are aware of our poverty and our desperation, then we call out most strongly to the Lord! Our weakness and our neediness is the powerhouse of our prayer! The people tell Bartimaeus to shut up. In my life too there are many forces that tell me to shut up, who insist that I desist from praying. The three classic enemies of prayer are the world, the flesh and the devil. The world tells me to solve my own problems with direct action, not with submission to the Lord. The flesh with its passions and impulses is not disposed to prayer. It makes me lazy and wilful, distracts me with other things. The devil tells me that God does not listen to my prayer so why bother? He tells me that I am of no importance before the Lord. All of these forces dissuade me from praying, but they demonstrate how important prayer truly is! In response to these negative voices I must become like Bartimaeus and cry to the Lord all the louder. Bartimaeus casts away his cloak and turns with insistence to Jesus. We too must cast away our “cloaks”, the things that conceal who we really are, the roles and expectations that we have. We must place ourselves before the Lord so that our prayer becomes a meeting of two desires, the desire of my heart and the desire of the Lord for my good. But how can I be sure that my prayer will be an expression of what is true and essential in my heart? If I persevere in prayer, then the combat of perseverance will purify my prayer so that it becomes a sincere expression of who I am before God and of my deepest needs. Then we can expect Jesus to reply, as he did to Bartimaeus, “Go, your faith has saved you!"

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, 

Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

   SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION

October 20th 2024. Twenty-ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL Mark 10:35-45

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading . . .

  

GOSPEL Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."
He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?"
They answered him, "Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."
Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
They said to him, "We can."
Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared."
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

SUMMARY OF HOMILY

1. The request of the brothers is selfish. Yet it is a form of prayer and Christ purifies it.

The first reading from the prophet Isaiah is an incredible prophecy of the sacrificial self-giving of Christ. It is very relevant for the Gospel. James and John ask Jesus for their glorification ahead of the other disciples. Though this request is objectionable, yet it is a form of prayer. When we pray, we are often asking God for something. We are often expressing mundane and carnal desires that arise from our fears and our fragility. These desires need to be visited by God’s grace. The request of the brothers to have positions of prominence is a very common craving of human beings. We have this anxiety to see ourselves being successful, to have importance and standing. We want to be someone, but what we really need is to allow God to work within us. In reply, Jesus asks the brothers if they are willing to drink the chalice that he must drink. At the Passion, this drinking of a chalice involves subjecting oneself in obedience, following God’s will, rather than pursuing one’s own inclinations. When the brothers assent, Jesus says, “Fine. You will drink the chalice. You will be baptised in my baptism, immersed in this new life”. In other words, Jesus accepts their unseemly request and makes something better of it.

 

2. Instead of focussing on own projects, we need to immerse ourselves in God’s will

The point is this. We can get up in the morning and seek to do something which brings us glory, but what we really need to do is to immerse ourselves in what God is going to send us today, drink the chalice that he sets before us. God has prepared something for me today and it is important that I be immersed in that. It is not important that my own desires and projects for today be realised.

 

3. At the end of our lives we will not ask ourselves what we have, but what we gave

The others are indignant. Why are they angry? Because they too wished to be the most prominent and are annoyed to be outflanked by the brothers! Jesus then tells them the secret of greatness. Real greatness lies, not in power, but in the capacity to serve and care for the life of others, the power to love which Jesus shows on the cross. The Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve. Authentic life involves being open to the will of God, drink the chalice that he prepares for us, so that we can become the place where others find repose. What fulfilment and satisfaction we receive from giving life to others! How beautiful is the Christian life, to abandon oneself to the will of God so that we manifest his image, becoming founts of peace and forgiveness, of beauty and welcome. When we are at the end of our lives, we will not wonder if we were great or powerful. We will not ask ourselves how much we have, but rather how much we gave. Yes, we can drink the chalice that Christ drinks, we too can abandon ourselves into the hands of the Father, serve others and become sources of life.

 

 

ALTERNATIVE HOMILY . . . James and John ask Jesus to give them the most important positions of glory in the future kingdom. It might surprise us to read that Jesus does not chide or scold them. Instead he seeks to purify their desires and looks for what is good underneath their egoistic demands. Yes, they can indeed have the glory that they seek, but they must first be close to him in his sacrificial love. This is how it is for all of us. We all have disordered desires for self-advancement. Underneath these is the authentic desire for true life. If we wish to be close to Jesus in his glory, then we must be close to him in the way we love and serve others. This is true glory! The worst aspect of the demand made by James and John is that they sought to choose their own positions in the future kingdom. But it is God who chooses that. We must receive what he gives us and follow him. It is communion to which we are called, not individual self-aggrandisement. The other apostles become indignant when they hear that James and John have made such a request, but their indignation is really a form of competitiveness. Jesus then addresses himself to all of them. “Do all of you wish to be great? Do you all wish to have glory? That is good! It is not a bad desire in itself. But if you wish to have real glory, then put yourselves at the service of others. If you wish to be great, then become the slave of others. It is love and service that gives glory. It is self-transcendence that makes us great. It is the overcoming of our egos that makes us wonderful.” This authentic glory is buried within our disordered search for human glory. Let us allow ourselves to be annihilated by this authentic glory revealed in the Gospel for Sunday.