In comes a leper, a desperate man who has lost everything: home, employment, friends, hugs, dignity, and it seems even God. This man is decaying while alive; for society, he is a sinner, rejected by God and chastised with leprosy. He approaches Jesus but knows that he mustn’t; he can’t; the law imposes absolute isolation…
Jesus had a way with heaven. People were amazed at his teaching because he was “a voice that blossoms;” while listening, we became disarmed. And the reason: because he taught with authority. Jesus is authoritative because he is credible; in him, message and messenger coincide—he says what he is, and he is what he says.…
The Gospel contrasts silence and proclamation: John the Baptist’s voice has been shushed in prison, but Jesus shakes Capernaum’s streets and seashore with a phrase reminiscing our Ash Wednesday: the Kingdom of God is here. Repent and believe in the Gospel. Jesus will never theorize the Kingdom; he makes it palpable and blossoming from his…
At noon on a hot day, the mood is calm and serene among three characters: a sharp-eyed John the Baptist and two inquisitive disciples who long for the next step after John, the greatest prophet of the age, indicated God was not far but among us. Suddenly, the prophet’s shout pierced nature’s murmurs: Behold the…
Epiphany highlights wise men who sought God, leaving comfort to follow a resounding prophet’s voice, revealing words like Isaiah’s “Rise, your light has come,” so they go after the source of real life. Rise, lift your eyes, and take a moment to gaze upwards and around you. Look for a narrow opening, a corner of…
A young couple embarks on a sacred journey to the Holy City of Jerusalem; they have prepared a small offering from their scarce resources: Two turtle doves will be presented in honor of their firstborn, the most precious treasure in the world. Upon arrival at the Lord’s house and crossing the threshold, the Lord meets…
The opening statement of our Sunday Gospel introduces a list of seven names: Gabriel, God, Galilee, Nazareth, Joseph, David, and Mary. Seven, the number precisely of totality, because what is about to happen will involve all of history, the depths of heaven, and all the perennial swarming of life. A countercultural Gospel: for the first…
This weekend, we meet John the Baptist down at the river. He doesn’t know how to love a little but entrusts himself entirely to the divine light of God’s grace. A leadership delegation from Jerusalem arrived at the Jordan River, not to listen and follow John the Baptist but to open an inquiry to find…
This weekend, we hear the resounding voices of two prophets from different eras. The first one from the Old Testament, Isaiah, passionately proclaims that God the Father wants to comfort his people with tenderness. In the New Testament, John the Baptist prepares people’s hearts for the king of kings and urges them to be ready…
Advent opens a bright horizon in our path. The Gospel tells of one night and its possibilities: “You do not know when the master will come, early evening, or at midnight.” (Mark 13:35). One thing was sure: he would come. But in the meantime, Isaiah struggles on our behalf against God’s timeline: “Return for the…