The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Fr. Christopher
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Mercy, as Jesus presents it, is not optional but the hallmark of being a child of God.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Fr. Christopher
In the biblical tradition, being “blessed” does not speak of a moral attitude to be adopted. Rather, in the tradition of our ancestors in the faith, the declaration of a person as “blessed” is in view of a coming action of God.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Fr. Christopher
The purpose of hearing the Word is to be “caught” by it, to have it illumine the mind and inspire the will so that it changes one’s thinking and acting.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – The Presentation of the Lord – Fr. Christopher
Let us be the light that announces that Divine Love is here, present in the temple of our hearts. In this way in the daily experience of living, we witness the Gospel and the Kingdom already present and active.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Fr. Christopher
When one has a longing so great that it surpasses human nature and eager desire, and are able to accomplish things beyond human thought, it is the Bridegroom who has smitten them with this longing.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – The Wedding Feast at Cana – 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Fr. Christopher
Weddings are about human love that co-creates human life. On a deeper level, a wedding where the mother of Jesus is present, symbolizes the relationship between the divine and the human, how the two embrace each other to create vitality. The wedding symbolizes how God and people are united in love to co-create spiritual life.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – The Baptism of Our Lord – Fr. Christopher
The power of the Most High overshadowing Mary, and the Spirit descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove, are one and the same God breaking into our daily lives. God, loving us so intimately, leaves the remoteness of the heavens, and makes His dwelling among us.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict is deeply embedded in the human heart and the entire history of salvation. The entire Bible from Genesis to Revelations is an endless series of conflicts between God and the evil spirit, between good and evil, love and hate, and heaven and hell. St. Paul writes that there is a fight in my heart between good and evil. In every healthy community, there are differences of opinion which can result in conflict, confrontation, and a fight for the dominance of opinions and views. The Gospel includes the never-ending conflict of Jesus with the Pharisees. Jesus did not seek this conflict, but by preaching the Gospel, He provoked people to stand for the truth, and this always results in conflict.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – The Feast of the Epiphany – Fr. Christopher
Once you have seen the Light, once you meet the Child of God, you must change, turn, and go back to your life, your world, by another route.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – Feast of the Holy Family – Fr. Christopher
Franciscans profess with their lives to bring the Gospel to people and people to the Gospel, so that the Prince of Peace may reign in human hearts.