‘Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you’. Surely that's a recipe for becoming a doormat, yet this is what Jesus is asking us to do in today's gospel. The six o'clock news fuels our anger. We want to fight back at the aggressors. We want to hit back at the terrorists who hurt us. We want to see consequences for those
“Woe to those who are rich.” “Woe to those with plenty to eat.” “Woe to those who laugh.” “Woe to those who are honoured.” Does Jesus mean that heaven is denied us if we pick up a well-earned pay packet at the end of the month, stock the freezer and put on a cheerful face? Few of us consider ourselves really well off, but there
Sometimes we can have a strong sense of our own unworthiness when we are in the presence of the Lord. Several characters in the gospels express this sense of unworthiness before Jesus. John the Baptist expressed his unworthiness to baptise Jesus; the Roman centurion expressed his unworthiness to have Jesus come to his home. In this morning’s gospel reading, Simon Peter expresses his unworthiness just
If you were told you were going to die tomorrow, would you be ready to go? Young and old alike, the answer to this question is probably “no”! Being ready to leave this world demands tremendous clarity, and whilst some of us have achieved clarity in our lives, the resstumble around confused and overly burdened. We go through the motions of living but all too
Everyone loves listening to a great orator. Everyone appreciates an orator’s ability to captivate and inspire audiences with powerful and motivational speeches. Great speeches create a sense of purpose and continuity. Successful orators recognise that great truths can be remembered best by one small quote. Keeping things short and succinct will make one's words more memorable than a great big rambling speech. Then of course
If you were in Jesus’ shoes and you were about to grab the world’s attention with your first miracle, what might that first miracle be? Might you reverse global warming or end third world poverty? Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water into wine at the Wedding of Cana. To many it seems a frivolous kind of miracle something akin to a party trick, but
