Author name: Essjay Peatoo

There seems to be a lot of anger in the readings of the past week, and that anger continues today. In the first reading (2 Kings 5:1‑15), Aram, king of Israel, is enraged because he thinks that the king of Syria is trying to pick a quarrel with him by sending Naaman, his army commander, […]

This weekend’s liturgy, and the liturgies for the next two weekends, present long readings from the gospel of John. Each reading is a reflection on some aspect of the paschal mystery, that is, the death and resurrection of the Lord. Today’s gospel, the story of the woman at the well (John 4:5-42), tells us something

Of all the parables that Jesus spoke, the one featuring the prodigal son (Luke 1-3, 11-32) may be the most touching and best remembered. The story is brief. A father has two sons, and when the younger son comes of age, he asks for his share of the family inheritance. The father obliges the request, and this

Today’s Gospel reading is the Parable of the Evil Tenants (Matthew 21: 33-46). Jesus starts, “Listen to another parable.”  He could have said, “get ready for another confrontation between the Pharisees and me.”   Regardless of what you think about the Pharisees, you’ve got to give them some credit today.  They got it.  They understood

The parable in today’s Gospel (Luke 16:19-31) is one of contrasts, contrasts that should make us feel very uncomfortable and move us to action.  On the one hand we have the rich man whose lifestyle is opulent.   He wears expensive clothes and dines sumptuously with his friends every day.  In sharp contrast there is

In the mid 1960’s, Joan Baez, a then well-known folk singer, wrote and sang a song called, “Love is Just a Four-Letter Word.”  The lyrics tried to show that although the word love has only four letters and might, therefore, be thought by some to be a simple concept, it is in reality a very

As I have said many times in these Daily Reflections, the Scriptures are not just talking about events that happened long ago, they also are talking about what is happening to us today.  This is, in part, because God inspired the authors, but also in part because human nature has not changed all that much

“Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. We have not obeyed your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings,

Today’s Gospel for the Second Sunday of Lent tells us of the Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-9).  St. Matthew did not write his account in a bubble, far removed the Jewish traditions of his day.  It is not by coincidence that Jesus brought three of his apostles with him into the mountains for His identity

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have heard that it was said: You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to