Hear then the parable of the sower.  19 The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.  20 The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.  21 But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.  22 The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.  23 But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Failure to understand the word of the Kingdom results from a failure to accept the word in one’s heart.  Doubt or rejection is placed there by the evil one, but Jesus has power over the evil one (Mk. 1:27) so it is the choice of the one hearing the word to

J ustin here describes the way the Sunday Eucharist was celebrated in Rome about 150 AD about 50-60 years after the last New Testament books.  It shows that: 1) the Eucharist was interpreted in a very realistic way in the early church, the bread and wine becoming the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ; 2) it was the principal, weekly worship celebration of the Christian community; 3) it took place on Sunday, not on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath; and 4) the meaning of the Eucharist and manner of its celebration was handed down by the apostles. N o one may share the Eucharist with us unless he believes that what we teach is true, unless he is washed in the regenerating waters of baptism for the remission of his sins, and unless he lives in accordance with the principles given us by Christ. EUCHARIST NOT ORDINARY FOOD W e do not consume the eucharistic bread and wine as if it were ordinary food and drink, for we have been taught that as Jesus Christ our Savior became a man of flesh and

They came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. 2 When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. 3 The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. 4 In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. 6 Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, 7 crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” 8 (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) 9 He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” 10 And he pleaded earnestly with him no

The disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”  11 He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.  12 To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because ‘they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.’  14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: ‘You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see.  15 Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them.’  16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.  17 Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.  2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.  3 And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.  4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.  5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, 6 and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.  7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.  8 But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.  9 Whoever has ears ought to hear.”' Jesus sat by the sea of Galilee and began to teach the crowds that came to him.  The crowd was so large and pressing in on him that he got into a boat while the crowds remained on land.  It could also be that in his teaching Jesus was moving from the Temple format to

The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left.  23 Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks.  24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.  25 And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”  26 Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.  27 Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.  28 So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”  29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of

Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.  15 He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him.  16 When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, 17 to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet: “He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.” 18 When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side.  19 A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”  20 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”  21 Another of [his] disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”  22 But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.” No one told Jesus that Peter’s mother-in-law was ill (v. 14).  He “saw” she was ill and healed with a touch.  Once the fever left h

Stop judging, that you may not be judged.  2 For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.  3 Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?  4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye?  5 You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.  6 Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. When God sent Samuel to anoint David, he told him, “ Do not judge from his appearance …. The Lord looks into the heart (1 Sam 16:7) .'  If we find fault and judge others, we open ourselves to similar judgment by God at the final judgment.  God knows our thoughts and what’s in our hearts and will judge us based on our motives.  Judgment

He went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him.  14 He appointed twelve [whom he also named apostles] that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons:  16 [he appointed the twelve:] Simon, whom he named Peter; 17 James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, 19 and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.  20 He came home. Again [the] crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat.  21 When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”  22 The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” Jesus going up the mountain to appoint the Twelve disciples was reminiscent of Moses going up the mountain when G

Clement of Rome, writing about thirty years after the martyrdom of St. Paul, affirms the Pauline balance – we are justified by faith and yet it is God’s will that we perform good works of love, in abundance. He illustrates his point by many examples from the Old Testament. God’s blessing must be our objective, and the way to win it our study. Search the records of ancient times. Why was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because his upright and straightforward conduct was inspired by faith? As for Isaac’s faith, it was so strong that, assured of the outcome, he willingly allowed himself to be offered in sacrifice. Jacob had the humility to leave his native land on account of his brother, and go and serve Laban. He was given the twelve tribes of Israel. JUSTIFIED BY FAITH Honest reflection upon each of these examples will make us realize the magnitude of God’s gifts. All the priests and Levites who served the altar of God were descended from Jacob. The manhood of the Lord Jesus deri

As he was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.  24 At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”  25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?  26 How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?”  27 Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.  28 That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” Being strict adherers of the Law, the Pharisees understood the disciples picking the heads of grain as working on the Sabbath which was a capital offence; “ Six days there are for doing work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord.  Anyone who does work on the sabbath day shall be put to death (Ex. 31:15)

Once again he went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them.  14 As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.  15 While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him.  16 Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  17 Jesus heard this and said to them [that], “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Jesus was again walking along the shore of the sea of Galilee when he summoned Levi in the same manner he summoned the first four disciples (Mk. 1:16-20).  Levi’s response was also immediate (v. 14).  Levi was called Matthew in Matthew’s Gospel (Mt. 9:9).  He was a tax/toll collector working for Herod

A leper came to him [and kneeling down] begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”  41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”  42 The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.  43 Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.  44 Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”  45 The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. Any scaly skin disease in OT times was called leprosy.  A ‘leper’ was considered ritually unclean and therefore an outcast who could not worship in the Temple (Lev. 13:1-17), or come into contact with other human beings or their property (Lev. 13:45-46).  T

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:  15 “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  16 As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen.  17 Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  18 Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.  19 He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets.  20 Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him. The call of the first Disciples is found in all four Gospels but Mark’s version is the shortest.  With the benefit of hindsight when writing his Gospel, Mark uses the arrest of JBap to point the reader to the future event of Jesus’ arrest.  After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river by John (Mk. 1

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.  39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  40 Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.  41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward.  42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward. If we are disciples of Jesus we must be dedicated to him.  The closest family relationships are not as important as taking up one’s cross and following Jesus.  Anyone who loses his/her earthly life for Christ will find everlasting life with Chr

This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,10  your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.  11 Give us today our daily bread; 12 and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; 13 and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.  14 If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  15 But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions. Our Father in Heaven is one of the ways Jesus addresses God in the Gospel of Matthew.  The Lord’s Prayer is similar to a prayer that was used in Jewish synagogue liturgy with an addition from Sirach, “ Forgive your neighbor the wrong done to you; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven (Sir. 28:2) .”  Jewish Christianity was the foundation early Christianity so some of the Synagogue liturgy and Jewish traditions would have been incorporated into early Christianity.  It is likely that Matthew added

The next day he decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”  44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.  45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”  46 But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”  47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.”  48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”  49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”  50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.”  51 And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.  3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”  4 [And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”  5 His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”  6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.  7 Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.  8 Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it.  9 And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept