Learning to be Quick to Listen

When we feel called to share the good news of Jesus, it's easy to hope for a miracle—a dramatic sign or a powerful mystical experience to do the heavy lifting for us. But while we should always be open to the Holy Spirit's movement, our primary responsibility is to prepare. Just as you would for a job interview or a big presentation, we should equip ourselves to be effective messengers. This means knowing the four essential parts of the gospel message: God's love as our creator, our human tendency to fall short of His glory, Jesus's sacrifice to restore our relationship with God , and our response to accept and live out our faith. But simply knowing the message isn't enough; we have to make it our own. In 1975, on the tenth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI released a letter called Evangelii Nuntiandi , urging Catholics to embrace the mission of evangelization with renewed energy. He made it clear that the council's purpose was ...

A game of sorts unfolds in today’s Gospel as the Pharisees challenge Jesus with a familiar rabbinical exercise: "Which commandment in the law is the greatest?" They're looking for the central pillar, the one law that undergirds all the others. Jesus, the Word of God incarnate , responds with an answer that gets right to the heart of the matter. He tells them it’s all about love, echoing the words of the prophet Hosea who said, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” The greatest commandment, Jesus says, is to love the Lord our God with our whole being—heart, soul, and mind. The second, he adds, is to love our neighbor as ourselves. These aren’t two separate rules but two sides of the same coin. If our actions follow the letter of the law but lack love, we’re missing the point. We can’t truly love God while hating our neighbor, and we can’t truly love our neighbor without seeing the face of God in them. But why are t...

When the name Simon Peter comes to mind, a common image is that of an impulsive, outspoken man, prone to missteps and even denying Jesus. Recent interpretations have often painted him as financially inept, struggling with taxes, and generally a bumbling figure. However, a closer look at the Gospels, particularly the Gospel of Mark, reveals a different picture—that of an astute businessman and respected community leader, chosen by Jesus to be the very foundation of the Church. Jesus, with his keen insight, saw not just a "diamond in the rough" but a man with the entrepreneurial spirit and leadership qualities necessary to build an enduring institution. Peter's relocation from Bethsaida to Capernaum speaks volumes about his business acumen. While Bethsaida was a fishing town, Peter recognized the strategic advantage of Capernaum. Situated on the Via Maris, a major trade route, Capernaum was closer to the fish processing hub of Magdala, offering significant tax advantages ...

The very heart of the Christian faith, the gospel, is a concept deeply rooted in the past, yet profoundly relevant for today. Far more than just any " good news ," its origins in the Hebrew bsorah and Greek euangelion point to a specific kind of joyful proclamation. To truly grasp the New Testament's understanding of the gospel, we must look to the Old Testament, where its emergence was prophesied. Often, in the Old Testament, "good news" heralded a military victory, signifying God's triumph for His people. This theme of divine intervention and victory is particularly prominent in the prophetic book of Isaiah, a source frequently quoted by Jesus Himself. Isaiah’s prophecies , especially in the latter part of the book which foretells the coming of the Messiah, are rich with references to this "good news." When Jesus quotes Isaiah 61 and declares its fulfillment in His ministry, He directly connects His work to Isaiah's vision of a coming era...