Sunday reading

Making bespoke clothes is tricky when you don't know who will wear them.

But Gammarelli, the Roman tailor that has dressed every pope since 1922, gets around that by catering for every eventuality.

Unveiled in its window on Monday were three ivory cassocks in small, medium and large – a choice which it hopes will keep it covered no matter who emerges from the Sistine Chapel as the next leader of the Roman Catholic church. Read more »

This parable, peculiar to Matthew, is one of the sternest passages in the Gospel.

It reinforces the duty of forgiveness by appealing to another motive.

The measure of mercy shown by one man to his fellow man, is the measure by which he in turn will receive mercy. Read more »

How did his own people regard Jesus? This is a question which has intrigued many, but the Gospels do not give much attention to it.

The Gospels are concerned about his mission, not about the personal reactions of his family and neighbours.

But occasionally we do get insights into the way his fellow Nazarenes looked at Jesus, and today’s passage is an instance of it. Read more »

There are two different references in this passage from Luke’s Gospel, one a historical episode involving the suppression of a riot; the other an allegory to illustrate repentance.

In both the message is: change your lives, because the Endtime is coming, and even more suddenly than you think.

First, the historical event: it seems that the Roman governor Pilate suppressed a riot in the Temple involving Galilean zealots with great cruelty; “he mixed their blood with that of their sacrifices”, as Jesus puts it. Read more »

One of the more poignant themes of Jesus’s life and ministry is the rejection he experienced at the hands of his own people.

The multitudes of course loved him. They hung upon his words, followed him wherever he went, pestered him for cures and healing, and gave vent to their amazement at the miracles he worked.

But these were the ordinary people, not the Jewish leaders. Official Judaism had no place for Jesus. Read more »

Like the parable of the Crooked Steward, this parable also tackles the problem of money and moral behavior. In this case, money makes one blind to human need.

It’s addressed as a warning to the Pharisees who were fond of money, but who felt that a formal observance of the Law protected them.

Jesus points out that external observance doesn’t help, if internal attitude is wrong. Read more »

This Gospel passage presents two contrasting realities: the way Jesus understood his mission, and the way his disciples looked at it.

The disciples expected Jesus to be a political messiah, whose ultimate success was expected to benefit them all.

That’s why they frequently quarreled among themselves as to who would be greatest in the kingdom. Read more »

Residents of the town that is home to the Pope’s summer residence say they are happy Pope Benedict is returning to live there.

“When the Pope arrives he will find his apartment the same as always, but also the affection and devotion of everyone here,” Saverio Petrillo, director of the pontifical villas in Castel Gandolfo, told EWTN News Feb. 20. Read more »

When they are not in the Sistine Chapel, seated under Michelangelo's frescoes to vote for the next pope, the cardinal-electors will stay in a modern guesthouse that offers them both privacy and space to gather for relaxed conversation.

The Domus Sanctae Marthae, a hospitality residence named after St. Martha, lies on the edge of Vatican City. Read more »

At different times in his public preaching, Jesus was challenged by his opponents to give them a sign, a proof that he was sent by God.

The common understanding was that he should work a miracle, something so spectacular that the opposition would have to believe that he was a prophet.

But Jesus refuses to give in. He doesn’t see a sign as just something spectacular, but as a way to salvation which brings about an inner transformation. Read more »