VEYM LEAGUE OF CHAPTERS
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, just after announcing that he is about to be glorified on the cross, Jesus declares: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” A … Read moreThursday, August 10, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, the Gospel for today is the account of the persistent Canaanite woman. Like all of the “hard” Gospel stories, it packs a spiritual punch. God’s salvific purposes are for the whole world. Israel was chosen so that it would be a vehicle for the salvation of all. Therefore, Jesus’ primary mission … Read moreWednesday, August 9, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus comes to his disciples walking on the water. Whenever we encounter the disciples in a boat, we are dealing with the Church, the barque of Peter. Here we see the beginning of the Church’s journey through time. Winds and waves toss the barque. Anyone acquainted with Church … Read moreTuesday, August 8, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, we see Jesus’ miracle of feeding the five thousand. Jesus went up on a mountain and sat down with his disciples. In Scripture, mountains are places of encounter, where God comes down and men and women go up. The disciples want to dismiss the hungry crowd, but Jesus … Read moreMonday, August 7, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration. What does this event mean? Thomas Aquinas’ treatment in the Summa theologiae sums up much of the wisdom of the Church Fathers on this matter. Aquinas says that it was fitting for Christ to be manifested in his glory to his select Apostles … Read moreSunday, August 6, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Herod has John the Baptist beheaded, making him a protomartyr of Christ’s followers, the first of many martyrs to come. Can we read that terrible and wonderful book of martyrs, the book of Revelation, without seeing the power of bold, truthful proclamation in the early Christian Church? And … Read moreSaturday, August 5, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, on his return to Nazareth, the Lord identifies himself as a prophet. Jesus is not just one more in a long line of prophets but rather the personal and perfect embodiment of the transformative speech of God. As Pope Benedict XVI puts it in Verbum Domini, “Now the … Read moreFriday, August 4, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, today’s Gospel reminds us of the Final Judgment, when the wicked will be separated from the righteous. When good and evil are confused or intermingled, divine judgment separates them, clarifying the issue. Bob Dylan said, “The enemy I see wears the cloak of decency.” One of the favorite ruses of evil … Read moreThursday, August 3, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, today Jesus offers two parables about the kingdom of heaven. Let’s focus on the first one: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again.” Sometimes God’s love is found that way. There’s a saying: “Life is what happens to you … Read moreWednesday, August 2, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in our Gospel today, Jesus explains the parable of the weeds among the wheat. God’s word creates the Church, the community of those who strive to build up the kingdom. But this Church is never absolutely pure and untrammeled, for God’s ways are opposed by a spiritual power, an enemy. His … Read moreTuesday, August 1, 2023