VEYM LEAGUE OF CHAPTERS
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in our Gospel today, Jesus tells his disciples “a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary”—the parable of the insistent and persistent widow. She keeps pressing her demand against the judge, and the judge—who is no saint—finally gives in to her persistence. When we rely on … Read moreSaturday, November 18, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus says that the days of his Second Coming will be like the days of Noah. So what went wrong in Noah’s day? The biblical answer is sin—that is to say, human dysfunction—more precisely a refusal of the great tasks that God gave to human beings. They became … Read moreFriday, November 17, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus says that before his kingdom will come, he must suffer greatly and be rejected. Even a cursory reading of the Gospels reveals that Jesus’ death is the center and goal of the narrative, that which animates and gives verve to the story. It has often been remarked … Read moreThursday, November 16, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus heals ten lepers, saying, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” The lepers who begged for a cure were not simply concerned about their medical condition; they were Israelites in exile from the temple—and hence they were a very apt symbol of the general condition of scattered, exiled, … Read moreWednesday, November 15, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, today’s Gospel describes the obedience of a faithful servant. Our lives are not about us; they are about the King. We are built not for commanding others but for obedience. In the presence of the awesome lordliness of God—that mind and will whose grandeur we can barely fathom—we bow, we listen, … Read moreTuesday, November 14, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus speak about faith. Faith is powerful, for it is a link to the reality of God, the power that made and sustains the cosmos. Sometimes, the power of faith is manifested in spectacular and immediately obvious ways. For example, there is a long tradition of … Read moreMonday, November 13, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, the parable about the ten virgins in today’s Gospel speaks about waiting for the Lord’s Second Coming and the arrival of his kingdom. The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead signaled to the early Christians that Jesus inaugurated a new world that was turning back the power of sin. Somehow, they … Read moreSunday, November 12, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us to approach wealth with wisdom. Let me quote a sermon of St. John Chrysostom on the right approach to money: “Those who love money are fierce in the pursuit of it, like wild animals pursuing their prey. They betray, cheat, or … Read moreSaturday, November 11, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus praises a steward who cheats his master. Now, what do we make of this? It seems so peculiar especially in Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus has been teaching the radical message of detachment from worldly goods. But here he is giving his approval to a man who clings … Read moreFriday, November 10, 2023
Bishop Robert Barron Friends, in our Gospel, Jesus performs the dramatic gesture of cleansing the temple. His prophetic vocation will manifest itself in all of his speech, gestures, and actions. Jesus’ confrontation with fallen powers and dysfunctional traditions will be highly focused, intense, and disruptive. Standing at the heart of the holy city of Jerusalem, … Read moreThursday, November 9, 2023