Audio Divina

God's Mercy and human frailty meet:  Continuing the theme of compassion, today's account of the woman caught in adultery provides a wonderful portrait of Jesus. For Jesus' opponents, the woman does not matter. She is just a "thing" they can use to try to test Jesus' loyalty to the Law. Jesus cuts through this, drives away the hypocrites, and deals with the woman as a person deserving compassion. I...

A Father who has two Sons:  One of the great literary and theological treasures of Christianity, Jesus' parable about the Father with two sons is not so much about the sons, each one of whom is "lost," but about an amazing Father. As we follow his loving compassion for both his sons, we come to the end of the Parable with the Father - for Jesus, the figure of God, his Father - out in the dark, try...

A God who gives us time: Two themes emerge from today's Gospel. In the first place, responding to the tragedies of the Galileans and the people in Jerusalem, Jesus points out that we are all sinners, and we all have need for repentance. It is not as if bad things only happen to the bad. But then he turns to a parable. The unexpected will happen: the unproductive vine that should be destroyed will...

The Passing Over that Lies Ahead: The account of Jesus' transfiguration before Peter, John, and James is used this week because it instructs disciples on two crucial elements of the Christian faith. On the one hand, Jesus is seen and announced as Son of God. But in Jesus discusses with Elijah and Moses his future "passing over" in Jerusalem. Followers of Jesus must recognise both who Jesus is, and...

The testing of God's Son:  Luke's Gospel has already announced that Jesus is the Son of God - three times. Immediately after providing Jesus' genealogy, showing that Jesus is the Son of God, Satan enters the story - to test whether that is true. Three times he asks Jesus to prove that he is the Son of God. Relying on the Word of God (from the Book of Deuteronomy) Jesus defeats Satan, and he depart...

Ash Wednesday: Jesus instructs his disciples to focus upon the God who makes sense of life and love, rather than themselves and their glory. Presented by world-renowned biblical scholar Rev. Professor Francis J. Moloney SDB AM, Audio Divina, is a Lectio-Divina styled reflection on the gospel for Ash Wednesday Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 This week's readers are  Julia and Dino Narrated and...

Practice what you preach: Called to live a radical questioning of the establishment compassionately, Jesus closes his Sermon on the Plain by asking that we be authentic, the we be what we are, genuine Christians who try to live and love as Jesus Christ. By practicing what we preach, we show that the true disciple is always like her or his teacher. Presented by world-renowned biblical scholar Rev....

Sermon 2. Be compassionate:  The radical nature of Jesus' preaching in his blessings and woes continues. He next instructs us on how we are to live the radical nature of God's new order: be compassionate as God is compassionate. This may appear weak, but it is the strongest way of all - reflecting God's own never-failing compassion for all, despite our many failures. Presented by world-renowned bi...

Sermon 1: The new Order:  Jesus' ministry began with the call of the disciples. He next establishes his Twelve Apostles, his future missionaries, comes down onto a plain with them, and preaches to all who come to him, including the Gentiles. Jesus' blessings and woes establish a new order in which those least favoured are seen as closest to God, and challenges all Christians never to submit to the...

Simon the sinner becomes Peter the disciple:  Jesus' word attracts so many people that he must take refuge and preach from a boat. Simon the fisherman wonders about Jesus' command to put out the nets, but does what Jesus asks. After the rich haul of fish, Simon the sinner recognises his need for Jesus, and Jesus establishes him as Simon Peter, a disciple who will have authority to seek out other f...

A scheme of Jesus' mission and destiny:  Directly related to Jesus' proclamation of God's year of favour last Sunday, not all are happy. Who does Jesus think he is? The people in Nazareth know his family. Jesus is not surprised by this rejection. He shows how God has worked through two Gentiles, a widow from Sidon, and Naaman the Syrian. Outraged, they try to kill him. As at the end of his life, J...

Luke's design and the Year of Favour:  The Year of Luke opens with a self-portrait of Luke, a third generation Christian, writing his story of Jesus for a Gentile world. The action begins in Jesus' hometown, Nazareth. In the Synagogue he points to himself as the Messiah who will bring in God's Good News and God's loving presence for those most in need. Presented by world-renowned biblical scholar...

Do whatever he tells you: The Gospel reading for today, chosen from the Gospel of John, reports Jesus' first public act in that Gospel. Despite the challenge that Jesus issues to her, the Mother of Jesus sets "the hour" of Jesus in motion. Because others accepts her command: "Do whatever he tells you," the glory of God's presence in Jesus is seen, and the disciples believe. But "the hour" has only...

The Mightier One has Come:  This Sunday marks the end of the Christmas celebrations and the beginnings of the Ordinary Sundays of the Year. We continue to read Luke's Gospel, as John the Baptist points away from himself to "the mightier one." He brings the fire and the Holy Spirit that will accompany us on our journey through the year to come. Presented by world-renowned biblical scholar Rev. Prof...

God's Revelation to the World:  The figures of wise men who come from the east represent the coming of the whole world to worship Jesus. The figures of Herod and his wise men represent those who reject Jesus as Messiah. This is not only the celebration God's saving presence to all peoples, but also a challenge to those of us who know the truth, but do not live it out with courage. Presented by wor...

Busy with the affairs of my Father:  The final epsiode of Luke's story of Jesus' infancy is the only place where Jesus speaks. His parents' concerns over his loss are challenged by his response that he must now be in the house of his Father, and about the affairs of his Father. The story of Jesus' ministry can now begin. Mary treasures all these things in her heart, waiting and accepting God's des...

The Word became Flesh:  The Prologue to the Gospel of John is among the most profound passages in the Bible. It tells of the pre-existent union of love between God and the Word, the Word's saving gifts of light and life, and our ambiguous response. But the Word is Jesus Christ who dwelt among us, showing us the wonderful presence of God's saving truth. Those who accept that truth become children o...

Swaddling cloths and a manger on the road: Luke's account of a birth of Jesus, as with the appearance of John the Baptist, is fixed in a given time and place. But it is surrounded by the symbols of swaddling cloths, only used for a king, a manger, from which Israel should be nourished, recognition by the simplest of people, the Shepherds, and the heavenly proclamation of God's glory. Jesus is born...

Why should we be honoured?  Two mothers meet, as Mary visits Elizabeth. Elizabeth and the child she is carrying salute the greatness of Mary, a greatness that has been bestowed on her because she has "believed that the promise made her would be fulfilled" (Luke 1:45) Presented by world-renowned biblical scholar Rev. Professor Francis J. Moloney SDB AM, Audio Divina, is a Lectio-Divina styled refle...

What must we do? : Continuing his ministry of preparation for the Lord, John the Baptist instructs the people, the tax-collectors, and the soldiers, that they are to do justly what they have always done. However, a new era is coming that will be marked by the inspirational presence of the Spirit, and the fiery division of good and bad. Presented by world-renowned biblical scholar Rev. Professor Fr...

Prepare the Way of the Lord:  The great figure of Advent, John the Baptist, set in a time and place in the history of humankind, proclaims a time of preparation for the Lord, and the sight of the salvation of God in the one who is coming. Presented by world-renowned biblical scholar Rev. Professor Francis J. Moloney SDB AM, Audio Divina, is a Lectio-Divina styled reflection on the gospel for the S...

The two advents of Jesus: The first Sunday of Advent does not focus upon the coming of Jesus at Christmas time, but on the final coming of Jesus at the end of all time. This Gospel reading catches a central element of the Advent Season: the two comings of Christ, and the need to live well the in-between-time. Presented by world-renowned biblical scholar Rev. Professor Francis J. Moloney SDB AM, Au...

I am a King: The final Sunday of Year B is dedicated to Jesus' universal kingship. As we have seen throughout our reflections on the Gospel of Mark, Jesus lays no claim to be a king who exercises worldly power. On trial for his life in the Gospel of John, he tells Pontius Pilate that he has come with a royal message. God loves us without condition. Those who belong to his kingdom are drawn into th...

My words will not pass away:  We hear words from the Jesus of the Gospel of Mark for the last time in Year B. Writing to Christians who thought that the end was near, he insists that before that happens, the Gospel must be preached to the ends of the earth. But the end will come. We must be able to read the signs of the times, not knowing when it will take place, but certain that it will take plac...

She has given her whole life: Following Jesus' encounter with a Scribe who accepts the centrality of the love commandment, Jesus attacks "the scribes" who pretend to be religious, but harm the poor of this world. One of the latter, a widow, shows the way of true discipleship. She gives her all, her very life. Presented by world-renowned biblical scholar Rev. Professor Francis J. Moloney SDB AM, Au...