Author Archives: stmichaelssurrey

The Greatest Commandments: The Pharisees ask which commandment is the greatest and Jesus responds with Judaism’s most fundamental passage known as the Shema: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and … Continue reading →

Giving to God: People who opposed Jesus and his message are trying to entrap him. This is the first of three exchanges between the Jewish leaders and Jesus. The lesson begins with them buttering Jesus up, and then asking a … Continue reading →

We are Invited: Today’s Gospel is the final parable that Jesus gives in the temple. To explain the parable briefly, many sight it as being an allegory of salvation history. The wedding banquet is given by the king (God) for … Continue reading →

Sunday’s Reflection: God gives us life, and the water pouring from the rock in the passage from Exodus is a life-giving gift from God to a thirsty people and a loving symbol of presence and salvation. There is a lesson in … Continue reading →

Food Insecurity: The theme for Season of Creation 2023 is “Let justice and peace flow like a river.” One of the areas of great injustice in our world is the global food crisis. It is estimated that 345 million people around the … Continue reading →

Sunday’s Reflection – Week of Creation #2 (Sept. 10, 2023) “Whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Romans 13:9 How can we say we love our neighbour while we ignore … Continue reading →

Sunday’s Reflection: There is always a temptation to confidently read any of the bumbling apostles’ stories from our post-resurrection perspective. For us, we know the story of Jesus. Perhaps, we wouldn’t make their mistakes. But this attitude can often distort just … Continue reading →

Sunday’s Reflection: In this season after Pentecost, we hear stories of Jesus’ ministry in the world and our call to engage in that mission. As we continue the journey with Jesus and the Disciples, we first get a lesson about what is clean and unclean. Jesus’ … Continue reading →

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand: The significance of Jesus’ actions involving abundant food is the recognition that the world of the first-century Roman Empire was marked by significant inequalities concerning food access. Many people knew food insecurity and struggled on a daily and … Continue reading →