Commentary by Fr Donagh O’Shea OP, www.goodnews.ie A leper came to Jesus begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.”  Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!”  Immediately the leprosy left him, and

Commentary by Fr Donagh O’Shea OP, www.goodnews.ie Mk 1:29-39 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.  He came and took her by the hand and lifted

Commentary by Fr Donagh O’Shea OP, www.goodnews.ie Mk 1:21-28 Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.  The people were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you

Commentary by Fr Donagh O’Shea OP, www.goodnews.ie John 1:35-42 John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.  When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to

Commentary by Fr Donagh O’Shea OP, www.goodnews.ie Jesus is there anonymously in the crowd, coming forward with the rest to meet the famous John the Baptist. It is impossible for us to see him as an anonymous person; to us he stands out from every crowd and from the whole human race: above them, beyond

Commentary by Fr Donagh O’Shea OP, www.goodnews.ie Luke 2:22-40 “The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.”  This shows that they had no hindsight; they thought of themselves in every way as normal people.  This is their connection with us.  Had they thought themselves special from birth, they would

Commentary by Donagh O’Shea OP, www.goodnews.ie Lk 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel as sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,  to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, “Greetings,