Mary Joshi

No matter how often Scripture tells us that “God’s ways” are not the ways of humanity, many of us still see our relationship with God in terms of our human social values. Each of today’s three readings reminds us how God often acts in unexpected ways.

“You, O Bethlehem… one of the little clans of Judea, from you ...

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks his disciples in last week’s gospel and again of Bartimaeus in today’s. Their responses couldn’t be more different. The disciples showed that even though they had been with Jesus for a while, they still didn’t understand his purpose or message, for they asked for positions of privilege in his new “kingdom.” Bartimaeus, ...

The way in which we celebrate the Eucharist today is steeped in a tradition that is described in today’s first reading from Exodus, although you may not initially recognize it in the somewhat gruesome details of the story.

Moses builds an altar and gathers together the newly liberated Israelites. Representatives of the twelve tribes of Israel are invited to bring sacrifices for the burnt ...

Once again, we sing, “Alleluia!” this weekend – an acclamation of praise and rejoicing that we have not heard in our liturgies since before Ash Wednesday. Perhaps it is because winter seems to be hanging on too long, or maybe because the news of the world is so depressing, but “Rejoice!” is not the word I’d use to express my inner most feelings of late. We hear of the unending attacks ...

“I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their own kin; I will put my words in [their] mouth”

As I had grown up in the 70’s and 80’s, when someone was described as “a prophet,” I usually pictured a cartoon-like hippie with a robe and long beard carrying a sign stating, “The end is near!” Prophets had often been ...

“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.”

We hear the question, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” twice in our gospel ...