Today’s Readings – Saints Cornelius, Pope and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

Nothing certain is known of Cornelius’ early life. After Rome had been without a bishop for about a year because of the persecution of the Emperor Decius, Cornelius, a member of the Cornelia family, was elected Bishop of Rome in 251 by the clergy and people. The principal difficulty he had to face was not persecution, but divisions in the Christian community arising out of the reconciling of those who had lapsed by, for instance, denying their faith. A priest, Novatian, was against the bishop’s policy of forgiveness. He claimed that the Church had no power to pardon those who had lapsed during time of persecution. The same applied to cases of murder, adultery and even in the cases of those who had entered a second marriage (also seen as a form of adultery). Novatian then set himself up … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – Sunday of Week 24 of Ordinary Time (Year B)

Commentary on Isaiah 50:5-9; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35

All of Mark’s Gospel is describing a learning experience, first for the disciples of Jesus, but also for the reader and hearer of any time. Knowing who Jesus is and what following him means is something that the disciples di … Continue