Because of his obviously high regard for women, Luke's Gospel is sometimes called The Gospel of Women. Today's summary of the Lord's ministry is idyllic, like a glorious lap of honour when Jesus was winning everyone for the kingdom of God...

His name Mattija ("gift of Jahweh") was given to him by Jesus when calling him as an apostle, but he brought with him from his earlier profession a gift for clear and orderly presentation of the story of Jesus

Our readings over the next three weeks are from the early post-exilic period, from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Baruch, Jonah, Malachi and Joel. All of them shared a deep love for the Jerusalem temple...

Whatever our level of faith, we need an openness to the real world and cordial relations with other people. Perhaps that was what Jesus meant in his reply to the message of his mother Mary and his relatives...

Ezra was like another Moses, urging his Hebrew people to faithfully keep their covenant with God. Although the Jews returned from exile in 537 B.C., on reaching the Promised Land they accomplished little, apart from partially...

Luke paints a sad portrait of Herod the Tetrarch, for whom religion was a curiosity, a practical way to win the people's loyalty. How ironic that his wish to see the Nazarene prophet was fulfilled only when, for political reasons...

Luke, more than the other evangelists, regularly portrays Jesus at prayer. It was after such a pause for prayer that he asked his disciples the two questions, "Who do others say I am?" and "Who do you say I am?" They were important questions. ...

Zechariah teaches us not to be too gloomy or pessimistic. Each sorrow can be transformed into a reason for hope. In God's name he says, "I will favour Jerusalem and the house of Judah; do not fear."

Children can give us a glimpse of the new Jerusalem, for Zechariah imagines the city with boys and girls playing in the streets; and in the Gospel Jesus turns to children to teach about who is greatest in the Kingdom of God...