The Gospel for the memorial of St Bonaventure, Bishop and doctor of the Church, is taken from Matthew 11:24. Jesus began to approach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the Day of judgment than for you.

And as for you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for you. What Jesus was doing when he was performing miracles was not just displaying some power that he had, but rather trying to reveal clearly the mercy, the love of the Father. Jesus came into this world to reveal who the Father is.

And when you look at the mighty deeds that he did, the healings, the transformations, they were the essence of who God the Father truly is. So what he longs for is for people to accept this new image. And yet so many refused. But he continued always to long for them to change. Please take a few moments to reflect upon these images and then I will close with a prayer. Foreign the closing prayer.

Father, you continue to awaken us to the beauty of who God the Father truly is. Help us to believe in the miracles that you perform for us. Help us to be excited about the role that you continue to play in our lives, where you are the source of so many solutions that bring us peace. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.