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FRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioKnowing the Voice of the Good ShepherdOn today's celebration of the 4th Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus tells us that He Is the Good Shepherd, and that His sheep hear His voice, know, and follow Him. In his reflection, Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) discusses how we can know we are hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd in a world with so many voices vying for our attention.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: F...2025-05-1023 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLove Is Perfected In MissionOn this 3rd Sunday of Easter, we are invited to witness an intimate conversation between the Resurrected Christ and Peter, the Apostle. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, this exchange teaches us that conversion always simultaneously coincides with a call to mission, and that it is by faithfully living out the mission God calls each of us to that we become the singular image of God we have each been created to be.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. ...2025-05-0327 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioRunning Towards SalvationOn this glorious Easter Sunday, in response to Mary Magdalene's news that the tomb of Christ is empty, we run alongside Peter to find things just as she said. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, if we attend to what we know about Peter, in this scene we find an example of how the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity enable us to participate in Christ's Paschal Mystery so that we might rise to new life with Him today.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to...2025-04-2027 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLove Is Stronger Than DeathToday, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, we follow the women to the tomb to discover it is empty. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, by following these women's journey to the tomb and back to tell the Apostles the Good News, we discover that love is stronger than death and that we find our true identities as human creatures created in God's image precisely in this Love.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. ...2025-04-1926 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioWelcoming Our Savior, King, & GodOn this Palm Sunday, Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) discusses the Gospel reading proclaimed in commemoration of Our Lord's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week. As Tony explains, this most august event in Christ's life teaches us the recognizing Jesus as Our Savior and King is the only way we can enter into Holy Week properly.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 I...2025-04-1231 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioGo and Sin No MoreOn this 5th Sunday of Lent, we witness the famous scene of the woman caught in adultery. In his reflection, Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) discusses how this scene simultaneously reminds us of the seriousness of our situation, of our need for a Savior, and the longsuffering mercy of our God.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 Instagram: freshimage354 Rumble: FRESHImage Ministries L...2025-04-0523 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Prodigal In Us AllOn this 4th Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday, Jesus tells us the wonderful parable of the Prodigal Son. In this reflection, Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) discusses how this beautiful parable speaks directly to what the Season of Lent is all about, as well as how we are to navigate it. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 Instagram: freshimage354 Rumble: FRESHImage Ministries L...2025-03-2927 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioAblaze but not ConsumedOn this 3rd Sunday of Lent, together with Moses we encounter the extraordinary sight of the burning bush. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, the burning bush holds a threefold significance for us, all of which ultimately point to the fact that as human creatures we become who we have been created to be when set ablaze with the fire of God's Love. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X...2025-03-2226 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioTransfigured in PrayerOn this 2nd Sunday of Lent, we witness the Transfiguration of Jesus. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, Luke's account of this great episode Jesus' life emphasizes the importance of prayer, and the transformative power it can have when we unite our prayer to Christ's.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 Instagram: freshimage354 Rumble: FRESHImage Ministries Locals: freshimage.locals.com2025-03-1527 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony Crescio3 Basic TemptationsOn this First Sunday of Ordinary Time, we witness the threefold temptation of Jesus in the desert by Satan. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, through this dramatic episode in His life, Jesus reveals to us three basic temptations experienced by every single member of the human family, and simultaneously reveals how these temptations are all overcome by turning more fully toward our Heavenly Father.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Fa...2025-03-0829 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioTwo WaysOn this 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus invites us to reflect upon the path we are traveling in life. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, through the image of the tree and its fruit, Jesus makes clear that there is only one path to full flourishing for the human creature, the one that follows Him.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 Instagram...2025-03-0124 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioMerciful Like the FatherHaving opened His interior life to us last weekend through the Beatitudes, on this 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Jesus now exhorts us to imitate His Heavenly Father and ours. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, Jesus' exhortation to be merciful like the Father is a call to extend the radically generous love we receive from God to others.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 2025-02-2225 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLearning to Live Like JesusOn this 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we are invited to listen as Jesus preaches the great Sermon on the Plain. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, Jesus reveals His interior life to us in the Beatitudes so that by His grace we might live as He lives, and thereby pursue authentic and lasting human happiness.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 Instagram: fres...2025-02-1526 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioAnswering the CallOn this 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we are invited to contemplate the concept of vocation through two calling stories portrayed in our readings. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, our vocations are directly connected to the completely unique image of God we have each been created to be by our loving Creator. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 Instagram: freshimage354 Ru...2025-02-0827 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA Sacrifice to ImitateThis Sunday's celebration of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord presents us with a dynamic portrait of sacrifice to contemplate. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, in presenting Jesus in the Temple on this day, Mary exemplifies what it means to enter into the life-giving sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God and thereby experience the fullness of life for a human creature.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: ...2025-02-0223 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Good News of FreedomOur Gospel reading for this 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, highlights one of the central elements for living in relationship with God, freedom. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, without freedom, no relationship can be authentic much less intimate, and it is precisely freedom for relationship with God that Christ sets us free.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 Instagram: freshimage354 Ru...2025-01-2526 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioDo Whatever He Tells YouOn this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, we witness the Miracle of the Wedding at Cana. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, in this scene God manifests the type of relationship we have been created for with Him, as creatures created in his likeness.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 Instagram: freshimage354 Rumble: FRESHImage Ministries Locals: freshimage.locals.com...2025-01-1823 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA God of SolidarityThis Sunday our celebration of the Christmas Season ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, the Baptism of Jesus simultaneously manifests the mission of the Incarnate Son, and provides a glimpse of the interior life of the Triune God. Both reveal to us a God of solidarity, Whose life we are called to imitate as creatures created in imago Dei.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us...2025-01-1129 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Adventure of HolinessOn this Sunday in the Octave of Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, placing the account of the child Jesus lost and found in the temple before us for contemplation. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, this episode teaches us that the pursuit of holiness is an adventure in every sense of the word.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE ...2024-12-2827 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Greatest GiftOn this Fourth and final Sunday of Advent, we find ourselves amid the company of Mary, her cousin Elizabeth, and the in utero John the Baptist. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, though yet unborn, the Baptist helps teach us one of the most important and basic lessons about what it means to be a human creature.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 In...2024-12-2127 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Joy of RepentanceOn this Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, the Church summons us to rejoice! However, as Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, this call to rejoice is not unqualified. Instead, we only have reason to rejoice if we have first recognize our need for repentance.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 Instagram: freshimage354 Rumble: FRESHImage Ministries Locals: freshimage.locals.com...2024-12-1421 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioPreparing for EncounterOn this Second Sunday of Advent, St. Luke emphasizes the historical reality of the drama of salvation to us, and we meet the the forerunner of the Messiah, St. John the Baptist. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, in the life of St. John the Baptist we find the exemplar par excellence of preparing for an encounter with God.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 2024-12-0726 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Lord Our JusticeOn this First Sunday of Advent, we are reminded that a just society requires that the people of that society live in a just relationship with God. However, as Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, this is far easier said that done, as sin inhibits us from living in a just relationship with God. Thus, living in just relationship with God requires a Savior, whose arrival we prepare for this Advent Season.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. 2024-11-3026 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Triumph of LoveThis weekend's celebration of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, closes the Season of Ordinary Time. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, Jesus' exchange with Pilate teaches us that the Kingdom of God is not spread by the worldly means of coercion and violence, but by Christian disciples living as Jesus does.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 In...2024-11-2325 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioOvercoming Spiritual BlindnessThis Sunday we encounter Bartimaeus, the Son of Timaeus. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, by naming this man twice, St. Mark is flagging for us the importance of this episode, and what he flags is the totalizing claim made by Christianity. Namely, as human creatures, we can only see reality and navigate it rightly one way, by trusting and following the Son of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us...2024-10-2626 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Magnificence of the Christian Way of LifeOn this 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus reminds us that the Christian Way of Life is truly magnificent. For, as Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, the Christian Way of Life calls every single one of the baptized to cooperate in the greatest work the world has ever witnessed, the salvation of the human family. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook: @FRIMAGE X: @FImage354 Instagram: freshimage354 2024-10-2025 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioPursuing the Wisdom of GodFriends, on this 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we are reminded of the totalizing nature of the Christian Way of Life. As Tony Crescio explains, in His exchange with the rich man, Jesus reminds us that living the Christian life requires the wisdom to make every decision so as to place God above all else in our lives, period. And True Wisdom is a grace, a gift of God, prompting us to pray for this very gift.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive...2024-10-1226 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioAll InOn this 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, we arrive at the conclusion of Jesus' Bread of Life Discourse. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, the way St. John the Evangelist concludes this episode clearly demonstrates that Jesus is all in when it comes to His teaching on the Eucharist. What's more, He teaches us that to live as He does requires that we do the same with the whole of our lives as Christians, a teaching St. Paul echoes in his words on Christian marriage this weekend.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at...2024-08-2423 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioEating the Bread of LifeOn this 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we reach the very heart of Jesus' Bread of Life Discourse from chapter 6 of the Gospel of John. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, if examined in their original Greek, the words Jesus uses to describe the consumption of His body and blood are very clear. Yet they must be understood in their original context. When they are, we find that the Eucharist contains the mystery and meaning of life itself.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive...2024-08-1825 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLiving BreadOn this 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we continue our journey through Jesus' Bread of Life Discourse. This Sunday we hear Jesus refer to Himself not only as the Bread of Life, but as the Living Bread that came down from heaven. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, this teaches us something very profound about how we exist as creatures, and about how God intends us to begin experiencing the fullness of life here and now.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to...2024-08-1020 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioBread From HeavenAs we begin our 4 week examination of Jesus' Bread of Life Discourse from the Gospel of John, we hear Jesus allude to God's miraculous feeding of the People of Israel in the wilderness with manna. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, Jesus speaks of the manna in the desert both to affirm God's saving action on behalf of the People of Israel in the past, and in order to begin explaining to them how God will continue to work for their salvation in the future through the Eucharist, a new Bread that nourishes for eternal life.Music by...2024-08-0323 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLoaves & FishOn this 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we turn to chapter 6 of the Gospel of John for the first of several weeks. This weekend we witness Jesus' miraculous feeding of the 5,000. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, this miracle sets the stage in various ways for what Jesus will teach us concerning the Eucharist in the coming weeks. This becomes more readily apparent if we reflect on the feeding of the 5,000 in light of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount as described in Matthew's Gospel.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org...2024-07-2823 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioOne in ChristOn this 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time, our readings remind us that throughout history, God has called human creatures to participate in His ongoing work of salvation. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, this was God's purpose for calling the People of Israel into covenantal relationship with Him, that they might be a sign to the world that only by living in communion with God can we truly live in peace with one another. Such is the mission of the Church today, which by its unity with Christ, is called to reconcile the world to its loving Creator....2024-07-2021 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioCalled to MissionOn this 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we are taught that being Christian means possessing a missional identity. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, the Christian's missional identity is one shared with the Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. Ultimately, this means that at their core, the Christian is called to structure their life so as to participate in God's ongoing work of salvation in the world, to restore all of creation to God's intended purpose of living in diverse harmony with one another through, with, and in the Son of God.Music by Bjorn Lynne Ch...2024-07-1320 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Strength of FaithOn this 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, St. Mark presents us with the paradox of the Incarnation by placing us in the midst of seemingly competing understandings of Who Jesus Is. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, on the one hand, we know who Jesus Is because He Is one of us, He Is human. On the other, there is clearly something different about Him demonstrated by the things He does, and so it appears He comes from elsewhere. Our Second Reading from St. Paul reminds us that we draw spiritual power from trusting Jesus, having faith in Who Jesus says...2024-07-0622 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA Faith That HealsOn this 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Mark the Evangelist further reveals Jesus' identity through two healing episodes, the healing of Jairus' daughter, and the woman suffering from hemorrhages. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, these episodes both reveal the nature of Jesus' mission to us, and what Jesus says to those He interacts with in these episodes teaches us how we ought to respond to Him and His saving work. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Fo...2024-06-3024 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe One Whom the Wind and Sea ObeyThis Sunday we are drawn into the midst of a raging storm upon the sea with Jesus and the disciples. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, this episode is a central part of Mark's Christological argument, for through it he seeks to communicate to us Who Jesus Is. In the end, Mark turns to us and challenges us with an all-important question: Who is this, Whom even the wind and sea obey?Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. ...2024-06-2222 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Kingdom God CreatedOn this 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus teaches us about the Kingdom of God through two parabolic images. And the Divine Vision Jesus reveals to us through these images is grand indeed. For, as Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, the Kingdom of God is not a matter of belonging to this group or that, but encompasses the entire cosmos and every single creature therein.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Facebook...2024-06-1524 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLiving as the Family of GodThis weekend Jesus teaches us what it means to live as members of the Family of God. A first glance of this Sunday's Gospel seems as though Jesus teaches us this at the expense of His Mother, Mary. However, as Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, a careful reading shows how, in fact, Jesus points right at Mary as an example of what it means to live as part of the Family of God.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. ...2024-06-0823 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioEucharist: Our Duty & Our SalvationThis weekend the Church celebrates the great Solemnity of Corpus Christ, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The ongoing Eucharistic Revival has emphasized the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, as it should. However, as Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, this teaching will fall on deaf ears if we do not live the Eucharist we receive. Said differently, the world will believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist if we allow the Eucharist to transform us into the Real Presence of Christ in the world. To so live is both our duty and our sa...2024-06-0125 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioCreated For Triune LoveThis Sunday we celebrate the Mystery that Is Our God. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, the way we can know this Mystery most deeply and intimately is by experiencing It. This is where the sacraments of the Church come in. Baptism first gives us a share in the Triune Life of Love while the Eucharist enables us to experience this Love most profoundly and grow in It, this side of eternity.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. 2024-05-2526 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioRecreated by the SpiritAs we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, we also celebrate God's ongoing work of salvation in history through the Church, the sacrament of salvation in the world. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, apart from the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit within Her, the Church would have no ability to make the saving love of Christ present to the world. But wherever Her members harmoniously cooperate with the Spirit's action within, God renews the face of the earth through the day to day life of the Church, the Body of Christ.Music by Bjorn Lynne 2024-05-1824 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLift Up Your HeartsAs we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord's Ascension, we are reminded that Jesus' ascent into Heaven is something that we are all meant to experience, and not just at the end of our lives or at the end of time. Rather, as Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, we begin participating in the Ascension of Jesus Christ here and now as members of His Body, the Church.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: 2024-05-1125 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Greatest LoveOn this 6th Sunday of Easter, Jesus commands us to do something that seems impossible, to love as God loves. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, such a command would indeed be impossible to live out and therefore futile for God to give us, had God not given us a share in the Love that He Is from all eternity, through the Paschal Mystery of the Incarnate Son.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: 2024-05-0422 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLiving as Branches on the VineOn this 5th Sunday of Easter, we are once again presented with one of the "I Am" statements of Jesus, this time "I am the true vine." As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, like the image of the Good Shepherd explored last weekend, the image of the vine teaches us something about Who Jesus Is and our relationship to Him. This time, the message is has to do with the nature of the Church.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your...2024-04-2721 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Life of the Good ShepherdThe Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Good Shepherd Sunday, for regardless of liturgical cycle, our Gospel reveals Jesus as the Good Shepherd. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, in our own time and place, the image of the Good Shepherd can be misused to distort our understanding of Who Jesus Is. But a careful examination of our Gospel for this Sunday demonstrates how by using the image of the Good Shepherd to describe Himself, Jesus reveals Himself precisely as the Incarnate Son of God Who defeats the human family's enemies of sin and death.Music by...2024-04-2023 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioInstruments of Divine MercyHaving celebrated the Feast of Divine Mercy on the 2nd Sunday of Easter, on the 3rd Sunday we are reminded that Divine Mercy continues to act down to the present day. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, God's Mercy is present and active in our world through the Church and its members, who Jesus entrusts with carrying on His mission through history. Concretely, this looks like living out the corporeal and spiritual works of mercy.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to yo...2024-04-1323 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA God Who Is MercyIn its celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday, the Church speaks to the world the message that it desperately desires to hear. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, despite the apparent self-assuredness and self-sustaining façade the world puts up, as human creatures we also betray a sense of being broken and in need of a God Who Is Goodness and Mercy. Today's celebration meets this desire of the human heart, revealing that God's Mercy and Love are inexhaustible, and desirous of expending Itself so that we might have life to the full.Music by Bjorn Lynne 2024-04-0625 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioOnly the BeginningOn this most solemn night, the Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His triumph over our enemies of sin and death. However, as Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, while the Resurrection of Christ is the apex of the Christian Faith, it is definitely not the end of the story. Rather, as our Gospel for the Vigil teaches us, for those who bear the name of Christ, this night is only the beginning.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your...2024-03-3019 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioDivine ResponsibilityOn this Palm Sunday, Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) addresses a contemporary challenge voiced by many concerning justification. Namely, that it is God Who must justify Himself for all of the violence and evil in the world, which He is ultimately responsible for. As Tony explains, by attending to the Passion of the Son of God Incarnate, we discover a God Who not only is complete Self-Sacrificing Love, but a God Who Is Father, and Who assumes responsibility for us by reconciling us to Himself even when we had rejected Him.Music by Bjorn Lynne ...2024-03-2327 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Hour of GloryOn this 5th Sunday of Lent, we see two movements revolving around Jesus. On the one hand, we find that many are attracted to and being drawn to Him. And on the other, a group determined to do whatever it takes to stop the growth of His ministry. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, it is the confluence of these two movements that prompt Jesus to speak of His hour of glory, which as bewildering as it may sound to us, refers to His Passion. What's more, it is an hour of glory that today we are all invited to...2024-03-1624 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Smile of GodAs we arrive at the midway point in our Lenten journey on this 4th Sunday of Lent, the Church bids us rejoice, laetare! The celebration of joy amid the Lenten discipline may seem odd at first, though, as Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, it makes all the sense in the world. For, it is precisely amid the struggle for unity with God that God reminds us of our only true cause of lasting joy, the Son of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ God has and continues to smile upon us, bidding us to smile upon Him in return. 2024-03-0922 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLiving in the Virtue of GodOn this 3rd Sunday of Lent, we are reminded of a side of Jesus not often spoken about in the cleansing of the Temple. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, this episode teaches us that Jesus is not just a nice guy who wants to be our friend. Rather, as the Son of God Incarnate, Jesus desires to cleanse us of all that is not Him in us, so that He might fill us with His Divine Life. And both actions speak to where virtue fits into the Christian life. Music by Bjorn Lynne ...2024-03-0219 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Sacrifice of FaithAs we celebrate the Second Sunday of Lent, we are confronted by what appear to be radically different scenes from Scripture. On the one hand, we witness the terrifying Akedah, and on the other the Transfiguration of Our Lord. However, as Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, the two scenes have everything to do with one another, and ultimately teach us that our transfiguration as human creatures begins with the sacrifice of faith. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. 2024-02-2420 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony Crescio40 Days in the DesertAs we enter into the Season of Lent, the Church calls us to a participatory imitation of Christ's 40 day experience in the desert. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, God desires for these 40 days in the desert to be a period of training for us, so that we might arrive at the empty tomb on Easter Sunday filled with new life, and reinvigorated for mission.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Fac...2024-02-1724 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Imitation GameOn this 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, St. Paul calls us to be imitators of him as he is an imitator of Christ. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, by doing so, Paul is drawing from the ethics of the ancient world, which placed imitation at the core of moral education. However, for St. Paul, authentic imitation of Christ entails not the simple mechanical replication of action, but participation in the life of the Savior.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to yo...2024-02-1020 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe God Who HealsThis weekend, as we celebrate the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we confront one of the most difficult realities of human life, suffering. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, our readings for this weekend teach us six important points concerning human suffering, the most important being that our God rejects the suffering of His creatures and will one day bring all suffering to an end. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: Face...2024-02-0322 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioCalled to Live PropheticallyOn this Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Church teaches us more about what it means to live out our created missional identities. In our first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses tells the People of Israel that God will raise up a prophet like him in the future. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, these words simultaneously speak of the Prophetic Tradition of Israel, foretell of the coming Messiah, and also of those to Whom He gives a share in His life through the Sacrament of Baptism. Accordingly, we are called to live prophetic lives. To do so...2024-01-2722 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioI Have My MissionFriends, on this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, we continue to learn more about what it means to live as a human creature. Specifically, as Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, in our readings this Sunday, we discover that our identities have been given to us together with an accompanying mission that God has entrusted uniquely to each of us. This is seen in the first instance in the fact that Jesus calls the Apostles by name, just as He continues to do with each and every single one of us.Music by Bjorn Lynne C...2024-01-2022 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioYou Are Not Your OwnOn this Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) discusses two very difficult but essential spiritual lessons that this weekend's readings teach us, both of which are radically countercultural message. The first is, as St. Paul tells us in his First Letter to the Corinthians, we are not our own. The second follows from the first, when we live apart from God, our lives go to pieces. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow...2024-01-1320 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioShining with the Radiance of a KingThe celebration of Epiphany is, in many ways, a celebration of the fulfillment of God’s promise to the nation of Israel. “Epiphany” literally means manifestation. In this case, what is referred to is God’s manifestation to the Gentiles (i.e., any non-Jewish people). However, as Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, this manifestation is not a simple showing or a declaration of existence. Instead, what is being manifested is the reality that as the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, has not only come to bring salvation to the Jewish people, but for the whole human family, Jew and Gentile alike. Mus...2024-01-0617 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioUnderstanding Christmas Through MaryToday concludes the celebration of the Octave of Christmas, and properly speaking, marks the midway point of the celebration of the Incarnation that began on Christmas Eve and that will not conclude until with the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism. We might find it strange, then, that the Church places the Solemnity of the Motherhood of Mary at the center point of the Christmas Season. After all, aren’t we celebrating the birth of Christ? The answer is, absolutely. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, far from distracting from the celebration of Christ’s birth, today’s celebration in a very u...2023-12-3117 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA Dwelling Place for GodWe have arrived at the Fourth and final Sunday of Advent, and this Sunday we see God's plan for the human family fully revealed in the Annunciation. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, it is in Mary that God's purpose for the Incarnation of the Son comes to light. God desires not simply to be close to the human family, but to dwell within them and thereby make all things new.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. ...2023-12-2323 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Baptist's Lesson-Pt. 2On this Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, the Church calls us to rejoice! As last Sunday, we are presented with the figure of St. John the Baptist in our Gospel. Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) suggests that this is entirely appropriate, for St. John the Baptist is not only the forerunner and herald of the long-awaited Messiah, he is also the perfect exemplar of Christian Joy. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. Follow us on: 2023-12-1620 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Baptist's Lesson-Pt. 1On this Second Sunday of Advent, we hear a shocking message and meet a no less shocking figure. The first is made by St. Mark the Evangelist and the second is St. John the Baptist. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, when taken together, the two teach us what the Season of Advent is all about, and how we are to live this Season as it is meant to be lived.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to your inbox. 2023-12-0921 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioWatch!This Sunday marks the beginning of a new liturgical year in the life of the Church, and the First Sunday of Advent. And today, Jesus has a stark warning for us, "Watch!" But what exactly is Jesus telling us to watch for? As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, Jesus is teaching us to be on the watch for His Advent, His arrival, which can be understood in three discrete ways. The rest of the readings, then, explain to us how it is that we ought to remain watchful and prepare for Jesus' arrival. Music by Bjorn Lynne ...2023-12-0219 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioEmbodying the Kingdom of GodToday's celebration of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe serves as a focal point on the horizon of the Christian life, reminding us of the end toward which we travel through life. And, as Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, it also provides us with a message of hope, assuring us that despite the chaos and turmoil we experience this side of eternity, one day Christ's reign of peace and happiness will come definitively. Until then, Christians are called to hand over their lives entirely to Christ the King, and thereby make His Kingdom known and...2023-11-2517 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioInvesting Our TalentsOn this 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus teaches us a key spiritual lesson concerning our love for Christ through the parable of the talents. In effect, this parable poses a question to us, have we worked diligently to provide a good return to God on His investment of love in us? Are we eager to show Him the results? As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, our answer to this question tells us a great deal about where we stand in the spiritual life, are we working hard to ascend the mountain of the Lord, or are we just going th...2023-11-1816 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioTraveling by the Light of VirtueOn this 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Jesus teaches us through the parable of the ten virgins. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, through this imagery, Jesus is teaching us the importance of keeping our lives lit with His Divine Life as we make our way through this life in the valley of the shadow of death. In this, Jesus is calling us to participatory imitating in His Life, Who alone is the True Light which shines in the darkness.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to...2023-11-1116 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Greatness of HumilityOn this 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear Jesus denouncing the scribes and Pharisees and warning His disciples about following their example. As Tony Crescio explains, Jesus' criticism isn't so much about the conduct of the scribes and Pharisees as it is about their motivation. At bottom, Jesus is teaching us that we have been made to be glorified by glorifying God, and that the way to do so is enabled by the virtue of humility. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive u...2023-11-0423 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLearning to Love Like GodOn this 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear Jesus proclaim the greatest commandment, that we are to love God with our whole heart, soul and mind. This is something we hear often, and the fact that we do can tend to undermine its radicality. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, in the greatest commandment, Jesus is teaching us the greatest lesson on human life, one that gives unspeakable and irrevocable dignity to the human creature.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to...2023-10-2823 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioGiving God His DueThis weekend, Jesus turns a would-be trap by those who oppose Him into a deep spiritual lesson on the nature of human life. Taking a look at a denarius which bore the image of the Roman Emperor, Jesus says, "repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God." As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, with this simple line Jesus teaches us what has always been, but is especially so in our own time and place, the most radical teaching of Christianity. Namely, all that we are and have as human creatures is owed to God....2023-10-2121 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Wedding Feast of the KingdomOn this Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus continues to teach us about the Kingdom of God through parables, this time through the parable of the wedding feast. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, through the analogical imagery of food and marriage, Jesus reveals to us that from the very first moment of salvation history, God desired to reunite Himself to the human family through the Son. This reunion is likened to a wedding feast because just as a marriage requires two sharing one life, so too does our salvation require sharing in and living the life of the Lamb....2023-10-1420 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Divine Gardener & The Grand InquisitorOn this 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus teaches us through the parable of the tenants from the 21st chapter of Matthew's Gospel. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, in doing so, Jesus gets right to the heart of a profound mystery regarding our relationship with God. While we, as creatures, do not have it within our power to choose God for ourselves we do have the ability to reject Him, and sometimes in terrifying ways, as Dostoyevsky's Grand Inquisitor makes plain to us.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org an...2023-10-0725 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioFaith Must Be LivedThis Sunday, Jesus impresses upon us the importance of living out our faith through the parable of the two sons. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) discusses in light of the Gospel and our first reading from the Book of Ezekiel, this means that we must be continually converted away from the mentality of the age and toward that of Christ. The question then becomes, how to we live with the mentality of Christ. To get at this, Tony examines the second reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians, which includes the ancient and beautiful Christ Hymn.Mu...2023-09-3024 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioIt's Never Too LateOn this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus teaches us the parable of the landowner calling laborers into his vineyard to work. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains in his reflection, with this parable, Jesus reveals something to us both about our God and our cooperation in His salvation of us. We are taught that our God relentlessly pursues the human creature in love, and that it is never too late to go to work with God's grace in our lives. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a su...2023-09-2323 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioDivine ToleranceTolerance is a word we hear regularly thrown about in the public square, and often elevated as a supreme virtue. But we hardly ever hear about what tolerance is, and ironically, the would-be champions of tolerance are often some of the most exclusionary people of society. In today's Gospel for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus teaches us what authentic tolerance looks like. And, as Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains if we attend carefully to what Jesus says to us today, we find that authentic tolerance is ultimately imitation of Divine Love carried out by the virtues of humility, pa...2023-09-1623 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioWhisked Along in LoveAmong the spiritual works of mercy is the admonishing of sinners. Though not a work of mercy many of us would choose to carry out, it is precisely the work Jesus calls us to in the Gospel this Sunday. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, in addition to providing us with step by step instruction as to how to go about this work of mercy, the readings for this weekend teach us what virtues are necessary to develop if we are to carry out this work in harmony with God's will. Music by Bjorn Lynne ...2023-09-0919 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Finest Quality of the Human FamilyOn this Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus teaches us a very difficult spiritual lesson in his rebuke of St. Peter. The only way to grow in holiness is to die to our false selves, the selves that we have created, so that we might rise as the unique image of God our loving Creator has created each of us to be. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, above all, this means doing away with the vice of pride, and cultivating the virtue of humility with the help of God's grace. By doing so, we leverage our ability to change fo...2023-09-0219 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioRestoring UnityThis Sunday we witness St. Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This famous passage is often at the heart of interdenominational debates surrounding papal primacy. However, as Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains in his reflection for this weekend, there is also something more fundamental about human identity being revealed to us in this scene. That ultimately, the identity of the human creature is only found in unity with its loving Creator.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive up...2023-08-2618 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioPraying for God's JusticeIn the Gospel for this 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we hear of Jesus' encounter with a Canaanite woman, who comes to plead with Jesus on behalf of her daughter who is possessed by a demon. In his reflection, Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains that there is a twofold lesson in this episode, one having to do with the life of prayer and the other dealing with authentic inclusivity. In the end, what we discover is that both prayer and inclusivity must be based on the virtues of humility and justice, which deal with reality as it is in all...2023-08-1920 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioAn Attentive LoveIn his reflection for this 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) discusses the episode of Jesus walking on water to the disciples in the middle of the stormy sea in light of the Prophet Elijah's encounter with God on Mount Horeb. As Tony explains, when we read these episodes in light of one another, the message God speaks to us today is one of His attentive and relentless love for the human creature. Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates directly to...2023-08-1218 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioTransfigured on the MountainThis Sunday we celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, what we see taking place in the life of Christ on the mountain of the Transfiguration is what God intends for each of us to experience as members of Christ's Body, the Church. But how do we know if this transfiguration is taking place? Tony suggests that reflecting upon one's life in light of the Beatitudes is a good place to start.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive updates di...2023-08-0518 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA Kingdom of Beauty-Pt. 3In the Gospel for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus teaches us once again about the Kingdom of Heaven through parables. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, three parables we hear this Sunday speak to the absolute priority God must have in our lives and how to live daily life accordingly. Far from living a life of flight from the world, today's parables call us to live a life of virtue in loving service to God by loving our neighbor.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a su...2023-07-2919 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA Kingdom of Beauty-Pt. 2This Sunday Jesus teaches us about the Kingdom of Heaven through three distinct parables. As Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, the parables Jesus teaches us about the Kingdom are analogical in nature. This does not mean that they are not true, but rather that none of them in and of themselves can capture the reality of the Kingdom in its fullness. The three parables we hear today, Tony suggests, can be understood as describing different moments in the life of the Kingdom, its current state, its end state, and its mission in the time between. Music by Bj...2023-07-2218 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA Kingdom of Beauty-Pt. 1On this Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we hear Jesus' parable of the sower and the seeds. As Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) explains, each of Jesus' parables teaches us something about the nature of the reality in which we live through the use of images. And this image in particular both speaks to us of the great mercy of God, and that if we are to live life to its fullest, we must be receptive to His Word.Music by Bjorn Lynne Check us out at freshimage.org and become a subscriber to receive u...2023-07-1516 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLiving in the Real WorldIn our Gospel reading for this Sunday, Jesus calls us to be meek and humble. These are two virtues sorely missing from our society today. And, as Tony Crescio explains, when they are, the result is a narrow imagination. This narrow imagination prevents us from seeing the beauty of human life and leads us to moves us to claim the role of God for ourselves. In contrast, when we possess the virtues of humility and meekness we are able to see the beauty of our world as created by our loving God, and live once again live in the...2023-07-0818 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA Living OrganismIn his reflection for this Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Tony Crescio reflects on what Jesus tells us today about what our love for Him must be like in light of what it means to live as a member of the Church. To do this, Tony discusses St. Paul's teaching of the Church as the Body of Christ. While what this means may be difficult to understand, when we take the time to do so, it becomes clear why Jesus teaches us today that whoever receives the one He sends, receives Him. Music by Bjorn Lynne2023-07-0118 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioNot So Ordinary TimeIn his reflection for this 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Tony Crescio reminds us that in our pilgrimage with God this side of eternity, there is no such thing as what we normally would think of as ordinary time. Tony explains this in light of our first reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. Therein, we find an individual totally committed to God and to living out His Word, regardless of the difficulty or personal cost, because of love for God. Music by Bjorn LynneCheck us out at freshimage.org and bec...2023-06-2417 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioSent by NameOn this Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, we hear Jesus calling His twelve disciples. As Tony Crescio explains in his reflection, there is deep significance to the calling of the twelve on both communal and individual levels. On one level, the twelve symbolize the ongoing work of God's redemption of the human family, and on another, the fact that Jesus calls the disciples by name indicates the uniqueness of each and every single human person. Ultimately, the calling of the twelve reveals to us that not only is our individual identity fulfilled in relationship with Christ, but that our...2023-06-1720 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioEucharistic ImaginationIn his reflection for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) examines Jesus' teaching in the Bread of Life Discourse in light of the manna provided by God for the People of Israel in the Book of Exodus. This reading makes two things clear. First, the Eucharist is indeed the new manna, and second, the effect Jesus says the Eucharist has upon the one who receives it leaves no room for doubt concerning the reality of His Presence within this most central sacrament of the Church's life. Music by Bjorn LynneCheck...2023-06-1017 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Mystery of Divine LoveOn this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Tony Crescio discusses one of two central doctrines of Christianity, doctrine of the Trinity. As Tony explains, discussion of the Trinity requires that we keep in mind that God is ultimately mystery, and therefore whatever is said about God falls far short of Who God Is in Godself. Nevertheless, because God has chosen to reveal Himself to us out of love for us, there is much to be said about Him, which Tony discusses in light of our readings for this weekend. Music by Bjorn Lynne2023-06-0319 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Fire of LoveIn his reflection for Pentecost Sunday, Tony Crescio (@anthonycrescio) reflects on the episode of the descent of the Holy Spirit as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles in light of the Old Testament accounts of creation and the Tower of Babel episode in the Book of Genesis. As Tony explains, when these episodes of salvation history are brought into conversation with one another, the very basics of spiritual physics come to light. Sin is revealed as a perverse imitation of God that causes division, while the grace of the Holy Spirit enables us to live lives of Divine...2023-05-2718 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA Higher Level of ExistenceThough perhaps not often thought of in this way, the bodily Ascension of Christ is a central tenet of the Christian Faith professed in the Creed. Moreover, together with the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, Christians experience the re-presentation of the Ascension at every Eucharistic Liturgy. By bringing the episode of the Ascension into conversation with the People of Israel's journey through the wilderness, Tony Crescio sheds light on how we are to enter into and participate in Jesus' Ascension beginning here and now and thereby live at a higher level of existence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...2023-05-2019 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioLiving the Law of LoveIn our Gospel for this Sixth Sunday of Easter, Jesus says to us, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Such words may sound to postmodern ears as coercive language. However, as Tony Crescio ( @anthonycrescio ) explains, Christians should hear in these words a call to live the rules of the Heavenly Father's House. In other words, it is by living the commandments that we learn to enter into the eternal Trinitarian dynamics of Love here and now. Music by Bjorn LynneCheck us out at freshimage.org and become a su...2023-05-1317 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThrough Him, With Him, and In HimIn his reflection for this Fifth Sunday of Easter, Tony Crescio reflects on the meaning of Jesus telling us that He is going to prepare the way for us in His Father's House in light of the Cross of Christ. As Tony explains, this reading reveals the way prepared by Christ and the eternal life wherein those who follow Him shall dwell eternally. In the end, both are lived only through, with, and in the self-sacrificing love of the Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. Music by Bjorn LynneCheck us out at freshimage.org...2023-05-0617 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioEntering Through the GateIn the Gospel for this Fourth Sunday of Easter, we hear Our Lord use two images to describe our relationship to Him, a Shepherd and His sheep and a Gate. As Tony Crescio explains, by using these images Jesus is making radical and totalizing claims about human life. Most basically that we neither finally belong to ourselves or anyone else, but to Him alone, and He is the only way to the fullness of life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-04-2917 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioWalking EastOn this Third Sunday of Easter, Tony Crescio brings the episode of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus into conversation with the episode of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden. As Tony explains, when we attend to the parallels of these episodes the modus operandi of the Son of God as the One Who relentlessly pursues the human family out of love appears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-04-2820 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioThe Wounds of LoveThe Second Sunday of Easter is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. On this Sunday we hear the well-known story of “doubting Thomas.” However, in his reflection for this Sunday, Tony Crescio suggests that closer attention to the scriptural account results in a very different reading of Thomas. Far from a simple doubter, Thomas is in fact exemplary in his faith, struggling with doubt but with a firm desire to enter into deep and lasting relationship with Christ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-04-2817 minFRESHImage Sunday Gospel Reflections with Tony CrescioA Life of AlleluiaIn our time and place the bodily Resurrection in Christ is called into question by many. And even among those who believe that Christ did indeed rise bodily from the dead, most don’t seem to think the Resurrection has anything to do with them. In his reflection for Easter Sunday, Tony Crescio affirms the bodily Resurrection of Christ as the central tenet of the Christian faith, and explains why it has everything to do with our lives beginning right here and right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-04-2819 min