POINTING TO THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD: Recent Episodes
Patrick Tifu
POINTING TO THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD is a podcast which provides food for the soul. It provides weekly spiritual nourishment. It's contents includes a combination of scripture readings at Mass, daily office psalms, reflection from readings, meditation and prayers of the faithful from various sources with help of some angelic music in the background. Due to the demands of modern life, Christians and Catholics in particular often complain that they are unable to find time to attend mass or pray the daily office. Listening to this podcast not only softens the blow but also provides you with a great tool to help you pray and develop that beautiful relationship with God. This podcast helps to bring home the message that we are loved unconditionally by God the Father, Jesus our brother and God the Holy Spirit of truth as members of God's family. Therefore, it's our duty to share this good news with all in the way we live our lives - in love, mercy, kindness, compassion and forgiveness as our God Father, son and Holy Spirit are with us. POINTING TO THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD with Patrick Tifu is an easy, meditative, reflective & prayerful listen that you wouldn't want to start your day without. Rest assured you will enjoy it. Stay safe and God bless.
Send us Fan Mail
In the readings this Sunday, get a great sense that when we believe in God, put our hope and trust in Him, then we would be like a treasure hunter who discovers and obtains the most valuable treasure, “fine pearls” In other words, keeping a personal relationship with Jesus, remaining in a state of grace, and sharing his view of life, are the most beautiful and the most precious things in the world.
That is exactly what the young King Solomon did in the first reading. He opted for the great treasure of accepting God to rule his life by doing His will. This pleased God, who rewarded him with the gift of “a heart wise and shrewd as none before you has had and none will have after you,”
In the second reading, St Paul teaches that “all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” This is true of all who accept a close relationship with God as their greatest treasure.
And in the Gospel, using three mini-parables, Jesus teaches us that God’s Kingdom, is something of extraordinary value, like a hidden treasure. Possessing that treasure demands from us a total commitment if we are to preserve it.
Friends in Christ, we are encouraged today to live every moment in view to chase and share this treasure instead of chasing false treasures such as money, power, social status, or worldly pleasures. We will be able to keep safe the treasure of our personal relationship with Jesus by accepting him every day as our God and Savior, by allowing God to have total control over our lives through our loving obedience to His will. We pray for the grace to do this.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
The readings this 16th Sunday of OT Year A, tell us about a very patient, hope-filled and compassionate God Who is hopeful that the so-called “weeds” among us will be converted. The readings also warn us that we should not be in a hurry to eliminate such elements from the Church, or society, or the family, based on hasty judgment.
Rather than a punishing disciplinarian portrayed in the book of Genesis, the first reading from the Book of Wisdom reminds us on how lenient God is in the face of justice. God’s mercy does not mean a lack of accountability – Christ desires and commands that we love God and love our neighbor. But in his mercy, he does not condemn us for our sin but rather gives time for us to repent. St Paul in his letter to the Romans in the 2nd reading, reminds us that the Spirit of God constantly empowers us in our prayers and in our weakness. So, we should be patient with ourselves and with others.
And in the Gospel, Jesus explains the Parable of the wheat and the weeds, where the Sower, God, allows the weeds and wheat, good and evil to coexist. “Let both grow together until the harvest...". Friends, that precisely is every single one of us because in each and every one of us good and bad live together. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that in everyone the weeds of sin will be mixed with the good wheat of the gospel.
Friends, this Sunday, we are challenged, to discern the thoughts and movements of our hearts. Which thoughts lead us to God, and which ones lead us away from Him. Which thoughts lead us to joy, love, peace, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control and which ones leave us with envy, anger, impatience, sarcasm, even self-indulgence and so on. We pray for the grace to be aware of which thoughts and intentions are weeds and which ones are wheat. Amen.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Friends in Christ, the readings this 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A invite us to think about how God’s word works in our lives. Each reading uses simple images from the world around us. Rain, seeds, soil, and harvest all show how God’s word brings life and hope. These readings remind us that God always works with purpose.
In the 1st reading from the Prophet Isaiah, we hear how God’s word is like rain that makes the earth fruitful.
St Paul in the 2nd reading tells us in Romans that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
In the Gospel, Jesus uses the parable of the sower to teach us that our hearts must be ready to receive God’s word.
These passages come together to remind us that God’s plan is certain. With open hearts, we can grow strong in faith and bear much fruit. His word nourishes us, even when life feels dry or hard.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Brothers and sisters on this 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our readings invite us to reflect on the theme of humility and the gentle power of God’s love.
In the First reading from Zechariah, we are presented with a beautiful image of a king who comes to us, not in strength or military might like the world wants, but humble and riding on a donkey. The kingdom of God is different. It does not conform to worldly expectations. Instead, our King, Jesus, entered Jerusalem not to conquer with force, but to offer peace and salvation.
In today's world, where power and prestige often overshadow humility, we are reminded that God's approach calls us to embrace gentleness.
The Psalm further affirms this, praising the Lord for His greatness, yet also acknowledging His kindness and compassion. Our God is not distant; He is near to all who call upon Him. He lifts up those who are bowed down and provides for those who are in need. Each of us, in our struggles and burdens, can find comfort in the tenderness of God’s love.
In today’s Second Reading from the letter to the Romans, St. Paul reminds us that the Spirit of God dwells within us, leading us to live according to His ways. We are not called to the flesh but to a life animated by the Spirit. This is a call to transformation, inviting us to let go of our burdens and to embrace the life God has in store for us.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus extends a beautiful invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” In our busy lives, we often carry many burdens/yokes such as stress, anxiety, and the weight of our responsibilities
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Rev Deacon Patrick Tifu reflects on the readings of this sunday, the meaning and implications of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity on this Solemnity of the Most HolyTrinity.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost - the day nearly 2000 years ago, when Jesus fulfilled His promise and sent the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to the Apostles Our lady and all the other disciples to assist them continue His mission here on earth - His mission to save souls.
The beautiful thing is that the Holy Spirit has not stopped working. The Spirit still brings peace where there is fear, unity where there is division, courage where there is weakness, and hope where we feel discouraged.
The Holy Spirit continues to work in our hearts and lives today. It is the Holy Spirit who can unleash the dormant gifts within each and everyone of us. If we let Him, that Spirit can make us better spouses, better parents, better children better religious, clergy or single people. He can guide us into the vocation, work, or occupation that best suits us. He can inspire our ideas and creativity -- He can enhance our relationship with God and one another.
So perhaps our prayer this Pentecost is a simple one: Holy Spirit, come again. Open what we have locked. Strengthen what feels weak. Heal what is divided. Help us use the gifts You have given us, and help us not just to believe in Christ, but to live like people who have truly received His Spirit.
And so we say:
ALL: Come Holy spirt, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, Through the same Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION & GOSPEL OF 7TH SUNDAY EASTER PROCLAIMED BY REV DEACON PATRICK TIFU
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
On this Sunday we celebrate what we are here on earth - pilgrims. This Sunday the readings remind us that our true home is not in this life - a reminder that this life is a journey - a pilgrimage to our final destination- our homeland in Heaven.
In the 1st reading the Apostles after witnessing the Ascension of Jesus, made the journey from the mountain to Jerusalem.
In the 2nd reading we are reminded that this pilgrimage to heaven is not an easy one but one full of spiritual dangers and suffering.
And in the gospel Jesus assures us that we are not alone in this journey- Not only does He provide food for this journey - the Holy Eucharist He is says He is praying for us. He will also send us the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us along the way. On the week before Pentecost, let us pray for the grace to be docile to the Holy Spirit so that we can hurry the way to our true home in heaven.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Friends in Christ, during this joyful season of Easter, we continue to celebrate those brothers and sisters who entered or were fully welcomed into the Church at the Easter Vigil. Please reach out to those in your Parish to celebrate with them, offer your continued prayers for them, or invite them to parish events.
Accompanying one another in the faith is essential, the readings will remind us today.
In our busy world when it is easy to feel disconnected and alone, being with one another is a powerful way to be a vessel through which Christ proclaims his promise to never leave us. By sitting with one another in times of grief, listening to the questions of a friend who is struggling, or rejoicing with a friend in response to good news, we accompany each other through life’s ups and downs. In whatever ways possible, we are called to accompany another in their journey of faith, we do so with the promise that Christ is doing the same for us.
Please remember in your prayers our brother Henry who is grieving the loss of father.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
This Sunday the readings invite us to reflect on our identity as a community of believers and the hope we have in Christ
In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we see the early church facing challenges as they grew. Appointing Deacons was response to ensure no one was neglected
The 2nd reading from the letter of St Peter reminds that each of us with our gifts and talents are living stones vital in building a vibrant church
In the gospel from the Evangelist John, Jesus says He is the way, the truth and the Life and that He is going to His Father’s house to prepare a place for us.
Friends in Christ, at the heart of our faith is not only prayer and worship of God but also diaconia - service of our brothers and sisters. We pray for the grace to always offer ourselves like the deacons on serving those around us wherever we find ourselves. Amen
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Friends in Christ, on this 4th Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, also the world day of prayer for vocations we welcome you and ask you to join us to thank God for the many Good shepherds we have in our Church. To pray for more vocations and servants in His vineyard.
Friends, the readings today talk about Christ as The Good Shepherd, calling us to hear His voice, to be His Voice and use our voice for the glory of His name.
We need to RECOGNISE His Voice - that guides us along the right path
We need to BE His Voice - The voice of the voiceless
Like Peter let us lift up our voices, for the glory of His Holy name.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
When people cast doubt on what you do, are suspicious of you, or even think negatively about you, how do react towards them? In the gospel today, we hear Thomas emphatically state that ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.’ Poor Thomas, he must have felt miserable, depressed, downcast when Jesus appeared to the other disciples in his absence and waited a week before showing up again. In his negativity and doubt, Christ would have been justified in giving him a talking-to or telling off. But No. He chose instead to present the facts: "...put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’ Christ responded with mercy – inviting him into an encounter in a way that will draw him into deeper faith. And Christ also comes to you and I again and again and again, mercifully inviting us into a relationship with him regardless of what we demand or how often we fall away. We pray that through His grace we may be like Thomas respond ‘My Lord and my God!’. May we be like Christ in our interactions with one another.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Welcome to the celebration of the greatest and most important feast in the Church. - “Easter” which literally means “the feast of fresh flowers.” We celebrate it with pride and jubilation because it marks the birthday of our eternal hope.
Easter, the feast of the Resurrection, gives us the joyful message that we are a “Resurrection people.” It is a feast which gives us hope and encouragement in this world of pain, sorrows, fears, and tears. Easter reminds us that life is worth living. No longer are we supposed to lie buried in the tomb of our sins, our evil habits, and our dangerous addictions. Today we celebrate the Good News that no tombs can hold us down any longer – not the tombs of despair, discouragement, doubt, unforgiveness, anxiety, or death itself. Instead, we are expected to live a joyful and peaceful life, constantly experiencing the real Presence of the Risen Lord in all the events of our lives. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad” (Ps 118:24).
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Throughout the Sundays of Lent especially this Sunday,
not withstanding during Holy week - our Holy Mother, church,
invites us to feast on God’s Word in a deeper way than perhaps
at any other time in the liturgical year. As disciples, our whole Christian life
must be nourished not only by the sacraments, but by the Word of God.
As Lent comes to a close, we are invited to participate in these long readings and the passion narratives to make them present to us, here and now. Remembering that God's words do not just describe but make things happen.
The Passion narrative sum up the action that Jesus took in order to save us. St Paul puts it so beautifully for us in the 2nd reading -
Christ was humble enough to empty himself of his divinity to enter into our world, To suffer and die for us in order to save us.
As followers of Christ, we too are called to this same humility, to empty ourselves to enter
into the lives of brothers and sisters. Suffer with them in order to draw them to God.
Are you up to the challenge? That's our prayer for today.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Friends in Christ, the readings this Sunday are clear evidence that actions have consequences.
In the 1st reading, we see that when God gets involved with his people, they live because God is life. God says to Israel, "I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people. And I shall put my spirit in you, and you will live ...and you will know that I am the Lord"
In the 2nd reading St Paul tells the Christinas in Rome that if they possess the spirit of Christ, they belong to Christ adding that if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.
In the gospel, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he could no longer fly under the radar. By raising Lazarus from the dead Jesus attracted the attention of his enemies and set himself on a path that ultimately led to the cross.
As followers of Christ, there are times when we will have to make a decisive and public choice for our faith or our values, in fact that is every single day of our lives. Standing up for the truth and what is right may bring praise or lead to misunderstanding or even persecution. We can draw strength in these decisive moments from the knowledge that the One we follow is the resurrection and the life. Any risk we take in following him is worth it in the end.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Friends in Christ, this Sunday we see Jesus in the gospel re-create a blind man just like His Father, our Heavenly Father created Adam in Genesis using mud. This man became instantly unrecognisable. Even people who knew him started asking one another - Is this the same guy who...? Friends, when we open our lives for Jesus to touch us through his word and sacraments something happens to us - we are instantly recreated, renewed, transformed.
Brothers and sisters, we are remiinder in the 1st reading that whereas humans look at the outside God looks at the heart. Let us therefore our hearts to God's healing touch and love in order to receive His amazing grace.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, the human body can survive for about 3 weeks without any food. Yet, we can live for only 3 days without water. We feel hungry when we need food. And we experience thirst without water. We also have a built-in psychological hunger and thirst. We want to possess things -We want to be in control of our lives. Some even want to control everything around them. And we all want to experience recognition and love.
Unfortunately, most people are never satisfied with what they possess or have acquired. The reason is that they are missing what the human soul and spirit truly need. We need to possess God’s life and love – or we remain empty -- And until we learn to live and nourish ourselves on a spiritual level – we will always hunger and thirst for more of what this world has to offer!
On this 3rd sunday of Lent we learn that but also that the way of sin complicates our lives but the way of the Lord simplifies it. May we have the courage to step away from the turmoil. May we have the determination to live in Divine Simplicity, to live in the peace of the Lord.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Friends in Christ, as Christians, we believe that all that we have and all that we are, is a free gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it all. It is all thanks to the love, grace and will of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. All we are called to do, is to respond with faith so that we can transformed to radiate that love and glory of God to others.
The Scriptures for this 2nd sunday of Lent A remind us of this truth.
In the first reading Abram is called by God to respond in faith to God's instructions and informed that he will be blessed with greatness and in turn bless others. He had done nothing to deserve this. In the 2nd reading St Paul tells Timothy that part of the response to God's call is to endure suffering for the sake of the gospel, trusting not in our own power but that of God who has saved us.
And in the gospel, Jesus is transfigured and commands his disciples not to tell anyone about what they had witnessed until after his resurrection. Friends, we pray for the grace to respond to God’s call in faith every day of our life.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Friends in Christ on this 6th Sunday of OT the word of God challenges us to go deeper in our faith. In the gospel Jesus tells us that true holiness does not start on the outside but deep down in our hearts. The gospel way is not about putting on a show that others can see that we are holy. Rather it is about quietly allowing our hearts to be transformed by God. In the 1st reading by Ben Sirach, we are reminded that God offers us two choices, fire and water, (death) & (life), good & evil. Our words, decisions and actions can either build life or cause harm. What we stretch our hand to take depends on us. In the 2nd reading St Paul distinguishes between the wisdom of this world and that of God. Only the Spirit of God can open our hearts to understand the wisdom of God which is hidden and mysterious.
Today friends, let us pray for the grace to allow the Holy Spirit to give us His wisdom to observe God's law in our hearts and live it out every day
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ - Our modern day culture and society are obsessed with the self. Everywhere you look, people are calling attention to themselves in various ways - Facebook profiles, WhatsApp status, Instagram pics, tik tok videos, Twitter twits, you name it.. People want personal credit: likes, views, compliments -- for everything they do ---- for what they possess. People can be extremely selfish these days. They resist helping others who have less. They have no regard for those who are suffering economically.
And most tragically of all, many people have no idea what God expects of them - and why God created them in the first place!
The scriptures this Sunday tell us why we are here – and what is expected of us as God’s creation. They present a two-fold mission to the world, to be salt and to be light.
Is your salt salty and your light shining? If not then you are in the right place. Let us pray for the grace to be salt of the earth and light of the world.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Brothers and sisters, the powerful image of Jesus as light runs through all the readings this Sunday.
In the first reading the prophet Isaiah refers to Christ as the light that dispels the darkness of this world.
The psalmist today says,The Lord is my light and my salvation.
St Paul in the 2nd reading advises the Corinthians to live as children of Light, steering clear of division and rivalry, things of darkness.
St Matthew in the gospel wanted his readers to recognize that the Light of which Isaiah spoke had finally appeared with the coming of Jesus Christ. By His ministry of inviting people to His kingdom of peace through preaching, healing and calling people to repent, He is bringing them from darkness into light.
Friends to fully understand what Jesus is doing, lets reflect briefly on this question.
How do we see anything? We can only see if there are two things present. Light and a healthy eye, or good eyesight.
Without Christ the light, we are in total darkness. We are spiritually blind and unable to see what we are, who we are and where we are going as pilgrims in this life.
How do we respond to this light - Look at how Peter, Andrew, James and John responded when they entered the light -
They did not hold on to anything they had or knew. Instead they dropped everything, their livelihood, their culture, their plans, their hopes and basked in the light of Christ, reflecting it and like stars radiating this light - pointing the way to Jesus, the true light.
Friends in Christ, we thank God for Jesus and pray for the grace like the disciples to radiate his light when we receive him in Holy communion, pointing our brothers to this Light - The eternal Light.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Brothers and sisters, when we meet someone for the first time, we make judgements whether or not we like them or want to associate ourselves with them based on the little information we have have about them, their demeanour, their behaviour and even their appearance.
Sometimes we get it horribly wrong. Sometimes the person is not all that we thought they were – Or they are much more than we first assumed. The double tragedy is that on the one hand we can be “taken in” and exploited in one case – Or we can dismiss someone of great integrity and value on the other hand. All the scriptures for today point to Jesus as someone who was infinitely more than what he appeared to be at first glance. We pray for the grace and humility to accept all as brothers and sisters as they are created in the image and likeness of God and temple of the Holy spirit.
We pray today for our brothers and sisters who have died William Mcclafferthy, Helen Manka Fon, Mary,
And for those who are sick and in hospital - Fr Bob
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
Prayer for NEW YEAR 2026. By Rev Deacon Patrick Tifu
Heavenly Father, we thank you for helping us see this new year. Grant us a great new year, one filled with good health, peace, joy and an abundance of your grace. May we be powerful instruments to make this messed up world more like heaven is. Help us to love and work for the wellbeing of our brothers and sisters. Give us Lord Jesus, the security and stability that is not based on the mess and chaos of this world but on the fact that You underwent a KENOSIS - a self-emptying of your Divine power, majesty and glory to enter into our messy world as a baby in weakness and humility in order to save us. You lived a life of amazing goodness- no power moves and yet you triumphed. Thank you Lord that in You we have the ultimate victory- Thank You Lord Jesus that in You we have someone to look up to and imitate as we journey to destination heaven. Thank you lord Jesus that in you we don't have to play power games and offer lip service. May we not be people who honour You with their lips yet our hearts are far away from You. Instead help us to be men and women of faith who trust you and honour and worship you with our lives. Give us the grace to be single-minded and focus on you, to please you in all we think, do and say. Help us to empty ourselves to serve you in our brothers and sisters. May we work hard in this new year, not be lazy or spend our time gossiping but to use our talents for the glory of Your name. Holy Spirit of truth, help us to give up our own personal happiness for the sake of others. Help us to suffer well so that others can see how we have joy even in the midst of suffering and come to know and serve You. Help us to not be distracted by the things of this world but keep our eyes, hearts and minds on you throughout this new year. This we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
What kind of Christmas season are you having this year, friends? Is it a Godless secular Christmas or a supernatural one?
Is this Christmas one of feelings, warmth, drinking some spicy drink and getting wasted, a little high, or even drunk? One where our awe comes from materialism; the latest gadget, toy, gift and so on.
Or, Is this Christmas season a supernatural one - one which celebrates an Eternal, All-powerful God, the intelligent mind behind this gigantic cosmos, this massive universe we live in. The One who created us with such amazing design and intricacy in His image, to reflect His character, His goodness, His love and His integrity. This mighty God whobbeviadr of his love gor us chose to limit himself and be born of a peasant teenager called Mary in an obscure village in Palestine?
When we think about how Mary became pregnant, where and how Jesus was born, how he immersed himself into human suffering in the 1st few hours of his life even surviving an attempt on his life, are we not awestruck?
As human beings we are designed to be awestruck. The mountains, deserts, big cats in the zoo or safari parks etc But most importantly we are meant to be awestruck by the All-powerful God who does not cease to amaze us If we begin to imagine and consider all these things.
When we begin to grasp the enormity of all these, awe begins to grow within us. God humbling himself to become a human being is a supernatural event - an awesome, awe-inspiring one.
How have you satisfied or plan to satisfy this awe? Who are you awestruck by this Christmas?
We continue to bring to prayer our brothers and sisters who have died especially Pedro, Syvester, Lydia and all our loved ones who have died. May God welcome them all into the peace of God's kingdom.
Support the show
Send us Fan Mail
What would your response be if God was to reveal Himself to you today? Like King Ahaz, in the first reading will your response be "I don't need you. I got everything covered?" Or will you like Zechariah this week say to Him "I don't trust you?". Or will you like Joseph in the gospel today out of humility say to God "I don't deserve you?" Or can you be honest like Our lady, if you're confused and ask for clarity and say "I don't understand?"
Friends, as we prepare for the birth of our Blessed Lord at Christmas, let's be patient with ourselves and be ready with a response in whatever way He chooses to reveal Himself to us. Let's not be tempted to say to Him "I don't need you" because we can't do it all on our own. Let's not be tempted to say to Him "I don't trust you" because He has done enough in our lives to be trusted. Or out of humility say "I don't deserve you" because He values us that much to come down to save us. We are worth His life and death. The truth is He is closer than we think. Instead Lets lean into the truth that He is here.
Support the show
Send us a text
This Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Advent
We move into a new liturgical year today YEAR A
Friends, Advent which means coming is a season of preparations
for the the 3 comings of Christ. His coming in history, everyday and at the end of time
During this advent season we meditate on Jesus’ first coming in history as a baby in Bethlehem
how Jesus comes to us daily through various means; and finally
Advent is a time where we prepare for Christ's Second Coming at the end of the world
Friends, in His own words, our Blessed Lord in the gospel today cautions us to "stay awake...for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming".
How do we stay awake and prepare for the coming of Christ? The great Apostle Paul tells us how, in the 2nd. He says "cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light"
Friends let us pray for one another, that during this time of preparation, we will
resist our evil habits and tendencies; Seek to reconcile with God and with one another.
Support the show
Send us a text
As the church year comes to a close, our Holy mother Church reminds us on this 33rd Sunday of OT C, about the things of the end times -
In 1st and Gospel readings we hear about what will happen before and at the end of time. Nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom, tumults, famine, earthquakes, persecution. Some will look at the wars, conflict, grief, violence, chaos, confusion in our world today, they are tempted to conclude that the end of the world is near.
Our Blessed Lord has some reassuring words for such catastrophic thinking. He says, "do not be terrified". He wants us instead to use them as opportunities to bear witness to Him - because He is the Way the truth and the Life.
Friends, Christ is speaking directly to your heart and to my heart, consoling us and encouraging us to stand up for our faith in the current difficult times and in the trying moments of our lives. And if we do this, He assures us again in his own words that "no hair on your head will perish"... By your endurance you will gain your lives.’
In this November, the month of souls, let us continue to pray for our brothers and sisters who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. May God welcome them in His heavenly kingdom.
Support the show
Send us a text
As the church year comes to a close, our Holy mother Church reminds us as its her custom about the things of the end times - things about the final days of the world, things about the our own death and things about the Final Judgment.
This 33rd Sunday of OT C is no different. The 1st and Gospel readings inform us about what will happen before and at the end of time. When some people look at the wars, conflict. grief, violence and aggression, chaos and confusion in our world today, they are tempted to conclude that the end of the world is near.
Our Blessed Lord has some reassuring words for those who have these catastrophic thoughts. He says, "do not be terrified". Instead He wants us to use them as opportunities to bear witness to Him - to stand up for our faith, to recycle these thoughts in prayer to fix our gaze on him and Him alone because He is the Way the truth and the Life.
Friends in Christ, Our Blessed Lord is speaking directly to your heart and to my heart, offering us all consolation and encouraging us to continue to bear witness to Him in the difficult times we find ourselves in this world, in the trying moments of our personal lives to the best of our abilities. And if we do this, He assures us again in his own words that "no hair on your head will perish... By your endurance you will gain your lives"
Oh that today you would listen to His voice, Harden not your hearts.
Support the show
Send us a text
This Sunday we celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, one of the most important Churches for us Catholics. Ultimately, this celebration is a celebration of the people of God- the Church, the body of Christ. St Paul reminds us that this Church has Christ as foundation. We are part of the body- the Church. St Paul reminds us again that like the Church, we too are temples of God's, vessels of God's Spirit.
Like His bride the Church, Christ loves us so much and He'll do anything to protect us. That is why in today's gospel we see him chasing money-changers, telling them, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.’
Friends, our mission which is similar to that of the Church is beautifully illustrated in the image by Ezekiel in the 1st resding: to be a source of life-giving water, nourishment, and healing for the world around us.
Today’s feast invites us to be aware of ourselves as temples of the Holy Spirit and to consider how well we are taking our mission to bring Christ to others, be a source of nourishment and healing for others
Please join me to pray for Tommy who passed away years ago.
Support the show
Send us a text
Friends, we celebrate todays feast in honour of all the saints.
Just as God took Moses to the top of the mountain to give him the 10 Commandments,in the gospel Jesus takes us all up the mountain to give us His word. He gives us the job description of becoming a saint. He tells us that if we live according to his word, we would never walk alone. That he will walk alongside us, in front of us to ensure that we join him and all the saints in heaven.
Friends let us pray today that we will give him our word to follow His word, take up our crosses in this valley of tears and follow him.
For the many times we haven't kept His word and our word, we ask for mercy and pardon
V. Lord, have mercy.
R. Lord, have mercy.
V. Christ, have mercy.
R. Christ, have mercy.
V. Lord, have mercy.
R. Lord, have mercy.
Support the show
Send us a text
How do we know how to live a good Christian life? The best answer to this question is given in this Sunday's readings. Like all good inventors, God has given us a manual to help us live a good Christian life. That manual is Holy Scripture- which St Paul tells us in the 2nd reading is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. In the first reading these same sacred writings tell us that in their fight with Amalek "Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed". Arms raised high in our Christian tradition does not only signify prayer or surrender but also a powerful image of companionship in the Christian life. . Through prayer and surrender, our help comes from God who made heaven and earth. Our Gospel tells us that God always hears our prayer and calls us to be persistent in prayer.
Friends, we are invited today to rush to the holy Word of God! Read it, pray with it, and invite the Holy Spirit to speak to us through it. There, and only there can we find the wisdom needed to face every circumstance.
Support the show
Send us a text
Friends in Christ, the word of God, Jesus, is life because he nourishes us not only in the Eucharist but through His word. This Sunday's readings challenge us to not only give thanks to God for his love but also to imitate this love in our dealings with one other whether people acknowledge our love or not. God is good to us, even when we’re ungrateful. Likewise, let us love like God does and not withhold love for our brothers and sisters even if the don't acknowledge our love. Like Naaman the Syrian and the Foreigner, cleansed Samaritan Leper, let us come before The Lord God today, in his Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith and worship Him, giving thanks for his numerous graces in our lives.
We thank God for the lives of Tarh Fuh Nkwenti Clemtnt and Anastasia Njang aka Na Gisel who passed away recently. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy rest in peace with the Lord.
Support the show
Send us a text
The Gospel of Luke, the Gospel of God’s compassion, the Gospel of the lowly
being raised up, challenges us today with the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man.
Lazarus, a man in dire need, covered in sores, right outside the door of a rich man who has more than enough to provide for his own needs and those of Lazarus – but does nothing to help him. In fact, the rich man’s dog shows more compassion toward Lazarus (by licking his sores) than the rich man! The story is meant to prick our consciences and move us to have the same kind of response that God has – of compassion – leading us to become champions for those in need - champions of the poor, homeles, the imigrants, the weak, the orphans, the widows, those at the margins of society.
Support the show
Send us a text
Friends in Christ, on this day in which we celebrate the triumph of Christ's cross, the 1st reading and the gospel give us a beautiful allegory of our Christian life. For 40 years the Israelites struggled with sin and temptation. Poisoned by snake bites they only had to look at the serpent mounted on a pole in order to be healed. Similarly, our Christian life from baptism to death is a struggle with sin and temptation. When we sin, we are poisoned. The wages of sin is death scripture tells us. But God our loving Father gives us the same solution He gave our ancestors in faith. All we need to do, is, look at the cross of Jesus, with faith, believe, repent and be healed.
Friends, when we face challenging moments in our lives, rather than grumble, we are called to put our trust in his Holy cross, for through this Holy Cross we are saved and set free. Thank you for your Cross Lord, thank for the sacrifice you made for us. Have mercy on us and the whole world.
Please join me to thank God for Rev Dennis, Rev Andy and Rev Ken who were ordained Permanent Deacons recently. May God bless them, their families and their ministeries
We pray for healing for our brothers and sisters who are sick.
We also pray for our dead - especially Celestine Ho who was buried this week. May God's face shine upon them.
Support the show
Send us a text
My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord – the scriptures for today have much to teach us
about our plans – and God’s plans for us as well.They challenge us to live as true Christian disciples giving our total commitment to the will of God; putting God first in our lives. Let us pray today for the grace to commit ourselves to God's will and to put God at the centre of all we do.
Support the show
Send us a text
Brothers and sisters in Jesus, Christ, the common theme of today’s readings is the importance of practicing humility and avoiding self-glorification or pride. 1) Humility enables us first to accept others as God’s children, our brothers and sisters, redeemed by the blood of Jesus. 2) Humility also encourages us to offer them loving and sacrificial service through acts of charity, mercy and forgiveness. 3) Humility enables us to accept ourselves as we are before God, with all our defects and demerits. 4) Humility also prompts us to be thankful to God for giving us blessings, talents, and capabilities, for our own use, for serving our brothers and sisters and so for giving Him glory and for strengthening us every day by His grace. 5) It is humility which opens our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to the poor, the needy, the disadvantaged, and the marginalized people in our society, thus practicing Christ’s option for the poor in Christ. Let to pray for the grace to practice humility, putting Jesus Christ at the centre of all we do.
Support the show
Friends, welcome to PTTSOTW On this feast of two giants of our faith, Saints Peter and Paul. This is one of
those calendar feasts that replace what would be the Sunday of the Year, in this case, the Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time.
When we consider St. Peter and St. Paul, we are often drawn into a reflection of their lives before they became committed apostles. We remember the lovable rogue and fisherman
Simon, who tried to walk on water towards the Lord and then sank when he questioned his faith, or his denial of the Lord three times. Or we remember Saul of Tarsus whostood at the stoning of the first martyr, St. Stephen, and thought this was a good idea,and then followed this by rounding up Christians and bringing them to trial before the Jewish authorities.
Friends, when we consider where they both started and where they ended up, we are indeed full of hope that we believe in a God who can turn any negative situation into positive. If they can make it to heaven, there is hope for everyone of us.
But first we imitate their faith, their trust and like them put Christ at the centre of lives.
Support the show
Let us start our day by giving thanks to our Loving Heavenly Father, praising Him and His Son, our brother Jesus Christ, who reigns in communion with the Holy Spirit forever and ever, Amen.
Friends, isn't it true to state that Christianity is a religion of friendship? - Friendship between God and his people, us His children. This friendship was not initiated by us but rather by God when he first created us out of love.
The readings for this sixth Sunday of Easter speak to us about this friendship -
In the first reading, the early Christians debate about extending this friendship to others.
In the second reading we see how God because of His desire to befriend us makes Himself available to every human heart.
Jesus, in the Gospel, promises the Holy Spirit to instruct us in everything and remind us, His friends of all He has revealed.
Brothers and sisters, if we listen keenly to Jesus and His word in Holy scripture,we can hear this coming through: Repent, enjoy the salvation I have made available to you through my redeeming death and resurrection; Shoulder my yoke and learn from me. Be imitators of my love and my mission to the world.
Friends we pray today for the grace to listen and be true ambassadors for Christ with the mission to reveal God’s love and care to our brothers and sisters. Amen.
Can we really prepare our hearts and minds for the unknown? As Advent marks a time of great anticipation, join us as we unravel the significance of this sacred season and its call for active vigilance. With insights drawn from the prophet Jeremiah and St. Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, this episode promises to deepen your understanding of Advent as a proactive journey rather than just a passive waiting period. We'll explore how being watchful and alert can fortify our spiritual readiness for the Lord's return, encouraging a life lived in holiness and abundant love.
Our discussion takes a captivating turn as we dive into the Gospel of Luke, examining the signs and the coming of the Son of Man. We ponder how the knowledge of future events shapes our present choices and the comfort we derive from certainty. This conversation serves as a poignant reminder to stay awake and pray, to embrace a life of faith and steadfastness in anticipation of the divine promises. Listen in to discover how these ancient scriptures speak directly to our modern lives, urging us to be ever-ready for the Lord's return in power and glory.
What if the reign of Christ as King could transform not only our spiritual lives but also bring profound peace and healing to our world? This episode invites you to explore the majestic significance of the Feast of Christ the King as we journey through the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. We promise an insightful exploration of scriptures, with readings from the Prophet Daniel, the Book of the Apocalypse, and the Gospel of Mark. Together, we'll ponder the eternal sovereignty of Christ and His profound dialogue with Pilate, revealing a kingdom that transcends earthly realms.
Join us in reflection as we honor the truth of Jesus' kingdom and embrace His love as a guiding force in our lives. We extend our heartfelt prayers for healing to our friends and loved ones, including Claire, Karen, Charlotte, Alex, and Thomas, and remember those who have recently passed, such as Mary Neves, Ajummeh, and Rebecca. This episode calls us to serve as witnesses of Christ's enduring love, urging us to welcome His presence into every facet of our existence, ultimately enthroning Him as the King of our hearts and lives.
Ever pondered what financial gifts Christ might expect upon His return, or is it our actions that truly matter? Today, our exploration takes us through profound themes of darkness, distress, and hope, drawing wisdom from the readings of Prophet Daniel, Hebrews, and the Gospel of Mark. As we reflect on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, the pressing reality of our temporary earthly existence becomes evident. Through the story of a man who left money to Jesus, we challenge the notion of material possessions as the ultimate offering and instead emphasize the importance of living a life rich in kindness and compassion. Join us as we pray for our loved ones who have passed and those enduring sickness, wrapping them in hope and faith amidst the unknowns of our time.
In a sacred space of prayerful reflection, we invite you to experience the power of communal worship through the Hail Mary and the Lord's Prayer. Together, we seek grace, forgiveness, peace, and salvation, invoking blessings for protection and eternal life. Community support and gratitude take center stage as we encourage engagement through liking, sharing, and subscribing, fostering a world bound by love and faith. As we close, receive a peaceful blessing for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, and join us in our devotion to the Holy Trinity. This episode promises a heartfelt journey of reflection, faith, and community, leaving you inspired to live each day with purpose and grace.
What happens when the story of Bartimaeus' healing meets the challenges of modern society's obsession with instant gratification? Explore the profound impact of God's enduring love and the transformative power of faith as we celebrate the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. Journey with us through the insightful scripture readings from Jeremiah, the letter to the Hebrews, and the Gospel of Mark, which illuminate themes of mercy, compassion, and the divine kindness. We'll reflect on how these ancient teachings resonate in today's world, providing a spiritual anchor in a fast-paced life.
Our episode invites you into a heartfelt moment of prayer and contemplation. Experience the spiritual depth as we seek Mary's intercession, asking for strength and courage to spread the good news and to work together towards building God's kingdom. We also honor the memories of those who've passed and keep our ailing brothers and sisters in our prayers. As we invoke the Holy Trinity, let us embrace gratitude for our supportive community and encourage each other to continue this spiritual journey by sharing and subscribing. Together, let's find peace and hope in faith and community.
Can embracing a servant's heart truly lead to greatness? This episode promises to challenge your understanding of leadership through the lens of humble service and self-sacrifice, grounded in the teachings of Jesus and the scripture readings for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We unpack the wisdom of the prophet Isaiah, the letter to the Hebrews, and the Gospel of Mark, revealing how these texts guide us towards true happiness by serving others. Drawing inspiration from Rabindranath Tagore, we explore the joy found in service, even amidst life's challenges, and how facing adversity can become a testament to one's character.
Join us in a heartfelt moment of prayer and gratitude, as we acknowledge the power of community in spreading the good news and express our appreciation for your unwavering support. This episode isn’t just about learning; it's about sharing and living the teachings that can transform our lives. As we gear up for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, we send our warmest wishes for a meaningful celebration. Let's gather in spirit, reinforcing our faith and commitment to a life of service, as we close with a prayer that encapsulates the essence of our journey together.
What if the quest for eternal life is not about living forever but about prioritizing the things that truly matter? Join us for a reflection on the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B, as we explore the compelling call to put God's kingdom above material wealth. Inspired by the spiritual insights from the Book of Wisdom, Hebrews, and the Gospel of Mark, we delve into Jesus's radical challenge to a wealthy young man, urging him—and us—to rethink our attachments to worldly possessions. As we unfold this message, we draw parallels with historical figures like Alexander the Great and Emperor Qin, who sought immortality, and consider modern efforts like cryogenics that attempt to extend life. This episode invites listeners to ponder their own spiritual journey and the divine wisdom that leads to a life beyond material constraints.
Amidst this thoughtful exploration, we embrace a moment of prayer and gratitude, celebrating God's immeasurable love and seeking forgiveness for our flaws. Emphasizing the importance of living in God's peace and seeking His guidance, we express heartfelt thanks to you, our audience, for your ongoing support and engagement. Let us come together in faith, share this transformative message, and grow our community. We extend our warmest wishes for a peaceful celebration of the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, closing with a reverent invocation in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
What does it truly mean to follow Jesus in today's world? Join us in our latest episode of "Pointing to the Saviour of the World" as we explore the profound essence of Christian faith. We tackle the importance of embracing Jesus as the Christ and the Son of the Living God, while accentuating the necessity of living out that faith through self-denial and taking up one's cross. Our discussion draws richly from the potent readings of Isaiah, the Psalms, St. James, and the Gospel of Mark, illuminating the indispensable blend of faith and good works. As we navigate these scriptures, we also reflect on Pope Francis's compelling view that faith without practical application remains lifeless, urging believers to let their faith manifest in their daily actions.
As we close this meaningful episode, join us in a heartfelt prayer session, seeking the Lord's blessings and expressing our gratitude for our faith community. We invite you to share this spiritual journey with others by liking, sharing, and subscribing to our content, ensuring you stay connected with our latest reflections. Celebrating the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, we wish you a peaceful and joyous time, closing our prayers in unity and love, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Tune in to deepen your connection with your faith and the supportive community around you.
What if the true essence of worship isn't found in rituals and traditions, but in the purity of our hearts? Join us this 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, as we explore deeper meanings behind the laws and rituals that guide our faith. We reflect on readings from Deuteronomy, the Psalms, the letter of Saint James, and the Gospel of Mark, as Jesus challenges the Pharisees and scribes, urging us to align our actions with genuine intentions. This episode is a heartfelt tribute to authenticity and integrity, as we remember our beloved departed, James Lucong and Barbara Kennedy, whose lives remind us of the importance of inner cleanliness and true devotion.
We also offer moments of prayer and blessing, inviting you to connect more deeply with God and each other. From opening prayers to concluding blessings, we seek God's protection and grace. Support our community by liking, sharing, and subscribing to our channel as we share warm wishes for a peaceful celebration of the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. Let’s close this episode with a spiritual note as we recite the final prayer together, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, aspiring to live lives of authenticity and integrity.
Discover the transformative power of love as we reflect on the sixth Sunday of Easter, where Jesus's teachings take center stage, guiding us to live in the fullness of God's love and acceptance. This episode uncovers the heartfelt notion that God's love isn't a prize to be won, but a presence to dwell in, revealed through our selfless actions and compassionate interactions. Through a deep look at the readings, particularly from Acts of the Apostles, we tackle the enduring challenges of racism and prejudice, urging all to embrace the all-encompassing reach of the Holy Spirit. As we explore this powerful message, prepare to see the world through the lens of love, as we're all the cherished children of God, called to act as such.
Amidst our heartfelt discussion, we honor the Virgin Mary with a prayer and blessings, seeking her intercession to help us embody Christ's commandment to live in truth and love. We extend our gratitude to you, our cherished community, for walking alongside us in faith and fellowship. Your presence amplifies our collective journey, and we invite you to engage with us further as we continue to share messages of hope and unity. Closing with a special blessing for your protection, this episode is a sanctuary for the soul, promising guidance towards the eternal light of life.
Discover how a man named Saul evolved from a feared persecutor to a fervent apostle, a testament to the transformative power of union with God, as we delve into the readings of the fifth Sunday of Easter. Saul's journey is just one of the profound narratives we explore, illustrating the boundless strength we can harness from our divine connection. Alongside this, we absorb the wisdom of Saint John, who teaches us to align our actions with our faith, ensuring our deeds embody the love of God. As branches of Jesus, the true vine, we are reminded of the importance of our bond with Him, a relationship that enables us to bear abundant fruit. Embrace this episode as an invitation to introspect, to align your daily life with the profound messages of Christ, so that in every interaction and community engagement, you may be a living testament to the faith you profess.
Gather with me in a spiritual embrace as we lift our hearts in prayer, seeking Jesus' guidance and comfort during our most challenging moments. Join in as we invoke blessings for strength against adversity, protection from evil, and the promise of eternal peace that awaits us. I express my heartfelt gratitude for your companionship on this sacred journey, and I am truly honored to share these blessings with you. Together, we conclude our time of reflection and worship by invoking the Holy Trinity, carrying forth the wisdom and grace we have received into our daily lives. This episode is a shared pilgrimage in prayer and purpose, and your presence here enriches our collective exploration of faith. Amen.
Discover the life-altering power of resurrection as we share stories of transformation and redemption, reflecting on the third Sunday of Easter. Witness the journey of Peter, from his denials to becoming a courageous herald of Christ, and how this mirrors our own potential for change when embracing the truth of the Gospel. Our exploration delves into the fulfillment of divine promises and the call to live boldly, while also addressing the reality of Jesus's physical resurrection and its profound implications for our spiritual and corporeal existence. Each chapter of this episode invites you into a deeper understanding of how the risen Christ impacts our lives, urging us to act upon God's infinite love and mercy.
Join us in a moment of communal prayer and thanksgiving, echoing through heartfelt proclamations of "O Sacrament most holy, o Sacrament divine." Feel uplifted as we praise the Lord for His boundless grace and invite you to become an integral part of spreading this message of hope. Our shared faith journey continues beyond the podcast, as we encourage engagement through liking, sharing, and subscribing, reinforcing our connection as a community of believers. May this episode serve as a beacon of light for your path, and may the peace and joy of the Easter season fill your heart.
Dear friends in Christ,
On this Divine Mercy Sunday we remember especially Maureen and all of our brothers and sisters who have requested to be prayed for. May God grant them all they need. May God grant eternal rest to Imelda Lum Che,
Brothers and sisters in Christ, in the readings today, we see Mercy, Divine Mercy in action.
You've often heard it said,that "it doesn't matter how deep you fall. What matters is how high you bounce back". Thomas and Judas both betrayed Jesus by their words & actions but one of them shows us Christians what matters after we wonder away from God's path - What a perfect confession looks like. Imagine the look in Thomas’ face when Jesus spoke to him – the joyful tears in his eyes reflecting God's awe and wonder. Thomas' most amazing proclamation in the gospel today “My Lord and my God” reflects and demonstrates not only his understanding of Christ's divinity, his humility to change for the better but also his conviction that God is faithful, that God is loving, and that God is merciful.
In the 1st reading, the early Christian communities with their hearts and minds seemed to have translated these convictions in their every day actions and lived these well, happily sharing their possessions and selling what they didn’t need. Not because they had been forced to, but as we are told in the 2nd reading that they realised and demonstrated "what loving God is – keeping his commandments; and his commandments are not difficult,” for those who love Him.
Dearly beloved, God loved us first, and by his grace, and his mercy, we are commanded and empowered to love one another.
No one likes to suffer. But as humans, we know that pain is inevitable; emotional, physical, psychological, spiritual pain etc. The way we deal with our suffering and pain says a great deal about our maturity as someone created by God! The readings this Sunday talk to us about how to deal with suffering.
The first reading, from the Prophet Jeremiah, explains how God will replace the Old Covenant of Judgment with a New Covenant of Forgiveness of sins.
This New Covenant was established we told on the letter to the Hebrews by Jesus’ suffering and death, in obedience to the Father’s will.
The Gospel hints at the inner struggle of Jesus in accepting the cup of suffering to inaugurate the New and Eternal Covenant.
Dear friends the readings today challenge us to make difference in the lives of others like Jesus did, by accepting suffering and sacrificing our lives to the people around us in the family, in the workplace, and in a wider society, being the grain that died, sprouted and bringing forth new life.
Dear Friends in Christ,
All of us dear friends have habits. Some of these habits are good – and some bad. Generally speak, good habits, are often, hard to acquire – Whereas, bad ones are very easy to learn – Sin is something that can become habitual. And unfortunately for us many sinful things are accepted in our culture and society today. Consequently, it takes great courage and resolve to break with that culture and to eliminate ingrained habits of sin! All the scriptures for today have much to say about cultural – and habitual – sin in our society and in ourselves. The central theme of today’s readings is that our salvation is the free gift of a merciful God, given to us sinners through Jesus, His Son. The readings stress God’s mercy and compassion and remind us of the great love, kindness, and grace extended to us in Christ.
In the first reading, from the Second Book of Chronicles (chapter 36:14-16,19-23,) we see the compassion and patience of God. God chose Cyrus the Great, a pagan conqueror, to become the instrument of His mercy to, and salvation of, His chosen people exiled in Babylon.
In the second reading, St Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (2:4-10) tells us that God is so rich in mercy that He has granted us eternal salvation and eternal life as a free gift through Christ Jesus.
. Today’s Gospel tells us how a perfect God sent His perfect Son, Jesus, in order to save an imperfect world and an imperfect people - a people whose lives is filled with mistakes, sin, and helplessness but we are still precious – so precious that He sacrificed his Son to save them.
Brothers and Sisters, God did not send His Son into the world to condemn us – but to save us. Jesus is the revelation of God’s Light and Love. But to live in this Light and Love, we must break with the darkness that sinful habits always bring.May God’s Love inflame our hearts and souls – so that we may strive daily to live each moment according to whatever God is asking of us!
Today’s readings from Holy Scripture teach us that Lent is the ideal time to clean out the Temple of our own hearts and to offer to God proper Divine worship by obeying His Commandments.
Today’s first reading teaches us that the Ten Commandments are the basis of our religious and spiritual life. Instead of restricting our freedom, the Commandments really help us to love and respect our God and our neighbour.
The second reading reminds us that we must appreciate the Divine “foolishness” of the crucified Christ and obey His commandment of love as our expression of Divine worship.
The Gospel gives us the dramatic account of Jesus’ cleansing the Temple of its merchants and moneychangers, followed by a prediction of his death and Resurrection.
Today’s readings challenge us to keep our Covenant agreement with Jesus Christ, just as the Israelites tried to keep the agreements of the Old Testament Covenant with Yahweh by promising to obey the Ten Commandments. We become people of the New Covenant by loving others as Jesus did
Friends in Christ,
We were not born to be isolated from others. We need close connections with loved ones, family, and friends – And we will suffer if we are cut off. Isolation can lead to loneliness, leading to anxiety and depression and general mental decline.
The readings this Sunday talk to us about faith, and about love.
In the Gospel, the leper who was isolated, cut off from his family, possibly depresed, anxious and lonely, showed great faith that Jesus could heal him, and the great love of Jesus for this man moved Jesus to go against mosaic law to touch and to heal him.
As the First Reading makes clear, the scaly skin condition was not just another physical ailment. The colouring and condition of the skin reminded people of death and so was subject to a taboo that caused people, irrationally, to treat a person with the condition as a social outcast.
When we read the Scriptures, we are reminded over and over again how much God loves us. As God’s children baptized into the Body of Christ, Let us allow this knowledge to sink into our hearts and change us. Let us root everything we do in faith so that all of our actions point to God and to building his kingdom. How do we do this?
It’s hard to say it much better than Paul does in his letter to the Corinthians today: “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” Give it a try: Love as Jesus loves.
Brothers and sisters,
We can all can recount experiences in which we had our hearts broken; whether it was the untimely death of a loved one, the break in a relationship, the loss of a job we love, failing our exams, severe illnesd etc. One very common reaction to suffering is the use of these 2 words "WHY ME?
The readings today talk about suffering and how to best respond to it.
In the first reading Job states that human life is "no better than hired drudgery" and laments that his "eyes will never again see joy".
In the second reading St Paul offers some words of wisdom as to how we approaches suffering. He says that to "the weak I made myself weak"
In the Gospel, we see Jesus curing Simon Peter’s mother-in-law of her illness, healing and driving out demons but many of us don’t have our prayers answered like that. Instead, we may relate more to Job in today’s first reading.
Brothers and sisters, when we are tempted to feel like Job, what should we do? What should our reaction be? Why is Job’s reaction not desirable to God?
Nowadays, everywhere we turn people are competing for our attention. Advertisers, politicians, youtubers, influencers, celebrities, sellers of all sorts, even religious leaders. We are often torn, we find it difficult to discern what is true and best and most worthwhile for ourselves. What comes from God and what is from the evil one.
The readings reassure us and urge us to take comfort in the fact that God is more powerful than anything that may demand our attention or worry us. And that we should give all our undivided attention to God.
In today’s Second Reading, Paul, inspired by God, encourages the Corinthians, and us, to understand the importance of an undivided devotion to God, to care for him above all things – no matter if we are married or single – so that our whole life is devoted to holiness.
In today’s first reading, Moses promises the people that the Lord will raise up for them, from among their own kin, a prophet who will speak God’s own words and to whom the people will listen.
In the gospel, we witness, Jesus, Son of God, embodiment of wisdom and truth, grabbing the attention of the people because he spoke with authority.
Friends, we all are invited to recognize and submit to the authority of Jesus Christ - the ultimate Prophet, the Son of God. May we always listen to, follow his commandments, and allow him to free us from the power of sin because He only has the authority to transform our lives and lead us to eternal life with him.
Brothers and sisters,
No one wants to be criticized, not especially if it is with my acid tongue. But now and again we all need a Jonah in our lives, someone who will come along and shake things up; someone who will nudge us and say, hey, you’re doing it wrong! I fell foul to this this recently.
The three readings today are doing exactly that. They all underline our absolute need of repentance and our immediate need for a prompt response to God’s call to change our ways - To repent .
In the 1st reading we hear how God converts Jonah and gives him the unpleasant task of pointing out to the people of Nineveh their failings.The wicked people of Nineveh, accepted Jonah's message, and promptly responded to God’s call to change their ways.
In the second reading, Paul urges the Christian community in Corinth to lose no time in accepting the message of the Gospel and in renewing their lives with repentance because Jesus’ second coming may occur at any moment.
In today’s Gospel according to St Mark, Jesus arrives in Galilee after John the Baptist's arrest and began preaching and telling the people "The time has come’ and challenging them to "Repent, and believe the Good News.’
Who has God our Creator placed in your lives/ in my life in the role of Jonah?Do we have the grace of open ears and hearts to receive the message? Are we redeemable? What is your response? Oh that today you would listen to his voice, harden not your hearts.
Dear friends,
Meeting someone for the first time or after a long time, conjures all sorts of emotions in us.
Do you remember the feelings and reactions after meeting a boyfriend or girlfriend, a never-seen sibling, a long lost family member, a primary school mate, a work colleague who appears as a stranger and reveal their identity?
Today in the readings, God reveals himself to the world. And this revelation triggered all sorts of reactions.
The prophet Isaiah in the 1st reading prophesies the unbelievable scenes when the glory of the Lord is reveal on his Holy city Jerusalem-
The nations come to your light
and kings to your dawning brightness.
all are assembling and coming towards you
Daughter being tenderly carried,
people grow radiant
everyone in Sheba will come,
bringing gold and incense
and singing the praise of the Lord
In his 2nd letter to those in Corinth St Paul reminds them what God's revelation means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel.
In the Gospel God's revelation to the Magi – foreigners and pagans –triggered enquiry, adoration, respect, gift-giving. But triggered bewilderment from the scribes and Pharisees and violence violence from King Herod.
What is your reaction to Gods revelation to you?
Dear Friends,
On the last Sunday of the year, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.
Some of you, like myself, have been brave enough to enter into a relationship with the hope of having a family and thank God, we have been blessed with one. Others have found themselves unable to do so, or the relationship did not continue and you have been left disappointed. Others have had children but suffer the hurt of having their family broken for reasons over which you have little or no control. Others for religious or personal reasons have been unable have families and so have no children of their own.
Family can be the place where we experience our deepest joys and also our most profound and lasting hurts.
The scriptures today teach us about all things family life. They remind us that not only are we members of our biological family but that we are also members of an extended family , the human family, brothers and sisters, children of God. And that God our Father has a plan for each and every one of us.
In the first reading we hear God’s promise of numerous descendants to Abraham and its fulfillment when Abraham’s wife, Sarah, gave birth to Isaac.
In the letter to the Hebrews (2nd reading) we are shown the trusting faith of Abraham in 3 ways, 1st in his willingness to move his whole family; 2nd, in the way Abraham and Sarah trusted God’s power and finally, in his obedience, without hesitation, to sacrifice his only son.
Today, the Gospel of Luke teaches us how important it is to honor God’s plan for our children.
As we celebrate this feast, let us offer all the members of our own families on the altar for God’s blessing and ask forgiveness for the many times we have made life difficult for them. And sovresolve to try our best to make life pleasant for them from today.
Dear Friends
All of us here AT PTTSOTW WISH YOU ALL A VERY MERRY AND A BLESSED CHRISTMAS.
But it won't be a merry Christmas for many people and families in these dark and difficult times we live in, where warfare is rampant; War in Cameroon, DRC, YEMEN, UKRAINE, PALESTINE and orher partsoftheworld. It won't be a merry Christmas for the victims and their families of the Mass shootings in Prague and needless deaths from gang violence. It won't be a Merry Christmas for the many victims and the families of the ever -increasing deaths from suicide of young and the older generations. What about the homeless, the drug and alcohol addicts on our streets, what about – our severely polarized nations? – where there are demonstrations of ethnic hatred in many cities – people so poor they can't even feed their own families? People are upset and very unhappy –
But the darkness in our world – and in our hearts and spirits – can never be the last word. Because God cares about us. And those who have faith can survive and overcome the power of this darkness. That is the message in the scripture readings today.
In the first reading Isaiah spoke words of hope to the Chosen People, he told them "shout for joy...for the Lord is consoling his people, the one who brings good news, heralds peace, brings happiness ...returns to Zion"
In the letter to the Hebrews, we hear some soothing words and assurances that through his Son, Jesus, the radiant light of of his glory, God has destroyed the defilement of sin.
And in the gospel, we bear witness to a beautiful gift-giving, gift-sharing, gift exchange between God and Man. God taking on our humanity so that He could give us His divinity. God becoming Man. John tells us;
"In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God and the Word was God.The Word was made flesh, he lived among us"
Friends, in these dark and difficult times, God gives us His Word, the Light, to brighten our darkness. God assures us that He is among us because He cares. In honour of God's self- giving, let us bring Him to the world by not only our gift-giving but by giving ourselves to others. Amen
Dear friends,
One can understand the Holy Bible between two poles: promise and fulfillment. God makes promises and then he fulfills them. God is not like us. We make promises but often don't fulfill them. God, on the other hand, always fulfills his promises.
We see this promise and fulfillment in today's readings.
In the 1st reading, God makes an extraordinary promise to King David. "I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest... Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
Our Psalm reiterates this promise " I have sworn to David my servant: I will establish your dynasty for ever"
St Paul in the 2nd reading asks us to give glory to this God who is able do gift us with his grace to live according to his promise.
We see the promise of God in today's Gospel being fulfilled.The angel Gabriel tells a Jewish maiden that she will conceive a son - by the overshadowing of the Most High. That child, he says, will receive "the throne of his ancestor David."
Friends, we are called to be like David, like Mary who opened themselves to the power of God, his mercy, and promises so that He can work his wonders through us. God never fails to deliver on His promise. For him nothing is impossible. Amen.
Dear Friends,
To all those who are poor, have nowhere to go, cannot see their way, feel oppressed, burdened, and have lost hope, Jesus is the good news of God’s love, source of joy. This is the feeling that pervades all today’s readings.
In the first reading we hear Isaiah reminding us that God is the source of our joy:
‘I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God,
In the Second Reading Paul, too, calls on the Christian community in Thessalonika to ‘be happy at all times’, living constantly in the presence of God and thanking God for the many blessings they have received through God’s love.
Today’s Gospel tells us that John the Baptizer came as a witness to testify to the Light, i.e., Jesus. The coming of Jesus, the Light, into the world is cause for rejoicing as Light removes darkness from the world. We should be glad and rejoice also because, like John the Baptizer, we, too, are chosen to bear witness to Christ Jesus, the Light of the world. We are to reflect Jesus’ Light in our lives so that we may radiate it and illuminate the dark lives of others around us.
Friends, this Sunday we are invited to intensify the interior pace of our pilgrimage to the Lord who comes to save us. Jesus, source of our peace, is coming. For this reason, despite difficulties and problems we face, we are invited to be full of holy optimism and joy.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Last Sunday we were reminded about waiting in hope for the unexpected coming of Jesus.
This Sunday, the readings tell us how to wait in hope. They say CHANGE is what has to happen, even though we don't like it, dread and resent it at times. St John Henry Newman said, "to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often". We are Not talking here of external kind of change that we see, hear and touch around us at this time. No.
The readings this 2nd Sunday of Advent call us to a change from within, - a change that “transforms” and enables us to make Christ’s presence known and felt by all those we meet.
In today’s gospel in particular, we find the unique example of that radically changed heart, that of John the Baptist. A man called to “announce” the coming of Christ. Like him we too are called to “proclaim” the Good News by our lives; to encourage our brothers and sisters to “Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord!”
Dear friends, let us pray that we "will be brought to change" our ways as St Peter cautions us in the 2nd reading and that the outward changes of the Advent season that we see ariund us, will continually remind us of how we are called to “change” within us, those aspects of our lives that do not “announce” or “proclaim” Christ in our world.
The readings this Sunday offer us a diagnosis of our spiritual ill-health and the ills of our society, the contradictions within us and how these could be resolved.
In the first reading we see human wretchedness in action. The Prophet Isaiah tells us that we have become like unclean people, all our good deeds are polluted rages, our guilt carries us away like the wind.
But along with wretchedness the 2nd reading also describe our greatness. St Paul speaks about the grace given to us by Christ Jesus. He has enriched us with discourse, knowledge, spiritual gifts.
So we find ourselves stretched between extremes: wretchedness and glory, misery and magnificence. What should we do? Two things: First, recognize that the very fact we know our wretchedness shows our greatness. The second thing is what Jesus tells us in today's Gospel: Be watchful! Be alert because God can come for us at any time; in our death, at the final judgment at the end of the world, in everything He has created, in every person, in every interpersonal encounter. Jesus alone can resolve our inner contradictions. In Jesus God has humbled himself to lift us up. He wants us during this season of Advent to use those gifts to lift Him up and to lift up others.He wants us to help those who carry heavy burdens. As we begin the season of Advent we ask for the grace to stay alert and watchful.
Desr friends in Christ,
Today we celebrate the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent and so we begin a new year by preparing once again for the great feast of the Incarnation: the feast of Christmas. We dedicate this Sunday to Christ the King.
In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel tells us that God himself would seek out his lost sheep and take them home to Himself.
In today’s Second Reading St Paul encourages us to look ahead to the final goal of our life and reminds us that we are made by love and for love and that it is God’s will that everyone enjoy full communion in love with him and so with each other and the whole of the created universe.
The Gospel focuses on the coming of the Son of Man, the Messiah-King, Christ the King, our judge who sits ‘on the throne of his glory’ to judge us, based on how we have shared our love and blessings with others through genuine acts of charity in our lives.Jesus is present to us now, not only as our Good Shepherd, leading, feeding, and healing his sheep, but also as dwelling in those for whom we care.
Today, the Church is inviting us to recall the powerful presence of Jesus’ love in our world, to open our hearts to this love and our mission as a Church is to do all we can to ensure the reign of Jesus’ love. We are invited to look back over the past year and to recall the ways in which we have strayed and felt lost but have experienced the guiding hand and the love of God leading us into ever closer communion with him.
Dear friends,
The month of November is dedicated to praying for our loved ones who have died. Most people don’t want to think about the dying process and their own deaths. We are too busy trying to live, that we don’t make time to consider our own death. And the most wonderful thing about death is that one gets a great opportunity to meet Jesus. But first we will be judged as to how we used all the gifts, talents, and graces that God has given us. Fortunately for us, the scriptures can serve to help us prepare for that moment whenever it comes.
In the gospel today Jesus tells us about someone who out of fear buries his talent. He calls him "lazy" and takes away his talent.
On the other hand, Jesus praises the ones who use and increase their talents and gives them a threefold blessing ; "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy." He tells us that if we recognize where our gifts have come from, talents of music, hospitality, heart for the poor, encouragement, healing, empathy, love of learning, teaching and much more and use them for the glory of the Creator, we receive these three blessings, 1) we become grateful servants 2) we give, to receive even more and finally our retirement is guaranteed, but until then, we are never too old to invest our talents.
The master seem to unfairly chastise the servant who buried his talent in the ground. By this Jesus is speaking to something deep in our human psychology. Each one of us can tend to hold back because we compare ourselves to others. Rather than being scared of using our little talent or comparing ourselves to those who have got more, we should develop an attitude of gratitude. Give thanks to God for our gifts and talents, and ask his help to invest them as best you can.
All three readings today teach us a great deal about the gift of wisdom and find some unity around the theme of the right attitude to adopt towards the future.
The first reading which speaks of Wisdom as a personification of God, describes how the spirit of Wisdom is eager to enter into our lives. She is always close by, sitting at our gates, waiting for us to greet her, so that she may richly bless our lives.! What better response could we make to the promise of Wisdom than that in the responsorial psalm "My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God."
St Paul in the 2nd reading tells the Thessalonians to prepare themselves for the Kingdom and that only the alert and the vigilant, those with wisdom can experience God coming in their lives.
In St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a classic example of wisdom – and the lack of it. He uses a cautionary yet humorous parable to stress the importance of remaining prepared and hopeful for the coming of the Lord into our lives (Gospel).
Dear friends, we are all invited to the banquet of the Lord, and yet we can become complacent about the abundant richness that our faith can bring. So, let us pray this week, for true wisdom and a spirit of hopeful, joyful longing for the Lord, so that we may be fully ready to greet him when he comes into our life. And may His Divine Wisdom light our way to the Eternal Wedding Celebration to which we are all called.
Dear Friends in Christ,
The central theme of today’s readings is a strong invitation and challenge to render humble, selfless, diligent, committed, loving service to others in the community without expecting honour or rewards in return. The readings also warn us against the triple vices of pride, idolatry and hypocrisy.
In the first reading the prophet Malachi condemns the irresponsible, proud, lazy priests of his day and warns them about their failures to give proper instructions/teachings/example which consequently led many to stumble.
In the 2nd reading, St. Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians presents himself as an ideal example of servant leadership in a serving Christian community.
And in the gospel, Jesus uses dramatic language to warn against all forms of idolatry - including making a person into an idol. And he reminds teachers, doctors, fathers that our purpose is to lead others to the one Teacher, the one Doctor, the one Father.
Let us pray that religious leaders, parents, teachers or politicians will take as their model humble, Christ-like leadership and be more concerned about service to others rather than self-promotion. That their leadership would be full of integrity and honesty with no double standards.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Today, Jesus gives us the two great commandments:
Love of God and love of neighbour.
But what does love really look like in a Christian life?
A non-Christian named Aristides once wrote to the Emperor Hadrian about a new group of people called Christians. He said, “Christians love one another. They never fail to help widows; they save orphans from those who would hurt them. If one of them has something, he gives freely to those who have nothing. If they see a stranger, Christians take him home and are as happy as though he were a real brother. They don’t consider themselves brothers in the usual sense, but brothers through the Spirit, in God. And if they hear that one of them is in jail or persecuted for professing the name of their Redeemer, they give him all he needs. This is really a new kind of person. There is something Divine in them.”
Friends, we can’t be commanded to love just anything, but we can be commanded to love God and our neighbour. Let us pray that as Christ poured out his life as a sacrifice for us, that we too may pour out our lives for each other in loving service.
Dear Friends
We all have experiences of these two groups of people. On the one hand, people who are not who – or what – they appear to be! These people live lives of pretence. On the other hand people who are the same both on the outside and the inside. Who always seem to do the right thing.
The scriptures this Sunday present us with the two types of people considered above.
In the 1st reading, from the Prophet Isaiah, God gave His grace to Cyrus, a man who seems to belong to the second group above. A man who always seemed to do the right thing. Even though he did not know God, he co-operated with God's Grace. In contrast we see the priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees in the gospel, who were not who or what they appeared to be. Externally religious but hypocrites. They tried to entrap Jesus, who was the perfect model of what it means to be religious on the outside and spiritual in the inside. Something the disciples and saints became. Something we must strive every day to become.
St Paul in the 2nd reading educates us on how to do this. He tells the Thessalonians that we need much more than words. We need the power of the Holy Spirit – And we need conviction! Words can fall on deaf ears and closed minds – Words cannot penetrate hardened hearts – But the power of God’s Holy Spirit can enable us to become what we must be for God, for others, and for ourselves!
So, dear friends, let us pray that we will become the whole and integrated persons that God created us to be. May we reject all those things which stand between us and God – And may we always bring out the best in others, by being the best we can be ourselves!
Dear Friends
We all live in a very uncertain and unsettling times, in world where many people worry about their finances and only the very wealthy are not concerned about their income due to the terrible inflation. The scripture readings this Sunday present us with direction as we try to live with diminishing resources.
Isaiah in the 1st reading spoke to the chosen few in Israel who had remained faithful in those uncertain times that a new world and a new life would soon emerge from the difficult times they were experiencing. But they must remain hopeful and keep the faith.
In the Gospel, Jesus continues his attempts to bring the priests, Pharisees, Sadducees and the elders to a change of heart. He tells them the parable of the wedding banquet in which all are invited. However, there are tragic consequences for those who either ignored or rejected the invitation!
And in the 2nd reading St. Paul tells us how he continued to live in both good times and bad – in times of plenty – and more tellingly what kept him going during bad, troubling and difficult times.
Dear friends, in these uncertain and unsettling times, we have been called to something far better – and far richer. We have been called to the Eternal Wedding Banquet of God! We have each received an invitation – So what will it be?
Let us pray today friends that we can respond positively and wholeheartedly. And may we wear the wedding garment of change, repentance and love at every opportunity!
Dear Friends
The readings this Sunday enlighten us about how to deal with trouble in our lives. In the first reading, Isaiah prophesies the imminent destruction of the vineyard, that is, "the house of Israel." In the Gospel, Jesus talks about a vineyard under terrible mismanagement. Rather than care for the vineyard, the tenants get involved in greed, betrayal - and finally, murder. Both readings describe different kinds of trouble, a cause for worry. But in the second reading, we hear a different tone from St. Paul who says "there is no need to worry" when trouble comes our way: " We know St Paul was no naive optimist. He was no stranger to trouble himself. Throughout his life he faced tons of them; public floggings, shipwrecks, snake bites, imprisonment, and bodily ailments, you name it, he had it.
But how did St. Paul, a man plagued with troubles himself overcome his anxiety and worry? In his own words he tells us "if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it, with prayer and thanksgiving." Friends, this is our prayer today -
Dear Friends
The the readings this Sunday continue with the theme of sin and forgiveness. In the Responsorial Psalm we recall God’s mercy and steadfast love. God feels for us the way a mother feels for the child in her womb: feelings of tenderness, protective care, hope and love.
The Gospel reminds us that the most important thing for us is to do the will of God. This is not a matter only of words or of good intentions. It is a matter of decision. Jesus could say of himself that he always did what was pleasing to his Father. Let us watch Jesus, let us follow him, and let us pray that his Spirit will so inform our minds and hearts that we too will want only what God wants and find our pleasure in doing God’s will.
READINGS READINGS READINGS
Dear Friends
The readings this Sunday focus on the amazing love of God, the amazing grace. They encourage us to take stock of how we are responding to this amazing love. The Responsorial Psalm reminds us that God is near, but we must call to him and mean it. God is love, so he will not force himself upon us, but wait to be invited. In the First Reading, Isaiah picks up this theme, encouraging us to seek our gracious God while he may be found, to call on God while he is near. We need God’s mercy and we are in great need of God’s forgiveness. God is near. Let us not take this closeness for granted but cry out to him, now. While this life continues, God will continue to come to us and to invite us into the vineyard, whether it be early morning, noon, or just an hour away from nightfall. But, as Jesus reminds us in the Gospel, the time will come when it is too late. Furthermore, why would we want to spend much of the day living a half-life or a double-life? Why not live to the full in communion with this loving and life-giving God? Why not follow Paul’s advice in the Second Reading and ‘live your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ’?
Dear Friends
The readings this Sunday focus on the theme of forgiveness - a word which comes from ‘for-give’ meaning "to give and to keep giving". Everyday, wittingly or unwittingly we hurt others and we too have been hurt ourselves. So in the Gospel when Peter asks the question about how often we should forgive, Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.
It is God’s forgiveness that liberates us to grow in love. If we can only allow ourselves to be moved by grace and our hearts to become the heart of Jesus, we will find that by forgiving others we willbbe freed from so much of the hurt that they have caused us.
Dear Friends
Becoming financially debt free is something we all crave. Not owing a bank or loan company or indeed anyone anything especially in the current economy climate is some achievement, something to be truly proud of. As Christians, we will never become totakky debt-free. The readings this Sunday, remind us that we will always be in debt with others. St Paul in the 2nd reading tells us that we owe our brothers and sisters love.Like Ezekiel in the first Reading, we will be held accountable for their souls if we fail to speak out and try to correct them if we on the receiving end of wrongdoing. Jesus in the Gospel gives us practical advice on how to do this. We should never correct out of anger or a desire to punish. Instead, our message must be that of today’s Psalm—urging the sinner to hear God’s voice, not to harden their hearts.
Dear Friends
God always gives us hope. The hope that comes from today’s Gospel is this: that which is difficult can also be good. When Jesus says to his disciples that they must take up their cross and follow him, he is not assigning them a punishment. He is offering the assurance that when they take up a difficult part of life and carry it as a cross after Him, it need not destroy them. In fact it can have the power to strengthen them and open them more to life.
Dear Friends
Every normal human being needs and wants a certain amount of control over their life and environment.
We were not made to live in chaotic situations where everything is out of control. With our free will,
we can make choices that bring order and direction into our lives. However, these choices and our direction
should always benefit others around us as well as ourselves. Nevertheless, some people want an
unreasonable control over the lives of others. They see their personal power and control as absolute.
they sometimes use these power in destructive way causing havoc in peoples. ~What they fail to understand
is that they can never have supreme power. The power they possess belongs to God alone. And everyone
must always use their personal power the way that God wants it to be used!
The scriptures this Sunday teach us a great deal about personal power.
That It is something that God gives us to do good and to counteract evil.
It is always given to further the growth of His Reign and Kingdom!
and not for personal gratification.
We pray for the grace to use wisely, with humility, love and compassion, the power that God has given us, for good of others
and Gods kingdom
Dear Friends
We live in a world marked by boundaries. We set up barriers or demarcations between ourselves and others. These divisions are sometines racial, tribal, class, we belong to different ethnic and linguistic groups and families. There is a great impatience and even fear of those who are different, who dont speak our language; belong to our set boundary or group.
The readings this Sunday remind us that the God we serve lives across boundaries, He is not limited to my tribe, to my class, to my family. Our God is colour blind and had no barriers. The only barrier we will experience is one put up by our rejection of the love and salvation He offers. We see this especially in the Gospel which also teaches us the power of Persistent prayer. It encourages us never to give up andvgive in but to apply the PUSH Formula (Pray Until Something Happens).
Friends, we continue to pray for our brothers and sisters who have died recently Thetesia Kimeng, Iya Dora Masumbe, Akwa Che, Nestorine Boh
May God grant them all eternal rest
Brothers and sisters
The Word of God on this Sunday encourages us not to lose heart, or give in to despondency, but to trust in the Lord who is with us even when we are unaware of his presence.
In the first reading today, we see the great prophet, Elijah, in a state of crisis, physically, mentally and spiritually. Hungry, exhausted and disillusioned, he wanted to die. In 2nd reading, Paul talks about his great sorrow & anguish for the tribe of Israel. The Gospel story also presents us with a lesson of strength not in short-lived bravado but in vulnerable trust.
We continue to pray for our brothers and sisters who have gone before us especially Theresia Kimeng who died this week
Let's also remember Iya Dora Masumbe, Akwa Che, Nestorine Boh who died recently.
May God grant them all eternal rest
Dear friends
Today, the scriptures assure us that Jesus Christ is not a myth. That his message is the most important information ever given to the human race. His life, his words, his actions, his parables, who he ate with, how he treated sinners and outcasts, his way of living, his way of dying… shows us just what God is like. We are encouraged to learn from and take in, the values embodied by Jesus life, words and actions so that like the disciples
we too can be transfigured into instruments to bring His message,
His peace and love to those around us & the world³.
We continue to pray for our brothers and sisters who have gone before us.
Let's remember especially Akwa Che who died recently.
May God grant her eternal rest
Dear friends
The readings this Sunday challenge us, in no uncertain terms, to point a finger at what we hold to be the most important thing in life. The readings tell us that if there is anything that we should desire most in this life, it must be God, because He is that Eternal Wisdom that was revealed to Solomon.
To the Greeks, this wisdom Sophia’, meant the ability to understand a concept, to analyse something. And to the Hebrews wisdom "chakam’, is a form of practical knowledge.
No matter how we see it, wisdom that comes from God is the ability to see things as they really are and make the right decisions. Every other treasure we posses is corruptible but God is the only treasure that knows no corruption. What can we give up today in exchange for God?
Dear Friends,
please join me to pray for and with
Br Nicholas, Br Gordon, Br Emmanuel, Br Simon, Br Casimir, Br David, Br Venatius, Br Edmon, who will be dedicated this Saturday as full members of the Catholic Men Association UK branch.
May God grant them and all of us the graces we need to love & serve him & our neighbour more, continue to grow in Faith & hope, enlightened by the Holy Spirit as we journey through this life.
Saint Joseph, Man of honour, pray for us
Dear friends
The readings this 16th Sunday are focused on the Kingdom of God. This kingdom as revealed in the first reading is one where justice and kindness prevail. The second reading reminds us about the role of the Holy Spirit in helping us communicate with God especially when we struggle to pray. And in the gospel Jesus gives us several parables about the Kingdom of God, including the one about the weeds in the wheat.
Dear friends, as we continue our journey in this life, we should not be discouraged if we find evil in us or around us. We must be vigilant so as not to be contaminated by the weeds sown by the devil in our society: Customs, ideas, behaviours, rituals which are not compatible with our Christian faith must be constantly rejected by living our faith daily.
Friends, we continue to pray for our loved who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith: remember especially Fr James Juma MHM who died recently. May God grant them eternal rest.
Dear friends
The readings this 15th Sunday in Ordinary time, talk to us about the word of God.
This Sunday we celebrate Christ, The Word of God who sows the seed of God’s word in our hearts. The first reading emphasizes the principle of the word of God. The word that goes from the mouth of God does not return empty, without carrying his will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.
The second reading reveal the inward groan within us that prevents God’s word from bearing fruit within us.
In light of Isaiah’s prophecy in the 1st reading and Christ’s parable of the Sower, the Church enjoins us to evaluate our relationship with the Word of God. So, we must ask ourselves today, what has the word of God achieved or changed in my life?
The readings today tell us about humility! The first reading tells us that Jesus the humble King of kings will come to us humble and riding on a donkey. The second reading tells us that we must be interested in spiritual things because the Spirit of God is in us. But how do we receive the Holy Spirit? Again, we receive the Holy Spirit by becoming humble, by becoming like little children, by becoming like Jesus the child and Son of God, by becoming dependent on God our Father, by putting our faith in God our Father like Jesus did; and our yoke will become easy and our burden light. So the gospel tells us.
The readings remind us of our call by God. He calls us because he loves us and he desires that we spend eternity with Him in heaven. We are reminded that like the Israelites & disciples in the 1st reading & Gospel, we are called to be a people set apart for God, called to follow His commandments and live a life of holiness so as to reflect God's glory.
Brothers and sisters, we all experience fears, worries, and anxieties from time to time because we are prone to fear, anxiety, and worry but mainly due to the fact that our faith is weak and instead of looking at God, too often we look at the problems. Its no wonder the Bible advises us in several places not to worry. Today’s readings tell us not to worry but place all our trust and hope in Jesus who is the Way to God, the Truth to be accepted, and the Life to be shared and lived. Amen
Last Sunday's Gospel was the Gospel of Doubting Thomas. This Sunday's Gospel is the Gospel of the Confused Disciples.
The readings and psalm this sunday have one common and encouraging theme: That No matter what happens in our lives, the risen Jesus is always with us. God is always near to those who seek Him and want to live in His presence, doing His will.
Brothers and sisters,
The readings this Sunday lay great stress on the facts of Christ’s Resurrection: Christ has died, but he is not dead. He is alive! He has risen! Alleluia alleluia.
Easter is a day of high expectations. The Scripture readings and songs testify to this. They are full of hope and joy. But when we think about the first Easter Sunday, it wasn’t all hope and joy. Some were distraught, some were unbelieving, some were angry and felt abandoned and some had just given up hope. They all expected the crucifixion to end Jesus’ promise that He would give us everlasting life.
Let us pray for one another, that as we attempt to live this Easter season just like the original disciples did, that our hope will be resurrected and our joy be brought to new life. Let our sense of disillusionment and disappointment with the state of the world today be illuminated by the faithfulness of God in the promises of Jesus Christ. As people of faith, let us carry that faith with us not just in words or ideas, but also in action and choice. Not judging and condemning the needy in our society but feeding, sheltering them, visiting the sick & imprisoned, make efforts to reconcile with others. May we be a visible Easter people to all around us! Amen.
The readings this sunday remind us that it is God Who both gives us proper vision in body as well as in soul and instructs us that we should be constantly on our guard against spiritual blindness.
In today's readings we see the dominan imagery of water - living water, the water of our baptism given freely so that we may have life and have it to the full. We all have thirst, but what do we thirst for? The readings invite us to come to Jesus Christ the well of salvation, the source of the water that will quench our thirst, our thirst for God
Brothers and sisters, we can all recount experiences when we have been attacked before, whether it be verbally, physically or emotionally. And what do we generally do in such circumstances? We fight back. Revenge or retaliation is the automatic human response to violence. This basic principle of retribution is pervasive in our society. 90% of our action films are based on some variation of it. Someone is attacked by another and finds a way to strike back, often with excessive violence. This human natural justice of an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, which is the wisdom of this world implies that what you give is what you get in return.
In today's Gospel, Jesus turns this principle on its head. He offers an alternative response as the litmus test for being His disciple. Instead of violence, His followers are supposed to act differently to the standard set by society. Christians are meant to respond to violence with non-violence. We are to offer no resistance to the one who does evil, that we are to turn the other cheek.
The 1st reading goes even further as to warn us against bearing hatred or grudges but to love our neighbour as ourselves.
In the second reading, St. Paul insists that we are God’s temple and his Holy Spirit lives amongst us. He also discloses that God would destroy anyone who destroys his temple because we are sacred. He warns against using the wisdom of this world because it is foolishness to God.
Brothers and sisters let us pray that we will respond to God's call to be holy by loving those who hate us and standing up for our faith even as we pray for those who persecute us. Amen
Brothers and sisters on this 6th Sunday in OT A, the readings reveal to us divine wisdom, a wisdom which is beyond human understanding. This wisdom, the cross of Jesus Christ, we are told in the second reading surpasses the ruler of this world and can only be obtained by the spiritually mature.
The first reading from the book of Ecclesiasticus reminds us that it is now within our reach to be faithful or not because God has placed in our hands life and death, and we must make a choice.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to not only follow his commandments but also to teach others to do the same.Christ is not asking us to obtain a degree in theology in order to do this but to do so by the examples of our lives.
Let us pray today that we will make the Divine wisdom of the cross the right model of our desires. And that God will give us the enabling grace to follow and obey His commandments so that we can enjoy His blessings even more. Amen.
Brothers and sisters today is Gaudete Sunday! Sunday of Joy. We rejoice because of the signs associated with the coming of the Messiah: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers ... cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor. These words of Jesus in today's Gospel to John the Baptist's disciples re-echo the prophesy of Isaiah featured in today’s first reading.
Like St John the Baptist, we are invited to look at our Lord and all His works in this chaotic world of ours. In the midst of darkness, there is the light of His grace; in the midst of confusion, there is clarity of His teachings; in the midst of hopelessness, there is His promise of salvation. In different ways, we too are called to give witness to this faith as St John the Baptist did. As St James tells us, “you too have to be patient, do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming is soon.”
Our problems and difficulties may be keeping our spirits low these days but let's not hesitate this Advent to lift up our burdens to the One who offers to carry them on his back and rejoice, yes rejoice, not in any sorrow or pain that may be ours but in the One who comes from God, who is himself no stranger to all that weighs us down.
We pray for the grace to deny ourselves as St John did and live unto Christ. Lets not live for the approval of man, but for the approval of God. So that on the final day, we too will receive praise from the very lips of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen
Brothers and sisters, the season of Advent is upon us again - a time of expectation, a time of anticipation, preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas. This Sunday’s readings encapsulate the Christmas spirit: the spirit of peace.
In today’s first reading Isaiah presents his grand vision of the Kingdom of God. In this peaceable kingdom, the poor will be judged with justice and violence will end. Wild animals will coexist peacefully with domestic animals. The lion will lay down with the lamb. calf and lion will feed together,... The infant will play over the cobra’s hole;
Isaiah’s peaceful kingdom is very different from the world in which we live. In our world the poor are often judged unjustly and violence erupts in the wars of many nations, Ukrain, Congo, Cameroon, Syria, our streets & communities and sometimes in our homes. St. John the Baptist, has a message for us. It is - “Repent,” he says “for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” Best way to do this is to be reconciled to those with whom we are not at peace with.
Brothers and sisters, let us pray that during this Advent season we will work tooth and nail to be reconciled with everyone around us. But first, let us try hard to identify and correct the faults in ourselves which make it difficult for others to get on with us. Amen
Brothers and sisters, today is the last Sunday in the Church’s liturgical year. As we wave goodbye to year C, the readings fix our attention on Jesus as lord and king of the whole of the created universe.
In the first reading, we hear how God’s children are in need of leaders who have the mind of God and who work under the direction of the Holy Spirit. David, a man after God’s own heart, seen as this type of person is anointed the king of Israel. In the second reading Paul tells us that we are going to share in the inheritance of Jesus Christ..
And in the Gospel, the Romans executed Jesus, David’s heir, because he claimed to be “king of the Jews.”
Brothers and sisters, we all share in the Kingship of Christ. By virtue of our baptism, you are a king and I too am a king and in various ways we exercise our kingship both in the Church and the various spheres of our lives to serve our brothers and sisters.
This Solemnity of today call our attention to that essential quality of Jesus Christ, the King of kings -
The quality of Mercy! Evil will not persist in this world if we all exercise this quality. Many atrocities that becloud our time would be checked if world leaders were to share the ambition to “be merciful like the Father” (Luke 6:36).
We pray today that the King of Mercy will reign in our lives and transform our hearts to be merciful like His. Amen
Brothers and sisters as we approach the end of the liturgical year, our Holy mother Church offers us scripture readings which are apocalyptic in nature. The Greek word Apocalypse translates into Latin as Revelatio which means to unveil or to reveal something. Contrary to the common understanding these apocalyptic readings do not predict the end of the world thereby causing fear. Rather they reveal to us the great scope of God's plan, why he created us, his plan to find and save us. This apocalyptic literature generally presents a pattern in which darkness is in conflict with light and light coming on top or bad news and good news trying to inhabit the same space and good news becoming victorious. In the readings, good and evil are in conflict on many levels – within oneself, in families, among friends, in communities, between Church and state, between nations, and in the heavens.
Although God is almighty, he allows good and evil to conflict with each other, and allows his people to choose sides. Once we choose, we have to fight for what we have chosen, and even when we are on God’s side, it will not be easy. There is always a price to pay for doing what is right, because evil is always fighting against the good.
In today’s gospel, Jesus appears to predict the end of the world. As mentioned earlier, there is doom and gloom: wars, fighting, persecution, prosecution, earthquakes, famine, plagues, imprisonment, betrayal, even death. But if we look closely at the details of this reading, we'll find that it's loaded with goodnews. Jesus saying to you and I that we have put our security on the things that the world provides; our families, our finances, our education, employment and even our nation. But He, Jesus, will take all these things away all the things that we put our security in so that we can put all our trust in him, our total Trust in Him alone and that in the midst of all tribulations, He is the power, the force we need. He is the solution and not the solution the world gives because he has already defeated evil. Then and only then would anyone enjoy the fullness of His ultimate plan for us.
We pray that as we journey towards eternity, that we would remove all the things in our lives that we don't need and focus our attention on Jesus, the good shepherd who is the force, power and solution we need in life.
AMEN
Brothers and sisters, the readings today offer faith and hope, courage in suffering, and trust in eternal life. They ask us how far we are willing to go in practicing our faith and to consider what the next life will be like.
Our faith teaches us that we are immensely loved by God who demonstrated this love in the most extraordinary fashion. But how do we respond to this love?
In the first reading, the seven brothers and their mother endured tortue and death rather than violate the law. As a response to Gods love, they had to ask themselves a question and it wasn’t “Do I love God more than I love pork?” Rather, they asked, “Do I love God more than I love life itself?
In the Gospel, Jesus affirmed that God “is not a God of the dead, but of the living”. Let's consider for a moment what God has gifted us in this present life: If He has done all these in this life, what must he have in store for us in the next? The answer can merely be summarized in this one word, heaven. In order to attain heaven, we are therefore called to make the most of this brief stint here on earth. To nurture the presence of Christ within ous & make Christ present to others whatever the cost like the brothers and their mother did.
Like St Paul in the second reading let us pray for the grace & courage to allow God to perfect his life in us. May we have the endurance of Christ and with his grace endure all the hardship along the way as we match in hope towards the place he has prepared for us in his heavenly kingdom. AMEN
My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord –
The message from all three readings today is very clear. God is inviting you and me, to receive & accept the presence and power of His life-changing love which he gives freely & unconditionally to us all.
The first reading from The Book of Wisdom, reminds us that at every moment, God is sustaining each one of us with the breath of life. And that we would fall back into nothingness, at once, if God did not have his love focused on us in an uninterrupted way.
In the Gospel reading, we meet Zacchaeus, the tax collector a wealthy man, whose hands were not clean. A man not only hated by the masses but considered a public sinner, who took advantage of the oppressive tax system and amassed himself a great fortune by demanding people pay more than were required to.
Jesus responds positively to his attempts to seek him and invites himself to his house. An invitation which Zacchaeus meaning "pure" receives and accepts.
Brothers and sisters we are much like Zacchaeus in many ways, full of shortcomings and imperfections, flawed, immoral, cheats, a collaborators, sinners, you name we are it.
But do we possess Zacchaeus' unsatiable desire to seek Jesus in our sinfulness? Are we willing to say Yes to his call to come down from all prevents us from seeing, knowing and being a true disciples of Jesus? This is our challenge this sunday. What is our response to Jesus saying to you me “Come down from that tree.Today I must stay at your house”. AMEN
Brothers and sisters, a word that is relevant and runs through our readings this sunday is the verb to "humblebrag". Humblebragging is defined by OD as the the act of making an ostensibly modest or self-deprecating statement with the actual intention of drawing attention to something of which one is proud.Basically letting others know not so subtly just how wonderful you really are, how fantastic your life is (especially compared to others!) but masking your claim to fame as humility. It’s bragging – while trying to pretend you’re not bragging…
Church leaders are often confronted by those who assert that they don’t go to Church because it is full of hypocrites. There is the temptation to reply that there is always room for one more. But a better approach may be to refer them to today’s gospel reading, where we see some humblebragging occuring and which addresses hypocrisy in its various forms in a more subtle way.
The gospel tells us we should be like the tax-collector. The tax collector is no humblebragger - Jesus does not say that the Tax-collector is a virtuous man. Jesus does not say that the tax collector is not a hypocrite in his own way. What is good about the tax collector, according to Jesus, is that he admits his faults and his hypocrisy, he is humble, and asks God for mercy. This is what Jesus asks of us all.
Brothers and sisters, let us pray for the grace not to concern ourselves with what others do, but rather be humble, acknowledge our faults, failings, sinfulness and ask for God's pardon & mercy. Amen.
AMEN.
Brothers and sisters
“Persistence in prayer & the importance of community are the themes coming through our reading this Sunday: In the first reading we have the strange but interesting tale of Moses interceding for the Israelites as they fought a battle with their enemies, the Amalekites. Whenever Moses held his hands up while holding the staff, eith the help of Aaron & Hur, the Israelites were winning the battle over the Amalekites. But whenever he lowered his hands, they lost the battle - a reminder of how prayer is connected to action. This is how a Christian community is constructed: some fight on the outside & others on the inside.
God wants us to persist in prayer not just to get what we ask for but as the CCC explains because its important to ask than to get what we ask for. By asking, “we express awareness of our relationship with God,” the Giver, Who, “in giving, gives the far more precious gift of himself.” God wants us to exercise our desire in prayer, so “that we may be able to receive what he is prepared to give.”
We pray that we will people who prays always & lead their life in the awareness of the loving gaze of God. Also who in joy and in pain remain in the assurance of being ever accompanied by God. May retain the capacity to hold on tight in faith even when the conditions are not favourable.
AMEN.
Brothers and sisters two of the readings this sunday talk about "gratitude".
But what does it mean to be grateful? Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what one receives – tangible or intangible: The essence of gratitude is a grateful heart.
Some of us today will be fortunate enough to partake in the Holy sacrifice of the Eucharist - described by the Second Vatican Council as the “source and summit of the Christian life,”. At the very heart of it, is this word "gratitude" because the word ‘Eucharist’ comes from the Greek word, “eucharistia,” (εὐχαριστία) meaning "to give thanks".
The Eucharist is the primary place where we can express our gratitude to God; acknowledge, appreciate, and make some return to God for everything, whether he acts directly, as in the miraculous cure of the lepers; through humans, like Elisha; or through material things, like water. It is always his gift. Giving thanks, expressing gratitude, is a learned action. Laughing when we are happy and crying when we are sad are natural responses, but saying “Thank you,” has to be learned.
Brothers and sisters, let us reflect today on the greatest blessings we have received in our lives, and thank God for each of them.
AMEN.
The scriptures readings for today have much to say about real moral integrity. They remind us that we are God’s stewards, and that God expects faithful and prudent stewardship from us. They challenge us to use our God-given talents and blessings, like wealth, wisely to attain Heavenly bliss. They also challenge you and I to demonstrate our intelligence, in the thing that really matters: our eternal salvation not the things of the world. For ‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: “You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’ the gospel reading concludes.
Basically, Jesus is telling us, "You have the intelligence, use it. Use it to fulfill the mission you assumed when I called you to be my disciples. When you became my adopted sons or daughters through your baptism.
Brothers and sisters let pray for the grace to use our intelligence to withstand the pressures of the godless elements of our society and live as true Christians. Let us pray for the grace to be God-fearing, God-respecting people. Let pray for the grace and courage to stand up for the poor, the vulnerable, those about to be born, those being treated poorly by others, through the empowerment we get from His Holy Spirit and the strength we get from His Word and His very own Body and Blood we receive in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
AMEN.
My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord –
We have all lost things. There is not one of us who has not lost something precious – or very valuable sometime in the past. Perhaps, it was a ring or something else of great sentimental value. Perhaps, it was a person, with whom we had a close relationship; a dear friend, a child, a parent, or a spouse – with whom we are, now, estranged.
In the Book of Exodus, in the 1st readin, God is about to allow the Chosen People to self-destruct in the desert. After all that God had done to deliver them from Egypt and the Pharaoh – they still refused to obey Him. They wanted an image of God that they could see and feel and touch – like the pagans.
In his letter to Timothy, St. Paul in the 2nd readin is beyond grateful for all that Jesus had done for him unlike the Israelites in the 1st reading. Jesus came to save sinners – and Paul insists that he is the worst of sinners. And if he, Paul, was treated mercifully, then there is hope for the worst of us – for the most lost of us!
Brothers and Sisters, let us remember that No matter who we are or how we have sinned – God still loves us and wants to take us to Himself. Let us never forget this or lose hope in the face of sin.
Let us pray, today, that we are never among the self-righteous who think they don’t need to be different and change – who don’t know they are truly lost and need to be found!
Brothers and sisters, today we celebrate with joy the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary to thank God for the gift of Mary to the world. This celebration today is one of God’s love for humanity. We celebrate her because of the pivotal role she played in salvation history - the story of God’s relationship with humanity. It is the dramatic story of God’s calling and reaching out to restore the rebellious/disobedient family of Adam to the Trinitarian Family.
Mary is the means by which Jesus comes into the story, into history. Mary is wonderfully made by God for a purpose. She is born, tended and formed to become the Mother of the Saviour.
Mary is able to perform her role in salvation history because of her faith and obedience. She fulfills the will of God perfectly in her life because of her faithful response to God’s word.
Each and every one of us is unique and is wonderfully made according to the purpose of God.
We pray that like Mary we will respond generously, with faith hope and love to God's calling to love Him and our neighbour.
Amen.
INTRO
Brothers & sister, theme of humility features prominently in today’s first reading, responsorial psalm, second reading & gospel; it is a virtue that is not spoken about much today. It tends to get a negative press when it is spoken about. In the Gospel, Jesus challenges those who believe they should enjoy special privileges. At a banquet, they were seeking places of honour. They cared more about themselves than for anyone else. They acted and behaved in a way that showed they lacked humility. If we have true humility, we will listen and grow in wisdom and learn more to become aware of our shortcomings, our faults, and our sins.
In Jesus , God has shown us what real humility means. God in Jesus, came among us not with might and glory, with strength and power but as one vulnerable and needy. St Paul tells us that he was humbler yet to accepting death, death on a cross. He did this to help us unlearn our instinctive expectations and to learn a new way to understand the essence of God. Christ continues to come to us in this way and inviting us to go beyond our instinctive discriminations, prejudices, boundaries into a new way of being with one another. We pray thatvas Hus followers, we will not only learn from his example but mimic his behaviour and actions in our relationships.
Brothers and sisters, In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus urges us to enter Heaven through the narrow gate. How do we enter the narrow gate? The answer is given in today’s Second reading. God disciplines us, to enable us to enter the narrow gate. This gate is not wide enough to allow sin, lukewarm lifestyle, absence of love for God, irresponsibility, evil inclinations or so on. The narrow gate allows us to pass through, when we are shaped according to our Almighty Father’s will.
God Himself will teach us how to enter the narrow gate in our day-to-day life. If God is pushing us out of our comfort zone or if we feel that there are a few thorns in our body, then God is disciplining us to be better people. He will ask us to throw away some of our regularly practiced mistakes to show us something new!! So in these situations instead of feeling down, burying ourselves in our couch, complaining to everyone about the hardships that we are undergoing, we need to realise that God has made this set-up for a purpose. Sometimes hardship may be the only boat for us to sail to Heaven. Without it, we would have gone astray. Let us not mind about the hard life, but be strong-willed to walk in any direction God shows us. Like the Israelites, God will provide us with the Manna for food and water from rock to drink while we are undergoing the difficult changes.
In Jesus Christ, God our Father has opened for us the way back. By His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has paid the price and bought us back. Salvation, however, requires our response to God’s offer. Salvation is, therefore, not automatic. Salvation is possible only when we respond to God’s offer. After all, a gift is not truly a gift unless and until it has been received. So to be saved, we need to honestly look at our decisions in response to God’s redeeming love for us. Do our decisions accept God’s gift to us?
Brothers and sisters we all have a habit to speak of heaven as being “up” and of hell as being “down,” But deep down we know that neither place can be reached by traversing a physical distance.
Indeed, a number of years ago Pope St John Paul II reiterated the traditional Christian view, saying, that “the ‘heaven’ or ‘happiness’ in which we will find ourselves is neither an abstraction nor a physical place in the clouds, but a living, personal relationship with the Holy Trinity” (General Audience, Wednesday 21 July 1999).
In other words, “heaven” is not so much a place as it is a state of being.
It is good to remind ourselves of this when we celebrate a feast such as the one we celebrate today, the solemnity of the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; a day we celebrate our belief that Mary, upon her death, was taken body and soul into heavenly glory, a day we celebrate her passing from death to life, from this our earthly life to the glory of heaven.
We are not mere spectators of the marvels God has done in Mary’s life. Yes, Mary, the Mother of God, was the first disciple, the first to say “yes” to Jesus Christ. And all of us who say “yes” to Jesus stand with Mary: we have hope that Mary’s destiny in heavenly glory will also be our destiny; we have hope that the unimaginable joy of eternal life with God will be ours as well; we too look forward to the joy of heaven, as profess in our credo, "I believe... in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come". Amen.
Brothers and sisters, on this first Sunday after Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate one of the greatest mysteries of our Christian faith - the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. No amount of philosophical debate or scientific research can fully explain it. But in today’s celebrations, the church reminds us that the three distinct divine persons Father, Son and Holy Ghost are eternally one and united. They work together for the salvation of the world. In the Trinity, we see a model of our unity. Therefore, let us pray for unity in our relationships, unity our friendships, unity in our marriages, unity within our families and communities. Although our talents, our gifts, social, and economic status are different, let us recognise and pray that like the Holy Trinity we can live and work together as one family of God because, we bear one and the same image and likeness of God. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, today we celebrate Pentecost, a feast that was celebrated by many of the Jews who lived at the time of Jesus. Today we rejoice that the Spirit of God, who is the breath of the world, working invisibly to carry creation towards the Kingdom has been given to us his followers. In the Holy Spirit we believe that there is no time or circumstance, in which God is not somehow invisibly active.
Pentecost is not just a season or annual feast for us. It is not simply a fact or event that we commemorate. It is our beginning, our entry point. This Solemnity is our invitation to make our response to the story of our salvation. It is the time when our names are brought into the story, the moment where we enter into the mystery. The presence of the Holy Spirit that enables the Easter alleluia to resonate through every aspect of our lives. The working of the Holy Spirit in us conforms us to Christ. Later on in the reflection today, we will hear more about this brash of a Spirit.
May the Homily Spirit continue to lead and guide us in our faith and Mission as followers of Christ.
Amen.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord to heaven. But what does Ascension really mean. Is it a sort of "dis-incarnation" whereby God became man, saved us, and then returned to heaven to being God again? No no no. That kind of thinking theologically inacurate. What we celebrate on this Solemnity today is the fact that, Jesus, the eternal Son of the Father, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Word of God who is fully divine, became Flesh, that he took on a human nature, lived among us, died was buried and rose from the dead and taken up to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. Christ who is fully God and fully man, ascended to heaven not only as God, but also as man, as the apostles saw him go.
Consequently, there is now, at the very heart of the Holy Trinity, a man like us. Simply put, the this feast of the Ascension is a celebration of the fact that humanity is something we have in common with God.
May our Lord, Who ascended in glory and Who has shown us His everlasting love, continue to guide us and be with us, and may He strengthen each and every one of us in our path so that we may always ever be ready to embark on the journey of faith and be great witnesses and missionaries of His cause, glorifying Him by our every actions and deeds in life. Amen.
As Christians, we believe in the friendship of God – not because we have loved God first but because God has first chosen to love us. The readings for this sixth Sunday of Easter can be read in terms of friendship - the friendship between God & His people.
The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, shows the early Church deliberating about its mission to the Gentiles , whether or not this should even happen. Should friendship with God through Christ be extended to others? Definitely
In the second reading from the Book of the Apocalypse, we see the image of the new and heavenly Jerusalem in which God is fully realized and welcomed within each human heart.
Jesus, in the Gospel, promises the Holy Spirit to instruct us in everything and remind us, His friends of all He has revealed.
Brothers and sisters, it is Jesus and His word that we ought first and always to remember. When we look at Christ in Holy scripture, it is clear what He is saying: we need repentance; that salvation is offered us in His redeeming death and resurrection; and that we are called to imitate Him in our mission to the world. We pray for the grace to listen and be true ambassadors for Christ with the mission to reveal God’s love and care to our brothers and sisters in our daily encounters. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, I welcome you to the table of God’s word on this 5th Sunday of Easter in which we continue to glorify the risen Christ. Slowly but surely, Christ approaches his Ascension into heaven.In today’s first reading, Paul encourages us to remain faithful in our missions as disciples of Jesus Christ.Through the vision of John in the second reading, God gives us a glimpse of that kingdom that Paul spoke of in our first reading. And the gospel, Christ gives us a new commandment that will help us to overcome this world and march into the New Jerusalem.
Jesus invites us to love one another in our complex world, too. Complex because good and evil are being mixed and mingled together. We often feel tempted to look at our world as our misfortune, as a piece of bad news, whereas we Christians, instead, are responsible for bringing out, to this violent and unfair world, the Good News of Jesus Christ. As we show love to others, the way Jesus had showed us; sacrificial, forgiven and selfless love, may his abiding presence never depart from us. Amen.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I welcome you to the table of God’s word on this third Sunday of Easter.
The readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter Year C (Good Shepherd Sunday) remind us that Jesus loves the whole world and calls to all people to follow him. In the first reading, Paul and Barnabas are rejected by many Jewish communities they visit and they turn to the Gentiles. The second reading describes people from all over the world worshiping the Lamb of God. And in the gospel, Jesus declares that he knows his sheep and they know him and they cannot be separated.
This Sunday, let us pray for our shepherds in the Church – the Pope, the bishops and all priests. We pray that the Lord will help them become more faithful and effective in their ministry, and that they use their authority properly to serve and care for God’s people. In a very special way, let us never forget to pray for the many victims of the shameful behavior and crimes of some unfaithful shepherds in the Church. May Jesus, the Good Shepherd, heal their wounds and ease their pain as they struggle to rebuild their lives. This Sunday is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Let us pray that more young people will answer the call to the priesthood and religious life so that there will be enough true shepherds to care for His flock. Let us also remember to pray for our leaders in government that they may be imbued with sincere humility and true compassion for the people they vowed to serve. But more importantly, let us pray for one another. In our baptism, we shared in the kingship of Christ – a kingship of service. In other words, we are kings or servants.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I welcome you to the table of God’s word on this third Sunday of Easter.
The readings of today especially the gospel remind us that God does not stop searching for us or loving us because we have denied or sinned against Him, but He takes the initiative of restoring the broken friendship with Him by offering us another opportunity to make amends, to love and to enter into a deeper and more committed friendship with Him.
This Sunday, we continue to come down from the heights of Easter. It is time to start bearing witness to what we believe in our everyday lives, as Peter and John did in the first reading – perhaps even to start preparing for martyrdom, as Christ warned Peter in the Gospel reading.
Lord, You do know that we love You. You also know how weak we are. Let us hear Your invitation to express our love for You and our desire for Your mercy. May we offer this love and desire to the fullest extent in caring for your suffering, sick, abandoned and vulnerable children AMEN.
Today is the second Sunday of Easter. The church and her faithful continue to worship the risen Christ, who is now alive forever.
Today is also Divine Mercy Sunday. Today, we celebrate the mercy that God shows to the world by sending his Son to die for our salvation.
Brothers & sisters, mercy is godly, it is an attribute of God. Jesus is mercy embodied, His mercy is endless, His mercy is like an ocean with limitless depths. His mercy is from age to age as His and our Mother Mary tells us in the Magnificat. Mercy is an indispensable quality of a true disciple of Christ.
In a world full of so much wickedness and revenge, hate & division, we need this mercy. But becuase Christ has no hands, no feet, no head, no body but ours, we need to be merciful for our world to feel this nercy, we need to be instruments, vessels bringing bucket loads of mercy to our friends, families, neighbours, communities, our world. We pray for the grace this Easter season and always to be a people of mercy. Amen
HAPPY EASTER Brothers & Sisters in Christ.
The readings this Sunday lay great stress on the facts of Christ’s Resurrection: Christ has died, but he is not dead. He has risen! He is alive!
Easter is a feast which gives us hope and encouragement in this world of pain, sorrows and tears. It reminds us that life is worth living. It also gives us strength to fight against temptations and freedom from unnecessary worries and fears.
Let us live this Easter with plenty of joy. Death, sin and sadness, have today been defeated by Jesus Christ… and He has opened the doors to a new life, the real life, the life we owe to the grace of the Holy Spirit. Nobody should be sad. Christ is our Peace and our Path forever and ever. Amen.
Brothers & sisters today, the 6th Sunday of Lent, The Church celebrates both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday. On this day, we remember and relive the events which brought about our redemption and salvation. One woman who was an intimate part of these events was an anonymous lady later named Veronica who out love& pity for Jesus used a cloth to wipe his face and was gifted with the face of Jesus on it.
The name Veronica comes from two Latin words vera (true) and icon (image) and these two words mean true image. This refers to the image of Jesus’ face left on the cloth.
As Christians each one of us is supposed to be a Veronica, a true icon, a true image of Jesus. As we enter into Holy Week, we are challenged to look into the eyes of Jesus, our saviour, giving ourselves, praying for the grace not to be afraid to love … not be afraid to bring Him all of our sins, to bring to him our hurts, our doubts, our troubles, our hardness of hearts, our hypocrisy, the cobtradictions of our lives, our secrets, our everything. … trusting Him with them. When we do this, Jesus will transform us, making us into a true image of Himself. Amen
Brothers & sisters, the readings on thus 5th Sunday lent challenge us to show mercy to the sinners around us and to live as forgiven people, actively seeking reconciliation with God and with one another. Pope st John Paul II ones said that God does not forgive evil but the individual, and he teaches us to distinguish the evil act, which as such must be condemned, from the person who has committed it, to whom he offers the possibility of changing –
We gather today to experience that mercy and compassion of God and to share our the blessings by forgiving and showing mercy to others who have offended us or gone astray.
Brothers and sisters,
The readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent, traditionally called Laetare Sunday remind us that God is always waiting for us to return to Him so we can receive the abundance of life he offers us. The first reading tells of how the Israelites celebrated Passover on the plains of Jericho. In the second reading Paul tells us to be reconciled to God. And in the gospel,Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son, which is sometimes called the parable of the forgiving father.
Laetare is a Latin word that means “rejoice.” Today's Gospel describes the reason for our joy: God's great love for us has been revealed in Jesus. Through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Christ has reconciled us with God and one another.
Brothers and sisters every year on the first Sunday of Lent, our Holy mother Church invites us to meditate on the temptations of Jesus which took place in the desert. The desert was a significant and special place for those at the time of Jesus. Entering its harsh environment was an opportunity to spiritually grow through various challenges and trials. Lent is a season when we like Jesus enter the desert. In fact we enter the desert with Jesus. By overcoming the Devil, Jesus is teaching us that we overcoming temptations like he did was possible.
Our modern day culture tries to convince us that human beings are too weak to combat temptation. Instead it encourages us to take the easy way out and give in, to corruption, sexual immorality, selfishness, greed, jealousy, . We must resist the Devil and temptation through God’s help. Lent is a favourable time God gives us to fast, pray, and give alms to fortify us against temptation. A time for us to enter into our wilderness – those unexplored expanses of our own inner world. A time to turn away from sin, a time to grow as a person and a child of God, a time to deepen our relationship with God a d our neighbour.
We ask for the grace to put all our energy into becoming more faithful to all the Jesus asks of us
Brothers and sisters on this first day of the Lenten season - Ash Wednesday, we are called to repentance by God who tells us to "come back to me with all your heart,
fasting, weeping, mourning" and also in the words used when placing the ash on the forehead: “Repent and believe in the Gospel”.
The Ashes apart from being a symbol repentance, remind us all, human beings of our mortal nature.
Also today, the Lord commands us to fast, give alms and pray. Fasting is not just limited to food alone. In fact Pope Leo the Great said that “Fasting is not simply a reduction in our food intake, but the elimination of our evil habits.” Fasting also helps us to recognize our own poverty and need & helps us to love both God and neighbour.
Let us pray that we will be more open to receive the grace of God during this season & make the best use of it by purifying our hearts, detaching ourselves from some worldly pleasures, focus more on improving our relationship with God, our brothers and sisters and be more charitable with what God has blessed us with. Amen
Brothers and sisters, on this feast of His resurrection, Jesus challenges - you & I to examine our attitudes and behaviours. He calls us, not just to “talk the talk” but to “walk the walk”.Jesus is talking quite simply here about self-knowledge, self- reflection, self-examination, self-criticism. Jesus invites us to look into our hearts "For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart".
Our attitudes affect our behaviours and our attitudes come from our hearts. Fix our hearts then our behaviours will allign with the message of Jesus, the message of love, care & compassion.
Too often we all have tendencies to look at everyone before we look at ourselves. It is the other who must be wrong not us, we say. We have eagle eyes for the mistakes of others while being blind and neglectful of ourselves - our hearts.
We pray for the grace to begin the process of change in ourselves especially as we approach the season of lent. So that we can bear good fruit, fruit that will last. Amen
Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this 7th Sunday of OT Yr C, the readings especially the 1st & gospel readings challenge us to reconcile our constant quest for justice with the virtues of mercy and compassion. Because as Christians we are called to model our lives on the new Adam, Jesus, who is full of love, mercy and compassion. In today’s Gospel, He gives us a very important sermon on these essential virtues and elements that must guide our lives and actions as Christians. It is a new commandment because, it over rules the Old Testament law of reprisal attack or retributive justice. There is no doubt that, humanly speaking, it is a very difficult one. However, it demands a lot of sacrifice and courage from us to put it into practice.
Let us pray today that we will have the courage to leave vengeance to God and focus on forgiveness that heals our wounds and wipes our stars away. We also pray that His spirit and grace will enable us to accept the reset of the standards of behaviour that Jesus offers so that we can live those essential virtues and elements in our every day Christian lives. Amen
Brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, on this 6th Sunday of OT, the 1st Reading from the Prophet Jeremiah tells us to put our trust and hope in the Lord, not in human beings.
The Second Reading from first Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians assures us that our hope in the resurrection is sure because Christ has been raised from the dead.
And in the Gospel Jesus instructs his disciples and therefore us in the paradoxical blessedness of poverty, hunger, sorrow, and persecution. “Blessed are those who are poor, hungry, weeping, hated, excluded, insulted and denounced,” because in poverty, we recognize our dependence on God; in hunger, God’s providence; in sorrow for sins, reconciliation with God; and in persecution, the true joy of standing for the Faith with heroic convictions. What makes one blessed is not simply poverty or hunger or sadness or suffering for the Faith but living these in the context of one’s commitment to Jesus and his spirit of sharing. We pray that God will give us his grace to adopt the values enshrined in the Beatitudes in our everyday lives so that we can become instruments of hope & healing in our troubled world. Amen
Brothers and sisters the readings from Holy Scripture this 3rd Sunday of OT Yr makes for compelling listening. We see a facination with the law in the first reading, an appreciation of the fact that together we form the body of Christ each one of us being a different part performing a different role and function. And a recollection of events in the gospel so that they will not be lost and more so that people can better understand Jesus Christ. Jesus also outlines us mission.
The Word of God produces great effects in the lives of true Christians when encounter Him.
In whatever capacity we encounter the Word, may this Word live in us and move us and others toward salvation. If not already may we begin to live under its influence with the anointing if the Holy Ghost. Amen
Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, on this second in ordinary time year C, we are drawn into a very captivating combination of readings. The importance of names in the first reading, the outpouring of a variety of gifts from the Holy Ghost in the second reading and the sign of that final Wedding Feast between God and His- People in the Gospel reading.
God is always at work within us especially in the ordinary things of life, manifesting His glory and inviting us to believe in Him whose power working in us can achieve infinitely more than we can ever think of or imagine. Believing in God not only opens our eyes to see more and more of His glory and to know and understand Him better and deeper but also leads us to share in His glory.
May we continue to be faithful witnesses of the glory of God and may our faith strengthen us to be sharers of this glory in this life and in the life to come.
Amen
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, today, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus our Saviour marking the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Ordinary time.
The feast of the Baptism of our Lord serves to remind us of our own Baptisms, compelling us to renew the promises our parents and godparents made on our behalf, when they presented us to the Church, to make of us disciples of Jesus.
As Jesus annonnces his mission to draw us to the father, we too are reminded of our mission as sons and daughters of the father by virtue of our baptism to draw others to the Father by our way of life and witness to the good news of the gospel. Amen.
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
The scriptures Readings at Mass this 4th Sunday of Advent outline what is happening. Out of you Bethlehem will be born for me “ the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old.” He is coming not only for Israel, but also for “the remnant of his brothers.” He is God the Son, coming among us as a man not to exact the sacrifices and offerings that are God’s due, but to do God the Father’s will: to sacrifice himself so that we can be made holy. His mother is the most blessed of all women. Even an unborn child leaps for joy at the sound of her voice.
Brothers and Sisters as Advent, comes to a climax, Let us stop our busy preparations and meditate on Christmas - the awe-inspiring and unique sense of God as author, director and performer of human salvation through His Son our brother, Jesus Christ with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. God continues to be present with us directing and shaping human history even as we anticipate the coming of Christ, His son. He calls each and everyone of us to put ourselves at His disposal to take on the unique roles given to each of us in the greatest drama that exists.We have all heard, “Don’t just stand there; do something!” This week, we are called to not just stand there, not just savour the sweetness of your role but to take Christ to others; To bring others to experience Christ by our positive actions as our mother Mary demonstrated in that generous and selfless visit to Elizabeth. Amen.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On this second week of Advent, the church invites us to celebrate the marvels that God is about to work for us in a couple of weeks from now. As we wait in joyful hope for the “Day of the Lord” when this marvel will be complete for, and in us let us ask ourselves this question? Am a people of joy and hope? If the answer is no? How do we awaken enthusiasm, hope and joy in my faith?
The voices we hear in all the readings of this Sunday encourage us yobbe people of hope and joy as we prepare to receive the coming despite the circumstances.
Let us pray today, that our God who is a God of power and mercy, will open our hearts to welcome Christ. We ask Him to remove all the things which hinder us from receiving Christ with joy so that we to make room for God, make time for prayer, and hear the word of God with joy in our hearts. Amen
Brothers & Sisters, today is the First Sunday of ADVENT and with this we WELCOME a new Liturgical year, year C.
The term 'advent' comes from a Latin word meaning 'coming' or 'arrival' of someone. The Advent season includes the four Sundays that precede Christmas. Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. In this season, we recall two central elements of our faith: the final coming of the Lord in glory and the incarnation of the Lord in the birth of Jesus. The key themes of the Advent season are watchful waiting, preparation, and justice..
The Scripture Readings of today teach us to 'watch' for the return of Jesus, not just be 'waiting' for it. Those who watch for it will keep themselves alert and self-controlled; those simply waiting may slip into sloppy business with other things and let their priorities slip!
Let us pray today that we will attentive to the words of Jesus in the Gospel to "Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’ Amen.
Sisters and brothers in Christ, in the vision of the prophet Daniel in the 1st reading, peoples of all nations, and languages are seen serving God. This reading urges us to be dreamers, to be visionaries. To imagine what this world would be like if it were indeed, the kingdom of God. What our families would be like if it were indeed, the kingdom of God. What our communities/nation/work places/groups would be like if it were indeed, the kingdom of God.
But How can we make the kingdom of God a reality in all these places – in our hearts, homes, families, communities, grousps, places of work? The answer lies in what is revealed in the second reading from the Book of Revelation. We need to be people free from sin. We need to make our world free of sin as well. A world without sin would truly be an amazing place wouldn’t it?
Imagine the evening news without a murder to talk about, a theft to report on, a lie from a politician…imagine no reports gunshots, no stories about children abandoned or abused…imagine nothing on the news about any of the “ism’s” which inflict our world – no racism, sexism, no consumerism…Imagine a world where there are no abortion clinics, no one is starving, no one is homeless and, most of all, no person is unloved!!!
The Gospel of Saint John today makes clear to us that the Kingdom of Jesus is not a Kingdom of this world but a Kingdom in the world to come, life after death, life with Jesus forever—or life rejecting Jesus forever. He said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” At that moment, when he was standing before Pilate, Our Lord did not show his power and glory but at the end of time, he will do so. He will come in majesty and in triumph. He will come as the King of All the Universe, openly showing his power. We must choose to be in His Kingdom or we shall live forever in the Kingdom of Satan. There is no middle ground - no grey area. Where will you be?
Sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ, we are gradually coming to the close of the Church’s and calendar year. At this time of the year, the holy mother Church brings to our consciousness and reminds us of these eschatological realities of the end time, the second coming of Christ, death, judgement, heaven and hell. In the creed we recite at Mass, we proclaim that Jesus “will come again to judge the living and the dead.”
Many may not be comfortable with discussions about end-time, the second coming of Christ or life after death because of their preoccupations with earthly things, but the truth that stares us in the face is that it must surely come;”But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.*
Let us pray that God will give us the grace to live our lives in a way pleasing to Him; Using every opportunity we have today to do good to others. Let us not procrastinate because tomorrow may be too late. Let us live each day as if it were our last so that when that day comes we will be ready to join our Saviour and brother, the angels and saints in heaven Amen.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, the readings today teach us about trust in God. God expects us to trust Him completely. Many of us are not quite so sure that we can trust Him, even though we want to trust Him. The widow in the first reading shows us how a person can trust completely, even to the point of giving up the little one has for another person. The Gospel of Mark today reiterates a similar message with the story of the poor widow who gave all she had, trusting in God.
When we trust God wholeheartedly, we become close because we depend and rely on God for everything we need. We must have confidence that God will always give us what we truly need in return. Perhaps many of us are more practical and give to the God what we may have in excess of what we need. If we are willing to give from what little we have and are, the Lord rejoices, and He multiplies our efforts.
The readings today challenge us to trust in God and give all we have to God. To give from our livelihood is not only an act of generosity, it is also an act of trust in God. We can only give from our need if we trust that God will provide for us. Jesus himself demonstrates the ultimate act of generosity and trust in God as he gives his life for us on the cross. On the Cross Christ laid down His life for each one of us, everywhere, at all times. It is that kind of self-giving that He not only taught by His words but modelled for Christians.
Brothers and sisters, let us pray for the grace and will to trust God wholeheartedly and be willing to give up all we have because I trust God, like the widows in the readings even when it puts our own life in danger. Amen
Brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus our saviour and brother, today we express our communion with those who are still in the process of purification before the beatific vision. We remember them in the celebration of All Souls. The bonds of love between the living and the dead are not broken by death. Our love for them and their love for us endure. Sadness, sorrow, grief may fill us the living, but that is a reminder of their presence and love in our lives.
Our faith assures us that love is eternal, that the bonds of love can never be severed. We continue to be united to our loved ones who have died. This is the insight behind what we confess each week as our belief in the “communion of saints”. Without denying the reality of physical death, we affirm our eternal connection with our loved ones. We remember them to God is the source of our life and love, the beginning and end of our destiny.
Let us pray that we may live our resurrection faith through the changing circumstances around us. May we pattern our lives on Jesus who triumphed over sin and death by virtue of his fidelity to God. May we be guided by his example as we progress on our pilgrim way towards our heavenly home.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this Sunday, the 31st Sunday in OTB, we are called to imitate Christ Jesus our brother and Saviour, the eternal high priest of the new covenant who offered a perfect sacrifice of love to glorify His Father.
Jesus, in the gospel, challenges us to overcome the enemies of love; self-preservation, pride,
selfishness and demonstrate our love for God by the love we offer to our brothers and sisters - our neighbour. This love might not take the form of crucifixion like with Christ but maybe a sincere smile, works of charity, attempts to reconcile with those we have fallen out with, being there for others when they need us, care for the sick & homeless, random acts of kindness and so on.
Let pray today for the strength and grace to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. And to love our neighbour as ourselves. Amen.
Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ, today in the readings we are called to reflect on the formula we use to attain true happiness. Often we mistakenly assume that pursuing the three wants of pleasure, possession and power will make us happy. The readings on the contrary encourage us to follow the path of Jesus our brother and Saviour - a path of suffering, detachment and service as the only means to attaining true happiness.
As children of God, by virtue of our baptism, brothers and sisters, we are called everyday to be more like Christ who tells us in the Gospel that "anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all" For He did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. May we have the courage and bravery to not follow the way of the world but instead choose the path of simplicity, suffering and service. Amen
The readings today remind us that God knows us and knows everything about us, even our secret emotions and thoughts. But that God is always seeking to love us and to help us grow closer to Him. The readings invite us to be purified and to let go of all that is not truly worthy of Him and to let go of all that might impede that love within us: the jealousy, anger, lust, envy, greed, hate within us.
We are invited to let go of all the things we don't need on this journey in order to embrace this infinite and unconditional love of God. God is asking us to give up all the excesses of life we cling onto that weight us down. In fact Jesus is inviting us all to give up everything and follow him.
Let us pray today for the grace to grow in our awareness of and acceptance of HIS love. That we will finally give up all for Him and to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Brothers and sisters in today's readings Jesus uses marriage & family to teach us about the kingdom of God - a Kingdom of love, understanding, unity, mercy, forgiveness; a kingdom which is God's gift, His presence, God Himself. Just as a man unites with his wife through the unbreakable bond of marriage to become one flesh with, so too God's children, each and everyone of us, we are called to be one with God in his love.
Marriage, a union between a man and woman leads to family, a place where God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) dwells, , a place where couples show affection for each other, a place where children are nurtured - a factory of Hope, a place where love is celebrated.
No one or no thing should be responsible for separating what God has assembled, Jesus warns. Not even Moses; It is not the will of God for any marriage to end in divorce. It is not the Will of God for anyone to turn away from God. For God desires that all become one with Him in His heavenly kingdom.
Brothers and Sisters, we are invited today to reflect not only on the sanctity of marriage and family life but also of the intimate link between marriage, family and the kingdom of God. May God bless all our families. May He heal all that divides us and give us the strength to foster love, peace and unity among members of our families. Amen
Brothers and Sisters, St James in the 2nd reading today warns us against oppression and injustice of all kinds especially against the weak, the poor, those who do not belong to "our group or class" and those that God has freely chosen. Moses and Jesus in the 1st reading and the Gospel refused to yield to the fears, jealousy and malicious request of their disciples to stop others whose missions were in line with the will of God but who did not belong to their established groups. Instead of being envious and oppressive, they encouraged their disciples and therefore us today to acknowledge & appreciate such people as co-workers in the vineyard of the Lord and to help them to advance and grow in faith & in the service of God's people.
Sisters and brothers, let us pray for the spirit of Wisdom and humility that in this ever swelling maze of many false and self-made pastors, prophets and wolves in sheep’s clothing, we will be able to discern every spirit. Instead of being envious, jealous or dismissive, let us work with our brothers and sisters as members of God’s family, loving, encouraging, caring for and supporting one another in the name of Christ Jesus our brother and Saviour AMEN.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus placed a child in front of his disciples during their discussions about their selfish ambitions for power and shameless jostling for positions and said ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and... the one who sent me.’ The child represented humility, simplicity, authenticity and total dependence on God - a direct contrast to what the disciples wanted - obsession with power, success, self-importance. St James in the second reading is very clear on this when he states that: "Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done;...Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves?
Brothers and Sisters we challenged today and everyday to not be afraid to be like little children, for that is the way to inherit the kingdom of God. To not be afraid to be last, for we will be the first. We should not be afraid to be the least and the servant of all, for that is the key to true greatness. Amen
Brothers and sisters, in the readings today, we learn about suffering. It is important to understand suffering in the Christian context for 2 main reasons. Firstly, that it is a necessary part of life with Christ. This is true because as disciples of Jesus - followers of Jesus Christ our master, we need to follow his lead. Christ’s life was one of radical obedience and conformity to God’s will. St Paul tells that Christ obeyed through Suffering. Secondly, the Devil uses suffering as an ultimate weapon against Christians. He believes that human beings are weak in the face of suffering and would do anything to avoid suffering. It is for this precise reason that Advent and Lent are assigned by the Church as days of sacrifice, through which our bodies are disciplined not to be enslaved by wants and even needs. So that when temptations or suffering come, we have the strength to endure.
Brothers and sisters let us pray that we will have the courage to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus.That we will be able to deny ourselves in order to put the other first. That we will put our faith in action & alleviate the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters in need. For St James tells in the second reading that faith without works is dead. Amen.
In the 1st reading Isaiah says that the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy; These St James says in the second reading are those who are poor in the world but rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom. In the Gospel, Jesus put his fingers into a man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then he said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened'. By these actions, actions which are also used in the Sacrament of Baptism, Jesus opened the eyes, ears and losened the tongues of all the baptised - his followers to listen to word of God & proclaim it to the ends of the earth.
Brothers and sisters, let us not be silent witnesses or "Cafeteria" or "restaurant" Christians who sit back idly and watch the devil and his agents proclaim & promote with impunity vices rather than virtues, values of greed, selfishness, materialism & even immortality.
Let us recognize that Christ has chosen us
the weak, the poor, those without capacity to proclaim His Kingdom of love. May Christ’s touch bring us the docility to listen to the Word of Life and the couragement to pronounce what we have heard in word and deed; Amen
I want to be like the Tax collectors and Prostitutes Jesus talks about in the gospel reading. Do you?
Forgive... Forgive...Forgive...Not seven but seventy seven times seven we are commanded today 💜
Today Our Brother gives a manual to help us resolve conflict and reconcile with one who has wronged us.
Let us pray for the courage and strength to carry our crosses with acceptance and joy. Amen
God has given you all you need to be the best version of yourself, to glorify Him and be an instrument of love and peace. Trust in God's power to transform all that you are and all that you offer and you will be amazed by the outcome like the disciplines were in the gospel today.
Jesus challenges us to provide a fertile soil for his mercy, love, trust and Word so that we yield a hundredfold in this life.
Jesus gives us authority to cure diseases and sickness and go out and proclaim that His Kingdom is close at hand.
We pray for the strength and grace to heed and trust His word. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the greatest gift from God to humanity - The Most Holy body and blood of Jesus . We commemorateJesus' most excellent gift of his body, soul and divinity to us. Please listen to the reflections on this great gift.
God reveals Himself as a community of 3. We are made in the image of God therefore it is in our nature to love, forgive and live like God does. This is our challenge today as Christians- to model our lives on the Most Holy Trinity.
Today, we remember Jesus giving the Holy Spirit to his disciplines. To those like the disciples who are willing and are freely disposed, Jesus gives His Holy Spirit to strengthen them to accomplish the work he has commanded them, "As the father has sent me so am I sending you". He sends us the Holy Spirit to give us power, strength and grace to bring His love and compassion to the world - to the people we meet everyday.
We remember today God-Man Jesus Christ returning to His Father, Our Father. Please help us who believe, Jesus, to one day join you in that heavenly home for ever. Amen
In today's gospel reading, Jesus promises to send another Advocate to be with His apostles forever. The condition for receiving Him is that they renounce the ideas, values and way of the world.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us reject the attraction of sin, worldly values and ideas so that we can receive and enjoy the HOLY SPIRIT OF TRUTH and His fruits in our lives. Amen.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through Him. This our faith. This is the faith that we are proud to profess.
We must accept Jesus as our Lord & personal Saviour, live like He wants us to, in love and compassion like He did, in order to enjoy the fruits of eternal life.
The disciples failed to recognise Jesus when he explained the scriptures to them on the road to Emmaus. But they recognised Him at the breaking of bread. Our actions are most important in helping others love and follow Jesus. Let us be Jesus' hands, feet and body in the world 🌎 today. Let us act with love, humility and compassion towards others. Amen
Jesus cautions us against preferring darkness to the light. He is the Light of the world. He encourages his followers to reject the darkness of this world and walk in his light.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, in today's gospel, three apostles have the privilege to witness the Transfiguration.
We are invited to reflect on this glorious experience and understand it's implication for those who follow Christ. Please click on to listen, reflect and pray. Thank you.
Like the 3 Magi, in the gospel today we see the leper fall prostrate before Jesus, this time not only to praise, worship and adore but ask a big favour - to be cleansed of his frailty and ailment. Jesus does not hesitate but quickly and instantaneously stretches his hand of mercy and healing to touch him - "Of course I want to. Be cured " Jesus says.
Do we have the humility and willingness to bring our burdens, worries and concerns to Jesus? I guarantee you He will stretch out his hand of healing and love to make it better.
Brothers and sisters Jesus is not only the Way & The Life but also the Truth. Today we are challenged to listen to the Truth and bear witness to it. The Truth that God loves us and wants us to love one another in equal measure.
In today's readings, not only are reminded by St John to love God and one another, we are asked kindly not to take God's grace for granted but to let it sink in and affect our lives.
For the many times that we have taken God's gifts and love for us for granted, we ask for pardon. Christ have mercy. Amen
Today's message is about TRUST in God. Do we demonstrate lack of trust in God's plans? Let us ask for mercy and forgiveness for the many times that we failed to trust God's Commands and Will for us. Amen
Are you a grateful love receiver? Or Are we one of those who take love for granted? If we are the latter, then we are challenged by our friend today to imitate the great example of the foreign Samaritan leper who exhibited immense gratitude for the healing and love he received from Jesus.
Are you blessed? Do you, hear God's word and keep it? If so, then you are in good company - welcome to the club where Mary, the mother of Jesus is the first registrand. What a company. I want to belong there.
Do Ask, Do Search & Do Knock is the command we have been given by our friend and Saviour for s/he who asks will be given, the one who searches will find and those who knock will have the door opened so that they can come in. Plain and simple.
Have you ever struggled to pray? Do you often lack words to use to communicate with your Father in heaven? Well, your struggles ens here. Today you have been given a blueprint to prayer.
Jesus our friend calls us to spend time with Him - to imitate the example of Mary in today's Gospel, who chose the "better part".
Jesus tells us that there is a threefold connection between us and Himself and the Father. If people listen to or reject us, then they listen to or reject God. As such we are in a very really privileged position to be the hands and feet and body of Jesus on earth.
Jesus is asking you and I, adopted sons and daughters of our heavenly father by virtue of oyr baptism, to go out harvest the juicy fruits in the garden of God- bring the peace, love, mercy and compassion of God to our world, countries, communities & families.
MUST LISTEN
Tune in to listen to the message from God brought you by our guardian angel - Jesus urges us to show humility and do this for they are from God and are specifically allocated to us to protect, rule, guide, guard and ultimately lead us to heaven.
Jesus opens the tap of his mercy today offering it to everyone who is willing to freely access it. Are you willing and ready to accept the unrestricted mercy of God?
Fan the flame of your faith to keep it burning brightly everyday. Strengthen it through prayer.
Jesus appears to his disciples for the 3rd time since his ressurection and performs a great miracle. Interestingly, we note that Jesus commands the disciples to cast their net into a certain part of the waters and thereby caught fish beyond their wildest dreams. When we listen to Jesus, his love and grace shines through in our lives. We pray today for the grace to be able to listen attentively and follow the commands of God in our lives everyday. Amen.
In today's gospel reading, Jesus tells the story of the unproductive Fig tree. Out of His love and compassion asks for more time to change our ways and follow in his path in order to bear good fruit.
But we must allow ourselves to be pruned. We must also allow the soil to be fertilized and cultivated in a variety of ways. Though Jesus is the Gardener of our lives, it’s also fair to say that we are the gardeners in the sense that we must cooperate with our Lord, relying upon the supernatural resources of the Creator to ensure the healthy growth of our spiritual lives so that the good fruit of virtue may be born in our lives.
Feast day of St Patrick
Today we are challenged to reflect on the events in the gospel and to learn from them.
Today in the gospel according to Luke, Jesus gives us the Beatitudes - "the to-be-attitudes", the attitudes we need to adopt to be Christ-like. Let us reflect upon them today and remind ourselves of the message they carry and therefore apply these in our lives.
In today's Gospel, we see a great example of faith and humility exhibited by the Syrophoenician woman which we are called upon to imitate.
Our Lord and saviour is moved with pity when he sees the crowd. Jesus is always moved with pity when he sees our personal circumstances. He desires to be with us, heal us, to shepherd us, for he is a God of mercy and compassion.
Today, in the gospel we are given a great example of faith in the woman who for 12 years suffered grievously at the hands of her illness. The faith she demonstrated is a great challenge for you and I.
We pray for the gift of faith, for without it we cannot bear the witness we are called to as followers of Jesus. Amen
Like the mustard seed, we are reminded of the incredible potential we have as adopted sons and daughters of God to be a great blessing, providing shelter, shade, food and nourishment to all those around us. All we need to do is allow God to work through us.
"Oh that today you would listen to His voice, harden not your heart".
Amen
Our Blessed Mother told the servants and us today: "Do whatever he tells you".
What is Jesus telling you to do today? Are you willing and ready to listen and discern the voice of Jesus in your life?
Today in the gospel, we are told that Jesus preached with authority in the Synagogue to the amazement of his hearers.
We are called upon to let Jesus take authority of our souls so that our lives could be transformed. Are we ready and willing to let Jesus inhabit and transform our souls?
Today, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus our Saviour marking the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Ordinary time. As Jesus annonnces his mission to draw us to the father, we too are reminded of our mission as sons and daughters of the father by virtue of our baptism to draw others to the Father by our way of life and witness to the good news of the gospel.
Today, on this Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, the Christ child reveals Himself not only to the Magi but also to the whole world. God used what is familiar (star) to call the 3 Wise men to Himself.
Brothers and sisters, let us reflect, today, upon these Magi and see them as a symbol of what we are called to do. We are called from the foreign place of this world to seek out the Messiah. What is God using to call you & I to Himself? When we discover Him, let us not hesitate to acknowledge the full truth of who He really is, lying prostrate before Him in complete and humble submission.
Today, we are given a great example of how to be a good Christian - point others to Jesus as magnificently as John did. By being selfless, being holy, being just abdvto it with joy, live & zeal.
Brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, Christmas should be a time of great joy and celebration. It should be a time in which we reflect upon the nativity of Christ the Lord. We should read the story, listen to Christmas music and not set that all aside until our Christmas season is over. But as we do all of that, we should always keep before us the fact that Christmas is a great mystery of faith.
In particular, the mystery of Jesus being the "Word of God" who was right frinbthe beginning. Let us reflect, today, upon this language of St. John. “In the beginning was the Word…” “The Word was God…” “The Word became flesh…” Let us know, this day, that we do not fully know this mystery and as we face this reality, let's allow the Eternal Word to draw us in one step deeper.
In today's gospel reading, we are enlightened about family life. We are given a model of family - That of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Within this family, we are given great examples of humility, peace, unity, love, compassion and joy.
Let us pray for all our families this day. We pray that we may copy the examples of the Holy Family of Nazareth in bringing peace, joy and love to our families. Amen
In today's gospel reading it’s clear that Elizabeth is not the only one who is blessed to encounter the Mother of God and her Child. Elizabeth’s baby, John the Baptist, who is living within her womb, is also filled with joy and leaps as an expression of that joy. What an amazing effect this visit has upon both Elizabeth and her unborn child.
This should raise a question in our own hearts. Do we perceive the presence of Christ when He comes to us? If Elizabeth and her unborn child could perceive Him, shouldn’t we also be able to perceive Him?
In today's gospel reading unlike the Blessed Virgin Mary, Zechariah demonstrates lack of faith in God's word and was struck mute by Angel Gabriel as a consequence.
Though the reactions of Mary and Zechariah may seem similar on the surface, it’s clear that their hearts are quite far apart. For Mary, our Blessed Mother, her question was asked in perfect faith. She heard Gabriel speak and she believed. But faith seeks understanding and so Mary, in her perfect faith, sought to understand the mystery that was being presented to her. Gabriel responds with a brief insight and Mary is grateful for that.
We pray for the grace to be receptive to God's word and demonstrates faith and trust in his promises.
Brothers and sisters, in today's scripture readings we are invited to follow in the footsteps of St Joseph and listen in the silence of our hearts to the voice of God, and allow ourselves to respond to our Lord’s will with perfect faith and trust.
We pray for the grace to hear the sweet voice of God our Saviour. To know all that God commands of us and all that God inspires us to embrace in life. We also pray that God will give us the grace we need, to follow every inspiration in life so that we may fulfill His perfect and holy will. Amen.
GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES & GOD IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL.
In today's gospel we are presented with a very long genealogy of Jesus Christ. What this demonstrates above all is the direct link from the promise God made to Abraham, to its fulfillment in the person of the Son of God.
One thing we see in the fulfillment of this promise, is the fact that God is faithful. True, it took centuries for His promise to Abraham to be fulfilled, but it happened nonetheless. We need patience and trust for God's plan to come to fruition.
Are you prepared to be purified? Do you know what to do in order to achieve purification? These are some of the questions raised and answered in today's readings. Listen and pray with me this third Sunday of Advent Year C as St John the Baptist gives us valuable advice.
Today, we are called upon to reflect on the purification to which God may be calling you. What is it that you hold on to that He wants you free of? Commit yourself to the purifying fire of God’s love and let that love cleanse you in this Advent season.
In today's readings, we hear about the role of Elijah and John the Baptist. As we continue to reflect upon St. John the Baptist, we see that his role of being Elijah was missed by the scribes. They failed to see him fulfilling Elijah’s role of preparing the way for the Lord. Though John had a unique and definitive role in preparing for the coming of Christ, so also do each one of us have a role in preparing for His continual coming. Jesus came once many years ago, but He desires to continue coming into our lives. And He can only come if we properly prepare for Him.
Have you ever fallen prey to the ugly sin of calumny? Do you sometimes intentionally twist facts, virtue and goodness so as to misrepresent the truth? Do you sonetimes tell lies meant to harm others? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you have given in to envy and jealousy and fallen prey to the sin of calumny.
We are challenged today to look at how honest we are in our relationships. To see goodness and virtue in others and honour them, giving thanks to God for them rather interpret goodness in a false way.
What matters most to you? What is the purpose of your life? If heaven is not your goal, you need to refocus and recommit and make the road to heaven your priority for the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than the great John the Baptist, Jesus tells us.
The great St John the Baptist, son of Zechariah & Elizabeth, nephew of the Blessed Virgin Mary, cousin of Jesus teaches us the virtue of humility by his life on this second Sunday of AdventYear C. John accomplished his mission impeccably, a mission to POINT TO THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD rather than to himself.
Today, you and I are challenged to follow in the footsteps of John and point others to Christ Jesus our brother.
Amen
Jesus cares for every aspect of our lives. This is the message from the readings today. He cares for our physical well-being (He feeds the hungry). He cares for our spiritual wellbeing ( our souls: He came to save us. He died to wash our sins with his blood). Ask for everything you need and he will provide them, for He has promised
Today, on this 1st Sunday of Advent Year C, we are commanded by Jesus our brother, to
"Watch yourselves... stay awake, praying at all times to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the son of man".
Advent presents us with an opportunity prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. A time when we are called upon to be vigilant and anticipate the Lords coming joy in our hearts.
The first week of Advent also offers the focus of the Second Coming of Christ. Jesus will return again, in all splendor and glory, to judge the living and the dead. We profess that fact every Sunday in our Creed. So, even though Advent is a time for the preparation of the celebration of the first coming of Jesus in the flesh, it is also a time to acknowledge that His first coming is ultimately fulfilled in His final glorious coming.
We pray for the grace to get our hearts ready, to open ourselves to his glorious presence. May we be attentive in every way that God choses to come to us.
"Your endurance will win you your lives"
That is the advise from Jesus our brother, our friend our saviour, our Deliverer on how to deal and cope with mistreatment, cruelty, hardship & persecution when it does come our way. This is as opposed to following our natural instinct of lashing out, fighting back, being angry. Instead, when faced with adversity we should retain our Hope, mercy trust & confidence in God. For He promised to be with us until the end if time.
We pray that we will be able every day to offer our crosses & hurts to God. We ask for mercy too for the many times we have caused hurt to others. We pray that we will be able to demonstrate the virtue of perseverance and endure hardship in hope, mercy and love. Amen
Happy celebrations of the Solemnity of Christ the King of the universe. Christ Jesus today invites us to freely and wholeheartedly surrender ourselves to Him for as our king, He is our shepherd and guide and desires to lead us personally as a loving would. He wants to personally enter into our lives and take control of it. Are you ready for this? Does he truly govern your life in every aspect? If not, then this is the time to surrender your life to Jesus the King so that he can make your soul his dwelling place.
Complete trust and surrender is an essential requirement to gain eternal life, So Jesus tells his disciples and us all in the gospel reading today.
Let's pray for the grace to trust God and surrender all our cares, problems surrendering our lives and future to Him. He has promised He will never let us down.
In today gospel reading we are reminded of how to provide true "Christian Service". We ought to do it out of love irrespective of whether we receive praise or acknowledgement. Our primary motivation should be a duty of service. Our service must be fine out if love if others for we are just mere servants doing no more than our duty.
We pray for the grace to offer our service freely and with our whole heart out of love for our God and our neighbour. May we not seek a favourable reaction or praise but instead seek to find satisfaction in the very act of giving love alone.
Our faith is practical and should help us to live a good life with our brothers and sisters. Jesus in the gospel reading gives us practical guidance to manage wrongdoings. We must take reasonable steps to forgive seven times a day otherwise we are not true christians. Nobody says this is easy but we must not hesitate to offer forgiveness especially to those who show repentance.
On this 32nd Sunday in Ordinary time, we are called upon to show humility in all our endeavours, not to be self-seeking, not to be consumed with the desire for "places of honour".
We are called upon to take at least these 2 lessons from our readings today:
Firstly that the true “place of honour” is the place of the greatest humility. True honour, in the eyes of God, is found when we serve without notice and give without recognition. In this way our giving and serving are done purely out of a motivation of love and not self-serving intentions. The humble person does not seek to be praised and honored for the love they give. The act of giving and serving is itself the gift they receive.
Secondly that the reciting of lengthy prayers is not the same as praying. Prayer is about one thing. It’s about entering into communion with God. It’s about establishing a relationship with Him in a deep, beautiful and abiding way. It’s about love. Prayer is not for show or to gain the admiration of others.
We pray that God the Father creator of everything, Jesus Christ His Son & our brother and God the Holy spirit of Truth our protector and guide will help be people if true prayer praise. We also pray for the grace to remain humble and true.Amen.
In today's first reading, St Paul tells us that with the help of God he is able to master anything that comes his way whether it's poverty or any form of hardship. For God is our strength. If we walk in the path of God, He will be pleased with us and fulfil all our needs as lavishly as only God can.
In the Gospel Today, we are reminded that "God knows your hearts". We should, unlike the Pharasees, care little about what others think of us. We should not waste our time being preoccupied and obsessed with flattering and presenting a false image of ourselves to others. We should just worry about living in the truth and what is in the heart of God. For that is all that really matters.
Let us pray that God will give us the grace and help to see what is in his heart and to have concern only about how God sees us.
In today's first reading, we are told in no uncertain terms that we are "God's building...God's temple...that the Spirit of God was living". This building & temple is sacred and it's foundation is Jesus Christ. And like Jesus in the gospel doing all He can to protect the dignity and sacredness of the Temple in Jerusalem, we too must do all we can to ensure the sacred Temple of God - our bodies are treated with respect and dignity.
In today's reflection, Jesus' "anger" is explained not as a passion that is out of control but as a passion rooted in love of the sinner and a desire for them to repent and walk in the path of righteousness.
Today, we pray for the grace and strength to cultivate holy and righteous anger that God desires us to have. We also pray for the serenity to discern the sinful and righteous so that our passion for God will be directed to achieving God's holy will. Amen.
In today's gospel reading, Jesus models good Christian attitude and behaviour and challenges us to do the same. We are told he welcomes sinners and even eats with them contrary to popular treatment of shunning, ignoring, ridiculing, pitying or even talking about them in a derogatory way. St Paul reminds the Philipians and us that because of this he revels in the fact that nothing outweighs the supreme advantage we have of not only knowing but having Jesus Christ as our Saviour and role model. In Jesus, we have someone who teaches us to have a different attitude towards sinners than the world wants us to and as we feel like acting. He challenges us to cease from being judgemental and crirical and instead show mercy and compassion for HE is the God of mercy and compassion. And as His followers, we should aspire to be like him. Amen.
Listen to St Paul tell the Philipians and us today that we must work for our salvation with fear and trembling in the midst of a crooked generation. And in the gospel Jesus cautions us to eliminate anything that is barrier to us accessing the love of God and gaining heaven. He uses the word "hate" intentionally. Hate, in this context, is not the sin of hate. It’s not an anger welling up within us that causes us to lose control and say unsavoury things to people. Rather, hate in this context means we must be ready and willing to distance ourselves from that which gets in the way of our relationship with God. If it is money, sex, prestige, power, the flesh, alcohol, gambling, greed, selfishness, egotism, etc., then we must eliminate it from our lives. Shockingly, some will even find that they must distance themselves from their own family in order to keep their relationship with God alive. But even in this case, we are still loving our family. Love simply takes on different forms at times.
Daily Scripture readings, reflections and prayers today helps us to meditate and pray with the aid of today's readings at Mass and reflections from the gospel. The message is very clear - Jesus, Son of God was humbler yet to accepting death on a cross. We too in the same token, are invited to accepting the invitation to attend the great feast of the kingdom of heaven in the numerous ways we receive the invite in our lives. We must be vigilant to accepting the call and not make silly excuses like those in the gospel reading today.
Join me, Patrick Tifu, to reflect on today's scripture readings and pray for the strength and the grace to be merciful and compassionate without expecting repayment or reward from this world. But rather await that which comes from our heavenly Father, His Son and The Holy Spirit. Notwithstanding, a life of holiness awaits those who implement the commands of the our brother Jesus Christ as He clearly explains to us in the gospel reading today.