Episodes
Tuesday Aug 29, 2017
September 3 – Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time : Lose yourself
Tuesday Aug 29, 2017
Tuesday Aug 29, 2017
First Reading : Jeremiah 20:7-9
Jeremiah laments but cannot fail to speak in God's name.
Psalm : Psalm 63:2-6,8-9
Our souls yearn for God.
Second Reading : Romans 12:1-2
Paul encourages the Romans to stay faithful to God.
Gospel : Matthew 16:21-27
Before Peter could truly be a follow Jesus he had to learn the cost of discipleship. Peter had to learn from Jesus how to replace his self-centred ambition and desire for prestige with recognition of the value of self-sacrifice. he had to learn how to lose himself in Christ, to take up his mission, his way of life, and his very identity as his own. Peter had to learn that being a disciple of Jesus means taking up the Cross, not grudgingly enduing it but embracing it, being willing to suffer for the Gospel and getting behind Jesus in order to follow in the way that he leads. This is what we see in today's Gospel. Let us embrace our little crosses for the simple reason Jesus embraced his cross: for salvation and sanctification of ourselves and the world.
Wednesday Aug 23, 2017
August 27 -Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time : Who is Jesus for me?
Wednesday Aug 23, 2017
Wednesday Aug 23, 2017
First Reading : Isaiah 22:19-23
God will remove Shebna from his office as master of the palace.
Psalm : Psalm 138:1-3,6,8
God's kindness is forever.
Second Reading : Romans 11:33-36
Paul sings praise to God.
Gospel : Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus chose the region of Caesarea Philippi to ask His disciples, “Who do you say I am?†The area was scattered with the remains of ancient Syrian Baal worship, at least 14 temples have been identified. A cave near this city is said to be the birthplace of the Greek god pan, the warrior god. There had also been a great temple of white marble built to the godhead of Caesar. It is as if Jesus deliberately set Himself against the background of the world’s religions in all their splendour and glory to teach his disciples as to who he really was: man and not only God; God and not only man. To know about Jesus and to know Jesus are two different things. We can know about Jesus by listening to someone else or by reading books on him but knowing Jesus is always a result of a personal experience. So the million dollar question is "who is Jesus for me?"
Wednesday Aug 16, 2017
August 20 – Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Outrageous Grace
Wednesday Aug 16, 2017
Wednesday Aug 16, 2017
First Reading Isaiah 56:1,6-7
The Lord reveals his salvation to all.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 67:2-3,5-6,8
All the nations will praise God.
Second Reading Romans 11:13-15,29-32
God's favor to Israel is irrevocable.
Gospel Reading Matthew 15:21-28
Jesus heals the daughter of the Canaanite woman because of her great faith.
Knowing about Jesus debate with the Pharisees helps us to understand this coming Sunday's Gospel. In fact the story heightens the surprise and shock we feel as we hear Jesus exchange with the Canaanite woman. The woman, who is not Jewish, approaches Jesus, requesting that he heal her demon-possessed daughter. At first Jesus ignores her; he says nothing. The disciples ask Jesus to send her away, and Jesus agrees, remarking that he was sent to minister to the Jews alone.
Friday Aug 11, 2017
August 13 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Fixing our eyes on Jesus
Friday Aug 11, 2017
Friday Aug 11, 2017
First Reading 1 Kings 19:9a,11-13a
The Lord appears to Elijah in a whisper.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 85:9-14
The Lord is the source of salvation.
Second Reading Romans 9:1-5
Paul speaks of the blessings that have come to the Israelites.
Gospel Reading Matthew 14:22-33
We can enter into today’s Gospel from two directions: From the side of Jesus and from the side of Peter. From the side of Jesus- When the disciples were struggling in a stormy weather Jesus comes to their help. There are times when life becomes a desperate struggle. At such a time Jesus comes to us across the storms of life, with hand stretched out to save, and with his clam clear voice bidding us take heart ad have no fear. The great truth is that, wherever Jesus Christ is, the wildest storm becomes a calm. From the side of Peter- We see Peter making a mistake and that is taking his eyes off Jesus and looking down at the stormy sea. This is what often happens to you and me. We start off our lives fine. We have our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus. But then something happens to make us take our eyes off Jesus. We look away from Jesus. And that’s when we lose our balance. That’s when we begin to sink. Therefore today’s Gospel invites us to turn our eyes back to Jesus.
Wednesday Aug 02, 2017
August 6 - Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Transfiguration
Wednesday Aug 02, 2017
Wednesday Aug 02, 2017
First Reading Daniel 7:9-10,13-14
The prophet Daniel describes his vision of one like the Son of Man who received dominion from God.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 97:1-2,5-6,9
A Song of Praise to God our King
Second Reading 2 Peter 1:16-19
Peter says that the voice heard from Heaven confirmed the truth of his testimony about Christ.
Gospel Reading
Matthew 17:1-9
The transfiguration of Jesus offers the disciples an ever fuller glimpse of who Jesus is and what he will do. The shadow of the Cross and the imminent suffering and death were always before the eyes of Jesus. The disciples too must become sharers in His Cross. The transfiguration experience provided them an extraordinary strength to face the future. The disciple who witnessed the heavenly glory must also witness his earthly agony at Gethsemane. That is the same for us: suffering and glory are both a call and a gift.