June 29 - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul : To love Jesus in life and in death

 First
Reading         :  Acts 12:1–11
 Psalm                      : Psalm 34:2–9
Second Reading    : 2 Timothy 4:6–8, 17–18
Gospel                    : Matthew 16:13–19  Today we gather for the solemn
celebration of Saints Peter and Paul, the principal Patrons of the Church of
Rome. It is interesting to note the personalities of both
Peter and Paul. Peter was impetuous, telling Jesus that he would die with him
on Holy Thursday night if necessary (John 13:37) but later that night he denied
he knew him. Yet what made Peter a suitable candidate for Jesus’ call was his
love, so three times Jesus asked him if he loved him and asked him to look
after the flock.  Paul was a controversial character in his own way. He
had a fiery personality. In his early life he channelled that fire towards
persecuting the Christians in Jerusalem, even witnessing the death of Stephen,
the first martyr for Jesus (Acts 8:1). After his conversion Paul’s preaching
was fiery and upset the churches. As we look at the personalities of Peter and
Paul, we see that God called them to use their personalities to spread the
Gospel, Peter to use his impetuous love to look after the flock, and Paul to
use his training as a Pharisee and his strength of character to ensure that the
non-Jews would be welcomed into the church. It is a reminder to us that our
talents and our weaknesses too can become God’s means of helping others, if we
allow. We don’t have to be perfect for God to work through us, God can work
through us, faults and all, as he did with Peter and Paul.
 

June 22 - Corpus Christi - The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ

 First Reading          :  Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16Psalm                      :  Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
Second Reading      :  1 Corinthians 10:16-17Gospel                     :  John 6:51-58 Today we celebrate the Feast
of the Body and Blood of Christ. One of our Eucharistic Acclamations after
the Consecration is “When we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim your
death, O Lord, until you come again.” That is what Paul wrote to the
Corinthians (1 Cor 11:26). How can we say that when we gather for the Eucharist
we proclaim Jesus’ death? When we gather for the Eucharist it is to be an act
of love, reflecting the love of Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross for us.
If we gather for the Eucharist and we really don’t care about each other then
our Eucharist is meaningless. Once again in the same chapter Paul says that our
Eucharist is a shame if we do not love one another. When we gather for the
Eucharist it is to be an act of love, reflecting the love of Jesus sacrificing
himself on the cross for us. Our daily lives must reflect the Eucharist we
celebrate. Each day, we must give of ourselves, pour out our lives in service
and in love of others. How? In small ways — almost unnoticed, but so real and
sometimes not convenient to do. For example: "Daddy, will you come play
with me?" "Mom, will you help me?" The phone rings: "I
wonder if you could help me…" Or "I need to talk to you
because..." An older person in the family: how about a visit, a call or a
letter? In Eucharist, we celebrate here in worship what we must live out there
in daily life. That is why the Eucharist is essential to Catholic belief and
fundamental to Catholic life.  

June 15 - Trinity Sunday : God's Love overflows

 First Reading          :  Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9Psalm                      :  Daniel
3:52-56
Second Reading      :  2
Corinthians 13:11-13
Gospel                     :  John
3:16-18 Today is
Trinity Sunday. Our God is not simply one. He is three-in-one. A community of
persons united in love. Therefore, there’s no chance that we’re merely
expressions of God’s neediness. Instead, we’re an expression of God’s love.
Perfect love, which God is, is giving, generous, overflowing. It can’t contain
itself. You and I might understand ourselves, then, as an overflowing of God’s
love. And since we’re made in God’s image, we can say that we’re both
created by overflowing love, and created for overflowing
love. Which makes our existence both a gift, and a possibility-
a possibility to give and receive love the way God does: a perfect love without
conditions, without limits. The Trinity is not something to be argued about or
explained in rational terms but a mystery to be experienced, the mystery of our
own unity in God. It is a sanctifying and mysterious presence, like a bright
cloud with a voice of fire and the fluttering of wings, an indwelling Spirit, a
boundless Light, a presence we manifest in ourselves whenever we invoke the
Holy Trinity in the Sign of the Cross: “In the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.
Amen.

June 8 - The Solemnity of Pentecost: Transformation

First
Reading          :  Acts
2:1-11 Psalm                     
:  Psalm 104:1,24,29-31,34Second Reading      : 1
Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13 Gospel                    
:  John 20:19-23Today we are celebrating
the great Solemnity
of Pentecost. If, in a certain sense, all the
liturgical solemnities of the Church are important, Pentecost is uniquely so.
This is because, having reached the 50th day, it marks the fulfilment of the
event of the Passover, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus through the
gift of the Spirit of the Risen One. The disciples are locked in the upper
room out of fear. But Jesus brings them Peace. The violence of the darkness
which attempted in vain to quench the light has produced peace. Death has
turned into life and peace and thus the disciples’ fear turns in to joy. Here
we find the beginnings of the transformation which the death and resurrection
of Jesus can produce. Pentecost puts an end to fear by calling men and women to
forgiveness. The wholeness and holiness which Jesus’ gift of the spirit has
brought into the lives of the disciples are now available, through them, to the
forgiven sinner.

June 1 - Ascension of the Lord : Call to be witnesses

First Reading          : 
Acts 1:12-14Psalm                      :  Psalm 27:1, 4, 7-8
Second Reading      :  1 Peter 4:13-16
Gospel                     :  John 17:1-11  Today, the feast
of Christ’s ascension, we celebrate the crowning of his Easter victory over sin
and death. The ascension is not really about Jesus going away but about Jesus
becoming the Lord of all creation. It is a joyous day, a day to look upwards at
where Christ, our Brother, sits in glory at the right hand of the Father. Our
destiny is to share in the glory of Christ. We often forget this and pursue
goals that are not really worthy of our calling. Today’s feast also reminds us
to become witnesses of the Lord. “You are my witnesses” (Acts 1:8) said Jesus
as he ascended. That was aid to every follower of his, from the ones who saw
his ascension down to us who have only heard about him, yet have believed. In
fact, witness to Christ in the world for any believer has to begin with
oneself. 
 

May 25 - Sixth Sunday of Easter: An invitation to love

First
Reading         :  Acts 8:5-8, 14-17First Reading         :  Psalm 66:1-7, 16,
20Second
Reading     : 1 Peter 3:15-18Gospel                    : John 14:15-21 In today's Gospel Jesus
says: "If you love me you will obey my commandments". There are three
ways we can look upon the commandments of Jesus: (1) As a restriction to our
freedom, something we hate to do, (2) as a guide to our growth, health and well
being, something we should do, (3) As an invitation to love, something we want
to do. Jesus presents his commandments as opportunities to express our love for
him. Thus today's gospel invites us to check our motives. Why do we obey Jesus'
commandments? Do we obey them out of fear of punishment? Do we do it more out
of hope for reward? or do we do it more out of love for Jesus? Love seeks only
to be of service. This is the challenge today's gospel sets before each one of
us.

May 18 - Fifth Sunday in Easter : Jesus is the Way

 First
Reading         :  Acts 6:1-7First Reading         :  Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5,
18-19Second
Reading     : 1 Peter 2:4-9Gospel                    : John 14:1-12 Last Sunday we celebrated Christ the Good Shepherd. Today, the Fifth Sunday
of Easter, we celebrate Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The Gospel Reading
of today from St. John, is taken from the Farewell Discourse at the Last
Supper, and addresses concerns of the disciples that would arise because of the
departure (i.e. death) of Jesus soon to occur. Jesus said to Thomas: "I am the way
and the truth and life". Jesus does not merely teach us the way but He is
the way (No one comes to the Father, except through me- Jn 14,6). Jesus does
not merely declare what is true but He is the truth (...we have seen his
glory...full of grace and truth- Jn 1,14). Jesus does not merely reveal the
life to come but instead he is the life (I came that they may have life and
have it more abundantly- Jn 10:10). Therefore Jesus is the way which we must
follow. he is the truth which we must believe and he is the life which we must
live. So what do we make of this saying of Jesus? What do they mean to us?
*'I am the Way' – Jesus is a road. A
road is a journey. And we go to God the Father through Jesus and we call Jesus
the Way, because he is the visible manifestation in human form of all
that his Father is.
*'I am the Truth' – the Truth that meets
us on the road. We Christians have not got the Truth. The Truth has got us.
Jesus is God's gift of his true self to us. As God revealed His true self to
Jesus, we look up to Jesus to reveal God to us.
*'I am the Life' – this journey of Truth
gives us life. When we believe in Jesus, we find life. More, He becomes our
life.
In short, what living the Christian life
is really all about is living with Jesus in faith. It is to make the Truth and
the Life - the Father Himself - really ours by following Jesus who is the Way.
 

May 11 - Fourth Sunday in Easter : I am the Gate

 First Reading         : Acts
2:14, 36-41Psalm                     : Psalm
23:1-6Second Reading    : 1 Peter 2:20-25Gospel                   : John
10:1-10 Today is the 4th Sunday of Easter and it is commonly
known as “Good Shepherd Sunday,” a day in which the Church recalls the
relationship between God and His people as described in the image of Shepherd
and Sheep. Today we hear Jesus saying “I am the gate for the sheep”. Shepherds
would become the gate to the sheep fold. They would lie in front of the opening
to the fold so that nothing could enter without them knowing. Human gates
provided entrance to the fold and protection from threats outside. What Jesus is trying to
tell us is this: that his relationship and dedication to us is as close as the
shepherd’s to his sheep. Like the shepherd Jesus is always with us and knows
each one of us in a deeply personal way. But the problem is whether we are able
to recognize his voice from the many voices we hear every day?

May 4 - Third Sunday in Easter : God who walks with us

 First
Reading         :  *Acts 2:14a, 36-41Psalm                     :  Psalm 116:1-4,
12-19
Second Reading     :  1 Peter 1:17-23
Gospel                    :  Luke 24:13-35   Today we here the Gospel story of
Emmaus, and the two disciples who left Jerusalem after the Crucifixion, only to
encounter Jesus on their way. They are
scandalized by the failure of the Messiah in whom they had hoped and who now
appeared utterly vanquished, humiliated, even after the third day. Pope Francis
used the story of Emmaus while in Brazil to address those many lapsed Catholics
who have given up on the power of the Church to bring us Jesus. He spoke to the
Bishops of Brazil on 28 July 2013: “Here we have to face the difficult
mystery of those people who leave the Church, who, under the illusion of
alternative ideas, now think that the Church – their Jerusalem – can no longer
offer them anything meaningful and important. So they set off on the road
alone, with their disappointment. Faced with this situation, what are we to
do? We need a Church, unafraid of going forth into their night. We need a
Church capable of meeting them on their way. We need a Church capable of
entering into their conversation. Today, we need a Church capable of walking at
people’s side, of doing more than simply listening to them; a Church which
accompanies them on their journey; a Church able to make sense of the
“night” contained in the flight of so many of our brothers and sisters from
Jerusalem; a Church which realizes that the reasons why people leave also contain
reasons why they can eventually return. I would like all of us to ask
ourselves today: are we still a Church capable of warming hearts? We
need a Church capable of accompanying them on the road back to Jerusalem! A
Church capable of helping them to rediscover the glorious and joyful things
that are spoken of Jerusalem, and to understand that she is my Mother, our
Mother, and that we are not orphans! We were born in her. Where is our
Jerusalem, where were we born? In Baptism, in the first encounter of love, in
our calling, in vocation". Are you ready to take up this challenge
because you/we are the Church. Are you, as a member of the Church, capable of
warming hearts?

April 27 - Second Sunday in Easter : The Doubting Thomas

First
Reading         :  Acts 2:14a, 22-32Psalm                     : Psalm 16
Second Reading     : 1 Peter 1:3-9
Gospel                    : John 20:19-31 When Jesus appeared on Sunday Thomas was not with the twelve. Some suggests
that he was seeking Jesus alone while Jesus was with the assembly of his
followers. That could be the Evangelist's way of telling the reader that
encounter with the Risen Lord is something that happens not so much in the
privacy of the individuals religious initiative and practise as much as in the
fellowship with the community of believers, that is the Church. Do we have to
look far to see such Thomases in our society today, men and women who deep down
in their hearts seek the risen Lord, but who seek him outside the worshipping
and believing community? They try to draw near to God by engaging in all sorts
of self-imposed devotional exercises. Religion, they say, is personal, and they
are right. But religion is also communitarian, and this they need to learn just
as Thomas did.

April 20 – Easter : New Life in Christ

 Old Testament Readings and Psalms              Genesis 1:1-2:4a and Psalm 136:1-9,
23-26Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13
and Psalm 46Genesis 22:1-18 and Psalm 16Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 and Exodus
15:1b-13, 17-18Isaiah 55:1-11 and Isaiah 12:2-6Baruch 3:9-15, 3:32-4:4 or Proverbs
8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6 and Psalm 19Ezekiel 36:24-28 and Psalm 42, 43Ezekiel 37:1-14 and Psalm 143Zephaniah 3:14-20 and Psalm 98 New Testament Reading and Psalm  Romans 6:3-11 and Psalm 114
Gospel Matthew 28:1-10
 The Significance of Jesus’ resurrection today is that it offers for all
believers the hope of a new life here and now. Yes, we will all rise from the
dead one day and share in eternal glory. But, even today, here and now we
experience the power of Easter glory, the effects of Jesus’ rising from the
dead. Every time we suffer a defeat, fail in some exam, are plagued by some
crippling disease, we experience a bit of death. But if we believe in the
presence of the risen Jesus in our midst, we will discover new dreams to
pursue, new challenges to take on and new reasons to try again. Every time we
are overwhelmed by problems, discouraged by disappointments or beset by
worries, we are diminished in some way. But if we believe in the real power of
the risen Christ, we will find that the impossible becomes possible and the
unreachable becomes reachable. We all testify to the power of the Resurrection
among us when we don’t let evil and death get the better of us but let the way
of Jesus triumph in our lives through faith, hope and love. The Risen Jesus we
encounter in the Eucharist is our strength to live the significance of Easter:
to transform sorrow into joy, defeat into victory, despair into hope, darkness
into light, hatred into love and the tomb of death into freedom of life. May
the Risen Christ who came forth from the tomb on Easter enable us to shake off
the fetters of evil and sin and give us the grace to live with him. Amen. 
 

April 18 - Good Friday : Cross - the sign of God's love

 First
Reading         :  Isaiah
52:13-53:12Psalm                     :  Psalm 22
Second Reading     :  Hebrews 10:16-25
Gospel                    :  John 18:1-19:42  Sometimes we ask the question “where was God when his beloved Son was
crucified ?”. St. Ignatius of Antioch speaks about the “passion of my
God”. It tells us that the Father was personally involved in Christ’s suffering
and that he actually participated in it. In the same way sometimes we are
tempted to ask “Where was God when my son/daughter died?, Does God loves me?
Does he really care for me? I challenge you to pick up your crucifix, look at
the bruised and mangled body of Christ and still ask that question because back
will come the answer loud and clear “For God so loved the world that he gave
his only begotten Son”. Amen.
 

April 17 - Holy Thursday : Divine Surrender

 First
Reading         :  Exodus 12:1-4,
(5-10), 11-14Psalm                     :  Psalm 116:1-2,
12-19
Second Reading     :  1 Corinthians
11:23-26
Gospel                    :  John 13:1-17,
31b-35   
The mystery of Holy Thursday embraces the supreme, threefold gift of the
ministry of the Priesthood, the Eucharist and the new Commandment of love. The
Basic idea of the entire Holy Thursday Mass is contained in the symbolic sign
of the washing of the feet of the disciples by Jesus. This is more than an act
of service, although He himself tells them and us that we must imitate him. it
points to the very nature of Jesus' redeeming life and work: it is not we who
redeem ourselves by anything we do; it is Jesus proclaiming himself as the
Saviour. We see Jesus emptying himself. Thus we are invited to participate in
the mystery of (his) divine surrender.
 

April 13 - Passion Sunday : Self-giving Sacrifice

  First Reading         : Isaiah 50:4-9aPsalm                     : Psalm 31:9-16
Second Reading     : Philippians 2:5-11
Gospel                    : Matthew 26:14-27:66 
Today we celebrate the Passion Sunday or the Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is
the great doorway leading into Holy Week, the week when the Lord Jesus makes
his way towards the culmination of his earthly existence. He goes up to
Jerusalem in order to fulfil the Scriptures and to be nailed to the wood of the
Cross, the throne from which he will reign for ever, drawing to himself
humanity of every age and offering to all the gift of redemption. During this
week we are going to meditate what we hear today, in the passion Narrative,
namely the life-giving death of Our Lord. He gave us everything
and He had nothing more to give us. To what extent have I given Jesus
everything that I have? What keeps me from giving Him everything?  

April 6 - Fifth Sunday in Lent : He is our Life

First Reading         : Ezekiel 37:1-14Psalm                     : Psalm 130
Second Reading     : Romans 8:6-11
Gospel                    : John 11:1-45 May be you just feel like Lazarus, dead to life, no
energy, no trust in anyone, no faith in God. No matter what it is, remember,
Jesus is able to give life and fill us with meaning. Jesus is waiting to roll
away the stone that hides us from his sight, that hides us from God, that
blocks our way to a rightful place in life. His power can give us life. Jesus
is asking each and every one of us the same question he asked Martha and Mary,
“Do you believe this?” What is your answer?
 

March 30 - Fourth Sunday in Lent : Spiritual Blindness

First Reading         :  1 Samuel 16:1-13Psalm                     :  Psalm 23
Second Reading     :  Ephesians 5:8-14
Gospel                    :  John
9:1-41
God’s ways of seeing are not our ways, we hear in today’s First Reading.
Jesus illustrates this in the Gospel - as the blind man comes to see and the
Pharisees are made blind. The blind man stands for all humanity. “Born totally
in sin” he is made a new creation by the saving power of Christ. As God
breathed the spirit of life into the first man, the blind man is not healed
until he washes in the waters of Siloam, a name that means “Sent.” Jesus is the
new source of life-giving water - the Holy Spirit who rushes upon us in Baptism
(see John 4:10; 7:38-39). In the restful waters of Baptism He has refreshed our
souls. He has anointed our heads with the oil of Confirmation and spread the
Eucharistic table before us, filling our cups to overflowing. With the
once-blind man we enter His house to give God the praise, to renew our vow : “I
do believe, Lord.”

March 23 - Third Sunday in Lent : Living Water

 
First Reading         :  Exodus 17:1-7Psalm                     : Psalm 95
Second Reading    :  Romans 5:1-11
Gospel                   :  John 4:5-42
 
We also have a thirst like the Samaritan woman. What is it that we are
thirsting for? By our baptism we have been given the gift of faith and eternal
life, but what steps do we have to take to live that life? Do we still thirst
for material things, for bodily pleasures, for power or status? How can we let
the waters that Jesus describes, quench that thirst in us? Jesus is the source
of that water, and by going to Jesus we will find the help, the fullness, the
refreshment we need. During this Lenten Season then, let us come to the well
and meet Jesus there. He will give us living water, which is water that does
not run out because it grows from within, and it quenches our deepest thirst –
the thirst for God - “My soul thirsts for God, the living God!” And
this is the Good News of today.

March 16 - Second Sunday in Lent : Transfiguration

First Reading         :  Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm                     :  Psalm 121
Second Reading    :  Romans 4:1-5,
13-17
Gospel                   :  John 3:1-17
or 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. 

March 9 - First Sunday in Lent: Overcoming Temptation

 
First Reading         :  Genesis 2:15-17;
3:1-7Psalm                     :  Psalm 32
Second Reading    :  Romans 5:12-19
Gospel                   :  Matthew 4:1-11 Today on the 1st Sunday of Lent we are
taken into the desert. When Jesus was baptized he realized his new identity (of
being God’s Son) and the mission for which God had sent him (to save mankind
through the way of the Cross). Now in the desert the devil tries to test both
Jesus’ Identity and Mission. The devil is trying to make Jesus doubt of His
identity as the divine Son and propose three easy ways to achieve His Mission.
The first temptation is the proposal to give into “pleasure”instead of
the Cross. The second temptation is the proposal to be addicted topower and
popularity and the third temptation is the proposal to be greedy forwealth.
Jesus did not displease God and loose his Sonship. He chose the narrow road of
the Cross to bring us salvation.

March 2 - Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Do Not be anxious

 First
Reading         :  Is  49:14-15
Psalm                      :  Psalm 62:2-2,6-7,8-9
Second Reading    :  1 Chor 4:1-5
Gospel                    :  Matthew 6:24-34
 
We are by nature prone to be anxious and troubled about many things. In
Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus confronts us with our most common fears. We are anxious
mostly about how we will meet our material needs—for food and drink; for
clothing; for security for tomorrow. Yet in seeking security and comfort, we
may unwittingly be handing ourselves over to servitude to “mammon,” Jesus
warns. “Mammon” is an Aramaic word that refers to money or possessions. Jesus
is not condemning wealth. Nor is he saying that we shouldn't work to earn our
daily bread or to make provisions for our future. It is a question of
priorities and goals. What are we living for? Where is God in our lives? Jesus
insists that we need only to have faith in God and to trust in his Providence.