Feast of the Ascension of the Lord – Year B
“Proclaim the Good News to all creation” (Mk 16:15)
Today is one of those days when across the globe, in the Catholic Church, people may not be listening to the same readings. In many countries, on this day we celebrate the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. In some other countries, however, this feast might have been already celebrated last Thursday, marking the 40th day after Easter. As we heard in the first reading of today, Luke tells us in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:3) that Jesus was seen in his risen form for forty days. After those forty days, Jesus was no more seen in his risen body. The feast of today marks this stage of transition in the story of incarnation […]
Sunday Sermons
Sunday Sermons and Homilies
Sermon for 6th Sunday in Eastertide – Year B Homily
6th Sunday in Eastertide – Year B
Love one another, as I have loved you (Jn 15:12)
From the Golden Rule to a Programme of Life
Many Diocesan Catechisms, after listing the Ten Commandments would immediately add, “And these can be summarised in two Commandments:
‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’ (from Deuteronomy 6:5), and
‘You must love your neighbour as yourself’” (from Leviticus 19:18).
The official Catechism of the Catholic Church (1993) does not add this appendage, but it groups the Ten Commandments in two sections using the two quotations (from Deuteronomy and Leviticus) referring to the Love of God and the Love of Neighbour as titles for the two groups. For the purposes of teaching it is useful to group the Ten Commandments in the two tablets of Moses: the […]
4th Sunday of Easter Sermon – Cycle B Homily: Good Shepherd
4th Sunday of Easter – Year B
The Folly of the Love of the Shepherd (Jn 10:11-18)
The Maasai people ofEast Africaare a very interesting people. Their photogenic, elegant figures are used to advertise tourism inEast Africa. But traditionally they were known for raiding the neighbouring tribes, and taking possession of their cattle. At least, so goes the legend! From these accounts one might think that the Maasai are a very violent people. There is a mythical background, however, to why the Maasai raid the other tribes that have cows. It is said that, in the beginning when God created the world… He created all the animals, and especially the cows. Then He also created human beings – the Maasai, of course. Then God entrusted the Maasai with all the cows in the world. Therefore all the cows in the […]
3rd Sunday of Easter Sermon – Cycle B Homily
3rd Sunday of Easter – Year B
Peace be with you
One sentence that we hear repeated so often in the Eastertide is, “Peace be with you.” Every time Jesus appears to his apostles he greets them, “Shalom aleichem!”
Earlier, in the course of his farewell address to his apostles before his passion and death, Jesus had told them not to let their hearts be troubled at his going away: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you’; but he added ‘not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn. 14:27). Again, he says to them, “I have said this to you so that you may have peace” (Jn. 16:33). In the gospel text of today, he says yet again, “Peace be with you” (Lk 24:36).
‘Peace’ is a word […]
Sermon for the 4th Sunday in Lent – Year C Homily
The Good Boy and the Bad Boy
4th Sunday in Lent (Lk 15:1-3, 11-32)
Today is one of those days, when I feel, a homily might steal the gospel reading of its depth. The parable that we heard read is a much-quoted story and we are all too familiar with it. Perhaps I might just challenge that familiarity, so that the Word of God may become alive in us today.
Usually in stories and movies, there are three types of main characters: the hero and/or the heroin – the protagonist, around whom the story revolves; there is the anti-hero – the antagonist who creates a conflict which the hero attempts to resolve; and the supporting characters, who contribute to the events that lead up to the conflict and the resolution. There would also be the minor characters (like the servants), and […]