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 world […]
Sunday Sermons
Sunday Sermons and Homilies
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 which […]
5th Sunday in Lent Sermon – Cycle B Homily – When I am lifted up
We want to see Jesus lifted high
5th Sunday in Lent – Year B (Jn 12:20-33)
When I read the gospel text of the 5th Sunday in Lent (year B), I was reminded of a popular song, written by the Children’s song-writer Doug Horley, that goes:
We want to see Jesus lifted high,
A banner that flies across the land,
That all men might see the truth and know,
He is the way to heaven.
Despite the fact that the song is theologically simplistic – remember it is a children’s song – I thought the first line captures quite well the theme of the gospel of today: “We want to see Jesus lifted high”. I would like to use this line in two parts to offer the reflection for today. In the third part of the reflection, I will propose another method of praying, thus completing […]
4th Sunday in Lent Sermon – Cycle B Homily: Nicodemus
“God loved the world so much….”
4th Sunday in Lent – Year B (Jn 1:12-15).
The Gospel of John is often considered the most difficult of the Gospels – highly symbolic in its expression and deeply theological in its content. John likes to use terms with more than one meaning and thus invite us to a deeper level of reflection. For instance, in the gospel text of today (from John 3) there are at least three expressions that can have more than one meaning: night, spirit or wind, born from above or born again. This conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus turns out to be a theological discourse, which is very typical of the Gospel of John. Though the text we heard read is only part of the conversation, I would like to consider the whole encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus (Jn […]
3rd Sunday in Lent Sermon – Cycle B Homily: The Temple
“In three days I will raise it up”
3rd Sunday in Lent – Year B (Jn 2:13-25).
To watch my video reflection on the Temple of Jerusalem on Youtube, CLICK HERE.
As we may well be aware, the Liturgy of the Word for Sundays in the Catholic liturgy is laid out in a three-year cycle. During Lent, the Year A cycle uses the Gospel of John, with passages particularly relevant for those who are preparing for baptism during Easter. This year, we are using the Year B cycle, basically reading from the Gospel of Mark. Previous two Sundays of Lent we read from the Gospel according to Mark. But today we switch over to John and continue listening to John until the 5th Sunday in Lent. The Gospel of John is often considered the most difficult of the Gospels – highly […]