“I am with you always” (Mt 28:20)
Seeking redress for injustice is a human need: when we perceive that we are unjustly treated we want justice to be restored. There are mainly two ways in which we desire justice. One: by wanting revenge on the unjust aggressor; that is, by harming or wanting to harm the unjust aggressor we feel consoled, and our status restored. Though the Hebrew Scriptures see this means of seeking justice to be right, the teachings of Jesus totally rule this out. The second way that we seek justice is by appealing to a higher authority – even God – to defend us and prove us righteous. This is often referred to as the vindication of the just; that is, without necessarily causing harm to the unjust aggressor, the integrity of the victim is restored.
He made him […]
Year A
Year A Sunday Sermons
Sermon for 6th Sunday of Easter – Year A Homily
Lessons from the Ministry of Philip, the Deacon
During the Eastertide we hear so much from and about the Acts of the Apostles. The first reading of today focuses on the ministry of Philip, one of those seven who were appointed by the Apostles as deacons in Acts 6. Last Sunday we reflected on Chapter 7 of Acts of the Apostles regarding the ministry and the subsequent martyrdom of Stephen – one of those seven deacons too. This Sunday, we focus on two salient points that emerge from the ministry of Philip.
“Philip went to a Samaritan town”: Just like ‘Stephen’, ‘Philip’ also was a Greek name. Perhaps this is why they were among the seven chosen to minister to the Hellenist (Greek) Christians who had complained about being neglected in the daily […]
Sermon for 5th Sunday of Easter – Year A Homily
5th Sunday of Easter – Year A
Service at Table and Service of the Word (Acts 6:1-7)
In the first reading of today we have an interesting story of conflict resolution in the early church. Earlier in the Acts of the Apostles we read (Acts 4:32-35): “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, as everything they owned was held in common.”
Soon, this ideal communal life was threatened by selfishness of individuals and clannish mentality among groups (see Acts 5). In Chapter 6, as we heard in the first reading of today, we have a story of neglect of the minority group in the access to the resources of the community. Hebrews, of course, being the majority in the community in Jerusalem, and priding […]
Sermon for 4th Sunday of Easter – Year A Homily
Jesus, the Shepherd, is the Gate to Abundant Life (Jn 10:1-10)
Every year, the 4th Sunday of Easter is celebrated as the Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocations Sunday. Each year, for the gospel reading, we hear one part of John 10. This year, being Year A, we listen to the first part of that chapter. We reflect on the ‘pastoral’ love (Shepherd’s love) of God made visible in Jesus, as we also pray for vocations to priesthood; priests are the ‘pastors’ of the church.
In the gospel text of today, Jesus makes two more of his “I am” statements: “I am the Gate” (Jn 10:9), and “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11). Let us reflect on these two themes.
I am the Gate: This seems a strange analogy. Let us look at it in some detail to get a deeper meaning of […]
Sermon for the 3rd Sunday of Easter – Cycle A Homily
The Eucharist at Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35)
As is the case often, there are several possible reflections on the gospel text of today. I would like to suggest that Lk 24:13-35 bears resemblance to the Eucharistic liturgy that we celebrate in the Roman Rite.
Allow me to begin with a story, adapted from Margaret Silf’s Wayfarer:
Nicholas had worked for twenty-six years for the same company. Then he was made redundant. By the time his day of departure arrived, most of his immediate colleagues had gone ahead of him into the streets of uncertainty. The smell of redundancy is a bit like the smell of death. No one wants to get too close to it. Perhaps we are afraid that it may be contagious. On his last working day, Nicholas was alone in the office. […]