2nd Sunday of Easter
The Divine Mercy Sunday
(FOR ANOTHER SERMON ON ST THOMAS – CLICK HERE)
Happy feast of Easter! Easter is the prototype of all Christian feasts. It is such a great event that one day of celebration does not suffice. We needed eight days of liturgical celebrations. Yes, today we conclude the Octave of Easter.
On this 2nd Sunday of Easter, every year, we have the same gospel reading, though the other two readings vary. The gospel passage of today from John begins with the narration of the first appearance of the Risen Lord to his apostles on the day of Easter, it goes on then to narrate the appearance of the Risen Lord to Thomas who was absent on the day of the Easter. The latter incident takes place on the eighth day of Easter (like today). Thus the gospel […]
Year C
Year C Sunday Sermons
Sermon for Baptism of the Lord
Baptism of the Lord:
Called to be Active Participants
As a priest while administering the sacrament of baptism to groups of infants, I have often noted with much curiosity the variety of infant-reaction to the ceremony of the baptism itself. There are basically three types of behaviour as infants react to, the priest, the water, the oil, the white cloth, the light, and the crowd itself that is around during the celebration of the sacrament of baptism:
There are the sharp-eyed infants, who watch every movement with keen curiosity. They are like the spectators at the tennis court, moving their head towards every stimulus. They are generally quiet but active. When the parents and god-parents are presented with the candle, for instance, these infants would also try to reach out and insist on holding it […]
Sermon for Epiphany
Epiphany: God is made visible!
(Mt 2:1-12)
Watch a Video Reflection by Selvam on the Journey of the Magi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2hI1Maf8-M
In most cultures, one of the games that children play is “hide and seek”, with many variants – tag, sardines, or hidey (in Scotland). There is a lot of fun in finding hidden objects and people! God seems to play ‘hide and seek’ with human beings.
Isaiah cries out, “Oh God of Israel, you are a God who lies hidden” (Is 45:15). And the Psalmist prays, “It is your face Oh Lord that I seek, hide not your face from me” (Ps 27:8b,9). This was the situation of the old dispensation. But suddenly there is a surprise in the history of salvation. God is made visible in the form of a little babe.
Today’s feast, my […]
Sermon for 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C Homily
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
The Day of the Lord (Lk 21:5-19)
I was rushing in the streets of London to catch a bus to college. Two young men accosted me in a rather friendly manner. I was almost near the bus stop, so I stopped by to listen to them. They showed me a picture of a beautiful garden – a classical scene from the Garden of Eden! “Would you like the world to be like this?” They asked. I immediately guessed that they were members of a sect or something. I came up with my answer quite spontaneously and quickly, “It is already like this; after all, the world is good.” They were somewhat surprised by my unexpected answer. They didn’t know how to proceed on with the conversation. They didn’t want to give […]
All Souls Day
Theme: “The Souls of the Just are in the Hands of God”
Today we remember with affection and prayer those who have gone before us. It is a day when grief and faith meet, when silence and hope hold hands. The Scripture readings (with options) remind us that death is not the end, but a passage. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom says: “The souls of the just are in the hands of God, and no torment shall touch them.”
This conviction did not come easily in Israel’s history. Earlier generations thought that the dead simply went down to Sheol, a shadowy place of silence – in Greek, was referred as Hades. But in the later books, especially Wisdom and Maccabees, there was a breakthrough of faith. […]