Sermon for 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C Homily

October 27, 2022October 29, 2022 selvam Year C

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
The story of Zacchaeus (Lk 19:1-10)
Salvation: experience of justification of the righteous in the presence of Jesus

“I was a drunkard, but then one day I met Jesus, and I gave up drinking. Now I serve the Lord.” “I was not a believer, but then one day I met Jesus, and now my faith is unshakable.” “I was a womaniser, and one day I met Jesus….”

These are the common patterns in the testimonies of conversion that we hear in the context of some renewal prayer sessions. These stories are very plausible, and they touch me. Nevertheless they also raise a lot of questions in me: what is the experience of Jesus like for people who are basically good? Is the experience of Jesus always followed by dramatic signs? If people are good – as most people are […]

Sermon for 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C Homily

October 22, 2022October 23, 2022 selvam Year C

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C
HE and I (Lk 18:9-14)
A few years ago, I came up with this definition of prayer: “Prayer is becoming aware of who I am in the presence of God.” I could also consistently explain the different forms of prayers within this definition. When I become aware of my dependence on God, it is the prayer of intercession. When I become aware of my sinfulness, I begin the prayer of repentance. When I become aware of what God has done for me, I express it in prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
I was quite fond of using this definition in my retreats with young people. It was very impressive. But that was until one day. That fine day this beautiful definition was threatened by a question from a young participant. “Father,” she said, “What is God […]

Sermon for 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C Homily

October 14, 2022October 15, 2022 selvam Year C

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C
(Lk 18:1-8)
‘… a parable about the need to pray continually…’ (Lk 18:1)

Emergency numbers and frequently dialled numbers
Wherever in the world you are, today, you can have access to emergency services just by ‘dialling’ a few numbers on your telephone. Do you know the emergency number(s) in your own country? In the UK, it is 999; in the European Union it is 112, and in some countries it is 911. In some other countries there are separate numbers to call the police, fire services, or medical assistance. I recently read in the internet that the first emergency number system to be deployed, anywhere in the world, was in London. It was on 30 June 1937 that ‘999’ was first dialled and a special red light […]

Sermon for 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C Homily

October 5, 2022October 7, 2022 selvam Year C

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C
He threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him (Lk 17:11-19)

During the Ordinary Time of the year, for Sunday liturgy we normally listen to a particular Gospel. This year we are listening to the Gospel of Luke. The first reading is selected from the Old Testament in such a way as to correspond to the gospel text, while the 2nd reading from the Epistles follows its own sequence. Today, the first reading and the gospel text have extraordinary similarities. Both are stories about lepers being healed; in both stories there are expressions of gratitude; and both are about outsiders!
Let us begin by looking at some of the interesting details in the gospel text of today so as to appreciate the context of the story, and then we can reflect a […]

Sermon for 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C Homily

September 23, 2022September 24, 2022 selvam Year C

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Why Love?
(Luke 16:19-31: the parable of Lazarus and the rich man)
It is quite common in parts of East Africa for employees to be absent from work for the purposes of attending funerals. While in westernized African cities like Nairobi most funerals are scheduled on Saturdays these days, in smaller towns this is not possible for want of good mortuaries. But why a high rate of absenteeism from work due to funerals? For one thing, funerals are communal events and hence people would go for funerals of even mutual friends. However, once I asked one of our staff who was going to the third funeral in one month during her working hours: “Why do you have to go for almost every funeral in town?” Her answer was quite straightforward: “If I do not go for the […]