"STAY WITH US, LORD" (Luke 24:29)

1st Reading     Acts 5:27b-32.40b-41 Resp. Psalm    Ps. 30 2nd Reading   Rev. 5:11-14 Gospel             Jn. 21: 1-19 Hope amidst Looming despair Dear Friends, today is the 3rd Sunday of Easter and the Word of God keeps us within the framework of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, particularly to his disciples. These appearances are in a bid to inspire hope and affirm in the hearts of the Disciples and believers that Jesus is truly risen. In the Gospel, Jesus reveals himself to 7 of his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias: "Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples" (v. 2). It seem to suggest that these disciples were returning to their 'former way of life', their life prior to their call to discipleship. Hopelessness drives in us a sense of despair and makes us think that we are unredeemable, that the only way to restore hope is to return...

1st Reading Acts 5:12–16 Resp. Psalm Ps. 118. 2nd Reading Rev. 1:9-11a,12-13,17-19 Gospel Jn. 20:19–31 "Divine Mercy, Peace amidst Fear" Dear friends, today is the Second Sunday of Easter and, as it has been since the year 2000, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. The Divine Mercy is a gift of God to humanity given in an apparition by Jesus to Sr. Fasting Kowalska. In the words of Jesus to Sr. Faustina, "humanity will not find PEACE until it turns trustful to DIVINE MERCY". The Word of God turns our attention towards the PEACE that God gives. Infact, in the Gospel Jesus tells the disciples, " PEACE be with you" (Jn. 20:19).  In the first reading, we hear that the apostles, granted the power by God, performed many signs and wonders among the people, especially in the temple area of Solomon's Portico . We know Solomon to be the wisest and wealthiest king that ever lived. He is the son of David and successor of his throne. His name comes from the Hebrew wo...

1st Reading      Acts 10: 34a. 37-43 Resp. Psalm     Ps. 118. 2nd Reading   Colossians 3:1-4 Gospel              John 20: 1-9 "Early, while it was still dark" Alle luia, the Lord is Risen! Today is Easter Sunday and the Word of God, particularly the Gospel passage, draws our attention to that mysterious event which strengthens our hope and 'increases our faith' (Lk. 17: 14). If Christ had not risen from the dead,...[our] faith would have been in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). The Gospel recounts the resurrection of Jesus. Within the narrative in the Gospel according to John 20, I propose 4 acts that are shrouded in mystery and accompany the fact that "he had to rise from the dead" (John 20: 9). They are: "early in the morning, while it was still dark" (v. 1), "...stone removed from the tomb" (v. 1), "the other disciple whom Jesus loved" (v. 2), "THEY have taken the Lord from the tomb" (v. 2) [who are the THEY]. Let ...

GOSPEL BEFORE PROCESSION (YEAR C) — LUKE 19:28-40 BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD Dear friends, today we begin the Holy Week with the celebration of Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord . We commemorate the free and triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. He, "the lamb of God" (Jn.1:29), enters freely as he is not bound under force to do so. This is differentiated from the case of unblemished lambs that, according to Jewish tradition, are brought to Jerusalem on this same day for sacrifice a day before the Passover feast. The Passover is near and it is incumbent on every male Jew to journey to Jerusalem to celebrate (Deut. 16:16).  Particularly, we notice the praise of the multitude: "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Lk. 19: 38). This is a combination of two statements. The first is from Psalm 118:26, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord". The second c...

The Contrasting Identities We have been ushered into the 24th Sunday with readings from Isaiah (50:5-9), James (2:14-18) and Mark (8: 27-35) while the Psalmist affirms his position such that amidst the uncertainties of life he will "walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living" (Ps. 116: 9) The first reading opens with a beautiful declaration: "The Lord has opened my ear" (v. 5a). This declaration with the mention of the ear seem to carry the theme of last Sunday's reading with the whole issue about the 'ephphata' wherein we concluded that listening to God's Word is important. Today's first reading informs us about the challenges in resolving to listen only to God's Word and give it precedence.  This Sunday we have the second part of Isaiah which runs from chapters 40 to 55. Singularly, we have an excerpt from the 3rd Servant song in perspective. This servant suffers humiliation at his resolve to listen to God's voice as he ...

"Ephphatha" ('Eφφαθα) This Sunday we have yet another set of beautiful readings properly chosen to help our meditation. I believe that the readings are turning our attention toward the issue of the EAR and the TONGUE . This will be our focus as they are fundamental to Isaiah in the first reading (35: 4-7a), and Mark in the Gospel (7:31-37).  Now, we have to be aware that we are reading from the first part of Isaiah, properly towards the end of the first part of Isaiah. Here, the author tells us about the promise of salvation of Israel. The message of the promise of salvation includes four (4) groups of people — the blind, the DEAF, the lame and the MUTE/DUMB . In Isaiah, we are told that the salvation will also include the opening of rhe the ears of the deaf (v. 5b) and that the tongue of the mute will sing for joy (v. 6b).  This passage from Isaiah, I propose, has to be read with the whole issue of the Emmanuel, the issue of the restoration of Israel and Jerusalem after...

A PERSONAL PROFESSION OF FAITH BEGETS RENEWED ENCOUNTER 1st Reading               Acts 4:32-35 Psalm                          Psalm 118:2-4,15-18,22-24 2nd Reading              1 John 5:1-6 Gospel                        John 20:19-31 Beloved, Happy Divine Mercy Sunday! Today is the Second Sunday of Easter and it is dubbed “Divine Mercy Sunday”, a day on which we recount the merciful love of God and proclaim, further with the Psalmist, that “the Lord's mercy endures forever” (cf. Ps. 118: 1, Responsorial Psalm).  The readings of this Sunday have been carefully  chosen with special regard for the season of Easter in which we are, and seconded by the acknowledgement of the Divine Mercy which gives ‘peace amidst fear’. Jesus' Heart is our home, our rest, the centre of reversal and rep...