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

1st Reading         Acts 2:42-47 Psalm                    Ps. 118: 2-4,13-15,22-24 2nd Reading       1 Peter 1:3-9 Gospel                   John 20:19-31 "IN THE EVENING OF THAT SAME DAY..."  (Jn. 20: 19) "In the evening of that same day.. " (John 20:19). This is the beginning phrase of the Gospel passage for this Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter (also called Divine Mercy Sunday).  In that phrase is the word ὀψίᾳ (opsia). The author uses that word to speak of the time of the day when the sun is setting and darkness is approaching. This is the moment the author called "Evening." The setting of the evening (of "opsia") sets the scene for a powerful moment of revelation, as Jesus appears to his disciples amid their fear and uncertainty.  It is the same word translated as APPEARANCE in John 7:24 when Jesus said, "Stop judging b...

GOSPEL BEFORE PROCESSION (MATTHEW 21:1-11) "THE ASS THE THE COLT" 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" [John 1: 29], enters freely as he is not bound under force to do so. His free entrance is not different from the case of unblemished lambs that, according to Jewish tradition, are brought to Jerusalem on this same day for inspection and selection toward the Passover feast. As unblemished lambs are sent to Jerusalem, Jesus, "the lamb of God", also makes a journey to Jerusalem. The journey to Jerusalem is necessary. First, as a male Jew, it is expected that Jesus participates in this celebration of the Passover [deuteronomy 16: 16]. Secondly, to effect his mission of salvation through his passion death and resurrection the journey to Jerusalem was necessary.  In the gospel passage, the author name...

1st Reading Isaiah 49:3,5-6 Psalm Ps. 40:2 and 4ab.7-8a.8b-9.10 (R.8a and 9a) 2nd Reading 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 Gospel John 1:29-34 UNITE AND GUIDE Dear friends, we find ourselves within a new liturgical season after the season of Christmas, which ended a few days ago with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Today is the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. In Ordinary Time, our focus is the message of life that the Lord gives us. Our Lord leads us to do what he did, namely, to give our lives for others in a more generous way. To this end, we come to see Ordinary Time as a season more of action and discipleship and less of being expecting and spectating witnesses. We no longer watch, but we also act. The first reading from Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 drives in thoughts about an ideal (or perfect) servant of God. He is ideal because in him resides an ideal vocation. Thus, what God intends to effect in the life of Israel. He becomes ideal because our vocations are modelled after the mission of...

1st Reading       Isaiah 60: 1-6 Psalm                  Ps. 72: 1-2.7-8.10-11.12-13 (R. cf. 11) 2nd Reading     Ephesians 3:2-3a.5-6 Gospel                Matthew 2:1-12 BE SUSTAINED IN FAITH AND HOPE Dear friends, today is the second Sunday of January and the second Sunday of the year. Today, we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. This feast reminds us of the triumph of light over darkness. Epiphany means "shining upon something." Carried further, the feast helps us to know the manifestation of Christ to the world; manifestation as "the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it" (Jn. 1: 5).  The first reading for this Sunday mentions the word 'light' two times (v. 1 and v. 3). The idea communicated is that there is darkness (Isaiah 60:2). Remember that we are reading from Isaiah 60, and it falls within the third division...

1st Reading        Numbers 6: 22-27 Psalm                  Ps. 67: 2-3.5.6 and 8 (R. 2a) 2nd Reading      Galatians 4: 4-7 Gospel                 Luke 2: 16-21 THREEFOLD BLESSING FOR THE NEW YEAR Dear people of God, we are delighted to see a new year dawning on us. The first day of the year is a Sunday, which makes us think of Sunday as "the first day of the Week" (Jn. 20:1; Acts 20: 7; 1 Cor. 16: 2; Rev. 1:10). Although the year is not a week, we still have this idea because Sunday is the beginning of the year.  On a more solemn note, today we celebrate the SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD . A good understanding of Jesus as God, when we understand the Triune God, helps us to appreciate the fact that Mary is the Mother of God. Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity is God, and this affirms that Mary is a THEOTOKOS (God-bearer). Even as we celebrate on...

1st Reading         Isaiah 52: 7-10 Psalm                    Ps. 98:1-6 (R. 3cd) 2nd Reading       Hebrew 1:1-6 Gospel                  John 1: 1-18 GOD DOES NOT ABANDON HIS OWN Dear friends, today is Christmas and we recall the birth of Christ, the Word made flesh (Jn. 1: 14). Today's readings focus on the Birth of Christ and how God graciously intervenes in human affairs. We rejoice because our darkness has seen the light of day and hope has been assured a hopeless people labouring under the pains of the exiles of sin and death. The first reading is from Isaiah 52: 7-10 and, from our knowledge of the book of Isaiah so far, it falls within the second part of Isaiah, called Deutero-Isaiah (Ch. 40-55). This is the Book of Consolation; consolation for an oppressed people languishing in exile. A section of this book has been carved out for us to indica...

1st Reading     Isaiah 7: 10-14 Psalm               Ps. 24:1-6 (R. cf. 7c. 10c) 2nd Reading   Romans 1:1-7 Gospel              Matthew 1:18-24 HE IS WITH US Dear friends, today is the last Sunday of Advent, and the implication is that Christmas is near and our joy is almost full. God will become like us in all things but sin. With this in mind, the readings for this Sunday turn our focus toward the birth of the Messiah and on the personality of the mother of this Messiah.  The first reading (Isaiah 7:10-14) forms part of the first part of the book of Isaiah (Chap. 1-39) and is an event dating to the 8th century BCE. The preceding narrative helps us to appreciate the perspective of the author and the message he wants to put across.  The context of the first reading is an alliance between Syria and Israel (Ephraim) to attack Judah so that, in doing so, Judah will be forced by conq...