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

1st Reading          Wisdom 1: 13-15, 2: 23-24 Psalm                      30: 2 & 4. 5-6. 11-12a & 13b (R. 2a) R:// "I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up"  2nd Reading         2 Corinthians 8: 7. 9. 13-15 Gospel                    Mark 5: 21-43 THE CHOICE FOR GOD Dear friends, today, the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), is also the last Sunday and the last day in June 2024. Looking back, we cannot but be grateful to God for his providence and the gift of life, although daily life and experience show us harsh realities. As we talk about life, we necessarily think of its opposite, death, a reality in our world as we reflect on the Word of God. We shall also remember that last Sunday, we talked about how some of life's changing scenes can affect us. Death is one. The first reading is from Wisdom 1: 13-15, 2: 23...

1st Reading           Job 38: 1, 8-11 Psalm                      107: 23-24. 25- 26. 28-29. 30-31 (R. 1) R//: "O give thanks to the Lord for He is Good; for his mercy endures forever" 2nd Reading         2 Corinthians 5: 14-17 Gospel                    Mark 4: 35-41 RELYING ON GOD'S POWER TO CALM THE STORMY SEA Dear friends, today is the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). We come to realise that we have made a journey quite far into the Ordinary Season, for which we need to understand that every journey made had an obstacle. However, the responses to the obstacles are what we need to look at because obstacles are always present to challenge our faith journeys. Let us consider a few details from both the first reading and the Gospel about the question of obstacles. Before that, let us remember how last Sunday's readings assure us to rel...

1st Reading               Ezekiel 17: 22-24 Psalm                          Ps. 92: 1-2.12-13.14-15 (R. 1a) R//: "It is good to give thanks to you, O Lord" 2nd Reading            2 Corinthians 5: 6-10 Gospel                       Mark 4: 26-34 FROM TENDER SHOOT TO MIGHTY CEDAR, SEED INTO TREE: FATHERS WITHIN THE KINGDOM  Aside from today being the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), today being Fathers' Day is much celebrated in many places. Today, we also celebrate and pray for all Fathers, both biological and spiritual. Happy Fathers' Day. In that line, we shall draw vivid lessons from the Word of God for the 11th Sunday to speak to our Fathers and potential Fathers. The First Reading (Ezekiel 17:22-24), a brief narrative, needs to be understood in the light of the larger context of Eze...

1st Reading                Genesis 3:9-15 Psalm                           130: 1-2. 3-4. 5-7a. 7b-8 (R. 7b)  R//: With the Lord there is mercy, in him is plentiful redemption 2nd Reading              2 Cor. 4:13-5:1 Gospel                         Mark 3: 20- 35. GUARD YOUR MIND FROM EVIL Today is the 2nd Sunday in June. We should first recall that June is the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This Solemnity was celebrated on Friday. However, as we are in June, there is something about the Sacred Heart that can help our reflection this Sunday. If we are to tell a Jew about the phrase "Sacred Heart of Jesus", I believe, he will first draw out his cultural meaning of "Heart" before considering the sacredness of the Heart of a man named Jesus. For Jews, the Heart is the Mind. The Heart (...

1st Reading            Exodus 24: 3-8 Psalm                       116: 12-13. 15 and 16bc. 17-18 (R. 13) 2nd Reading          Hebrews 9:11-15 Gospel                     Mark 14: 12-16, 22- 26.  PREPARE TO RECEIVE THE TRANSFORMING FOOD OF REDEMPTION  Today, we celebrate another pivotal mystery of the Christian faith — the Holy Eucharist. This mystery has many implications and lessons to help us reflect in the course of our journey towards Heaven. We must emphasize the centrality of this mystery by stating that without the Eucharist, the Church is not, for the Eucharist is Christ's real presence with and in the Church. Bread and wine are transformed through the action of the priest, into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. For us Catholics, it is the real Body and Blood of Christ, not 'like' it.  Today is ...

1st Reading          Deut. 4:32-34, 39-40 Psalm                    33:4-6, 9, 18-20, 22 2nd Reading        Romans 8:14-17 Gospel                  Matthew 28: 16-20           DIFFERENCES ARE NEVER THREATS Dear friends, we ended the season of Easter with Pentecost Sunday. We continue with the second part of Ordinary Time. Interestingly, the first Sunday in this second part is the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. This Solemnity stands at the core of Christianity as it tells us the nature of God and what we can learn from the Trinity to aid us to flourish in living our call to holiness in Ordinary Time, having been redeemed from sin and death at Easter. As well, today is also the last Sunday of May, and we thank God for his providence, and we entrust ourselves to the maternal embrace and patronage of Mary, whose intercession ...

1st Reading            Acts 10: 25-26. 34-35. 44-48 Psalm                       98: 1 .2 -3ab. 3cd-4 (R. cf. 2) 2nd Reading         1 John 4: 7-10 Gospel                    John 15: 9-17 LOVE MUST PROMOTE LIFE. Brothers and Sisters, we launch into the 6th Week of Easter, with its Sunday being the first Sunday of May. Familiar to many Catholics and non-Catholics alike, May is a month dedicated to the praying of the Holy Rosary. The first thing we have to start thinking about is how to make the best out of the month with the praying of the Rosary so that we grow in our spiritual life. In May, let us strive to seek Mary's maternal aid as we so desire to become more and more conformed to Christ's image. In talking about growing in the spiritual life, which also affects every aspect of our lives, the Gospel passage for this Sunday (Jn. 15:...