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

1st Reading        Genesis 12:1-4a Psalm                    33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 (R. 22) R:// "May your merciful love be upon us, as we hope in you, O Lord" 2nd Reading        2 Timothy 1:8b-10 Gospel                   Matthew 17:1-9 BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING Friends, Peace and Goodness! Today, we enter the second week of Lent. Today is also the first Sunday of March, the 3rd month of the year. We thank God for his providence and his many graces. March in the Catholic Church is traditionally dedicated to St. Joseph. Throughout the New Testament, especially in the Gospels, we do not hear Joseph talking much. He rather acts more. The lengthy parts of Lent this year is within March. I suggest that as we go through Lent, we should begin to learn from St. Joseph how to discern and carry out the will of God, even if it inconveniences us. Surrender your will to...

1st Reading           Genesis 2:7-9,3:1-7 Psalm                      51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17 (R. cf. 3a) R:// "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned" 2nd Reading        Romans 5:12-19 Gospel                   Matthew 4:1-11 DO NOT TRADE BREAD FOR YOUR SOUL Friends, Peace and Goodness! We usher in the gracious and new season of Lent. Lent is a 40-day journey in preparation for the celebration of the Church's greatest day of Easter. We ask the Lord to be gracious to us as we embark on this journey. The first reading is from Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7 and the Gospel is from Matthew 4:1-11. Let us start with the Gospel and notice some interesting reflective details.  The Gospel is the temptation narrative as recorded by the author of the Gospel according to Matthew. The first thing we should notice is the locus or the setting of the narra...

  1st Reading                Sirach 15:15-20 Psalm                          119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 (R. 1b) R:// "Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord" 2nd Reading            1 Corinthians 2:6-10 Gospel                       Matthew 5:17-37 LET GO, MAKE PEACE Friends, Pax et Bonum! All too soon, we are in the middle of the month of February. Today happens to be the 3rd Sunday of February, 2026, the last Sunday of the first part of Ordinary Time. What it means is that very soon we shall begin another liturgical season, Lent, with Ash Wednesday. We should start tuning towards Lent. Of course, today is the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time. I propose that we briefly dwell on salient thoughts form the Gospel passage. However, it is important to stress that the first reading is from Sirach ...

1st Reading           Isaiah 58:7-10 Psalm                     112: 4-5, 6-7, 8a and 9 (R. 4a) R:// "A light rises in the darkness for the upright" 2nd Reading         1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Gospel                    Matthew 5:13-16 BE FELT AND SEEN Peace and Goodness, friends! Today is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) and the Second Sunday of February, 2026. Let us dive straight into the readings. The first reading is from Isaiah 58:7-10 and the Gospel is from Matthew 5: 13-16. Let us start with the first reading. I want to suggest that we see our readings in the light of preparations for Lent as we shall touch on a very critical practice in Lent — fasting.  The first reading, Isaiah 58:7-10, forms part of what is agreed on by scholars as Trito-Isaiah (or third Isaiah) which is from Isaiah 56-66. This part of Isaiah deals with the re...

1st Reading           Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13 Psalm                     146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10 (R. Matthew 5:3) R:// "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" 2nd Reading         1 Corinthians 1: 26-31 Gospel                     Matthew 5:1-12a GOD BUILDS HIS KINGDOM WITH THE HUMBLE Dear friends, Peace and Goodness! Today is the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). It is the 1st Sunday of February 2026. February, in the Catholic Church, is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Family. What binds a family is love. In fact, within the secular sphere, February is regarded as a month of love because of the celebration of Valentine's day. This celebration aligns with the Church's dedication of the month to the Holy Family.  Let us enter deeply into the readings of the day. The first reading is from Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13 ...

1st Reading                    Isaiah 9:1-4 Psalm                               27:1,4,13-14 (R.1a) R:// "The Lord is my light and my salvation" 2nd Reading                 1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17 Gospel                             Matthew 4:12-23 SALVATION BEGINS WHERE HISTORY REMEMBERS PAIN Friends, Peace and Goodness! We are already getting deeper into the Season of Ordinary Time, and today is the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A). Today is also the last Sunday of the month of January. What it means is that we have enjoyed the providence of God and what should fill our hearts should be thanksgiving. In a unique way, today is designated as Sunday of the Word of God. This observance was instituted by Pope Francis on 30 September 2019 (Memorial of St....

1st Reading                Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 Psalm                           40:2 & 4ab, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10 (R. 8a & 9a) R:// "See, I have come, Lord, to do your will" 2nd Reading              1 Corinthians 1:1-3 Gospel                         John 1:29-34 LIGHT THE WORLD Friends, Peace and Goodness! After the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we return to the Season of Ordinary Time. This is the first part. Today, we are ushered into the second week of Ordinary Time. Let us take a quick dive into the readings.  The first reading is from Isaiah 49:3,5-6. It is the Second Song of Isaiah. To unpack the text, I suggest we put the text within context.  Realise that our text is from Isaiah 49. Isaiah is popularly divided into three parts. The first part, known as First Isaiah (or Pr...