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

  1st Reading         Acts 10: 34a. 37-43 Psalm                     118: 1-2, 15c-17, 22-23 (R. 24) R:// "This is the day the Lord had made; let us rejoice in it and be glad" or Alleluia 2nd Reading       Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5: 6b-8 Gospel                    John 20: 1-9 THE EVIDENCE LIES IN THE TOMB This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad (Ps. 118: 24).  Dear friends, the much anticipated day, the day for which we have been preparing for a length of 40 days has finally come. Today is Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord. This Sunday is the mother of all sundays. The other Sundays are "little easters." Our Lord is risen, and this strengthens our hope that the Messiah came and has done the work of redemption. The Lord is truly risen, alleluia.  Let us drink from the treasury of t...

  1st Reading                Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Psalm                      31: 2 and 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17 and 25 (R. Lk. 23:46b) R:// "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" 2nd Reading             Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 Gospel                          John 18:1-19: 42 BE STRONG Beloved, as we experience the silence of the Triduum, let us keep a few points from the Gospel passage from John 18:1-19:42 in mind to help our meditation. The Passion narrative according to John is read every year on Good Friday.  I suggest that we focus on Peter's denial. This has much to teach us about the various areas that we can also deny the Lord. In all, the final question will be, "Will I also deny the Lord?" We need to understand that Peter is a man of extreme zeal and faith. He is like many of...

  1st Reading            Exodus 12: 1-8, 11-14 Psalm                      116:12-13, 15 and 16bc, 17-18 (R. cf. 1 Cor. 10: 16) R:// "The cup of blessing is a participation in the blood of Christ"  2nd Reading         1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 Gospel                    John 13:1-15 THE WORK AND THE WORKER ARE INSTITUTED Friends, today, we commence the Sacred Paschal Triduum with the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. In this Mass, we recall the gift of the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Priesthood. Therefore, we celebrate the work and worker. Let us take a few noteworthy details from the first reading and the Gospel narrative. Let us begin with the first reading from Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14. This is a passage that is read on every Holy Thursday at the Mass of the Lord's Supper. The narrative is found within the surgence of the plague...

  1st Reading             Isaiah 50: 4-7 Psalm                        22: 8-9, 17-18a, 19-20, 23-24 (R. 2a) R:// "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 2nd Reading          Philippians 2: 6-11 Gospel                     Matthew 26:14-27:66 HELP THE HELPLESS Beloved, today is Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord (Year A). This year, we have the passion narrative from the Gospel according to Matthew. In year A, we read from Matthew, in year B, we read from Mark, and you C we read from Luke. Because we are in Year A, we are reading from Matthew. John's account of the Passion is read on Good Friday every year.  I would like us to look at three groups of helpers in the narrative according to Matthew.  The first person is Simon of Cyrene. He came unto the scene before Jesus' ascent of the mountain. ...

Gospel                Matthew 21:1-11 FOLLOW CLOSELY Friends, Pax et Bonum! Today, we come to a very important day in the life of the Church, Palm Sunday of the Passion of Christ. This celebration ushers us into the Week of weeks, the Holy Week. On this day, we remember Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem. We also commemorate such a journey in today's liturgy. The liturgy for this Sunday provides the reading of a Gospel before the procession into the Church begins. In year A, this liturgical year, the Gospel passage is Matthew 21:1-11. Let us dive a little deeper into it. We need to set the stage by looking at the movement of Jesus. He moves from Jericho where he healed two blind men (Matt. 20:29) toward Jerusalem. The author of the text beautifully tells us that in moving to Jerusalem, he came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives (Matt. 21:1). Read the passage again, omitting the detail about "Bethphage on the Mount of Olives" and you would realise tha...

1st Reading            Ezekiel 37:12-14 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         Romans 8:8-11 Gospel                     John 11:1-45 THE VALLEY CANNOT HOLD US; GOD GIVES LIFE Friends, Pax et Bonum! Today is the 5th Sunday of Lent (Year A). This is the last full week of Lent. It means that next week is Holy Week. We are actually getting closer to the end of Lent and nearer to Easter than before. I wish to suggest that when the end is closer, the journey becomes tougher, if not toughest. At this point, we need reassurance. Do not give up! We are almost there.  The Gospel is from John 11:1-45. It is the narrative of the raising of Lazarus to life. However, I prefer we pay attention to the first reading from Ezekiel 37: 12-14...

1st Reading             1 Samuel 16: 1b, 6-7, 10-13a Psalm                        23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (R. 1) R:// "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want" 2nd Reading          Ephesians 5: 8-14 Gospel                     John 9: 1-41 ENCOUNTER, BELIEVE, REJOICE Friends, Pax et Bonum! Today is the 4th Sunday of Lent (Year A). This Sunday is called Lætare Sunday, also known as Rejoicing Sunday. This is seen particularly in the first words of the Entrance Antiphon, thus "Rejoice Jerusalem..." (Isa. 66:10). The author of Isaiah uses these words to invite all to be happy with Jerusalem. Those who once mourned for the destruction of Jerusalem are invited to be happy with her hope of restoration. What it means is that the city shall be alive again. That is cause to be happy, to rejoice. That hope becomes a reason f...