30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B
Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me (Mk 10: 47)
The gospel story of this Sunday has many meaningful aspects for meditation. For another version of my reflection on this gospel story <<CLICK HERE>>.
In the reflection below I focus on this powerful prayer: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me”, which is also referred to as the “Jesus Prayer”. The devotion of using this prayer in contemplative practice originated in Egypt in the 3rd Century CE among the earliest groups of Christian monks popularly known as “Desert Fathers and Mothers”. It simply consisted in repeating continuously a version of this prayer: “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.” It was for the purpose of this prayer […]
Sunday Sermons
Sunday Sermons and Homilies
Sermon for 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B Homily
Feeding the Soul: “Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever” (Jn 6:58)
Walking down the high streets of our cities today, you wonder, how our contemporary culture is so much obsessed with the human body. Even those traditional commercial establishments that catered to our basic needs for food, clothing and medicine have taken different forms. Grocery shops are giving way to restaurants, tailors are being replaced by designer clothes, and medical stores are adding on beauty products. What amazes me is the bourgeoning industry of body care and cosmetics. From the toes of our feet to the hair of the head, we spend so much of our resources to care for our bodies. The care of skin, hair and nails is no more just a luxury for the rich. Spas and Jacuzzi are becoming […]
Sermon for 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B Homily
“He… began to send them out” (Mk 6:7)
It was Pope Paul VI who began to speak about new approaches in evangelization, in his post-synodal exhortation: Evangelization in the Modern World (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1975). This was to be an adequate “response to the new challenges that the contemporary world creates for the mission of the Church.” Pope John Paul II began to explicitly use the term, “New Evangelization” and to advocate it very energetically in his writings, speeches and pilgrimages. Following his footsteps, Pope Benedict, and now Pope Francis continue to do the same.
What is happening all over the world, I think, as a response to this call of the Popes, is a new impetus in evangelization […]
Birthday of John the Baptist
Solemnity of the Birthday of John the Baptist
24 June
This Sunday is the Solemnity of the Birthday of John the Baptist. Being a solemnity, it replaces the liturgy of the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Usually, feast days of saints mark their death anniversary, rarely do we celebrate their birthdays. John the Baptist is the only saint besides the Blessed Virgin whose birthday is celebrated in addition to his martyrdom. And John the Baptist also gets mentioned much during the season of Advent. The liturgy of today gives me many thoughts, I would highlight two of them.
His name will be John
The major focus of the gospel text of today revolves around the naming ceremony of the John the Baptist. What’s in a name? Why the fuss around his […]
Pentecost – Feast of the Holy Spirit
Pentecost: The Feast of the Holy Spirit
The reflection below consists of some straight-forward points. For some of my other sermons for this feast and on the Holy Spirit, click on the links below:
Feast of Pentecost as a celebration of unity in diversity
The Holy Spirit as the God of Surprises
A Reflection on the Holy Spirit within the Trinity
A personal experience of the Trinity
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Holy Spirit is one of the persons of the Trinity who mediates the experience of God in Jesus. Since the enactment of the paschal mystery in the passion, death and resurrection of the Jesus, the Holy Spirit is actively present when a believer has an experience of the Risen Lord. Often this experience may be in the context of the community.
This is what […]