I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:1-12)
Service at Table and Service of the Word (Acts 6:1-7)
In the first reading of today we have an interesting story of conflict resolution in the early church. Earlier in the Acts of the Apostles we read (Acts 4:32-35):
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, as everything they owned was held in common. The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all accorded great respect. None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from the sale of them, to present it to the apostles; it was then […]
Year A
Year A Sunday Sermons
Sermon for 4th Sunday of Easter – Year A Homily
Jesus, the Shepherd, is the Gate to Abundant Life (Jn 10:1-10)
Every year, the 4th Sunday of Easter is celebrated as the Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocations Sunday. Each year, for the gospel reading, we hear one part of John 10. This year, being Year A, we listen to the first part of that chapter. We reflect on the ‘pastoral’ love (Shepherd’s love) of God made visible in Jesus, as we also pray for vocations to priesthood; priests are the ‘pastors’ of the church.
In the gospel text of today, Jesus makes two more of his “I am” statements: “I am the Gate” (Jn 10:9), and “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11). Let us reflect on these two themes.
I am the Gate: This seems like a strange analogy. Let us look at it in some detail to get a deeper meaning of […]
Sermon for the 3rd Sunday of Easter – Cycle A Homily
The Eucharist at Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35)
As is the case often, there are several possible reflections on the gospel text of today. I would like to suggest that Lk 24:13-35 bears resemblance to the Eucharistic liturgy that we celebrate in the Roman Rite.
Allow me to begin with a story, adapted from Margaret Silf’s Wayfarer:
Nicholas had worked for twenty-six years for the same company. Then he was made redundant. By the time his day of departure arrived, most of his immediate colleagues had gone ahead of him into the streets of uncertainty. The smell of redundancy is a bit like the smell of death. No one wants to get too close to it. Perhaps we are afraid that it may be contagious. On his last working day, Nicholas was alone in the […]
Easter Homily: an Event or an Experience
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia!
‘Alleluia’ is one expression that we hear so often during Easter. And when we hear a Catholic shouting out ‘Alleluia’ we think, they have become a Pentecostal. What does ‘alleluia’ mean? It simply means, ‘Praise the Lord’! But this praise is also filled with thanksgiving, joy and triumph. Several psalms begin and end with this expression. This is one of those expressions that has come to be used in Christian tradition in its original Hebrew expression, like ‘Amen’ and ‘Hosanna’. ‘Alleluia’ is an apt expression in the context of what we celebrate during Easter – it is simply to praise the lord for his triumph over death.
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia!
The celebration of Resurrection is the first feast that early Christians ever celebrated. In fact it was such a powerful event that […]
Good Friday Homily: Why did Jesus Die?
Good Friday
Why was the Son of God crucified?
Why was Jesus of Nazareth killed?
In an attempt to interpret history we can say that Jesus of Nazareth was a victim of one of the methods of capital punishment in the Roman Empire: crucifixion.
The build-up to this mishandling of justice was marred by the interplay of institutionalised religion and corrupt politics.
Jesus of Nazareth had gone around the land of Palestine stretching from Galilee in the North to Judea in the South, and across Samaria, for a period of three years, proclaiming a new message – the good news of the Kingdom of God! God is here and now! God can be called, ‘Our Father’. This was the core of his message. This carpenter from Nazareth had gathered a band of disciples who called him, ‘rabbi’. Some people thought he was a prophet – […]