God is here: There is abundance! (Jn 2:1-11)
What I have always admired in African weddings is the spirit of abundance! There would be a lot of noise, plenty of food, and overflowing drinks. Of course, singing and dancing would not be wanting. In the first wedding I ever attended in Africa, I requested a drink – I do not remember if it was a bottle of beer or a ‘soda’! As I kept enjoying the spectacle that was going on all around us, and trying to engage in a conversation with my neighbour, I had finished my drink. At one point, as I turned round I saw a new, full, opened bottle of the same brand of drink that I had just finished. This time I slowed down my drinking pace. Meals were served. After the meal I managed also […]
Year C
Year C Sunday Sermons
Sermon for 1st Sunday in Advent – Year C Homily
They will see the Son of Man coming (Lk 21:27)
1st of Sunday of Advent – Year C
One of the advent hymns that I like most is:
We long to see thee so!
To see Thee newly-born.
We long for Christmas morn.
The sands of time run slow.
I like this hymn because it arouses in me the nostalgia for homecoming, or actually going back home. As a young boy studying in boarding school this song reminded me of the joyful time of going back home for Christmas. I remember how the sands of time ran so slow, especially just before Christmas. In the past years, especially as a priest being busy during Christmas, and as I unwrap the celebration of Christmas of its nostalgic feelings I have also begun to appreciate its spiritual depth. I am not in anyway playing down the importance of […]
Sermon for Feast of Christ the King – Cycle C Homily
34th Sunday of the year – Feast of Christ the King
Jesus, the Suffering King
Alternative Sermon 1 <<CLICK HERE>>
Alternative Sermon 2 <<CLICK HERE>>
I remember in the early 1990’s, being driven around some tea estates in Limuru-Kiambu area not far from Nairobi in Kenya, and being told by the driver that some of that prime land belonged to the then president. And I remember a verse from the Bible popping up in my head. The verse was from 1Samuel 8:14, “This is what the king who is to reign over you will do… He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his officials.” It is not surprising that the three families that have fielded the presidents for Kenya, feature among the […]
Sermon for 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C Homily
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
He is the God of Life (Lk 20:27-38)
One of the things I enjoyed most during my four-year stay in Europe was the change through the four seasons of the year. It is autumn in the Northern hemisphere now. The sidewalks would be filled with dry leaves. The leaves still left on the trees would exhibit motley of colours. The Americans call this season, ‘the fall’. The fall, is it a sign of death or life? I ask myself this question every time I see a falling leaf. This question is more meaningful even as we keep the memory of our departed brothers and sisters in this month of November.
The liturgy of the word on this Sunday, even as we near the end of the liturgical year, invites us to contemplate on the […]
Sermon for 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C Homily
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
The story of Zacchaeus (Lk 19:1-10)
Salvation: experience of justification of the righteous in the presence of Jesus
“I was a drunkard, but then one day I met Jesus, and I gave up drinking. Now I serve the Lord.” “I was not a believer, but then one day I met Jesus, and now my faith is unshakable.” “I was a womaniser, and one day I met Jesus….”
These are the common patterns in the testimonies of conversion that we hear in the context of some renewal prayer sessions. These stories are very plausible, and they touch me. Nevertheless they also raise a lot of questions in me: what is the experience of Jesus like for people who are basically good? Is the experience of Jesus always followed by dramatic signs? If people are good – as most people […]