5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A, 5th February 2017

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A, 5th February 2017

If you are a follower of Jesus living the beatitudes, you matter. You have an important role to play because you are the salt of the earth. Salt preserves and Christians help preserve what is good in the culture. In the ancient world, salt was very valuable: the Greeks thought it contained something almost divine, and the Romans sometimes paid their soldiers with salt...

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A, 22nd January 2017

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A, 22nd January 2017

In the passage selected for today, Jesus makes his appearance as a great light that has arisen in Galilee of the Gentiles. He is light for a people who have lived in darkness and the shadow of death and oppression. ...

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A, 15th January 2017

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A, 15th January 2017

To provide a reference for someone is a serious responsibility as well as a privilege because, more often than not, a good deal depends on the testimony one provides. John the Baptist took it upon himself to be a referee for Jesus.....

The Epiphany of the Lord - A, 8th January 2017

The Epiphany of the Lord - A, 8th January 2017

God’s presence is revealed to us in many different ways: we can read the “book” of God’s creation; we can search out the meaning of our dreams; we can learn from our own and others’ experience...

Mary the Holy Mother of God - A, 1st January 2017

Mary the Holy Mother of God - A, 1st January 2017

The celebration of Mary as Mother of God has very ancient roots. Mary was venerated in the East from the early third Christian century as theotokos, a Greek term that means God-Bearer. The title Mother of God is a loose equivalent of the more ancient designation, theotokos....

The Nativity of the Lord - A, 25th December 2016

The Nativity of the Lord - A, 25th December 2016

Christmas is a commemoration of God's coming into the world. He came for all of us - believers and non-believers alike. His birth should bring us hope and triumph which will dispel the sadness from our lives. But after years of celebrating Christmas after Christmas, many of us are yet to see that triumph in our lives and our hopes may be giving way to despair. Has the Messiah really come? ....

4th Sunday of Advent - A, 18th December 2016

4th Sunday of Advent - A, 18th December 2016

When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant he acted in accord with the cultural norms of his society: he decided to divorce her. But he tempered his decision with compassion, deciding to divorce her informally so as not to publicly shame her, even though he would have been deeply hurt....

3rd Sunday of Advent - A, 11th DECEMBER 2016

3rd Sunday of Advent - A, 11th DECEMBER 2016

The common theme running through today’s readings is one of joy and encouragement. The readings stress the need for patience in those awaiting the rebirth of Jesus in their hearts and lives. They give us messages of hope ....

2nd Sunday of Advent - A, 4th December 2016

2nd Sunday of Advent - A, 4th December 2016

Maybe this Advent we should trim and burn some tree limbs, not just our Christmas trees. John the Baptist seems to sternly warn religious leaders that people who ignore his call to change will face a fiery judgment....

1st Sunday of Advent - A, 27th November 2016

1st Sunday of Advent - A, 27th November 2016

Several years ago Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans. Hundreds died. Rescuers found hundreds trapped on rooftops. Some argued that many people suffered only because the government authorities weren’t prepared for the storm...

Christ the King

Christ the King

The Scriptures tell us that there are ultimately only two kingdoms in this world which are opposed to one another - the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Each kingdom is ruled by one lord or master - the Lord Jesus Christ who is the true "Light of the World"...

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 13th November 2016

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 13th November 2016

How would you respond if someone prophesied that your home, land, or place of worship would be destroyed? Jesus foretold many signs that would shake peoples and nations. The signs which God uses are meant to point us to a higher spiritual truth and reality of his kingdom which does not perish or fade away....

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 6th November 2016

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 6th November 2016

Is your life earth-bound or heaven-bound? The Sadducees had one big problem - they could not conceive of heaven beyond what they could see with their naked eyes! Aren't we often like them? We don't recognize spiritual realities because we try to make heaven into an earthly image. The Sadducees came to Jesus with a test question to make the resurrection look ridiculous...

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 30th October 2016

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 30th October 2016

What would you do if Jesus knocked on your door and said, "I must stay at your home today"? Would you be excited or embarrassed? Jesus often "dropped-in" at unexpected times and he often visited the "uninvited" - the poor, the lame, and even public sinners like Zacchaeus, the tax collector....

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 23rd October 2016

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 23rd October 2016

How can we know if our prayer is pleasing to God or not? The prophet Hosea, who spoke in God's name, said: "I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice". The prayers and sacrifices we make to God mean nothing to him if they do not spring from a heart of love for God and for one's neighbour. How can we expect God to hear our prayers if we do not approach him with humility and with a contrite heart that seeks mercy and forgiveness?....

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 16th October 2016

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 16th October 2016

What can a shameless and unjust judge pitted against a crusty and pestering woman teach us about justice and vindication (to restore what is right and just) in the kingdom of God? Jesus tells a story that is all too true - a defenceless widow is taken advantaged of and refused her rights...

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 9th October 2016

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 9th October 2016

Today’s gospel story invites us to reflect on the potential goodness of everyone. It continues last week’s focus on the saving power of faith. Just four Greek words make up the most telling sentence in the story: “And he was Samaritan!” A new element has entered into the narrative: faith is not the sole preserve of the Jewish people....

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 2nd October 2016

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C, 2nd October 2016

How strong is your faith in God and how can you grow in it? Faith is not something vague, uncertain, undefinable, or something which requires a leap of the imagination or worse, some kind of blind allegiance. In fact, it is quite the opposite....