Going up the mountain: Learning to pray Gospel Reading – Mk 9: 2-10 The liturgy of the word of God for Sundays in Lent is very well thought-out and appropriately laid out. On the first Sunday of Lent, in all the three cycles, the central theme is temptations of Jesus. On the second Sunday of […]
Year B – Second Sunday of Lent Read More »
“God does not provide us with a roadmap, but only a compass.” (Gospel Reading – Mark 1:12-15) We say the Season of Lent lasts forty days, as the Latin word, ‘Quadragesima” suggests. When I was a young seminarian – skeptical as I was – I took the calendar and wanted to make sure for myself
Year B – First Sunday of Lent Read More »
“Of course I want to! Be cured” (Mk 1:40-45): Effect of Encounter with Jesus – holistic wellbeing Here is a one-line summary of this reflection: The result of an authentic encounter with Jesus is a holistic wellbeing! Yes, I am convinced that a deep encounter with Jesus brings about a holistic wellbeing at the personal,
Year B – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Read More »
“Everybody is looking for you” (Mk 1:29-39) Being busy – restless or engaged? The contemporary culture forces us to be busy. The more you are urbanized, the more you are likely to be busy. We keep inventing machines to save time, and yet we keep complaining all the time: there is no time! Whether our
Year B – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Read More »
HE TAUGHT THEM WITH AUTHORITY (Mk 1:21-28) Varieties of Authority I don’t know if you have watched those old black-and-white fast moving films from the time of the Second World War. Often they show Adolf Hitler addressing large crowds of people. Hitler always spoke with much authority. This has been caricatured by Charlie Chaplin in
Year B – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Read More »
REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOOD NEWS Little Johnny was basically a good boy. But he had this problem with his temper. He had his bouts of anger that surprised everyone. His mother used to tell him, “Johnny, you are making it difficult for people to love you.” So, on the New Year day, he
Year B – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Read More »
YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (1 Cor 6:19) If you were to take a stroll along a typical high street in a modern city, you would notice the exaggerated importance given to the care of the human body. One could have the same impression if they surveyed the shelves in a
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CALLED TO BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS As a priest while administering the sacrament of baptism to groups of infants, I have often noted with much curiosity the variety of infant-reaction to the ceremony of the baptism itself. There are basically three types of behavior as infants react to, the priest, the water, the oil, the white
Year B – The Baptism of the Lord Read More »
EPIPHANY: GOD IS MADE VISIBLE! (Mt 2:1-12) In most cultures, one of the games that children play is “hide and seek”, with many variants – tag, sardines, or hidey (in Scotland). There is a lot of fun in finding hidden objects and people! God seems to play ‘hide and seek’ with human beings. Isaiah cries
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“MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU” (Num 6:24) Today is a day of blessing. In this New Year, God has blessed us with another opportunity to grow in love, to come closer to Him, and to experience Him in the person of Jesus. Today is a day of blessing. We honour Mary – she who was
Year B – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Read More »
