Jesus’ outstretched arms on the cross is an invitation for everyone to come to him. Peter said in the Acts of the Apostles that he had come to the realisation that God has no favourites, but that every person who believes in God is acceptable to him. Peter came to this awareness after the Holy Spirit fell on the family of Cornelius who was a Roman centurion and hence, not of a Jewish descent, (Acts 10: 44-46).
Our situation in life often influences the medium through which we interact with God or experience God in our lives. In the first Reading, (1Kg 19:9. 11-13), Elijah went to Horeb after he had navigated a turbulent time in Israel’s history. The Jews led by […]
Jesus performed two miracles. Firstly, he brought healing to the sick, and secondly, he fed the crowd with a meal of five loaves and two fish and there were left over, implying that there is enough food in the world to feed the world population if food distribution is managed well.
The current pandemic is a wake-up call to rediscover what we treasure. (We miss being able to join in with the celebration of the Eucharist.) Jesus by his life and death gave witness on what is important. Through Jesus we come to know and understand what the most important things in life are. If the message of Jesus is our treasure, then how do we give witness to this to-day?
The Gospel brought to our attention that there is goodness and evil in the world, and that evil is in constant opposition to the good. Evil may have apparent success, but ultimately, goodness will triumph over evil.
This Sunday we celebrate Christ who sows the seed of God’s word in our hearts. In the light of Isaiah’s prophecy and the Christ’s parable of the sower, the Church enjoins us to evaluate our relationship with the Word of God. So, we must ask […]
Joys and sorrows, health and sickness are part and parcel of life, let us never give up hope. Sometimes in our life journey we may feel what Pope Benedict described as an eclipse of God, because our problems appear insurmountable to us. Jesus even cried out on the cross, “my God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” However, he later added, “into your hands Lord I commit my spirit”.
The call of Jesus to discipleship is an invitation for us not to be complacent in the society in which we live. It must be engraved in our consciousness that our Christian calling demands us to live a holy life – to be the best-behaved child, the best husband, wife, dad, mum, uncle, and aunt. It also challenges us to be altruistic and compassionate in our daily living, and to be diligent as we discharge our duties or responsibilities.
Jesus in today’s Gospel, (Mt 10:26-30), instructed his disciples not to be afraid. He acknowledged that spreading the Good News comes with challenges which may include denouncement from people, imprisonment or even paying the ultimate sacrifice with our lives. However, like Prophet Jeremiah who remained faithful to his ministry as a prophet despite the mud that was thrown at him, Jesus expected his followers to do the same.
The ultimate loss is for one to lose one’s soul; this was the rationale for Christ insisting that we should be guided only by what is pleasing to God, for no human but God has the power and authority to deny us the beatific vision.