Friday, July 25, 2025 - Homily

 

Friday, July 25, 2025 - St. James, Apostle - Will you like St. James drink your cup courageously no matter what the consequences?

To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Cor 4:7-15; Mt. 20:20-28

St. James is described as one of the first disciples along with his brother John to join Jesus (Mk 1:19-20). He was one of the three whom Jesus took with him when he raised Jairus daughter from the dead (Mk 5:35-43), on the mountain of transfiguration (Mk 9:2-9) and at Gethsemane (Mk 14:32-42). The Acts of the Apostles 12:1 records that Herod had James executed by sword. He is the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament.

The Gospel text chosen for the feast of St. James is from the Gospel of Matthew.  In order to spare the disciples, whom Matthew usually represents as understanding, Matthew replaces the disciples’ own request with one represented by their mother and does not name the “sons of Zebedee” here. The request for seats at the “right hand and left hand” reflects the rule of the Son of Man from his throne. In his reply to the request the Matthean Jesus focuses on the image of the cup which is used as a symbol for suffering, testing, rejection, judgement and even violent death. Though they express confidence that they are able to drink the cup, Jesus knows better. However, even martyrdom will not gain the disciples special places. That is God’s prerogative and grace. Jesus then takes the disciples to another level and perspective of leadership where to be a leader is not to dominate or dictate but to serve. Christian leadership may be defined as service.

James understood this after the death and resurrection of Jesus as was evident in his martyrdom. He followed his Lord and Master to the end and did indeed drink the cup courageously.

 

Thursday, July 24, 2025 - Homily

 

Thursday, July 24, 2025 - Do you consider yourself a disciple or are you an outsider? How does your discipleship show in your life?

 To read the texts click on the texts: Ex 19:1-2,9-11,16-20; Mt 13:10-17

This text concerns the reason for Jesus’ speaking in parables. While in Mark (4,10-12) a larger group asks about the parables, in Matthew, it is the disciples who ask Jesus why he speaks to “them” in parables. Understanding the parables of Jesus is not simply a matter of using one’s intellect, but a grace given by God himself. It is given to those who acknowledge their dependence on God. Only those who have committed themselves to follow Jesus are given an insight into the mysteries of the kingdom. Since they have Jesus as their teacher, they will be able to understand all there is to know. The closed attitude of those who do not wish to follow is what is responsible for their lack of understanding. Matthew quotes Isaiah 6,9-10 completely here, and regards the lack of understanding as a fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Since the disciples are open and receptive they are indeed blessed. They are able to see and hear and understand what mere human knowledge can never hope to understand.

Humanity has taken great strides in the areas of science and technology, and yet there are many things that we still do not understand. We can use technology to communicate with someone who is thousands of miles away, but technology cannot explain to us why we cannot communicate with a neighbour who lives by our side. This must lead to the realisation that when all is said and done we will still fall short of understanding all the mysteries there are and have to depend on God.

Novena to St. Ignatius - Day Two - July 23, 2025

 

NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS – DAY TWO

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2025

Hymn: O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, because he first loved me. To me Jesus is wonderful. To me Jesus is wonderful. To me Jesus is wonderful because he first loved me.

 

DEEP PERSONAL LOVE FOR GOD

The theme for our reflection today is “Deep Personal Love for God”. Love is not an emotion. It is the only reality. Love is not blind. It is clear sighted.

In his first letter, John makes many telling points about the reality of love. The first of these is that “We love because God first loved us.” (1 Jn 4:19). This means that all that we know about love has been revealed and taught to us by Jesus. He is the epitome of love. He is love incarnate. John then goes on to say, “in this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 Jn 4:10)

This love which God has for us is unconditional. The truth is that God loves us EVEN when we are sinners. God’s love is given as a free gift. This can be accepted or rejected. It is one thing for God to love us, and another thing for us to accept that love. We show that we accept this love when we love our brothers and sisters whom we can see. There is no other way. (1Jn 4:10-20)

The love that we have for others is often barter exchange. We keep expecting something in return for the love that we give. We pray that we will become aware that since God’s love for us is without conditions, the love that we profess will be selfless and without any expectation whatsoever. (SILENCE)

 

INTERCESSORY PRAYER

1.     That like you we too may always seek to do God’s will in our lives

St. Ignatius intercede for us

2.     That like you we may always strive for the Magis, the greater glory of God

St. Ignatius intercede for us

3.     That like you, we may seek and find God in all things and all things in God

St. Ignatius intercede for us

4.     That like you we may realise the temporariness and impermanence of things in this world

St. Ignatius intercede for us

5.     That like you we may be gifted with the gift of perseverance and never giving up

St. Ignatius intercede for us

6.     That like you we may be men and women for others

St. Ignatius intercede for us

7.     That like you we may be optimistic and positive about people and situations

St. Ignatius intercede for us

8.     That like you we may be responders and not reactors

St. Ignatius intercede for us

9.     That like you we may be men and women of discernment

St. Ignatius intercede for us

10.  That like you we may keep seeking the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. St. Ignatius intercede for us

11.  That like you we may God the centre of our lives

St. Ignatius intercede for us

12.  That like you we may constantly turn to our Blessed Mother Mary for her intercession

St. Ignatius intercede for us

(SILENCE)

 

PETITIONARY PRAYER 1.     For the grace to make God known not only by our words but also by deeds

Lord, hear our prayer

2.     For the grace to give without counting the cost

Lord, hear our prayer

3.     For the courage to be more and more loving each day

Lord, hear our prayer

4.     For concern like that of God for those who are less fortunate than we are

Lord hear our prayer 5.     For our personal intentions Lord, hear our prayer

Let us Pray:  Loving Father you always listen to our prayers. We place these petitions before you to acknowledge that we are dependent on you. Grant what you in your generosity and wisdom know is best for us. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.   NOVENA PRAYER Ø  St. Ignatius, like Jesus your Lord and Master, you always desired to do God’s will. May we through your intercession and the intercession of our Blessed Mother learn to imitate Jesus in always seeking to do God’s will. (Make your petition) Ø  St. Ignatius, like Jesus your Lord and Master you always sought the greater glory of God and were not content with the status quo, the tried and tested. May we through your intercession and the intercession of our Blessed Mother learn to imitate Jesus in seeking the greater glory of God (make your petition) Ø  St. Ignatius, like Jesus your Lord and Master you strove to become a man for others. May we through your intercession and the intercession of our Blessed Mother learn to imitate Jesus in becoming men and women for others. (Make your petition). We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.     CONCLUDING PRAYER Heavenly Father, we pray for the grace to so open our hearts, that we will experience the tangibility of your love. Let our reception of that love, lead us to make the same love tangible for others.  May our love, be a love which shows itself in deeds. We ask this in your name. who live and reign with the Son and the Holy Spirit one God forever and ever. Amen.   Hymn: O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, because he first loved me. To me Jesus is wonderful. To me Jesus is wonderful. To me Jesus is wonderful because he first loved me.

 

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 - Homily

 

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 - Will you keep on keeping on even when your expectations are not fulfilled?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ex16:1-5,9-15; Mt 13:1-9

We begin reading today from Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew. This Chapter is known as “The Parable Discourse” of Matthew, because in it we find seven parables. Two of these parables have been allegorised {The Parable of the Sower (13,18-23) and the parable of the Weeds and the Wheat (13,36-43)}. Some are of the opinion that 13,49-50 is an allegorization of the parable of the Net (13,47-48). The first parable in the Parable Discourse is the one that is known as the parable of the Sower. Though often it is the allegory that has been interpreted instead of the parable where the different types of soil are compared to different types of persons and their reception of the word, this does not seem to be the point of the parable. In the parable, in three types of soil (the path, the rocky ground and among the thorns), the seed is lost, and it is only in one type of soil (good soil) that there is gain. Yet, the gain is enormous. The point seems to be that one must not give in to despair even if it seems that most of the good that we do seems to bear no fruit. In God’s time and in God’s own way it will bear even more fruit than we can ever imagine. We need to keep on keeping on.

In the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola, when we work, we must work as if everything depends only on us and when we pray, we must pray as if everything depends only on God.

Novena to St. Ignatius - Day One

 

NOVENA TO ST. IGNATIUS – DAY ONE

TUESDAY, JULY 22, 2025

 

Hymn: Listen, let your heart keep seeking, Listen, to his constant speaking, listen to the Spirit calling you. Listen to his inspiration, listen to his invitation. listen to the Spirit calling you.

 

LISTENING TO THE LORD

 

 

The theme for our reflection today is “Listening to the Lord”. The words of the hymn that we sang direct our minds and hearts to what it is that we need to listen to.  

The first exhortation is to let our hearts keep seeking. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord is emphatic when he says that if we SEEK, we WILL find (Mt 7:7). We seek God’s will. For Jesus, his food and drink were to DO God’s will (Jn 4:34). In other words, his very sustenance (his reason for living) was to accord his will with that of God.

The fact is that God is constantly speaking with us. God speaks with us in silence and through the events which occur every day. God speaks when things go as we plan and even when our plans go awry. God is constantly speaking, if we only open our hearts and minds to listen, we WILL hear God’s voice.

To what is the Spirit calling us. Since the Spirit is the Spirit of freedom, love and peace, it is evident that this is what the Spirit calls us to. We are not slaves, because Jesus has redeemed us and set us free. We love, because God first loved us (1Jn 4:19) and in our war-torn world, the Spirit is inviting us to be instruments of peace and love when and where we can.  This peace and love are not merely the absence of war and an emotion, but wholeness as represented by the word Shalom. It is a peace/wholeness which encompasses every aspect of lives.

(SILENCE)

 

INTERCESSORY PRAYER

1.     That like you we too may always seek to do God’s will in our lives

St. Ignatius intercede for us

2.     That like you we may always strive for the Magis, the greater glory of God

St. Ignatius intercede for us

3.     That like you, we may seek and find God in all things and all things in God

St. Ignatius intercede for us

4.     That like you we may realise the temporariness and impermanence of things in this world

St. Ignatius intercede for us

5.     That like you we may be gifted with the gift of perseverance and never giving up

St. Ignatius intercede for us

6.     That like you we may be men and women for others

St. Ignatius intercede for us

7.     That like you we may be optimistic and positive about people and situations

St. Ignatius intercede for us

8.     That like you we may be responders and not reactors

St. Ignatius intercede for us

9.     That like you we may be men and women of discernment

St. Ignatius intercede for us

10.  That like you we may keep seeking the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. St. Ignatius intercede for us

11.  That like you we make God the centre of our lives

St. Ignatius intercede for us

12.  That like you we may constantly turn to our Blessed Mother Mary for her intercession

St. Ignatius intercede for us

(SILENCE)

 

PETITIONARY PRAYER 1.     For the grace to silence our minds and hearts.

Lord hear our prayer

2.     For the grace to rid ourselves of all that keeps us from accepting God’s will.

Lord hear our prayer

3.     For the courage to wait on the Lord, confident that we will hear his voice if we are attentive.

Lord hear our prayer

4.     For a heart that is empty of self-love and selfish interest.

Lord hear our prayer

5.     For the intentions of our hearts.

Lord hear our prayer. Let us Pray:  Loving Father you always listen to our prayers. We place these petitions before you to acknowledge that we are dependent on you. Grant what in your generosity and wisdom you know is best for us. We ask this through the intercession of St. Ignatius of you, the Son and Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen

 

NOVENA PRAYER

 

Ø  St. Ignatius, like Jesus your Lord and Master, you always desired to do God’s will. May we through your intercession and the intercession of our Blessed Mother learn to imitate Jesus in always seeking to do God’s will. (Make your petition)

 

Ø  St. Ignatius, like Jesus your Lord and Master you always sought the greater glory of God and were not content with the status quo, the tried and tested. May we through your intercession and the intercession of our Blessed Mother learn to imitate Jesus in seeking the greater glory of God (make your petition)

 

Ø  St. Ignatius, like Jesus your Lord and Master you strove to become a man for others. May we through your intercession and the intercession of our Blessed Mother learn to imitate Jesus in becoming men and women for others. (Make your petition).

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.

 

CONCLUDING PRAYER

God of revelation, you reveal your will to us through the daily events of life, the people we encounter, the things we use and the situations of life. We pray for the grace of open and receptive hearts.  Let our one desire be to listen attentively to what you would have us do and have the courage to do it. We ask this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Hymn: Listen, let your heart keep seeking, Listen, to his constant speaking, listen to the Spirit calling you. Listen to his inspiration, listen to his invitation. listen to the Spirit calling you.

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, July 21, 2025 - Homily

 

Monday, July 21, 2025 - What sign have you been seeking from the Lord? Will you believe in his presence even in the absence of signs today? How?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ex 14:5-18; Mt 12:38-42

The text of today is continuation of the earlier text (12, 25-37) in which Jesus makes a series of pronouncements regarding the coming judgement. The Pharisees respond to these statements of Jesus by demanding a sign. In Matthew only disciples address Jesus as Lord, and the address “Teacher” here by the Pharisees indicates that they are not disciples. The sign they demand is a proof of Jesus’ identity. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ demand is to make another pronouncement. In this pronouncement he regards them as an “evil and adulterous generation” which means a people who have closed their hearts to the revelation that God is constantly making. The sign of Jonah here refers clearly to the resurrection of Jesus. Further, it is the Gentiles (people of Nineveh) who will rise up and condemn the Jews. It is a clear reversal of roles. Jesus is greater than both Jonah and Solomon.

The manner in which some of us mourn and weep at the death of a loved one seems to indicate that we do not believe in the resurrection. This is the only sign that Jesus continues to give. If we keep looking for other signs of his presence we might find ourselves in the same position as the Pharisees of his time and miss him who makes himself available and visible at every moment of our lives.

Sunday, July 20, 2025 - Homily

 

Sunday, July 20, 2025 – Focussed contemplation versus distracted action

To read the texts click on the texts: Gn18:1-10; Col 1:24-28; Lk10:38-42

John Lennon, one of the four Beatles, said, “Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans”. This is akin to the admonition that Jesus gives Martha in the Gospel text of today when he says to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things.”

The story of Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha and Mary, which is the Gospel text for today, must be seen in connection with the Parable of the Good Samaritan which precedes it. If the parable of the Good Samaritan stressed the horizontal dimension of relationships, this story stresses the vertical dimension. To be sure, action is important and even imperative, but it has to be selfless. When it is done as a chore or seen as a burden, then one feels encumbered and weighed down by it as Martha does.

Abraham shows in the first reading of today what is meant by selfless action. Without even knowing who his visitors are, he lays out a feast for them and he waits on them. He does what Martha does but without any animosity, bitterness, or resentment. This is because he sees his action as reward in itself. Not content with that, Abraham goes even further and waits on his visitors, attentive to their every word, much like Mary does with Jesus. Abraham is content, like Mary, simply to be in the present. He does not let his actions come in the way of his attention to his visitors like Martha does. Thus, Abraham, like Mary, is given the better part, the gift of life.

The main point being made in these readings is not so much pitting contemplation against action or prayer against work. Both are necessary and both have their time and place. However, if the work that one does is done with a heavy heart, like that of Martha, then it is not efficacious. Martha serves and indeed, serves the Lord, but her service is peppered with so much of self that it leads her to complain against her sister. She develops a “martyr complex” which leads to the feeling that she is left alone. One possible reason why Martha feels this way is because she has not spent enough time listening and learning from the Lord. She does what she thinks is necessary without realizing that this is not what the Lord wants at all. It is service, but on one’s own terms and conditions and not the Lord’s.

In his gentle yet firm reproach to Martha, Jesus corrects her view. It is true that, by sitting at the feet of the Lord, Mary is acting like a male which violates a social boundary. By such an act, she would bring shame upon her house. She also neglects her duty to help her sister in the preparation of the meal. Yet, in his response to Martha, Jesus focuses not on these non-essentials, but on the focus and attention that Mary has demonstrated. Her gaze remains fixed on the Lord. She will not let anything or anyone distract her. Her mind, heart, indeed her whole being, is given to listening to his every word, being attentive to his every move. She will not be anxious and worried over many things since she has chosen that which will take care of all worry and anxiety. It is the better part and cannot be taken away. Social conventions do not matter; external food does not matter; rushing about from this to that does not matter. What does matter is simply to be.

Paul realized this as is clear from his letter to the Colossians in which he states that his service for the Church is not for any reward or gain. It is not done with complaint or protest, but done willingly and without any expectation. His sole aim is to reveal Christ to the world and especially to those who have not had the privilege of knowing him. In Christ, social boundaries are removed, externals do not matter. What does matter is that Christ be made known and be loved above all.

A phrase, which St. Ignatius used to describe who a Jesuit, must be is “Contemplatives in Action”. This has been taken further by some after Ignatius’ day to read “Contemplatives Even in Action”. This phrase can be seen as a summary of the message for today. Like the Jesuits, every disciple of Jesus is called to be that. This means that, while action is not relegated to second place after contemplation, it has to and must flow from contemplation if it is to be efficacious. This will ensure that the action that one is engaged in does not become self-serving. This will ensure that it will be action that the Lord wants and not the action that one feels comfortable doing. This will ensure that one will know that the reward of the action is the action itself and so, one will not complain or whine, but do what one does willingly, and with joy.

Saturday, July 19, 2025 - Homily

 

Saturday, July 19, 2025 - How do you usually react to stressful situations? Will you learn from Jesus’ response today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ex12:37-42; Mt 12:14-21

The reason why the Pharisees conspire against Jesus, how to destroy him is because he healed a man with a withered arm on the Sabbath, and though at first glance it might seem that this is an overreaction on the part of the Pharisees, when looked at in the broader context of the Kingdom of heaven which Jesus represents and the Kingdom of Satan which is represented by the Jewish leaders and which continues to oppose the Kingdom of heaven, then it is easier to understand the reaction of the Pharisees. The response of Jesus to this conspiracy is to withdraw from that place. However, it is to be noted that Jesus does not withdraw to run away or from fear, but to continue the work of healing and making whole. In this withdrawal is strength and not weakness and it explicates the response of God (Jesus) to human violence and plotting of destruction. Even in his making people whole, Jesus does not want to be known or acclaimed and so commands those whom he has healed to remain silent about their healing and not to make him known. This attitude of Jesus leads to the quotation from Isaiah 42,1-4 which is the longest scriptural quotation in the Gospel of Matthew. It is about the suffering servant of Yahweh whose primary mission is to accept those who have been rejected by others as is shown in his not breaking the bruised reed or quenching the smouldering wick. Also, he does this without much fanfare, and yet his ultimate goal is to bring justice to those who place their hope in him. He will ultimately triumph.

 

Our response to challenging situations or to situations that threaten us is sometimes to run away from fear, and sometimes to use defence mechanisms. Neither of these ways is advocated by Jesus whose way would be to face the challenges head on.

Friday, July 18, 2025 - Homily

 

Friday, July 18, 2025 - How often do rules rule you? Will you try to rule rules today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ex 11:10-12:14; Mt 12:1-8

The story, which forms the text of today, may be termed as a Sabbath controversy. Matthew refers here to Sabbath for the first time in his gospel. The point of contention is not very clear in Matthew, because the law permitted a person passing through a neighbour’s grain field to pluck heads of corn and eat them (Deut 23,23-25).

The point here seems to be whether such an act could be done on the Sabbath. While in Mark the Pharisees ask a question, in Matthew, they are clearly hostile and make a charge. In his response to the Pharisees, Jesus quotes refers to the story of David in 1 Samuel 21:1-6, where David went beyond the rule to the need of his men. If David could do such a thing, then Jesus who is greater than David can do so even more.

The Matthean Jesus also refers to the text from Numbers 28:9-10 where the priests in the Temple sacrifice there on the Sabbath, indicating that sacrifice is greater than the Sabbath. Since mercy is greater than sacrifice, it is surely greater than the Sabbath.

Reaching out in love to anyone in need takes precedence over every rule, law and regulation. It is the human who must always come first. The rule, law and regulation follow.

Thursday, July 17, 2025 - Homily

 

Thursday, July 17, 2025 - What is it that is tiring you? Will you lay it at the feet of Jesus?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ex 3:13-20; Mt 11:28-30

Jesus invites all those who are burdened to come to him for rest. The burden in this context seems to be that of the law and its obligations. When Jesus invites the burdened to take his yoke, which is easy, he is not inviting them to a life of ease, but to a deliverance from any kind of artificiality or the blind following of rules and regulations. The disciple must learn from Jesus who is in Matthew “the great teacher”. The rest that Jesus offers is the rest of salvation.

We can get so caught up today with wanting to have more that we might lose sight of the meaning of life itself. The desire to acquire more and more and be regarded as successful based on what we possess sometimes leads to missing out on so much that life has to offer.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - Homily

 

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - Is your pride preventing you from encountering Jesus? What will you do about it today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ex 3:1-6,9-12; Mt 11:25-27

This text is addressed to all those who accept the message of Jesus unlike those in Chorazin and Bethsaida.

Jesus begins his prayer here by giving thanks to the Father. It is openness to the revelation of God that Jesus makes which is responsible for the receipt of this enormous privilege.

Acknowledging Jesus is not a matter of one’s superior knowledge or insight, but given as a gift to those who open themselves to this revelation. Jesus himself is an example of such openness, which allowed him to receive everything directly from God. It is his intimacy with the Father and not his religious genius, which is responsible for this grace.

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 - Homily

 

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 - If you were a resident of Chorazin or Bethsaida how would you respond to the woes?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ex 2:1-15; Mt 11:20-24

The woes pronounced against Chorazin and Bethsaida are because of the refusal of the people in them to repent. The people of these towns did believe in the miracles, but this belief did not translate into a change of mind, which was the primary purpose of the miracles that Jesus worked. Also, the Gentile cities of Tyre, Sidon that were regarded as biblical symbols of evil would fare better on the day of judgement that Chorazin and Bethsaida.

The miraculous and extra-ordinary cannot always sustain faith, which is a gift from God to anyone who wants to receive it and is willing to open the heart and mind. More often than not a kind word or a gentle touch can lead people to repentance.

Monday, July 14, 2025 - Does Jesus Christ have faith in you?

To read the texts click on the texts: Ex1:8-14,22; Mt 10:34- 11:1

These verses make up the conclusion of Matthew’s Mission Discourse. The choice is a difficult one to make and sometimes it may be between even family and one’s conscience. Loyalty to Jesus has priority over loyalty to anyone else or anything, indeed even over life itself. If one is willing to share the cross of Jesus, one will also be given the privilege of his authority. The discourse ends with the affirmation that the disciple is always a representative or ambassador of Jesus and any good done to the disciple will be considered as good done to Jesus himself.

We must keep in mind that the only Jesus that people today can see and touch is the Jesus that we make known through our words and actions. He has allowed us to share in his mission. This is also an enormous privilege, but entails a tremendous responsibility. If we reach out in love like he did and dare to be selfless and courageous as he was, we will make Jesus present to the world even today.

Sunday, July 13, 2025 - Homily

 

Sunday, July 13, 2025 - Will you attempt to look with the eyes of the heart?

To read the texts click on the texts: Dt 30:10-14; Col1:15-20; Lk 10:25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan has often been interpreted as one which tells the listener that one’s neighbour is anyone in need of help. While that is true, it is only a small part of the meaning and message of the story. The main point of the Parable is that the Samaritan, the outcast, the one marginalized, is Good. The Parable seeks to break the stereotypes that we carry in our minds and hearts about those whom we do not understand.

This point is indicated in a variety of ways. First, one listening to the Parable might have expected the third person in the story to be an Israelite or a Jew after hearing that the Priest and Levite walked by on the other side. However, the listeners’ expectations are shattered when the third person is not a Jew but a Samaritan, a person whom the Jews had strong prejudices against. If the third person were a lay Jew, then the Parable could be interpreted as a dig against the Priestly class represented by the Priest and Levite. However, this is not the case. The one who reached out to help was one who would not normally have been expected to do so because of the animosity that existed between Jews and Samaritans. He, too, ought to have walked by on the other side. Yet, he does not do so. He reaches out to help. A stereotype is broken. A pre-conceived notion is shattered. A label has to be changed.

While the actions, or more correctly non-actions, of the Priest and Levite are narrated in few words, Jesus uses seemingly more words than necessary to describe the loving action of the Samaritan. These include his bandaging the wounds of the injured man, pouring oil and wine to cleanse the wound and keep it soft, putting the man on his own animal and even going beyond the call of compassion by leaving money with the innkeeper for the further care of the man. The reason for these many words and this detailed description is probably because, if Jesus had simply stated that the Samaritan helped the man, the listeners would have scoffed and poured scorn on him. They would not have believed that such a thing was possible. The story might have fallen flat on its face. Thus, Jesus had to describe in great detail the actions of the Samaritan to make the story believable.

Jesus turns the lawyer’s question on its head when he asks his own question at the end of the Parable. While the lawyer’s question was “Who is my neighbour?” and the answer to this question would have been, “Anyone in need,” Jesus’ question, “Who was neighbour to the man who fell among robbers?” demands that the Lawyer answers “The Samaritan.” However, so deep rooted is the prejudice of the Jewish Lawyer that he cannot even utter the word “Samaritan” and answers instead, “The one who showed mercy” which is, in other words, the Samaritan. It is clear that Jesus wanted the lawyer, who was a Jew, to go beyond the narrow definition of neighbour, to go beyond his prejudice, his bias, and his stereotyping.

When Israel was split into two kingdoms after the death of Solomon in around 922 BCE, the North (named Israel which had its capital at Samaria) and he South (named Judah which had its capital at Jerusalem), became the target for its neighbours, because its strength was divided. In 722 BCE, the Assyrians captured Israel and Samaria and took as their wives and concubines’ Israeli women. The children by that union were known as Samaritans and, till the time of Jesus, were regarded as inferior and as outcasts by their former Jewish brothers and sisters. Thus, Jesus is asking the Jewish Lawyer if he can get rid of his negative way of looking at the Samaritans, and regard him also as neighbour. The Samaritan is indeed, neighbour, because he behaved as a neighbour.

The parable is thus a challenge to each one of us to review the stereotypes that we have of others. Often, a stereotype is created because of insufficient or incomplete information about a situation or about the other. It is also created because many of us feel comfortable when we are able to categorize people and place them in neat pigeon holes that we have created in our minds and hearts. Albert Einstein said “It is easier to disintegrate an atom than a prejudice”.

In order to correct this way of looking, Moses’ address to the people in the first reading of today invites them to a following of the Lord and his commands and decrees. This following is not difficult. All it requires is openness and sincerity. It requires one to see, not only with the eyes but also, with the heart. If we see with the eyes of the heart, then we will be able to see rightly.

This is also what Paul means when he speaks in the second reading of today of Jesus who is the image of the invisible God. We, as Christians, need only to look at him and know how we are to speak and how we are to act. We have only to look at him to know that there is a neighbour in every human being.

Monday, July 14, 2025 Homily

 

Saturday, July 12, 2025 - Homily

 

Saturday, July 12, 2025 - Do you give up or give in when difficulties come your way? Do you throw up your hands in despair? Will you continue to persevere and trust today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 49:29-33; 50:15-26; Mt 10:24-33

In the verses of today, a parallel is drawn between the disciples who are sent by Jesus and Jesus himself. The disciples will share the same fate as their master. His response to negative assessment of his mission was equanimity and this must be the response of the disciples’ as well. They must not retaliate, but continue to persevere in the firm hope that they will eventually succeed. They are asked to be fearless in mission. The command “not to be afraid” is repeated twice in these verses. The reason for their fearlessness is that the Father is in control even if all evidence is to the contrary. If they remain faithful they will show themselves to be true disciples.

We often begin things with a bang and then end them with a whimper. This is because sometimes our enthusiasm runs away with us. What is required is perseverance and this is more likely if we start slowly and steadily (as Jesus himself did) and then let things build up gradually than if we start with much fanfare, which soon fizzles out.