Monday, 31 August 2026
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 - Will your actions speak louder than your words today? How?
To read the texts click on the texts:1 Cor 2:1-16; Lk 4:31-37
Immediately
after leaving the synagogue, Jesus works a miracle. This miracle is the healing
of a man possessed by a demon, thus putting into action immediately the
manifesto he had spoken about.
This
exorcism is the first of the four exorcisms in the Gospel of Luke. The unclean
spirit refers to Jesus here as Jesus of Nazareth and as the Holy one of God,
which is a title Luke has taken from Mark, since it does not appear again in
the Gospel of Luke. Jesus exorcises the demon with a command.
It
is interesting to note that the people who witnessed the miracle refer to it
not as an action but as a teaching simply because there was never a separation
between the words and deeds of Jesus, there was never a separation between what
Jesus said and did.
Sunday, 30 August 2026
Monday, August 31, 2026 - Do you agree with the manifesto of Jesus? How will you help him put it into action today?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor2:1-5; Lk 4:16-30
“Nazareth’
has figured prominently in the Infancy Narratives of Luke, but Luke reminds us
that it was where Jesus had been brought up. Jesus is faithful to the tradition
he received from his fore fathers, and does not flout rules for the sake of
flouting them. He is not an armchair critic. Standing to read was customary.
While he taught, he would sit. There were many parts to the worship in a Jewish
synagogue, and various people might have been asked to lead in reading or
praying. Luke’s description of Jesus finding the place where the verses quoted
from Isaiah occur probably means that Jesus himself chose this passage. The
scriptures would be read in Hebrew and then interpreted in Aramaic. Jesus could
have chosen a text which spoke about the glory of the Prophet, or about God’s
Chosen One (see for example Isaiah 63), yet, he chooses a text where he will as
Prophet and Chosen One spend himself in service.
The
reading is from Isa 61,1-2a and 58,6. Luke, however, omits “to bind up the
broken hearted of Isa 61,1 and adds from Isa 58,6, “to set at liberty those who
are oppressed”. The threefold repetition of the pronoun “me” is an indication
that this passage describes the ministry of Jesus rather than Isaiah. It is
also important to note that Jesus in Luke does not go on to read the second
part of Isaiah 61,2 “and the day of vengeance of our God.”
1. Significantly, Jesus’ work will be good news
to the poor. The “poor” figure more prominently in Jesus’ teachings in Luke
than in any other Gospel (see Lk 14,13.21; 16,20.22; 18,22; 21,3).
2. Jesus released persons from various forms of
bondage and oppression: economic (the poor), physical (the lame, the crippled);
political the condemned) and demonic.
3. The restoration of sight to the blind was
closely associated with the prophetic vision of fulfilment of God’s promises to
Israel. When Jesus restores sight to the blind (Lk 7,21-22; 18,35) he is
dramatically fulfilling the role of the one who would be “ a light for the
nations” (Lk 2,32).
4. “the acceptable year of the Lord” In Isaiah,
this term refers to the Jubilee year legislation in Lev. 25. Following a series
of seven sevens (forty nine), the fiftieth year was to be a time of liberty
(Lev 25,10). The coming of Jesus means that the liberation of the impoverished
and oppressed had come.
Jesus
followed the usual practice of rolling the scroll and giving it back to the
attendant. The posture of sitting was the usual posture when teaching. (See how
in Mt 5,1-2 when Jesus goes up to the mountain, he sits down before beginning
to teach). Through his first words to the people in the synagogue, “Today, this
scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”, Jesus conveys that the centuries
of waiting on God’s blessing and promises have ended.
There
is initial enthusiasm for Jesus’ announcement. This is a positive response to
what he has said. They are happy because what they hear suits them. It fits in
with their way of thinking. The question, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” need not
be hostile, especially because earlier Luke reports that all spoke well of him.
It might be paraphrased in this manner; who would have thought that someone who
grew up in our village could reach so far?
Jesus
interprets the crowd to say that he must begin in his own hometown what he has
been doing in so many other places. They are ready to receive God’s blessing.
While
this proverb, “Truly (Amen) I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s
hometown” is also found in Matthew (13,57), Mark (6,4) and John (4,44), the
form varies. Luke is the only one of the four who introduces the proverb with
“Amen”. In Luke like in John, there is no exception clause (which is found in
Matthew and Mark –“except in his own country and in his own (house”). Luke
changes the word “honour” found in the other three forms and substitutes it
with “accepted”. The word “hometown” can also mean “home country”, and
anticipates the rejection of Jesus in Nazareth and also in the whole of Israel.
The examples of Elijah and Elisha serve as a reminder that God’s blessings are
not restricted to only a few but are available for all. Also the blessings will
not be forced on anyone, but must be accepted with an open heart as gift. The
passive verbs imply God’s direction: God closed the heavens (4,25), God sent
Elijah (4,26) and God cleansed Naaman (4,27 see also 2 Kings 5,1-14).
At
first Jesus had seemed to be promising them the blessings. He was saying what
they wanted to hear. But now, he had said something different. He had woken
them from their stupor. He had challenged them to get out of their complacency.
He had taken them beyond boundaries and stereotypes, and had spoken about the
graciousness and magnanimity of God’s unmerited blessing.
“went
on his way” may be translated “he was going on”. Through this Luke makes clear
that he does not want anyone to read that Jesus had a miraculous deliverance,
but that Jesus would remain steadfast and resolute no matter what the
consequences. Human power and objections could not come in the way of his
mission to proclaim God’s justice and unconditional love.
Saturday, 29 August 2026
Sunday, August 30, 2026 - Losing to find
To read the texts click on the texts: Jer 20:7-9; Rom 12:1-2; Mt. 16:21-27
It
was the season of Lent and a teacher was explaining the Stations of the Cross
to her Sunday school class. They got to the fourth Station where Jesus on the
road to Calvary meets his mother. The teacher explained that even though this
incident was not narrated by any of the four evangelists, it was very much part
of the tradition of the Church and though they may not have talked to each
other, mother and son would surely have spoken just using their eyes. “What do
you think they said to each other?” she asked the children in her class. There
were different answers. One boy suggested that Mary said, “This is unfair.”
Another girl suggested that she said, “Why me?” Finally, a sickly little girl
raised her thin hand, got up and said: “Teacher, I know what the Blessed Mother
told Jesus. She said to him, ‘My son, keep on keeping on!’”
Why
would a mother encourage her only son on the way to crucifixion to keep on
keeping on? The mother of Jesus would understand that if Jesus did not go to
his cross, he would not be fulfilling the will of his Father, and if he did not
do that, his life would have no meaning whatever. The mother of Jesus would
know that only in his cross would he find his meaning and only in death would
he find new life. This is why she would encourage her son never to give up or
give in, but to persevere all the way even to ignominy, self-denial, the cross
and yes, death itself.
Today’s
readings begin with an example of what is called in scriptural writings a
lament. The prophet Jeremiah laments about unbearable pain, anger, and misery
at unspeakable horrors and uncontrollable events that surround him in his life
as a prophet of God’s Word. He is
hostile towards God whom he believes has “seduced” or “duped” him, and he is
convinced that he will no more mention God or speak in God’s name. Yet, even as
he says this, he realizes that he cannot abandon his prophetic mission which is
a fire burning in his heart, imprisoned in his bones. He is compelled from
within to proclaim God’s word. The Word of God that comes to him, in response
to his outburst of rage, is disquieting. He becomes aware that the misery is
not going to stop or go away. There will be no respite from his torments and
horrors. God simply assures Jeremiah of his presence, to strengthen him to
withstand more misery. Jeremiah must continue to believe even in his unbelief,
he must continue to have faith even in his lack of faith. He must keep on
keeping on.
Peter’s
objection to Jesus’ words of his passion, death and resurrection in the Gospel
text of today sound like the first part of Jeremiah’s lament: Why must God’s
son go to a Cross? Why must God’s son suffer? It would be nothing short of
blasphemy for this to happen, and Peter states emphatically that this can never
be. Surely there is another way. However, in his response to Peter, Jesus
realizes like Jeremiah that it has to be this way. This is why Peter is called
“Satan” which here is to be understood as one who intends to take Jesus away
from his mission and so the will of his Father. Peter is a stumbling block, and
Jesus will let nothing and no one stand between him and his Father’s will. He
realizes that God’s word and will for him is so compelling that he cannot but
fulfill it. It burns in his heart too like a fire that cannot be quenched.
Difficult though it is to go to the Cross and though common sense and reason
would rally against it, to the Cross he must and will indeed go.
Inspired
by this example of Jesus, Paul in writing to the Romans urges them to imitate
the Lord who did not conform to this world but dared to offer his body as a
living and holy sacrifice to God.
Often
in our lives like Jeremiah and Peter, each of us comes across something that is
for all intents and purposes unbearable. Millions of people all over the world
do not have enough to eat and are malnourished while others have more than they
will ever need. Numerous people have no roof over their heads while others
build mansions and palatial homes. A baby dies at birth, another is born
deformed. Sooner or later, bearing the unbearable, we realize how little
control we have over so much that damages our society and ourselves. Grief,
rage, anger, and fear flash to the surface of consciousness and we wonder then
about the kind of God that we believe in. Can this be the God of love? Can this
be the God who demands justice? Can this be the God who makes no distinction
between persons? Can this be the God of the poor and downtrodden? Why must the
world we live in be filled with so much misery and pain?
When
we are bearing the unbearable and are not able to fully understand it, we need
a God who has suffered the depths of weakness, hopelessness, helplessness and
even despair as we ourselves do. No
other God can be trusted or hope to understand, and this is the Good News of
God in Christ. Whatever the unbearable suffering, whatever the uncontrollable
events that afflict and grieve us to the core of our being, God has seen it,
known it, experienced it and taken it into his own life in Jesus who was
crucified, who died and who was raised on the third day. This is why we cannot and must not take
suffering out of the Jesus story since it says to us not that God has obliterated
or removed everything that is unbearable in human misery, not that God has
taken away all cause for pain and anger in human life, not even that God
controls all things, but that God is the one who bears the misery, pain and
helplessness with us and for us. By
bearing the unbearable, God overcomes it and faithfully keeps the conversation
open for life.
Friday, 28 August 2026
Saturday, August 29, 2026 - The Beheading of John the Baptist - Does it make sense to lose your head?
To read the texts click on the texts: Jer1:17-19; Mk 6:17-29
Mark’s
Account of the beheading of Saint John the Baptist by Herod Antipas is more
elaborate than that of Matthew and Luke. According to Mark, Herod had
imprisoned John because he reproved Herod for divorcing his wife (Phasaelis),
and unlawfully taking Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip I. On
Herod's birthday, Herodias' daughter (traditionally named Salome but not named
by Mark or the other Gospels) danced before the king and his guests. Her
dancing pleased Herod so much that in his drunkenness he promised to give her
anything she desired, up to half of his kingdom. When the daughter asked her mother
what she should request, she was told to ask for the head of John the Baptist
on a platter. Although Herod was appalled by the request, he reluctantly agreed
and had John executed in the prison.
The
Jewish historian Flavius Josephus also relates in his Antiquities of the Jews
that Herod killed John, stating that he did so, "lest the great influence
John had over the people might put it into his [John's] power and inclination
to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise),
[so Herod] thought it best [to put] him to death." He further states that
many of the Jews believed that the military disaster which fell upon Herod at
the hands of Aretas his father-in-law (Phasaelis' father), was God's punishment
for his unrighteous behaviour.
While
Mark has mentioned Herodians before (3:6), this is the first time in his Gospel
that he mentions Herod. Herod, here is Herod Antipas who was the son of Herod
the Great who is the one referred to in the narrative of the birth of Jesus in
the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 2:1-23), and had been appointed by the Roman as the
ruler of Galilee and Perea (Lk 3:1). He was never “king” as Mark mentions in
his story, and Matthew corrects this by referring to Herod as tetrarch (Mt
14,1). The story of the death of John the Baptist in Mark is sandwiched between
the sending of the Twelve on Mission (6:7-13) and their return from Mission
(6:30-34).
Mark
mentions three opinions about Jesus said to be circulating at that time. Some
believed that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead; others believed
that Jesus was Elijah, while still others believed that Jesus was one of the
prophets of old. Herod, however, is quite clear in Mark that Jesus is John the
Baptist raised. This profession of Herod leads Mark to narrate the story of the
death of John the Baptist as a flashback. According to Mark, the reason why
John was put in prison was because he objected to Herod’s violation of the
purity code, which forbade marriage of close relatives and to a brother’s wife
while the brother was still alive (Lev 18:16; 20:21). Mark seems to lay the
blame for the death of John on Herodias who manipulates Herod into executing
John. The daughter of Herodias is not named here or anywhere in the Bible, nor
does the Bible give her age. According to Mark a drunken Herod is trapped into
fulfilling a rash vow and so has John beheaded.
Though
in Mark’s narrative it is Herodias who is directly responsible for the death of
John the Baptist, Herod cannot disown responsibility. He could have decided if
he had the courage not to give in, yet he made the choice to have John
beheaded. Each of us is responsible for our own actions though we may sometimes
blame others or even circumstances. The sooner we accept responsibility for who
we are and what we do, the sooner we will grow up. The legend of John the
Baptist shows us that justice is the ultimate victim in such situations.
Thursday, 27 August 2026
Friday, August 28, 2026 - Is there enough oil in the lamp of your life? If not what will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts:1 Cor1:17-25; Mt 25:1-13
In
the parable of today we will hear of the ten bridesmaids, five of whom were
prepared and five unprepared, five of whom had oil and five of whom who did
not. We are told that five were foolish and five were wise right at the
beginning of the parable, because we cannot tell this just be looking at them.
All ten have come to the wedding; all ten have their lamps burning; all ten
presumably have on their gowns. The readiness is what distinguishes the wise
from the foolish.. Five are ready for the delay and five are not. Five have
enough oil for the wedding to start whenever the bridegroom arrives; the
foolish ones have only enough oil for their own timetable.
It
is easy to be good for a day if goodness is seen only as a means to an end. It
is easy to be merciful for a day if mercy is seen only as a means to an end.
However, if we see goodness and mercy and everything that is positive as an end
in itself, then it is possible to be good and merciful and positive always. We
are called then to be like the wise ones with our lamps always burning so that
we will then be able to welcome the Lord whenever he comes.
Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Thursday, August 27, 2026 - If Jesus were to call you to himself now, would he find you ready? Why?
To read the texts click on the texts:1 Cor 1:1-9; Mt 24:42-51
We
will hear for the next few days’ readings from Chapters 24 and 25 of the Gospel
of Matthew, which are known as the Eschatological Discourse. The word
Eschatological comes from the Greek word “Eschaton” that means “the last
things”, “the things of the afterlife”. In these chapters, Jesus speaks to all
the people about how they must behave in the present, if they are to expect to
be judged with mercy in the future. In the text of today, the disciples are
asked to “stay awake”, because no one knows when the hour of departure will be.
The disciples are called to be busy with the assigned mission not with
apocalyptic speculation. The wise servant is the one who obeys not calculates.
Some
of us regard being good as a burden. This is because we may associate goodness
with being serious and sombre and not enjoying every single moment of life. On
the contrary, goodness means exactly the opposite. It means that one is in the
present moment and so living it as fully as possible. It also means that for a
person who does this there is no need to worry about the day or hour when
he/she will be called simply because such a person is always ready.
Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 - How will you ensure that your being is good today so that your works too might be good?
To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Thess 3:6-10,16-18; Mt 23:27-32
The
text of today contains the sixth (23:27-28) and seventh (23:29–36) woes begun
in 23:13. The sixth Woe concerns “whitewashed tombs”. As a public service,
tombs were whitewashed to make them more obvious, since contact with the dead
and with graves, even if unintentional, transmitted ritual impurity (Num
19:11-22). This was especially important to pilgrims at Passover time, who
would not know the places they visited. The point that Matthew makes is
“ostentatious exterior, corrupt interior”. The seventh and final Woe extends
the tomb image and modulates into the concluding theme: The rejection of the
prophets God has sent.
The
challenge then to each one of us is to bother less about what we ought to do
and think more about what we ought to be, because if our being were good then
our works would shine forth brightly.
Monday, 24 August 2026
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 - If your being is good, then all you do will also be good. How will you ensure that your being is good today?
To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Thess 2:1-3,14-17; Mt 23:23-26
The
fourth (23:23-24) and fifth (23:25-26) woes against the Pharisees are about
focussing on the insignificant matters and externals while forgetting what is
significant and internal.
The
Pharisees were extremely particular about tithing and to ensure that they did
not err in this regard, tithed even small garden vegetables used for seasoning
which Matthew mentions here as mint, dill and cumin and probably in order to
correspond with justice and mercy and faith.
Gnat
and Camel, which the Matthean Jesus contrasts in 23:24, were the smallest and
largest living things in ordinary experience.
While
the Matthean Jesus does not state that what the Pharisees are doing is wrong,
his critique is that while focussing so much on these insignificant items, they
lose sight of the larger picture. Too much focus on the external can also lead
to forgetting the internal. What is on the outside is merely a reflection of
what is within.
Sunday, 23 August 2026
Monday, August 24, 2026 - St. Bartholomew, Apostle - Is seeing believing or do we have to believe in order to see?
To read the texts click on the texts: Rev 21:9-14; Jn 1:45-51
Bartholomew
was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathanael
(mentioned in the first chapter of John's Gospel). According to the Gospel of
John, he was brought to Jesus by Philip. It is Nathanael whom Jesus calls “an
Israelite in whom there is no guile”. Though Nathanael is not mentioned in any
list of the Twelve, Bartholomew is mentioned by all the Synoptic Gospels and
also the Acts of the Apostles. One reason why Bartholomew is identified as
Nathanael is because in all the lists of the Twelve Bartholomew is named in the
company of Philip.
Unlike
the first two disciples who followed Jesus (1:35-40), here Jesus invites Philip
to discipleship. Even more significant that the call of Philip, is what happens
to Philip as a result of his call. He cannot remain silent about it and wants
another to know and encounter Jesus. Thus, he finds Nathanael and bears witness
about Jesus. This he does in two ways. He first points Jesus out as the
fulfilment of all scripture and then he refers to him as “Jesus, son of Joseph
from Nazareth.” This witness seems to bring out both divine and human origins
of Jesus and once again reminds us of the mystery that Jesus is and continues
to be. Immediately after Philip’s testimony, there is resistance on the part of
Nathanael, yet Philip does not argue but responds in the words that Jesus had
used to invite the first two disciples: “Come and see”.
Though
having an opinion about where the Messiah would come from, Nathanael remains
open to another revelation. Though sceptical, he is willing to be convinced.
Jesus addresses Nathanael as an “Israelite” which signifies his faithfulness to
the law and is used here in a positive sense. He is without guile because
though he has questions and even doubts, he is open and receptive and willing
to learn. Jesus’ intimate knowledge of Nathanael and the revelation that he
makes to him leads to a transformation in Nathanael and he comes to faith. He
responds to Jesus with a confession and though he begins with Rabbi, he moves
on to recognizing Jesus as Son of God and King of Israel.
However,
Jesus responds by pointing out to Nathanael that this is only the beginning of
the revelation that Jesus makes. If he continues to remain open he will
experience even greater things. By means of a double “Amen”, Jesus points out
to Nathanael and to others there that he will be the bridge between heaven and
earth. He will be that place and person in whom the earthly and divine
encounter each other. He as Son of man will make God known.
Scepticism and cynicism are common among many people. While this is not a problem in itself, what causes the problem is when these lead to a closed attitude. In a world in which we refuse to believe unless we first see, Jesus seems to be saying to us like he said to Nathanael “First believe than you will see”.
Saturday, 22 August 2026
Sunday, August 23, 2026 - The Rock and Satan
To read the texts click on the texts: Is 22:19-23; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20
A
story is told of John XXIII who was Pope during the turbulent 1960s when it
seemed that everything in the Church was falling apart. There was a crisis in
the priesthood, in religious life, in married life, in faith, indeed in the
Church. The Pope worked long and hard hours trying to address these problems.
One evening, after an exhausting day in the office, he went to his private
chapel to do his daily Holy Hour before retiring but he was too exhausted and
too stressed out to focus or pray. After a few minutes of futile effort, he got
up and said, “Lord, the Church belongs to you. I am going to bed.” Yes, the
Church did and continues to belong to Christ. Peter and every one of us are the
rocks on which the Church is built, but he is the builder.
There
is a striking parallel between the first reading from the prophet Isaiah and
the Gospel text of today. The prophet denounces the master of the palace,
Shebna, and says that the Lord will place another, the more worthy servant,
Eliakim, in his place. Eliakim will have binding authority over David’s house,
and the Lord will make him secure.
The
text from Matthew portrays a similar investiture of power and authority. Jesus
renames Simon as Peter, which means ‘Rock’ – the foundation on which he will
build his Church. Though there is still some debate about who the rock is –
Peter or Jesus, if one remembers that it is Jesus who builds, then one will not
have too much difficulty with accepting Peter as the rock. Peter will also
receive the keys of the kingdom and be given the power to bind and to loose,
which will be ratified in heaven. The foundation for which authority and
confidence is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Somewhat
paradoxically, having altered Mark to enhance the role of Peter and make him
the recipient of divine revelation and foundation of the Church, Matthew leaves
virtually intact the subsequent misunderstanding of Jesus’ passion, death and
resurrection by Peter whom Jesus rebukes as “Satan” who “is not thinking as God
does, but as humans do. This is an indication of how weak the foundation can
be. The same Peter who was declared “blessed” a few verses earlier is now
regarded as being against Jesus and all that he stands for. The whole story
portrays blessedness on the one hand and brokenness on the other. It portrays
insight on the one hand and lack of insight on the other. So the dangers are
enormous. The Church has always been in danger of becoming one of the powers
that it has been called to confront. That reality is lived out in history – on
a grand scale, but also in each of us. Power, pomp and glory are very
seductive.
Thus
this incident which, in Mark, celebrates a turning point in recognizing who
Jesus is, because in Matthew a celebration of what the Church is. Peter is
representative, but it is significant that it is precisely Peter who
represents. He is chosen as a leader, but he and the others are to be the
Church, the community, who will be called to feed the multitudes and bring them
God’s compassion.
They
will also be the community who will often fail, and fall short of what it means
to be Ekklesia or “those who are called out”. They will sometimes side with the
powerful against the weak and with the “haves” against the ‘have-nots’. They
will sometimes sink because of the fear that overwhelms them and because of
their lack of faith, but they continue nevertheless to be called to be that
“contrast community” who will show by their words and actions that the
community of Jesus continues to be alive and that negative forces or evil can
never overcome it. The Church, the historical and spiritual reality that Jesus
is creating, is his and his alone. No one can create another Church. Christ’s
Church can be built on no other foundation. We constantly relive this Gospel
story, When we, like Simon, say to Jesus, “you are the Christ,” he says to each
of us, “You, too, are Peter; you too are a rock, and with you I am building my
Church.” What happened to Peter continues to happen to us.
Paul
is clearly aware of this and so in his hymn to Divine Wisdom he affirms that it
is only because of the active wisdom of God working in the world that the
Church can continue to be faithful to the promises of Christ. The depth of
God’s wisdom and purpose are a marvel.
This
idea is reiterated by the Psalmist who acknowledges God’s unfailing love and
faithfulness and his immediate answer to the prayer of a humble heart. God, in
Jesus, is a God who constantly stretches out his hand to save the lowly.
Thus
the idea that comes through powerfully from the readings is that it is indeed
God who builds even if on weak human structures. Without his sustenance nothing
can really stand.
Friday, 21 August 2026
Saturday, August 22, 2026 - The Queenship of Mary - Mary's response goes beyond YES
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 9:1-6; Lk 1:26-38
Pope
Pius XII established the feast of the Queenship of Mary in 1954. However,
Mary’s Queenship also has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel
announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever.
At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the
mysteries of Mary’s life, Mary is closely associated with Jesus: Her Queenship
is a share in Jesus’ kingship.
In
the fourth century St. Ephrem (June 9) called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later
Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the 11th to
13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of
Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.”
This
feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption of Mary (celebrated on August
15) and is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954
encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII pointed out that Mary deserves the
title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the
New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection and
because of her intercessory power.
It
is fitting then that the Gospel text chosen for the feast is the Annunciation
of the birth of the Lord to his mother. Through his mother and her courageous
YES, Jesus became a human being. The point of the Annunciation is to stress
that Jesus did not come down from heaven as an “avatar” but rather that in
every sense of the word; he was totally and completely human. Another related
point is that God “needs” the co-operation of human beings to complete the
plans god has for the world. One of the most beautiful examples of co-operating
with God is that of Mary and her unconditional Amen.
Mary
though betrothed or engaged to Joseph, who was of David’s family, had not yet
lived with him. This she would do only after marriage, which would be one year
after the betrothal. The angel greets Mary as the recipient of God’s grace. She
has opened herself to the promptings of God’s Spirit. While Zechariah was
gripped with fear at the very appearance of the angel, in the case of Mary, it
is the angel’s greeting that perplexed her. The angel reassures Mary and makes
the announcement, not only of Jesus’ birth, but of who he will be and all that
he will accomplish.
In
response to this announcement Mary, like Zechariah, asks a question. While both
questions seem similar, it is clear that Zechariah’s question expressed doubt
and asked for a sign, as is evident in the angel’s words before Zechariah is
struck dumb. Mary’s question, on the other hand, is a question asked in faith.
Mary did not question the truth of the revelation like Zechariah did. She asked
only for enlightenment on how God would accomplish this wonderful deed. This
will be accomplished in Mary through the work of God’s spirit. This is why the
child will be called holy. Luke probably also intends to convey here that it is
not merit on Mary’s part that obtained for her what she received, but God’s
generous gift in the Spirit.
The
evidence that what the angel has announced will indeed take place is the
pregnancy of Elizabeth, for nothing is impossible for God. Mary responds, not
merely with a Yes, but by asking that the Lord work in her to accomplish all
that he wants. The annunciation would not have been complete without Mary’s
trusting, obedient response.
Today,
many assume that those whom God favours will enjoy the things we equate with a
good life: social standing, wealth, and good health. Yet Mary, God’s favoured
one, was blessed with having a child out of wedlock who would later be executed
as a criminal. Acceptability, prosperity, and comfort have never been the
essence of God’s blessing. The story is so familiar that we let its familiarity
mask its scandal. Mary had been chosen, “favoured,” to have an important part
in God’s plan to bring salvation to God’s people, but it is unthinkable that
God would have forced Mary to have the child against her will. Mary is an
important example, therefore, of one who is obedient to God even at great risk
to self.
When
we think of or reflect on Mary, the one word that comes to mind to describe her
whole life is the word, AMEN, a word which may be translated, “so be it”, “your
will be done”, “do whatever you want to do in my life”. This was, indeed,
Mary’s constant response to every situation in her life, especially when she
could not understand why things were happening the way they were. The text of
today is, then, a call and challenge to each one of us, that we, too, like
Mary, might be able to say YES to all that God wants to do in our lives. It is
a challenge to be open and receptive to the Spirit of God, so that we, too,
might be able to give birth to the Saviour in our hearts.
Thursday, 20 August 2026
Friday, August 21, 2026 - Will you show your love for God by first loving those around you? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezek 37:1-4; Mt 22:34-40
Matthew
has rewritten Mark’s story (Mk 12:28-34) and made what was a scholastic
dialogue in to a controversy. Unlike in Mark where the scribe is friendly, here
the “lawyer” (the only occurrence of “nomikos” = lawyer in Matthew) is hostile,
and the question is asked to “test” Jesus (only the devil and the Pharisees are
the subject of the verb, “test”).
The
lawyer addresses Jesus as “Teacher”, which is an indication of insincerity,
because in Matthew, believers address Jesus as “Lord”. The rabbis counted 613
commands (248 positive and 365 negative), and some regarded all commandments as
equal. The question of the lawyer may have been intended to draw Jesus into a
debate and get him to make a statement that could be interpreted as disparaging
toward the Law.
In
his answer, however, Jesus brings together two Old Testament texts that existed
separately and in different books of the Bible. The commandment to love God
alone was found in Deut 6:4-5 and the commandment to love neighbour was found
in Lev 19:18. These two, Jesus brings together into one, making them dependent
on each other. This combination is distinctive of the Synoptic Jesus.
In
his first letter John makes a telling point when he says that the one who says
that he/she loves God whom they cannot see but cannot love their brother/sister
whom they can see are liars (1 John 4:20).
Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Thursday, August 20, 2026 - Does your faith show itself in action? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezek 36:23-28; Mt 22:1-14
The
second part of the parable of the Wedding Feast has often troubled many,
because they are not able to understand why the one without the wedding clothes
was cast out, when a few verses below the servants are told to go out and
invite both good and bad. The question that arises is - How could those
unexpectedly herded into the wedding feast from the streets wear the expected
clothing, which all but one seem to do? The point is that realism is sacrificed
to theological meaning. In early Christianity, the new identity of conversion
was often pictured as donning a new set of clothes, the language of changing
clothes was used to express the giving up of old ways and adopting the new
Christian identity (see Rom 13:12-14;Gal 3:27; Eph 6:11). The man was thus expected
to have the deeds of an authentic Christian, which he does not have.
We
sometimes attend the Eucharistic banquet without the appropriate garb, which is
a faith that shows itself in action. This “dead faith” renders us unworthy, and
in danger of being “cast out”. Unless we can show through our deeds that we are
Christians, our celebration of the Eucharist will remain at the theoretical and
ritualistic level, having no relevance to our lives.
Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 - Are you good because of fear of punishment or hope of reward? Or are you good because it is good to be good?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 34:1-11; Mt 20:1-16
The
parable of the labourers in the vineyard, who are paid the same wages for
unequal work, is exclusive to the Gospel of Matthew. Many are of the opinion
that the original parable ended at 20,13 or 20,14a, and what follows from
20,14b –16 or 20,14-16 are Matthean additions. The parable narrates how the
landowner himself goes to the market to hire labourers at different hours and
even at the eleventh hour. While the first group of workers is told explicitly
that they will be paid the day’s wage which was one denarius, while the others
are told that they would be paid whatever is right. When the time for payment
arrives the focus is on the groups hired first and last, with the last being
paid before all the other. They are paid one denarius, which is the day’s wage.
The last are also paid what the landowner agreed with them. Since the parable
does not speak about the amount work done by each group or say that those who
were hired at the eleventh hour did as much work as those who were hired in the
morning, it leaves the reader stunned. This ending upsets and challenges
conventional values. The point that Jesus seems to make in the parable is that
the tax collectors and sinners will be given the same status as those who have
obeyed the law.
The
additions by Matthew stress the jealousy and envy of those who were hired in
the morning. The objection is not to what they have received but about the fact
that the others have received as much as they which they regard as unfair. The
difference is that they have received what is theirs through their hard work
and effort; the others have received what they have because of the landowner’s
generosity.
If
one can identify with the group who complains, then it is time that one checks
one’s motivation whenever one does good, because if one does not, one will
continue to get frustrated at what one sees happening around one. Is the work
that you do reward in itself? Or do you expect another reward?
Monday, 17 August 2026
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 - How would you define “kingdom of God”? What/How much are you willing to give to acquire the kingdom?
To read the texts click on the texts:Ezekiel 28:1-10; Mt 19:23-30
Immediately
after the rich young man departs, the next words of Jesus are to his disciples.
Matthew reformulates it as an “AMEN” saying. The word “Amen” occurs thirty-two
times in Matthew. Beginning some of his pronouncements with “Amen” was a unique
aspect of Jesus’ own authoritative speech. Amen is not a Greek word, but a
transliteration of the Hebrew word “Amen” which is a responsive affirmation to
something said previously. In this context, it is used to make the
pronouncement of Jesus solemn. The pronouncement is about the impossibility of
a rich person entering the kingdom of God. Jesus clearly reached for the most
extreme illustration of impossibility, and the disciples got the point.
In
response to Peter’s question, which must be seen as a continuation of the
preceding dialogue (for taken by itself, Peter’s question seems purely selfish)
Jesus affirms the eschatological reward for those who have not depended on
their own goodness/talents/abilities/righteousness, but acknowledge their
dependence on God’s free grace.
The
point is not so much that God will prevent the rich from entering the kingdom,
but that their riches will be an obstacle in their path.
Sunday, 16 August 2026
Monday, August 17, 2026 - What is the wealth that has so possessed you; so as to leave you unfree to say a total YES to Jesus? What will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 24:15-24; Mt 19:16-22
The
story found in Matthew has sometimes been called the one of “The Rich young
ruler”. However, these words appear nowhere in the New Testament, and is a
conglomerate of the figures in Mark (rich), Matthew (who alone adds “young”)
and Luke (who alone adds “ruler”). Matthew alone gives us a picture of a youth,
twice calling him “a young man”. He would thus be a person in his twenties. He
addresses Jesus as “teacher’, which signals that he is an outsider – in
Matthew, real disciples address Jesus as “Lord”. In his answer to the young man,
Jesus is portrayed as an advocate of the Law rather than its opponent. In
response to the second question of the young man, Jesus takes him further to
“perfection”, which does not mean “to be blameless”, but rather to be “whole”,
“undivided” in love.
However,
he was not able to say YES to the call of Jesus not merely because he was a man
of great wealth, but rather because instead of possessing wealth, he let wealth
possess him. This “being possessed”, did not leave him free, and consequently,
he was unable to make a free choice.
We
are living in a world in which it is easy to get so taken up with material
things that we lose sight of everything and everyone else. We can if are not
careful make the acquisition of things an end in itself.
Saturday, 15 August 2026
Sunday, August 16, 2026 - Never give up!
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa56:1, 6-7; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28
It
took Winston Churchill three years to get through the eighth grade, because he
couldn’t pass English. Ironically, many years later he was asked to give the
commencement address at the Oxford University. His now famous speech consisted
of only three words: “Never give up!” While this theme of perseverance and
never giving up is surely one of the themes of the readings of today, another theme
that also comes out powerfully is the movement from particularity to the
universality of God’s love.
There
is no doubt that Jesus appears to be speaking to the Canaanite woman in the
Gospel text of today in extremely harsh terms. He disregards the heartfelt and
sincere plea for mercy made by the woman, and makes it clear that his mission,
at this time, is for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and even likens the
woman to a dog. Some have attempted to soften this harshness by suggesting that
Jesus’ retort to the woman was said with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on
his lips or that Jesus did not mean stray dogs but house pets. However, nothing in the text warrants such
interpretations and when compared with the similar incident in Mark, which
allows for a mission to the Gentiles following the mission to the Jews, the
retort of Jesus in Matthew is harsher, leaving no apparent scope for a Gentile
mission: “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the
dogs.”
The
Jews are the children and the Gentiles are the dogs. The epithet “dogs” for
Gentiles had derogatory connotations. Dogs roamed the streets scavenging for
food, and the Jews considered them unclean animals. The Gentiles cannot get
what belongs to the Jews. Thus Jesus not only flatly refuses the woman’s
request; he also seems to insult her.
The
woman, however, will neither be excluded nor allow herself to be insulted. She
will persevere and will overcome. She will keep on keeping on. She will neither
give up nor give in. She meets Jesus’ initial stony silence with more pleading.
She drowns out the disciples’ request for Jesus to send her away with her own
repeated requests for Jesus to have mercy. She factually negates his exclusive
mission to the Jews when she, a Gentile calls him Lord and worships him.
Finally, she cleverly turns his own maxim supporting exclusivism into an illustration
of inclusivism in salvation. Accepting the designation “dogs” for Gentiles, she
turns it to the Gentiles’ advantage. “Yes, Lord,” she counters Jesus, “but even
the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” In her maxim the
dogs and the children both eat. And they eat simultaneously. She bests the
Matthean Jesus: She denies both exclusivism and sequential priority in
salvation based on ethnic identity. The Gentiles can have at least the crumbs
of salvation if not the bread, and they can have it now. She challenges Jesus
to rise up to a new, ethnically broadened sense of his mission and his
Lordship. The woman’s brash courage actually “converts” Jesus. Though Jesus had
limited his mission to the sons and daughters of Israel, here he crosses this
self-imposed boundary to bring merciful healing to a Gentile. The woman brings
him to the full implications of his mission.
This
gospel passage thus reveals that Jesus’ understanding of God’s saving work
entails both the particular and the universal. He knew that this woman was a
Canaanite; he knew that he was a Jew and had been sent to Israel yet this did
not exclude the limits of God’s gracious work in and through him. He also knew
that God’s redemptive work reached across the boundaries of difference without
necessarily obliterating them. God in Christ did not make this woman and her
daughter into something other than Canaanites, but in response to the woman’s
faith he did bring healing to her daughter.
This
is reiterated by Paul in the second reading of today who, writing to the
Romans, asserts that he who is, “an Israelite himself, a descendant of
Abraham”, expresses hope for Israel because “salvation has come to the
Gentiles”. When either Gentiles or Jews, women or men, are saved, they remain
Gentiles or Jews, women or men, yet they are saved in the same way i.e. through
faith. And, this salvation is the result of God’s grace and mercy which is
blind to differences of ethnicity, gender, or nationality.
The fact that such differences to not constitute
a barrier to the love of God do not mean, however, that God’s saving work is
meaninglessly indiscriminate. Those whom God welcomes into his “house of prayer
for all nations” are those who “bind themselves to the Lord… to be his
servants.” They are vessels of God’s justice. As people of faith hey hear the
Lord in the depths of their hearts calling them to, “do what is right.” These
are people like the Canaanite woman, who persevered in faith in the only hope
she had.
The
call and challenge to us today is to continue to persevere, even if at times it
seems that our prayers are not being answered and that there seems to be no
solution in sight. It is also an invitation to realize the inclusive nature of
God’s unconditional and magnanimous love.
Friday, 14 August 2026
Saturday, August 15, 2026 - The Assumption of Mary into heaven and Independence Day
To read the texts click on the texts: Rev11:19; 12:1-6,10; 1 Cor15:20-26;Lk1:39-56
Today
we celebrate two significant and related events. These are The Assumption of our
Blessed Mother and Independence Day. Both are celebrated on the same date:
August 15.
The
reason why these events are related is because they are both about Freedom.
Independence is celebrated as freedom from foreign rule and domination to
self-rule and governance and the Assumption may be seen as a freedom from this
limited and incomplete life to the bliss of eternal and perpetual life.
The
verses which make up the Gospel text of today are commonly known as “The
Magnificat” or Mary’s hymn of praise. It seems to have been modelled on the
prayer of Samuel’s mother, Hannah, in 1 Sam 2:1-10 and contains many Old
Testament concepts and phrases. It communicates a picture of Mary as someone
quite steeped in scripture. It reveals God primarily as a God of the poor. God
is the one who will vindicate the poor by removing the rich and mighty from
their positions and raising the lowly.
The
hymn may be seen to be divided into four parts. The first part consists of
praise to God for what he has done in and for Mary; the second part speaks of
God’s power, holiness and mercy; the third part shows God acting as a Sovereign
in reversing social conditions in favor of the poor and downtrodden; and the
fourth and final part recalls God’s mercy and promises to Israel.
The
hymn speaks of the effects of the Lord’s coming for all of God’s people. It
begins on a note of salvation as Mary acknowledges her dependence on God. It
was the grace of God that sustained and brought her to the position in which
she finds herself. She has not achieved anything on her own, it is all a gift
of God and thus, Mary acknowledges her humble state, referring to herself as
God’s servant. She is to be called “blessed’ because God, in his mercy and
goodness, had raised her to this level.
God
has shown this mercy and goodness to the poor by showing the strength of his
arm, by scattering the proud, and deposing the powerful. The poor, on the other
hand, have been raised, and the hungry have been filled. God remembers not only
those of old but also the present generation. He is a God not only of the past,
but also a God of the present, the now.
The
stress on God as a God primarily of the poor stands out in Mary’s hymn of
praise. In a world where the rich seem to be getting richer and the poor,
poorer, one wonders whether the Magnificat is a hymn that can make sense to the
poor, to those of low degree. Yet, it is important to remember that God’s ways
are not our ways and so, the poor must, in confidence, sing this song as their
song. The confidence with which Mary sings this song runs through the entire
hymn. She uses past tense to denote God’s future actions, thus expressing that
God will indeed accomplish his will, and the poor will be vindicated. What is
important for the poor to realize is that they, like Mary, need to continue to
open themselves to all that God wants to do in them. They need to continue to
acknowledge their dependence on God by doing all that is required of them and
then, leaving the rest in his capable and strong hands.
Even
as we do celebrate these events, we need to ask ourselves serious questions
both as Indians and Christians. Can we be really free when caste distinctions
result in murder and rape? Can we be really free when freedom to speak the
truth is met with physical violence and threat to life? Can we be free when the incidence of female
foeticide is so high in our country and where in many places the girl child is
seen as a liability and burden rather than a blessing? Can we be really free
when we are so intent on destroying our natural resources for selfish ends and
then have to wonder whether we will have enough rain to see us through the
year? Can we call ourselves Christians when we will not do anything about these
atrocities and continue with our lives as if it does not concern us?
Are
we really free? Are we truly Christian?
Let
the celebrations of Independence Day and the Assumption of our Blessed Mother
be wake-up calls for us to rouse ourselves from our slumber and do something
tangible to right the wrongs.
Thursday, 13 August 2026
Friday, August 14, 2026- Do you usually take the “easy way” or the “right way”?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 16:1-15,60,63; Mt 19:3-12
The
context of today’s reading is immediately after Jesus has finished instructing
his disciples (19,1-2) in the “Community Discourse” (18, 1-35). The text is
found also in Mark 10, 1-12, but Matthew has made some changes to suit his
purpose. In Matthew, Jesus begins his response to the Pharisees question about
the legality of divorce by going back to Genesis 1,27 and 2,24 (in Mark the
quotations from Genesis come later). In Matthew, the Pharisees respond to
Jesus’ quotation by citing Deut. 24,1, which allowed divorce, and this prompts
Jesus to move to the situational application. The union of husband and wife is
the creation of God and must be regarded as such (in Mark, they respond in this
manner after a question from Jesus about what Moses commanded them). Matthew
omits 10,12 of Mark, which reflects the Gentile provision for a woman’s initiating
a divorce, since this is not applicable from his Jewish perspective. Matthew
adds an exception clause; “except for unchastity” as he did earlier in 5,32,
and in doing so makes the teaching of Jesus, a situational application rather
than a legalistic code.
19,10-12
is exclusive to Matthew, and in them Jesus responds to the comment of the
disciples that it is better not to marry. Those “who are made eunuchs by men”
seems to refer to the pagan practice of literal castration as a religious
practice, and this is rejected by Jesus. Those “who have made themselves
eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom” seems to refer to those who choose to
remain celibate in order to concentrate more fully on the kingdom, rather than
get weighed down by family cares.
No
matter what state of life one chooses, one must remain faithful to one’s
commitment in that state of life. The grass seems greener on the other side,
but only till we go to the other side.
Wednesday, 12 August 2026
Thursday, August 13, 2026 - What would be your position if God kept a grudge against you for every sin you committed? Will you give up all your un-forgiveness today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 12:1-12; Mt 18:21 – 19:1
The
text of today is the conclusion to Matthew’s “Community Discourse” (18,1-35).
It begins with a question from Peter about the number of times one is expected
to forgive. While Peter proposes seven times, Jesus’ response far exceeds that
proposal. The number seventy-seven can be understood in this way or even as
four hundred ninety (seventy times seven). The point is not so much about
numbers but about forgiveness from the heart. If one has to count the number of
times one is forgiving, it means that one is not really forgiving at all. The
story that follows in 18,23-35 about the king who forgave his servant a debt of
ten thousand talents (a talent was more than fifteen years wages of a labourer)
and that same servant who would not forgive another servant who owed him a mere
hundred denarii (a denarius was the usual day’s wage for a labourer) makes the
same point.
We
expect to be forgiven by other when we do them harm after we have said sorry,
and sometimes if they do not forgive us, we get upset with them even more. We need
to apply the same yardstick to ourselves when others ask for forgiveness from
us.
Tuesday, 11 August 2026
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 - There is no such thing as “individual sin”. All sin is both individual and communitarian.
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezek 9:1-7,10,18-22; Mt 18:15-20
Though
Matthew means that the one who sins against another is a member of the Church,
he also means that that person is a brother or sister. One needs to avoid
scandal or embarrassment as far as possible and so the matter must first be
sought to be settled between the offended and the offending party with the
offended taking the initiative. If this does not work, then two or three must
be taken to the offending party to work for the reconciliation. If this too
does not work, then the local church will have to intervene to set things
right. If the offending party will not listen even to the members of the Church
who might be the leaders or some members of the congregation, then the person
concerned must be expelled. Though this may sound harsh and does not seem to
fit in with Jesus’ command to forgive innumerable times (18,22), the point
seems to be that it is possible that at times the best way to make a person see
sense is to resort to harsh measures. Also, the good of the entire community is
in view.
Jesus
himself will ratify the decision of the community and assures them of his
presence when they are gathered together in his name. He also gives them an
assurance of their prayers being answered when there is a unity of minds and
hearts in the community.
There
are some people who are incorrigible. Even with these, however, every attempt
must be made to win them over and regard them as part of the community. After
everything possible has been done and they still refuse, then they can be left
to their own designs.
Monday, 10 August 2026
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 - Has your behaviour resulted in anyone being scandalised? What will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Ezekiel 2:8 – 3:4; Mt 18:1-5,10,12-14
The
text of today is taken from what is termed by some as Matthew’s “Community
Discourse” (18,1-35). It is the fourth of the long discourses in Matthew. Some
see the discourse as divided clearly into two parts (18, 1-14 and 18, 15-35),
with various indications, which point to such a division. Some of these
indications are as follows: Both sections end with a parable (18, 12-13 and
18,23-34), after the parable is a concluding statement of Jesus, which begins
with the word “So” (18,14.35), there is also in the sayings, a reference to the
heavenly Father and the saying is about the subject of the preceding section
(“little ones” and “brother/sister”).
The
discourse begins with a question about the disciples regarding greatness.
Unlike in Mark 9:33, there is no dispute among the disciples about who is the
greatest. In his response, Jesus makes clear that being in the kingdom or
coming into it, is not a matter of one’s talents or qualities, but “becoming
like a child”. In first-century Judaism, children were often regarded as
inferior and were treated as property rather than as persons. The point Jesus
makes here is that one must acknowledge dependence on the Father. The reception
of a child is an indication that one has accepted the values of the kingdom and
one is no longer concerned about being greatest. Since God does not give up on
anyone, Christians must also be prepared to accept those who may have strayed.
Not only must they be valued, but they must also be sought out like God himself
seeks them. The focus in Matthew’s parable is on the sheep that has gone
astray. This means that the straying members of the community ought to be the
focus also of the community.
While
to be a Christian one has to make an individual commitment, one cannot forget
that Christianity is also and even primarily a communitarian religion. This means
that each is responsible for the other. I am indeed my brother or sister’s
keeper.
Sunday, 9 August 2026
Monday, August 10, 2026 - St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr - In becoming like the grain of wheat, Lawrence became like Jesus. Will you?
To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Cor 9:6-10; Jn 12:24-26
The
esteem in which the Church holds Lawrence is seen in the fact that today’s
celebration ranks as a feast. Lawrence is one of those whose martyrdom made a
deep and lasting impression on the early Church. Celebration of his feast day
spread rapidly.
He
was a Roman deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II. Four days after this pope was put
to death, Lawrence and four clerics suffered martyrdom, probably during the
persecution of the Emperor Valerian. The church built over his tomb became one
of the seven principal churches in Rome and a favourite place for Roman
pilgrimages.
After
the Pope was arrested, Lawrence knew that he would be too. As soon as he could
he gave all the money that he possessed to the poor and even sold some of the
Church’s treasures and gave the money he received to the poor. Later, when
asked to show the Emperor the treasures of the Church, Lawrence gathered a
great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed persons and
put them in rows. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These are
the treasure of the Church.”
The
Emperor was so angry he told Lawrence that he would indeed have his wish to
die—but it would be by inches. He had a great gridiron prepared, with coals
beneath it, and had Lawrence’s body placed on it. After the martyr had suffered
the pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he made his famous cheerful
remark, “It is well done. Turn me over!”
The
Gospel text for the feast of St. Lawrence is from the Gospel of John. Jesus
introduces teachings about his death with a brief agricultural parable The seed
imagery recalls the parables of sowing found in the Synoptic Gospels (Mt
13:3-32; Mk 4:3-20, 26-32; Lk 8:5-15). Jesus uses the imagery here to interpret
his own death.
The
significance of this parable for understanding Jesus’ death lies in the
contrast between remaining solitary and “bearing much fruit”. In John, “fruit”
is Jesus’ metaphor for the life of the community of faith. Jesus thus uses the
seed parable to show that the salvific power of his death resides in the
community that is gathered as a result of it (cf. 10:15-16; 11:51-52).
Jn
12:25 is one of the best-attested sayings of Jesus; in addition to this verse,
some form of the saying occurs five times in the synoptic Gospels (Mt 10:39;
16:25; Mt 10:39; Lk 9:24; 17:33). While all of the occurrences share the basic
pattern of an antithetical parallelism that highlights contrasting attitudes
toward one’s life, there are also significant differences among the sayings.
The significant number of variations within the synoptic tradition and between
the Synoptic Gospels and John argues against any theory of literary dependence
and for multiple attestations of this saying in the oral tradition. It also
argues for the authenticity or historicity of the saying. The differences point
to the ways each evangelist adapted this Jesus saying to serve his Gospel.
To
love one’s life is the opposite of Jesus’ own action; it places one outside of
the community shaped by Jesus’ gift of his life (psyche) and leads to the loss
of that life To hate one’s life in “this world” is to declare one’s allegiance
to Jesus (cf. 15:18-19) and so to receive his gift of eternal life (cf. 3:16;
6:40; 10:28; 17:2).
While
the synoptic versions establish a condition for following Jesus (“taking up
one’s cross”), the Johannine version contains both condition and promise. Since
Jesus’ ultimate service is the gift of his life in love, he calls the disciples
to love as he loves and hence to serve as he serves. What it means to be Jesus’
servant will be enacted in the foot washing of 13:1-20.
The
prime reason for the choice of the Gospel text is that Lawrence became like the
grain of wheat that was unafraid to fall into the ground and die. In doing so,
he became like his Lord and master Jesus.
Saturday, 8 August 2026
Sunday, August 9, 2026 - Keep your gaze fixed on the Lord.
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Kgs19:9a, 11-13a; Rom 9:1-5; Mt. 14:22-33
Visitors
to the Holy Land like to take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, the sea on
which Jesus walked. A certain tourist wanted such a ride and the boatman told
him the fare was one hundred dollars. “One hundred dollars!” exclaimed the
tourist, “No wonder Jesus walked!”
As
in both Mark and John, the miracle of Jesus walking on the water occurs in
Matthew immediately after the feeding of the five thousand. The effect of these
successive narratives is powerful. They portray Jesus as the one who can
provide for the needs of all peoples and one who has control over the elements
of nature and even over all demons and evil itself.
There
are some who interpret the walking on the water to mean walking by the water.
To do so would be to miss the point that Matthew wants to make. Matthew does
not intend to portray Jesus as defying the law of gravity. By showing Jesus
walking on the water, he reveals a Jesus who has power over the sea: he walks
upon the deep as God alone does, and the sea respects his wishes. If the
Israelites regarded the sea as the domain of evil powers then the terrifying
experience of a storm at sea in the dead of night becomes even more symbolic of
the human experience of evil. The fear of the disciples is like the fear of all
who are threatened by insecurity in the face of the unknown. But when Jesus
appears to those in extreme need and in the darkest part of the night, it is as
one who has sovereign power, not only over the forces of nature but over evil
itself. Thus the words of Jesus, “Take heart, I am; do not be afraid.” are not
empty or meaningless. Fear is unwarranted where Jesus is present. The very
presence of Jesus banishes all fear. In Jesus, the great “I AM” has come to
dwell with us and for us, whether we are tossed about on the seas or hungry on
the hillside, whether we are in the boat or out of the boat. This blessed
presence does not show us that God has supernatural powers so much as it give us
calm in the midst of our stormy world to imagine that we too might face the
storms of life with God’s help.
In
fact, like Peter, when we recognize God present in our world, are commanded to
go out into the water, knowing that the storms of this life cannot hurt us,
even when we are outside of the safety and comfort of the Church. Peter’s lack
of faith is caused by a failure of concentration: he is distracted by the
fierce wind. He removes his gaze from Jesus. His mind became more affected by
the circumstances than by faith in the power of Jesus, and once again he became
filled with fear. This is why he begins to sink and cries out in desperation:
“Lord, save me.” Peter realizes that in the moment of most dire human need,
there is but one cry, just as there is but one source of salvation.
We
too will surely falter. We too will feel that we are drowning in the depths of
our world’s darkness. We too will surely feel that the chaotic waters of life
are too treacherous for our tentative footsteps. We too will sink. That is
real. Only fools pretend otherwise.
Then
we will see, with Peter that Jesus’ hand reaches out to us. We discover, at
times to our relief and at times to our chagrin, that we are not the heroes of
this story. We also discover that our doubts and fears, while the cause for a
rebuke from our Lord, do not, and in fact take us outside of his care and concern.
This is important. For even when we are back inside the boat of the Church,
when the waters about us appear to be calm, we find that we are still in the
midst of a storm. We have to cast aside any fear that there might be limits to
the abundance of God’s grace, and that with this grace given freely we cannot
achieve the impossible, or that we can’t change the world. Who would have
thought it possible to walk on water, or to discern the voice of God as Elijah
does not in the strong wind or earthquake or raging fire, but in “a sound of
sheer silence?” Faith is not merely being able to walk on the water but daring
to believe in the face of all the evidence that God is with us in the boat,
made real in the community of faith as it makes its way through the storm,
battered by the waves.
The
Jesus who multiplied the loaves and fish and who appeared to the disciples
walking on the water and who saved Peter from sinking, this same Jesus is the
Lord of the church who has brought salvation and who stands similarly prepared
to save his people, even when they may doubt, from the evils that beset them.
This Jesus who rules over nature and even the realm of evil is rightly
worshipped as “truly the Son of God.”
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