Thursday, June 11, 2026 - St. Barnabas - Is there a person, thing or event which controls you and does not allow you to be free? Try to give it up through the intercession of St. Barnabas.

To read the texts click on then texts: Acts 10:21-26;13:1-3; Mt 10:7-13

Barnabas was originally Joseph and was named Barnabas by the Apostles probably because of his success as a Preacher. The name was interpreted to mean “son of exhortation or consolation”, though this interpretation is disputed by some.

According to Acts 4:36-37, it seems that he was a convert to Christianity shortly after Pentecost in around 29 or 30 C.E. and immediately sold his property and donated the proceeds of the sale to the Church

Though nothing is recorded of Barnabas for some years, he evidently acquired during this period a high position in the Church.

The Gospel text for the feast is from the Mission Discourse of Matthew which contains the instructions for Mission.

Three points may be noticed. The first is that mission is not only words but also action. Jesus sends the disciples not only to preach but also to heal. The second is that Jesus provides a strategy for mission which may be summarised in one word namely, DETACHMENT. The call is to detachment from anything, which will hold a person up or prevent him or her from engaging in mission. The third is that Jesus calls the disciples from a detachment even from the outcome of mission. They must not be concerned about the results or the fruits, but simply do what needs to be done.

Often, too much of focus on the results of our actions do not allow us to focus on the action itself. Consequently, our action is neither effective nor efficacious. If we continue to keep in mind that the Kingdom is not ours but His and we are only called to do our best in striving to make this kingdom a reality in the lives of others, then our action will be both effective and efficacious. Detachment even from the results of our action is an indication that we are aware that God is always in control.

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 - When was the last time you did an action with no expectation whatsoever? Will you attempt one today?

 

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 - When was the last time you performed an action without any expectation of reward? Will you perform one today?

 To read the texts click on the texts:1Kings 18:20-39; Mt 5:17-19

These verses contain what are commonly known as the “theme” of the Sermon on the Mount. In these verses, the Matthean Jesus makes explicit that he is a law abiding Jew. His attitude towards the Jewish law is fundamentally positive. However, Jesus also makes explicit here, that he has come not merely to confirm or establish the law, but to fulfil or complete it. This means that he will go beyond a purely legal interpretation to a broader perspective. He will remove the focus from the mere external and concentrate on the internal. The focus will be more on the attitude than merely on the action.

While laws, rules and regulations are necessary and help towards order, it is also possible that they can become ends in themselves and not as they are meant to be, means to an end. We might follow in some cases the letter of the law, but miss out on its spirit. We might even follow the rule or law only because we are afraid of getting caught and punished and not because we are convinced of it.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 - The intrinsic quality of salt is saltiness and the intrinsic quality of light is light. It is in this sense that we are called to be salt and light. The intrinsic quality of a Christian is to be like Christ.

 

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 - How will you as a disciple of Jesus be salt and light today?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Kgs 17:7-16; Mt 5:13-16

The text of today is somewhat of a link text, which joins the beatitudes (5:3-12) to the theme of the Sermon (5:17-20). These verses point out the effect that living the Sermon will have on the liberation of the world. The text makes two assertions about the followers of Jesus. The first is that they are the salt of the earth and the second is that they are the light of the world.

Both these symbols seem to point to the indispensable role that the disciples of Jesus are to play in the liberation of the world. It is through the lives of the disciples of Jesus that the world will be moved to glorify God. This is indeed a great privilege, but also a great responsibility.

Salt is an ingredient that adds flavour or taste to that to which it is added. It makes the insipid tasty, edible and enjoyable. Disciples of Jesus are called to add taste and flavour to the lives of others. Light enables one to see correctly and results in removing darkness. This is what the disciples of Jesus must do if they are to be true disciples: remove the darkness from the lives of others.

Monday, June 8, 2026 - Meekness is strength not weakness

 

Monday, June 8, 2026 - Do any of the beatitudes apply to you? Will you strive to make at least two applicable to yourself today?

 To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Kgs 17:1-6; Mt 5:1-12

Beginning today, the gospel reading will be from the Gospel of Matthew except on feasts or special occasions. The Church begins from Chapter 5 of Matthew. The three chapters beginning from 5:1 and ending at 7:29 contain one of the most famous discourses of Matthew known as “The Sermon on the Mount”.

Since we will be reading this Sermon for almost three whole weeks on weekdays, it is important to have some background of what the Sermon is about.

The first point that we note is that this is the first of the five great discourses in the Gospel of Matthew. Each of these five ends with the phrase, “and when Jesus had finished…” (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). It begins by showing Jesus as a Rabbi teaching ex-cathedra (5:1) and ends by showing Jesus as the Messianic prophet addressing the crowds (7:28).

The second point that must be kept in mind is that the Sermon is a composition of Matthew. An analysis of similar texts in the Gospels of Mark and Luke indicate that many verses found here in Matthew are found in Mark and Luke in different contexts. This does not mean that Jesus did not say these words. It means that Matthew has put them together in this manner

The third point is the theme, which will determine how one will interpret the Sermon as a whole. Most are agreed that the theme of the Sermon is found in 5:17-20, in which Jesus speaks about having come not to abolish but to fulfil the Law and Prophets, and issues a challenge to those listening to let their “righteousness” be greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees in order to enter the kingdom.

Today’s text contains what is commonly known as the “Introduction” to the Sermon and contains the Beatitudes, which are the communication of a blessing. The mountain is a “theological topos” in the Gospel of Matthew (Luke’s Sermon is from “a level place cf Lk 6:17) and therefore means much more than simply a geographical location. Matthew does not name the mountain, but by choosing it as the place from where Jesus delivers the Sermon, he probably wants to portray Jesus as the New Moses delivering the New Law from a New Mountain. While Jesus in the Gospel of Luke “stands” and delivers the Sermon (Lk 6:17), in Matthew, Jesus sits down. This is the posture that the Jewish Rabbis adopted when communicating a teaching of importance or connected with the Law. In Luke the crowd is addressed from the beginning of the Sermon and addressed directly, “Blessed are you poor…” (Lk 6:20), but in Matthew, it is the “disciples” who come to Jesus and whom he begins to teach. The address is indirect, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (5:3). While Luke has four beatitudes with four corresponding “Woes”; Matthew has seven plus an additional beatitude, with no corresponding woes. The reason why the “eight” is called an additional beatitude is because the first and the seventh both end with the phrase “theirs is the kingdom of heaven” forming what is known as an inclusion. Beatitude is an expression of congratulations, which recognises an existing state of happiness. While the rewards described in the first and seventh beatitudes are in the present tense, they are in the future tense in the other five beatitudes. The sense is that it is God himself who will do all of this for them. By choosing to bless the disadvantaged, the Matthean Jesus indicates the thrust of his mission, which is primarily a mission to the disadvantaged.

Sunday, June 7, 2026 - Corpus Christi - God comes to us in the ordinariness of life

 

Sunday, June 7, 2026 - The Feast of Corpus Christi - The Body and Blood of Christ

To read the texts click on the texts: Deut 8:2-3, 14-16; 1 Cor 10:16-17; Jn6:51-58

A team of Russians and Americans were on a common expedition. Among their cabin foodstuff was Russian black bread. It was tasty but hard on the teeth. During a meal an American bit into a piece and snapped a tooth. He threw the bread overboard and growled: “Lousy Communist bread.” The Russian countered: “It is not lousy communist bread, but a shaky capitalist tooth.” Some of us may complain in a similar manner about the Eucharist being useless. However, if we do not experience the transforming power of the Eucharist it is not on account of the Eucharist but on account of our shaky faith and lack of understanding of what the Eucharist really means

The feast of Corpus Christi is usually thought to be the feast of the Eucharist and while this is certainly true, it would be a mistake to restrict the understanding of the feast to the ritual of the Eucharist. The feast goes beyond the ritual to life itself, just as the Eucharist does.

The Eucharist is both a sacrament and a sacrifice. The Eucharist is a sacrament, an outward sign in and through which we meet Christ who shares his life of grace with us. Through signs of bread and wine he nourishes and strengthens us for our journey through life. We see with human eyes what looks like bread and wine. We see with eyes of faith, not bread and wine, but the risen, living Lord Jesus.

The Eucharist is a sacrifice, the representation or reliving of Christ’s sacrificial death on Good Friday and of his Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

The scripture readings today stress how God made a covenant with His people, first through Moses and then, finally and forever, through Christ, a covenant sealed and ratified by his blood. This covenant or bond of love between God and us is renewed and deepened through and in every Eucharist or Mass.

The second reading today, from Paul, is the earliest recorded story of anything Jesus did. And that earliest story is about a meal, the Last Supper, which Jesus shared with his disciples. In a very particular way, he made that meal a way to remember him. It brings forward his sacrifice and death and resurrection, his fellowship and unity with us, and everything he taught us. And he did not want his followers to eat it just once that night but to do it again and again, so that we continue to remember.

 

St Augustine often stressed to his parishioners a unique quality of the Eucharistic food. The ordinary food we eat, he says, becomes part of us. We are what we eat. But partaking of the Eucharist, we become part of Jesus, We become more Christ like, more patient and kind, more forgiving and understanding. We still live our ordinary daily lives, but it is Our Lord who inspires our attitudes and actions.  We begin to see people and events through his eyes, to think as he did. When Jesus was on this earth, he used his own hands to reach out to people, but when he wants to feed the poor today, he uses my hands, your hands to do this.

Surely, we hunger and thirst for something new, when we share in the grief, anger, misery and neglect of the impoverished, the unjustly accused, and victims of violence caused by religious intolerance, ethnic hatred, terrorism and racism. We are hungry indeed for peace and thirsty for reconciliation in this our troubled world. We are hungry and thirsty for a new world, a world where we will look one another in the eye and recognize the kinship of sisters and brothers who are all children of God. The promise of this new world is set forth in the strongest possible terms when Jesus declares, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them…”

This feast, then, of the Body of Christ, sums up three important confessions of our faith. First, and most important, God became physically present in the person of Christ – true God and true Man. Secondly; God continues to be present in His people as they form the Mystical Body of Christ in his Church. And, thirdly, God becomes present in the form of bread and wine on the altar at Mass. Eucharist, then, should not remain simply a “going to” or “taking of” that begins and ends in the sanctuary. It should become the deepest expression of our communion with Christ.

Saturday, June 6, 2026 - How often in a day do you let the opinion of others affect your behaviour? What will you do about it today?

 

Saturday, June 6, 2026 - How often in a day do you let the opinion of others affect your behaviour? What will you do about it today?

To read the texts click on the texts:Tobit 12:1,5-15,20; Mk 12:38-44

There are two parts to the text of today. The first deals with the condemnation of the scribes (12,38-40) and the second the commendation of a widow (12,41-44).

The charge against the scribes is that they have no concern for anyone except themselves. This lack of concern is shown in the behaviour they exhibited. Their words do not correspond to their actions and they do what they do only for external show.

Since one of the charges against the scribes was that they devour widows’ houses, the second part of the text speaks about a poor widow. The widow unlike the scribes has no concern for self and this is shown in her willingness to give everything to God. She is what she does.

So many of us live our lives based on the opinion of others. We want others to think well of us and will often act in such a way that meets their approval. There are also times when we may not be convinced of something and yet would do it only because we want to show externally that we are “part of the crowd”. When we behave in this manner we are imitating the scribes.

Friday, June 5, 2026 - How do you usually address God? Why do you use this title?

 

Friday, June 5, 2026 - How do you usually address Jesus? Why do you use this title?

To read the texts click on the texts:Tobit 11:5-17; Mk 12:35-37

Since Mark ended the previous episode by stating that after the scribes question and Jesus’ response no one dared to ask Jesus any question, he has Jesus himself ask the question about the Messiah as Son of David. In his interpretation of Ps 110,1 attributed to David, the Messiah is called Lord. If this is what David says, then the Messiah cannot be also his son. Mark’s point is that the title son of David is an inadequate title to describe who the Messiah really is.

Jesus cannot be captured by titles or names. He is much bigger than any name that we might use for him. And while we may know many things about him, his life and mission, we need to make every attempt to KNOW him.

 

Thursday, June 4, 2026 - Will your love for God show in your love for at least one person today?

 

Thursday, June 4, 2026 - Will your love for God show in your love for at least one person today?

To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Mk 12:28-34

While in Matthew 22,35, the lawyer asks Jesus the question about the great commandment in order to test Jesus; in Mark he is not hostile. As a matter of fact Mark mentions at the beginning of the incident that he thought that Jesus had answered the Sadducees well and at the end he commends Jesus for his answer. Jesus responds in the words of the “Shema”, which speaks of love of God (Deut 6,5-6), but adds also the love of neighbour (Lev 19,18). The scribe’s response to this is to acknowledge Jesus’ answer as correct and to add that following these commandments is greater than sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jesus concludes the dialogue by stating that because the scribe has recognised what his priorities are, he is not far from the kingdom of God.

Love of God cannot really be separated from love of neighbour. The two go together. Our love for God is made manifest and tangible only when we reach out in love to someone else. While Paul gives a beautiful description of what love is and what it is not in 1 Corinthians 13, my own definition of love is that in love there is no “I”.

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 - To believe in the resurrection means to live each day as if were your last. Do you live in this way?

 

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 - To believe in the resurrection means to live each day as if were your last. Do you live in this way?

To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Timothy 1:1-3,6-12; Mk 12:18-27

Though belief in the resurrection had developed around two centuries prior to the birth of Jesus, there were many Jews who did not accept it. The Sadducees, especially, were known to regard belief in the resurrection as not justified by the scriptures or mentioned in them (Acts 23,8). In their question to Jesus to point out the absurdity of the resurrection, they use the custom of Levirate marriage mentioned in Deuteronomy 25,5 which states that the wife of a dead brother shall not be married outside the family to a stranger, but by her husband’s brother (Genesis 38,8). Their question is that if there were seven brothers and all seven had the same woman as wife, whose wife would she be in the resurrection. In his response Jesus first corrects their misunderstanding about what the resurrection means and implies. In the resurrection there will no longer be human institutions like marriage and so the question of being given in and taken in marriage does not arise. Humans in the resurrected life will no longer be constrained by the limits or relationships of their earthly bodies. He then uses scripture to establish that resurrection is indeed mentioned in the scripture and is about God’s revelation to Moses in Exodus 3,6-16 as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and if these are mentioned though they are dead, then he must be the God of the living, since they live in him. God is not God of the dead but the living.

Too much of concern with the afterlife or heaven and hell may lead to our not living fully this life on earth. Our heaven at this moment is here on earth and we must strive towards making it as enjoyable as possible not only for ourselves but also for those around us.

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 - Does God have priority in your life? How does this show?

 

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 - Does God have priority in your life? How does this show?

To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Peter 3:11-15,17-18; Mk 12:13-17

The Pharisees theoretically accepted the position of the Zealots who refused to admit the subjection of God’s people to a foreign power but they would not use force. The question of the Pharisees and Herodians is asked to trap Jesus and so the praise of Jesus is ironic and implies that Jesus is being asked to decide the question because his impartiality mirrors that of God. They think they can trap Jesus because if he said yes or No, he was bound to alienate one group or another. If he supported the payment, he would make himself unpopular with the people and if he said No, he would be politically suspect to the Roman authorities. The tax was to be paid in Roman coinage and instead of answering the question, Jesus first calls for the denarius. The denarius would bear a portrait of the emperor Tiberius (14 - 37 C.E.). Jesus forces them to look at the coin which would have been offensive to them, because having the Emperor’s portrait on the coin violated Jewish rules of making images and worshipping idols. As soon as they identify the head on the coin, Jesus points to them what they already say, namely that the coin since it bears Caesar’s head belongs to Caesar.

 

Jesus rejects the position of the Zealots without accepting that of the Herodians who would be willing to pay the tax.

By adding “and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus turns the pronouncement of paying taxes into a spiritual challenge to meet ones obligations to God as conscientiously as one meets the obligations of the state.

How often we too are so conscientious in fulfilling our state duties because we are afraid of being caught, but are lax with God.

Monday, June 1, 2026 - If God were to ask for the produce of your life what would your response be?

 

Monday, June 1, 2026 - If God were to ask for the produce of your life, what would be your response to him be?

To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Peter 1:2-7; Mk 12:1-12

This Parable is known variously as the parable of the wicked tenants or the Parable of the Vineyard. While the parable in Mark has been allegorised, it is not clear whether there was a non-allegorical parable going back to Jesus. Those who are of the opinion that there was a non-allegorical parable interpret it to mean that just as the tenants took radical action, so radical action is required in order to gain the kingdom. Others see the parable to mean that the kingdom will be taken away from Israel’s false leadership and given to gentiles and sinners. Still others see the parable to mean that God does not abandon and relentlessly seeks and searches for them and longs for a response from them.

As the parable stands now in Mark, it has been allegorised. The vineyard stands for Israel and the murderous tenants for the bad leaders of Israel. The owner of the vineyard is God who sent his servants to collect the produce due to him. The tenants treat the servants shamefully and as the parable unfolds, so does the escalating nature of violence, which culminates in the murder of the son. God, finally takes matters into his own hands but does not destroy the vineyard, rather he gives it to others whom he knows will give him what is due to him.

The authorities realise that the parable is about them and this only hardens their stance against Jesus and strengthens their resolve to destroy him.

All that we possess is given to us in trust. This means that while we may use what we have, we have also to be concerned about those who do not have and be generous with them. Selfishness on our part leads to our thinking that we must use the things we have exclusively without even the thought of sharing them with others.

Sunday, May 31, 2026 - Trinity Sunday - The feast of the Trinity celebrates freedom, love, community, diversity and inclusiveness

 

Sunday, May 31, 2026 - Trinity Sunday - Three in One and One in Three

To read the texts click on the texts:Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18

After asking his disciples about who people said he was, Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Logos, existing in the Father as His rationality and by an act of His will, being generated, in consideration of the various functions by which God is related to his creation, but only on the fact that Scripture speaks of a Father, and a Son, and a Holy Spirit, each member of the Trinity being co-equal with every other member, and each acting inseparably with and interpenetrating every other member, with only an economic subordination within God, but causing no division which would make the substance no longer simple.”

And Jesus said, “What?”

If Peter were a theologian this is what he would have said and Jesus, like most of us, would not have understood what he said. It is never easy speaking about the Trinity. A friend of mine, who is a parish priest, said to me that Trinity Sunday is a good Sunday to invite the Bishop to preach.

 

The story is told of St Augustine of Hippo, a great philosopher and theologian, who wanted to understand the doctrine of the Trinity and to be able to explain it logically. One day as he was walking along the sea shore and reflecting on this, he suddenly saw a little child all alone on the shore. The child made a hole in the sand, ran to the sea with a little cup, filled her cup with water, came and poured it into the hole she had made in the sand. Back and forth she went, repeating what she did. Augustine went up to her and said, “Little child, what are you doing?” and she replied, “I am trying to empty the sea into this hole.” ‘How do you think,” Augustine asked her, “that you can empty this immense sea into this tiny hole and with this tiny cup?” To which she replied, “In the same manner in which you think that with your small mind you can comprehend the immensity of God?” With that the child disappeared.

Trinity Sunday is a special Sunday in the liturgical year; it has been celebrated since 1334 when Pope John XXII fixed it as the Sunday after Pentecost. It is a Sunday which is not tied to any special event. We do not have to remember any special events or rituals. Instead it is about a day when we remember just God – the mystery and the reality that God is. It is a bit like a birthday when all we do is celebrate a particular person and their presence with us.

A good way to understand the Trinity, even if inadequately  would be to understand the Father, Son and Spirit as Lover, Beloved and the Flow of Love between them that has constantly flowed from time began. Through the Incarnation, the Beloved came to dwell among us. When we accept the offer to become the adopted children of God, we also become the Beloved of God, and share in this same Flow of Love.

However, even this way of understanding falls short. The Church teaches us that God is three persons in one nature; that Father, Son and Holy Spirit together are God. Beyond that is nothing more than the speculation of our tiny minds.

Though not explicitly Trinitarian, the first and third readings convey the fundamental mystery that the Triune God reaches out to people in love, seeking the deepest communion. The reading from Exodus follows the apostasy of the people in worshiping the golden calf. Moses again ascends the mountain to intercede, offering his own life for the people This evokes yet another revelation of God as a merciful and gracious God, “slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity,” truly a God who knows the suffering and weaknesses of humanity and is constantly summoning them back to his love and mercy.

The same theme is taken up by the text from the Gospel of John, which contains one of the most quoted New Testament texts: “God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” The God who heard the cries of his people in Egypt, witnessed their affliction and came down to save them through Moses, now sends his Son, so that everyone who believes in him may be saved. For John judgment is not something that happens at the end of history; it takes place within history, as people consciously choose evil over good and turn away from the covenant God of love, mercy, grace and truth. The ultimate mystery is that the Trinitarian God who reaches out in love is the same God who gives freedom to reject that love.

Thus the feast of the Trinity celebrates freedom, love, community, diversity and inclusiveness, God does not exist in isolated individualism but in a community of relationships. In other words, God is not a loner or a recluse. The Trinity embraces diversity. This means that a Christian in search of Godliness must shun every tendency to isolationism and individualism. The Trinity is Community.

Saturday, May 30, 2026 - For those who believe no proof is necessary, for those who do not no proof is sufficient. Which kind of person are you?

 

Saturday, May 30, 2026 - For those who believe no proof is necessary, for those who do not no proof is sufficient. Which kind of person are you?

To read the texts click on the texts: Jude 1:17,20-25; Mk 11:27-33

Mark links the incident of the Challenge to the authority of Jesus (11,27-33) with the incident of the Cleansing of the Temple (11,15-19). When asked by the Pharisees where his authority comes from, Jesus points back to the baptism of John and so to his own baptism (1,9-11) where he received the invitation to be both slave and son. Since they are not able to answer because whatever answer they give will result in their condemnation, Jesus too refuses to answer their question. The point that Mark seems to be making is that the authorities had closed themselves to the revelation of God in Jesus and so would not be willing to accept Jesus as God’s chosen one. There would not be much use in trying to explain to those who were not open to listen.

We sometimes make up our minds about something and take so rigid a stand about it that we are then unwilling to change our stance or see someone else’s point of view. The danger of this attitude is that we might miss out on learning something new and the revelation that the situation or person makes to us.

Friday, May 29, 2026 - If God were to ask for an account of your life today, how would you respond?

 

Friday, May 29, 2026 - If the Lord were to come to the tree of your life, would he find fruit or only leaves?

 To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Peter 4:7-13; Mk 11:11-26

In the first part of today’s text Mark uses what is know as a “sandwich construction”. This means that he begins narrating an incident, interrupts it by another incident, which is completed, and then the first incident, which was begun and left incomplete, is completed. There are various reasons for the use of this technique.

Here, Mark begins by narrating what is known as the cursing of the fig tree (11:12-14). Only Mark tells us that ht was not the season for figs and yet, when Jesus did not find any fruit on the tree he cursed the tree. It is the only miracle that occurs within the Jerusalem section of the Gospel and the fact that it destroys nature does not fit the pattern of the other miracles of Jesus, which make people whole. Mark wants his readers; therefore to see the symbolic character of the miracle of the cursing of the fig tree and associate its fate with the fate of the Temple, which is also not producing the fruit, at is meant to produce.

Mark keeps in suspense what happens to the fig tree till much later (11:20-21), after he has narrated the incident that he places in the middle of the sandwich. This is what is known as the Cleansing of the Temple (11:15-19). It is an incident that is narrated by all the four Gospels though John narrates it quite differently from the manner in which the Synoptics do and even within the Synoptics there are slight differences. Mark is the only one of the evangelists who tells us that Jesus would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple which indicates that for Mark Jesus has the power to determine what activity is proper to the Temple. The teaching of Jesus is a combination of two Old Testament texts Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. The chief priests and scribes take affront when they hear about this incident and look for a way to kill Jesus.

 

Mark then continues the first incident (the cursing of the fig tree) and completes it (11:20-21). The fig tree has indeed withered. This is what will happen to the Temple if it continues in the way of the fig tree, namely if it does not produce the fruit required of it.

 

Peter is amazed that the fig tree has withered and comments on it (11:22). This gives an opportunity for the Marcan Jesus to teach has disciples about prayer (11:23-25). The first saying about the mountain being thrown into the sea (11:23) brings out forcefully through a dramatic metaphor what is possible for one whose faith does not waver. The second saying (11:24) applies to the community the general principle of the previous verse, namely that there must be absolute confidence in prayer.

 

The final saying (11:25) speaks about forgiveness as a condition to receive the forgiveness of God. This is because if there is unforgiveness in one’s heart it is not possible to receive the forgiveness of God. The unforgiveness acts a block to receiving God’s forgiveness.

Most doctors today are convinced that the larger majority of the illnesses we suffer are psychosomatic. This means that because our mind/heart/internal (psyche) is affected, our body/external (soma) will also be affected. Keeping grudges, harbouring feelings of revenge, nurturing anger and not forgiving are sure ways to spoil one’s health. Illnesses like acidity, hyper tension, fistula, piles, stress diabetes, high blood pressure and many others can be controlled and even avoided if one removes all the negative from one’s heart and mind.

Thursday, May 28, 2026 - We can be united even in diversity

 

Thursday, May 28, 2026 - Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest - We can be united even in our diversity

To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 6:1-4,8; Heb2:10-18; Jn 17:1-2,9-14-20

The feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Eternal High Priest was instituted in 2013, to remind us of the High priesthood of Jesus Christ and the effect of that priesthood on the whole world. John tells us succinctly of the purpose of God’s sending his Son into our world “‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (Jn 3:16-17). This is why God chose the name Jesus for his name because the name means “God saves” (Mt 1:21). God in Jesus is Saviour.

Besides being Saviour, he is also high priest., When he spread his arms on the cross, he did it to embrace the whole word. Paul explains this well when he says to the Corinthians, “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us” (2 Cor 5:19).

The Gospel reading chosen for the feast is from the latter part of the Priestly prayer of Jesus in Jn 17. In these last verses, Jesus prays for his disciples and for us who will believe because of the disciples’ word. If the content of this party of the prayer can be summarized in one word, it would be Oneness, Harmony, Unity, Union. Just as the Father, Son and Spirit are distinct yet united, so are we called to that Unity even in diversity. We do not need to eb uniform to be united., We can be separate and distinct and yet we can be united. We can be of different colours and creeds, we can be of different nationalities and backgrounds and yet we can be one united humanity.

In our world which is torn because of division and strife, we pray that the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest will be an occasion to come together as one family of humans and be united even in our diversity.

 

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 - An alternative to confrontation is the attitude of “care-frontation” which would involve challenging the other person to rise above trifles and that, which is not necessary.

 

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 - How would you define honour? What does your definition say about you?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Peter 1:18-25; Mk 10:32-45

In this pericope Jesus predicts for the third and final time that he is to suffer and die and be raised (10,32-34). It is the most detailed of all the three. Here too, like in the case of the two previous Passion and resurrection predictions there is a misunderstanding. This time it is on the part of James and John who want places of honour in the kingdom. In response to Jesus’ question of whether they are able to drink the cup that he must drink and be baptised in the baptism with which he must be baptised, they say that they are able. Jesus promises that they will indeed drink the cup and undergo the baptism, but cannot he cannot determine the position of places in the kingdom. That role is left only to the Father.

The other disciples who become agitated with the request of the brothers are in the same boat as they are, and once again Jesus has to teach them the way of the kingdom. Only those willing to serve others can hope to have a place of honour in the kingdom. The last verse of this section points to the Son of man who has come to show the way to the kingdom through his service.

The attitude of the ten towards James and John may be termed as confrontation. This often happens when one desires what the other person is striving for and so feels jealous and envious of the other. It also leads to backbiting and thinking ill of the other like the ten did in the case of James and John. An alternative to confrontation is the attitude of “care-frontation” which would involve challenging the other person to rise above trifles and that, which is not necessary. It arises out of a genuine concern for the good of the person.

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - When we sacrifice something for a cause we must realise that our reward must be the sacrifice itself.

 

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - What is the thing, which is the person, what is that event which is preventing you from working for the kingdom? Will you give it up today?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1Peter 1:10-16; Mk 10:28-31

In response to the statement of Jesus that it is impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, Peter states that they as disciples have left everything to follow Jesus. The response of Jesus is a reassurance that what they have given up will be replaced by the new bond that they will share with each other both in this life and in the life to come. It must also be noted that the Marcan Jesus also mentions persecutions as being part of the lot of the disciples. These are to be expected by anyone who is a true witness of the Gospel. The last verse of this pericope speaks about the reversal of status that will be part of the kingdom indicating that that the values of the world do not apply in the kingdom.

When we sacrifice something for a cause we must realise that our reward must be the sacrifice itself. The reason why we sacrifice is because we believe in the cause, whether it is helping the poor, reaching out to the needy or any other and we must gain our satisfaction from the understanding that someone has lived more fully because of the sacrifice that we have made.

May 25, 2026 - Will you show love in action today?

 

Monday, May 25, 2026 - Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church - How will you show that you are part of the Church of God founded by Jesus?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts1:12-14; Jn 19:25-27

Pope, St. Paul VI declared Mary as Mother of the Church on November 21, 1964. In 2018, Pope Francis reinvigorated the title by proclaiming the Monday after Pentecost as the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Church. Through Scripture and tradition, we clearly see how Mary has been “Mother of the Church.”

The Synoptic Gospels provide an account in the ministry of Jesus, when the mother of Jesus and his brothers and sisters approach the house where Jesus was teaching (Mt 12:46–50, Mk 3:31–35, Lk 8:19–21). When word reaches Jesus that his mother is outside, he says, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it” (Lk 8:21). In Luke more clearly than in the others Synoptic Gospels, Jesus is pointing to Mary no merely as his physical mother or the one who gave birth to him and brought him into the world, but also as one who is mother to him because like him she too does the will of God.

In the first reading chosen for the memorial, we read how Mary is with the eleven before the choice of Matthias and also before Pentecost. The presence of Mary with the disciples whom Jesus left behind is an indication that she was an integral part of the ministry of Jesus and also one of those on whom the Spirit was poured at Pentecost. As mother of Jesus, she is also the mother also of the disciples and all others who believe in Jesus. In the Gospel text from John, it is from the cross that Jesus hands his mother over to the beloved disciple. While the beloved disciple is indeed a historical figure, he/she can also be anyone who loves Jesus. The command of the Lord to such a disciple, who loves him, is that he/she must also take his mother into their home because she is an integral part of the family of Jesus. As a matter of fact in the Gospel of John this is how Church is described. The Spirit of Jesus (which he breathes before his death), the beloved disciple (anyone who loves Jesus) and the mother of Jesus. These three elements make up church. These three are what church is all about in the Gospel of John.

So today let us realize that we cannot really have a full church, the church of the Lord unless his mother is in that church as well. I am fond of saying that if Mary had to say NO we would never have had Jesus. We remember the words that we recite in the Memorare “It was never know that anyone who fled to her protection was left unaided.” And proof of that is again in the scriptures where the mind of Jesus has changed because of the intervention of Mary at Cana, (Jn 2:1-12) where Jesus turned water into sparkling wine.

How will you show that you are part of the Church of God founded by Jesus?

Sunday, May 24, 2026 - Pentecost - Will you open your heart to the promptings of the Spirit?

 

Sunday, May 24, 2026 - Pentecost Sunday - Will you open your heart to the promptings of the Spirit?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 2:1--11; 1 Cor12:3b-7, 12-13;Jn20:19-23

The little boy was taken to the nursery school by his mother. Aware of his anxiety being abandoned, the boy’s mother leaned down, kissed her son, and said, “Good bye, my love. No one is leaving.” Each day, his mother would bid him farewell with those same words. The boy was too young to recognize the paradox, and embraced his new existence and quickly adjusted to new and frightening surroundings. Day after day, and week after week, his mother bid the same farewell: “Good bye, my love. No one is leaving.”

The boy grew into adulthood, and there came a day when he was confronted with the reality of having to place his mother in a nursing home. She – now elderly and frail, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease – barely recognized him, often forgot to eat, and simply could no longer care for herself. As he departed from her, leaving her in her new and frightening surroundings, he remembered her words. He leaned down, kissed his mother, and said, “Good bye, my love. No one is leaving” – words his mother recognized even though she no longer recognized him. A tear appeared in her eye, as she clasped his hand and repeated,” Good bye, my love. No one is leaving.”

This is Jesus’ message to his disciples on his departure to the Father: “Good bye, my love. No one is leaving”.

Jesus is departing from us, out of our sight. We find ourselves in the new and frightening surroundings of this life, in a place where we are uncomfortable and often feel ill-equipped to carry on. And yet, Jesus continues to assure us of his continued presence through his gift of the Holy Spirit. This is why, though he said good bye, he is not leaving. This is shown in the Gospel text of today when he comes to the frightened disciples after his Resurrection, with a twofold greeting of peace. These disciples, who fled in fear at Jesus’ arrest, are now themselves forgiven and told to continue his mission from the Father. Though they abandoned Jesus, he will not abandon them though they failed him; God’s love will not fail them. Then, reminiscent of God’s action at creation, Jesus breathes on them, and gifts them the gift of the Spirit and with it the gift of new life. They have become a new creation.

Along with the gift of the Spirit is also a commission to forgive or retain sin. “Retaining sin” is not a juridical act. It is not just the eleven but the “disciples” who are gathered in the room. John uses the term ‘disciples’ for a much larger group than the twelve or eleven. This group could also have included women and so the commission has to do with something that is more than juridical. So this means that through the gift of the Spirit, the disciples are given power to take away the sin of the world and unmask and control the power of evil as Jesus himself did. Through their just and loving actions in imitation of the Lord, they are to communicate the unconditional love of the Father.

At Pentecost, as the Acts of the Apostles narrates, the Spirit of God – and through the Spirit, God’s unconditional love – comes down upon the disciples, resting on each of them and thereby bringing them and us together once again. The disciples get a crash course as it were in the language of God. After Pentecost the days of Babel and confusion are over. The great differences among us, in culture and background, wealth and poverty, are scattered in “the rush of a violent wind”. They are burned away by tongues of fire. Their nationality or culture does not really matter. Each one hears the same message in his/her native tongue simply because it is a language of forgiveness and love, and the language of love is one.

 

The unity which this love brings is summarized by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. The Spirit is at work in each of us, always fresh and always new, waiting to be translated into the language of our own lives, into the language of love.

Our world, however, is still tongue-tied. Babel, the parable of our first clash of cultures and failure to communicate, is more than a mythic explanation of the differences among nations and languages. It is an apt description of the human condition itself. We often do not understand one another even when we speak the same language. We remain stymied by our fundamental inability to accept the differences among us.

It is only to an extent that we try to accept the other, no matter how different or foreign, that we come to understand the language of God. Only then is Babel turned to Pentecost.

 

Saturday, May 23, 2026 - How will you show God's love in action today?

 

Saturday, May 23, 2026 - Would Jesus point to you as a beloved disciple today? Why?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 28:1-20; 30-31;  Jn 21:20-25

The first two verses of today’s text shift the focus from Peter to the Beloved disciple. Like he does elsewhere, with other characters in his Gospel, John reminds the reader of when the beloved disciple first appeared in his narrative. The question of Jesus to Peter in 21:22: “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” has caused consternation. John already provides a correction of the misunderstanding that this disciple would not die and so, this is not what Jesus meant. By using a favourite word of his, “remain”, John points out what he means by Jesus’ seeming enigmatic words. This disciple will indeed remain through the words that he has written in his Gospel. Though he will die a physical death, he will continue to live in the witness that he has given to Jesus in his Gospel. Just as Peter will give witness to Jesus by dying a martyr’s death, the beloved disciple will give witness to Jesus by his Gospel.

The Gospel ends with a hyperbolic statement which also serves as a warning of how the Gospel and all of scripture must be interpreted. The Gospel is only a pointer and must be seen in that light. The person of Jesus is bigger than any writing or Gospel can ever contain and, no matter how much is said of Jesus, in the final analysis, it will always be inadequate. This does not mean that we must not say what we know. Rather, it means that, even as we say what we know, we must realize that there is much more that we do not know and so cannot say.

There is an obsession with so many today with prolonging life. These use all kinds of artificial means to try to look younger. They dye their hair black; get tummy tucks, nose jobs, and even plastic surgery to remove wrinkles. They imagine that they can cheat death and live forever. They hardly realize that what is important is not the length of time one lives, but how one lives in the time given to us. It is quality, not quantity that is important. Jesus’ words about the beloved disciple are not about his living forever, or not dying, they are about the witness that endures even after he dies. This means that each of us, like the beloved disciple, has the ability to leave a legacy even after we are gone from this world. It is up to us to decide what kind of legacy it is going to be.

Friday, May 22, 2026 - Be careful of saying you are a friend of Jesus, he will call you to live and love for him.

 

Friday, May 22, 2026 - Be careful of saying you are a friend of Jesus, he will call you to live and love for him.

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 25:13-21; Jn 21:15-19

The first verse of today’s text links this section with the previous one (21:4-14) through the words, “When they had finished breakfast”. It is a continuation of the appearance of Jesus to the disciples at Lake Tiberius where, because they obey his instructions, they are able to haul in 153 fish.

The verses of today’s text narrate the conversation that Jesus has with Simon Peter. Some are of the opinion that the reason why Jesus asks Peter three questions is because Peter denied him three times. While this may be so, it is also important to realize that the questions are all different. The first question which Jesus asks is inclusive. It includes the other disciples, the boat, the nets, and the fish. Jesus is asking Peter whether Peter loves him more than he loves the other disciples and/or his livelihood. The second question is direct and involves only Jesus and Peter. Everything else recedes into the background. The spotlight shifts only to the two. Does Peter love Jesus? Though the third question seems similar to the second, it is really different because in it, Jesus asks Peter about friendship. It reads: “Simon, son of John, are you my friend?” This is a crucial change from the earlier question because, in 15:13, Jesus had explained the true meaning of friendship when he said: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” By affirming that Peter is, indeed, a friend of Jesus, he is affirming his willingness to die for Jesus.

This interpretation is confirmed by the fact that as soon as Peter affirms his friendship, Jesus invites him to lay down his life. This invitation begins with the double Amen in 21:18, and so marks the introduction of a solemn pronouncement. The saying of Jesus that follows explains how, when Peter was young, he fastened his own belt and went wherever he wished to go. This is an indication of the freedom that Peter experienced earlier. However, soon he will have to stretch out his hands and someone else will fasten his belt for him, and take him where he does not wish to go. This is seen as a specific reference to Peter’s death by crucifixion, and is confirmed by the explanation that John gives in parenthesis in 21:19: “(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.)”

 

 

 

The text ends with Jesus inviting Peter to follow him. Though this command of Jesus may be seen as a general invitation to discipleship, here it means a specific command to martyrdom and even death.

It is significant that the call to martyrdom to Peter is given only after his threefold confession of his love of Jesus, and he is given charge of the sheep only after he has confessed this love. It is thus clear that there is no coercion on the part of Jesus, but a call that Peter has accepted freely. Peter knows, even as he answers, that trials and difficulties are part and parcel of his commitment. He is aware that following Jesus is not going to be easy and that he will be called to make great sacrifices. He is ready, willing, and able.

The call to follow Jesus today is a call that will continue to be heard as long as there are people who dare to open their hearts to this call. While it will not always be a call to martyrdom by death, like it was in the case of Peter, it will always be a call to be a martyr or witness. This is because the voice of Jesus can only be heard today in his disciples and he can be seen and experienced only when those who profess to follow him reach out in love.

Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Are the troubles and difficulties of your neighbour as real to you as your own? Or do you regard their problems as of no consequence to you?

 

Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Are the troubles and difficulties of your neighbour as real to you as your own? Or do you regard their problems as of no consequence to you?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; Jn 17: 20-26

In these last verses of the prayer, Jesus expands the circle of those for whom he prays to include believers of the future. Since Jesus did not come to make a limited revelation, but one that was meant to embrace the whole world, it is only appropriate that he pray also for those who will believe because of the disciples’ word and witness. The primary invocation that Jesus makes here is the all be one. It is a petition for unity. The reason for this petition is that Jesus wants all those who will believe in him to share in the same relationship that he shares with his Father. Just as Jesus and the Father are one, so, he prays, that all believers will also share in this mutual indwelling. When this unity is seen by those who do not yet believe, they, too, will be inspired to know and believe that Jesus was indeed sent by God. Unity of the community, which has as its source the unity of the Son and Father, will be the drawing force that will lead others to Jesus. By the unity that is shown in community, those who believe in Jesus will also be able to complete God’s work in the same way in which Jesus did.

In the last three verses of the prayer (17:24-26), there is a greater intensity. Petition changes to want. This is not to be interpreted as selfishness but rather, as audacity or confidence. Jesus is confident that his Father will give him what he wants and also, that this is his Father’s will for him and all believers. What Jesus wants is that God, he, and the believers, share in a mutual indwelling. What he wants is that all be one. This oneness and unity is expressed in the tangible reality of love.

Christianity was never meant to be, and can never be, a private religion. Everything about Christianity is both individual and communitarian. The seven Sacraments are beautiful examples of the communal dimension of Christianity. This is because Jesus did not come to make a private or esoteric revelation to only a small group of individuals but to make a revelation to the whole world. Thus, the community of believers today is faced with this challenge of showing the communal dimension or unity of the community and so, drawing others to believe. It is a tremendous privilege and responsibility. It is a privilege because we are called to continue the work of Jesus himself and so share in the mission entrusted to him by his Father. It is a responsibility because, as believers, we cannot be complacent and content with our private devotions or individual faith.  We must manifest it to everyone we meet. It is a faith that is to be shown in action, a faith that is to be shown in tangible love.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - How do I measure my own success? Is my striving to “have more” or to “be more”?

 

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - How do I measure my own success? Is my striving to “have more” or to “be more”?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 20:28-38; Jn 17:11-19

The prayer of Jesus continues with a prayer for the disciples. In the first verse today, Jesus prays for God’s protection for the disciples and the oneness that they must share. This unity must be like the unity that the Son, Jesus, shares with God, his Father. While Jesus was on earth, he was able to instruct his disciples on this unity and show it in his own words and actions.  Now that he is going to the Father, he entrusts this teaching to God. The “world”, with its own set of values and way of proceeding, will try to draw the disciples away from the teaching of Jesus, much like it drew Judas Iscariot. Yet, he was the one who decided that he wanted to break away from the community and align with the “world” and so, made his choice. The disciples need to be given the same strength that Jesus had and be sanctified in the truth.

It is so easy to be sucked in by all that the “world” has to offer. The lure of money, riches, and the desire to have more, are tempting and inviting. Success is often measured by how much a person has rather than by how much he/she is. This results in a striving to possess more and more even, if at times, it is at the cost of someone else having less than is their due. The prayer of Jesus for his disciples must be read today in this context and we need to constantly ask ourselves if, as his disciples, the prayer that he made is having its desired effect on us.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Does your prayer show in action?

 

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Does my prayer show in action? How?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 20:17-27;  Jn 17:1-11

Chapter 17, from which we will read today, tomorrow, and the day after, is titled “The High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus. However, this may also be seen as a farewell hymn of praise to God. This farewell is not simply the death of Jesus, but is the “departure” from this world, a return to the Father, after completing the work entrusted to him. It is thus a prayer of thanksgiving and confidence. Since is the last prayer before the Passion Narrative, which begins in Chapter 18, it must also be interpreted with this in mind. The intimacy that Jesus shares with the Father shines through every sentence of the prayer. Jesus speaks in this prayer directly to God.

The prayer is divided into three parts. In the first (17:1-5), though it seems that he is praying for himself, what Jesus is really doing is giving thanks to the Father for his graciousness and love. In the second part (17:6-19), Jesus prays for his disciples and, in the final part of the prayer (17:20-26), Jesus prays for those who will believe because of the disciples preaching, i.e. future generations of disciples.

The prayer begins with Jesus adopting a formal posture of prayer, looking up to heaven, and addressing God as “Father”. On the one hand, this shows that Jesus now distances himself from his disciples and, on the other, indicates the intimate relationship that Jesus shares with God. The announcement of the “hour” at the beginning of the prayer points to the fact that the prayer will be directed to God, keeping this in mind. It is the “hour” of glorification because during it, Jesus will obey God completely, and in that obedience, God will be revealed and glorified. Jesus, as Son, has revealed God’s gift of eternal life to all who were willing to receive it. Jesus has completed this work on earth and now, he has to return to the Father in order to complete the work of glorification.

The work of glorification included making the name of God known to all. Jesus has revealed the Father as Father and God as a God of unconditional and bountiful love. The disciples have been able to see God revealed in Jesus and thus, have kept God’s revealed word. Since Jesus is not going to be in the world in the same way in which he was with the disciples, he prays for their protection. This protection is to be manifested in the oneness that the disciples will share to show those who do not yet believe, that Jesus has indeed come from God and is with God.

Prayer is not primarily words, but an attitude. This is what Jesus displays in his prayer. The manner in which one addresses God displays the relationship that one shares with him. “Father” was the most intimate term for Jesus to use and it shows the oneness that he felt with God. Each of us has to find our own intimate term with which to address God. It is important to realize that, after Jesus, God can never be looked at with fear or trepidation, but only with confidence, courage, and hope.

Prayer does not begin with “me” but with God and his glorification. However, the glorification of God is complete when love abounds, because where love is, there God is. The effect of our prayer has to be seen in tangible love, expressed in deeds, like it was in the life of Jesus.

Monday, May 18, 2026 - When faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem today will you believe that you, like Jesus, will overcome?

 

Monday, May 18, 2026 - When faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem today will you believe that you, like Jesus, will overcome?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 19:1-8; Jn 16:19-23

Though the disciples think that they have understood everything that Jesus has said, and that it is plain to them, they actually misunderstand. While Jesus has used many figures of speech to make his points, the disciples mistakenly think that he has used only one. They also do not realize that Jesus had spoken of a future time when he would speak plainly and when things would be clear, and erroneously think of that time as the present. Where Jesus was appealing to the heart, the disciples used their minds. Their knowledge is an intellectual knowledge and thus, focuses only on the present and not on the future. They forget that the whole story of Jesus can only be completed with the departure to the Father. This is why Jesus has to reorient them and remind them again of the “hour”. The “hour” here is the hour of death which will result in the scattering of the disciples. They will all abandon him at his death. Yet, Jesus will not be alone because he knows that the Father will be with him, even if no one else is. Thus, even when faced with the most difficult situation, namely death, Jesus can have peace and this is the peace that he will gift to the disciples. This peace will enable the disciples to stand up to all the trials and tribulations they will encounter.

The last words of Jesus here are words of confidence and hope: “But take courage; I have conquered the world.” Even as he goes to his death, Jesus knows that victory will be his. He will overcome, through his cross, all the negative powers that try to prevent his love from reaching the ends of the earth.

It takes courage to believe when we are faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles and difficulties of life. It is at times like these that our faith is tested and tried. It is at times like these when we have to ask ourselves whether we believe that God is still working for our good. To have courage in the face of adversity, to believe in the face of trials, and to trust and have faith when everything seems to be going wrong, is to have the confidence in the Father that Jesus had. This attitude can be ours if we open ourselves to God’s abundant grace and realize the impermanence of all that assails us. It is to know that, like Jesus, we too will overcome the “world”. The movement from present sorrow, pain and trial, to future joy, peace and hope, is possible and even guaranteed because Jesus has overcome.

Sunday, May 17, 2026 - Will you proclaim God's love in Action today?

 

Sunday, May 17, 2026 - The Ascension of the Lord - Will you proclaim the WORD in ACTION?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28: 16-20

Though the First and Second readings and the Responsorial Psalm are common for all three years A, B and C, the Gospel readings differ on Ascension Sunday. In year A the Church reads from Matthew, in year B from the longer and canonical ending of Mark (Mk 16:15-20) and in year C from the last chapter and verses of Luke (Lk 24:46-53). While Mark and Luke clearly mention the detail of Jesus ascending into heaven, Matthew does not. Yet, the scene in Matthew conveys a depth of meaning that the other Synoptic Gospels find difficult to match.

Matthew’s text is made up of two parts. The first of these is the encounter of the disciples with the Risen Lord on the mountain in Galilee and the second is the commission which the Risen Lord gives to his disciples. The encounter with the disciples is described as a matter of fact, as an event which takes place ordinarily. The response of the disciples to the appearance of Jesus is worship mixed with doubt. This is to indicate that the Risen Jesus comes to a Church that while it worships also wavers, while it believes also hesitates, while it has faith also doubts. This is the Church to which the commission is given and by sacrificing sensationalism, the text focuses on the words of the Risen Jesus. The universalizing “All” before the revelation which Jesus makes about his authority, before the commission that he gives the disciples, and before assuring them of his abiding presence, makes the whole scene universal in scope. The local Mission of Jesus has become now universal.

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles already sets the tone for the Universal Mission which the disciples are given. Here they are commissioned to be witnesses not only in Jerusalem but to the ends of the earth. However, even as they are commissioned they are cautioned about two things. The first is patience. They must wait for the gift of the Spirit with openness and receptivity. The second is that it not for them to know too many details about time, place and the like. Their job is only to be witnesses. To use the words of St. Francis of Assisi, they are called to “Proclaim the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” They were meant to be those who could give evidence for what they have seen and heard. They could not be witnesses unless they had met the Risen Christ and unless their lives have been transformed by him. Their testimony was about him, not just about what happened long ago and far away. They were to give evidence about what they themselves have heard, seen, experience

The evidence that they were to give and the message that they were to proclaim, was good news. The message was hope and light and love. It was a message which Jesus himself had taught them and this is what they were to teach. This was why even before Jesus sent them out, he made explicit that the authority was his and not theirs. Their job was not to usurp this authority, but simply to welcome all peoples to make the same discovery that they had made in their faith journey, the discovery of the God of light and of goodness, of mercy and of compassion, of justice and of reconciliation -- and not impose their own cultural values or their own cultural traditions in the process. It was allowing others to make that discovery freely and joyfully. Authority has been given to Christ.

This was remembered by Christians in the first century as is evident in the community living which resulted as a result of the witness to the words and deeds of Jesus. They also realized that the Church was but the body of the Risen Christ and so had to continue to be an extension of him who was raised.

The missionary movement of the Church stemming from the Mission command of Jesus continued and does so even today. There are moments in the Church’s history in which we see truly gracious, noble, altruistic and selfless acts of dedication and service. A lot of good has been done in every continent and corner of the earth because the Church continued to take seriously the command of Jesus.

However, it is also true that sometimes we as Church seemed to have forgotten the real message and concentrated on getting converts to the faith at any cost. This has left in some places a memory of hurt, pain, loss and even suffering. We have sometimes missed the point. The mistake that we sometimes make is to forget that the authority rests with Jesus and not with us. Our role continues to be only that of proclaimers who will “disciple” peoples everywhere by teaching them through our lives what Jesus has commanded us and done in us.