Year B Mother of God

Num. 6:22-7; Gal. 4:4-7; Lk. 2:16-21

Welcome my brothers and sisters to today's celebration of the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God.  I take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year. I pray that the Lord Jesus fills your lives during the year 2012 with an abundance of blessings that

Year B The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

(Si 3:2-6. 12-14; Col 3:12-21; Luke 2:4-52)

 We celebrate today the feast of Holy Family. The feast was established in 1921 by Pope Benedict XV.  This feast is meant to be “a day for Christian families to examine themselves by comparing their way of life with that of the Holy Family at Nazareth.”

Year B Nativity of the Lord

Is 62:11-12; Titus 3:3-7; Lk 2:15-20

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son shared a passion for art collecting. Together they travelled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless

Year B Advent 4th Sunday

2 Sam. 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Rom. 16:25-27; Lk. 1:26-38 

The Old Testament gives many accounts of humanly impossible things that God had done for his people. In order to liberate the Israelite from the bondage in Egypt, God had performed many miracles.  Moses turned the

Year B Advent 3rd Sunday

Is. 61:1-2a, 10-11; 1 Thess. 5:16-24; Jn. 1:6-8, 19-28

Socrate’s close friend Chaerephon once consulted God at the Oracle of Delphi and asked, “Is there any person in the world who is smarter than Socrates?”

God answers: No man is wiser than Socrates.

Sit on the Top

On an early morning a sparrow was siting on the highest branch  of a tree. It took its safest position. The tree had many branches. Here it can look around to watch any danger coming to it.

Year B Advent 2nd Sunday

Is. 40:1-5, 9-11; 2 Pet. 3:8-14; Mk. 1:1-8

Sending envoys to prepare the way for the arrival of a king or a dignitary is not unknown to us. This practice is as old as the establishment of the monarchy. So, it was not unusual when the “King of kings” and the “Lord

Year B Advent 1st Sunday

Is. 63:16b-17; 64:1, 3-8; 1 Cor. 1:3-9; Mk. 13:31-37

Sergeant Charles B. Schlichter, 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, had been soldiering most of his life. In June, 1950 he was a surgical technician at Madigan General Hospital. When the news of the outbreak in Korea came over the air, Charles Schlichter

Year A Christ the King

Ez 34:11-12, 15-17; I Cor 15:20-26, 28; MT 25:31-46

In the poem Ozymandias, the speaker recalls having met a traveler “from an antique land.” He told him a story about the ruins of a statue in the desert. Two vast legs of stone stand without a body, and near them a massive,

Year A 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Prov 31:10-13, 16-18, 20, 26, 28-31; 1 Thess 5:1-6; Mt 24:36, 25:14-30

Today’s Gospel passage has taken us once again into the famous parable of the Talents. A man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two talents, to another one, to each according to his ability.

Year A 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wis 6:12-16; 1 Thes 4:13-18; Mt 25:1-13

Once a fox was roaming around in a forest looking for food. Suddenly, he saw a pig rubbing his tusks against the trunk of a tree.

The fox looked about carefully but couldn't see any danger for the pig anywhere. Despite being so clever, he couldn't understand why, the pig was doing that.

Year A 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mal.1:14-2:2, 8-10; 1 Thess. 2:7-9, 13; Mt. 23:1-12

Two game Cocks were fighting fiercely to be king of the farmyard. One finally gained advantage and the other surrendered. The losing Cock slunk away and hid himself in a quiet corner, while the winner, flying up to a high wall, flapped his wings and crowed of his

Year A 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“The Sniper,” is a story about the Irish civil war, written by Liam O’Flaherty.

At nightfall in Dublin, heavy guns and small arms boomed and cracked intermittently near the River Liffey. From a rooftop near O’Connell Bridge, a Republican sniper with fanatical eyes observed the scene while eating a sandwich and swigging whiskey.

Year A 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Is. 45:1,4-6; Thes. 1:1-5; Mt. 22:15-21]

Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel is a Romanian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, politician activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor.

Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Treblinka are just a few of the names which evoke nightmares of the Holocaust. The suffering and death at these and other concentration

Year A 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Is. 25:6-10; Phil. 4:10-14, 19-20; Mt. 22:1-14]

Once a king had invited his guests for a feast, but he did not tell them the exact date and time. He told them that they must wash, and anoint, and clothe themselves that they might be ready when the summons came. The wise prepared themselves at once, and took

Year A 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Is. 5:1-7; Phil. 4:6-9; Mt. 21:33-43]

Every detail of the parable of the vineyard and the wicked tenants was familiar to the hearers. The vineyards were surrounded with a thick-set thorn hedge, designed to keep out both the wild boars and thieves. Every vineyard had its own wine press, and a watch tower.

Eucharistic Presence

Eucharist can comfort us. One can be in the presence of Eucharist and feel like a child sitting close to its mother, so comfortable, secure, safe, feeling warmth of love.

Year A 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Ezek. 18:25-8; Phil. 2:1-11; Mt. 21:28-32]

Zen stories are wonderful stories with deep insight. There is Zen story about the master Bankei. His talks were attended not only by Zen students but by persons of all ranks and sects. Once a self-centred Nichiren priest came to the temple, determined to debate with

Year A 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Is. 55:6-9; Phil. 1:20-24, 27; Mt. 20:1-16]

The people who gained greatness embarked on their career at various stages in their life. A late bloomer is a person whose talents or capabilities are not visible to others until later than usual. Many writers have published their first major work late in life. Mary Wesley

Year A 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Sir. 27:30-28:7; Rom. 14:7-9; Mt. 18:21-35]

On December 27, 1983, in Rome's Rebibbia prison,  two men shook hands. A victim and a would be assassin. That is the historical moments that  Pope John Paul II spent with his  would-be assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca. On May 13, 1981, Mehmet Ali Agca shot Pope

Year A 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Ezek. 33:7-9; Rom. 13:8-10; Mt. 18:15-20]

There is a story adapted from Tales from Rumi.

Four Men entered a mosque and each busied himself in salah, humbly prostrating before Allah. Each one said the "Allahu Akbar" after first having made his intention, and began to pray with humility. Meanwhile the Mu'adhdhin came in and gave the call to salah.

Year A 22nd Sunday in the Ordinary Time

[Jer. 20:7-9; Rom 12:1-2; Mt. 16:21-28]

One of the very important events in the history of struggle for Indian independence was the Historical Salt March. During the British Colonialism in India the British Salt Tax rule was imposed, making it illegal to sell or produce salt. Gandhiji saw it

Year A 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Is. 22:15, 19-23; Rom. 11:33-36; Mt. 16:13-20]

We are all familiar with the term identity crisis. It is a modern phenomenon that man tries to find his own identity. Many today ask the question who they are?

In today’s Gospel Jesus confronts his disciples with a very

Year A 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Is. 56:1, 6-7; Rom. 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt. 15:21-28]

Today's Reading from the Gospel of Matthew, [Mt. 15:21-28] the account of Jesus and the Canaanite woman, is one of the rare encounters of Jesus with Gentiles. Most likely this woman heard of the great miracles that Jesus was performing towards the Jewish

Year A 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[1 Kgs. 19:9, 11-13; Rom. 9:1-5; Mt. 14:22-33]

It is our common experience that when we face certain unexpected problems, our first reaction is, “Lord save me.”

Some 850 years before Jesus was born there appeared in the Kingdom of Israel an extraordinary man, Elijah. As a punishment for the sins of the king and his people, the

Year A Transfiguration of Our Lord

[Dan 7:9-10; Pet 1:16-19; Mt 17: 1-9]

At the bottom of a pond some little grub larvae of dragonflies are crawling around in the mud. They wonder what happens to their members who climb up the stem of the water lily and never come back. They agree among themselves that the next one who is

Year A 18th Sunday in Ordinary Sunday

[Is 55:1-3; Rom 8:35, 37-39; Mt 14:13-21]

When Jesus heard about the assassination of John the Baptist, He withdrew to a lonely place. He must have been emotionally disturbed and wanted to be alone. But when he arrived a crowd had already been waiting for Him. He was moved with compassion to the

Year A 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[1 Kgs. 3:5-12; Rom. 8:28-30; Mt. 13:44-52]

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Europeans believed that somewhere in the New World there was a place of immense wealth known as El Dorado. Their searches for this treasure wasted countless lives. The origins of El Dorado lie deep in South America.

Kingdom of God in Me

Money is the most valuable thing for many. Money in our hand is never safe because somebody may borrow, ask, steal or I may spend it unnecessarily. But if it is in the Bank I know it is safe and I can get it back

Year A 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Wis. 12:13, 16-19; Rom. 8:26-27; Mt. 13:24-43]

The Battle of Gaugamela took place in 331 BC between Alexander the Great and Darius 111 of Persia.

According to historians 1,000,000 troops of Darius and 40,000 troops of Alexander met in the Battle of Gaugamela. In the battle thousands of men lost their lives. But, the empire

Year A 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Is. 55:10-1; Rom. 8:18-23; Mt. 13:1-23]

Jesus taught the good news for three years. The message of Jesus penetrated the heart of each of his listeners because he spoke with tenderness using the vocabulary of the common man. In order to make himself understood more easily He made abundant use

Year A 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Zech. 9:9-10; Rom: 8:9, 11-13; Mt. 11:25-30]

 When Jesus taught it was easy for his listeners to understand his teachings, because Jesus used examples and imageries from their daily experience.  His teachings were centred around the geography, vegetation, climate and lifestyle of the land.

Year A 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[2 Kgs. 4:8-12a, 14-17; Rom. 6:3-4, 8-11; Mt. 10:37-42]

The first part of the Gospel is a call to make a radical choice as Christians. From putting love of God before everyone we come immediately to the cross and self denial. We cannot live comfortably if we are Christians. It reminds us that when we become followers

Year A Sacred Heart of Jesus

[Deut. 7:6-11; 1 Jn. 4:7-16; Mt 11:25-30]

The heart is one of the most important organs in the entire human body. It is really nothing more than a pump, composed of muscle which pumps blood throughout the body, beating approximately 72 times per minute of our lives. But it is the powerhouse of human beings.

The Last Drop: a short film

Click here: https://youtu.be/4yzGZIVooOQ

Please watch this short film. This is about water: Dignity, Usage, Importance, Abuse and Need to Protect it.

Year A CorpusChristi

[Deut 8:2-3, 14-16; I Cor 10:16-17; Jn 6:51-52]

October 17, 2008, a 22ft dinghy with 30 Dominican refugees aboard drifted for 15 days after getting lost at sea en route to Puerto Rico. WHAT began as a journey to a better life went horribly wrong. According to the men, they were all told by the Captain, Francisco

Year A The Holy Trinity

[Ex 34:4-6, 8-9; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18]

The world, we live in, is not as simple as it might seem to be. It is full of unexplained mysteries that raise several questions that remain to be answered till date. There are many such mysterious phenomena, which find no satisfactory explanation in science.

Holy Spirit gives supportive hand

A supportive hand can help a person to do wonders.

When a person is tired of standing he will love to lean on something. It can be a tree or something even a person. So also in our family life if one can

Year A Pentecost Sunday

[Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor. 12:3b-7, 12-13; Jn. 20:19-23]

Feast of Pentecost is believed to be the oldest feast in the Church. The story of Pentecost dates back to the first century A.D. It coincided with the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which occurs 50 days after the Passover (Deuteronomy 16:10). According to Jewish tradition,

Year A Ascension of the Lord

[Acts 1:1-11; Eph. 1:17-23; Mt. 28:16-20]

Today the Church celebrates the glorious entry of Jesus into heaven, after his short life on the Earth. When Jesus accepted the human form he submitted himself to the limitation of time and space. His life was limited to the territory of Galilee and surrounding regions.

Year A 6th Sunday in Easter

[Acts 8:5-8,14-17; I Peter 3:15-18; Jn 14:15-21]

Our history shows that there are many schools of thought that sprout up, flourish a little while, and sink into oblivion with the death of the master. There were many religious movements that exerted influence for a short while, disappeared forever with the extinct of

Year A 5th Sunday in Easter

[Acts 6:1-7; 1 Pet 2:4-9; Jn 14:1-12]

Fitzgerald in his novel “The Great Gatsby” gives the picture of a grand mansion. Gatsby held legendary parties in the great mansion. Gatsby’s party was almost unbelievably luxurious: guests marvelled over his Rolls-Royce, his swimming pool, his beach, crates

Year A 4th Sunday in Easter

[Acts 2:14, 36-41; 1 Pet 2:20-25; Jn 10:1-10]

Once in a war torn village a missionary priest was trying to give a little comfort by serving the wounded. He came across an old woman who was severely wounded. He administered first aid to her, and hospitalized her. When she came to her senses

Year A 3rd Sunday in Easter

[Acts 2:14, 22-33; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Lk 24:13-35]

There is a gripping story of a traveller who was walking along the road one day when a man on horseback rushed by. There was an evil look in his eyes and blood on his hands. Minutes later a crowd of riders drew up and wanted to know if the traveller had seen

Year A 2nd Sunday in Easter

[Acts 2:42-7; 1 Pet. 1:3-9; Jn. 20:19-31]

Once two seeds were carried by the running water from a mountain top. They rolled down the hill to the valley. The seeds got deposited on the banks of the stream. Eventually the seeds sprouted. The small plants began to grow into tress. One tree grew very fast. Its

Year A Maundy Thursday

[Ex. 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Jn. 13:1-15]

It is the desire of man to leave behind something to commemorate his achievements. Thus after every great victory the Greek constructed trophy in the battle field. ." In ancient Greece, trophies reflected victory in war, and were created on the battlefield at the place

Year A Good Friday

[Is. 52:13-53:12; Heb. 4:14-16, 5:7-9; Jn. 18:1-19:42]

There was once a bridge that spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train

Year A Easter

[Gn 1:1-2:2 or 1:1:1, 26-31a; Gn 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Ex 14:15-15:1; Is 54:5-14; Is 55:1-11; Bar 3:9-15, 32-4:4; Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28; Rm 6:3-11; Mt 28:1-10]

The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed since the beginning of history.  Man found Death to be inevitable. Death was a part of his daily experience. He experienced the death of plants, insects, animals and his own fellow men. Man thought that there is no

Year A Palm Sunday

[Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 21:1-11 & 27:11-54]

The contemporaries of Jesus were very familiar with the triumphal processions of the Emperors and Kings.

The Roman triumph was held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or one who had

Year A 5th Sunday in Lent

[Ez 37: 12-14;   Rom 8: 8-11; Jn 11:1-45]

There is a scene in the movie Return of the King, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s saga The Lord of the Rings, in which Aragorn gives the dead soldiers who had deserted their king a chance to regain their honour if they will help to defend the City of Kings which is under

I Need You

Once a woman told that when her husband passed away she felt left alone. Her support is lost. A woman feel so lonely in the absence of her husband. Woman depends on Men so much.

Year A 4th Sunday in Lent

[I Sam 16: 1, 6-7, 10-13: Eph 5: 8-14; Jn 9: 1-41]

Although we have made tremendous progress in unearthing the laws that govern this universe we live in, there are certain murky areas of our experience that remain unexplained by science.

In certain parts of the world Crop circles formed. They are patterns that are found in fields of rye and corn. The crops are bent near the root to create strange patterns in the field. It is a fact that occurs yearly.

Year A 3rd Sunday in Lent

[Ex. 17:3-7; Rom. 5:1-2, 5-8; Jn. 4:5-42]

  There is no more fundamental resource than water, the basis of all life. Water had been a source conflict from the ancient past. Individuals, clans and nations fought for water. Water technologies were developed by a number of ancient civilizations, from

Year A 2nd Sunday in Lent

[Gen 12: 1-4; Tim 1: 8-10; Mt 17: 1-9]

At the bottom of a pond some little grub larvae of dragonflies are crawling around in the mud. They wonder what happens to their members who climb up the stem of the water lily and never come back. They agree among themselves that the next one who is called to the surface will come

Year A 1st Sunday in Lent

[Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Rom 12:5-19; Mt 4:1-11]

Today we begin the first Sunday in the season of Lent. Lent is a season of penance that has been set apart by the Catholic Church in memory of the forty days fast of Our Lord Jesus in the desert. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent includes forty fasting days. The

Year A Ash Wednesday

[Joel 2:12-18; 2Cor 5:20-6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18]

To help us understand the significance of lent the Church makes use of a sign, the sign of ashes. Ashe is blessed and imposed on the forehead of each one of us.

Ash is an object of daily contact. Every one, young or old, come in contact with ash or dust, and everyone knows that it is one of the things of least importance.

Year A 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Is. 49:14-15; 1 Cor. 4:1-5; Mt. 6:24-34]

John Hay’s poem the enchanted shirt humorously describes the nature of human beings to always indulge in worries. There was a king, who thought that he was sick, though he was very healthy and he ate and drank heartily; and enjoyed a peaceful sleep. Since the king said that he was sick,

Year A 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Lev 19:1-2, 17-18; 1 Cor 3:16-23; Mt 5:38-48]

In the winter of 326 BC, Alexander personally led a campaign against the clans of the Assakenoi of the Swat and Buner valleys. A fierce contest ensued. The Assakenoi fought bravely and offered stubborn resistance to Alexander in the strongholds of Massaga. The fort of Massaga could

Cloud storage with God

Cloud Storage is storage of data in a server. It can be accessed from anywhere at anytime online from your device. That is always at your reach out. If one is storing data in the hard disk of a computer, it can be accessed only in that particular computer. Storing ourselves in the hands of God

Year A 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Sir. 15:15-20; 1 Cor. 2:6-10; Mt. 5:17-37]

It was customary in ancient times that every king established laws and code of conduct for his subjects. That code of conduct was the bond that united the subjects of his kingdom. Thus we find many laws in the ancient world.

Year A 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Is. 58:6-10; 1 Cor. 2:1-5; Mt. 5:13-16]

Hubert was the eldest son and apparent heir of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine. As a youth, Hubert was sent to the Neustrian court of Theuderic III at Paris, where his charm and agreeable address led to his investment with the

Year A 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Zeph 2:3, 3:12-13; I Cor 1: 26-31; Mt 5:1-12a]

There was a touching incident in the career of Professor Stuart Blackie of the University of Edinburg. Many years ago, once he was listening to his students as they presented oral readings. When one young man rose to begin his recitation, he held his book in the left hand. The professor

Love and Obedience

There was an elephant called “Chandrashekaran”. Once in a way it was taken for a wash or bath to nearby river. The whole villagers come out to watch this elephant. This was an occasion for them to see an elephant and give their share to make this elephant happy.

Year A 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 9:1-4; 1Cor 1:10-13, 17; Mt 4:12-23

Al Catraz Island was the first long term Army Prison in America. It is an island surrounded by freezing waters and hazardous currents. This prison had many types of cells. The underground cells were dark dungeons. The rooms were dark. The only sustenance thrown to that darkness

Year A 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 49:3, 5-6; I Cor 1:1-3; Jn 1:29-34

There are many signs in nature that foreshadow the natural events. When the Scarlet Pimpernel opens people know that the weather will be sunny; when it closes tightly rain is expected. So, this flower has been called the "poor man’s weather glass". When the petals of the Morning

Year A: Epiphany of the Lord

[Is 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12]

 

The Battle of Milvian Bridge was fought between Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius in 312. On the evening of October 27, with the armies preparing for battle, Constantine had a vision. A most marvellous