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Ascension Sunday, 20 May 2012

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven shall come in the same way as you have seen Him going up to heaven.”

Acts 1:11

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension today as mandated by Bishops Conference for Dioceses England and Wales. Thus we raise our thoughts to heaven where, as we see in today’s Epistle (more…)

Fifth Sunday After Easter

13 May 2012

“Amen, amen, I say to you if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you.” Jn. 16:23

Once again, today’s liturgy again, as in the past four Sundays after Easter, prepares us for Jesus’ Ascension, (more…)

Fourth Sunday After Easter

6 May 2012

“For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you.” Jn. 16:7

During this Eastertide, the Church prepares us for the coming of the Holy Spirit. In his book, Divine Intimacy, Fr. Gabriel, OCD. tells us: “Only Jesus’ death could merit this great gift for us, and it was not until after His Ascension into heaven that the Holy Spirit, the Envoy of the Father and the Son, could descend upon the Church.” Fr. Gabriel, p. 503 The Apostles were about to lose (more…)

Third Sunday After Easter

29 April 2012

“Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned to joy.” Jn. 16:20

In this time after Easter the Church prepares us for Jesus’ Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit (more…)

Second Sunday After Easter

22 April 2012

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”

Jn. 10:11

Today’s meditation is taken from Fr. Gabriel of St. Magdalene, OCD’s book, Divine Intimacy (#154):   “The liturgy today sums up in the gentle figure of the Good Shepherd all that Jesus has done for our souls.  The shepherd is everything to his flock; their life, their sustenance, and their care is entirely in his hands, and if the shepherd is good, they will have nothing to fear under his protection, (more…)

Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday,

7 and 8 April 2012

“Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified; He is not here; for  He has  risen even  as He said.”  Mt. 28:5

            The Solemnity of the Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday is the most joyful of  feasts.  It is Jesus’ triumph over death and a  pledge of our own resurrection from the dead at the end of our life. The Angel tells this to the  women at the tomb  in today’s gospel (Mk. 16:1-7): “Do not be terrified. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here.” (more…)

Palm Sunday

1  April 2012

 “Blessed is he who comes as King in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!” Lk. 19:38

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is an event of  great magnitude because it shows how Jesus was hailed as the Messiah by the people in a great acclaim of praise: “Hosanna! In the highest!  Blessed is he who comes as King in the name of the Lord!” Lk. 19:38 It was customary for the people (more…)

Passion  Sunday

25 March  2012

“Amen, amen, I say to you before Abraham came to be, I am.” Jn. 8:58

This Sunday is called Passion Sunday because the Church begins on this day to make the sufferings of  Jesus, our Redeemer, the main object of our thought as we approach the Paschal Mysteries of our Redemption.  Dom Prosper Gueranger in The Liturgical Year, Vol. 5 reminds us: “Everything around us urges to mourn. The images of the saints, the very crucifix on our altar, (more…)

The Fourth Sunday of Lent

18 March 2012 April  2011

“Rejoice, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow:”  Is. 66:10-11 (The  Introit )

Today is called Laetare Sunday after the first word of the Introit. It is  the midpoint of  Lent and the Church wants us to consider the joy that will be ours with the  Easter Mysteries.  This can be seen in the readings the Church has selected for the Epistle (Galatians 4:22-31) and the  Gospel (John 6:1-15).  In the Epistle to the Galatians, St. Paul reminds the Jewish converts in Galatia (more…)

The Third Sunday of Lent

11 March  2012

“He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.” Lk. 11: 23

We are reminded by the Church in today’s Epistle (Ephesians 5:1-9) and Gospel (Luke 11:14-28) of the need to choose Christ and not evil.  Nowadays, we see how many people compromise the teachings of the Church for their own convenience and suffer tragic consequences. Msgr.  Patrick Boylan comments on widespread sinfulness of our time: “On all sides one hears the voices raised against every attempt to check the growth of profligacy, every effort to restrict evil amusements and evil literature. We hear constantly of the ‘sacred rights,’ of freedom—freedom, that is, to disregard the moral code, to follow the blind guidance of passion, to satisfy every form of curiosity, to see everything, (more…)

The Second Sunday of Lent

4 March 2012

“This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear him.”  Mt. 17:5

            In today’s Gospel (Mt. 17:1-9), we are given a glimpse of the great glory of God in heaven with Jesus’ Transfiguration before His three Apostles, Peter, James and John while He talks of His coming passion with the Prophet Elias, and the Father of the Law, Moses.  It is truly a revelation beyond our earthly comprehension. It is a glimpse at eternity.  Jesus reveals (more…)

The Second Sunday of Lent

4 March 2012

“This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear him.” Mt. 17:5

In today’s Gospel (Mt. 17:1-9), we are given a glimpse of the great glory of God in heaven with Jesus’ Transfiguration before His three Apostles, Peter, James and John while He talks of His coming passion with the Prophet Elias, and the Father of the Law, Moses. It is truly a revelation beyond our earthly comprehension. It is a glimpse at eternity. Jesus reveals the glory (more…)

The First Sunday of Lent

26 February 2012

“Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation!”II Cor. 6:2

Today, the Church gives us the penitential season of Lent in order to prepare us for the glorious resurrection at Easter. In today’s Epistle (II Cor. 6:1-10) St. Paul reminds us of the spiritual warfare that we all face in working out our salvation. “Behold, now is the acceptable time; (more…)

Quinquagesima Sunday

19  February 2012

“And if I distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, yet do not have charity, it  profits me nothing.”  I Cor. 13: 3

In this last Sunday before the holy season of Lent, the Church gives us scriptural readings that are most appropriate for this penitential season. In the  Epistle (I Cor. 13:1-13), St.  Paul tells us of the importance of charity in the spiritual life: “And if I distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, yet do not have charity, it profits me nothing.”  I Cor. 13:3 Without charity, we are nothing, even if we could perform miracles, prophesy, and have faith to move mountains.  In the Gospel (Lk. 18:31-43), Jesus, who is charity itself (cf. I Jn. 4:16), cures the blind man who, according Pope St. Gregory the Great, (more…)

Sexagesima Sunday

12 February 2012

“To you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’”Lk. 8:10

As we learned last week, the three Sundays before Lent provide texts to help us identify ourselves as weak sinners who need to do penance in preparation for Lent and Easter mysteries. Thus, we can understand Jesus’ explanation to the Apostles for speaking in parables. It is not to confuse people strictly speaking, but (more…)