Category: Year C

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“I CAME TO CAST FIRE UPON THE EARTH” (Luke 12:49)

⏰Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) 📖Jer 38:4-6, 8-10; Ps 40:2, 3, 4, 18 (R.v.14b); Heb 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53 🎤”I CAME TO CAST FIRE UPON THE EARTH” (Luke 12:49) My dear, in order to understand the drama in today’s liturgy, we shall need to go back to the focus of the Thirteenth Week of the Ordinary Time when Jesus challenged his disciples on the need to remain focused on the call to discipleship. On that day, Elijah was indignant with Elisha for his reluctance at the call (cf. 1 Kgs 19:19-20). As for Jesus, there are no two ways;...

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“BLESSED ARE THOSE SERVANTS WHOM THE MASTER FINDS AWAKE WHEN HE COMES” (Luke 12:37)

⏰Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) 📖Wis 18:6-9; Ps 33:1 and 12, 18-19, 20 and 22 (R.v.1); Heb 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 12:32-48 🎤”BLESSED ARE THOSE SERVANTS WHOM THE MASTER FINDS AWAKE WHEN HE COMES” (Luke 12:37) Last Sunday, we were instructed on the need to use the gifts which God has given to us to build up a rich treasure for ourselves in heaven. One of the most effective ways which the Church encourages us to do that is through charity. Apart from his obvious relegation of God to the ground, the rich fool (Matt 12:16-21) must have been...

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“THIS IS MY SON, MY CHOSEN, LISTEN TO HIM” (Luke 9:35)

⏰Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord C (06 August 2019) 📖Dan 7:9-10, 13-14; Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 (R.v.1a, 9a); Luke 9:28b-36 🎤”THIS IS MY SON, MY CHOSEN, LISTEN TO HIM” (Luke 9:35) Among other reasons, the transfiguration of Jesus serves to encourage the disciples and strengthen their faith in view of the impending passion of Jesus. It is true that Peter had just identified him as the Messiah of God (cf. Luke 9:20) but now, God himself puts a stamp upon that answer (Luke 9:35), thus clearing any doubt that might still in their mind. See the conviction with...

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“SEEK THE THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST IS, SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD” (Col 3:1)

⏰Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) 📖Eccl 1:2, 2:21-23; Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17(R.v.1); Col 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21 🎤”SEEK THE THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST IS, SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD” (Col 3:1) My dear, two Sundays ago, we were told of the importance of serving God how he NEEDS to be served instead of how we WANT to serve him. Last Sunday, we learnt that the best way to dialogue with God and know his will for us is through prayer. It is obviously dangerous to think about ourselves without bothering about...

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“LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY” (Luke 11:1)

⏰Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) 📖Gen 18:20-32; Ps 138:1-2a, 2bcd-3, 6-7ab, 7c-8 (R.v.3a); Col 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13 🎤”LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY” (Luke 11:1) The formation continues my dear. Jesus is still on his way to Jerusalem where he would give up his life for our salvation. He wants to show us the right way to follow him and gain that salvation. Last Sunday, we were told of the importance of serving God how he NEEDED to be served instead of how we WANT to serve him. But how do we know how he needs to be served?...

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“MARY HAS CHOSEN THE GOOD OPTION” (Luke 10:42)

⏰Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) 📕Gen 18:1-10a; Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5 (R.v.1a); Col 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42 🎤”MARY HAS CHOSEN THE GOOD OPTION” (Luke 10:42) I hope that you are following, very well, the sequence of Jesus’ formation of his disciples since he began his final journey to Jerusalem. First of all, he made effort to clarify the wrong image they had of him, telling them that he is a suffering Messiah, thereby inviting them to carry their crosses and follow him. Later on, he sent these disciples ahead of him to go and preach the Gospel. Last Sunday,...

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“YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD… AND YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF” (Luke 10:27)

⏰Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) 📖Deut 30:10-14; Ps 69:13 and 16, 29-30, 32-33, 35ab and 36 (R.v.32); Col 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37 🎤”YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD… AND YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF” (Luke 10:27) Remember the focus of the liturgy of last Sunday – Bearing the mark of Christ in us and taking him to others. We have the same focus in our liturgy today. That tells us that this is a matter of great importance to Jesus. In the field of Christian ethics, we have a progression from what we call the “ethics of doing” to...

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“I BEAR THE MARKS OF JESUS” (Gal 6:17

⏰Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Isa 66:10-14c; Ps 66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a, 16 and 20 (R.v.1); Gal 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 “I BEAR THE MARKS OF JESUS” (Gal 6:17) “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (Gal 6:18), Amen. Last Sunday, we noted that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation (cf. 2 Cor 5:17). That is the reason St. Paul could make this all important claim today, in the Second Reading, saying that he bears the mark of Jesus (Gal 6:18). In fact, in another place, he makes it more categorical,...

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“NO ONE WHO PUTS HIS HANDS TO THE PLOUGH AND LOOKS BACK IS FIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD” (Luke 9:62)

⏰Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) 📕1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-25; Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 (R.v.5a); Gal 5:1, 13-18; Luke 9:51-62 🎤”NO ONE WHO PUTS HIS HANDS TO THE PLOUGH AND LOOKS BACK IS FIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD” (Luke 9:62) Do you remember where we left off in our reflection of last Sunday? Just before he journeyed into Jerusalem, Jesus led his disciples to the real understanding of his identity as a suffering Messiah. Hence, anyone who wants to follow him must also carry his Cross and follow. As soon as he finished his duty...

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“GOD’S LOVE HAS BEEN POURED INTO OUR HEARTS” (Rom 5:5)

⏰Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus C (28 June 2019) 📖Ezek 34:11-16; Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (R.v.1); Luke 15:3-7 🎤”GOD’S LOVE HAS BEEN POURED INTO OUR HEARTS” (Rom 5:5) My dear, in the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we celebrate love. The Heart of Jesus is the heart of love. Jesus is God and God is love (1 John 4:16). It then means that Jesus is love. In his apparition to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in France, Jesus said, pointing to his heart, “Behold this heart which has so loved men that it has spared...