Ascension Sunday of Easter - June 1, 2025 The meaning of the Ascension is really simple: Jesus returned to the Father in Heaven. Jesus has done His part and leaves you and I, the Apostles and Disciples of today, to do our part. Effectively, Jesus is saying:...
Sixth Sunday of Easter - May 25, 2025 To evangelise people is to help them find true peace: and that means they will have found God. Pope Benedict XVI said there are three key things that evangelise people: joy, beauty, Truth. Unfortunately, today, many people feel...
Fifth Sunday of Easter - May 18, 2025 St Eugene de Mazenod gave clear instructions to his Oblates that our task is to help people be, first of all, human; then help them to be Christian; and then, finally, help them to be Saints. Here, it’s...
Fourth Sunday of Easter - May 11, 2025 The 4th Sun of Easter is usually a day of prayer for vocations to religious life & priesthood. That’s OK but we need, perhaps more urgently, good and strong shepherds in our families (mums and dads), in our...
Third Sunday of Easter - May 4, 2025 The last part of the Gospel opens up the theme of the readings this week: despite our best intentions and efforts, life will dictate to us things we cannot control and cannot prevent. However, Jesus reminds Peter, and us,...
Second Sunday of Easter - April 27, 2025 Our readings today remind us of the great capacity for healing that the Church has to offer through the gift of community: healing that is much needed in our world today. And, when I say Church, I mean you...
Easter Sunday - April 20, 2025 Happy Easter! For many of us, Easter is a joyful remembrance that Christ is risen from the dead and is the hope of eternal life for each of us, even after our earthly death. However, many people are still in pain...
Good Friday - April 18, 2025 I’ve been thinking about the two men crucified with Jesus: the unaccepted “Gospel of Nicodemus” gave them the names Dismas and Gestas. True or false, someone else called them humble and arrogant. It’s easy to think kindly of the humble...
Fifth Sunday of Lent - April 6, 2025 How do we move forward in life when we make big mistakes? The readings this week teach us about the important role of older generations to nurture, guide & empower the younger people. The readings highlight the mercy...
Fourth Sunday of Lent - March 30, 2025 Our First Reading holds the key to God’s message this week: God always leads us to freedom! And, along the journey, provides us with what we need (not what we want). But, when we are truly free, we...
Third Sunday of Lent - March 23, 2025 Last week, the readings encouraged us to move beyond attachment to material things and look for higher “things.” St Paul encouraged us to focus on entering Heaven through our relationships. But what kind of relationships will create Heaven...
Second Sunday of Lent - March 16, 2025 We live when the Israel-Hamas war is happening, and the land issue is causing tension and anger in the Middle-East and around the world. It’s easy, therefore, to misinterpret the First Reading for today where God has given...
First Sunday of Lent - March 9, 2025 LENT usually has a bad reputation! Do you know that we should restart our computers regularly so they reset and run faster? Computers are complex, software is not perfect, and memory ‘jams’ cause the computer to ‘go slow.’ ...
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 16, 2025 Today’s readings invite us to trust more deeply in God: to work with God to make our ‘community’ a better place. This means to trust that, by following the Natural Law and Commandments given by God, we...
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 9, 2025 The First Reading and Gospel both occur during periods of history when society was not enjoying peace and prosperity; and there was great need for a prophet to guide the people and nations back to God’s peace,...
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - January 26, 2025 For those in Australia, I wish you a happy Australia Day: that each of us might appreciate that the opportunities we all enjoy, are due to the efforts of everyone, not simply my own efforts. The Word of...
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - January 19, 2025 The Gospel and First Reading speak clearly of happiness and God’s desire and works to help people to be happy. This is Ordinary Time. God is saying something like this: I will never walk away from you,...
The Baptism of the Lord - January 12, 2025 The Gospel informs us today that Jesus was baptised. “…while Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove. And a voice came...
Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 22, 2024 Our readings today emphasise the importance of children in our lives to help us move beyond selfish desires and discover the joy of sacrifice for others, and the patience we need for that. The First Reading reveals to us...
Third Sunday of Advent - December 15, 2024 We are presented with a picture, in the first reading, of people being promised happiness. And St Paul is praying for us to be always happy. But, are you happy? Sometimes these readings might make us think, “why is...
Second Sunday of Advent - December 8, 2024 Last week the homily noted that Christ came 2,000 years ago and that our job, today, is to allow Christ to be in us, for the good of others: to be Truth. The Scriptures, this week, help us...
First Sunday of Advent - December 1, 2024 Advent starts our new Church year. Many of us know it’s the season of waiting and preparing for the coming of Christ at Christmas. We hear this in the First Reading: "In those days and at that time,...
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 17, 2024 Our readings today challenge us to reflect on whether we are ready for the consequences of our actions, but also that Christ will be close to us in the time of distress if we remain faithful. It’s not...
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 10, 2024 Today’s readings, where a widow shares her last meal and a widow’s donation is praised, remind us of the transforming power of generosity. In a world where unhappiness seems to grow, could it be because we are...
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 3, 2024 It’s a normal and positive thing for everyone to live a good standard of life: to be comfortable and enjoy material things. Each generation tries, and often succeeds in improving. But how? Because our parents make many...
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 27, 2024 Our First Reading reminds us what God’s relationship with us is really like: God wants us, and constantly invites us to “come home”, to feel loved, safe and happy in the Kingdom of God. “They had left in...
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 20, 2024 “The Lord has been pleased to crush his servant with suffering. If he offers his life in atonement, he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life.” Wow! This is not an appealing start to...
Twenty-eight Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 13, 2024 It seems very unfair of Jesus to tell the young man to give away his wealth! However, we believe that God always does good things to us, or that hardships bring better things tomorrow. Now, what is good...
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 6, 2024 Our readings today draw out the crucial issue of family unity and the sacrifices required to make them a reality. It is not an easy topic to discuss in a general audience, because many of us have...
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 29, 2024 The readings today have a strong focus on the terrible consequences of sin, and how we might avoid sin. At first glance it might seem to be about personal actions only, however a deeper understanding reveals an...
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 22, 2024 The central message of today’s readings focuses on the importance of being a servant. Jesus gives us the powerful example of welcoming a child, who had no power or status at that time. Yet, by placing a child...
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 8, 2024 The First Reading reveals that the Israelites were in distress: “Say to all faint hearts, ‘Courage! Do not be afraid.” Then follows encouragement to the Israelites, and us, not to lose HOPE for a good solution: as...
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 1, 2024 “Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding.” There seems to be something within us that does not like rules! But many rules protect us from harm, from others, and from...
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 25, 2024 “Faith is never certainty. Can we prove that God exists? In theory, no; in life, yes.” (Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI, Can We Prove That God Exists? 26-7-2021). For many of us growing up in a Christian and Church...
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 18, 2024 Life is a series of choices: either setting our own direction(s), or how we react to what others choose for us, or do to us. How Do You Make Good Choices? This is where Jesus Christ, the Bread...
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 11, 2024 A man was stuck on his rooftop in a flood and he prayed to God for help. Someone soon passed in a rowboat and shouted to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you.” ...
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 4, 2024 Although the readings talk a lot about food – our need for food and how God fed the Israelites – perhaps the deeper message of God is: how do we cope with challenges and find meaning in...
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 28, 2024 In contrast to many of us who worry whether we have enough, the First Reading and Gospel reveal the underlying generosity of God, and God’s ability to make “a little bit” go a long way. I strongly believe,...
Today’s readings discuss the role of shepherds in our lives/ society. But first, it is good to ask ourselves: who is a shepherd? Are priests the only shepherds? Should you be a Shepherd? The politicians of a country are also “shepherds” of the people. Today, our...
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 14, 2024 Given the current political and social issues happening in Kenya right now, young people protesting against injustice and corruption, the readings of today are encouraging. But first, what is the Catholic social teaching called solidarity? Everyone has an...
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - June 30, 2024 What happens when we die? Is it the end? Perhaps, closer to home, the bigger question is: what does it mean to live? ARE YOU LIVING? Or are you just surviving? When young people go to University,...
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - June 23, 2024 Are you suffering badly, or have done so, and wondered where is God? Why me, God? At times, our suffering is self-inflicted, but often it’s not: at least we can’t see how it’s my fault. The Gospel...
Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - June 9, 2024 How many times have you been hurt by what people say to you? And how many times do we wish we’d kept quiet, or wish we’d used positive words to encourage others? Structural elements in Gospel passages...
Corpus Christie (B) - June 2, 2024 On Monday evening a number of our Oblate youth gathered online to share the readings for Corpus Christi Sunday. The leader asked for a topic of real life to connect with the Feast. The topic discussed was: Forgiving our parents,...
Holy Trinity (8th Sunday) - May 26, 2024 At a recent youth sharing, we shared about family life connecting with the Holy Trinity. And we can extend that to the nation as a family. A challenge for all families and nations is to find leaders who...
Pentecost Sunday - May 19, 2024 It is concerning that religion is fuelling a lot of international disputes around the world: Hindu nationalism in India, Islam-Judaism conflict in the middle-east, Islam-Christian fighting in Nigeria and other countries in the world; Russian-Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, to name but...
Ascension - May 12, 2024 After the Resurrection, Jesus told the Apostles to go back to Galilee where it all began. And, today, the First Reading also goes back to the beginning: Chapter 1. Here, the Apostles also went back to the beginning when they knew nothing:...
Sixth Sunday of Easter - May 5, 2024 Today’s Gospel comes at a time of increasing tension and intolerance in our communities. Partly through fear of the increasing number of different people in our midst (immigration), and partly due to a change in emphasis on my...
Fifth Sunday of Easter - April 28, 2024 For many people who are now disconnected from a close connection to the land (some children think milk is produced by the supermarket), it might be helpful to explain the parts of a grape-vine because they help understand...
Fourth Sunday of Easter - April 21, 2024 As we enter more deeply into Easter, we are still confronted by the images from Gaza: bombings, suffering, death and destruction. Today is called “Good Shepherd Sunday” – a time when we encourage young men and women to consider...
Third Sunday of Easter - April 14, 2024 “And that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.” In a world where so many people carry hurts and bruises, or are...
HAPPY EASTER! In the homily last week, I reflected on the state of the world, and how it is easy to be overwhelmed by fear and lose hope. How do we make sense of it all? And that’s how Christ found the Apostles when He appeared...
How do we link our world, our society, and ourselves to the events of Holy Week? Thankfully, I was inspired by the following from the Tablet magazine newsletter (written, I believe, by Sophia Rayzan: 19-Mar-24): Aristotle famously said: “The whole is greater than the sum of...
John’s Gospel is not easy to get into. Let us start with the part in the middle: “Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life.” This sounds stupid right? But it’s not:...
St Augustine said: "God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love." So, why is it that many of us struggle to connect to that love? Perhaps because we are born into the world as a baby requiring constant...
It helps us understand the Gospel better when we have a little history about the Passover: attendance was mandatory at least once in your life; and Jews were to pay the temple tax in Jewish coins (clean) and not in foreign coins (unclean). So the...
I think we are all aware what magnetism is? In simple terms, when two pieces of magnet are moved together, they attract (or repel!) each other: there is a hidden force acting around the metal which we call the magnetic field (which is simply the...
The First reading reminds us of the strict guidelines developed by the Israelites in the old days to deal with cases of leprosy: which meant any disease that could easily be communicated to others. Does it sound harsh? Before we judge too harshly, let us judge...
Wow, it’s a big contrast between the Gospel and the First Reading! And that helps us recognise there is a serious teaching here today. Reading between the lines in the Gospel, we learn about the character of Jesus: 1) He is interested in people = respectful; 2) He...
Mother Teresa once said: “If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.” The work of the evil spirits in our world is to achieve two things: to divide people doing good, and to unite people doing bad. So, when...
Repent! When we are children it means, stop being naughty and say ‘sorry’. However, as adults, we should focus less on a small naughty sins and more on our purpose in life. Often our personal sins are a consequence of the purpose we have in life:...
Entering into a new Church year just after Christmas is symbolic of the life of Christ, and each one of us, being born as a baby and the challenges we face growing up. One of the struggles for all of us, but especially when beginning adult...
As we follow the devastating wars in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, Myanmar, to name but a few, many of us are worried, or afraid of where our world is heading. Today’s first reading reveals a passage about God denying David’s request to build a house for God. ...
In our online sharing this week, the youth discussed what is Advent really trying to teach us? Is it really just that Jesus was born in a stable 2,000 years ago and we should be excited? Or is it something more relevant and immediate for today? As...
It has never been more difficult for young people to grow up and work out how to live a meaningful life! Take a moment to consider how many voices we have in our ears today: Social media: internet, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, SMS; Printed media:...
It seems the only time most people want to stay awake, today, is late at night as they go for a party! In the morning, when daylight comes, it often brings groans and sometimes a headache! Jesus does not invite us to stay awake, today, He...
The last time I preached on these readings, I was worried about gender sensitivities. Today I feel positive about it: it identifies the injustices against some women, today, and calls for a fair share for them. Many countries in the world are struggling to ensure...
At the youth sharing this week, the first question I was asked was: “why did Jesus use virgins in the story?” Hmm, I was caught without an answer! Why didn’t he just say bridesmaids? First of all, in the culture of that time, virginity was something...
It would be easy today, to just focus on the sins of the clergy, but it wouldn’t help many people! In our weekly youth sharing, the youth raised a serious issue which is much more important. The pressure young people feel to perform, especially men,...
The issuing of two commandments by Jesus, make more sense when we remember that: we are each made in the image and likeness of God. But why two commandments? In any great development (eg. an institution), we usually produce a nice document that proclaims the aim/...
First, a little history: Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire and king of Persia from 559 to 530 BC. He is venerated in the Hebrew Bible as Cyrus the Messiah for conquering Babylon and liberating the Jews from captivity. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_the_Great_in_the_Bible# So, the...
Mother Teresa once said this: there is hunger for ordinary bread, and there is hunger for love, for kindness, for thoughtfulness, and this is the great poverty that makes people suffer so much. Surely much of the violence and greed in the world is driven by...
Before we reflect too deeply on the Gospel, it might help to set the scene a little: Israel had big economic problems. The land owners often went to other countries for a better life and rented out their properties to produce income. People were struggling,...
The First Reading this week is a great continuation of the Gospel from last week: someone comes for the last hour and receives a full day’s wage. This week, someone who repents just before death, is welcomed into Heaven! Are we happy about that? It really...
Today we are given a clear insight into the link between happiness and generosity. Despite the pain and suffering in the world, God is always happy: because God is always generous. I think it is fair to say, we are all looking for lasting happiness. And...
Today’s Readings challenge us to consider the important role each of us has to get others into Heaven; we cannot enter Heaven alone: God is asking: “where is your brother/ sister?” Think of it like helping another student with a mathematics problem: as we help...
I once heard Fr Richard Rohr OFM say that there are many churches named as Christ the King but very few as Christ the Prophet. It says something. We are all called to be prophets because, in Baptism, we received an anointing in which we...
At first glance, this Gospel can be taken as an extension of God’s love, for the Jews, to the non-Jewish people. We are being taught to look outside of our “tribe” and see others as part of God’s family and, therefore, part of our family. As...
The first thing that challenges us, is the image of Heaven being hidden. If God wants us all in Heaven, why is it hidden? Why did Jesus use parables instead of plain speaking? And, yet, when we think about the precious things in our lives, we...
As Jesus explained in the Gospel, the field is the world: the good seed are the people who follow God’s call to love and forgive, etc.: those who become disciples. While the darnel are things and people that interfere with the lives of the disciples:...
It was interesting to listen to the Deputy Premier/ Treasurer of Western Australia last night: she was praising the State Government for being reinstated with a AAA credit rating by the international firm: Moody’s. This means a lower interest rate for debt repayments, and that...
The First Reading introduces the attitude of humility. Humility is not weakness but, rather, respect for those around us, and especially for those under our authority. God is modelling the virtue of humility, so that we may not be ashamed (or too proud) to also...
This Gospel always creates some confusion in the minds of many people. However, there are some general ideas that can help us understand it in a positive way: Preferring God before our parents does not diminish our love for our parents, it simply ensures –...
Our Gospel ends today with an invitation from Jesus: “if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven.” Does this mean I have to start shouting out the name of...
What does it mean to be harassed and dejected? We can think of refugees fleeing the war in Sudan. We can think of children who have lost their parents… or even those who are going through a separation of their parents. Or can you remember...
As we listen to the Gospel, many of us can sympathise with the Jews who were confused by what Jesus was teaching them: it was their first time. People, in difficult times, are looking for quick fixes and miracles. The big miracle between God and...
Rather than dwell on the confusion around the question of how can one are three and three are one, let us focus, rather, on the hospitality of Community, where the emphasis is on empowering each person in the community, rather than pushing for individual glory. In...
In Kenya, I often walk past a nice, small Hotel called After 40. One day I went in and asked if that meant the Hotel specialised in people over 40? They said: no, the owner chose that name because of her Christian Faith: throughout the...
The Existential Vacuum: Victor Frankl defines the existential vacuum as a twentieth-century phenomenon in which many people feel that life is meaningless… An existential vacuum manifests itself primarily through boredom, which then leads to distress. Frankl notes, … that many people become distressed on Sundays...
Mapenzi Ni Kama Kikohozi = Love is like a cough. This is a slogan on a public transport vehicle in Nairobi. Our youth suggested it means… 1) You cannot hide; 2) It can kill you; 3) it's contagious. However, the interpretation is challenged by our desire that...
The Gospels reveal so much that is not actually written in words. Take, for instance, the setting of today’s Gospel: 1. The disciples are walking in the late afternoon: towards the end of the day: toward darkness. 2. After Christ enlightens them, darkness is no longer an...
Happy Easter! We tend to skip over some details in the Gospel, as though they are simply decoration to set the scene. In a way that’s correct: but we just see the superficial effect: eg. the upper room is just a nice upstairs apartment away from the...
Christos Anesti! (Greek for: Christ is Risen!) Rejoice and Be Glad! Our shame and betrayals have been dismissed and forgotten by God. Today God reveals to us that deliberate and pre-meditated love is more powerful than evil. Sadly, of course, we still have to bear the consequences...
Do you sometimes hear older youth complaining about their parents? Statements like: “I wish Dad had been home more…” or “mum should have stood up to dad more…”, etc. I’m sure every parent, as they look back, would agree they could have done better, but most...
It’s very encouraging that God instructs Samuel to choose David as the future King: just a boy, who still had much to learn: it’s usually easier to train people who have not been formed by the world and become comfortable/ secure with fixed ideas (eg....
We humans are often funny creatures. No wonder God is exasperated in the Bible several times. We generally keep looking for my happiness or my pleasure. Listening to the war in Ukraine, I was wondering what I would say to the soldiers if I was...
Jules Renard, once said: “If you are afraid of being lonely, don't try to be right.” As much as the world tells us to be free and do whatever you want, most people are afraid to be alone. We ‘need’ to fit in with the crowd...
There are many challenges in our readings today. Not all of them can be answered or explained in a short homily. Sometimes, like listening to mum and dad, we just have to accept and do it: albeit with resentment and frustration!!! I’m sure we can...
While studying the Bible in the seminary to become a missionary, I was occasionally accused of practicing ‘eisegesis’ (iso-gee-sis), when I should have been practicing ‘exegesis’. Surely I was just ahead of my time; after all, we now have the iPhone, the iPad, the i-everything! ‘Eisegesis’...
The obvious instruction from today’s First Reading is to help the people around us with basic necessities. That may still be a need in some places; however, the Gospel challenges us to look a bit deeper: being a light means to reveal/ see the deeper...
A man called Rumi said: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” That’s a good summary of today’s readings. The words of Christ challenge us to look differently at all the things happening...
Today we celebrate the new Feast: Word of God Sunday, for only the third time. It has even more relevance in our world today, than previously, as we enter a time of increasing fragmentation and lack of healthy unity in the world, and within many...
How do we unpack the expression: “Look, there is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” What does Sin do? It breaks relationships. For so long, because that’s the way we were taught: we’ve always thought of SIN as offending God...
Happy Christmas and May True Joy be Yours! Today we celebrate with joy, that God wants to show us how much God loves you: becoming one of us and walking in the reality of our lives: the good, bad & ordinary. The First Reading paints a beautiful picture...
If we approach today’s Readings with a western, modern, mind-set, we lose part of the power of God’s word, and also struggle to see the importance of how Jesus came to be born. Joseph receives the Holy Spirit as a Jewish man, not as a Christian. ...
Are you awake? Are you busy looking at your belly button and feeling sorry for yourself? The first thing that struck me about the Gospel was the instruction of John the Baptist: “go and see if this is the one.” Today’s pink Candle symbol is known as the...
Last week, I shared of making our important relationships a focus for Christmas. It’s not about gifts: but Christ re-born in us by happy and peace-filled relationships. Post - November 23, 2022 - For new energy in our relationships...
In her book, Listen with the Heart, Joan Chittister describes ADVENT as a series of events designed not to delay the celebration of Christmas, but to enhance it. It's a kind of delayed gratification that culminates in a … satisfaction that is all the richer...
I was recently advised of a Fordham University (USA) report on world poverty, discrimination against women, religious persecution and their link to poverty (thank you, JPIC office Canada). https://catholicnews.com/fordham-report-finds-poverty-growing-globally-reversing-recent-gains/ It is short and factual: but it is sobering; featuring a picture of Kenyan children looking for...
Today’s readings are less about the end of our lives and more about the beginning of greater stages in our lives, if only we choose to become like Christ. Christ talks about destruction, which usually leads to fear or worry. In this context, though, the...
As I prepare the homily, I’m conscious of a terrible fire in Mathare slums that happened yesterday. A workman who just finished tiling our “storehouse”, lost all his belongings and the tin shack he was renting. Thankfully, his wife and children are back in the...
There’s a danger that today’s readings may simply be seen as a reminder of God’s mercy for us and the need for us to show mercy to others… or else! Ha, ha. But there’s a deeper and more important question we need to ask and answer,...
At the start of Mass we all have a moment to tell God we are sorry for being a sinner. But, now, do we really think about our sins, or just wait to say the prayer? Recently, I’ve started the Penitential Rite with a small introduction...
A little note of caution before we begin: God is not advocating war or killing the enemy. God uses real events to enlighten our minds about the way we are think and act. The event was real enough, but Israel had been forced to defend themselves....
At first glance, our first reading and Gospel emphasise the importance of gratitude. And that’s correct but a deeper, more important, message lies within: WHY be grateful? What is revealed in each of our Readings is how we are called to TRANSFORMATION. Naaman, St Paul and the...
After discussing today’s readings with a married man, the Gospel began to make more sense. Because, after reading once, it’s easy to think God is too tough. But, when you are a parent, you realise it’s true: the parents are the servants and the children...
Having reached 60 years, I’ve heard this Gospel more than 50 times, and remembered it maybe 40 times. The obvious message is about the importance of helping the destitute, etc. But how does that help a society where so many think death is the end =...
Too often we project the bad behaviour reported in the Gospel/ OT onto other people and avoid placing ourselves in the firing line. Today, perhaps we could be a bit more honest to ourselves? The First Reading talks about the trade and financial scams done by...
I’m not sure what you think, but it seems to me that we are becoming more and more interested in criticising others, and condemning others for bad action: we love bad news where the bad people are killed or jailed or suffer in some way. ...
Security in life! We all want it, and only some find it. And why do we want security in life? To enjoy ourselves… to be happy & free? To not have to worry about survival, day by day? However, when we reflect on Maslov’s hierarchy...
Some time back, Pope Francis commented that everyone must be accountable to someone. Is lack of accountability the main reason for so much discontent in our lives & Communities? In Religious life it’s not uncommon for some Brothers and priests to come and go from their...
The crisis in Ukraine has suddenly made fertiliser very expensive. It has also highlighted to the uninterested, or non-farmers, how important fertiliser is, to the whole country, to ensure a large harvest: without a big harvest the whole country goes hungry. This is a good analogy...
I remember a story about a man begging God every night that he might win the million-dollar lottery. After six days God spoke: “would you help me out a bit and buy a lottery ticket?” Too often in life, we are quick to blame God for...
The first thought that came to me after reading the Gospel once more this year, was this: Martha said: “Please tell her to help me.” And this is the problem: she wants God to do what she should do: should it be God who tells...
“…what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Perhaps we can rephrase this: “…what must I do to always feel hopeful & joyful in the midst of my struggles & happy times?” Or, “…how can I be happy when I’m not happy!!!!” The parable of the good Samaritan...
The Ascension – as an event by itself – is really simple: Christ returned to the Father – to Heaven, as we say. The reality is, it means that Christ has done his part, and now leaves the Apostles and Disciples to do their part. ...
Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI once said there are three key things to evangelise people: not to convert people, but to evangelise people (help them find peace): joy, beauty and Truth. The First Reading challenges us to look for what is important or, rather, what is most...
Being a shepherd is no easy task. We look around the world and see the way National Leaders are treated: sometimes with respect, but often criticised and disrespected. Likewise Church leaders and Religious Congregation leaders: it’s not easy! Parents know very well the difficulty of being...
Life – despite our best plans and preparations – often twists and turns without much warning. I mean, how did I end up 60 years of age so fast? There’s a funny picture around indicating that the leading cause of injury in older men is because...
Wife says to the husband, “you never tell me that you love me.” Husband replied, “What do you mean? I said I love you when we got married!” “But that was 20 years ago,” she replied. In order to maintain our belief and trust in our...
Happy Easter! For good emotional health, everyone needs a spiritual framework to deal with the big questions: Who am I? What’s the point of life? Where am I going? How do I make sense of suffering? For Christians, we have our Faith in God, through the life...
Do we really know what we NEED, or are we busy looking for what we WANT? Are we chasing MEANINGFULNESS or HAPPINESS? An interesting scientific study was done by Berkeley Univ in America which studied the difference between meaningfulness and happiness. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/happy_life_different_from_meaningful_life The major key difference between...
Mercy. This is the key message from God today. God wishes to give us mercy: not just forgiveness, but a second chance. In a real sense, this Gospel continues the story of the Prodigal Son, by addressing the self-righteous attitude of the elder son. This Gospel...
Last Sunday’s Gospel about the Fig Tree, the Last Chance, seems to be undermined by this Gospel of the Prodigal Son. However, we can say that the Fig Tree teaches us about negative “consequences” causing prolonged suffering, while the Prodigal Son reminds us that God...
Often, when we talk about the fruits or gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are referring to the good characteristics or virtues or skills that we have, and should use, for the good of others. Perhaps we can feel annoyed with God about that because it...
We could see the readings as a call to faithfulness so that we can receive God’s promises. Faithfulness in commitments is becoming a bigger problem, and our society suffers less unity. However, faithfulness requires an important virtue: that we respect and love ourselves. It would be...
LENT is so often labelled as the difficult season where we accuse ourselves of wrong-doing, and have to make sacrifices for others, and going without. It can create a sense of being punished: not really popular in our present secular age! And, yet, we always proclaim...
As we watch the tensions grow between Russia and Ukraine these last few weeks, it raises serious questions about the maturity of the world: on the one hand we are “developed” technologically and psychologically; however, socially, we are losing. The phrase that comes to mind...
In our world today, I think most people would agree there’s a greater focus on “myself”: by design, or because we’ve been conditioned by our culture, and it seems normal. Some might say I’m too harsh; but just try this simple test: I decide many small...
As we reflect on the WORD of God Sunday, today, there are a few elements to keep in mind: 1. The WORD is not a text – it is the person of Jesus Christ. 2. Every time the priest reads the Gospel, he invites us to an...
In the context of today’s Gospel, the First Reading makes more sense if we see the overflowing, and generous, amount of wine in terms of inner joy created by the Spirit working in us. Wine is a symbol of joy: in moderation, it helps people relax...
After the Baptism of his baby brother, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That priest said he wanted us brought up in a Catholic...
Epiphany EPIPHANY means to reveal; to make something visible. For us it means we suddenly see and understand something clearly for the first time: God’s radical decision to become Emmanuel: God with us. We take it for granted, but it’s so very important to everything good that has...
Sunday, December 19, 2021 - 4th Sunday of Advent - Many in the world blame others when things are not going well. It could be true. But, at a certain point, we have to admit that the past cannot be changed, and we ourselves, must...
Last week the PEACE candle burned brightly. In the same way our world leaders are burning lots of air-time talking about peace with plenty of media coverage. However, as we know, more and more countries around the world are in conflict with themselves or their...
“Our waiting is always shaped by alertness to the Word. It is waiting in the knowledge that someone wants to address us. The question is, are we home? Are we at our address, ready to respond to the doorbell?” (https://www.thespiritlife.net/facets/exchanged/75-process/process-reflection/5000-november-29th-henri-nouwen-waiting-with-the-word-first-sunday-of-advent) Our Gospel today reminds us of...
Over the last 12 months, I’ve become more aware of the struggles that parents are experiencing with their children and the rapidly changing social environment. The disagreements and, sometimes, anger/ rejection that develops between children and parents can be very distressing. The Christmas message and Advent...
In recent months we have all seen the power of BIG TECH companies deciding what’s “truth” and what is not TRUTH. It’s been very disturbing how they are able to use their unregulated power to silence the TRUTH, as Christianity has taught for centuries: respect...
Until recently, today’s readings spoke to me about the need for us to keep the faith in difficult times and not lose our faith, even if we lose everything else. It would be easy to presume our Responsorial Psalm today meant to keep us physically...
The obvious message in today’s readings is about generosity. Of course, we usually think about money. And those of us with money roll our eyes and feel frustrated!… well, maybe. Economic generosity IS an urgent need in our world, today, where the gap between rich and...
What does it mean to praise God? We live in a world which is more and more into praising ourselves, and it feels uncomfortable to praise God whom we can’t see. Many are happier to praise pop-stars and movie actors! Like pain management, where it is...
These days, throughout our world, there is a great emphasis on personal decisions, personal happiness and “doing what I want”… quickly followed by: “don’t tell me what to do!” It seems the art of living in Community and for Community is slowly dying. The phrase “no...
Often, homilies for today’s readings focus on the importance of sticking together in marriage. It is more helpful, perhaps, to focus on the incompleteness of each individual human being. Fr Richard Rohr OFM, talks about the beneficial effects of war – not as a promotion of...
Have you noticed, in recent years, the increase in desire for CONTROL and STATUS exhibited by an increasing number of people? Our first reading and Gospel reveal the possessive nature of some assistants to Moses and Jesus. Moses and Jesus are both very humble, happy...
You might object, but the First Reading reveals a trait present in many of us: the desire to pull others down when we feel inadequate in their presence, or they are calling for a change we do not want. We only have to remember what...
Did you notice the common state of the main persons in each of the three readings? Perhaps I did because of listening to Fr Richard Rohr OFM (Adam’s Return), where he talks about the fear many of us have to let go of control. Of course,...
The First Reading begins with a line indicating that the Israelites were in trouble/ difficulty: “Say to all faint hearts, ‘Courage! Do not be afraid.” Then follows a series of encouraging lines to give the Israelites, and us, HOPE for a good solution. I’m not sure...
In these days of cultural change all over the world, FREEDOM seems to be the dream but, often, chaos seems to follow. If one wants to upset a group of people, you could just paraphrase the first reading, and dictate a set of rules for...
We are aware that family life, in general, is under attack from many social influences, and increasing interference by Governments. As society increasingly moves from “communal values” to “individual values”, the challenge for family life will only increase. I’m aware several of our youth group are...
To some people, today’s Feast is rubbish. Even some Catholics struggle to accept it. Where is the evidence to support the amazing paintings/ pictures of the Assumption? This seems to be a bigger challenge as we learn more and more about science and logic, thinking we...
Every time we go to Mass and receive the Eucharist we’re supposed to commit ourselves to become what we receive. But are we just going through the motions? All this talk about the Bread from Heaven is a bit complicated. To help understand it better,...
As we continue to make our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been “harshly” reminded of the importance and NEED for healthy PHYSICAL relationships. Depression, suicide, self-harm, drugs and/or alcohol consumption have all increased, especially for the younger people. The lockdowns – isolated stays at...
We live in a country where the most common topics on the news are politics, corruption and road accidents. The resulting conversations around coffee tables are criticism of the politicians & other leaders; except the poor people who have little time to talk as they...
Once again, we are presented with the issue of prophecy. But, this week, we are given the purpose of prophecy through the Gospel message: to bring healing wherever we go. Our First Reading opens by politely describing a “fight” between a priest and a prophet. Amos...
The plan of God is always a plan for life – and a happy life at that! But what does it mean to have a happy life? A happy life has a balance of joy and sacrifice: pleasure and pain. A happy life includes moments...
In Kenya, this week, a Kenyan billionaire died at age 80; and the checkout man at a supermarket saw I was a priest and asked for some advice about his marriage. Our Kenyan Billionaire said in an interview (Sept, 2020), that getting into marriage was like...
At first glance, the First Reading seems remote from reality. However, it says: “from the highest branch I will take a shoot”. What is at the top of every growing tree? The newest shoots are at the top: tender, fresh, energetic. The tree is reaching up...
Sitting here in Kenya and absorbing the changing Patriarchal Culture [dominator hierarchy], and very much aware of the conflicts and dictatorships around Africa, Europe, South America & Asia, I’m feel very grateful for our Catholic Doctrine and teaching about the Holy Trinity. Every year I wonder...
It’s difficult not to become somehow worried as we look around the world and see the number of disputes, wars and greed, displayed by a lot of countries. So, it’s important to recognise there are also many good things happening, in big & small ways,...
“Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” This topic in the First Reading is a good point to start from. The kingdom the people asked about was one of power and wealth. Christ gently corrects them with a...
[from newsletter May, 2021: Cadence Financial Group, Vancouver, Canada] In 1856, [African American] Granville T. Woods was born in Columbus, Ohio [US]. Armed with a 4th grade education, he went on to invent dozens of patents such as the multiplex telegraph, which dramatically increased train...
On Wednesday, Fr Greg and I went to buy some tree seedlings. While explaining the various fruit trees, and the prices, the lady praised the value of the grafted seedlings above the standard seedlings which were cheaper. This image came to mind from today’s Gospel: I...
Today is called “Good Shepherd Sunday” – a time when we encourage young men and women to consider a religious vocation. However, it’s a good time to reflect on our common religious vocation, as Christians baptised into the priestly ministry of Christ: to care for...
Happy Easter! The joy of Easter can be difficult for some Christians; leaving them with mixed feelings: happy but… Why? We all seem happy on the outside. Because on the inside we have to face our own demons and regrets and fear and shame. Perhaps we...
Happy Easter! Today marks the end of Easter Sunday: the day of Resurrection. But Easter continues for 6 weeks. Let me start with the helpful few words of Fr Henri Nouwen [2021-04-2]. The Resurrection does not solve our problems about dying and death. It is not...
HAPPY EASTER! After 59 years of celebrating Easter – maybe with a few brains for 40 of them – I asked myself: what are we really celebrating today? That we’ve been saved by Jesus Christ? Is it just a moment to say thanks? I presume it...
Now and then, we all forget that people might misinterpret our actions. We can put these misunderstandings down to “getting to know someone”. However, there are some signs which cannot be misunderstood, actions which definitely say something, positive or negative, based on our culture. Palm Sunday...
Perhaps as children growing up, you were taught the fear of God, and you never moved beyond that as an adult. Just as children are afraid of parents disciplining them, they soon grow out of it! Hopefully, the parents also change tactics as the children...
Fr Richard Rohr OFM, says: the way UP is, first of all, the way DOWN! It sounds like a faulty recipe for happiness! But, imagine a newly married couple: they have to learn to change from independent living and decision making to shared living & mutual decision...
Perhaps you have heard that the call to repent during Lent is often misinterpreted. Most of my life it meant: stop being naughty and do more good things. The Greek word, REPENT, actually means: “face another way” or “turn around” or more literally, have a “change...
I think we’re all aware of what magnetism is? In simple terms, when two pieces of magnet are moved together, they attract (or repel!) each other: there is a hidden force acting around the metal which we call the magnetic field (which is simply the...
“Into the valley of death rode the six hundred…” The Charge of the Light Brigade(1855); Lord Tennyson: on the 1854 suicidal charge, by the British, against the Russians in the Crimea. This is one of the few lines of poetry I can still recall from high...
How do we respond to the events of life? I’d suggest that the Christian Life (as should all the great Religions in the world), help us to respond positively about the good and “bad” things that happen to us. This is because the Christian Life helps us...
“You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do” (by Anne Lamott). We were saddened after watching the mini-dramas recently playing out in the USA. There were moments of Statesmanship by...
“Brothers [& Sisters]: our time is growing short.” This line is a wake-up call for us. In ordinary life, we often think in terms of: how many years have I got left? However, the Corona-Virus has reminded us, life can end more suddenly. And not just physical life,...
At times in our lives, we get tired of the struggle to “make it”. Whatever we dream to become, or achieve, rarely comes easily, so, it’s easy to get tired. Most of us probably complain to God, or about God, and ask “Why is it so...
Fr Richard Rohr OFM says that throughout the Bible, God is simply looking for images to communicate God’s love for people, and how they can be co-creators (empowered). Our Sacraments, however, are more than just images, for they draw us close enough to touch God...
Welcome to the Third Sunday of Advent – with the theme of JOY. When you are often happy, this is a great theme we can relate to. However, for many people suffering depression or a life-long struggle with low self-esteem, the theme of joy can...
At the end of a long year – enduring lockdowns, prevention measures, going without work, food and “nice things” we are all used to – some people might find it hard to get excited about Christmas and the spiritual meanings of HOPE. Many people have...
As I prepare the homily, our various Oblate communities are mourning the loss of two wonderful people: one a fine young man from Kionyo who died on Tuesday after a hit-and-run car accident last Friday; the other a lovely elderly lady: wife to a former...
Being subject to anyone else is something most people fight against. We want to be free to do what we like. This is one of the “blessings” we think we will receive after “escaping” from home when we think we have reached “maturity”. However, after living...
In this day and age, today’s 1st Reading is not ‘politically’ correct, because it presents the wife as a servant, or a resource for personal gain of the man. However, rather than a long discussion about the reality of the times when the Book of...
Many people today are tired of religious leaders. So, when they hear “God” they often turn off, because they link “God” to the poor actions/ communication of Church leaders. But, truly, God is the energy that created us & sustains us: and there is something...
Who are the Saints? They are those people, in the past and present, who have helped make Heaven a little more visible here on earth. And we need a lot more HEAVEN on earth, today. However, just as the Chosen people had to fight for the...
As often happens – the pandemic lockdowns around the world have brought out the best and/ or the worst in each of us. I hear so many good stories about increased actions of care for neighbours in the same street where we live (previously we...
One of the big challenges in our world at this time is the seeming lack of respect that many of us have for some groups of people: eg. Luya/ Kikuyu, etc. The readings draw out the distinction between the Jewish people (the Chosen race) and...
God is pretty smart. As I read the readings, I remembered the old saying: the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach… or, an army marches on its stomach. The image of food and fine wines is powerful, because when we have a...
The Second reading indicates to us the need for prayer – words of petition – but also action. Prayers that expect God to be a fairy Godmother doing everything for us are useless. God helps those trying to do the right thing, or those doing...
When people come to Mass and hear the readings of today, there might be a temptation among most of us – myself included – to think it applies to other people; after-all, you are trying hard and not committing many bad sins, right? :) So, to...
We live in a world where many people are starving, but have a great sense of community. Then, there are many people with plenty of food who are desperately lonely, afraid and lost. They (we?) desperately look for love, and don’t realise that the material...
For some reason – perhaps many reasons – we often find it hard to forgive others. Is it fear they will do it again? Is it self-righteousness ego/status? Is it a desire to punish them? Only each of us can really answer those questions. Every...
From today’s Readings, the first thought that jumped into my little brain was: we cannot enter Heaven alone; God will be asking: “where is your brother/ sister?” So, we are being reminded to look out for our brothers/ sisters, and be loyal to their welfare. I...
“A canoe does not know who the leader is; when it turns over, everyone gets wet.” This proverb from Madagascar might make us smile even as we all struggle – and many suffer – from COVID-19: both rich and poor are affected in some way –...
In the 1960’s, at the Church Council of Vatican II, the teaching on Baptism was made more understandable by including the additional condition: Baptism by Desire: those seeking God with a sincere heart and a desire to do good. I believe we can also include the desire...
Let us begin our reflection today by understanding the context of Jesus’ ministry today: “When Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death…” Our Lord and Saviour was mourning the loss of his cousin. He goes away to find some time alone, but is interrupted:...
This last week revealed shocking news around the world: with violence in many places and a second wave of the pandemic affecting some countries who thought “all is well”. Some of us might feel afraid or depressed. Don’t be. Let us be who we should...
Do you find it difficult to accept/ forgive people who have behaved badly (unless your own child or parent)? Having lived in the so called rich and poorer countries, I’ve noticed that people with less money tend to be more tolerant and forgiving than those...
Many people struggle with their faith in God, but prefer not to talk about it, better to fit in with everyone else: less arguments! That’s good and bad. It’s good as it keeps us closer to the community, and nurtures faith to return through the...
When we are suffering, it’s sometimes not easy to see much value in the First Reading. So what if God comes humbly into the world? Where was God when my friend died? Where was God when my project collapsed and I lost all my efforts...
Despite being a patriarchal society, the 1st Reading reveals the prominence of women who teach everyone, likely more than the men in the Bible! The Shunamite woman’s status also teaches us that those in positions of influence, leadership or power, have a greater duty to...
Our Gospel finishes today with a blunt message: “if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I...
What is this Feast all about and Why do we need it? Don’t we have enough Sundays and Solemnities where we share in the Eucharist: receiving the Body and Blood of Christ?! Like everything good, we need to celebrate it more specially, on occasion, to remind...
I want you to close your eyes for a moment and imagine a boxing ring… or, if you don’t like boxing, think of the wrestling ring – same thing. Around the boundary of the boxing ring are two or three strong, but flexible, stretchy-ropes. The TRINITY...
Stephen. Age 8, writes to his Pastor: Dear Pastor, I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won't be there. As older people, we often enjoy a good laugh at the honest words used by children. The problem in the world...
“Now having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come?” This is a great question for each one of us. Jesus doesn’t answer with a straight answer, but creates a web of intrigue. At various times in our lives we ask ourselves the question:...
I believe there is an African Proverb says: People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. Perhaps the reason why the world is in a bit of chaos is because we love things too much, and use people too often. Today’s First...
Let me begin by greeting our Mothers on this Mother’s Day in several parts of the world. Today, as we appreciate you, I’d like to “use you” as an analogy of God’s Love for us. I’m not a psychologist, or even a parent, so please...
I suppose I better say something about Vocations, as it is Vocations Sunday, today. Here it is: we all have one, a VOCATION, that is! Instead of boring theological terms, let me borrow a phrase that ran across my WhatsApp the other day: “Life is better...
Many people live in a happy fearful existence. We happily hope that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is true, and that God will also raise us up after death. But, at the same time, there is often a nagging suspicion that the Resurrection of Jesus,...
The First Reading reminded me of a conversation in 2000: “The faithful all lived together and owned everything in common.” Once in Melbourne, a Diocesan priest (now Bishop), said (half jokingly) that you religious take the Vow of Poverty but we are the ones who live...
When injured physically, we immediately place a cloth over the wound to stop bleeding. But, if we don’t remove it after a short time, that wound may become infected because it has not been cleaned or disinfected. This is the part of the story of...
We begin Holy Week as members of a world community which has been turned upside down. Some people are claiming it’s a punishment from God. So I was happy to hear Pope Francis who said, only 10 days ago: [Special Urbi et Orbi, 27-Mar-20] “The pandemic...
The first two readings today are very short – always a danger to say: “That’s nice” And then move on. But short readings should alert us to stop and look deeper. Let’s start with St Paul’s letter: for those who are not happy with God or...
We live in a world where moral certainties have started to become uncertain in the eyes of many people. Especially for the youth in our communities, it’s a very difficult time to know what’s right and what will create difficulties for us tomorrow. It’s very encouraging...
Most of us, I think, are aware of the Biblical symbolism of water: life giving, washing away sin, etc. However, in relation to this week’s 1st reading and Gospel, we are hearing about UNDERGROUND water. And, according to scholars, this represents God’s (deepest) Wisdom. Now, let’s...
The Transfiguration event in today’s Gospel is familiar to us, and maybe it’s “brightness” hides some deeper teachings in it. We focus too much on Christ shining in the presence of the Apostles, and forget about God’s desire to help us shine for the good...
One Commentator on this Gospel compared the different Writers on the same passage of text: he noted that Luke says the Spirit leads Jesus IN the desert, while Matthew says the Spirit led Jesus INTO the desert. The context is also very important: Jesus is about...
I’ve just read an article about a man in Migori County, Kenya, who has been locked up for 4 years in his own home. In 2016 he developed some disability and the family locked his door, opening it only to give food. His wife left...
The Readings, today, seem to be dictating to us, rather than inviting us. And the tone seems to be “take it or leave it”: almost like God doesn’t care if we keep the Commandments or not. However, on a closer reading of the texts, God is...
The Readings today call us to a certain generosity to those who are less fortunate than ourselves, or to help people who find themselves in sudden distress. Sadly, many people in the world are growing tired of being generous, because there seems to be so many...
The Presentation Feast can be taken as a moment to praise God by sitting in church and being mildly inspired by the fact that God became man for us. That’s OK, but I doubt whether Jesus Christ is interested in being praised as though he was...
As we celebrate the first occasion in the Church today, of the new Feast Word of God Sunday, we are reminded of how easy it is to hear God speaking to us. However, God does not speak to us as robots, but as companions: inviting...
These days, many people are ambivalent about the Church: not sure if it’s worth the effort of being a faithful and faith-filled member of it. This becomes more of a question and struggle, the more economically independent and comfortable we become. The Baptism of Jesus Christ...
I was informed this week by one of our many educated and intelligent youth, that by 2020 (this year!), depression will be the leading “killer” disease in our world. It seems crazy to think that, as we have now developed wonderful technology, opportunities to do...
Happy Christmas! Our lives require a constant series of decisions – every day – and our lives are usually a result of our past decisions. Although, occasionally, life intersects and sudden changes happen: eg. the economy, a car crash, a bushfire, a flood, sickness of other friends/family...
Happy Christmas! Today we celebrate with joy that God wants to show us how much God loves us: becoming one of us and walking in the reality of our lives: the good, bad & ordinary. Recently, I was called to Rome for meetings. While there, I...
The last Sunday of Advent always turns to the pregnancy of Mary: the maiden is with child. Sounds simple, hey? But the word “maiden” means: young lady; a lady of common “stock”. And the “child” is God becoming a visible and equal partner in your...
John the Baptist is in prison. He’s given his life preparing for the Messiah but now, perhaps, he’s worried the Messiah may not appear? Or, perhaps John sends his disciples to find Jesus so they’ll know who to follow now that John is finished? Our challenge...
If I can borrow an expression from Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI, when we are young, we wrestle with the devil, and when we are older, we wrestle with God. Wrestling with the devil = fighting temptations to over-indulge in pleasurable activities. Wrestling with God =...
I remember a famous political campaign slogan from 1972 in Australia: “It’s time!” It was when the Labour party successfully wrested power from the Liberals after 23 years. Jesus might have approved of it if He’d been registered to vote! Advent invites us to say: “It’s Time!”...
When we celebrate Christ the King, we are invited to reflect deeply on whether God is external to us (someone we HAVE TO obey), or whether we have made God internal for us (someone we WANT TO obey)? What do I mean? If God is internal in...
When we hear Jesus talking about destruction, our first thought is often “fear.” But the real message of Jesus is salvation = liberation. Sadly, the reality is that many important and precious things in our lives have to be lost before we truly appreciate their...
The contrast (difference) between the First Reading and the Gospel is quite extraordinary. In the First Reading we see ordinary young men ready to die for their faith. In the Gospel we see the learned leaders playing games with Jesus about death and marriage, trying...
As we come to the end of the Church year, the theme of salvation comes through our readings. And a kind of subtle fear can touch our minds: will I be really saved? Is God happy with me? The challenge is that we tend to be...
The Gospel story today is clearly about the need for us to be humble. But there is also something deeper here. Following the Law is good, but insufficient. As St Paul often says: we are not saved by the Law, but by the Grace of...
Although our three readings today offer a strong theme of perseverance, there is a deeper and more important message coming through. We understand it in the First Reading only if we remember who Moses is. Revisit the Transfiguration passage in the Gospels. Moses is the LAW...
It’s easy to see that gratitude is the common theme through our readings. However, in each reading we find additional teachings and challenges: In the 1st Reading, we see Elisha – God’s prophet – refusing to accept payment for the cure. 1. it shows that Elisha didn’t consider...
Waiting for justice, waiting for a good job, waiting for sickness to pass, is not usually comfortable or pleasant for us, unless we have a vision for the future and trust in God. But, you might ask, why is God taking so long? Part of the...
The readings, today, seem to be critical of wealth. But are they? Wealth, like all things God has given is morally neutral. It’s what we do with our wealth that makes it good or bad. When we have wealth, two things happen: 1. We NEED other people...
Today’s First Reading seems clear: those terrible businessmen cheating the poor deserve to be seriously punished. But God is not just talking about money. The reading opens our minds up to the concept of corporate sin: where society structures unfairly cause pain for some people. For...
“If you steal sugar from the kitchen again, I’ll give you a TGB or break your leg!” So yells Mum at one her children in the village (TGB = thorough going beating.) It doesn’t seem strange for us to hear a parent threaten their child –...
Part of today’s Gospel is used by some people to show that the Bible is foolish, and religion doesn’t make sense: “If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife…”, etc. However, some of those same people (and ourselves at times), also “hate”...
This week I was fortunate to be at the ocean while attending a workshop. As I reflected on today’s readings, reminding us, and challenging us, about humility, I was gazing at the calm, gentle, ocean, knowing it can also be very violent and powerful. Maybe 70 metres...
Today’s readings reveal God’s desire for Unity amongst all the nations and peoples. Furthermore, God desires people like us to share that good news in our communities. One of our youth shared a story this week that might help us understand our readings. A long time...
Recently, Fr Jun Mercado OMI in the Philippines sent an inspiring message calling for us, as Christians, to be in solidarity with the poor. I see a global and local connection at this time. Globally, we have a major challenge: climate change affects everyone, but especially...
The Book of Wisdom, written in Greek for Jewish Greek people just before the time of Jesus. the reading reveals a “vision” of the blessings that followed their faithfulness in persecution. Jesus warns us to be alert, be ready, because we never know when He is...
“Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself?” It seems to be a regular part of family life that we all “complain” about another family...
Today is “Seafarers Sunday” which is an important day in the church calendar to think of our brothers and sisters who work on the oceans – many of them for long periods of time without seeing their families. We ALL rely on them to do...
One of the common features of young people is their desire to make a difference in the world. This is not just a youthful desire for recognition and praise, but is deeply rooted in our DNA. Unfortunately, for some of us older people, it drives us...
It’s not always easy to be a young person making their way in the world. And I believe it is getting more challenging as the years go by. One of the reasons it’s becoming more difficult is the loss of moral certainties. Even though, as a...
When we read Sacred Scripture, one of the important steps we should do is to place ourselves in the text as one or more of the characters. Today we can be like Jesus: empowering and pushing others to “give”; and like the Disciples: allowing ourselves...
‘In knowing the Father (The Lover), the Son (The Beloved) and the Spirit (Love), we catch a glimpse that, in his innermost being, God is a dialogue, a life of love among the three Persons. This is the originality of the Christian conception of God,...
After listening to Richard Rohr’s book: Adam’s Return (The 5 promises of male spirituality), I have developed a new understanding of Pentecost. One of the key features of the book revolves around the need for every man to be initiated. In other works, he states that...
For those of us who have lost a very good friend, or a much loved husband, wife, child or parent, today’s readings should evoke the feelings of loss that we have experienced. Jesus has “gone”. The Apostles were left feeling empty; uncertain what to do; sad and...
Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI once said there are three key things to evangelise people: not to convert people, but to evangelise people (help them see the light): joy, beauty and Truth. The First Reading challenges us to look for what is important – or what is...
“I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you,” It’s enough to drive a good person crazy. We try hard to love, but some people are just “stupid”, ungrateful or evil. Why does Jesus do this to us? Maybe I...
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, where we pray especially for more religious Vocations. However, Vocations to religious life come from family life. And, in theology, the Sacraments of Holy Orders (priesthood) and Marriage are often studied together. Parents are the first Good Shepherds that every person is...
Today’s Gospel reading is a very touching revelation of how God reconciled with the disciples, Peter in particular, after they abandoned/betrayed Jesus during his crucifixion. God is teaching us how gentle She is when you and I have run away. How do we run away from...
A little boy prayed like this: Dear God, I’m sorry for the bad things I’ve done, called sins. Please forgive me. I believe Jesus died for me on the cross. And I believe He rose again to give me a new life, which begins TODAY!...
Let me begin with a short story I ready recently: After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers walked up a mountain to assess the damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched on the ground at the base of a...
Inspired by Oblate Fr Ron Rolheiser’s book (The Shattered Lantern), I want to reflect on the issue of feeling bored by life. I think we can all remember days when we get out of bed and say something like this: Accountant: “not another dumb day working...
I believe most of us can look back on our lives and see something we regret having done, or feel ashamed by something that has happened to us. For many people, it can be hard to move on. Guilt, shame or anger can keep us...
4th Sunday of Lent Given the number of relationships, in many of our communities, where people are divided against each other, or hold grudges for long periods of time, the ability for us to be like God and truly forgive (let the past go), seems to...
3rd Sunday of Lent Many of us love certain “bad” foods or habits (smoking/drinking), and, often, we laugh off the danger and say “we have to die of something”. However, if we suddenly receive information that it is killing us quickly, we will change our lives...
2nd Sunday of Lent Many communities and families in the world are struggling with unity. The result is that many families are coming under strain: love is hard to see and tolerance is difficult to continue. In many cultures there are divisions around immigration, Gay Rights, race,...
1st Sunday of Lent I remember a song in the movie “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1970’s) which had a song called “welcome to my nightmare”. For many Catholics we might think it fits the Lenten Season… especially for younger Catholics not yet aware of its...
Lent - Ash Wednesday As we begin this serious period of LENT, it’s important to begin with the reminder that we were created in the image and likeness of God: *each of us were created as a “good” person.* Evil is not something we often talk about...
Today’s readings are a wake-up call and a form of encouragement. When we are young, we often speak rubbish. But as time moves on we mature and – thanks to the school of “hard-knocks” – our behaviour gets corrected. At least, that’s what used to...
The story of David in the First Reading today is part of an exciting adventure story that is well worth reading in full if you have time this week. In the Bible there is little or no emotion included in the text. Allow yourself to...
Who is King Uzziah? I was confused by the mention of his name, so I did research: 2 Chronicles Ch. 26. He was a good King who followed God closely and was very successful. But, later in life, after becoming strong, he also became proud and was struck...
Who is King Uzziah? I was confused by the mention of his name, so I did research: 2 Chronicles Ch. 26. He was a good King who followed God closely and was very successful. But, later in life, after becoming strong, he also became proud and was struck...
When I hear the text concerning “sin against the Holy Spirit” it always reminds me of the little boy, who prayed honestly one day: “Dear God, don’t worry if you can’t make me into a better boy, I’m having a really good time like I...
The Book of Nehemiah follows on from the Book of Ezra: Ezra, a priest, led the first two groups of the Jewish people from exile back to Jerusalem. Whereas Nehemiah, a layman, was an important official in the Kings court while in exile. He used...
In the context of our First and Second readings today, the Gospel account of Jesus changing water into wine, should be seen in the light of two things for us human beings: Jesus has a gift which he was asked to use to help out...
Today’s celebration may raise a few questions in the minds of some people. Why do we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus? Perhaps because, for many, Baptism is reduced to one point only: taking away original sin… and Jesus didn’t have original sin! However, Baptism is much more....
Happy New Year! And let us still greet each other with Happy Christmas… joy has come into the world! Today, that JOY is revealed publicly. EPIPHANY means to reveal or to make something visible. In another sense it means: WE suddenly see something clearly for the first time. In...
Happy Christmas! Talking about how families are supposed to behave is bound to create argument as everyone has their own theory. So, I intend to try and reveal what God says… The First Reading is not normal behaviour for a parent. To set the scene, we...
We all know that Jesus Christ was born 2,000 years ago. So, why do we need Christmas? Christmas is an opportunity to let Christ be born, anew, in our personal lives. Advent becomes a time of preparing ourselves for this to happen. When we look at all...
“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” -Albert Einstein I read this with interest in our Justice and Peace newsletter. A similar expression from Einstein is this: “You cannot solve a problem using...
When we hear God leading the people of Israel back home, we think of God’s forgiveness and generosity: and we assume that all were guilty of turning away from God in the past. But, I’m sure many of the people sent into exile were ordinary, good,...
In past years my homilies have focused on humility and promoting others. However, this week, I’m struck by James and John looking for a short-cut to glory: our desire to avoid struggle. Nature is full of examples of how “difficulties” in life initiate healing or growth...
