Reflections

Get your focus right (Luke 13:22-30) Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.    Someone came up to him and asked, “Sir, will there be only a few saved?” (Luke 13:22-30).  It’s very likely that the questioner was a Jew who believed that only Jews had any chance of getting to heaven.  Many of us grew up convinced…

“There is no need for you to be afraid, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.” Here is a short story about a wise man in India.  A young man asks the wise man what does it mean to be enlightened.  The wise man answered: “I know that I am going to…

A man in the crowd asked Jesus to plead with his brother over sharing an inheritance. Jesus replied, “My friend, who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?” Jesus heard not only his plea but also the inner voice of a soul too concerned about material possessions. “Watch, and be on your…

Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11: 1-13) The light on the face of Jesus at prayer must have been a sight that the apostles would never forget. They wanted to share the experience, so they asked him to teach them about prayer.  “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.”   A Jewish teacher was…

Luke seems to have been fascinated by food!  Even the Risen Lord asked the stunned disciples, “have you anything here to eat?” (Luke 24:41).  Luke recalls ten meals, each with a distinctive setting and a special message.  The last supper and the welcoming banquet for the return of the Prodigal Son are the best- known meals. …

In today’s Gospel the Lord sent out seventy-two disciples in pairs to prepare the towns he was to visit. His instruction was more about practical example than about talk. Saint Francis advised the brothers to preach at all times, sometimes using words. Actions speak more loudly than words. Saint Paul VI wrote about evangelization: “The…

Peter and Paul  (Matt 16:19) Although Peter and Paul have separate feastdays, The Chair of Peter, (Feb 22nd) and The Conversion of Paul (January 25th), there is a reason for their sharing today’s celebration. As the young Church expanded, its two great leaders, Peter and Paul, settled in Rome, centre of the Roman Empire.  Legends…

A God of Relationships (John 16:12-15) Anthony De Mello was a writer with a great gift of simplifying deep truths.  He wrote that theology is the ability to tell stories about God: and prayer is knowing that you are part of the story. Jesus, as he was about to ascend to heaven, instructed the apostles…

The disciples were numbed when Jesus was telling them that he was going away, but he consoled them with three wonderful promises. Divine Indwelling His first promise was about what is called the divine indwelling.  Father, Son and Holy Spirit will be at home within us if we try our best to follow the teaching…