4th Sunday of Lent: March 19, 2023
Readings: 1 Samuel 16:1, 6–7, 10–13; Psalm 23:1–6; Ephesians 5:8–14; John 9:1–41
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/jNxb_TkliqY |
4th Sunday of Lent: March 19, 2023
Readings: 1 Samuel 16:1, 6–7, 10–13; Psalm 23:1–6; Ephesians 5:8–14; John 9:1–41
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/jNxb_TkliqY |
3rd Sunday of Lent: March 12, 2023
Readings: Exodus 17:3–7; Psalm 95:1–2, 6–9; Romans 5:1–2, 5–8; John 4:5–15, 19–26, 39–42
Jesus with the Samaritan Woman at the well (John 4:5-42) To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/FLf6ZNlz_5E |
We are in the midpoint of the Lenten Season. As we journey towards Easter, the Third Sunday of Lent is inviting us to look at a number of things that we do in our daily lives. Our journey of life is a constant struggle of forward and backward movement. However, we must take our life at our stride, hoping in the Lord, that He will guide and protect us always. On this Sunday, we are invited to take time off to reflect on repentance, the call for deeper faith, the importance of perseverance, and the power of God's mercy.
1. Becoming a person of life-giving
The story of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:5-42 is a rich narrative that offers many insights and lessons for our spiritual lives. Jesus is thirsty. He is thirsts for souls. Here are a few thoughts on this passage:
2nd Sunday of Lent: March 05, 2023
Readings: Genesis 12:1-4; Psalm 33:4-5,18-20, 22; 2 Timothy 1:8-10; Matthew 17:1-9
To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/8wXT7Pxis0Q |
The death toll from the recent Turkey-Syria earthquake has risen to 51,000. This incident tells us that we are not in control of nature. We may make use of intelligence, and better engineering knowledge to withstand our buildings to such natural disasters, but our expertise fails and there are limits to human wisdom. In our country, the tragedy surrounding the sinking of the town Joshimath in Uttarakhand shows that if we do not follow the laws of nature, we are bringing upon us disaster after disaster, death after death. The year-long war in Ukraine bringing death and destruction to our so-called civilized world is another sad story of our uncontrollable greed, self-interest and jealousy. In the context of such horrendous incidents of human fatalities and bringing curses upon ourselves because of our stupidity, we are called to look at the transfiguration of our Lord which took place 2000 years ago on that Holy Mountain in Palestine.
1. Called to transform our lives for the better
The Second Sunday of Lent focuses on the theme of transformation, as we reflect on the journey of faith and the ways in which we are called to grow and change in our relationship with God. One of the key readings for this Sunday is the story of the Transfiguration, in which Jesus is revealed in his glory to his disciples Peter, James, and John. This event marks a turning point in Jesus' ministry, as he begins to prepare for his eventual death and resurrection.
1st Sunday of Lent: February 26, 2023
Readings: Genesis 2:7–9; 3:1–7;Psalm 51:3–6; 12–14, 17; Romans 5:12–19; Matthew 4:1–11
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time: February 19, 2023
Readings: Leviticus 19:1–2, 17–18; Psalm 103:1–4, 8, 10, 12–13; 1 Corinthians 3:16–23; Matthew 5:38–48
(Photo courtesy: Jean-Marc Arkelian) |
To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/rsbOidv2x3I
As we move closer to the Lenten Season, the liturgical readings on this Sunday invite us to ponder over a number of things, namely, forgiveness and reconciliation, love and mercy, holiness and steadfastness in the love of God. The Word of God emphasizes how essenential for us Christians to strive for holiness and imitate the example of Christ in our daily lives, particularly in our relationships with others.
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time: February 12, 2023
Readings: Sirach 15:15–20; Psalm 119:1–2, 4–5, 17–18, 33–34; 1 Corinthians 2:6–10; Matthew 5:17–37
To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/gOcRmVfs7-o
We realize the need for God or the higher form of Order in our lives because of our understanding that we are finite and imperfect beings. We strive to become better versions of ourselves by assimilating the virtues in our lives or those things which we consider holy and extraordinary. The sixth Sunday in ordinary time invites us to reflect in our daily lives on the importance of forgiveness, humility, compassion, and those things which are dear to God.
1. People in communion with God and others
As spiritual beings, deep within us, there is a longing in our hearts to see God and to be part of God's life. Even though none of us have seen God yet we have some idea of God because of our religious upbringing and reasoning capacity. In spite of our limitedness, we have the capacity to know God. A week ago, Metropolitan John Zizioulas of Pergamon (1931-2023), one of the finest Greek Orthodox theologians of this century died. His celebrated work, "Being as Communion: Studies in Personhood and the Church" had a profound impact on our understanding of God and the Church. He reflected upon the communal nature of God. He believed that God is not an isolated individual, but a communion of persons who exist in relationship with each other in the form of Trinity. He also thought that Church is not just an organization, but a community of persons who share in the life of God through the Holy Spirit. Hence all of us belong to a community of persons who are united in their shared relationship with God.
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time: February 05, 2023
Readings: Isaiah 58:7–10; Psalm 112:4–9; 1 Corinthians 2:1–5; Matthew 5:13–16
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time: January 29, 2023
Readings: Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13; Psalm 146:6-10; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12
Jesus preaches the "Sermon on the Mount" |
We are living in an ever-changing world. In recent years, we have been noticing this change happening in a very fast and rapid space. This is both positive and negative. With the arrival of Covid -19, a lot of things have changed in our lifestyle and well-being. Even though constant change has been a permanent feature of our life in this world, yet it is challenging to adapt to such sudden changes. In the midst of such dramatic changes, there are certain things like values, and ideals that are permanent and eternal. They have a future with a sense of universal applications. On the Fourth Sunday of the Ordinary Time, the readings focus on certain such values which we must imbibe and integrate in our lives particularly, humility, mercy, kindness, righteousness, blessedness, peace and purity of heart.
1. Called to be blessed at all times
The Gospel writer St Matthew (5:1-12a,) gives us Jesus' well-known "Sermon on the Mount." This rich sermon of Jesus speaks about the importance of humility, meekness, peacemaking, righteousness, mourning, mercy, purity, and perseverance in the face of persecution as the path towards spiritual fulfillment. These teachings, known as the "Beatitudes," are considered by many to be a cornerstone of Christian spiritual reflection and practice. "Blessed" means spiritually fortunate and prosperous, blissful, delighted, and content. In verse 3, Jesus teaches that the spiritually poor, or those who recognize their spiritual poverty and recognize their own limitations, rely completely on God. In verse 4, those who mourn, or who grieve over their sins and the sins of the world, will be comforted by God.
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: January 22, 2023
Readings: Isaiah 8:23–9:3; Psalm 27:1, 4, 13–14; 1 Corinthians 1:10–13, 17; Matthew 4:12–23