Author Archives: admin

Christ’s fire and division Rom. 6-19-23; Psalm 1; Luke 12:49-53 Jesus says in today’s gospel reading that he has come to cast fire upon the earth and that it has already been kindled. Again, he said he has not come to bring peace but division. By popular consensus, this is unlike Jesus. From the Scriptures, […]

BE READY Romans 6:12–18; Psalm 123; Luke 12:39–48 “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Many of us are anxious about the divine plan that Christ will come at an hour we do not expect. Many people will prepare their lives properly if a date is […]

WATCHFULNESS Romans 5:12, 15, 17-21; Psalm 40; Luke 12:35–38 In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of his coming as a time of joy and celebration, not of fear and trembling. The Church affirms this joyful expectation in the second part of the Lord’s Prayer during the Eucharistic celebration when the priest says “As we await the […]

The Rich Fool Romans 4:20-25; Psalm – Luke 1:69-75; Luke 12:13-21 Luke 12:13–21 presents us with the “Parable of the Rich Fool”. Biblically, a fool is one who rebels against God or who has forgotten God. The man rebelled by attributing all the glory to himself. He accumulated wealth but was not sensitive to the […]

BLASPHEMY Romans 4:13, 16–18; Psalm 105; Luke 12:9–12 In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” To blaspheme is to speak with disrespect about God. Blasphemy is a verbal or written rebuke of God’s name, character, work, or attributes. It is the lack of reverence for sacred objects […]

WARNINGS AND ENCOURAGEMENTS Romans 4:1–8; Psalm 31; Luke 12:1–7 Jesus says, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” The point was that the doctrines of the Pharisees were pervasive and would lead to hypocrisy and atheism. So Jesus warns us against every bad influence that would erode our faith […]

Faith and charity Romans 3:21–30, Psalm 130, and Luke 11:47–54 “A man is justified by faith, apart from works of law.” (Rom. 3:28). This statement of St. Paul has been misconstrued over time. For some believers, faith alone can save us; works are not necessary. But James writes, “A person is justified by works and […]

ST. LUKE THE EVANGELIST 2 Timothy 4:10–17; Psalm 144; Luke 10:1–9 Luke the Evangelist is one of the Four Evangelists. The early church fathers ascribed to him the authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Prominent figures in early Christianity, such as Jerome and Eusebius, later reaffirmed their authorship. […]

Truth over pretence Romans 1:16–25; Psalm 18; Luke 11:37–41 Holiness comes from the inside, not a mere show of externalities. You may jam your hands on your chest very religiously, with your eyes closed and your head slightly bent towards your shoulder, as in a spiritual gesture, but in total pretence and faithlessness. Holiness is […]

Seek Jesus Romans 1:1–7; Psalm 98; Luke 11:29–32 When the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say, ‘This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”‘ Where signs are displayed, you see the crowd increasing. Many churches today are not […]