Category Archives: Weekday Homily

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 […]

Honour Mary Joel 4:12–21; Psalm 96; Luke 11:27–28 While Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” Like a prophet, this woman spoke from the crowd and revealed an eternal truth. There are many prophetic […]

Gathering and scattering Joel 1:13–15, 2:1-2; Psalm 9; Luke 11:15–26 In our gospel, Jesus says, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters”. To gather with Christ means to enter into his paschal mystery and identify with his true and definitive vocation. Baptism is the beginning of […]

PERSISTENT PRAYER Malachi 3:13-20; Psalm 1;  Luke 11:5-13 Two excellent examples of persistent asking are found in Luke: the story of the widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18:1–8) and the narrative of a friend at night. Jesus stresses the value of praying and requesting what we need. We are the Lord’s friends, let us […]

Forgiveness Jonah 4:1-11; Psalm 86; Luke 11:1-4 Jonah was angry with God because the Lord had relented and let the Ninevites live. “You pity the plant, and should I not pity Nineveh, that great city?” the Lord said to Jonah. (Jonah 4:10-11). Jonah intrinsically desires the destruction of Niniveh, regardless of his proclamation and message. […]

The good portion Jonah 3:1–10; Psalm 130; Luke 10:38–42 The gospel reading presents us with one of the encounters Jesus had with Martha and Mary. When Jesus was in their house, Martha was distracted with much serving while Mary was attentive to him. “Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away […]

The Good Samaritan Jonah 1:1-2:1, 11; Psalm – Jonah 2:3-5, 8; Luke 10:25-37 Reflecting on the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Pope Francis says, “The priest and the Levite saw but ignored; they looked but did not offer to help. Yet there is no true worship if it is not translated into service to a […]