OUR HOMILISTS
Rev. Fr. Nelson Lobo, OFM Cap. is a preacher, teacher, writer, author, blogger, YouTuber, gardener & animal lover. He has served in many places and in different ministries. He is based in Kuwait and is the Director of Catechism, Faith Formation and Bible Studies in AVONA. He is active on various social media platforms including:
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Author Archives: Franco Pereira
Year B – Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“He… began to send them out” (Mk 6:7) It was Pope Paul VI who began to speak about new approaches in evangelization, in his post-synodal exhortation: Evangelization in the Modern World (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1975). This was to be an adequate … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR A, Ordinary Time II, 2020-2021
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Year B – Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary…” (Mk 6:3) The gospel text of today narrates to us how the people of his home town reacted to Jesus, despite what they heard and saw in Jesus: the wisdom and … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time II, 2020-2021
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Year B – Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
JESUS MAKES ALL THINGS NEW Stories of two women: The gospel reading of today narrates to us two stories. Both, stories of women. One story is contained within another. Both are stories about women who are ‘dead’ in their own … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time II, 2020-2021
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Year B – Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“You of little faith!” Mk 4:35-41 1. There is a beautiful incident narrated in the letter of St. Francis de Sales. St. Francis had noticed a custom of the country districts in which he lived. He had often noticed a … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time II, 2020-2021
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Year B – Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Kingdom of God is like… (Mk 4:26) The Reign of God Is Like… In the gospel of this Sunday, Jesus speaks of one of his favorite themes. He compares the “reign of God” to some of the ordinary scenes … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time II, 2020-2021
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Year B – Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
“This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many” (Mk 14: 24) There are two feasts in the liturgical calendar that invite us to meditate on the mystery of the Eucharist: Maundy Thursday and the Feast … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time II, 2020-2021
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Year B – Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
God in Three: Our experience of the Divine In the novel and movie, The Shack. Mack, the main character of the story, receives an invitation from ‘Papa’ to visit the shack – a hut in the forest. From his scanty … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time II, 2020-2021
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Year B – Pentecost Sunday
Pentecost: The Feast of the Holy Spirit The reflection below consists of some straight-forward points. 1. The Feast of Pentecost as a celebration of unity in diversity 2. The Holy Spirit as the God of Surprises 3. A Reflection on … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Easter, 2020-2021
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Year B – The Ascension of the Lord
“Proclaim the Good News to all creation” (Mk 16:15) World (Good News) Communication Day As we heard in the first reading of today, Luke tells us in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:3) that Jesus was seen in his … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Easter, 2020-2021
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Year B – Sixth Sunday of Easter
LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AS I HAVE LOVED YOU (Jn 15:12). From the Golden Rule to a Programme of Life Many Diocesan Catechisms, after listing the Ten Commandments would immediately add, “And these can be summarized in two Commandments: · ‘You … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Easter, 2020-2021
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Year B – Fifth Sunday of Easter
STAY CONNECTED I have a router which I often carry with me. This is I do, so that I am always connected, above all with those in my community and when they are close to me are also connected. Once … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Easter, 2020-2021
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Year B – Fourth Sunday of Easter
The Folly of the Love of the Shepherd (Jn 10:11-18) Today, the 4th Sunday of Easter is celebrated as the Good Shepherd Sunday. We think of the ‘pastoral’ love of God, as we also pray for vocations to priesthood; priests … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Easter, 2020-2021
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Year B – Third Sunday of Easter
PEACE BE WITH YOU Peace be with you One sentence that we hear repeated so often in the Eastertide is, “Peace be with you.” Every time Jesus appears to his apostles he greets them, “Shalom aleichem!” Earlier, in the course … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Easter, 2020-2021
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Year B – Divine Mercy Sunday
THE DIVINE MERCY Happy feast of Easter! Easter is the prototype of all Christian feasts. It is such a great event that one day of celebration does not suffice. We needed eight days of liturgical celebrations. Yes, today we conclude … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Easter, 2020-2021
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Year B – EASTER – The Resurrection of the Lord
EASTER – ITS SYMBOLS EXPLAINED It is no easy task to put into words the sheer immensity of the Resurrection, therefore it is always easier to translate the Easter mystery into signs and symbols that are better understood by everyone. … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Easter, 2020-2021
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Year B – Palm Sunday
Processional Gospel – Mark 11: 1-10 or John 12: 12-16 First Reading: Isaiah 50: 4-7 Second Reading: Philippians 2: 6-11 Gospel: Mark 14:1- 15:47 This Sunday is different in several ways. Today’s liturgy has three parts: the remembrance of Jesus’ … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Lent, 2020-2021
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Year B – Fifth Sunday of Lent
WE WANT TO SEE JESUS LIFTED HIGH Gospel Reading: Jn 12:20-33 When I read the gospel text of the 5th Sunday in Lent (Year B), I was reminded of a popular song, written by the children’s song-writer Doug Horley, that … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Lent, 2020-2021
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Year B – Fourth Sunday of Lent
“God loved the world so much….” (Jn 1:12-15). The Gospel of John is often considered the most difficult of the Gospels – highly symbolic in its expression and deeply theological in its content. John likes to use terms with more … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Lent, 2020-2021
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Year B – Third Sunday of Lent
“In three days I will raise it up.” (Gospel Reading – Jn 2:13-25) As we may well be aware, the Liturgy of the Word for Sundays in the Catholic liturgy is laid out in a three-year cycle. During Lent, the … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Lent, 2020-2021
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Year B – Second Sunday of Lent
Going up the mountain: Learning to pray Gospel Reading – Mk 9: 2-10 The liturgy of the word of God for Sundays in Lent is very well thought-out and appropriately laid out. On the first Sunday of Lent, in all … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Lent, 2020-2021
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Year B – First Sunday of Lent
“God does not provide us with a roadmap, but only a compass.” (Gospel Reading – Mark 1:12-15) We say the Season of Lent lasts forty days, as the Latin word, ‘Quadragesima” suggests. When I was a young seminarian – skeptical … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Lent, 2020-2021
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Year B – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Of course I want to! Be cured” (Mk 1:40-45): Effect of Encounter with Jesus – holistic wellbeing Here is a one-line summary of this reflection: The result of an authentic encounter with Jesus is a holistic wellbeing! Yes, I am … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time I, 2020-2021
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Year B – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Everybody is looking for you” (Mk 1:29-39) Being busy – restless or engaged? The contemporary culture forces us to be busy. The more you are urbanized, the more you are likely to be busy. We keep inventing machines to save … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time I, 2020-2021
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Year B – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
HE TAUGHT THEM WITH AUTHORITY (Mk 1:21-28) Varieties of Authority I don’t know if you have watched those old black-and-white fast moving films from the time of the Second World War. Often they show Adolf Hitler addressing large crowds of … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time I, 2020-2021
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Year B – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOOD NEWS Little Johnny was basically a good boy. But he had this problem with his temper. He had his bouts of anger that surprised everyone. His mother used to tell him, “Johnny, you are … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time I, 2020-2021
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Year B – Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (1 Cor 6:19) If you were to take a stroll along a typical high street in a modern city, you would notice the exaggerated importance given to the care of the … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Ordinary Time I, 2020-2021
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Year B – The Baptism of the Lord
CALLED TO BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS As a priest while administering the sacrament of baptism to groups of infants, I have often noted with much curiosity the variety of infant-reaction to the ceremony of the baptism itself. There are basically three … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Christmas, 2020-2021
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Year B – The Epiphany of the Lord
EPIPHANY: GOD IS MADE VISIBLE! (Mt 2:1-12) In most cultures, one of the games that children play is “hide and seek”, with many variants – tag, sardines, or hidey (in Scotland). There is a lot of fun in finding hidden … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Christmas, 2020-2021
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Year B – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
“MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU” (Num 6:24) Today is a day of blessing. In this New Year, God has blessed us with another opportunity to grow in love, to come closer to Him, and to experience Him in the person … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Christmas, 2020-2021
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Year B – CHRISTMAS – The Nativity of the Lord
Readings: Isaiah 62:11-12 Titus 3:4-7 Luke 2:15-20 “LET’S GO! LET US GO TO BETHLEHEM…” There is a story told of a young man who sent his parents a microwave oven one Christmas. They were very excited that now they, too, … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Christmas, 2020-2021
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Year B – Fourth Sunday of Advent
Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 “BEHOLD, I AM THE HANDMAID OF THE LORD. MAY IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.” A Persian legend runs that a certain king needed a faithful … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Advent, 2020-2021
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Year B – Third Sunday of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 61: 1-2, 10-11 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24 John 1: 6-8, 19-28 CHRIST, THE SOURCE OF HAPPINESS All of us want to be happy and we keep trying to find happiness that seems to elude us. What is it … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Advent, 2020-2021
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Year B – Second Sunday of Advent
JOHN THE BAPTIST:THE ONE WHO KNEW HIS SPACE One of the persons that the Liturgy of the Word during the season of Advent draws our attention to is John the Baptist. Evangelist Mark presents John the Baptist as a person … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Advent, 2020-2021
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Year B – First Sunday of Advent
WAITING FOR THE LORD: FROM RIGIDITY AND CHAOS TO INTEGRATION In some of our institutions, parishes, buildings complexes we have watchmen or security personnel. I am talking about the day-watchmen particularly those who mind the gates, not the night-watchmen, who … Continue reading
Posted in Fr. Franco Pereira SDB, YEAR B, Advent, 2020-2021
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