Category Archives: 2020-2021

Liturgical Year

Year B – Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

ECHARISTIC ADORATION CHRIST THE KING SOLEMNITY Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: O SALUTARIS The King of kings is here among us. Let us pay our deepest adoration and love to Him. The One who has made us not just brothers … Continue reading

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Year B – Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Last Days of Hope Year B (Mk 13:24-32) Everything comes to an end Since the age of 10, I have been in boarding schools. One of the exciting times in such schools is towards the end of term when … Continue reading

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Year B – Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

God Prefers Generosity from the Heart There are two ways of being generous: the way of the scribes, and the way of the widow. The scribes were the experts in interpreting the Law of Moses, and the Law of Moses … Continue reading

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Year B – Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Three Dimensional Spirituality A conviction that deep contemplative prayer facilitates a three-dimensional spirituality (3D spirituality). I realized that at the core of Christianity is a way of life that integrates a wholesome relationship with the self, the other, and God. … Continue reading

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Year B – Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me (Mk 10: 47) The gospel story of this Sunday has many meaningful aspects for meditation. In the reflection below I focus on this powerful prayer: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on … Continue reading

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Year B – Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Power of Suffering and Service Pleasure, Possessions and Power We are created to be happy. Our pursuit of happiness revolves around, and often misled by, the three P-wants: Pleasure, Possession, and Power. Pleasure is the ability to enjoy positive … Continue reading

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Year B – Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Do not be possessed by possessions Here is a story from Tony de Mello: When the sage reached the outskirts of the village and settled under a tree for the night, a villager came running up to him and said, … Continue reading

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Year B – Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Let the Children Come to me, in Families! (Mk 10: 2-16) ,Once again, the gospel text of today invites us to revisit Jesus’ mind regarding marriage and family. I would like to look at two dimensions emerging from the longer … Continue reading

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Year B – Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Stumbling blocks or stepping-stones. Num: 11:16-17, 25-29; Jam 5: 1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48; It sometimes happens that when misfortune befalls us or when disaster strikes, we sometimes wish other too have a taste of the same, but when good … Continue reading

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Year B – Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Powerless in His Kingdom Wisd 2: 12, 17-20. James 3: 16- 4:3. Mark 9: 30-37. Mohamed Ali, the one-time heavy weight champion would often boast, “I am the greatest!”, and people believed he was. We may not openly claim to … Continue reading

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Year B – Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Superstar with the Scar “Anyone who loses his life…will save it” (Mk 8:35). The great orator Bishop Fulton Sheen in one of his many sermons makes a positive comment on the eagerness of Apostle Thomas wanting to put his … Continue reading

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Year B – Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Look, your God is coming”: The Messiah is here! “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity.” May be you’ve heard this expression before. It was written by one of the Church Fathers, Tertullian (197 AD). This sentence … Continue reading

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Year B – Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

From Religious Traditions to Religious Spirituality Some of the recent, popular books in the study of religion include, Why God Won’t Go Away?, God is Back, and A New Religious America. What these books suggest is that secularism as a … Continue reading

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Year B – Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

You have the message of eternal life, and we believe! (Jn 6:69) With today’s gospel reading we conclude the five weeks of reflection on the Bread of Life from John 6. This conclusion offers a mixed sense of reaction to … Continue reading

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Year B – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY What is common in the Mass readings today is “movement.” In the first reading (Day Mass) we see a mother about to give birth: there is movement from the womb into the world. Another movement is … Continue reading

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Year B – Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“The bread … for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51) Some years back, I was staying at the Salesian community in Florence, Italy, for a few weeks. Florence is known for its art and architecture. Following that great tradition, … Continue reading

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Year B – Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Jn 6:24-35) Do you seek the bread that the Father gives, or do you seek the Father who gives you bread? <p style="text-align: justify"A few years ago a priest was back in India on his home-leave. And he met a … Continue reading

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Year B – Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From Emptiness to Abundance (Jn 6:1-15) Which is the only miracle of Jesus (besides the healing of the blind man – with differences in detail!) that is narrated in all the four gospels with similar details? It is the miracle … Continue reading

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Year B – Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught…” (Mk 6:30) Ministry to young people forms part of the identity of the religious order I belong to. Much of our formation as Salesians is carried out … Continue reading

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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