Category: Reflections

by David Stewart, SJ

Prayer Intention of Pope Francis – The Laity’s Mission in the Church: We pray that by the virtue of baptism, the laity, especially women, may participate more in areas of responsibility in the Church.

A busy, Sunday morning at our North London parish. A request between Masses. “Please give me permission, Father, to do this certain thing (exactly what must remain private) if the church allows it.” Another parishioner, known as a forthright character, chided the questioner: “What do you mean, if the church allows it! The church is all of us.” But far from being ill-tempered, it was a lovely moment. Each felt a different warmth for their church. Continue reading “October 2020: The Laity’s Mission in the Church” →

by Fr Francis Huwn msfs

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By baptism we are called to the wedding feast in the kingdom of God

In every culture, food is an essential part of celebrations – from the wedding banquet to the Christmas meal. As families and friends we gather around the table, not just out of necessity, but because the time spent together there has emotional, spiritual, and human meaning. At the table, a deeper sense of unity among all is present; food unites as much as it nourishes. So, we can understand why food, and the sharing of it, is so present throughout Scripture.

We see that image in today’s readings from the great banquet foretold by Isaiah with its rich food and choice wines, to the wedding feast in the Gospel. What can a royal wedding feast tell us about God’s kingdom? The king invites people for the royal party for his son’s wedding. Surprisingly, people who are invited decline the royal invitation. What do we make of from this? In this parable, the Lord Jesus is helping us to understand the sacrament of Eucharist.
Continue reading “28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A” →

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
FOR WORLD MISSION DAY 2020

Here am I, send me (Is 6:8)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I wish to express my gratitude to God for the commitment with which the Church throughout the world carried out the Extraordinary Missionary Month last October. I am convinced that it stimulated missionary conversion in many communities on the path indicated by the theme: “Baptized and Sent: the Church of Christ on Mission in the World”. Continue reading “Mission Sunday: “Here I am, send me!”” →

by Fr. Francis Huwn msfs

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“You must remember to love people and use things, rather than to love things and use people”. Ven. Bishop Fulton Sheen

Our God is a God who trusts his workers. Just as the landowner gave the tenants a fully equipped vineyard in which to work and produce, God creates the possibilities for work, fruitfulness and success for us too. We are the tenants: to the government servants, God has entrusted with public properties; to the church authorities, to shepherd the people of God; the married, to be good stewards of the family. He provides us with opportunities and resources and trusts that we will make the most of these. Do we recognize the opportunities and resources that God has given us?
Continue reading “27th Sunday in Ordinary time – Year A” →

by Fr D. Ntshangase

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The Gospel of today, as John the Baptist and Jesus did, stresses on the change of heart and mind. It is more on repentance. This repentance is required in order for us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus in the Gospel is actually answering to a question by the chief priests and elders who asked him, “By whose authority are you doing all these things, who gave you this authority?” They refused to repent and believe in Jesus. Their refusal to repent and believe in Jesus is contrasted to that of the tax collectors and prostitutes. It is important to note that the chief priests and elders were expected to be close to God while the tax collectors and prostitutes were thought to be far from God. Jesus stresses this in the parable of the two sons.
Continue reading “26th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A” →

by Fr D. Ntshangase 

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The Pharisees were questioning Jesus’ behaviour of befriending sinners and outcasts. By the parable which Jesus narrates in the Gospel, he is revealing to them that by so doing he is imitating God who is generous and compassionate to the poor, sinners and outcasts. In the parable God is the owner of the vineyard. Probably the Pharisees were seeing themselves as the workers who came earlier and the late-comers being the sinners and outcasts. This means that God is generous to everyone with His forgiveness and mercy. His grace is sufficient for everyone (2 Cor 12:9).
Continue reading “25th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A” →

by Fr D. Ntshangase

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Last Sunday we were reminded about our Christian duty and responsibility to correct our brothers and sisters when they do something wrong. Today’s readings, and especially the Gospel, speak of forgiveness. In the Gospel Peter appears to be asking a practical question. He is imagining a situation where a member of the Christian community repeatedly offended someone. As a follower of Christ, he first forgives the offender but his forgiveness is not at all met by effective repentance. The offender continues to offend him. Peter’s concern is practical in human terms but the whole Gospel passage is rather spiritual or theological. It puts forward the facts that forgiveness has no limits and that it takes faith.
Continue reading “24th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A” →

by Fr D. Ntshangase

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Today’s readings are reminding us of our Christian responsibility to help our brothers and sisters in Christ to do what is right. Jesus further gives a method on how to correct each other to do what is right: first in private, then before a few and finally before the whole community. This is everyone’s duty, not for a priest or old people but for everyone. It often happens when someone has done something wrong, especially in Church, that people would be gossiping about it and pointing out that (s)he is from a family which should correct him/her. We forget that it is our responsibility too to correct that person. However, it is something that calls for courage, sensitivity and love for one another.

Continue reading “23rd Sunday in Ordinary time – Year A” →