Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 23 February 2025 Sunday Reflection by Mike – 23 February 2025

First Reading: First Samuel 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23

But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” (9)

When his enemy was given into his hand, David restrained himself from harming him! In a strange episode described today, amidst running for his life and facing King Saul, David displays remarkable strength of character. How often are we faced with a situation to gloat over our so-called enemies, and we just let it by. Would we try to gain some advantage from such a circumstance? On the other hand, imagine if we are in Saul’s place; what would we do? How often do we look for opportunities to make peace?

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we walk through this wilderness, trying to create peace. Even though we may find an Abishai to advise us according to the best logical outcome for us, let us be prepared to honour what God has allowed to occur in our lives! In the strength of the Lord, we will find the way forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 103: 1-4, 8, 10, 12-13

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits. (1-2)

Amen!

Second Reading: First Corinthians 15: 45-49

It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (44-45)

The greatest mystery of our faith is revealed to us in the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus; our Lord and son of the Father Almighty. It is only through our spirits that we can believe and proclaim this mystery. Therefore, when we try to understand our faith, we must not try to apply our logical or intellectual side only. Through human reasoning alone, we will not be able to comprehend this truth! Christ lived in human form and elevated our human existence so that we can try to attain the reward he has prepared for us. Even as we try to discuss these matters, we are not going to be able to fully fathom the gift that God has given us!

Hence, suffice to say that we ought to strive to become worthy recipients of the joy that the Lord has permitted us. Let us turn our hearts, minds, and spirits over to the Lord Jesus Christ each moment of our life! In His mercy, the Lord grants us this grace to receive Him. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Alleluia: John 13: 34

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. Alleluia!

Lord, teach us to truly love one another and ourselves too!

Gospel: Luke 6: 27-38

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. (28)

If we bless those who bless us or are good to those who are good to us, the Lord Jesus asks, What good is that? Let us reflect today to see where we might find it difficult to function on these lines set out by the Lord. Let us take one aspect at least, i.e., to pray for those who persecute us! In the face of the situation, we will find it difficult. But let us ask the Lord God Jesus Christ, who suffered similar circumstances throughout his life.

Let us ask his Holy Mother Mary to assist us in our journey! The more we operate in these plains, the more grace we will receive in wisdom through the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 23 February 2025 Sunday Reflection by Maryanne – 23 February 2025

Mercy: Given, Received, Acknowledged

There may be no greater Old Testament figure for the topic of mercy, which is the main theme of Jesus’s preaching in today’s Gospel, than that of David. Not only is he a great practitioner of mercy, as he shows in this scene with Saul in 1 Samuel 26, as well as a great recipient of mercy after his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah in 2 Samuel 11 and 12 respectively, but he is also the most aware of God’s mercy as shown in Psalm 51 as well as today’s Psalm 103…the Lord is kind and merciful indeed.

Immeasurable Mercy

Every other verse in today’s set of readings are just specific examples of God’s abundant mercy and instruction as to how we are supposed to participate in that mercy. Loving enemies, giving one’s cloak and tunic, lending money without expectation: none of these things fit within the model of self-preservation that gets one ahead in life. However, Jesus shows the heavenly pragmatism to this approach in life because this “measure” of mercy is also how we are going to be “measured” when our life is over. On the surface, this seems like just a delayed quid pro quo on an infinite scale. This reductive approach misses the point Jesus is trying to make about the nature of God and ourselves. 

Mercy is as mercy does

It is not that God will hold our degree of mercy over our heads like a differently calibrated scale, it is because to the degree we practice mercy it will become a habit and internalized to our nature. We will be able to accept mercy because we have practiced it so much. Think back to David, he practiced mercy early in his life and it was not until much later, after he was in power as king, that he truly needed that mercy from God. The more we practice it now, when it seems not to benefit us, the more it will truly benefit us later when we really need it, because we will actually be able to accept it.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 16 February 2025 Sunday Reflection by Mike – 16 February 2025 Homily for 09 February 2025 – Sunday

First Reading: Jeremiah 17: 5-8

Fruit-bearing in drought!

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots through the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. (7-8)

Prophet Jeremiah proclaims about the person who trusts the Lord but also warns about those who trust only in humanity! Depending on a man also means being too self-obsessed! It is folly to think that, by our own might and will, we can achieve anything. If our hearts are after the world and its things, we will find ourselves constantly running into dry places. We will run from one well to another constantly trying to fill our cups with water that runs dry very soon. 

But when we surrender our trust to the Lord and drink from the springs He provides; we will never lack anything! Our anxious hearts and fearful minds are calmed at the banquet of plenty, in the Lord. Let us remember to trust in God first and then do our part. Once we submit our work to the Lord, He blesses our efforts. Let us not rely just on our own skills or that of our neighbours. It is the Lord who can turn the water into wine, while turning our droughts into springs.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 1: 1-4 and 6

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord, whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. (2) 

Amen!

Second Reading: First Corinthians 15: 12, 16-20

Bearing fruit and growing!

Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. (20)

Christ has died, risen, and given us new life; therefore, we are free! Christ bore for us the first fruits! We are now able to bear fruit in Christ, if we remain in Him! Let us abide in Christ as He told us in John 14, 15, and 16. Remaining in Christ requires us to live in His Word. Therefore, only when we read, listen, and meditate on His Holy Word; we will be able to abide in His word.

Alleluia: Luke 6: 23ab

Alleluia, Alleluia! Rejoice and be glad; your reward will be great in heaven. 

Alleluia!

Gospel: Luke 6: 17, 20-26

“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. (22-23)

When we feel isolated or rejected, we must remind ourselves of the sermon on the mount by the Lord. The Lord stood on a level place with his disciples, and he knew exactly how they may have felt. We must rejoice that the Lord is with us on that day, even though we may not find others around us! Many a times we may feel hurt in our spirits, but we must remember that our Lord too trod over similar rough and lonely roads. He sees us in our weaknesses and loneliness. We have an awesome God, who knows how we hurt internally. Let us turn our spirits over to the Lord who cares for us. Let us visit the Blessed Sacrament as often as we can. Let us receive the Holy Eucharist more often and we will be strengthened in our spirits. As we return to our daily lives, we will receive new vigour in our hearts.

When our hearts are strengthened, we will resume our physical strength too. Let us make this prayer to Our Lord, through Mother Mary. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 16 February 2025 Sunday Reflection by Maryanne – 16 February 2025 Homily for 16 February 2025 – Sunday

Introduction

The combination of readings this week gives a unique presentation of the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. They do not do so in the way one would expect, but present 

Faith

The first reading today comes from Jeremiah and presents faith in a negative light. I do not mean by this that Jeremiah presents faith as a bad thing of course, but where one should not have “trust.” Of those Jeremiah includes humans apart from God. This is a negative view of human nature, which one could understand Jeremiah having when one considers his experiences as a prophet. He contrasts this with the blessedness one experiences when they trust in the Lord. This is not a prosperity message that Jeremiah is giving. Again, look at where trust in the Lord got him in his ministry. Yet, he still tells us to trust in God because this is the only One in whom our hope can lie.

Hope

For the Psalm, we repeat the phrase “Blessed are they that hope in the Lord.” So many of the Psalms are about looking forward beyond the immediate difficulties of God’s people. These are always applicable because God’s people will always experience hardships in life and always look forward to the promise of the Resurrection, as St. Paul describes in the Second Reading from 1 Corinthians 15. This describes the general resurrection that we profess in the Creed every Sunday. This Resurrection will participate in the Body of Christ, who is God Incarnate, whose nature if Love itself.

Charity

For the Gospel reading, Jesus presents to us the new law of love that is meant to form Christian action. Bringing together one’s trust in God from the First Reading and the hope that is promised in the Psalm and Second Reading, the Christian is meant to participate in the charity to which both faith and hope are ordered. The way that one does this is by living the Beatitudes as Jesus presents them here in Luke as well as Matthew. Through our participation in charity in this life, we receive a glimpse of the Resurrection promised to us in the next.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 09 February 2025 Sunday Reflection by Mike – 09 February 2025 Homily for 09 February 2025 – Sunday

First Reading: Isaiah 6: 1-2, 3-8

And he touched my mouth and said: Behold this hath touched thy lips, and thy iniquities shall be taken away, and thy sin shall be cleansed. (7)

Isaiah, one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament describes his vision here.

We are blessed today to have Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We are reminded that though we are unclean as yet, we are still Forgiven by God through Jesus Christ. The Body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist cleanses not only our tongues but also our minds! We have the privilege of experiencing Isaiah’s beautiful vision at Holy Mass if we open ourselves to God with a contrite heart.

Let us pray for this grace and humility, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 138: 1-5, 7,8

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. I will sing praise to thee in the sight of his angels: (1)

Amen!

Second Reading: First Corinthians 15: 1-11

For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. (9)

St. Paul humbly and boldly testified to the many witnesses of Christ’s death, and resurrection, and how he appeared afterward to more than 500 people. But also like Isaiah, he considers himself unworthy of being Christ’s Apostle! He proclaims that by the grace of God, and his labors, he is able to spread the Word of God!

Let us pray to St. Paul today, that we may persevere in doing our part, however unqualified we may feel! God qualifies the Called and so we have the faith and courage to persist on our path.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Alleluia: Matthew 4: 19

Alleluia, Alleluia!  Come after me and I will make you fishers of men. Alleluia!

Gospel: Luke 5: 1-11

Simon answering said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy word, I will let down the net. (5)

Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. (8)

First, we look at Peter’s faith, it was out of humble obedience that he yet again casts the net. Let us learn today to listen to where the LORD is Guiding us. Like the other Great Men before him, Peter too declares his unworthiness. We too many often find ourselves unworthy of the task at hand, or the position, or the responsibility placed on us. We must remember that when it is by God, He will qualify us in all the aspects required.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Also Read: Mass Readings for 09 February 2025 Homily for 09 February 2025 – Sunday

Purification in order to Prophecy

This features another theme related to purification, but it is more specific to the purification that is done in one’s life in order to fulfil God’s prophetic call. In the first reading, this purification takes place on the lips of Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-8. This is the beginning of his ministry as he must be purified in order to be God’s spokesperson. 

This should remind us of the blessing of our lips at our baptism when the priest makes the Sign of the Cross over our lips so that we may speak the truth boldly in the Christian life. 

Purification in order to Worship

It fits that Psalm 138:1-8 follows as we use these lips to “sing your praises, Lord.” Even though many of us think of the prophet as the one who proclaims the hard truths, and this is often necessary, most of us are not called to this action. We act as prophets when we sing joyfully our love for God. This goes much further as a prophetic witness.

St. Paul, in Corinthians 15:1-11, must also have purified lips as he passes down the Sacred Tradition that had been handed to him. This is how we can have confidence that the Church is safeguarding the Gospel. Our bishops and priests must speak from pure hearts in order to do so.

Purification for Greater Faith

Finally, this collection of readings comes all together with the first of many prophetic proclamations of St. Peter. He more than anyone must maintain a pure heart to act as the sign of unity in the Church and continue to point us to Jesus. Let us pray for our successor of Peter, Pope Francis, so that he can continue to maintain a pure heart, and pure lips and point us all to Christ!

Presentation of the Lord Feast

Also Read: Mass Readings for 02 February 2025 Homily for 02 February 2025 – Sunday

First Reading: Malachi 3: 1-4

Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. (4)

The Lord allows certain things to occur in our lives so that we learn to be molded into the children he wants us to be!

According to the description of the refining process, the Refiner knows that the silver is pure by seeing its unmistakably pure glowing light. The Lord knows the potential of the Light within us and he provides us opportunities to be refined! We Praise and Thank Him for this great blessing. Let us become aware of the times when we are being refined and reform our ways. Let our minds be conformed to the Word of God. Let us believe the truth he says about us and not be deceived by the lies of the devil. Once we are refined our offerings will be acceptable to our Lord God, Father of us all.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 24: 7, 8, 9, 10

Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

Amen!

Second Reading: Hebrews 2: 14-18

 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. (18)

On this day of the Presentation of Our Lord, we are reminded by the Church that Jesus Christ came into our midst, humbly and redeemed us at the point of our lowest weakness! He chose to suffer and die on the Cross so that HE may not lose even a single one of us!

We ask the Lord to help us as we go through our lives. Let us always turn to him for spiritual discernment so that the silver within us may shine for us and for those around us. We have a God who has already experienced the trials that we may face today. Our greatest advocate before God is Jesus Christ, let us walk by faith and hope in Him!

Amen!

Alleluia: Luke 2: 32

Alleluia, Alleluia!

My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

Alleluia!

Gospel: Luke 2: 22-40  

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, According to your word. (28-29)

Simeon was righteous, devout, and looking forward to the Christ’s coming. Being led by the Holy Spirit he reached the temple at the opportune time to witness His presentation. He held the Baby Lord in his arms and glorified the Lord God!

 If we choose to turn our minds every time to our Lord, we too will be able to cradle the Baby Lord in our arms. Every time we are tempted, let us keep repeating scripture. Every time we face a tough situation let us use the gift of tongues internally (and audibly if we can)! Let us practice our faith while on the move and we will receive discernment to guide our steps. Let us enter the Lord’s temple, like Simeon, and Proclaim his glory day by day!

In Jesus’ name, Amen!