31. Jn 2: 1-11

1    Jn 2: 1-11: Jesus manifest himself as the savior by changing water into wine. Those that live for their earthly desires have no real interest in heavenly matters. They live for their short bouts of laughter not realizing they will end in an eternal sigh. Only Jesus can bring a change in life to have real interest in heavenly matters. 

30. Jn 8: 39-47

1    Jn 8: 39-47: Jews are boasting of their descent from Abraham who proved himself to be a true believer of God, even though they are not imitating him in this belief.  Jesus, whose origin is from beyond human history, will enable us to enter into the world beyond, if only we believe in him by living according to his teaching. 

29. Mt. 23: 34-39

1    Mt. 23: 34-39: God wanted to protect, love and care the people of Jerusalem. But they refused the prophets, Christ and first Christians who came in the name of God and spoke His Word. But they were killed and rejected. Destruction of Jerusalem was a punishment of its crimes. God’s plan and way cannot be objected, blocked by any one. 

28. Jn. 1: 35-42

1    Jn. 1: 35-42: Jesus asked the first disciples ‘what are you looking for?” – wealth, fame or power? All these will perish. If one wants the imperishable and everlasting happiness, one should desire to submit oneself fully to Jesus, who can give this to him. As they stayed with Jesus, they progressed in the knowledge of Jesus. 

27. Jn. 10: 1-6

1    Jn. 10: 1-6: The voice of the shepherd goes before us, guides us, protects us and tells us who we are. We are told to listen and follow the shepherd because he has gone before us to prepare the way for us and knows the territory, the hardships and struggles involved and knows that we can face them. Listen Jesus’ voice and follow Jesus and the rest will before us as protection, guidance and nourishments!

26. Jn. 17: 6-11

1    Jn. 17: 6-11: It is part of the ‘priestly prayer’ of Jesus. He prays for his own glorification, of the apostles and all Faithfull. By knowing God and his Christ the apostles and faithful are being consecrated in the truth and one is being united with Christ who in turn uplifts them to God in the prayer –just as the priests do. He asks God, the Father to have this unity.

25. Mt. 20: 1-16

1    Mt. 20: 1-16: The late workers were paid as much as the early workers here in this passage. The message of the parable is to show that God rewards not according to the time of work but according to one’s entry to God’s call. Applying to ourselves it means that God does not compare us with known or popular saints. The Lord looks at what we have done with what we have. He examines how we have used the opportunities and skills we have been given. We fashion our own spiritual life or death. 

24. Jn. 1: 29-34

.    Jn. 1: 29-34: Jesus is being introduced by John the Baptist to his disciples. Jesus came to be our Savior and our Sacrifice of sin. He is God’s own Son. He brings us forgiveness. God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus to come as a prophet, priest and king of Israel and all nations. Jesus came to be the Lamb of God as sacrifice for sin. 

23. Mt. 15: 21-28

1    Mt. 15: 21-28: The Canaanite woman is ‘low caste’ in two ways. By birth she belongs to another religion. Being a woman she is oppressed under men. But she has the humility to accept what she is and thereby Jesus acknowledges her faith though she belongs to a different religion. So Jesus teaches us to appreciate the goodness in others whether they belong to different caste, religion or status.

22. Mt. 10: 1-15

1    Mt. 10: 1-15: The disciples representing the 12 tribes of Israel are sent on their mission by Jesus with instructions. Mission means ‘sending’.  The Father is the one who sends messengers to the world to gather those who believe in his love and promises.

21. Mk 10: 17-22

1    Mk 10: 17-22: Jesus invites a wealthy man to a deeper communion with God, whom the wealthy man had never known before, by instructing him to give up his wealth! Everyone has one obstacle or other for his/her personal spiritual growth like power, position, social contacts, particular circle of friends or party, which is very dynamic in nature. Only when one change this, he/she grows into a Christian perfection by the healing power of the Holy Spirit. 

20. Mt. 6: 1-4

1   Mt. 6: 1-4: The Jews regarded almsgiving equal to righteousness. Jews regarded also that when the recipient does not know from whom he gets it and the giver does not know to whom he gives it are these people greater than Moses. So Jesus continued preaching that almsgiving must be an instinctive outflow of the loving heart, we must give to others as Jesus Christ gave himself to us. 

19. Lk. 18: 9-14

1   Lk. 18: 9-14: The servant church is entrusted with gifts of faith and the compassion of Jesus. It is to b e used creatively to increase when the king (Jesus) comes and not to remain with the communities and church in a static form. The faith of the people must grow in scope and in richness. 

18. Mt. 18: 23-35

1    Mt. 18: 23-35: Readiness to forgive those who injured us is demanded for a Christian living. Jesus not only urges us to forgive without limit (v.21-22) but shows us how our forgiveness is always related to God’s forgiveness (v.23-34)

17. Jn. 1: 14-18

1    Jn. 1: 14-18: Jesus whom the disciple and apostles had personal experiences is truly the word became (flesh) incarnate. In Jesus there is the fullness of God’s presence and loving kindness. Responding to that fullness, we receive from Jesus the same loving kindness which is grace in abundance, without any measure. 

16. Mk. 1: 21-28

1    Mk. 1: 21-28: The evil spirit in the synagogue recognizes Jesus. It is not a confession of faith but a ritual means to get power over Jesus. Jesus proves that his Word is mightier than the power of the evil one. Wherever the Word is heard and read, his power is there to heal people from evil forces, which disrupt their lives. The message and life of Jesus is ‘Good News’ indeed. 

15. Mt. 16: 13-19

1    Mt. 16: 13-19: The foundation of the church is faith in Jesus, the Christ and Son of God. The above text points to the primacy of Peter among all the apostles. The church always needs a visible head. This we believe is the successor of Peter, the Pope.

14. Mk 4: 35-41

1    Mk 4: 35-41: God is at work of destroying evil of every kind, whether it is of nature. God has power over (in calming the storm in the sea) nature. Human heart has to open by itself i.e.  by faith to experience God’s power. This faith must be based on the authority of Jesus and on his God-given identity.

13. Jn 21: 15-19

1    Jn 21: 15-19: Jesus reveals himself as the supreme shepherd because he loves his people and that he appoint a shepherd to look after his flock. The basis of his shepherd is love. So he confirms that love from St. Peter of his love for him. As he affirms his love for him, Peter becomes the new shepherd of his flock, when Jesus is absent from them physically. 

12. Lk. 13: 23-30

1    Lk. 13: 23-30: Salvation demands serious effort like entering through a narrow door. No superficial acquaintance with Jesus can claim to entry into God’s kingdom. Only those who respond to God’s invitation can enter the kingdom of God weather they are from east or west or north or south ie from the unexpected nations. 

11. Jn. 14: 1-6

1   Jn. 14: 1-6: If we have true faith in God the Father and in Jesus Christ we will be liberated from all our sufferings. The ‘rooms’ show the intimate communion, sharing the very life of God, reaches it’s culmination in the life with God after our death. It starts with the present life in which Jesus is the Way, the truth and the life.

10. Lk 4: 16-22a

Lk 4: 16-22a: By referring Isaiah 61:1-2 and its fulfillment in him, Jesus presents himself as a prophet. The content that he reads makes him a liberator. As prophets are not accepted by people, in general, Jesus too finds himself rejected by his own people as indicated by Simeon at his presentation at the temple. As liberator he presents his preferential option for the poor. Liberation of oneself leads him to salvations

9. Jn. 10: 31-39

1   Jn. 10: 31-39: Jesus affirms his unique divine sonship by pointing to the works he did. He has an intense awareness that he is in the Father and the Father in him. Those who believe this would say like St. Peter  who said ‘you are Christ , the son of the  living God’(Mt. 16:16) . But the Pharisees said’ while you are a man you are making yourself God’ (Jn. 10:33). Do we believe in him? 

8. Mk 6: 14-29

1 Mk 6: 14-29: The literary arrangement of keeping  the incident of Beheading of John the Baptist between the departure for mission (6:7-13) and return from the mission (6:30) means that anyone involved in the mission of Jesus must meet with difficulties, perhaps even martyrdom.  It also gives the message that humankind cannot advance unless people are committed to a life of integrity and self-sacrificing love, rather than becoming slaves to their passions.

7. Lk. 7: 11-17

1   Lk. 7: 11-17: ‘The dead man sat up and began to speak and Jesus gave him to his mother’. Jesus comes to forgive sins-to give life to the dead in sin. This life which Jesus gives, is to be used to glorify God and to be shared with other. The one who received this life must be of use to the church, the mother of faith.

6. Mt. 3: 13-17

1    Mt. 3: 13-17: John the Baptist identifies himself with the sinful Israel just like the earlier prophets when they are called by God. ‘Heaven opened’ and ‘Spirit of God in the form of dove’ are symbolical of Jesus’ communication with God. We are reminded that  our baptism is a joining of the kingdom of God and this communication possible. 

5. Lk. 2: 41-51

1    Lk. 2: 41-51: ‘He went home and he was obedient to them’. The fact that he was God’s Son made him the perfect Son of his human parents. The real man of God does not despise earthly ties; just because he is God’s man, he discharges human duties with supreme fidelity. 

4. Mt 6: 16-21

1    Mt  6: 16-21: All religions know fasting and do fast. But God wants that fasting if done to obtain human approval is useless. The Christian spirit of fasting should be a way to please God alone. Jesus, who is born poor, joins with the poor in fasting and prayer in his public ministry. 

3. Lk. 2: 21-35

Lk. 2: 21-35: The parents of Jesus show fidelity to Mosaic Law and their openness to the revelations by Simeon and Anna. Simeon indicates to the universal salvation not limiting Jesus’ mission to Jews only. He reveals that his own people will reject him and Mary would be a partner in the salvific acts of Jesus. 

2. Mt 5: 1-12

1    Mt 5: 1-12: The blessing is related to the people or right attitudes, namely people who have dependence on God, longing for justice, sincerity, mercy and peacableness like the Greek Fathers whose feast we celebrate today. The happiness promised to them is the total liberation of humankind. Though this begins here and now, will reach its fullness in the hereafter.

1. Mt. 1: 18-25 + Lk 2: 21

      Mt. 1: 18-25 + Lk 2: 21: Jesus is circumcised, named and presented in the temple. Jesus’ life starts from the temple.  Our Day also must start from the temple- the Eucharist. It reminds us to start any venture in life with the name of Jesus invoked and his blessings sought. Jesus’ parents show us the way. Jesus is both Son of God by conception and Son of David by adoption by St. Joseph, who being a descendent of King David.