31. Lk. 4: 22-30

Lk. 4: 22-30: Familiarity causes Christ to be condemned and therefore he often goes to strangers. The doctrine of God’s sovereignty provokes proud men. They will not seek his favour in his own way and are angry when others have the favour they neglected. Still is Jesus rejected by the multitudes who hear the same message from his words!

30. Lk. 5: 12-16

Lk. 5: 12-16: Many came to Jesus: the blind, the lame, the lepers, and the sinners. They all came to be cleaned. We too are faced with the same question ‘Do I wish to be made clean, whole, holy?’ there are some areas of our life that need to be healed, to put into a correct mode and so on. Jesus can make everything clean, whole, and holy!

29. Jn 2: 1-11

Jn 2: 1-11: Jesus manifests 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.

28. Jn 8: 39-47

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.

27. Mt. 10: 1-15

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.

26. Mk 10: 17-22

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 changes this, he/she grows into a Christian perfection by the healing power of the Holy Spirit.

25. Mt. 20: 1-16

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. 17: 6-11

Jn. 17: 6-11: It is part of the ‘priestly prayer’ of Jesus. He prays for his own glorification, of the apostles and all Faithful. 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.

23. Lk. 12: 4-12

Lk. 12: 4-12: The attitude to life is fearlessness. Man’s power over man is strictly limited to this life only. The soul cannot be destroyed by any man. God’s power can blot out a man’s very soul. So God only is to be feared. At the same time to God we are never lost in the crowed. We are taken care of by the Holy Spirit, who leads one to repentance.  If we have lost the seed of repentance over sin then we are far away from Him.

22. 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.

21. Mt. 15: 21-28

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.

20. Mt. 16: 13-19

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.

19. Mk 4: 35-41

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.

18. Jn 21: 15-19

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.

17. Jn 15: 1-10

Jn 15: 1-10: The image of vine and branches are taken to explain the inner reality of the new people formed by Jesus. Jesus is the vine and we, the branches. Hence, each one of us has to consider how we are joined with Jesus through faith, prayer, and by keeping his word. Otherwise we will be cut off from him. Those who remain with him will be ‘pruned’ with suffering to grow in a life of union with Christ to produce more fruits of the Spirit.

16. Jn. 17: 20-28

Jn. 17: 20-28: Jesus prays for his followers who remain united as Son with the Father in this divided world. The unity should be made visible enough to challenge the ‘world’ to believe in Jesus. It must be a real fellowship (1 Jn 1: 3,6,7) removing different temperaments and cultural backgrounds establishing love and understanding.  Let us pray with Christ through the ecumenical movements.

15. Jn. 1: 14-18

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.

14. Mk. 1: 21-28

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.

13. Mk 6: 14-29

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.

12. Lk. 7: 11-17

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.

11. Jn. 2: 13-17

Jn. 2: 13-17: Jesus purifies the temple and brings it to its original content and for the purpose for which it stands – i.e. To worship God the Yahweh. No compromise is shown in this regard unlike the high priest Caiaphas, who allowed it to be a market place. Jesus teaches us that unless there is a connection between our piety and our everyday living, our devotions and liturgical services are pure hypocrisy.

10. Lk. 13: 23-30

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.

9. Jn. 14: 1-6

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.

8. 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.

7. Jn. 10: 31-39

 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? 

6. Mt. 3: 13-17

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. Mt 4: 12-17

Mt 4: 12-17: Nothing happens to Jesus that is not provisioned by God. If Bethlehem is the place of his birth (2:6), Nazareth is the place of his upbringing (2:23) and Capernaum is his place of Mission (4:15f). The definitive salvation is announced by Jesus comes to us by a change of heart - a conversion to a new life-style based on God’s love and working of Spirit within us.

4. Jn 6: 16-24

Jn 6: 16-24: When we are up against anything, Jesus watches us leaving us to fight alone under his watchful eye. Life is lived with the loving eye of Jesus upon us. When the strength is failing, he comes with strength for the last effort which leads us to victory.

3. Mt 5: 1-12

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.

2. Mt 6: 16-21

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.

1. Lk. 2: 21-35 -Second Sunday of Nativity

1.  Lk. 2: 21-35 :  The parents of Jesus show fidelity to Mosaic Law and their openness to the revelations by Simon and Anna. Simon 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.

Mt. 1: 18-25- Holy Name of Jesus: Jesus is both Son of God by conception and Son of David by adoption by St. Joseph, who being a descendant of King David. He is commanded to name the son ‘Jesus’ which in Greek means ‘Yahweh saves’. In the name of Jesus, mankind is saved, all initiatives started especially as the new year starts.