30. Lk. 11: 29-32

Lk. 11: 29-32: Jesus speaks about the sign of Jonah at which the Ninevites repented. The word of god is given to all people in many ways. Some receive it more clearly than others. All receive it as the silent movements of their conscience. We are accountable to it in our responses towards it. God is not silent in any individual’s life. Very often, we fail to tune in.

29. Jn. 21: 1-14

Jn. 21: 1-14: The disciples toiled alone all throughout the night. At day break Jesus joins with them. They catch a great haul of fishes as Jesus directed them. Because Jesus is the vine and they are the branches and those who remain with the vine (Jesus) produce fruit.’ The mission work also must be done with Jesus and they would find success on their way.

28. Mk. 6: 1-6

Mk. 6: 1-6: The people of Jesus’ home town were too familiar to Jesus. They regarded him to be a teacher or rabbi but not as Lord. The same can happen in our faith in Jesus. Jesus is very familiar to us may be physically or humanely but the divinity is often not seen in him. In such circumstances a crisis of faith happens but can generate a fresh start to our faith again.

27. Mk. 6: 35-44

Mk. 6: 35-44: All four gospels record this miracle of multiplication of bread. Just before this in the palace of King Herod was a dinner party given to the senior officials of the court on the birthday of King Herod (v. 21). But Jesus’ miracle as recorded here gave wellness for many ordinary people. The comparison is striking so as to make the reader think ‘who really is the king of the people!’

26. Mt. 15: 1-9

Mt. 15: 1-9: The tradition of the elders is not the law. Jesus respected and followed the law ie the ‘Thora’ but Jesus often spoke against some of its interpretation of the law by the Rubies. The disciples disobeyed an unimportant interpreted law but Jesus accused the Jews that they disobey the very important Law of Moses. 

25. Mk. 16: 15-20

Mk. 16: 15-20: It is an additional ending of Mark’s gospel in which Jesus gives the missionary command v. 15-18. The resurrection of Jesus is the universal mission of the church. Witnessing to Jesus, risen from the dead and now with God, remains the very special task and mission of the church. When we hold back from fear (v.8) or by doubt (v. 24) the Risen Lord challenges us to go forward. 

24. Mt. 19: 23-30

Mt. 19: 23-30: Riches are an obstacle to entering the kingdom, if it cannot be overcome by human power. The impossibility of the phrase ‘the eye of a needle’ indicates the renunciation of wealth and God helps one to share with the needy so that one becomes free from the world to enter the kingdom like that of the disciples, who left everything. 

23. Lk. 20: 9-16

Lk. 20: 9-16: The people of God are that vineyard which God planted and nurtured. To look after them God sends time and again leaders (Isaiah 5: 1-7; Jeremiah 2: 21). Jesus is killed outside of the city of Jerusalem (here the vineyard) what the Jews rejected (Jesus) became the corner stone of the new church.  

22. Jn. 16: 16-24

Jn. 16: 16-24: After living with Jesus for 3 years, the disciples were sad to hear about the death of Jesus. But their sadness will be changed into happiness when he is raised to life. This happiness will remain forever. So the sadness is only momentary while the happiness is everlasting. But how to celebrate this happiness? We sing in the prayer ‘onissadiraase’ in the holy Mass of this season that we should celebrate this like ‘the bride in her bridal attire and like the other who is happy when her children are with her’. It the ‘peseha’ feast is to have meaning in our life we must participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

21. Lk. 6: 46-49

Lk. 6: 46-49: Words without action are hypocrisy. Word of God, not followed through action it has no meaning. As the light of sun becomes perfect when it shines for me so is the word of God meaningful and perfect when it is practiced in life. Jesus tells this parable of the house built on the rock foundations.

20. Lk. 6: 6-11

Lk. 6: 6-11: A Jew regarded the Sabbath as a day of rest. It was the most sacred law for them. Jesus, with the God the Father’s vision, sees every law in the context of human need. Every law is meant for the betterment of man. This is what Jesus wants to affirms through the action and miracle healing in this passage. 

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. Mt. 8: 1-4

Mt. 8: 1-4: Lepers (in those times all who had skin diseases were considered lepers) are outcast in Jesus’ times.  By curing such a one is a conspicuous and significant feature of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus brings back the lost dignity of man into the warmth of human communion.

17. Mk. 4: 13-20

Mk. 4: 13-20:  It is the interpretation of Jesus for the parable of the sower that we see in this passage. If more importance is given to the sower and the seed in the parable of the sower, in the explanation of the parable Jesus give more importance to the soil were the seeds have fallen. There are many enemies to the seed- the Satan 4:15 suffering 4: 16-17 anxieties of the world 4: 18-19. The real disciple of the word gives hundred fold fruit 4: 20.

16. Mt 25: 1-13

Mt 25: 1-13: The parable of the ten virgins –five wise and five foolish teaches us that we Christians are not expected to behave like idle spectators, just waiting for the coming of the Lord; we have to work for it; we have to persevere and persist. We have at all times to be always ready, living the word of God, bearing the torch of Christ.

15. Jn. 14: 1-14

Jn. 14: 1-14:  Jesus is the way to the Father in heaven. This message is blurred even in the minds of apostles. So Jesus says “Don’t let your hearts be troubled”v.1a. By trusting in God and in Jesus (1b) one hopes to reach n heaven. He is both the aim and the way of one’s life. He has sown this by his very life. By living in this way one will finally realize that Jesus is God (10:30).

14. Lk. 24: 36-43

Lk. 24: 36-43: Jesus appears to the eleven apostles, who later become important witnesses of the risen Christ. The real presence of Jesus is felt by the disciples. The risen Jesus offers them gifts – the gift of peace (v.36), the wholeness of mind, soul and body which Jesus wanted the disciples to experience and to be witnesses later to the people.

13. Mk 4: 1-9

Mk 4: 1-9: The kingdom of God is compared to the seed that fell on ground in this parable of the sower. The seed that fell on the roadside is not even allowed to sprout up. Those on rocks sprouted up but did not grow. Those on thistles sprouted up, grew but were not allowed to give fruit. Only those fell on good soil fulfilled the intention of the sower and the fruit and harvest overwhelms that of those were lost. The kingdom of God is likewise.

12. 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. 

11. Mk. 7: 31-37

Mk. 7: 31-37: The people, who brought a deaf-mute man to lay Jesus’ hand upon him to be cured, did not have the faith needed and remained in their deafness, so he sighed. Faith must be cultivated upon the Word of God rather than on the miracles, which can only make us aware of the presence of God. So Jesus warned them not to tell anyone of the miracles.  

10. Jn 5: 41-47

Jn 5: 41-47: Though the Jews studied the law and ready to die in faithfulness to Yahweh, Jesus says they don’t have the love of God in them? They are ready to accept anyone else in another name and are looking to look good in the eyes of one another, but they are not seeking the praise of God. However Jesus is not their accuser but Moses, their Law giver.

9. Lk. 24: 28-35

Lk. 24: 28-35: The disciples who were going to Emmaus saw Jesus breaking the bread and recognized his hands that were being crucified. He is not only the host in his church; he is the guest also in every home. The disciples are seen sharing their joy of finding Jesus resurrected. They traveled back 7 miles to Jerusalem because they could not keep the good news to themselves. So must be a Christian, who shares the Good News.

8. Jn. 20: 19-29

Jn. 20: 19-29: The disciples are seen bundling in a secret place for fear of Jews. The ‘Jews’ here means the hostile powers that work against Jesus. To these fearful disciples Jesus brings transformation, leading the disciples from the darkness of fear, unbelief and distress into the lights of peace, joy of the risen Lord and the Spirit. He breathes on them as if he is making them of a new creation, new humanity from the fearful apostles. Jesus does so again and again even today. 

7. Mk. 16: 1-8

Mk. 16: 1-8: The women who came to the tomb were told that they will see the risen Lord in Galilee. Galilee here is more a symbol than a place. It points to the breakdown of the barrier between Jews and Gentiles, transcends the human made distinctions of caste, color, language, profession and social status. Galilee is the mission of the followers of Christ. The mission entrusted to the women is to be completed by his disciples.

6. Mt. 10: 26-33

Mt. 10: 26-33:  If we lose God, we lose that which alone can give meaning and joy to our lives.  Jesus exhorts his disciples in his missionary preaching that what they hear from him must be preached without fear. Material loss is to be preferred to spiritual loss. Our relationship with God the Father is mediated through him. God’s attitude towards us will correspond to our attitude toward Jesus. Our acknowledgement or rejection of Jesus will be the norm for our own acknowledgment or rejection by God.

5. 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. 

4. 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.

3. Lk. 24: 13-27

Lk. 24: 13-27: Every ‘breaking of the word’ leads one finally to the Eucharist ie. ‘Breaking of the bread’ where one finds and acknowledges Jesus, as we see in the journey of two disciples to Emmaus. This is the way every Christian to discover Jesus, who is the way to life. They go away from Jerusalem. Jesus meets them on their way and puts them back on track.

2. Jn. 14: 18-28

Jn. 14: 18-28: Jesus consoles his troubled apostles by promising them that he will be preset in the person of the Holy Spirit (Paraclete) The holy spirit makes us to understand and remember the teaching; of Jesus (v. 26). He makes us pray properly (Rom 8:26) He again is the gift of both the Father (14:26) and the Son (15:26). He imparts peace which is an inner reality which cannot be disturbed by any kind of suffering of this world. 

1. Easter Sunday

Mt. 28: 1-6:

We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ today. It is called Easter. We see an empty tomb. If it was not empty, our life would have been empty. So

a.       Jesus lives in us today. We have died in sin and lives in Christ for God (Rom 6:10) Those  who live in Christ is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)

b.      Jesus lives in the word of God (Jn. 1: 1; 1: 14) and this life if lost what gains (Lk. 9:25).

c.       Jesus lives in the bread. Whenever the bread is broken and given, there lives Jesus (Lk. 24: 13-35)

d.      Jesus lives in the poor, oppressed, workers and so on (Mt. 25: 31-40)

e.       Jesus lives in a community. Love each other and there Jesus lives (Jn. 13: 35) He live in Eucharist (Acts 2: 44-47) Loving brother means loving God (1 Jn. 4: 7; 3:14; 4: 16)

f.        Jesus lives in the Church