FR REMI HOMILIES/REFLECTIONS AND SERMONS

In the first reading of today, St. Paul addressed the Corinthians as people of the flesh. He wrote: “You are people of the flesh...infants in Christ...you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not of the flesh...? (1cor 3:1-3). This is so because where there is strife, jealousy, division, envy, wrangling and all sort of vices, there ethe spirit of God is absent. The Corinthians became divisive and competitive in the Christian community, while some say they are for Paul, others say they are for Apollos, Hence undermining the place of the crucified Christ in the lives. Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, St. Paul speaks to us today, noting that anyone who is at variance with his fellow men is not a man of God, he is not spiritual, he is of the flesh. However, if a man promotes love, unity and harmony in his relationship with his fellow men, then that man is in communion with God. Are we bringers of peace, joy, love and unity etc o...

Homily for the Tuesday of the 22nd week in the ordinary time year II Theme: Jesus, the restorer of the original innocence of Man  1 Cor 2: 19-16; Luke 4:31-37 Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the Gospel of today's liturgy of the word narrates to us the healing of the demoniac by Jesus. A fundamental reaffirmation of the objective of the mission of Jesus Christ, which is to restore humanity to its original nature of being in communion with God; to restore humanity from the slavery of sin and corruption to the state of freedom and adopted children of God; to restore humanity from the dominion of darkness, demons and evils spirits back to the state of light and joy in the Holy Spirit; to restore humanity to the state of original innocence, to reconcile humanity to God. St. John, in his first letter, acknowledges this purpose: “The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Right from the history of humanity, the human person had b...

Homily for Monday of the 22nd week in the ordinary time year II (Memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist).  Jeremiah 1:17-29; Mark 6:17-29. Today, the Holy Mother Church celebrates the memorial of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is so special a saint whom the church revers both at the circumstance of his birth and that of his death.  John the Baptist, died a martyr for his courageous proclamation of the truth of the indissolubility of marriage. A reaffirmation of the teachings of Jesus on marriage: “They are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, whatever God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Mt 19:6). John the Baptist, declared that it was not lawful for King Herod to take his brother Philip's wife (Herodias), while his brother Philip was still alive (Mk 6:17-18). Maintaining that it was against the commandment of God, He reproached king Herold for such an atrocious and unacceptable act. Although he was...

Homily for the 22nd Sunday in the ordinary time of the year C Theme: HUMILITY: AN INDISPENSABLE CHRISTIAN VIRTUE Sirach 3: 17-20; 28-29; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24; Luke 14:1,7-14 Humility, the philosophers will say is the solid foundation of all virtues, so much so that without humility, there can be no humanity. St. Isaac the Syrian, says that just as salt is needed for all kinds of food, so humility is needed for all kinds of virtues. It is commonly and rightfully said: “A tree that wants to touch the sky must extend its root into the earth. The more it wants to rise upwards, the more it has to grow downwards. So to rise in life, we must be down to earth, humble and grateful”. Humility, the sage will tell us, is not weakness but strength under control. It is not denying your strengths but being honest about your weakness. Humility is royalty without a crown because in its greatness it doesn't need to be noticed. Humility is the key to greatness, for greatness does not consist in po...

Homily for Saturday of the 21st week in the ordinary time (Memorial of St. Monica) 1corinthinas 1:26-31; Matthew 25:14-30 Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the parable of the talents which we have just heard, is a parable that focuses on the judicious, faithful and responsible services we are called to render to God and humanity through the use of the  talents and gifts entrusted to us, and the faculties we are endowed with . It is a parable that instructs us that diligence is rewarded whereas negligence is punished or penalized. We are told of a man going on a journey, summoned his  servants and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents , to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability” (Mt 25: 14-15). While the one with five talents traded and made five talents more, the one with two traded and made two talents more, the one with one talent rather dug a ground and buried the talent. Hence, with the master's return and the day of recko...

Homily for Friday of the 21st week in the ordinary time Theme: How prepared are you for the Lord's coming? The efficacy of the cross 1Cor 1:17-25; Mathew 25:1-13 In today's liturgy of the word, St. Paul reminds us of the essence of the proclamation of the Gospel. He declared in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the Gospel” (1Cor 1:17). Literally, one may think that St. Paul meant that baptism was insignificant, No! St. Paul was simply alluding to the precedence of preaching the Gospel as the starting point of the conversion process. For St. Paul, baptism presupposes faith and faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes from the preaching of the word of God. (Tim 10:17) St. Paul, besides, dedicated a good part of his letter to the Romans to the discourse on Baptism (Romans 6:1-11). Hence, did not diminish the importance of the sacrament of baptism.  In his letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul acknowledged the focal...

1 Corinthians 1:1-9;  Matthew 24:42-51 THEME: KEEP AWAKE, BE VIGILANT  In today's liturgy of the word, from St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, we hear the expression of joy, satisfaction and thanksgiving from Paul and Sosthenes for the wonderful growth in Christian maturity that the church in Corinth is experiencing. He says: “ I never stop thanking God for all the graces you have received through Jesus Christ. I thank him that you have been enriched in so many ways especially in your teachers and preachers; the witness to Christ has indeed been strong among you so that you will not be without any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit while you are waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed”. (1Cor 1:).  Paul did not begrudge the rich blessings of God upon the church in Corinth, a manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which were visible in the numerical strength of the teachers and preachers and witnesses the chruch in Corinth was producing, rather Paul w...

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW (APOSTLE) AUGUST 24 Revelation 21:9-14;  John 1: 45-51 Today being the 24th of August, following the date fixed by Pope Pius V,  we are privileged to celebrate the feast of St. Bartholomew, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ as listed by the Evangelists (Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:14; Acts 1:13). He is an honest man, a man of integrity and truth. A man with an open minded-heart in search of the truth. A man without double dealing. Birthed in Cana, Bartholomew in Aramaic means “bar-Talmai” which translates as “son of Talmai” (son of the farmer). Invariably, this could be his surname or family name, other than his personal name. Hence, scholars had come to the probable conclusion that Bartholomew could be the same person as Nathanael (Gift of God). This is hinged on the argument that while the Synoptic writers mentioned the name Bartholomew when listing the twelve apostles of Jesus, St. John the Evangelist left out the name Bartholomew...

THEME: REMAINING FAITHFUL TO THE TRADITION OF THE CHURCH 2 These 2: 1-3, 14-17; Matthew 23:23-26 In the context of the parousia (the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ), St. Paul, in the first reading, admonished the church of the Thessalonians, never to depart from the Tradition that had been handed down to them; and must not be deceived by any false alarm either by word or letter that contradicts the Tradition given unto them (2 These 2:2-3)  Here, St. Paul took into cognizance the fact that the Sacred Tradition of the church is essential to the Christian faith. Hence , the recommendation to the Thessalonians that their Fidelity to  Tradition is an indication of the genuineness of their conversion and the certainty of their obtaining the glory of Jesus Christ.  Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the Vatican II Council on Dei Verbum underscores that Divine revelation is the manifestation of God to humanity, for the salvation of man. For it is the desire of God t...

Homily for Monday of the 21st week in the Ordinary Time.  Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  2 Thessalonians 1:1-5,11-12; Matthew 23:13-22. In the first reading of today, St. Paul brings the greetings of Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the people of Thessalonica, appreciating them most kindly for their Christian maturity visible in the abundant growth of their Faith and the increase in love they have for one another (2Thess 1: 2-3). The people of Thessalonica held tenaciously to the rudiments of Christianity which is faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and the practice of Christian love. This brought about outstanding growth in the Christian community.  Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the church in Thessalonica leaves us an example to follow: that the practice of Christian love is the surest way to manifest our faith in Christ Jesus. The church is measured not by the numerical strength of the people but by the amount of Christian love ...

THEME: GOD DWELLS IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF 20th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Ezekiel 43:1-7; Matthew 23:1-12 Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, God is omnipresent, his glory fills the whole earth. However, in the first reading of today from the book of prophet Ezekiel, God makes manifest to prophet Ezekiel in a unique way an outstanding place of his dwelling which is the Temple. In the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, God honours and dignifies the sacredness of the temple as his dwelling.  The Temple is the dwelling place of God, it is a place of encounter with God, it is a place of worship, sacrifice, and adoration of God, and it is a place where believers God assemble as God's family to perform their liturgical celebration. Hence, the reading of today reawakens in us the reverence and honour we must pay to the Temple of worship.  Jesus declared: “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a robbers den” (Mt 21:13). Dearest brothers a...

Homily for Friday of thr 20th week in ordinary time Theme: Nothing is impossible to God Love as the greatest commandment Ezekiel 37:1-14; Matthew 22:34-40 It is no news that the people of Israel underwent many hardships but that of the captivity in Babylon was one of the cruellest and the most devastating experience they ever had in their history. The hope of returning to their homeland was completely dashed. Hence they perceived themselves dead in a distant land with their bones dry and scattered all over the place. It was within this disheartening experience in Babylon that the word of resurrection and restoration as declared by the Lord came to Prophet Ezekiel. “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord... I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezek 37:4-6). Dearest brothers and sisters in...

Theme: New Heart and Spirit: fundamental requirements for membership in the church. Ezekiel 36:23-28; Matthew 22:1-14 Homily for Thursday of the 20th week in the ordinary time Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, it is no news to assert that for us christians, our homeland is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). In other words, our citizenship is in heaven. Hence, we are pilgrims (strangers/foreigners) on this earth, making our journey to our heavenly homeland. In this context, there is a sense in which the term exile can be applied since we are strangers here on earth longing to return to our heavenly homeland. The first reading from the book of prophet Ezekiel speaks of the comforting promises of God to the Israelites while they were in exile in Babylon as strangers. The promise to bring them home to their own land from wherever they may be scattered. “Thus says the Lord, I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land (Ezek 36:24)...

Theme: All shepherds must give an account to God Homily for Wednesday of the 16th week in the ordinary time Ezekiel 34:1-11; Matthew 20:1-16 The term Shepherd is a very prevalent concept among the Jews. Prominent figures in the history of Israel were shepherds: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David etc even kings and religious leaders were described as shepherds of the people. Hence, the shepherds as representatives of God, among many duties are saddled with the responsibility of nurturing, caring, protecting and providing for the sheep. However, in the first reading from the book of prophet Ezekiel, God lamented over the irresponsible attitude of the shepherds towards the sheep entrusted to their care. Rather than seek the well-being and interest of the sheep, the shepherd had become selfish and individualistic. Thus, says the Lord God: you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not the shepherd feed the sheep? (Ezekiel 34:1-3). God, through the prophet Ezekiel, ac...

Theme: The danger of riches Ezekiel 28:1-10; Matthew 19:23-30 A story is told of a man who frequents the daily morning masses in prayer to God for the safe arrival of his goods at the seaport but with the safe arrival of his goods, he becomes absent at morning masses, because he is busy attending to the needs of his business. His riches take precedence over his spiritual life. Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, central to the liturgy of the word today is Jesus' teaching on the danger of riches. In the Gospel pericope that we just heard,  Jesus acknowledged that it will be easier for a Carmel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mt 19:23-24).  The teaching of Jesus does not ostracise the rich from making heaven rather it speaks of the difficulty, danger and hardship, rich people encounter in their struggle to enter the kingdom of God. The word of God says: “Where one's treasure is, there will his heart be also (Mt 6:21). When a...

Rev. 11:19;12:1-6,10; 1Cor 15:20-26; Luke 1:39-56 Good morning dearest brothers and sister in Christ, today the Holy Mother Church celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven.  Historically, the belief that after her earthly life, the blessed virgin Mary assumed into heaven body and soul had always been part of the faith of the Christian people and was widespread from the East to the West in the 14th century. Progressively, with the encyclical, “Deiparae Virginis Mariae”, Pope Pius XII consulted the Bishops, clergy and the people of God on the defining possibility of the bodily assumption of Mary as a dogma of Faith. Receiving a plausible response, the Holy Father, Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950, solemnly declared and defined as a dogma of faith revealed by God: the taken up body and soul of the immaculate mother of God, Mary ever Virgin, when her earthly life was finished. In the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII declared in the fo...

Theme: Becoming a witness to the truth Homily for the 20th Sunday in the ordinary time of year c Jeremiah 38:4-6; 8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53 Central to the liturgy of the word today is the theme of conspiracy and hatred against the truth; and the theme of the fire of the Holy Spirit.   Many times one is caught up in the profound reflection on why does the truth generate so much hatred, resentment and bitterness? Why is it that the one who is so much hated and persecuted is the one who speaks the truth? Seemingly, in our world of today, the destiny of those who witness the truth is that of mockery, travesty, ridicule, derision, disdain, caricature, persecution etc. A speaker of the truth, they say, has no friend; just as it is commonly said that whoever stands up for the should be ready to stand alone. This could probably be the case because the truth they say is indeed bitter.  Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, in the first reading from the book of prophet ...