FR REMI HOMILIES/REFLECTIONS AND SERMONS

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 1Thess.3:7-13; Ps.90; Matthew 24:42-51 Be Ready! Usually when examinations are drawing near, some teachers use different styles in giving the students hint on the kind of questions they should expect. Like such teacher, Jesus in today’s gospel reading, gives us hint on what our end will look like. The hint is that there will be no sign that the end is coming when it will come. The end, our end will come when every other thing seem to be going well and when the thought of the end hardly crosses the mind, then suddenly, it will come. So, Jesus advices that we should always be ready. Jesus did not ask that we should be idle as we wait for death; he is not asking us to be enveloped with fear for that Day, he simply tells us to be ready. The end is not a calamity; rather, it is a necessary step for transition to eternity. When we are ready, the end becomes a visa to our eternal home. But how are we to be ready? The gospel acclamation ans...

Homily for Wednesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time.  1 Corinthians 2:9-13. Psalm 139:7-8,9-10,11-12ab. Matthew 23:27-32. St. Paul tells the Thessalonians in the first reading on the need for them to work, giving as an example of how he and his companions worked night and day to earn their living so as not to be burdens to anyone. In addition to their work, Paul also exhorted them on the need to be holy, righteous, and blameless. Lastly, he thanked God for the life of the Thessalonians, who put into action what they were taught and heard. Like the Thessalonians, we are called to take our work seriously. Through working well, we begin to see God's presence in our work. Work is now the path to personal sanctification and salvation. It is the constructive moment of fraternal charity. Jesus, in today's Gospel, continues his message of "Woe" to the scribes and the Pharisees for not being able to reconcile their religious practices with their way of living. They do thing...

Homily for Tuesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time.  Memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist.  Jeremiah 1:17-19. Psalm 71:1-2,3-4a,6-6ab,16l5ab,17. Mark 6:17-29. Today, we recall the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Lord. His death hints at the future fate of Jesus and some of his disciples who will also die witnessing the truth. He is the only saint who is honoured by the Catholic Church on both the occasion of his birth and of his death. Today's passage from St. Mark's Gospel narrates the details of John's martyrdom within the context of the evil schemes that were planned in order to silence him. Herod ordered his execution as recorded in today's Gospel. Herod is one of the most pitiful individuals in the Gospel. Despite the position of Herod's authority, John preached repentance, not fearing the rich or the powerful. His message of truth justice and truth is blind to person(s) in front of him; the One who sent him is more impor...

Memorial of St. Augustine Bishop and Doctor of the Church Homily for Monday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time.  1 Thessalonians 1:1-5,8b-10. Psalm 149:1b-2,3-4,5-6a,9bc. Matthew 23:13-22. We begin the first reading this week from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians. Paul is full of praise for the Thessalonians because of their faith, openness, and acceptance of God's word. Their faith is reflected in action. There is absolutely no point in professing faith if one is not ready to practise it. Our faith in God must shape our conduct by which we look to God as the source of our life, trusting that His love will lead us in our journey to the fullness of life God has planned for us. In today's Gospel, we hear Jesus condemning the scribes and the Pharisees for their pretence and religious hypocrisy. They are concerned more with outer appearance than inner value, thereby pretending to be what they are not. They want  to impress people while their hearts are far from God...

Theme: Faith in Christ, the Rock On Which the Church is Founded.-HOMILY FOR THE 21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 27th August 2023 Isaiah 2219-23. Psalm 138:1-2a,2bcd-3,6,8bc. Romans 11:33-36. Matthew 16:13-20. In the first reading, a reference is made to "key of the house of David" (Isa.22:22) foretelling the removal of power of the leaders of the people of Israel of the Old Testament, and the transfer of that power to Christ, who in turn handed it to Peter as the head of the Church founded by Christ. The mention of the key of authority seems to be the reason why this reading was chosen today, where today's Gospel describes the giving of the key to Peter. Prophet Isaiah tells Shebna, who was removed from his position of controlling access both to the city and to the king, because he was abusing his power by urging King Hezekiah to revolt against Assyra and call Egypt to his aid. For this, Shebna will be deposed, and, in his place, a true steward will be appointed by Yahweh. I...

The Mature Christian-HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 26th August 2023 Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17; Ps.128; Matthew 23:1-12 The Mature Christian Often times, the mistakes or misdeeds of some religious leaders or those who are looked up to as role models, constitutes a reason for some others to give up making effort to live a upright live. They will usually say: “if ……could do such a thing, then who am I?” Today, Jesus says to us that we should obey the teachings of those who teach since what they are teaching is from God. However, the fact that one occupies an exalted or religious position does not immune the person from falling or making mistakes. Ordination does not remove the humanness of a Priest. Therefore, in listening to what he preaches, we should not presume that all that he does is right. An action is not right because it was carried out by a man of God. An action is right because it is in consonance with the commandment of God. Therefore, when it is heard ...

Seek to Love-HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 25th August 2023 Ruth 1:1.3-6.14b-16.22; Ps.146; Matthew 22:34-40 Seek to Love In Matt.22:23-33, some Sadducees came forth to test Jesus about the Resurrection of the dead. When the Pharisees saw that Jesus was able to put up with the Sadducees, they came forward to Jesus in today’s gospel to test him too; this time, about which commandment is most important than the others. This question rather revealed the ignorance of the Pharisees about the Law. The question of what is most important presupposes that there are varieties of things (Laws) present. However, the commandments or the Law were actually different sides of a coin. Every law is born of love and is geared towards love. It is because God wants us to love that is why he gave the Law through Moses. With this understanding, the question of which commandment is most important becomes irrelevant. One lesson we learn here is that authentic love makes us practice equity...

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR I (ST. BARTHOLOMEW Rev.21:9b-14; Ps.145; John 1:45-51 The Power of Testimony Today we celebrate the feast of St. Bartholomew, an apostle of Jesus Christ who is referred to as Nathanael in today’s gospel. A greater part of the first chapter of the gospel of St. John records the testimony of John the Baptist about the Messiah and how he pointed out the Messiah when He finally came. John pointed the Messiah to two of his disciples (Andrew is one of them). Andrew, in turn, testified of this discovery to Simon his brother. Phillip found the Lord and could not keep it to himself. He too testified to Nathanael, whom we celebrate today. The beginning of Bartholomew’s new life in Christ was the acceptance of the testimony of Philip despite the surprise that the expected Messiah is a Nazarene. Testimony remains a remarkable means of bringing people to Jesus. No one can grow in the Christian life if he/she does not accept testimony. Test...

Do not begrudge God’s generosity-HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Judges 9:6-15; Ps.21; Matthew 20:1-16a In the gospel reading of today, Jesus told a parable to his disciples teaching us that we should not begrudge God’s generosity. The point made by the parable is that whatever comes from God is not a payment for whatever good we may have done but an act of His generosity. Our efforts to do good are only co-operation with the gratuitous Grace of God. So, let no one feel deserving of God’s blessing, neither can we accuse God of being selfish when our desires are not meant as we would have expected. Another point this parable teaches us is that fact that everyone does not have equal opportunity in life. Some are more opportune than others; some were earlier opportune than the others. Whatever be the case, what is of utmost interest to God is that we make the best use of whatever opportunity we’ve got. Being always at our BEST is the watchword. This was simply the c...

Homily for Tuesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time.  Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Judges 6:11 - 24a. Psalm 85:9,11-12,13-14. Matthew 19:23-30.  In the first reading, we have the call of Gideon to liberate the people of Israel from the hands of the Midianites. This call was least expected by Gideon because his clan was the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and he was the least important member of his family (cf.Judg.6:15). For him to be convinced that it was God sending him on this mission, he requested a sign that God granted. In today's Gospel, we have the continuation of yesterday's Gospel reading. Concerning the attitude of the rich man that left Jesus sad, Jesus said, "It is much harder for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle" (Matt.19:24). Is it that Jesus has something against being rich from this statement? Far from it. Jesus is never against being rich. The problem is whe...

The Effect of Sin (HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 21st August 2023 Judges 2:11-19; Ps.106; Matthew 19:16-22 The Effect of Sin Again, the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of God by serving Baal and Ashtaroth as their gods. They did this due to the negative influences from their surrounding towns. So, just as they borrowed foreign gods from the neighbouring idolatrous towns, they also copied how to serve the gods. The lesson we learn here is that if we must be consistent and authentic as disciples of Jesus Christ, we need strong stamina. Just as God did not prevent idolatrous towns from living around the Israelites, so also God will not prevent temptation from coming to us. Every Christian who wants to truly remain so, must learn to be an overcomer. The Israelites must have first been friends with their neighbours before being lured into their idolatrous worship. Truly, evil communication corrupts good manners. While it remains our obligation to seek t...

All for the Lord and the Lord for All-HOMILY FOR THE 20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 20th August 2023 YEAR A  Isaiah 56:1.6-7; Ps.67; Rom.11:13-15.29-32; Matthew 15:21-28  _Jesus was preaching the Gospel…and healing every infirmity among the people_ (Matt.4:23) All for the Lord and the Lord for All The key to unraveling the beauty of the account of today’s gospel, lies in understanding a conventional thoughtful background. The Israelites saw themselves as God’s own people; God belongs not just to them but to only them. This mentality extended to mean that the non-Israelite communities were pagan cities. As pagan cities, they cannot know God, they cannot have God and they cannot be saved. God became like a natural resources that was discovered only in the land of Israel and was meant for Israel alone (no exportation). It was with this mentality that both Israel and non-Israel communities understood the presence and ministry of Jesus. If Jesus was truly God, he has come to save onl...

Be Childlike-HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 19TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Joshua 24:14-29; Ps.16; Matthew 19:13-15 Be Childlike While it is true that not everyone may have the opportunity to gain knowledge from within the four walls of the classroom, it is even more true that everyone gets the opportunity to be taught by life experiences. Whoever approaches life as a student gains more than he who approaches life like a teacher. In today’s gospel, Jesus’ disciples learnt something about the kingdom of God not in a classroom but with a life experience. Jesus had just finished speaking about marriage and celibacy and people were bringing children to him that he may touch and bless them. It is not in the attitude of the disciples to put away those who come to Jesus. If they did so to little children it most probably was with the mindset that Jesus is too high or busy to have time for littleness. They understood Jesus as they would the authorities of that time who associated only with the high an...

Responding to our unique vocation-HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 19TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Joshua 24:1-13; Ps.136; Matthew 19:3-12 Responding to our unique vocation “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” By this question, the Pharisees in today’s gospel, sought for an exception to the law of indissolubility of marriage; such that the bond of marriage will no longer be permanent. Probably one or two problematic marriage experiences may have informed this question of the Pharisees; even though they were testing Jesus. In fact, today, some couples tend to regret the day they vowed to remain one for the rest of their lives. Jesus’ answer was simply to reiterate the indissolubility of marriage. When man and woman become one, we cannot talk about divorce without destruction. Thus in stressing the unity of marriage, Jesus was calling for perseverance. There will be many factors and situations that will threaten the peaceful co-existence of married people. In all, they must learn to ov...

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 19TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR I  Joshua 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17; Ps.114; Matthew 18:21-19:1 Gratitude to God for Mercy received It is possible to receive the gift of God and that gift will not bring us salvation. For God’s gift to bring us salvation, we need to have an attitude of gratitude. There are two sides to an attitude of ingratitude. In the story of the ten lepers, wherein only one came back to thank Jesus after they have all been healed, the ingratitude of the other nine lepers was displayed in their failure to give thanks to Christ who has healed them. In the gospel reading of today, we find the other side of ingratitude, namely: the failure to replicate to ones neighbour the favour we have received from God. The servant whose master forgave him his debt when he only asked for more time to pay back, could not fully enjoy the forgiveness of his master because he failed to show mercy to another servant who owned him far less than he owned his master...

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 19th WEEK IN ORDINARY   In the Game of Life, no one is indispensable_   In this journey of life, there are moments we feel on top of the world, we feel superhuman, we feel highly of ourselves as though no one can match our achievements. Sometimes this makes us talk down on our subordinates and treat those we consider below us with disregard, all in the name of status and position. And I ask, where are we taking those status and positions to?    The story of Moses in our first reading should serve as a great lesson to you and I, for none of us can occupy a particular position in life forever. Before Moses, there was Abraham, and after Moses there will be Joshua. Before you got to where you are now, there was someone, and after you leave there, someone will take over. If so, why the pride? Why the disrespect and disregard for people?    If retirement doesn’t uproot me from that seat I’m sitting on, death will surely do, and then al...

SERMON/HOMILY ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY  Rev.11:19a; 12:1-6a.10ab; Ps.45; 1Cor.15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56 “ _Henceforth all generations will call be blessed_ ” (Lk.1:48b) LET US CELEBRATE HOLINESS! The Assumption of Mary is one of the dogmas of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Being a dogma, it appeals to our sense of reasoning but more importantly, it commands our faith. We agree and belief that Mary has assumed into heaven not just because is it reasonable but also because the God to whom nothing is impossible or difficult, has revealed and made it so. The Assumption of Mary, although not explicitly stated in the pages of the Scripture, sheds light on the truth of the scripture. If there is truth in the Scripture, then the Assumption is not unthinkable. In the second reading of today, St. Paul tells us that as all men died in Adam, so also have all men being resurrected in Christ Jesus. Jesus himself said, I am the resurrection and the life, anyone who bel...

Wisdom for Peace (HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 19TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 14TH AUGUST 2023 Deut.10:12-22; Ps.147; Matthew 17:22-27 Wisdom for Peace The wisdom demonstrated by Jesus in today’s gospel is a take home lesson for everyone. By right, he and his disciples were not supposed to pay the temple tax; yet the tax collectors demanded it of them. It becomes clear that the tax collectors simply wanted to make trouble. Jesus would have been justified had he insisted on not paying the tax, but as usual, he quickly seize the opportunity to teach his disciples a golden rule of life. It is not in everything/situation that you insist on your right. Any trouble you can avoid, even when you are sure of victory at the end, do avoid it. It is always better to weigh the cost of being right in any situation. You could win a case but loose a friend or family member or even peace of soul. At such instances proving ones right becomes too costly. For example, if as a woman, your husband gives you ten tho...

 God is Ever Faithful (Homily for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary time 13th August 2023 1 Kings 19:9a,11-13a. Psalm 85:8ab,9,10-11,12-13. Romans 9:1-5. Matthew 14:22-33. Theme: God is Ever Faithful.  When we are faced with difficulties, to whom do we take our challenges? The first reading and the Gospel offer answers to this question. As a result of a threat to the life of Prophet Elijah by Jezebel, he went to the Mount of Horeb to seek the face of God that he had encountered on many occasions but God revealed himself to Elijah in the first reading in a different way strange to Elijah. Elijah probably expected God to be present in the wind, earthquake, and in the fire. God was never present in them. God revealed Himself to Elijah in a still small voice. Elijah heard God's voice, and, "He wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave" (1 Kings 19:13). In today's Gospel, Jesus appeared on the sea to his disciples, but they could not recog...

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Deut.6:4-13; Ps.18; Matthew 17:14-20 God’s Power is Greater than our Problems As children growing up, when we were offended by a mate who is bigger and stronger than we are, we dare not put up a fight with the person but seek other ways to express our displeasure. This is because it was obvious to us that putting up a fight will be a lost battle. Generally, in life, a wise person considers his/her capacity before venturing into any project, else, one may begin but may not be able to complete. In the gospel reading of today, Jesus reprimanded his disciples for their lack of faith. It is easy to understand why the disciples were lacking in faith. They weighed the problem before them (the epileptic child) to be higher than the power of Jesus. If not that the man brought the issue to them, they would not have on their own attempted to confront such situation. The description of the father about the condition of the son further cast fear...

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Deut.4:32-40; Ps.77; Matthew 16:24-28 Only for the sake of God Life is filled with lessons. We learn by living. Lessons learnt from negative experiences in life makes one to adjust lifestyle in order to guide against such experiences in the future. It is on this note that it is usually said that experience is the best teacher. Consciously or unconsciously, we are always in the business of trying to secure our lives in one way or the other. Today, Jesus tells us to take up our crosses and follow him. He is asking us to be careful to ensure that our hearts do not grow cold to love all in a bid to avoid the hurt that comes with loving and not loved in return. One who is maligned for doing what is right may be discouraged from doing the right thing next time. Such a person is trying to save his/her live. Jesus says that he who saves his lives will lose it and he who loses his life for his sake will find it. Here Jesus is asking us not to ...

Homily for Thursday of the 18th week in Ordinary Time Feast of St. Lawrence (Deacon and Martyr).  2 Corinthians 9:6b-10. Psalm 112:1b-2,5-6,7-8. John 12:24-26. In the first reading, St. Paul tells us that "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and he sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (2 Cor.9:6). Those who are generous will experience God's blessings in abundance. In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks of himself as a grain of wheat that falls on the ground and dies, and in dying yields a rich harvest. By giving our lives away for Christ's sake, we find our lives. These words of our Lord Jesus Christ and that of St. Paul can be applied to St. Lawrence, whose feast we celebrate today. He was a deacon and was martyred during the persecution of Valerian four days after Pope Sixtus was also martyred by the same Emperor. During the time of his persecution, besides providing for the Church's ministers of Rome, the Church maintained one thousand five hun...

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Numbers 13:1-2,25-14:1,26-29,34-35; Ps.106; Matthew 15:21-28 Trust in God always Life confronts us with different challenges and difficulties. We could choose to face them or run away from them. The liturgy of today encourages us to face life challenges and difficulties while trusting in God. As Christians, we do not face life problems with our strength but with the strength that comes from God. This accounts for the different testimonies of the men sent to spy out the land of Canaan in today’s first reading. All the men had the same story to tell about the land of Canaan but differently interpreted their observation. They all saw that the land is strong, the cities are fortified, the Anak, the Amorites and the Canaanites dwell in the land. However, in their interpretation, all the men except Caleb said “we cannot go up against the people; for they are stronger than we”. But Caleb said “Let us go up at once, and occupy it; for we a...

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (ST. DOMINIC  Num.12:1-13; Ps.51; Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14 Pay attention to what comes out of you In the gospel reading of today, the Pharisees and the Scribes complained to Jesus about the uncleanliness of his disciples especially as regards observing the rituals of etiquette. For Jesus, this was a good opportunity to address the pretentious religiosity of the Pharisees and the Scribes. While they accused Jesus’ disciples of paying no attention to the outside, they were guiltier of paying no attention to the inside. Jesus said that a man becomes unclean on account of what emerges from him; not on the basis of what goes into him. So, if we want to be holy, we should be more mindful of what we emit. This includes our actions, behaviours, habits, words, gesticulations, body languages and so on. All of these can have moral undertone. When they are positive, they lead us to holiness; but when they are negative, they lead us to sin. In t...

God is Compassionate-HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 7TH AUGUST 2023 Numbers 11:4b-15; Ps.81; Matthew 14:13-21 God is Compassionate Pope Francis once said that the Shepherd must necessarily smell like the sheep. What this means is that we must be compassionate if we must be of help to others. It is someone who is compassionate that can dare to be sacrificial. To be compassionate is to be emphatic which means to put yourself in the shoe of others so that you are able to feel their situation and render real help to them. In today’s gospel, Jesus needed to be alone to mourn not just his forerunner but also his cousin John the Baptist who has been martyred by Herod. He returned to a lonely place. It was enough for him put everyone away since he may not have been disposed. Yet, he did not send the crowds away when they located Him. The extent of our love can be measure by the degree of sacrifice we make. In his mourning state, He still felt compassionate for the people. ...

Jesus Reveals a Glimpse of His Glory-Homily for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord 6th August 2023 Daniel 7:9-10,13-14. Psalm 97:1-2,5-6,9. 2 Peter 1:16-19. Matthew 17:1b-9. Theme: Jesus Reveals a Glimpse of His Glory. Today's feast has long been celebrated throughout the Eastern and Western Church on the same day. During the fifth century, it was extended to the universal Church by Pope Calixtus III. Twice during the liturgical year, we remember the transfiguration in a special way. First, on the second Sunday of Lent, to affirm the divinity of Christ before we commemorate his passion. And second, today, as we recall the exaltation of Christ in anticipation of his eternal glory. Jesus speaks of himself as the "Son of man." He used a generic expression that simply means "man." He used this expression to avoid misunderstandings that other titles, say, King or Messiah, might have caused. He used the term to refer to the vision in the Book of Daniel in th...

The Importance of Listening-HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 5TH AUGUST 2023 Leviticus 25:1, 8-17; Ps.67; Matthew 14:1-12 The Importance of Listening The ministry of John the Baptist took place during the reign of King Herod. The content of this ministry was to prepare the hearts of men for the coming of the Messiah. This preparation was basically one of repentance. But then, before the people can be moved to repent of their sins, they have to first be convinced that they have sinned. It is only the truth that has the capacity of convincing a heart of wrong doings. So, John went about preaching the truth so that men may see their need for repentance. In was in this process that he encountered Herod. Usually, the truth is hurtful to the one it addresses. People express their discomfort for the truth in different ways, all in a bid to eliminate the truth. When John told Herod that it was wrong for him to take Philip’s (his brother) wife as his own, Herod expre...

Evangelization from Home-HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (JOHN VIANNEY) 4TH AUGUST 2023 Lev.23:1,4-11, 15-16,27, 34b-37; Ps.81; Matthew 13:54-58 Evangelization from Home In the gospel reading of today, Jesus had the courage and moral standing to teach in the synagogue of his own country; in a place where he grew up and was very much known from his infancy days. Though they people took offense at time, it is necessary we pay attention to the reason for such offence. Frist, they acknowledged the greatness of Jesus as reflected in the wisdom with which he preached and acted, and the mighty works he wrought. In fact, they could not reconcile his greatness with the humble beginning he had with them. They did not reject Jesus because they saw him as a pretender on the synagogue whose lifestyle outside the temple was nothing to write home about. It is easier to pretend to outsiders but almost impossible to pretend to an insider, say a family member. To a greater ext...

The Path of God’s Commandment-HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 17th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 3RD AUGUST 2023 Exodus 40:16-21.34-38; Ps.84; Matthew 13:47-53 The Path of God’s Commandment In the first reading of today, Moses constructed and erected the tabernacle according to God’s specifications. Thereafter the two tables of the covenant were placed in the tabernacle; and it became for the Israelites, God’s very presence amongst them. it is interesting to note that the first thing the tabernacle did for them was to direct their movement as they journeyed on in the wilderness: “throughout their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would go onward; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not go onward…” Just as the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness towards the Promised Land, so do we journey in this world as pilgrims towards the Promised Paradise. Like the Israelites, we need the commandments to guide us on our way. It is a journey of...

Let nothing distract you from seeing the Glory of God-Homily for Wednesday of the 17th week in ordinary time 2nd August 2023 Let nothing distract you from seeing the Glory of God   It is often said that nothing good comes easy! So it is, and it is also evident in our first reading of today. For Moses’ face was dazzling when he descended from Mount Sinai, after his second appointment with God, to receive the Ten Commandments.  Come to think of it, didn’t Moses’ face shine the first time he went to the mountain? If it did shine, then why didn’t the Israelites notice it? The answer is simple; “their gaze was not on the mountain when he was coming down from the mountain, but on the golden calf they were worshipping.” If as we have read today, Moses’ face shone white while he was descending the mountain, then it means same thing happened the very first time he went to the mountain. And this dazzling of Moses’ face indicates the glory of God, yet the Israelites could not see it that...

Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori (Bishop and Doctor of the Church-Homily for Tuesday of the 17th week in ordinary time Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori (Bishop and Doctor of the Church).  Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9,28. Psalm 103:6-7,8-9,10-11,12-13. Matthew 13:36-43.                       In the first reading, we hear of how intimate the relationship of Moses with God is to the extent that "The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend" (Exo.33:11).                     How intimate is our relationship with God? We can only be intimate with God if we commune with Him regularly through prayer supported with righteousness.                            It is this intimacy that the disciples of Jesus had with him that enabled them to approach him in today's Gospel to explain t...