FR REMI HOMILIES/REFLECTIONS AND SERMONS

SERMON/HOMILY FOR THURSDAY SECOND WEEK OF LENT 29TH FEBRUARY 2024 Jeremiah 17:5-10; Ps.1; Luke 16:19-31 Help according to your capacity In the first reading of today, the Lord speaking through Prophet Jeremiah, says that the man who puts his trust in man is cursed, while the man who puts his trust in God is truly blessed. The reason is that the help of man is limited and so cannot stand the test of time; but the help of God is unlimited and ever available. In the gospel reading, Jesus used the example of the Rich man and Lazarus to demonstrate this truth. The name of the rich man is not known only that he was wealthy. This is quite common. For example, when a man acquires a chieftaincy title, people no longer refer to him by his name but by “Chief”. If you ask after him using his name, people may refer you to his namesake in the neighbourhood. But then, this was not a problem. The rich man is not shown to be a sinner, a lawbreaker or one who is lackadaisical towards temple worship. His...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY SECOND WEEK OF LENT 28TH FEBRUARY 2024 Jeremiah 18:18-20; Ps.31; Matthew 20:17-28 Improved Perception While Jesus spoke of his impending passion and eventual victory, Salome, the mother of James and John did something quite usual. She understood Jesus to mean that he will establish a new kingdom, something that will come about after he has defeated those who persecute him. Salome wanted to ensure that her children will share in this future victory. This is quite expected. Tradition has it that Salome was a sister to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and so, an aunt to Jesus. James and John were Jesus’ cousin. Again, James and John together with Peter, formed the inner cycle of Jesus’ disciples. So, just as people meet their influential relatives for job opportunities, Salome was only reminding Jesus of the need to share his future glory with relatives. Again, since Jesus had no siblings, the cousins were closest to him by blood. It becomes easy to understand why the ...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY SECOND WEEK OF LENT 27TH FEBRUARY 2024 Isaiah 1:10, 16-20; Ps.50; Matthew 23:1-12 Leaders too are Pilgrims! It is our duty to help one another to make heaven. By so doing, we will be learning how to live in heaven while on earth. In heaven, we shall collaborate not compete. It is on this note that ensuring that our neigbhour obeys the commandment becomes our concern too. However, no matter how strong we may think we are in striving towards attaining eternal life, we should not forget that we are fellow pilgrims with the weak. We are not helping others to achieve what we have achieved already; we are rather helping others to join us in the race to heaven. In the gospel reading of today, it is obvious that the Scribes and the Pharisees did not understand this fact. Being custodians of the law, they melted it out to the people as if they were the lawgiver themselves. They forgot that the law applied to them too and that they too were pilgrims to heaven. The pride...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT 26TH FEBRUARY 2024 Daniel 9:4b-10; Ps.79; Luke 6:36-38 You will receive in the measure you give! Today, Jesus asked that we be merciful, judge not, condemn not and forgive. He went on to say that the extent to which we give these to others is the extent to which we shall also receive them. This means that what the Lord is asking us to give to others is something we ourselves are in need of. Again, when we consider the concepts of mercy, judgment, condemnation and forgiveness, they dwell on our reaction towards those who offend us or treat us badly. These concepts do not negate fraternal correction, instead they teach us how best to go about helping others grow out of their negative character. Every wrong doer is someone in need of help whether the person realizes it or not. To render this help, we need the wisdom of God. First, God hates sin but never the sinner. Being able to make this separation means that it is always God’s aim to ...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B 25TH FEBRUARY 2024 Gen.22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Ps.116; Rom.8:31b-34; Mark 9:2-34 “ _If God be for us, who can be against us?”_ (Rom.8:31b) Repentance to the fullest! In our reflection last Sunday, we realized that the devil is our enemy of spiritual progress, working hard to ensure that we do not embrace repentance in this season of lent. There are two ways the devil can go about this: by either discouraging us from repenting at all or preventing us from repenting to the full. The former happens to be the focus of the readings of today. The devil can watch us embark on the project of reconciling with God but still ensure that the reconciliation is never optimal. Repentance has a target, which is to love God with our whole minds, hearts, strength and everything we have. The goal of repentance is that God becomes the first in our lives for whom we are ready to let go of every other person or thing. The devil can allow you to repent but...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT 24TH FEBRUARY 2024 Deut.26:16-19; Ps.119; Matt.5:43-48 What loving the enemy entails! Today, Jesus asked that we love our enemies. If you have never been deeply wronged especially by someone you trusted so much, you may not understand how difficult Jesus’ recommendation is. For one thing, it takes a lot for one to act contrary to nature. The natural thing to do was what Jesus first mentioned, namely: to love our friends and hate our enemies. Why will someone bring me pain and I react with love towards the person? Does loving my enemies mean that I should overlook what they did to me, keep my calm and smile at them still? Will loving my enemies not give them more moral to harm me or others in the future? If loving my enemies makes them to persist in their evil, am I not invariably responsible for their misdeeds since I never confronted them? Is silence no longer a way of sharing in the sins of others? The summary question is: what doe...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT 23RD FEBRUARY 2024 Ezekiel 18:21-28; Ps.130; Matt.5:20-26 True love attracts true Blessings Every one stands the possibility of making heaven but one category of persons who cannot make heaven are those who cannot love. Heaven, being the dwelling place of God, is basically love. So those who lack the capacity to love, automatically become unfit for heaven. This inability to love is what is subtly referred to in today’s gospel reading as the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees. They were people who neither understood nor practiced the law up to the point of positively impacting their environment. They merely practiced the law on the surface level. Jesus says that if we too do not practice Christianity up to the point of love, we are not practicing true Christianity. The truth is that it is not actually in the Church that we can test our level of love because most persons seem to be at their best behaviour in Church. In fact, ...

SERMON/HOMILY ON THE FEAST OF THE CHAIR OF ST. PETER 22ND FEBRUARY 2024 1Peter 5:1-4; Ps.23; Matthew 16:13-19 Divine Presence through Authority Today, we celebrate the Chair of St. Peter. To better understand what we celebrate, it is necessary we first understand what we are not celebrating. We are not celebrating a worm-eaten oak-wood arm-chair supposedly used by Peter. Our focus is not on an artifact or monument that reminds us of the glory of earlier days. We are celebrating something alive. The Chair of St. Peter signifies the authority Jesus gave to Peter to be the head of his Church. How this authority came about is contained in today’s gospel. However, we are not celebrating Peter as a person. Usually, when people get elected into a political or any exalted office, a party is thrown in their honour to celebrate their achievement. They are the center of attraction. That is not the case here. In this celebration of the Chair of St. Peter, Peter is not the center of attraction but ...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT 21ST FEBRUARY 2024 Jonah 3:1-10; Ps.51; Luke 11:29-32 A movement that is Repentance Repentance necessarily involves a movement towards God. But it is not every movement towards God that is repentance. In the two readings of today, people moved towards God. While that of the first reading was interpretated as repentance, Jesus himself referred to the movement towards him in the gospel reading as something evil. Now, let us evaluate both movements quite closely. In the first reading, the people of Nineveh, who though were materially great, secured and sufficient, learnt through Prophet Jonah that they will be destroyed in forty days’ time on account of their misdeeds that have separated them from God. The message was clear: that the impeding destruction was a result of their sins which has distanced them from the Lord. Invariably, what will save them will be a return to the Lord. But for them to return adequately, they must do the rev...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT  20TH FEBRUARY 2024 Isaiah 55:10-11; Ps.34; Matt.6:7-15 By the Word of God… The first reading of today contains God’s promise on the viability of His Word. The Word of God is not mere spoken words but retains its capacity to bring into being that which never existed as it was at the time of creation. It is very insightful that the scriptures opened with the tenacity of God’s Word – how the Word was used in creation. The next time man was to be “recreated” through redemption, the Word took flesh, dwelt amongst men and surely brought about man’s salvation. When the Word was to physically depart the world, it promised its ever abiding presence through the Holy Spirit. This promised was fulfilled at Pentecost and continues to be fulfilled even in our time. We dare not also forget that Jesus himself choose a profound way to substantially remain with us in the Holy Eucharist. So in the Eucharist, the Word becomes our food for eternal li...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT 19TH FEBRUARY 2024 Lev.19:1-2, 11-18; Ps.19; Matt.25:31-46 The charity we must do! The first reading of today is a detailed instruction from God to the people of Israel on how they must live charitably with themselves. Being an instruction means that kindness towards ones neighbour is not optional at all. I have full right over what is mine, but if I refuse to share with another who does not have, I become guilty. But why should I be guilty for keeping what belongs to me? It is because God gives us to share with others. Life does not present us with equal opportunities. Many persons are privileged or less privileged out of little or no fault of theirs. But everyone has got one opportunity or the other; meaning that everyone has something to share. So, we displease God if we are not sharing what we have received. In the gospel reading, we see that this matter of sharing is very serious to the extent that it will form the basis of our ju...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B 18TH FEBRUARY 2024 Gen.9:8-15; Ps.25; 1Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:12-15 “… _he was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan_ ” (Mk.1:12) The Devil is your enemy of spiritual progress Many of us are quite familiar with the term “enemy of progress”. It is often used to designate someone or persons who do not wish or who actively work against the progress of others. Such persons are perceived to be “everywhere” and could sometimes be family member or a close ally. Conscious of this, many persons have learnt how not to announce their success-story (especially at the early stage), so as not to get the enemies of progress informed and activated. Little wonder some people never announce their plans to travel out until they have travelled out. At this time wherein we commence the Lenten season, embracing some mortification for our spiritual advancement, the readings of today focus our attention on a common enemy of our spiritual progress. ...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2024 Isaiah 59:9c-14; Ps.86; Luke 9:22-25 Only God truly understands and knows it all Since the commencement of this holy season of lent and its message of repentance, have we being considering how the message affects us individually or are we focused on how it applies to another? Those who first and easily consider how others are to repent/do the right thing, end up never repenting or doing the right thing themselves. This was the case with the Pharisees and the Scribes in the gospel reading of today. Jesus had being going about preaching the message of repentance; but their minds were focused on how Jesus contradicted himself by eating and drinking with tax collectors. However, let us first understand the perspective of the Pharisees and the Scribes. Now, the first encounter between Jesus and Levi the tax collector was not public and private. It was in this encounter that Jesus called Levi and Levi left everything, rose and...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY 16TH FEBRUARY 2024 Isaiah 58:1-9a; Ps.51; Luke 9:22-25 Lenten observances and Human relations Both sin and salvation hinge on relationship. While sin disrupts our relationship with both God and our neighbour, salvation seeks to restore the broken relationship. Sin pushes us into a life of isolation – and since man cannot live all by himself, the wages of sin is death. On the hand, salvation aims at bringing us into communal relationship with God and man – and since this was what man was made for, the wages of salvation is eternal life. This paradox should not be understood only in terms of the experience of our first parents; we must discover how it applies to each one of us personally. The readings of today enable us to better understand that our Lenten observances are aimed at bringing about our salvation. What saves us is not the act of fasting, praying and giving alms but how these acts enable us to relate better with God and with one an...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY 15TH FEBRUARY 2024 Deut. 30:15-20; Ps.1; Luke 9:22-25 Do not sit opposite the Truth In today’s first reading, Moses put before the people life and good on the one and, death and evil on the other hand. Thereafter, he advised that the people should choose life and good. Ordinarily, it may seem as if the advice was unnecessary because every sane person will always choose good and life. By nature, man goes for what is best for him. Yet, Moses’ admonition is not out of place because, in as much we ordinarily know how to go for what is best for us, we differently define what actually constitute this goodness. What is good to one may not be good to the other. If we are to understand Moses’ advice on this ground, it would mean that we should individually go for what is good for us. But that was not Moses’ point. Moses first defined the objective goodness that is not dependent on any individual perception or choice. It is this goodness that he adv...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR ASH WEDNESDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2024 Joel 2:12-18; Ps.1; 2Cor.5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Receive Ash, do Lent with the right disposition! It is not out of place to say we have come to the season of Lent again. This is because we are quite familiar with the season and its tenets. For example, we are aware but only reminded that today is a day of fasting and abstinence, especially from meat. We have also come to Church in this unusual number (for a weekday celebration) to receive ash. But we what may not be usual or taken for granted is our understanding of this day that opens the Lenten season. Why do you want to receive ash today? Why have you made the usual sacrifice to be in Church this day? Is it that you consider it a blessing to receive ash on your forehead, or you truly cherish the whole message of repentance that it represents, or maybe you just don’t want to be left out in the exercise. It is one thing to receive ash and observe all the Lenten observances for ...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY 6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II 13TH FEBRUARY 2024 James 1:12-18; Ps.94; Mark 8:14-21 Refrain from Adamic Attitude God has not given anyone permission to sin. Under no circumstances is sin permissible or understandably tolerated by God. In the first reading of today, St. James reiterates this fact when he said that God cannot tempt us to sin; that is, God is not to be blamed whenever we sin. St. James begins by saying that the man who endures trial is blessed. This is because it is usually out of inability to endure trials that people resort to blaming God for the temptations they face in life. It has often been argued that since God is the creator of heaven and earth, he created the tree at the middle of the garden. So, he is to be blamed for whatever calamity that befell Adam and Eve for eating of the tree. The basic assumption here is that if God had not created the tree, there would have been no possibility for our first parents to fall away. This argum...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME  CYCLE II 12TH FEBRUARY 2024 James 1:1-11; Ps.119; Mark 8:11-13 God is God besides working miracles After all the many miracles Jesus had worked amongst the people which were enviously witnessed by the Pharisees, today, they demanded a sign from Jesus. By this request, they demonstrated their utter disregard for what God was doing in their midst. They were not ready to understand God from his general works amongst the people. They wanted to only understand him from his (God) personal action towards them. By asking for signs, they were invariably saying that they will not believe in God unless he does something special for them. God is ever willing to work miracles amongst his children but we should not attempt to limit him to miracles. God is God besides working miracles. Technically speaking, every action of God is a miracle. It does not necessarily have to meet our expectation or seem so extraordinary. If we see or define ...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR THE SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B 11TH FEBRUARY 2024 Lev.13:1-2, 44-46; Ps.32; 1Cor.10:31-11:1; Mark 1:40-45 “ _a great prophet has arisen among us…God has visited his people_ ” (Lk.7:16) What sin has caused versus what God has done Using the symbol of leprosy, the readings of today, especially the first and the gospel readings seek to enlighten us to appreciate God’s work of salvation. God’s saving humanity is something that cannot be over emphasized. To better understand and appreciate salvation, the readings first expose to us the effects of sin. If we do not understand what sin does to us, we will not be able to best appreciate how important salvation is to us. In the first reading, leprosy was clearly seen as a sign of uncleanliness. A leper was one who has sinned. The eruption of leprosy on the skin on the person was an indication that even when we sin secretly, we cannot evade the consequences of sin. See, no one sins and gets away with it. The sin commi...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE II 10TH FEBRUARY 2024 1Kings 12:26-32; 13:33-34; Ps.106; Mark 8:1:10 Your Provider is your Protector Yesterday, the monarchy of Israel was uttered. God gave ten of the twelve tribes of Israel to Jeroboam. This division was not to affect their faith in God. Collectively, the twelve tribes of Israel remained God’s people. Consequently, the culture of going up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices remained. The ten tribes under the reign of Jeroboam were still expected to go to Jerusalem where God meets with his people. This practice did not go down well with Jeroboam. He wanted a total disconnection of his people from Jerusalem. He felt threatened that the continuous worship in Jerusalem will cost him his throne and life someday. Since he had no power to replicate Jerusalem, he went into idolatry and instituted it for his people. This is a clear case of one putting his pride over his God. Jeroboam forgot that he did not work t...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR FRIDAY, 5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II 9TH FEBRUARY 2024 1Kings 11:29-32; 12:19; Ps.81; Mark 7:31-37 Healed to Serve In today’s gospel, Jesus heals a man who was both deaf and dumb at the request of those who brought the man to him. Since the man was not lame we can imagine that he could have resisted going to Jesus if he never wanted to. To have allowed himself to be brought to Jesus speaks of his desire to hear and speak again. So, implicit in the request of the people was the request of the man himself. The healing of the man is very symbolic. Whenever God gives us a gift, he wants us to use it for service in docility to his word. In healing the deaf and dumb man, Jesus wanted him to dedicate these organs of his body to the gospel. The healing is more spiritual than physical. This explains why Jesus first sighed before healing the man. Some theologians say that he sighed because those who asked Jesus to heal the man did so with the impression that only the man ...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR THURSDAY 5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE II 8TH FEBRUARY 2024 1Kings 11:4-13; Ps.106; Mark 7:24-30 Avoid Occasions of Sin Since this week, until today, the first reading has been presenting us with the glories of the reign of King Solomon. His fame went abroad so much so that the queen of Sheba came to see for herself what she had being hearing. When she saw that Solomon was actually great, and not that she heard exaggerated stories about him, she offered him precious gifts. Today, the story changed. We are presented with the downfall of Solomon. The downfall was so severe that it was described to be worse than the mistakes of David his father. Thus, the consequence of his downfall was the division of the kingdom; something that never happened despite all the sins of David. The offense of Solomon was that he consented with his wives in the worship of their gods. Worsestill, he erected altar for them in the land of Israel. This was a sign of total desecration of the l...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY 5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II 7TH FEBRUARY 2024 1Kings 10:1-10; Ps.37; Mark 7:14-23 The content of the Heart matters The gospel of today is a direct continuation of that of yesterday. Yesterday, the Pharisees accused Jesus’ disciple of ritual uncleanliness since they did not wash before eating. To have eaten with unclean hands amounted to being unclean. In response, Jesus turned the focus of the Pharisees from a religiosity of conformity to a religiosity of the heart. If our actions do not emanate from a heart of love, they are mere superfluous. The discourse on the place of the heart in our ethical and religious life continues in today’s gospel reading. Whatever goes into a man (by way of food), cannot make him unclean because it does not affect the mind. On the other hand, whatever comes out of a man is able to defile him because every action of man is first conceived in the heart. By this analogy, Jesus was teaching the Pharisees to better focus on w...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY, FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE II 6TH FEBRUARY 2024 1Kings 8:22-23, 27-30; Ps.84; Mark 7:1-13 Christianity from the Heart In today’s gospel, there is an obvious tension; not really between the Pharisees and Jesus’ disciples but between the Pharisees and Jesus himself. In questioning why the disciples of Jesus were not following the traditions of the elders as regards washing, the Pharisees were actually questioning what principle or guide Jesus was giving to his disciples. A master is expected to teach the right thing to the disciples. In response, Jesus reprimanded the Pharisees and called them hypocrites not because they meticulously kept to the tradition of the elders, but that in doing so, they practiced a religiosity that does not stem from the heart; they practiced a religiosity of mere compliance. They would have been better-off if they had channeled the energy used in practicing sheered conformity into living authentic lives. When a Christian simp...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II 5TH FEBRUARY 2024 1Kings 8:1-7,9-13; Ps.132; Mark 6:53-56 An Encounter with Jesus In the gospel reading, Jesus had just arrived the land of Gennesaret and news about his presence went abroad. We can begin to imagine what name was used to describe him to the people: “behold that man who can heal all forms of diseases is around”, or “behold the powerful magician is in our city”. The fact is, there is no indication that the people rushed out to Jesus because he was the son of God but because of what they believed they could get from him. Surprisingly, this is not one of those moments where Jesus questions the motif of the people. He simply obliged them all and brought about positive impact in their lives. Even though they may be acting ignorantly, Jesus saw their need and addressed it. In a way, these people represent us. So long as we are still in this world, our knowledge of God will not be perfect. Perfect knowledge com...

Sermon/Homily for 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B 4TH FEBRUARY 2024 Job 7:1-4,6-7. Psalm147:1-2,3-4,5-6. 1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-23. Mark 1:29-39. Theme: Jesus and Suffering Humanity. When we reflect on the terrible problems some people have and the evil that goes on in the world, we ask ourselves why it should be like this? Why does God who is almighty and all-powerful not prevent suffering in the world? In trying to come to grip with the cold realities of our existence, we can easily become frustrated. The Book of Job from which our first reading was taken was written to tell us that it is wrong to query God about his ways. Since God's ways are not ours. When Job realised that he had no right to demand an answer from God about his suffering, he said, "Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know" (Job 42:3). Job describes in dramatic terms in the first reading the situation of humanity on earth. The lesson the...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II 3rd February 2024 1Kings 3:4-13; Ps.119; Mark 6:30-34 The Lord gives us Rest When a child impresses the parents, he/she gets a pat on the back. In today’s gospel, the disciples of Jesus returned from the mission Jesus sent them. As good stewards, they reported their experiences to Jesus. It was a successful outing because they were faithful to Jesus’ guidelines. Every good instructor knows well how to use the principles of reward and punishment to encourage good behaviours and to discourage bad behaviours respectively. However, the reward Jesus gave to his disciples for their faithfulness and success was to invite them to rest. What sought of reward was that? Without being told, don’t the disciples know how to rest when they are tired? Beloved in Christ, the rest that Jesus gave to his disciples is the same reward he gives to you and I when we act faithfully towards him. This rest goes beyond mere withdrawing from acti...

SERMON/HOMILY ON THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD 2 FEBRUARY 2024 Malachi 3:1-4; Ps.24; Luke 2:22-40 *Bring the little ones to the Lord* Today we celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the temple by Mary and Joseph in obedience to the Mosaic Law. Like the baptism, Jesus by his very nature and mission, had no need to be presented in the temple. To present the first-born male child to the temple means to consecrate the child to God. Critically speaking, Jesus did not need to be consecrated to God since he was God himself. However, from the point of view of salvation, the presentation of Christ in the temple bears some essential relevance. In Jesus, God was presented to God. This was a prefiguration of what happens at the Eucharistic banquet. Christ is the victim that is offered, Christ is the priest offering the gift, and Christ is the Father to whom the gift is offered. The presentation of Christ in the temple, speaks of the law abiding nature of Mary and Joseph. They did not e...

Sermon/Homily for Thursday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time 1st February 2024 1 Kings 2:1-4,10-12. 1 Chronicles 29:10b,11ab,11d-12a,12bcd. Mark 6:7-13. To succeed in any endeavour in life, one must be willing and ready to listen to instructions of the elders who have succeeded in that endeavour. In the first reading, David, as a good father, instructed his son, Solomon, to keep the law as a source of life. The secret to Solomon's success as a king was in carefully observing and keeping God's commandments. Whether Solomon kept to these instructions or not, time would tell. In today's Gospel, Jesus sent his disciples out on a mission to evangelise. He instructed them on how to go about this mission, especially not to take anything with them on this mission, but to put their trust in God. The disciples kept to the Lord's instructions and were fruitful in this mission. How faithful are we to the mission God has entrusted to us. We should never assume that our parents have b...