FR REMI HOMILIES/REFLECTIONS AND SERMONS

Homily for Saturday of the 23rd week in the ordinary time year II 10th September 2022 Theme: Each tree is known by its own fruit 1cor 10:14-22; Luke 6:43-49 The first reading of today speaks to us of the spiritual fruitfulness or dividend of the Holy Eucharist as the symbol of unity and communion of the church: the mystical body of our Lord Jesus Christ.  St. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (1cor 10:16-17). Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, our participation in the Holy Eucharist, drinking of the one chalice and eating of the one bread  reaffirms our spiritual and mystic bond with Jesus and with one another; that in the midst of all our multiplicity in the church, we are one; Hence, we are brothers and sisters. There are indee...

Homily for Friday of the 23rd week in the ordinary time of the year II Theme: Self-examination a sine qua non 1cor9:16-19,22-27; Luke 6:39-42 From the Catholic Hymn Book  MUST I GO, AN EMPTY-HANDED Must I go, and empty-handed,” Thus my dear Redeemer meet? Not one day of service give Him, Lay no trophy at His feet? Chorus : Must I go, an empty-handed? Must I meet my Saviour so? Not one soul with which to greet Him: Must I empty-handed go? Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the liturgy of the word today, reawakens us to the truth that we are collaborators in the missionary exercise of the church which is winning souls for Christ. The greatest gift we can offer to God is to bring to Jesus the souls of our brothers and sisters.  In the first reading of today, St. Paul recounts the sacrifices and renunciations he had to make to win people over to Christ. He declared: "For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more of them...

THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (FEAST) Micah 5:1-4; Matthew 1:1-16,18-23 Today the Holy Mother Church, echoing the words of the Psalmist (Psalm 12(13):6-7): "exult for joy in the Lord", invites us to celebrate with profound contentment the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The one of whom was born the sun of justice, Christ Jesus our Lord (entrance antiphon). The morning star that announces the rising of the Sun of Righteousness. The one whose nativity brings deeper peace to those for whom the birth of her son was the dawning of salvation (opening prayer). The one whose nativity was the hope and daybreak of salvation (communion prayer). Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the birth of a child reigns joy and gladness in the family. It is a pleasant sign that God still loves the world and is present to the world. Over 2000 years ago, God gave a special gift to humanity, a special gift to the Church. One who became the Mother of the Church and the Mother of us al...

Homily for Wednesday of the Twenty-Third (23rd) Week in the Ordinary Time, year II.  1 Corinthians 7:25-31; Luke 6:20-26. In today's liturgy of the word, Luke presents to us the beatitudes, a version different from that of St. Matthew's.  At a time when persecution of the early Christian communities were at its peak and many felt discouraged and hopeless.  St. Luke reassures the people of God of the blessedness of God upon their lives, following the teachings of Jesus on the beatitudes. The word beatitudes literally means happinness or blessedness. The teachings on the beatitudes reawakened them to the truth that true happiness can only be found in God; that God had not abandoned them; for they would surely be blessed and rewarded for their courage and perseverance in faith at moments of distress, suffering, poverty, hunger, sorrow etc. Hence, contrary to the prospects and teachings of the world and its philosophy, that wealth, positions, prestige, honour etc are what det...

Theme: The church has its exclusive right to judge Homily for Tuesday of the 23rd week in the ordinary time year II 1 Cor 6:1-11; Luke 6:12-19 In today's liturgy of the word, recognizing the unhealthy competition, disputes, wranglings, and immoral behaviours of certain Christians in Corinth,  St. Paul, hence, acknowledged the church as the rightful place of adjudication of matters and differences among Christians. He reproached the attitude of submitting before the unrighteous matters which the church as the rightful judge can handle. He writes: “When any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take it to court before the unrighteous, instead of taking it before the saints? (1 cor 6:1).  Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the church has its exclusive right to adjudicate on matters pertaining to the spiritual and ecclesiastical affairs/laws of the Christian communities and families.  This is because the church is in the best position to guide and better...

Homily for Monday of the 23rd week in the ordinary time, year II  1 Corinthians 5:1-8; Luke 6:6-11. In the first reading of today, St. Paul chastised the people of Corinth on the need to disassociate themselves from the old yeast of immorality and begin to live a new life in Christ.  He reprimanded in the strongest terms, the immoral behaviour that was reported to him. He said, : "I have been told as an u doubted fact that one of you is living with his father's wife. This is a case of sexual immorality among you that must be unparalleled even among the pagans. How can you be so proud of yourselves? You should be in mourning. A man who does a thing like that ought to have been expelled from the community" (1Cor 5: 1-4). St. Paul was embittered because of the audacity with which such an immoral action was being committed. It was as if the person in question was pompous despite his sinful act. One who should be mourning because of his dirty behaviour went about in the Christ...

Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C.  Wisdom 9:13-18b; Psalm 90:3-4,5-6,12-13,14; Philemon 9b-10,12-17; Luke 14:25-31. Theme: The Cost of Discipleship. Central to today's liturgy of the word is the question of the cost of discipleship. What exactly is the cost of discipleship? Following Jesus, is it expensive or cheap? Is everyone who follows Jesus a disciple? Many Christians follow Jesus today, can they rightfully say they understand what the cost of discipleship entails? Are they following blindly or have indeed made the cost of discipleship? The Gospel begins and we heard it: "Now large crowds were travelling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, 'whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother and wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and even his own life, cannot be my disciple" (Lk 14:25-26). During Jesus' public ministry, often we observe that large crowds follow him. But the scintillating irony was that at the f...