FR REMI HOMILIES/REFLECTIONS AND SERMONS

Homily for Thursday of the Holy Week (Mass of the Lord's Supper)  Exodus 12:1-8,11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15. Our celebration tonight has to do with great memorials. This morning, in the Cathedral, the Bishop, together with his priests, and the people of God celebrated the Mass of the institution of the Catholic priesthood known as Chrism Mass. In addition to the Bishop's consecration of the three oils, all the priests renewed their commitment to their Bishops all over the world. Each of us renewed the same promise we made at our priestly ordination. This evening's liturgy is the Mass of the Lord's Supper. It is the feast of the remembrance of the institution of the Holy Eucharist. In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus perpetuates his presence in the Church. He offers himself in the most wonderful way. The Eucharist has a long history. God prepared the people of Israel long ago for this sacrament of his body and blood. Before this time, two feasts originally exist...

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK Isaiah 50:4-9a; Ps.69; Matthew 26:14-25 To Dine in Pretense is to betray like Judas Today, we read of Matthew’s account of the betrayer of Judas Iscariot. Yesterday, we read that of John. Reading about Judas’ action a second time gives us another opportunity to reflect more deeply into what he did and how we may be trending his path consciously or unconsciously. Matthew’s account says that Judas visited the Chief priests and collected thirty pieces of silver from them with the promise to deliver Jesus to them. This, Judas did, even before the Passover meal. Funny enough, he still partook of the meal not as a sign of sharing common life with Jesus, but in search of an opportunity to betray Jesus. This is something that is quite common. How often do we bear grudges or reservations about people but will never dare to talk to them about it? Sometimes we smile and praise people but deep within us we are not happy with them. Sometimes too, when people approa...

Homily for Tuesday of the Holy Week Isaiah 49:11-6; John 13:21-33,36-38. Our readings today centre on the sufferings of Jesus. In the first reading, there is a possible indication of frustration that has crept into the mind of the suffering servant because of the enormity of difficulties he needed to put up with. "I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God" (Isa.49:4). Though he suffered, he still has his cause in God. The resilience of Jesus was tested to its limit, especially during his passion and death, where he even wondered if God had abandoned him. Yet on the cross, the pains he went through did not stop him from doing things pleasing to his heavenly Father like forgiving those who killed him and making excuses for their sins. Frustrations that come with difficulties can be natural to one's mission. However, like Jesus, the grace of God is capable of overcoming the wo...

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK Isaiah 42:1-7; Ps.27; John 12:1-11 True Love is Sacrificial True love is priceless. If you love someone, you will judge the person as deserving any sacrifice. You will find it difficult to make excuses when dealing with the person because the person’s joy is your joy and the person’s sorrow is your sorrow. One who loves will not be deterred from showing unmerited and unexpected favour. This was the experience of Mary in today’s gospel whom Jesus had accepted as a disciple. That love transformed her, and gave her the ability to recognize Jesus as her Saviour and God. She tried to reciprocate this love by anointing Jesus’ feet. Usually, when the Jews have important guests in their homes, they anoint their heads and kiss them. For Mary, Jesus is more than an important guest. He is her Lord; and so she goes beyond the expected and anoints his feet. Also, she uses a costly perfume that is made of pure nard; for no sacrifice is too great in reciprocating God’s ...

Homily for Palm Sunday of the passion narrative of the Lord, Year A Isaiah 50:4-7; Ps.22; Phil.2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 “ _My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps.22:2a)_  We too have left the Lord With this celebration of Palm Sunday, we begin the imminent journey of the Lord to Calvary. Since the incarnation, Jesus had been journeying towards this purpose; but now, the hour had come. What is expected of us in this Holy Week is not a mere commemoration of the dead or a psychological remembrance of the events that led up to the cross. We are expected to concretely bring ourselves into every episode of the moment. We are expected to see ourselves as part of the characters of the events and as the reason for the events (Christ died for our sake). For us to participate well, we need the right mood. Journeying with the Lord in this Holy Week is not an excursion; it is a participation in passion. The entrance into Jerusalem seemed joyful and glorious but short-lived. The glamo...

Homily for Saturday of the 5th week of Lent Ezekiel 37:21-28. Jeremiah 31:10,11-12ab,13. John 11:45-57. "The Lord will keep us, as a shepherd keeps his flock," our Responsorial Psalm today is being fulfilled in the prophecy of Ezekiel in the first reading. In this prophecy,God promised to bring the people of Israel together from where they are scattered and make them one nation. They will have one shepherd in the person of David, who shall be king over them (cf.Ezek.38:21). Prophet Ezekiel speaks of a future king, David, who will eventually be the Messiah. Concerning the mission of the Messiah, Christ Jesus, whose mission is to save the world through his sufferings, death, and resurrection, another prophecy is made by the high priest, Caiaphas in today's Gospel. He said, "You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish" (John 11:50). Though he did not ...

Homily for Friday of the 5th week of Lent  Jeremiah 20:10-13. Psalm 18:2-3a,3bc-4,5-6,7. John 10:31-42. What is our reaction when people who are close to us persecute us for having done no wrong? This is the case of Jesus in today's Gospel and prophet Jeremiah in the first reading. Jesus, in today's Gospel, went as far as telling his people, "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know that the Father is in me and I am in the Father" (John 10:37). Works are always more powerful than words. Words may convince the mind, but works move the will to action - to decision. In our case, do our works match our words? Or are we "all words and no works?" Jesus walked away from his persecutors, leaving behind his good works as evidence of his person. Jeremiah, in the first reading, placed his trust in God to deliver him from the hands of his persecutors,  and ...