Sunday Reflections
Palm Sunday
The feast of Passover is approaching. The Roman prefect Pontius Pilate enters Jerusalem in full regalia, either riding a war-horse or carried in a litter, accompanied by a procession of soldiers.…
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Last week, we read the familiar story of the Prodigal Son, which Jesus told to emphasize God’s extraordinary love and forgiveness. This week we have another story of forgiveness. Jesus was…
Fourth Sunday of Lent
The evangelist Luke was a very gifted storyteller. He was the only one of the four gospel writers to relate the parables both of the Prodigal Son and of the Good Samaritan. He also was the only…
Third Sunday of Lent
Moses had been brought up at the Egyptian court. He was obviously singled out for a special destiny, having been rescued from the river by Pharaoh’s daughter. Exodus does not recount anything of…
Second Sunday of Lent
The scene recounted by Luke in today’s gospel is a picture of God’s plan of salvation in miniature. Jesus and his disciples went up a mountain, an image of nearness to God. Elijah entered a cave…
First Sunday of Lent
It is difficult to imagine what Jesus experienced in the desert. How did Satan appear to him? Was it as an actual person or maybe just as a series of dark thoughts? Jesus was very vulnerable,…
Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
This Sunday’s readings contain sayings from the Book of Ecclesiasticus and from Jesus’ Sermon on the Level. The Book of Ecclesiasticus was written in Hebrew, probably between 196 and 175 BC, by…
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
It is probable that most of us do not have enemies as such. Often it is more the case that some people annoy us and we are tempted to strike back with some unkind words. In her autobiography …
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke’s account of the beatitudes differs from that of Matthew, in that in Matthew's gospel Jesus preaches from a mountain, which signifies the nearness of God (Matthew:13-16). Moses received…
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The first reading and the gospel describe the presence of God in very different ways. Isaiah has a vision of God enthroned in splendour. He uses colourful imagery like a throne, smoke and seraphs…