“God loved the word so much that he gave his only Son,so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). In terms of measure, intensity, depth… what could be added?It is God who gives, and it is… for us! These words […]
4th Sunday of Lent, Year B – 2024
When telling something important to someone, we are inclined to repeat it. We want to make sure that the message has been heard, understood and… received. The person may exclaim: “You told me already…” To which we tend to reply: “Yes, but I wanted to be certain that you have […]
World Day for Consecrated Life – 2 February
Consecrated women and men — together with Catholics in general — are invited to celebrate the World Day for Consecrated Life. Established by St. John Paul II, the day recognizes the beauty and impact of a life dedicated to poverty, chastity, and obedience. When is it celebrated? The Catholic Church […]
Feast of the Body and blood of Christ, Year B – 2021
“A dream come true!” We often hear this expression from someone who had been hoping for something and this very thing happens, or is given to the person. The words are spoken spontaneously with jubilation. This phrase came to me as I read today’s gospel text (Mk.14:12-16,22-26) following the Alleluia […]
Feast of the Holy Family, Year B – 2020
We live an unusual situation and this period of pandemic is definitely upsetting. Our daily lives have been turned upside down – our ways of doing and being can no longer be what they were only nine months ago. And we are… wondering – wondering where we are going, where […]
14th Sunday of Year A – 2020
This period we are living – that of the Covid-19 pandemic – has taken us unawares, it is certain. It has brought in its wake, all kinds of things totally unexpected. But, when we think about it, our lives are filled with things which are precisely that: unexpected. The promising […]
Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, Year A – 2020
A young Jewish couple brings their first-born child to the Temple, as it was the custom. An older man is there, Simeon, who is known to be faithful to the Lord. Of this man, it was said that he was: “looking forward to the consolation of Israel.” The gospel of […]
Christmas, Year C
Some years ago, I saw a Christmas card of a very unusual design. It depicted the star of Bethlehem, shining bright. And the shadow this star cast on the ground had the shape of… a cross. Quite a prophetic expression and a unique evocation of the meaning of the Nativity. […]
International Day of the Bible – 24 November
The First ‘International Day of the Bible’ was launched on November 24, 2014. Bible ministry groups across the country are asking people to read or promote scripture publicly or online at noon on Nov.24 in what’s been dubbed the first International Day of the Bible. « This is a very simple […]
4th Sunday of Advent, C
Are you happy? Oh, I know, this is a personal question and you need not answer me. Some philosophers or ‘masters’, or ‘gurus’ will tell us that, yes, « Life is meant to be happy ». But… we all know that true happiness seems, at times, to be in short supply for […]