Lent (54)

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

It is a sobering thought, isn’t it? We move through our days with plans and ambitions, with desires and expectations, and yet here we stand at the threshold of Lent, confronted with the stark reality of our mortality. …

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We stand at the gates of Lent—an annual invitation to rethink, reorient, and recommit ourselves to the path of God’s grace. This is no mere exercise of denial; it is, in its highest form, a spiritual pilgrimage—a journey into the …

There are moments in Scripture that do not simply invite reflection but demand a response. Today’s Gospel is one of them. It is not a parable wrapped in metaphor, nor a theological discourse to be dissected—it is the vision of the Last Judgment, where the King himself, …

Lent is a season of invitation. An invitation to slow down, to listen more closely, to recognize the quiet but persistent voice of God calling us to renewal. It is not a time for grand gestures or hollow sacrifices, but for real, lasting transformation—transformation that …

There is something about the city of Nineveh that lingers in the imagination. It was vast, powerful, prosperous—a city convinced of its own permanence. But in today’s reading from Jonah, we see a different Nineveh. A humbled Nineveh. A city shaken awake by the words of a …

Lent—this season we are called to—invites us, gently but firmly, to a journey not marked by the spectacle of grand gestures, but by the slow, steady persistence of a heart that listens. And in today’s Gospel, we are given an invitation from none other than our Lord Himself, …

There is a moment in every person’s life when they wonder, “Is it too late for me?” We see the weight of our mistakes, the words we wish we could take back, the opportunities lost, the bridges burned. We wonder if we’ve strayed too far, sinned too much, hurt too …

From the very beginning, God has called His people to be set apart. Not in privilege, not in status, but in holiness.

“You will be a people peculiarly His own, as He promised you.”

Israel was chosen—not to be superior, but to be a light to the nations. To show the world …

There are moments when the veil is lifted, when the familiar world cracks open, and we glimpse something more—something beyond.

Abraham stood under the vast expanse of the night sky, looking up at stars beyond number. He was old. His wife, Sarah, was beyond childbearing …

There are moments in life when a single decision changes everything, when the weight of a choice carries echoes into eternity. Today’s readings invite us into such a moment. They hold up a mirror, revealing not just who we are but who we are called to become.

The prophet …

There is a temptation, ancient as the dawn and subtle as a whisper, to believe that righteousness is a matter of appearances, that justice can be performed by proxy, that faithfulness is measured in ritual rather than relationship. It is a temptation that Isaiah decries, …

The night sky over Jerusalem, like the vast heavens over Zambia, has always told a story—not of chance, but of promise. Long before Christ walked among us, God made a covenant with David: “I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,” He declared. …

Cursed is the one who trusts in human strength alone, who turns away from the Lord. The words of Jeremiah strike like thunder across the centuries. They are not whispered. They are not softened. They are carved into the very rock of history. And they remind us that trust …

The story of Joseph, cast into a pit by his brothers and sold for silver, is the story of betrayal. The parable of the wicked tenants, who kill the son in a desperate attempt to seize the vineyard, is the story of rejection. These stories are not simply echoes of human …

The prophecy of Micah concludes with a vision of mercy. The Shepherd of Israel, who led His people from slavery to freedom, is called upon once more to guide them to green pastures. Micah’s prayer breathes confidence: “Who is a God like you, who removes guilt and pardons …

The Exodus story is a timeless reminder of God’s deep and abiding concern for His people. From a bush ablaze but unconsumed, the Lord reveals Himself to Moses not with titles of grandeur, but with a name that echoes eternity: “I AM WHO I AM.” This is the God who …

In the stillness of our Lenten journey, we are called not just to pray and fast, but to open our hearts and minds to the transformative power of God. Today, the Scriptures confront us with two startling truths that we might otherwise overlook: the unexpected ways in which …

The Annunciation of the Lord is a moment of immense significance, a turning point in the history of salvation. As we pause today to reflect on the message of this feast, we are invited to consider the beauty of God’s plan, the mystery of His timing, and the courage of one …

Throughout our Lenten journey, we encounter the challenge of living out God’s commandments, a challenge that remains as pertinent today as it was when the Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land. The readings for today offer a powerful reminder of the importance …

There is a particular danger in knowing the truth too well. Familiarity can breed contempt, and hearing the voice of God too often without heeding it can turn a heart not to flesh, but to stone. The prophet Jeremiah speaks to a people who have been given every opportunity to …

The book of Hosea ends as it began: with a summons to return. “Come back to the Lord your God,” the prophet pleads, “for your iniquity has been your downfall” (Hos 14:2). Hosea speaks to a nation that has wandered far from its covenant with God, …

There are moments in life when we believe ourselves to be at our best—when we are confident in our achievements, our virtues, and our standing before God. And yet, how often does the human heart betray itself? How often does the mask of righteousness slip to reveal a soul …

There are moments in life when we cross a threshold, when we step from what has been into what will be. Some moments are dramatic—a child taking its first steps, a student receiving a degree, a family moving into a new home. Others are quieter, almost imperceptible—the slow …

There are moments in life when hope seems like a distant dream, when the weight of suffering and disappointment presses so heavily upon us that we struggle to believe in renewal. We look at the world and see conflict. We look at our communities and see division. We look …

There is a scene, beautifully portrayed in The Chosen (Season 2, Episode 4), that captures the moment when Jesus encounters the man at the pool of Bethesda. It is haunting in its realism. The man—Jesse, as the show names him—has been lying there for nearly four decades, …

In the midst of this Lenten season, as we journey toward the renewal of Easter, we encounter readings that challenge us to look deeper—to recognize the presence of God not only in grand works of salvation but in the intimate, tender love that sustains all of creation. Today, …

The story in today’s First Reading is one of great human drama and divine mercy. The people of Israel, only recently freed from slavery, now stand guilty before God, worshipping a golden calf in a moment of foolishness and impatience. As they abandon the covenant, the Lord’s …

As we continue our journey through Lent, the readings of this day invite us into the heart of the confrontation between light and darkness, between truth and falsehood, between those who hear the voice of God and those who refuse to listen. The readings speak to us of divine …

In today’s readings, we meet two men who tell the truth and suffer for it.

The first is the prophet Jeremiah, who gives us a window into the heart of someone called to speak for God in a time when truth is dangerous. “I was like a trusting lamb led to slaughter,” he says …

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

The Word of God today is a summons.
A summons to leave behind what binds us—and to step forward into the freedom of God’s mercy.

“Do not remember the former things,” says the Lord through the prophet Isaiah,
“nor consider the things of …

My friends, the Scriptures today shine a light—a piercing, clarifying light—into the heart of Lent. They invite us to look honestly at the way we judge, the way we pursue justice, and the way we show mercy. And yes, I said shine a light, because that’s the image Jesus gives …

The people of Israel, journeying through the desert, once again grumble against God and Moses. They question why they were brought out of Egypt—only to die in the wilderness. In response to their rebellion, venomous serpents enter the camp. Many are bitten. Many perish. But …

The Scriptures we encounter today invite us to reflect on God’s saving power, on the call to faith that transforms not only hearts but the very fabric of our lives. In the First Reading from the Book of Daniel, we meet the three young men—Shadrach, Meshach, and …

“Since once again, Lord, I have neither bread nor wine nor altar, I will raise myself beyond these symbols… and will consecrate the world to you.” —Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Divine Milieu

Today, we quietly remember the passing of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, who …

The world, it seems, is always trying to redefine us. It constantly shifts its weight upon us, hoping to bend us to its will. The clamor of popular opinion and the lures of wealth, power, and prestige seek to strip away the very core of who we are. In our lives, as in the …

As we reflect on today’s readings—the last before Palm Sunday—we find ourselves standing on the threshold of Holy Week, invited into a vision of unity that is both ancient and urgently present.

The prophet Ezekiel speaks into the heartbreak of exile. He dares to declare that …

Homily for the Procession:

Behold the King—yet not the king we imagined. Jesus, astride a humble colt, enters Jerusalem not with the grandeur of military victory but with the quiet resolve of divine purpose. The disciples, rejoicing and spreading cloaks on the road, felt the …

The week that changed the world begins with quiet yet profound moments, like seeds sown in the soil, waiting to bear fruit. As we enter Holy Week, the readings today invite us to gaze upon the servant of God, to examine the tension between light and shadow, and to reflect on …

When we enter the sacred days of Holy Week, the words of Scripture take on a heightened urgency, as though they are whispering secrets from the heart of God. Today’s readings weave a tapestry of mission and betrayal, glory and grief, love and sacrifice. They invite us to …

The image of the servant in Isaiah’s song pierces the heart with its quiet strength. Here is one who listens with the ear of a disciple, whose words sustain the weary, and yet who embraces suffering with resolute dignity. His back is exposed to the lash, his face unshielded …

On Wednesday, we heard from Brendan about how we should focus on our reconciliation with God, or rather, God’s reconciliation with us – and Brendan was right to remind us, as St Paul did, that “God has reconciled the human world to himself in Christ – fundamentally and …

Today’s readings talk about three things. We hear talk of prophesy in the first reading, a righteous spirit in the second reading, and death and resurrection in the Gospel, or in Lazarus’ case, resuscitation, from the dead. In a nutshell, we are witnesses to the promise of …

Today our readings are short, and they are basically inviting us to listen to God, and to notice that God has not abandoned us, but is always with us. We are simply called to respond to God’s presence and call in our lives.

I’m not sure if you remember the Gospel from last …

We’ve been making this journey during Lent where we’ve been asked to travel with Jesus into parched deserts and climb-up and down mountain-tops – and today our first reading is again in a desert where the Israelites, having escaped slavery in Egypt, are grumbling, so Moses …

Today I want to talk about the readings but I also want to say a few words about the past week in South Africa and how the readings have resonated with my experience of them. Today’s readings talk about three things. We hear talk of prophesy in the first reading, a righteous …

Today’s readings are about restoration and healing, and today, I hope, you have had some time to be restored and to at least begin to recognize areas where you might need God’s healing. After journeying with Moses up the mountain and seeing the burning bush and entering into …

On Wednesday this week we all gathered to receive ashes and were told to ‘repent and believe in the Gospel’ or to ‘remember that we are dust, and to dust we shall return’. Repent, Believe, Remember. These are good things to do during Lent as we prepare ourselves to celebrate …

Our readings this Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, speak of coming home. St Paul in our second reading speaks of Jesus appealing to us to be reconciled with God. The Jews, after their wanderings in the desert after leaving Egypt and being sustained through the manna from …

Today we celebrate Ash Wednesday, the day that around the world marks the beginning of Lent, the start of our long journey towards the resurrection at Easter. The prophet Joel says today, “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. …

Today we celebrate Ash Wednesday, the day that around the world marks the beginning of Lent. Although Lent is often thought of as a time for repentance and penance – and it is certainly that – it is also a happy time because it is the way we prepare as Christians …

I think today in the readings we are being asked not to forget. This past Wednesday we all came together to receive ashes and mark the beginning of Lent. The Church offered two statements as the ashes were imposed. The first was ‘Repent, and believe in the Gospel’, …

Today I want to talk about the readings but I also want to say a few words about the past week in South Africa and how the readings have resonated with me experiencing this. Today’s readings talk about three things. We hear talk of prophesy in the first reading, a …

In Matthew’s Gospel which we have just heard and which really needs no explanation, the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus is a world-ending event. We are told of the violent shaking of the earth that was expected to announce the arrival of the end time. The …

Today’s rich readings all play on the themes of blindness and sight, darkness and light, fear and hope. In the first reading we see: how Samuel is initially blind to the choice of the Lord, preferring Eliab; and then we see how Jesse was blind to the possibility of his …