(Acts of the Apostles 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48) The two disciples whom Jesus had overtaken walking towards Emmaus, although their hearts had been burning within them as He opened the Scriptures to them, only finally recognized Him at the breaking of bread during a meal which they had invited Him to share with them.  On their receiving the bread He had blessed, He suddenly disappeared, whereupon they set off back to Jerusalem at once to inform the apostles that very hour. Those same disciples, having reported their experience to the eleven apostles, and now joine ..read more

  (Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35; 1st. Letter of John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31) Jesus said to Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen Me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book. What precisely was John’s thinking in that passage from today’s Gospel reading? Having just reported Jesus as saying: ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed;’ he then himself added: ‘Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not writte ..read more

  (Acts 10:34, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9) Today’s readings give directly, the Good News of Jesus’ glorious resurrection from the dead; and indirectly, a picture of the Church and her Scriptures that is both admirable and reassuring. Let us look at the Gospel reading first, which tells us about the Apostles Peter and John, and the appearance of the tomb with its contents, along with a passing mention of Mary Magdalen and the previously opened (by whom??) entrance to the tomb.   However, all that we are told about what might have happened to Jesus is to be deduced from ..read more

  (Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9; John 18:1 – 19: 42) Our first reading today began with the words:             Behold, my servant shall act wisely. And we are here today to learn from Jesus’ supreme wisdom, how to face up to the end of our days with love and commitment, for, as we were told in the second reading: In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able save Him from death. Our faith teaches us that the only wise way to lead one’s life, is, in ..read more

  This is a most holy and a most joyful night: it is a night of family feasting in grateful remembrance of God’s wondrous blessings.  It is indeed a family night because the Passover feast was from the times of Moses not a temple feast celebrated according to minute details of ritual, but a family gathering in the privacy of one’s home, a celebration with family and friends. On returning home for this celebration and after prayer the head of the family gathering had to consider himself a prince, decorating his table with the best food and the most acceptable wines: in fact it was h ..read more

  In the Responsorial Psalm we heard that horrendous cry of Jesus: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? For a man like Jesus, that cry can only have been forced out of Him by unimaginably intense suffering.  For although Jesus was indeed a man like us in all things but sin,  nevertheless, we are ordinary people, and even the saints I have mentioned also began as ordinary people and only the gradual triumph of God’s grace over their sinful inclinations enabled them to became saintly people.  Jesus, on the other hand, began as man was loved and taught by Mary,  pr ..read more

   (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 5:7-9; Saint John 12:20-33) The whole purpose of Our Blessed Lord’s life and death upon earth can be summed up in the words of His prayer:             Father, glorify Your name! In today’s Gospel account He was near the end of His life: He had performed striking miracles, healed countless sick, and possessed persons.  Above all, however, it was His teaching-with-authority that had provoked most attention from Galilee to Jerusalem among those who exercised or coveted power (John 15: 24): If I h ..read more

   (2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-21; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21) In the desert, on their way from Egypt to the promised land, and fleeing from pursuing Egyptian forces, God’s People had allowed themselves to “speak against God and against Moses”  and God punished them severely by fiery serpents whose bites killed many.  In the general panic  the more devout members of the children of Israel besought Moses’ prayers and ultimately were saved by looking up – yes, just that -- by looking up at a bronze likeness of those deadly serpents, and thereby realising through the ..read more

  (Exodus 20:1-17; 1st. Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25) My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I want us to carefully consider the words and actions of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading:    The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.   in the temple He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting there.   And making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen.   And He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.&n ..read more

  (Gen. 22: 1-2, 9-13, 15-18; Romans 8:31-34; Mark 9:2-10) Our Blessed Lord’s Passion and Death was looming on the horizon and He had already seriously forewarned His disciples of it; but, as in so many other matters, they were not yet able to truly understand and fully appreciate His words.  When the time would come for Him to be taken away from them, Jesus realized that it would be a traumatic and potentially faith-shattering experience for them, His great concern was, therefore, that they should be so prepared that they might be able to endure the grief of losing Him, and even dr ..read more