Sunday the 8^th of September 2013

Luke 14: 25-33

‘None of you can be My disciple unless he gives up all his possessions’

Would following Jesus be more palatable if He had asked us to give up just some of our possessions? That might not be so unreasonable given the fact that we give up some possessions everyday in the pursuit of different desires. If we are working we give up some of our time and labour for a weekly wage. We engage in trade everyday in the local shop, giving up just some of our  money for groceries. But to give up all? Very few true desires in us could make us want to give up everything. Jesus is really swimming against the tide here given the fact that we are more inclined to accumulate possessions rather than part with them. What might possibly make someone seriously consider this?

Read more

21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 13:22-30

Sometimes atheists try to describe Christians and Believers in God as a set of people who only believe because they seek comfort in the idea that there is life after death. This is a very one-sided and undeveloped idea of Christianity and Christians in general. Certainly, seeking comfort in God is a part of Christianity, but it is not limited to the life after death. When Jesus said; “come to Me all you who labour and I will give you rest”, He certainly never meant that He would with-hold His aid until we meet Him after death. This is shown by the life of prayer in the Church, and the many “ordinary” intentions we all pray for. Similarly, on the other hand the whole truth about our lives after death is not limited to an idea of comfortable bliss. The Church teaches that when we die we will come before the judgement seat of God and our eternal fates will be decided at that moment. The Church also teaches that nobody can presume to know that they will be saved or not.

Read more

19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 12:32-48

Jesus tells us this Sunday; “Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. This raises the question, of what good is treasure on earth? If our treasure is here on earth our hearts will be here rather than on the things of heaven. Ultimately this is no good for us because heaven is our destination, our most important journey. However, does having treasure here on earth really do us any good or are we truly satisfied with it. If we have a lot of money, are we ever satisfied that we have enough? Those who are satisfied with their wealth are those who do not focus on material things. Can money buy love? Love is not limited by the material world and is not explained by it. What about possessions? How long does the latest fashion or gadget last before they lose their lustre. The fact that material things do not really satisfy us or don’t satisfy us for very long, tells us something about ourselves. This means that what truly satisfies us is not material.

Read more

The Gospel reading which the Church presents us with today is a very challenging one, which goes to the heart of our mission as followers of Christ. While the words of Jesus here may seem harsh and inhumane, they teach us a great deal about what it means to put God first in our lives. While Jesus is not asking those who follow him to abandon their loved ones, he does make the point that we are not to put anything in this life before God, even our family and friends. While it would be wonderful if all of those closest to us supported us in our faith, this is not always the case, and we very often encounter opposition from those whom we love. We need to pray that God will give us the courage to be able to be strong in standing up for what believe in, even when our stance for Christ and in defense of Gospel values might mean that we become unpopular and have to bear persecution from those we hold most dear.

Read more

11^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 7:36 – 8:3

In this week’s Gospel, we come across a woman, rejected by the crowds, but loved by Our Lord. Jesus had being invited to the house of a Pharisee, and the Pharisees were a group who regarded themselves as being particularly important. No doubt, the Pharisee was delighted that such a large crowd had gathered to witness this memorable event. The last thing he expected was that the woman with the worst reputation in town would interrupt the party and create a scene. This was a potentially embarrassing situation, but the Pharisee comforts himself by thinking that, if Jesus really is a prophet, he will know who this woman is and force her to leave. Jesus of course, knows exactly who she is, but he does not reject her. Instead, he makes her the centre of attention.

Read more