Sunday Reflections

             The words of Jesus that he will give the disciples “another Paraclete,” suggests that Jesus has already acted in this capacity, and now as he prepares for his departure, he is sending another paraclete to be with the disciples until the end of time.

The Pandemic of the COVID-19 continues to stay with us and it is really changing our lives now.  The transformations are almost unbelievable and surrealistic.  In the face of such a reality, we as believers continue to sing a new song to the Lord! Today’s Entrance Antiphon from Psalm 97 beautifully declares: “O sing a new song to the Lord, for the Lord has worked wonders in the sight of the nations the Lord has shown the Lord’s deliverance.”

Jesus tells us that His sheep “know his voice”, whereas they “do not recognize the voice of strangers”.  That is the key to being one of the fold of Jesus Christ.  We know his voice!  This means fine-tuning our ears to His voice – in prayer, in the Scriptures, and in the teachings of the Church.  This awareness sends us running in the opposite direction from those voices which call us away from gospel-values, away from the kingdom of God, and away from God’s love and truth as revealed in the Good Shepherd.  However, as faithful sheep, we are also called to ‘shepherd

The Third Sunday of Easter uses Luke 24:13-35, the Road to Emmaus, as its Gospel reading.  As you may know the Bishops of Ontario also use this passage as the basis for their Pastoral Letter on Education: Renewing the Promise.  Just like the two disciples on the Road we too are undoubtedly feeling, lost, fear, discouragement, and despair.  However, that was no obstacle for the Risen Lord to come into their midst and to set their hearts ablaze.

THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

April 19, 2020

(Also Divine Mercy Sunday)

 Our present world is battered and badly bruised as it fights the enemy of the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is desperately in need of prayers and the theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity (Love).  Today we focus on Hope as God’s gift to us for difficult times.  And in the second part of this reflection we consider how to make it real for our African brothers and sisters.

Such must have been the reaction to the first disciples who went to the tomb of the crucified Jesus – the presence of the soldiers sent to guard it, talking about how to move back the stone.  Much to their surprise they found the stone already moved aside, and a heavenly messenger who proclaimed that the Jesus, whom they sought, had risen.  They had not understood the words of Jesus in which he talked about “rising from the dead”.  Now this piece of the puzzle helped them to put the whole picture together of his life, suffering, death and resurrection.  God had done the

The pandemic that we are experiencing has changed our lives and changed our world. Countless people around the world and in our own communities are suffering either from the corona virus itself, or from the consequences of the virus. These consequences give rise to much suffering as people grieve the loss of loved ones, and isolation from supports that we take for granted, such as friends and family, work and recreation, and liturgy and parish functions. Usual routines have been put on hold, anxiety is on the rise, and people fear the face of illness and death as never before.

Today is also the National Collection For Development and Peace (please give generously to this worthy cause when you can do so).

There is an old saying that “there is no one as blind as he who will not see”.  Jesus gave sight to the blind man in today’s gospel, and he tried to give new sight to all, including the Pharisees.  But some refused to open their eyes and see.  They preferred to keep their eyes closed and to miss out on the opportunities for life and grace that he was giving them.  This is our choice, as the power of God is great, but is limited by our lack of will to accept His grace.  Our sinfulness reflects that blindness to the light of Christ, choosing to remain in the dark and

Sunday’s second reading is Romans 5:1-2, 5-8.  Verse 5 is: “Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”  This passage invites us to realize that the only one worthy of our hope is Christ Jesus.  The only one in which we ought to hope is Jesus.  Strangers will disappoint us.  Family and friends will disappoint us.  Institutions, governments and churches will disappoint us.  All hope that lacks a foundation in Jesus Christ is misplaced.