Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (5: 17-19) in which Jesus says ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to complete them’. God’s covenant with Moses on Mount Sinai was the basis of Israel’s life. It set out [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (18: 21-35) in which Jesus, through the parable of the unmerciful servant, teaches about forgiveness.Today’s Gospel is a favourite parable of Matthew as it continues the theme that forgiveness is central for any Christian community. Fr Paul notes, the reality is that we cannot live [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (4: 24-30) where Jesus came to Nazara and spoke to the people in the Synagogue about how no prophet is accepted in their own country. Fr Paul says the impact of this Gospel only occurs if we remember that this event occurs in Nazareth at the very [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (1: 16,18-21, 24) where Joseph accepts Jesus as His Son. Fr Paul says today we celebrate the Feast of St Joseph. Apart from what is prescribed in the scriptures we know very little about the life of St Joseph. We know he was a carpenter, we know [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (21: 33-43, 45-46) where Jesus shares the Parable of the Tenants. Fr Paul says, the Gospel we hear today, not surprisingly, introduces a series of confrontations between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. Jesus uses the story about the tenants of a vineyard to show that the leaders [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (10: 1-12, 17-20) where Jesus sends out the seventy-two to all of the towns He intended on visiting. For today’s Gospel reflection we celebrate the life of St Patrick. Fr Paul says, Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the year 385. As a Missionary Bishop he [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (20: 17-28) in which Jesus predicts His death for the third time. Fr Paul says that this Gospel today gives us the third of Jesus’ great prophecies of the Passion. It is immediately followed by the mum of Zebedee’s sons asking for a high position for her [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (23: 1-12) in which Jesus speaks to the crowds and His disciples with a warning against hypocrisy. Fr Paul explains that this Gospel says the most cutting of things about the scribes and the Pharisees. In fact, this Gospel introduces a seven-fold curse on them. The Pharisees [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (6: 36-38) where Jesus says to His disciples “be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge and you will not be judged yourselves. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned yourselves...because the amount you measure out; is the amount you are given back”. Fr [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (5: 43-48) where Jesus says to His disciples to ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’. Fr Paul says that today’s Gospel contains the last of the six contrasts which were mentioned in an earlier Gospel and mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount. Like the [...]