Fr Paul notes the change from the green liturgical colour of Ordinary time to the purple of Advent as we prepare for the coming Christmas season. He reads today’s Gospel from Matthew (8: 5-11), in which the Centurion asks Jesus to come and heal his servant, who is paralysed and in great pain. [...]
Fr Paul reads the last Gospel for this liturgical year, from Luke’s Gospel (21: 34-36), in which Jesus tells the disciples to ‘Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence stand before the Son of Man”. Fr Paul says [...]
Fr Paul reads the Gospel from Luke (21: 29-33), in which Jesus tells the disciples ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away’. Fr Paul says, as we come to the end of our Church’s year the parable of the fig tree is meant to keep us alert [...]
Fr Paul reads the Gospel from Luke (21: 20-28), in which Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and of a time when the powers of heavens will be shaken and when they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Fr Paul says, again, we are [...]
As today we celebrate the lives of St Andrew Dung-Lac and companions, Fr Paul reads the Gospel from Luke (21: 12-19), in which Jesus tells his disciples, “I will give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of opponents will be able to contradict or resist”. Fr Paul says today’s Gospel is [...]
Fr Paul returns today and, before reading today’s Gospel, extends his thanks to everyone for their thoughts, prayers and concerns during his recent health issues and his subsequent break for recovery. He thanks God for the healing and effort that has been put in by so many people to bring him to this [...]
Deacon Prodencio Bognay reads from the Gospel of Luke (21: 1-4) in which Jesus draws attention to the gift a poor widow gives to the temple treasury. Prodencio says, as we remember St Cecilia today, we hear this Gospel story about the poor widow being exulted by Jesus, not for giving more than others [...]
Deacon Prodencio Bognay reads from the Gospel of Luke (20: 27-40) in which the Sadducees question Jesus about the Resurrection of the dead. Prodencio says, this particular passage of our Gospel is one of the instances where we find a clear misconception that our worldly, or earthly, standards apply to spiritual realities. In [...]
Deacon Prodencio Bognay reads from the Gospel of Luke (19: 45-48) in which Jesus, driving out market sellers at the temple, says ‘my house will be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a robbers’ den’. Prodencio says, as we move closer the end of the liturgical year, we hear [...]
Deacon Prodencio Bognay reads from the Gospel of Luke (19: 41-44) in which Jesus weeps over Jerusalem because it did not understand the message of peace he brought. While the meaning of the word ‘Jerusalem’ in Hebrew is ‘city of peace’, Jesus found it ironic that the people in Jerusalem during this time [...]