We are his people: the sheep of his flock.(Psalm 99) In Matthew’s gospel today, Jesus calls his twelve disciples. He sends them out with certain instructions, mainly to go first to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Then, he empowers them with…

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. (Psalm 147) This Sunday is the feast of Corpus Christi, when the Church reflects on and celebrates the wonderful mystery of the Eucharist. From St. John we hear the “bread of life” gospel, in which Jesus makes statements only God could make: “I am the living bread which has come down…

Glory and praise for ever! (Daniel Chapter 3) Periodically, fans watching big sports matches in the United States see strategically positioned placards marked: JOHN 3:16. This modern day form of evangelism is a summary of the entire message of John’s Gospel, as we hear today. “God loved the world so much that he gave his…

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. (Psalm 103) There is great excitement in Luke’s account of Pentecost, which we hear in the first reading. The sound of a powerful wind from heaven, tongues of fire, the Apostles preaching to a multi-lingual crowd, each hearing in their own language. By…

God mounts his throne to shouts of joy; a blare of trumpets for the Lord. (Psalm 46) The Ascension of the Lord is another milestone in the history of our salvation. In the past months we have celebrated Jesus’ birth, passion, death, resurrection, and now, with his ascension into heaven, his physical presence leaves us.…

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. (Psalm 65) Jesus promises his disciples the Advocate, “to be with you forever, that Spirit of truth whom the world can never receive since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you.” We can…

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. (Psalm 32) Today’s First Reading from the Acts of the Apostle describes a situation very common in the modern Church. There are too few ministers to fulfil the essential works of the Church: feeding the hungry and preaching the Word of…

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. (Psalm 23) Christians today can take some comfort in the fact that we live in the best of times and the worst of times. The worst of times, for us, involves division and strife, as well as continued hostilities around the globe, causing the…

Lord, you will show us the path of life. (Psalm 15) There is so much to reflect upon in the Emmaus story, it is difficult to know where to begin. The disciples go on a journey in a state of deep despair, their lives have been shattered by Jesus’ brutal death, a leader and prophet…

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting. (Psalm 117) After the highs and excitement of finding the empty tomb and shining angels asking the women why they were looking for the living among the dead, the bewildered Twelve were seeking sanctuary to assimilate these events when Jesus himself came…