Faith

13th Sunday in ordinary time – Matthew 10:37-42

We come to the end of the second of five discourses found in the Gospel of Matthew. The mission discourse ends with no apology. It is not a diplomatic speech that has carefully tip toed safely past a minefield of difficult issues.  The mission discourse is not a lecture; it is an ultimatum. Jesus presents the Kingdom not as a philosophy to be debated, but as a reality to be embraced immediately.

If Jesus were a salesman in the modern world, He would have surely lost His job. The art of waxing eloquent was certainly not his forte. A good salesman highlights the features and hides the costs. Jesus does the exact opposite; He puts the price tag on the front window. Modern consumer culture promises that buying a product will make life easier, smoother, and more comfortable. Jesus’ “product” is a cross. He wasn’t looking for buyers to satisfy; He was looking for disciples to transform.

Jesus never gave his disciples, even remotely, a false expectation. He did not make the mission discourse sound exciting or like some exiting adventure just to lure more people to his cause. Rather, he promised a hard trek down some dusty and challenging roads. The sales pitch that he made, would have effectively driven away any prospective disciple.

The mission discourse makes it abundantly clear that the Christian will always be to the world, a point of derision, an object of scorn. This is not merely from those who sit outside our ‘green pastures’ but also include many from within the community who mock the sheep.

Making a choice for Christ clearly sets you on a collision course with the rest of the world and the world does not have to be on the other side of the globe; they are often on the other side of the room in your very home. Those in the early Church who followed Christ, leaving their pagan faiths, were the ones who did not just feel some heat under the collar; many felt the heat literally as they were burnt for Nero’s pleasure.

Just when it sounds like it can’t get any worse, Jesus drops another bombshell. He says He has not come to bring peace to the earth but the sword. Rather strange words from the very one who came to be the ‘Prince of peace’ and who called peacemakers, blessed.

Lest we misunderstand the Lord, His intention is not to bring about bloodshed. The regrettable side effect of the Gospel is division, resulting from the uncompromising proclamation of the kingdom. The mission discourse clearly outlines the great challenges that the disciple must face in taking the Good News to the world along with the side effects it brings.  For Jesus, this is moment when decisions have to be made. We are with Him in mission or we are not! Jesus leaves no room for casual fans; He only accepts committed followers.

Jesus is emphatic; luke-warm Christians who have been bathing in their watered down understanding of the Catholic faith are “not worthy of him.” While we may propagate and promote our happy-clappy, kumbaya version of Christ, that version, good as it may be, must also be confronted with verse 38 where we are told that if Christ is not first in everything, then we stand nowhere in his court; we are not worthy of him. If God is not at the centre of your heart, your boundaries will always be misplaced.

The mission discourse calls us to be a walking embassy. When you step out into the world as a disciple, you operate as an ambassador of Christ. Your presence should change the spiritual climate of the rooms you walk into. When you walk with Christ, you carry His presence into every room.

Christ does not ask us to actively seek persecutors so that we may be martyred but he actively asks us to die to ourselves in order that we may find him. He says “those who find THEIR life will lose it.” What Christ is saying is that those who make a life for themselves in which HE is not part of, that life is a life created for themselves. It is a life devoid of him. That life, as happy as it may seem to the world, is a life lost.

 That brings us to the million-dollar question as the mission discourse draws to a close; what’s in it for me? There is no talk of a diadem and a palace for those that serve Him. There is however a promise of a disciple’s reward proportionate to the act of love that we show to others; to a prophet, a righteous person or a ‘little one’. That’s it!

That brings us to the million-dollar question as the mission discourse draws to a close; what’s in it for me? There is no talk of a diadem and a palace for those that serve Him. There is however a promise of a disciple’s reward proportionate to the act of love that we show to others; to a prophet, a righteous person or a ‘little one’. That’s it! 

Spread the love ♥
       
Continue Reading
Faith

Friday, 12th week in ordinary time – 26th June 2026 – Matthew 8:1-4

The Sermon on the Mount has ended and the Gospel writer Matthew, having shown Jesus as the Messiah of the word, presents Him as the Messiah of the deed. In this section spanning Chapter 8:1- 9:38, we will read of nine miracle pericopes that encompass ten individual miracles.

The first of these miracles is the cleansing of the leper. Jesus has finished preaching the Sermon on the Mount and is followed by large crowds. It is a leper who comes to Him, kneels before Him, calls Him ‘Lord’ and asks to be made clean. Right away you see a crowd following ‘a show’; the leper approached for salvation. Then, in one swift move Jesus does the unthinkable. He touches a leper.

This narrative would make a good Jew of the first century recoil in horror. If there was one disease that was abhorred by any Jew or for that matter any citizen of the Roman empire, it was leprosy. At the time of Jesus, the lepers were despised from society and forced to live in isolation. They were driven from their homes as outcasts, had to wear torn clothes, let their hair hang loose, cover their upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’

To add to the distress of the person, the physical quarantine was twisted into a moral judgment as sinners. These rules were backed by religious sanctions. One had to get a certification of healing, not from a doctor but from the priest no less; all of which was given by Moses himself with instructions in Leviticus 13 and 14.

The Biblical understanding of leprosy, ‘tsara’ath’ in Hebrew, included a variety of skin ailments. Leviticus 13 and 14 list at least seven medical conditions as ‘tsara’ath’, including scaly skin blemish.

All through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks of fulfilling the law and in doing so, goes beyond what the law asks. He not only cleanses the man but in fulfillment of the Jewish law, sends the man off to the priests to be examined. But what the Lord preached on the Mountain, He lived in the plains. Where human law built a wall, divine love built a bridge.

The authentic living of Jesus is seen in His first miracle in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus did not have to touch the leper. There are many healings that He performed that did not involve touching. Besides, this act would have made Him ‘unclean’ in the eyes of the law. Yet He touches, to demonstrate the visible sign of God’s love to even an ‘outcast’.

Jesus doesn’t distance Himself from our disease; He destroys it with His touch. The hands that shaped the universe were not afraid to touch our rot. Jesus didn’t just touch a disease; He touched a man who hadn’t been touched in years.

There is also the faith of the leper to be considered. In the Gospel, we are not told the name of this man. He is simply referred to by his condition: “a leper”. There is a reflection here for all of us. When you struggle with a problem long enough, your identity gets entirely consumed by your issues. You stop being you and start being known only by what is wrong with you. Don’t let a temporary affliction become a permanent definition.

Scripture also tells us of the humility with which the leprous man approaches our Lord. His humility is what the Gospel calls us to imitate, “if you choose, you can make we clean,” he says to Our Lord.

He risks everything to make his way to Jesus, for if discovered he could have been stoned. He sees in Jesus, a man of authority and puts his faith in Him.  ‘If you wish’ he says, ‘you can make me clean’. Desperation drove him to his knees yet faith kept him there.

There is no demand or instance in a healing, just a humble request and in that moment, the leper came face to faith. The man says, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Notice that the leper never doubts Jesus’ ability to heal him; he only questions Jesus’ willingness.

Often, we suffer from the same fear of wondering if Jesus would want to heal us. We ask ourselves, ‘what if, “God does it for others, but He won’t do it for me?’ We then ‘manage our expectations’ by staying at a safe distance from God so we don’t get disappointed. Take your petition to God but leave the healing to Him.

There is another question that runs through our minds. Why are some of us, devout as we are, never healed? In the Gospels, Jesus tells us that our healing is not for ourselves but to bring glory to God. Look at this man with leprosy, there was no demand or any pressure from him. He had heard Jesus speak of love and now in love he asks for what could have been turned down by the Lord.  True worship starts when we stop demanding and start submitting.

On a more reflective note, many of us also suffer from spiritual uncleanliness. Like leprosy, it ought to disgust us but sadly we may have grown used to living in our ‘sin colony.’ We were made for the kingdom, but we settle for the sin colony. The enemy doesn’t just want you dirty; he wants you comfortable in the dirt.

You cannot heal what you hide; take the mask off before the Master. Today, make an effort to take your uncleanness to the Lord with the same words of the leper, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.”  The moment you say ‘If you choose,’ you stop defending your past and start trusting His purpose. Jesus didn’t come to clean up the colony; He came to carry you out of it.

Spread the love ♥
       
Continue Reading
Faith

24th of June 2026 – Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist – Luke 1:57-66

The Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist offers a unique spiritual lens because it celebrates a beginning rather than an ending. Most saints are commemorated on the day of their death (their birth into heaven). However, John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary are solemnities celebrated at their earthly birth because their very entry into the world altered the trajectory of human history.

The solemnity of John the Baptist is strategically placed near the summer solstice, while Jesus’ birth is near the winter solstice. This directly mirrors John’s own words in John 3:30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” As the days grow shorter after June 24, the liturgy visually reinforces John stepping back to let Christ shine. There are several take aways from this solemnity

  1. When we look at his life, John provides the absolute standard for Christian ministry and preaching. He is a man of uncompromising truth and humility. He spoke truth to power, rebuking King Herod for his unlawful marriage, which cost John his life. This establishes the Church’s prophetic duty to challenge societal injustices. He teaches us that truth cannot be compromised for social acceptance or political safety. Speaking God’s truth requires holy courage, even when it is deeply unpopular or dangerous.

  2. Yet the ministry of John stemmed from his primary message; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This message is highly missing from modern churches because leaders fear it will run people off. Repentance isn’t behavior management; it is root-level surgery. If the root of your life is pride, greed, or self-preservation, no amount of outward religious pruning can save the tree

  3. Despite having a massive following and his own disciples, John never capitalized on his fame. John consistently redirected his disciples away from himself and toward Jesus, famously stating, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29). This remains the definitive goal of all Christian evangelization: to point to Christ, not the messenger. He teaches us that our talents, successes, and platforms are not meant to glorify ourselves, but to serve as signposts pointing others toward Christ.

John joyfully described himself not as the main attraction, but as the “friend of the bridegroom” who rejoices just to hear the bridegroom’s voice (John 3:29). In a culture obsessed with being the center of attention, John teaches us the deep spiritual freedom and joy that comes from embracing the specific role God gives us, even if it is behind the scenes. You don’t need to be the main attraction when your only job is to be a signpost. Decreasing our ego is the only way to increase His impact.

  1. Our Core Identity is a “Voice” for Christ. When asked who he was, John did not list his priestly lineage or his personal achievements; he simply quoted Isaiah: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord'” (John 1:23). He teaches us that our deepest identity is found in our divine purpose. Like John, every Christian is called to be a “voice” that prepares the hearts of the people around them to receive Jesus. John was content being the voice because he knew he wasn’t the Word

  2. John’s entire ministry was designed to be temporary. John was the voice; Jesus was the Word. John baptized with water; Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. John understood he was just the “jumper cables” used to spark the engine, not the generator itself. Christians need to stop carrying the weight of trying to be the source of everything for everyone. Your job is to introduce people to the Source, step out of the way, and let God do the heavy lifting.

While this Solemnity is rightly directed to St John the Baptist the Gospel also shines a light on his father.

Zechariah spent nine months in absolute silence. It wasn’t just a punishment; it was a forced womb of contemplation that prepared him to speak words of true praise. We need contemplation especially when we see panic in people when the Wi-Fi drops, our phone battery dies, or they are forced into an environment without digital noise. Our culture treats silence like an emergency to be solved.

God often uses seasons of forced stillness, isolation, or waiting to strip away our self-reliance. If you are currently in a quiet, frustrating season where nothing seems to be moving forward, look at it as a spiritual incubation period. God is shaping what you will say when it is finally time to speak

Spread the love ♥
       
Continue Reading
Faith

Saturday, 11the week in ordinary time – 20th June 2026 – Matthew 6:24-34

This text must be read as a composite unit. While it may seem to be two issues at hand verse 24 serves to state the issue while verses 25- 34 serve as the solution. Sadly, the titles to these scripture texts as they appear in our Bibles create an artificial and fallacious impression that these are two teaching; in reality they are one.

Society has changed a great deal since the time of Jesus. Definitions of poverty, wealth, and the good life are much different today than they were then. Yet even today, many of us may not fall in the category of affluence and wealth. Perhaps many of us have grown out of poverty into a growing middle class. The reality is often seen in our parents who lived through hard times and who continue to live in the ‘fear’ of an impending financial tragedy.

This fear is often seen in the poor. The poor who wander our streets, have no cupboards or refrigerators. The dirty hand bag they carry often serves as both. In it they store all kinds and all sorts out of fear of not getting another meal. Take this example to another level and apply it to ourselves. Most of us, like the poor on our streets, live in fear. The security we enjoy could disappear in a flash; a job loss, the death of a bread winner and so on. It is understandable why many of us would cling to our bank balances rather than to the word of God. Wealth competes with God for the human heart.

We often try to solve next year’s or next week’s problems with today’s energy. Jesus reminds us that God distributes grace daily. Jesus wants us to cling to him especially if our fear and insecurity of the future should turn into an obsession or even worse a crazed desire to hoard more, buy more and possess more. In doing that, we ‘despise’ the Lord, while being ‘devoted’ to our financial portfolios. It is in this light that verse 25 flows.

Of all Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, this is one of the more difficult sections to understand. Jesus’ words seem out of step with our society and on the surface, they lack coherence with the lives we are living. The Lord’s solution which seems simplistic is reflected in the ever-popular song of Bobby Mcferrin which dominated the 1980’s called “don’t worry be happy.”

 Five times in this text we are told to stop worrying about tomorrow as the troubles we have today are burdensome itself. It seems to suggest that one does not need to work or prepare for the future at all; we can simply relax knowing that God will take care of our needs.

Yet, ironically this is not just good practical advice but also sage spiritual advice. The attitude of dependence on the Lord must shine forth in our lives or else our needs become wants and our wants drive us to greed, driving our souls into the hands of satan. Materialism acts like an addiction; it promises that the next milestone of wealth will bring rest, but it only increases the fear of losing what you have. Remember, God doesn’t promise luxury; He promises sufficiency

Jesus does not condemn responsible planning; He condemns taking on the burdens of the future before they arrive. Anxiety exhausts tomorrow’s grace today. Jesus exposes worry not just as a bad habit, but as a spiritual identity crisis. When we obsess over security, we act like orphans rather than children of a loving Heavenly Father. Say to yourself today, ‘anxiety will not sit on my thoughts today; I am already approved, so I have nothing to prove.’

“Do not worry about what you will eat” in verse 6:25 does not mean that food is unimportant. Remember that the Lord himself asked that his followers to pray for “daily bread” (6:11). The issue is not what we eat or drink or wear but our trust in God to provide it. Jesus is addressing the basis for excessive worry and anxiety that can result from a life separated from God and this is the point being made.

In the text of today, Jesus treats money not as a neutral tool, but as a rival master or deity. In the ancient world, a slave could not divide their time between two owners; absolute allegiance was required. You either live for the accumulation of material things (seeking security in the temporal) or for God’s kingdom (seeking security in the eternal). Seek the King, and He will take care of the kingdom because the size of your bank account cannot buy the peace of your soul.

The life of discipleship is characterized by a life that is singular in its pursuit of God. It does not mean that we will not (or should not) acquire possessions, wealth, or need food, clothing and other necessities. Rather, once one is devoted to God, one adopts the values, behaviors and priorities that God affirms.

Spread the love ♥
       
Continue Reading
Faith

Tuesday, 11th week in ordinary time – 16th June 2026 – Matthew 5:43-48

The last of the hyper theses really tests the endurance of a disciple, for the challenge it poses is felt in our everyday life. “Love your enemies” seems like a winning statement for the Nobel Peace prize and yet those who have advocated it have been assassinated and put to death; Christ, Martin Luther and Gandhi to name a few.

Yet, it is interesting to note that world leaders winning the Nobel Peace prize call for peace, never for love! Peace without love is a truce ready to crumble. If peace is the canvas, then love is the paint. Without the color of affection, the picture is just a blank, grey slate.

The message advocated by Jesus to Christians is not some hopeless idealism. Remember that the hyper theses taught by Jesus, were a way to challenge the disciple towards being more and giving more as well as a strategy for overcoming the persecutor. Forgiveness doesn’t excuse their behavior; it prevents their poison from changing your character.

In presenting the last of these six hyper theses, Jesus is also contesting the false and twisted teaching of the Pharisees and Scribes. It is for this reason that He begins by saying, “you have heard it was said.”   The Pharisees and Scribes had conveniently twisted the law of God. Leviticus 19:18 says, “you shall love your neighbour as yourself,” it never said you shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. This was clearly a misrepresentation of the teachings of Moses. Clearly the blasphemers were the ‘teachers’ of the law themselves.

Jesus corrects this teaching when He asks us to ‘love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.’  For the Jews at the time of Jesus, the concept of a neighbour was another Jewish brother or sister. To love a Jew who was your brother or your sister was considered mandatory. Teaching one to hate everyone else was tantamount to nothing short of religious sponsored racial and ethnic discrimination; one that even chose to exterminate the other physically.

It is for this reason that when Jesus was asked by the young man, “who is my neighbour?” He launches into what was to become a parable told across faiths. The parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ is more than a ‘feel- good story.’ The Samaritan was viewed by the Jews as an outsider and an enemy. Strangely, it is he who proves to be a neighbour and friend to a Jew, who perhaps, with his sanctioned religious hate, may not have been as kind should the roles be reversed.

Jesus also realises the frailty of human nature when it comes to loving our enemy and that’s why his next word after “forgive” is, “pray.”  It is human folly, if not arrogance, to believe that we have the power to forgive if that grace does not come through prayer. Praying for your persecutors changes the atmosphere around the conflict, starting with your own heart.

It is prayer that warms the heart and cools the sting. No wonder then, that the prayer given to us by Our Lord Jesus, as a pattern for all prayer has in it the words, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Loving those who love you is just an echo. Loving your enemy is a brand-new conversation.

These words spoken on the ‘Mount of Beatitudes’ are lived by Jesus on the ‘Mount of Calvary’, when nailed to a cross; Jesus utters the prayer, “Father forgive them”. Jesus is not merely offering forgiveness in words he is offering it in prayer to the Father.  Forgiveness must be accompanied by prayer, then progress is made, then ‘perfection is experienced’.

The truth is that Jesus did not see those who put him to death as ‘enemies’. He never stopped loving them and because he loved them, he saw and considered them friends who were misguided. “Father,” he said, “forgive them for they know not what they do.” Don’t let the bitterness of your enemies dictate the boundaries of your heart. Remember, we reach spiritual completeness not when we stop making mistakes, but when we stop withholding grace

If you want to get someone off your hit list, then place them in your prayer list.

Spread the love ♥
       
Continue Reading