Author: [email protected]

Categories
HOMILIES

THE WAKING DEAD

240942This reflection is on John 11:1-45.

For some time now, I’ve been hooked on the TV series “The Walking Dead.” It’s a secret guilty pleasure that I’ve indulged myself in, having watched all its four seasons now. “The Walking Dead,” of course, are the zombies, euphemistically nicknamed “walkers”  in the series for their peculiar gait. The show is filled with those half-decaying ex-humans who awaken from their death and live on human flesh, in the process, infecting others to “turn”–yet another euphemism for becoming zombies.

However, as the plot thickens (and sickens!), one begins to wonder if the term “walking dead” refers less to those mindless zombies and more to those desperately trying to survive the apocalypse by resorting to every possible–not always humane–resort.

Continue reading “THE WAKING DEAD”
Categories
HOMILIES

LONG-DISTANCE HEALING

This homily was delivered on 31 March 2014 on John 4:43-54.miracle39[1]

While this Gospel story transpires after our Lord’s encounter with the Samaritan woman, I can’t help but read this in the context of yesterday’s gospel on the healing of the blind man.

Continue reading “LONG-DISTANCE HEALING”
Categories
HOMILIES

BEYOND HAPPY ENDINGS

jesus_healing_blindThis reflection is on the healing of the blind man in John 9:1-41.

There is something awesome, strange, and sad about this story of our Lord’s  healing of the blind man. It’s a very special miracle for a couple of reasons.

First of all, it is one of our Lord’s most astonishing healing miracle. The man had been born blind, so this was a most important moment in this one person’s life–someone who had never seen anything all his life, who probably did not even have a grasp of the concept of colors, and now for the very first time, was going to see!

Continue reading “BEYOND HAPPY ENDINGS”
Categories
HOMILIES

LEARNING FROM PHARISEES AND PUBLICANS

pharisaeer-und-zoellner-grThis homily was delivered on 29 March 2014 based on Luke 18:9-14.

We’re all familiar with this short and simple parable of the Pharisee and Publican. Listening to the parable, we get the feeling that we’ve met these characters before. It’s not just because we’ve actually heard this parable many times, but also because both the Pharisee and the Publican have made their appearances in other Gospel passages–though in different guises.

There is the Parable of the Lost Son, which seems like a straightforward enough parable about God’s mercy until the understandably resentful–and also understandably self-righteous–elder brother shows up in the end, refusing to join his brother’s welcome party, and in the process, revealing the Pharisee inside him.

Continue reading “LEARNING FROM PHARISEES AND PUBLICANS”
Categories
LENTEN RECOLLECTIONS RECOLLECTIONS

Pre-Online Holy Week Retreat Survey 2014


Washing Feet Cleansing Temples online reco.001

To prepare for our online retreat, let’s think about what we are giving up this Lent.

Continue reading “Pre-Online Holy Week Retreat Survey 2014”