Palm Sunday :B: March 28,2021

 HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID                  (The triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem)

Processional Gospel: Mark 11:1-10

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7

Second Reading: Philippians 2: 6-11

Gospel Reading: Mark 14: 1 to 15:41

   *With Palm Sunday we begin the Holy week celebrations. Today we recall to mind Jesus' entry into the Jerusalem city to accomplish the Paschal mystery. The memorial of that historical event is celebrated during the Holy Mass with blessing of palms followed by the procession. Gospel from St. Mark gives us a glimpse of the events of that day when Jesus entered Jerusalem before the Paschal Feast. Thousands of people were in the city. Jesus started His journey from the village of Bethsaida. He sat on a colt and entered the city with people shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David." Jesus thus openly acknowledged that He was indeed a humble King and the long awaited Messiah(the anointed one). By His triumphant entry, Jesus invites us to acknowledge Him as our King and Messiah.

   *First reading is from the book of Isaiah. Prophet Isaiah speaks of the suffering servant of  the Lord God, the one who in spite of suffering and rejection, carries out his mission and totally trusts in the providence and guidance of the Lord God.

   *Second reading is from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians. Paul asserts that Jesus was indeed in the form of God. But He became human and He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death so that we all might be saved. He accepted death on a cross but the Father has made Him Lord of heaven and earth. He reminds us that humiliation, sufferings and death are necessary to enter into glory.

Passion narrative:                                                                                    Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark's narration of the passion and death of Jesus. In the first part of today's Gospel, we have the scene from the Last Supper where Jesus instituted the Eucharist and gave Himself to His beloved disciples in the form of bread and wine.                                                            In the second part, Jesus prays at the garden of Gethsemane where He was deeply disturbed and troubled. In the garden He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and later the denial by Peter took place.                          In the third part, Jesus is condemned to die on the cross by the Roman Governor Pilate who was pressurised by the Jewish authorities. When He was hanging on the cross He was derided and ridiculed. At the point of death of Jesus, a Roman soldier made a profession of faith in the crucified Son of God. 

The happenings of the Holy week gives us an opportunity to look at our own lives. We must accept our sins and failures. Let us stop blaming circumstances and other people. What shines out from this dark week is the bright light of Christ's love for us. LET THE PASSION STORY INSPIRE US TO TRY IN OUR OWN WAY TO IMITATE THE CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

"Palm Sunday tells us that ....it is the cross that is the true tree of life." - Pope Benedict XVI

"Ride on.. ride on in majesty. In lowly pomp ride on to die. O Christ, thy triumph now begin O'er captive death and conquered sin." - Henry H Millman 

"Sunday Homilies with Fr. Joy Joseph SVD " is available on YouTube. Kindly subscribe.The link of the Palm Sunday B: is given below: Palm Sunday: B, March 28, 2021

Also the link for the Good Friday B: "Seven words of Jesus from the Cross" is                         given below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJG0kMEjS2c

Fifth Sunday of Lent: B: March 21, 2021

 THE GRAIN OF WHEAT MUST DIE TO BEAR FRUIT

First Reading: Jeremiah 31: 31-34

Second Reading: Hebrews 5: 7-9

Gospel Reading: John 12: 20-33

   *First reading is from the book of Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah tells the people of Israel that the Lord God will not forsake them. He assures them that the Lord God will make a new covenant with Israel. Knowledge of the Lord God and His unconditional forgiveness will be the hallmark of the new covenant. This new covenant will be written in their hearts and the Lord God will not remember their sins anymore. This is the wonderful assurance of the Lord for everyone of us. 

   *Second reading is from the book of Hebrews. The passion and the anguish which the Lord Jesus had to undergo are given in detail. He prayed with loud cries in moments of His sufferings especially during His passion. In this way He not only gave us an example but also because of us He became the source of eternal life.  By His sufferings Jesus did atonement for the disobedience of humankind. 

Gaining and losing life                                                                  Today's Gospel reading is from St. John. The imminent death of Jesus is predicted. Jesus knew that He had to suffer and die. He must face the loss of His freedom, the loss of His friends, the loss of support from the Father and finally the loss of His own life. He knew that His pain and losses cannot be avoided if  the Father's name is to be glorified.                                                                                                 Jesus' radical act of self giving stands at the center of our lives. Jesus compares Himself to a grain of wheat that dies in order to bear much fruit. The great loss of Jesus' life has become the very ground of our hope. Often we too are at a loss to explain our own losses - our sufferings and our pains. Dying to one's own self would mean sacrificing ourselves for the sake of others. This dying to self is a gradual process. It can be expressed in the following words:                                                           "Every act of love involves dying to selfishness. Every act kindness involves dying to meanness. Every act of courage involves dying to cowardice. Every act of forgiveness involves dying to bitterness." - F. MaCarthy. 

"Sunday Homilies with Fr. Joy Joseph SVD" is available on YouTube. Kindly subscribe. The link for the Fifth Sunday of Lent: B: is given below: Fifth Sunday of Lent: B

Fourth Sunday of Lent: B: March 14, 2021

        GOD'S LOVE FOR HUMANKIND

First Reading: 2 Chronicles 36: 14-16 and 19-23

Second Reading: Ephesians 2: 4-10

Gospel Reading: John 3: 14-21

   *First reading is from the second book of Chronicles. The conquest of Israel by the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar is described. Jerusalem temple was destroyed and the people were taken to Babylon as captives. They had to suffer much for over sixty years. The Lord God showed mercy on His chosen people and kindled their hope of liberation when Cyrus became King of Babylon. Through an edict Cyrus freed them from their slavery. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Ephesians. Paul explains to the Ephesian Christian community and all of us the great mercy and love of God. He emphasises the gratuitousness of the gift of faith we have received. He cautions us not to take our salvation as the fruit of our works but as a result of God's grace working in us. 

God sent His Son Jesus                                                           Today's Gospel reading is from St. John. The wonderful and great love of God for humankind is expressed by John. The primary meaning of this passage is about our life after death. It gives us an assurance of a continuation of our life after death: that is eternal life. The secondary meaning is that it speaks of eternal life even now with the coming of Jesus, the Son of God. God sent His Son to be with us every moment of our lives. If we believe in Jesus, we will live with Him. Through our life in Jesus we get the assurance and the strength to overcome everyone of our crises and problems. Lent is the time to experience this love of God through His Son Jesus. 

"When one loves, one does not calculate." - St. Theresa of Lisieux

"Love  begins at home and it is not how much we do but how much love we put in that action." - St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

"No reason needed for loving." - Paulo Coelho

"Sunday Homilies with Fr. Joy Joseph SVD" is available on YouTube. Kindly subscribe. The link for the Fourth Sunday of Lent :B,  is given below:  4th Sunday of Lent : B

Third Sunday of Lent: B: March 7,2021

MY HOUSE IS A HOUSE OF PRAYER

First Reading: Exodus 20: 1-17

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1: 22-25

Gospel Reading: John 2: 13-25

   * First reading is from the book of Exodus. How the Lord God gave the ten commandments to Moses is described. It also explains to us how these commandments are to observed by the chosen people of God. These commandments are the road maps for the people to lead a holy life pleasing to the Lord God. They were told to observe them to have a special relationship with the Lord God. Hence these commandments are to regulate and to govern their relationship with the Lord God and fellow humans. 

   * Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. Paul is at great pains to explain to the Christian community in Corinth that the crucified Christ is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. But in truth it is the power and the wisdom of God. 

Jesus cleanses the Jerusalem temple                                                 Today's Gospel reading is from St. John. The happenings at Jerusalem temple when Jesus arrived there are narrated. Often in the Gospels we meet a Jesus who is compassionate, kind and forgiving. But in today's Gospel we meet a Jesus who is full of zeal for His Father's house. The context is the misuse or abuse of the temple and its premises where less of worship of God and more of  trading and business was taking place. People from different parts of the world came to Jerusalem temple to offer sacrifices. The temple premises looked more like a market place rather than a place of worship. There were money changers and those who were selling pigeons, goats and other sacrificial animals. Jesus was disturbed and pained to see all these unholy activities taking place there. Jesus was deeply disgusted by the desecration of the temple. So He told them, "You shall not make my Father's house into a house of trade." Then He made a whip and drove out all those who were buying and selling and exchanging money.                                                                        This action of Jesus should make us reflect and help us to stand against distortion of values in the Church and in the society at large. It is a specific warning for us not to make places of worship into places of business.  

"The risen Lord is the new Temple, the real meeting place between God and man." - Pope Benedict XVI

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Second Sunday of Lent: B: February 28, 2021

 THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS

First Reading: Genesis 22: 1-2 and 9-13 and 15-18

Second Reading: Romans 8: 31-34

Gospel Reading: Mark 9: 2-10

   * First reading is from the book of Genesis. The story of Abraham the Father of faith is narrated. In spite of his faithfulness to the Lord God, he was severely tested by the Lord God. Sara and Abraham were advanced in age when they were blessed with a son as promised by the Lord God. But unexpectedly the Lord God asked Abraham to offer Isaac  his beloved son as a sacrificial offering. Although he was totally confused and broken by this request, he did not falter but decided  to sacrifice Isaac as asked by the Lord God. When Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, the Lord God spared his son and instead Abraham was told to sacrifice a ram. Seeing his trust and total obedience to the Lord God he was greatly blessed by the Lord God. He was promised that his descendants would be as many as the stars in heaven. 

   * Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Romans. Paul instructs the Christians in Rome and us that in Jesus we have an intermediary who will never fail us. He says if God is for us, who can ever be against us? Through these words Paul speaks to us the depth of God's love for us. God did not spare even His own son but gave Him up for us. 

Jesus on Mount Tabor                                                                      Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. The transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor is narrated. Jesus with three of His beloved disciples climbed the Mount Tabor. On the mountain top, He was transfigured in the presence of His disciples. He was covered with  heavenly glory. The disciples were overwhelmed and were happy by this heavenly experience. The presence of Moses and Elijah - two towering figures of Old Testament- is a sign that Jesus is the fulfilment of all that has been foretold in the Old Testament. Jesus' momentary change of bodily appearance and the voice of the Father confirms that Jesus is truly sent by God the Father.                                                                The transfiguration event is both comforting and challenging for us. It is comforting because we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus is truly the Son of God and beloved of the Father. It is challenging because the Father invites us to listen to His Son and follow His teachings and be witnesses to Him in our lives. If we are faithful to the Lord, we too will one day experience this heavenly experience. 

"At His transfiguration Christ showed His disciples the splendor of His heavenly beauty, to which He will shape and colour those who are His." - St. Thomas Aquinas. 

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First Sunday of Lent:B: February 21, 2021

 REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL

First Reading: Genesis 9: 8-15

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3: 18-22

Gospel Reading: Mark 1: 12-15

   * First reading is from the book of Genesis. The floods that took place at the time of Noah are described. After the floods the Lord God made a covenant with Noah that there will never again be such a deluge. The Lord God's pact with Noah and his sons tells us about God's unfailing fidelity and benevolence towards the humankind. The rainbow was given as a sign of the covenant between the Lord God and the humankind. 

   *Second reading is from the first letter of St. Peter. The flood waters at the time of Noah and the waters of baptism are compared. Peter tells the Christian community that the waters of flood during the time of Noah symbolizes the waters of our baptism by which we are saved. As Noah and his family were saved, it is through our baptism that we are saved and we enter into a new covenant and a new relationship with God. Peter exhorts all of us to live according to the Christian faith, no matter what trials we have to endure because of it. 

The temptations of Jesus                                          Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. A brief narrative of the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness is given. Jesus went through a time of serious reflection and faced challenges during those days in the desert. As we know from past experiences athletes prepare themselves for long duration before any event. Similarly professionals and artists rehearse painstakingly for long hours. So also good teachers prepare themselves meticulously. Before starting His public ministry Jesus went into the desert to prepare Himself for the divine task entrusted to Him by the heavenly Father. He had to purify His mind and cleanse His heart. The Evangelist narrates Jesus' going into the desert to combat the devil and concludes with His victorious emergence. Jesus emerged from His forty days of fasting and prayer and prepared Himself for the ultimate victory over Satanic powers. As we enter into the holy season of Lent, like Jesus we need to renew ourselves spiritually by fasting, prayer and almsgiving. In a sense, we too go into the desert with Jesus. We are urged to keep the last verse of today's Gospel throughout the Lent: "Repent and believe in the Gospel."

"Lent comes providentially to reawaken us to shake us from our lethargy." - Pope Francis. 

"As Lent is the time for greater love, listen to Jesus' thirst... Repent and believe... Jesus tells us." - St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. 

"Lent is a time to renew whenever we are in that process, that I call divine therapy." - Thomas Keating

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Sixth Sunday of the Year: B: February 14, 2021

                    JESUS HEALS A LEPER

First Reading: Leviticus 13: 1-2 and 45-46

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10: 31 to 11:1

Gospel Reading: Mark 1: 40-45

   *First reading is from the book of Leviticus. The wretched condition of lepers in Old Testament times is described in detail. During those days leprosy made a person physically, spiritually and socially an outcast. He/she was unwanted in the society. As long as the disease lasted, a leper was forced to stay out of his/her home in some secluded place. Lepers were considered ritually unclean and they were compelled to live far away from any human habitations. 

   *Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. Paul urges Christians in Corinth not to offend anyone but to do good  to everyone at all times. He reminds them and all of us that in whatever we do we have to give glory to God the Father. He gives his own example and tells us that he gives glory to God by being a perfect imitator of Jesus Christ and does everything for the good of others. 

I will; be clean.                                                                     Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. It narrates the dramatic way Jesus healed a leper. This man implored Jesus to heal him from leprosy. Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and healed him. The leprosy mentioned in the Gospel symbolizes all the external and internal illness that we suffer from. While healing this leper Jesus did the unthinkable for a Jew of that time to do. He reached out and touched this suffering man. Jesus could have very well healed the man without touching him. By this action, Jesus gave him dignity and showed that this man too is very precious in the eyes of God. By His touch and consoling words Jesus not only healed the wounds and pains of leprosy but also the wounds caused by rejection which was inflicted on him by the society.                                                              St. Damien of Molokai is a prime example of a person who tried to emulate Jesus by his love, concern and care for lepers. After working for the wellbeing of lepers for many years, he too contracted leprosy and died of leprosy. The following words are written on his tomb. "Love never fails." - 1Corinthians 13:8. During these days of Covid-19, we too are faced with social distancing, loneliness and isolation. Jesus who healed the leper may heal  all who suffer due to the effects of this pandemic. 

"The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis but rather the feeling of being unwanted." - St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta.