A Jesuit Adventure

  23 aug Isaiah 22:19-23 , Romans 11:33-36 , Matthew 16:13-20   My dear friends today we celebrate the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. Today's readings invite us to reflect on trust, servant leadership, and our personal relationship with Jesus. They challenge us not only to ask, “Who is Jesus?” but also to ask, “Who is Jesus for me, and who am I becoming because I know Him?” The first reading from the prophet Isaiah speaks about a change in leadership during a difficult period in the history of Judah. Jerusalem was under threat from the powerful Assyrian empire. Shebna was an important royal official, but he had become proud and concerned more about his own position and honour than about serving the people. God removes him and chooses Eliakim in his place. God calls him “my servant” and says that he will be “a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” He is given “the key of the house of David”, a sign of authority and responsibility. God will also fasten him ...

  16 Aug Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 ; Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 ; Matthew 15:21-28   My dear friends today we celebrate the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. Today’s readings remind us that God’s mercy has no boundaries and His love leaves no one outside—but learning to trust that mercy often requires us to cross the boundaries we have built in our own hearts. The first reading taken from the prophet Isaiah comes from the period after the Babylonian exile, when the Israelites had returned to Jerusalem and were trying to rebuild their community and identity. Having suffered so much, there was a temptation to protect themselves by keeping outsiders at a distance. But Isaiah presents a different vision of God’s people. God says, “Maintain justice and do what is right.” He then makes an extraordinary promise: foreigners who love the Lord and keep his covenant will be welcomed into his house. Their offerings will be accepted, and God’s house will be called “a house of prayer for a...

  9 Aug 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a , Romans 9:1-5 , Matthew 14:22-33   My dear friends today we celebrate the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. Today's readings invite us to listen for God's gentle voice and trust His presence even when the waves around us seem overwhelming. After his great victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah expected Israel to return to God. Instead, Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him. Afraid and exhausted, Elijah fled into the wilderness and finally reached Mount Horeb (Sinai), the mountain where God had once revealed Himself to Moses. Elijah hid in a cave, discouraged and convinced that his mission had failed. It was there that God chose to meet him in an unexpected way. God told Elijah to stand on the mountain. A powerful wind tore through the rocks, then came an earthquake, and then a fire. These dramatic signs often symbolized God's presence in the Old Testament. Yet, the Lord was not in any of them. Finally, Elijah h...

  2 Aug Isaiah 55:1-3 ; Romans 8:35, 37-39 ; Matthew 14:13-21   We all experience moments when our resources seem too small for the challenges before us. The readings on t he Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A invite us to trust in God's abundant generosity, His unfailing love, and His power to multiply whatever we place in His hands. The first reading taken from the prophet Isaiah gives us one of the most beautiful invitations in the Bible. The prophet speaks to the people of Israel who were returning from exile in Babylon. They had experienced loss, disappointment, and uncertainty. Through Isaiah, God invites them to begin again. Instead of condemning them for their failures, God calls them with tenderness: "Come, everyone who thirsts The images of water, wine, and milk symbolize the abundant blessings that God freely offers—life, joy, nourishment, and satisfaction. The people are invited to receive these gifts "without money and without price." This ...

26 July 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 ; Romans 8:28-30 ; Matthew 13:44-52   Many people spend their lives searching for success, security, or happiness, believing that one more achievement or possession will finally satisfy them. On this Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, the readings invite us to ask a deeper question: What is the greatest treasure we are truly seeking? After the death of King David, Solomon became king of Israel. He was young and inexperienced, and his rise to the throne had not been without political tension. God invited Solomon with an extraordinary question: "Ask what I should give you." Instead of asking for wealth, a long life, or victory over his enemies, Solomon admitted his limitations. He described himself as "only a little child," not because of his age but because he recognized that leadership was beyond his own abilities. His request was unique: he asked for "a listening heart" (Hebrew: lev shomea ). Many English transla...

  19 July Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 ; Romans 8:26-27 , Matthew 13:24-43   Have you ever asked, "Why doesn't God remove all evil?" or "Is God really listening to my prayers?" Today's readings on the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A answer both questions by revealing a God who is patient, merciful, and always at work through His Spirit. The Book of Wisdom was written around the first century BC for Jews living in Alexandria, Egypt, who were surrounded by Greek culture and beliefs. The author reminds them that the God of Israel is unlike any other god. He is the one true God who cares for all people and governs the world with both justice and mercy. In today's reading, we discover a beautiful truth about God: His power is revealed not through harsh punishment but through patient love. Unlike human rulers who often use power to control others, God uses His strength to show mercy. Because God is all-powerful, He does not need to prove His power throu...