The first reading tells us how David, after defeating all his enemies, was anointed king over all of Israel. His kingdom great and powerful, became the image and symbol of the kingdom of peace and justice that God would... (Click on title to read full reflection)

A certain religious sect, the members of which seem to like to knock on our doors, has predicted the end of the world five times-all within the twentieth century. Scientists assure us that one day, billions of years from now, the world would end because the sun, a source of energy, will exhaust its fuel. The Church teaches that the world, and indeed the universe will end, but not in the way or at the time that either this religious sect or some scientists believe. (Click title to read full reflection)

Not just some, but ''everyone is alive'', says Jesus in the gospel of today. These words of the Master give the theme joining the three readings of this Sunday together. When we speak of resurrection, we must however be careful: we might understand it wrongly, we might take it to mean like the Pharisees and the Sadducees at the time of Jesus, i.e. an improvement of the life in this world. The story of the woman with seven husbands as well as all other misunderstandings between believers and unbelievers come from this wrong idea. The first reading is revealing the first solemn statement of the Bible on life beyond death. This truth, so central to our faith, will be fully revealed by Jesus. The faith in the resurrection modifies our whole way of looking at human existence. It must be nourished by prayer and this is what Paul recommends in the second reading. As Christians, we believe that prayers and sufferings for the faithful departed are very important and valuable, but are to be understood correctly, that is, in accordance with our belief in eternal life and in the communion of saints. That, the sufferings for the faithful departed are founded on the certainty that the resurrection of Christ has removed all barriers separating the living from the dead. They are now forming one family all together, even though not all of them are in the same state or condition. We the living, are like children in the womb of the mother awaiting our birth time; our departed brothers instead have already entered into the new life. We are united by a deep and strong bond. When here on earth we gather for the Eucharistic banquet, we know that we are in communion with our brothers and sisters in heaven. We are sure that our remembrance and prayer make them happy and increase our love as well as theirs, buoy up our wish and hope of being one day with Christ and with them. Through prayer we tell those who have gone before us into the house of the Father, that we are happy that they are with God, though we feel the sorrow of their disappearance. Did they have defects? Did they make mistakes? Yes, but we have now forgotten all these things, they have been burnt up, purified by the “fire” of the love of God. Amen.

All that God has created is good. The first reading says that God loves all his creatures, otherwise he would not have made them. How can man then hate something or somebody? (Click Title to read full reflection.)

It’s my thought that the gospel of today will not be easily understood unless we keep in mind what the first reading teaches us of the justice of God. God is just, says Ben Sira, not because he grants each person what that person deserves, but because he saves the poor and listens to the cry of the miserable and defenseless. The gospel is telling us that God has this same attitude: he is moved by the publican who only presents his miseries and sins. Also, the second reading could be seen in this light. Paul is saying that one day he will receive from God the ‘’crown’’ that he, the just judge, will give to all those who have spent their lives for the sake of the Gospel. He is expecting it as a gift, not as a prize due to him. Most of times people are inclined to form groups, to split up into classes scorning each other. These groups may be based on culture or education, on wealth, on age, on sympathies. We notice how the beautiful like to stay with the beautiful, the rich like to be with the rich, republicans with republicans, democrats with democrats and the like. But do you know what is the worst separation? The one dividing people into upright and sinners, into those who have merits and those who have no merit. The Pharisee is trying to enlist God into the group of the upright, wants him to be a Pharisee, a ‘’separated’’ one. But God does not accept this. If he must take side, he prefers to be on the side of the sinner! And he finishes his parable with this phrase, ‘’Everyone who raises himself will be humbled, but anyone who humbles himself will be raised up.’’ Seems to tell us that God finds his amusement in irritating those who behave better than others. It is not so. ‘’Everyone who raises himself’’ is not addressed to the proud ones but to those who put their trust in their merits. Such a person, if he doesn’t want to be empty-handed in front of God, must accept to become like a little child, like a poor person and a debtor. Once he has this attitude he can be filled up with gifts by the Lord, as it happened to Mary, the poor and humble servant in whom the Almighty has done great things.