top of page

SOCL, 5C

Updated: Mar 15


ree

Sunday February 09, 2025


Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.


See


Discipleship breaks down our religious categorizations. We look at Christ's first followers through the lens of retrospective holiness, forgetting they were ordinary people whose hands smelled of fish and whose lives were marked by the routine of daily work. This spiritual amnesia robs us of the revolutionary essence of Christ's call.


On the shores of the lake, Christ did not seek refined theologians or accomplished mystics. He chose those who knew the weight of empty nets and the frustration of fruitless work. The call to discipleship is not an invitation to abandon the ordinary, but to allow the divine to break through in the midst of our most mundane routines.


The paradox persists: it is precisely in our ordinariness where Christ performs the extraordinary. Peter's boat becomes a chair of theology, and the empty nets become testimony to divine abundance. Today, our desks, kitchens, and workshops are the new settings where the "follow me" resonates with renewed urgency.


Listen



Reflect


(Luke 5:1-11)


-Contemplate the scene: Peter, exhausted after a fruitless night, encounters Christ in his moment of professional failure. Where are your empty nets? Allow your vulnerability to become the meeting point with the divine.


-"Master, at your word I will let down the nets." Peter's obedience challenges the logic of his fishing experience. What professional or personal certainties do you need to release to make space for Christ's transforming word?


-The nets break with unexpected abundance. The miracle exceeds human capacity to contain it. What self-imposed limits are containing the grace that God wants to pour into your life?


-"Do not be afraid." These words resound when divine reality surpasses our expectations. What fears do you need to name before the Lord to take the next step in your discipleship?


Pray


Lord of the ordinary and extraordinary, who transforms routines into sacred encounters and weaknesses into points of grace, grant us the audacity to recognize you in the midst of our daily failures. Break the molds of our limited understanding and take us into deep waters, where our certainties dissolve in the mystery of your grace. May our discipleship be as radical as that of those first fishermen who left everything to follow you.



 
 
 

SOCL, 4C

Updated: Mar 15


ree

Sunday February 02, 2025


Presentation in the Temple.


See


Our Gospel today describes two very old people—Simeon and Anna—who are very attractive in their old age. They have lived prayerful lives of faith and, in particular, of hope and expectation. Being wise, they are people of discernment and they recognise the moment of grace, the coming of the Messiah. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be like them in old age? The secret is to be now what we hope to be then. If we wish to be serene, wise, discerning, full of faith—then now is the time: As St Paul says: “See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor 6:2)


Listen



Reflect


(Luke 2:22-40)


-It was a day that started without any expectation of something unusual. It turned out to be a day with a meeting they would remember for a long time. Perhaps you have had signicant meetings on what you expected to be just an ordinary day?


-Simeon gave thanks because his eyes saw the salvation God had prepared. In what ways have you experienced God’s salvation in your life: an experience of being loved, or discovering a sense of purpose in life, or being touched by the wonders of creation? Give thanks for those memories.


-Simeon also acknowledged that not all would accept the light that would shine through Jesus, and this rejection would be a cause of pain to Mary. It can be a source of pain to parents, teachers, church ministers, and all who work for others when some reject values, projects, advice which would be for their good. Even within ourselves we can be aware of division, at times being open to the light of God and at other times resisting it. Have you known the pain of that struggle? What has helped you to keep seeking the light of God in your life?


-The nal sentence speaks of Jesus as one who grew and became strong and was lled with wisdom. Recall times when you had a sense of growing up in some way. What brought that about? Think also of how you have seen growth in another person.


Pray


Inspired by your Spirit, Lord, we gather in your temple to welcome your Son. Enlighten our minds and lay bare our inmost thoughts. Purify your people, and make us obedient to the demands of your law, so that we may mature in wisdom and grow to full stature in your grace. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.



 
 
 

SOCL, 3C

Updated: Mar 15


ree

Sunday January 26, 2025


Today, this Scripture has been fulled in your hearing.


See


In this pivotal moment, Jesus reveals both His identity and mission. Standing in His hometown synagogue, He bridges ancient prophecy with present fulfillment. The careful investigation of Luke meets the bold declaration of Jesus, showing how God's promises find their "today" in Christ. This isn't just historical documentation - it's a living proclamation that continues to echo: good news for the poor, freedom for captives, sight for the blind, liberation for the oppressed. Jesus announces that God's time of favor isn't just coming - it's here, now, in our hearing.


Listen



Reflects


(Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21)


-Jesus was led with the Spirit and sent. He came bursting with a message to communicate. When have you had the experience of being enthused by something in that way? Who have been the people you met who had that kind of enthusiasm?


-The message Jesus had was one of liberation and he told his listeners that it was being fulled even as they listened. When have you had a now moment of liberation? When has bible reading been an experience of liberation for you?


-His message was addressed to those who were poor, oppressed, blind, or captives. Who are these today? In what ways have I been, or am I, among these? How has the message of Jesus been good news for you, freed you, given you new sight, or revealed God’s favour to you?


Pray


Spirit of the living God, who anointed Jesus to proclaim liberation and healing, anoint us also to recognize Your presence in our "today," empower us to share Your good news, and help us become living fulfillments of Your promises to our world.



 
 
 
bottom of page