God “predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:5). When writing to the Christians in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul is lifting the veil on the loving purpose of God, inviting us to contemplate how the eternal counsel of the Father is at […]
The Crucified King and the Promise of Paradise
The Gospel of St. Luke 23:35–43 brings us to Golgotha, the place where the salvation of the world was accomplished through a sacrifice offered in silence, humility, and immeasurable love. The Cross is not viewed as the end of Christ’s mission, but rather as His throne and His victory. The icon of the Crucifixion never […]
Treasures That Neither Fade nor Fail
(St. Luke 12:32-34) In today’s reading of the Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke we are given a consolation that has encouraged the faithful in every age. Christ speaks with a fatherly tenderness that dispels anxiety, assuring His disciples that they are not abandoned wanderers in a hostile world, but a “little flock” held securely […]
A Eucharistic Encounter on the Road to Emmaus
The account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, as read in Saint Luke 24:13–35, is not only a consoling resurrection story; it is a luminous catechesis on how the risen Christ continues to be present in His Church. Saint Luke’s narrative shows a movement from sorrow to joy, from confusion to understanding, from […]
The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
The Apostle’s language in 1 Corinthians 3:9–11, 16–17 is both bracing and consoling. He speaks of us as “God’s building” and “God’s temple,” thus uniting identity and vocation. The phrase should not be thought of as a compliment for our vanity, but rather as a charge to live in a manner befitting the presence we […]
The Lord’s Table and Our Excuses
(St. Luke 14:15-24) This parable of the Great Supper has kept me company many times. I picture a table already laid, a host waiting with hope, and a door that stands open. The words, “Now all things are ready,” rest the heart. They remind me that our Lord begins before we begin. He is not […]
The Healing Power of Forgiveness
Few words in the Christian faith carry as much weight as the word forgive. It is simple to say, yet deeply demanding when we are called to live it. Forgiveness stands at the very centre of the Christian life, for it was upon the Cross that Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not […]
Why Christians Must Remain Separate from the World
Today we take up a hard and necessary word from the Lord—to live in the world, yet to be not of the world. Our Saviour prayed for us in His great high-priestly prayer, “I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from evil. They are […]
The Virtue of Silence and the Guarding of Speech
There is great wisdom in knowing when to speak and when to keep silent. Many a soul has found itself in needless conflict because words were spoken hastily, without knowledge of the full circumstance. Judgement, once uttered, cannot easily be recalled; it has the power to wound both the speaker and the one spoken of. […]
Humility in the Presence of God
(Homily on Luke 18:9–14) In reading Luke 18:9-14, we see that our Lord sets before us a tender yet searching parable. Two men ascend to the Temple to pray—one a Pharisee of established reputation, the other a publican burdened with public disgrace. Both stand in the place of prayer and both speak to God, yet […]