22 Sunday A

1.     From Fr. Tony Kadavil’s Collection 

Valerie Price, Maximilian Kolbe and Dom Helder Camara:

Here is the story of three Christians who accepted the challenge of Christian discipleship given in today’s Gospel, by “denying themselves, taking up their crosses and following Jesus." Twenty-three year-old Valerie Price went to Somalia to work as a nurse. She wanted to help people who had nothing. She wanted to offer them a better way of life. Valerie was concerned about her safety, but nothing could stop her from doing her work. She was put in charge of a feeding center in Mogadishu. Through her efforts, children who had been near starvation were fed. Valerie even established a school so the children could learn and have some hope for the future. She became nationally known for her committed service.  Valerie, however, was killed by armed bandits outside the school she had started.   She was willing to risk her life to help other people. 

21 Sunday A - Who do you say I am?

Fr. Jude Botelho:

Search and you may find…
Late one evening Jerry lost the key of his moneybox and went down on fours looking for it outside. His neighbours joined him in searching under streetlights until all were exhausted. “Where did you lose the key?” asked a concerned friend. “Inside my house,” replied Jerry. “Then why look for it outside?” “Because,” explained Jerry, “there is more light outside than inside my house!” We often look for keys in wrong places and, ironically, the key to understand today’s readings is a key: of the House of David in the first reading and of the kingdom of heaven in the gospel. On April 24, 2005, at his installation as Pontiff, Benedict XVI described himself as “weak servant of God” showing deep awareness of being servant of servant. Likewise, on Oct. 22, 1978, when Pope John Paul II began his ministry he said, “Open wide the doors for Christ!” It is heartening that those who hold the keys are aware of their responsibility to serve and open Church doors for the Spirit’s action. Have we been given the key to the kingdom of God?
Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds’

20 Sunday A - Canaanite Woman

ILLUSTRATIONS: 

From Fr. Jude Botelho:

Gentlemen and Gentile Woman
A gentleman was boasting about the superiority of Catholicism and the holiness of his priests to a Hindu and Muslim friend. Debating at the crossroads they spied a sadhu going into a brothel. “Saw that?” sneered the Catholic. “Our priests won’t be seen there!” Minutes later, a Mullah covered his face with his shawl and entered the brothel too. The Catholic remarked, “Ah, ha, Mullahs are no better than sadhus!” Just then the parish priest also slyly entered the brothel. The Catholic sighed sanctimoniously, “I wonder which of those girls is sick and in need of sacraments!” Strangely, ‘we’ are always holier than ‘they’ just as Pharisees in Jesus’ time claimed superiority over gentiles.
Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds’

19 Sunday A

From Fr. Jude Botelho:

Deep calls to Deep
A storm arose at sea and the ship was being tossed by winds and waves. Panic-stricken, the passengers ran helter-skelter on the deck begging God to save them. Amidst the confusion, little Monica stared coolly at the tempestuous sea. Seeing the girl so cool and composed, a passenger barked, “Hey kid, aren’t you afraid?” Monica replied casually, “Why worry? My daddy’s the captain!” Today’s readings speak of winds and waves, and of Christ, our Captain’s assurance. “Courage! It is I!”
Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds’

18 Sunday A

Charles Swindoll tells a funny story about a nine-year-old named Danny who came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. Finally, after a quick search, he grabbed his Daddy by the leg and yelled, "Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!" His father looked down, smiled, and asked the boy to tell him about it.

Transfiguration

From Fr. Jude Botelho:

The first reading from the Book of Daniel gives us a vision of the Son of Man being presented to the 'one of great age'. Note that this is not a picture of the Son of Man descending to earth but of him being presented to God. We know that from the ecstatic experience of the transfiguration, the disciples will see their agonized Lord suffering on the hillside of Calvary. However, today the accent is not so much on Jesus' passion as on providing us with a clue to his identity. This divine revelation –related to the gospel reading in which Jesus' face shines like the sun and is clothed in dazzling white – shows that it is He who is to be glorified like the Son of man.