SUNDAY REFLECTIONS with FR. FRANCIS

Sirach 27: 30-28: 7; Romans 14: 7-9; Matthew 18: 21-35 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) The readings today speak about anger and hatred. They offer us one of the most challenging themes of Christian life, namely turning away from anger and forgiving others. The key message is that we cannot receive forgiveness unless we too are ready to forgive our brothers and sisters. The first reading from the Book of Sirach links forgiveness to our prayer life. “Forgive your neighbor the wro

Ezekiel 33: 7-9; Romans 13: 8-10; Matthew 18: 15-20 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) Today’s Scripture readings from both the prophet Ezekiel and St. Matthew’s Gospel mention the grave responsibility we have toward others. Therefore, the phrase "It's none of my business" is neither biblical nor acceptable in the practice of the Christian life. Such an expression echoes a passage that we are familiar with from the Book of Genesis, where it states, "Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Wh

Jeremiah 20: 7-9; Romans 12: 1-2; Matthew 16: 21-27 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) There is a common contrast running through today’s Readings between the life God calls us to and the many ways of not living up to that calling. St. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that suffering is an integral part of the earthly experience of God’s life. Jesus forewarns his disciples of his coming clash with the elders and the chief priests, and of his death and Resurrection. It is easy to imagine h

Isaiah 22: 15, 19-23; Romans 11: 33-36; Matthew 16: 13-20 (Rev. Francis Perry Azah) On this Sunday, each of the readings for the liturgy puts before our consideration the notion of authority. In the first reading, Isaiah recounts the transference of power from one who has proven unworthy of the responsibility to another. The gospel narrative comprises Jesus’ designation of Peter as the rock and leader of the community of believers. There is a striking parallel between the rea

Isaiah 56: 1, 6-7; Romans 11: 13-15, 29-32; Matthew 15: 21-28 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) In today’s readings, God shows us how He has elevated the status of foreigners (Christian Gentiles who never belonged to the ranks of the people of God) to that of citizens of heaven because of their belief in and commitment to Christ. They have been re-created and made a new people of God. By God’s grace, you and I belong to this new people of God, the New Israel, and the citizens of

1 Kings 19:9.11-13; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) When caught in the storms of life, afraid of drowning in our troubles; depressed, and suddenly the Lord is there to calm our fears: “Do not be afraid.” What a joy this might be? The readings this Sunday invite us to reflect on the Lord who saves us in the storms of our life. Both the Book of Kings and St. Matthew’s Gospel recall an appearance of God in natural phenomena. In the first reading from

Isaiah 55: 1-3; Romans 8: 35, 37-39; Matthew 14: 13-21 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) The contemporaries of the prophet Isaiah, and those of Jesus, were familiar with the daily struggle of earning enough food for themselves and their families; the very idea of plentiful, free food was, in itself, a feast for the mind. But, in addition to providing for their physical appetites, the Lord was also offering to satisfy the spiritual hungers of his people. Perhaps in this regard mod

1 Kings 3: 5, 7-12; Romans 8: 28-30; Matthew 13: 44-46 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) Dearly Beloved in Christ, in today’s readings, God gives us an idea of how crucial the Kingdom of heaven we each yearn for is. This priceless Kingdom is worth more than possessions, silver and gold; this Kingdom is like a treasure which a man finds hidden in a field and goes and sells all he has just to buy it; it is like a pearl of great value which a man finds and sells all he has to buy it

Wisdom 12: 13, 16-19; Romans 8: 26-27; Matthew 13: 24-43 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) In the First Reading from the Book of Wisdom, we hear that God governs with great lenience. When we repent of our sins, God always forgives us. The Book of Wisdom speaks of the Lord as the absolute standard and reference point of all human judgments and criteria. The Lord is all-powerful, merciful, and just. God’s merciful restraint of his power and justice teaches us to act in the same way

Isaiah 55: 10-11; Romans 8: 18-23; Matthew 13: 1-23 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) The Word of God is a term for both God’s message through preaching and writings, and the consequences of the characters and events remembered in sacred scripture. The Word of God is also a metaphor for the person of Jesus the Christ, who is at once the Son of God, the Savior of the World, the Word Made Flesh, the Redeemer, and more. In today’ first reading, the prophet Isaiah tells us that as th

Zechariah 9:9-10; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) On this Sunday, in different ways, the scriptural texts refer to God’s Kingdom, the final definitive reign of God at the end of time, and its current inner presence in those who accept him. Zechariah urges the Jews to rejoice on the day of the Lord’s coming. He will bring an era of universal peace: the war will end. He is visualized as meekly riding on the foal of an ass. In St. Matthew’s Gosp

2 Kings 4: 8-11, 14-16a; Romans 6: 3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10: 37-42 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) Today’s readings show that welcoming has a dual reward: for the welcomed and the “welcomer”. In today’s First Reading, we hear a wonderful story of the “welcomer” receiving a blessing for her reverence and care. Elisha is a holy man, and a childless woman still trusts the Holy One, though barrenness was seen as a kind of curse, and she still hopes. Each year, the prophet would pass h

Jeremiah 20: 10-13; Romans 5: 12-15; Matthew 10: 26-33 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) In today’s readings, the issue of fear, specifically the fear of those called by God to preach his word, is put before us as both our consolation and our challenge. Jeremiah’s complaint that those to whom he preached and ministered had turned against him was valid. Yet for all his grousing, the prophet believed in God’s abiding presence (“But the Lord is with me”). Therefore, he willingly emb

Exodus 19: 2-6a; Romans 5: 6-11; Matthew 9: 36 –10: 8 Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah Today's Gospel Reading, the sending of the twelve disciples, is the big "WHAT NOW?" that concludes the first two readings. We have received God's promise. We have faith in Christ. We have been baptized. We have been justified. We have been admitted into the Body of Christ, the spiritual Kingdom of God. We have continuously received the Sacrament of Confession to maintain our righteousness. And w

Deuteronomy 8: 2-3, 4b-6a; 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17, John 6: 51-58 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) Today is the Solemnity of “The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, " which is mostly referred to as Corpus Christi.” In a way, we have already celebrated this feast. We did so on Holy Thursday in Holy Week. On that occasion, the emphasis was on the institution, the gift of the Eucharist to us as one of Jesus’ last acts before his suffering and death. It was, moreover, to be an endu

Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity – God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is a basic doctrine of the Christian faith, comprehensible not with our heads but with our hearts. It teaches us that there are three distinct Persons in one God, sharing the same Divine nature. Here, we are dealing not just with some dreadfully theoretica

Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13; John 20: 19-23 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) Dearly Beloved in Christ, we all know how difficult it is to learn another language. We all know how difficult it is to speak and write in another language. It takes years of listening to the phonetics and exercising the composition structures of a language before we feel at ease in another language. Yet we are told that the Apostles, these illiterates, spoke, and people from various nat

eadings: Acts 6: 1-7; 1 Peter 2: 2: 4-9; John 14: 1-12 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) In today’s Gospel account, Jesus gives several assurances, and He also puts us in the proper setting. In it, we find Jesus at the Last Supper giving His final thoughts to His apostles just before He was about to suffer and die. He was saying goodbye to them, and they were confused and upset. Having told them He was going away in the previous Chapter of John 13: 33-38, Peter said, “Lord, where

Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17; 1 Peter 3: 15-18; John 14: 15-21 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) Dearly Beloved in Christ, the Easter season will soon come to an end. In a few days, we will celebrate the Ascension of the Lord into Heaven. And soon, the feast of Pentecost will remind us of the wonderful event that is the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. For Jesus will leave us and go to Heaven, and the Spirit of God will come and dwell in us: a mysterious exchange will take plac

Acts 2: 14, 22-28; 1 Peter 1: 17-21; Luke24: 13-25 (Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah) Dearly beloved in Christ, today’s Gospel offers us a strong reminder that the Lord Jesus is with us on every journey of our life, during good times and bad times. The two disciples in the Gospel were walking along the road to Emmaus. It had only been a few days since they had been with Jesus. They had great hope in Him, but their hopes were ruined. Not only was Jesus arrested, but he was publicly