Author: Paul Grimes

During this sacred season of Advent, we are given two great figures from the Sacred Scriptures. They are Isaiah and John the Baptist. They are prophets of Advent. Isaiah announces  the arrival of the Messianic King who brings transformation. His work is to restore order within the whole of creation. He presents a vision of peaceful cosmos: animals no longer …

The Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe marks the end of the liturgical year of the Church. It is to celebrate the hidden and steady kingship of Christ. In the Gospel of Luke (23:35-43), Jesus is presented as Shepherd King but crucified on the Cross. No earthly king would ever choose to be on the cross. The King …

Advent is the beginning of the new liturgical year of the Church. It comes from the Latin word,  Adventus, which means coming, arrival. It is a time to prepare for the coming of the Lord. There are three comings of the Lord: past, present and future. The present points to His birth in  Bethlehem. This is the historical event when …

In the Gospel of Luke (21:5-19), Jesus enumerates the signs of the shaking of the old world. God is creating a new world but preceded by the shaking of the old world. It points to the radicality of the Resurrection of Jesus. In His resurrection, a new world has emerged beyond our imagination. He is the new world in person. …

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus predicted the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple. He said, “All that you see here, the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” (Lk 21:5) This is the consequence of the faithlessness of the people of Israel. The …

The Cleansing of the Temple performed by Jesus (John 2:13-22) is narrated by all four evangelists. The Gospel of John highlights Jesus as the New Temple because He is the font of salvation. From Him flows the healing and life giving water for the renewal of the world. He is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Ezekiel (47:1-12) when he …

The Solemnity of All Saints reminds us of our call to holiness. We are all called to be saints. The only tragedy in life is not to be saints. Saints are friends of God. They cooperate with God’s grace. They are not gods. They are our models, examples and witnesses teaching us that it is possible to follow Christ because …

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is another powerful story exclusive to Luke (18:9-14). Jesus teaches His disciples and us to pray humbly. It is about the right disposition and inner attitude needed for prayer. The right attitude is humility. It is a call to be open, receptive, to have a childlike heart and to rely on …

The healing of the ten lepers in the Gospel of Luke (17:11-19) reveals the gift of total healing that only Jesus can give by the power of His Words. It is important that we obey and trust in His Words because nothing is impossible to Him. He speaks and acts in the very person of the one true God. Faith …

In the Gospel of Luke (17:5-10), the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. It was because the community of Luke experienced persecution, hostility and violence. However, Jesus did not respond directly to the request of the apostles. Instead, He said, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted …