THE PROMISE OF ABUNDANT LIFE
Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 129(130); Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45
Fifth Sunday Of Lent, Yr A
The season of Lent has made us sufficiently aware of our sinfulness and the consequence that derives from it: death, for as Ezekiel says, “The soul that sins shall die” (Ez. 18:20). In other words, we are the dry bones of today’s first reading, lifeless and lying forlorn on the ground. Yet, the hope of the Resurrection, to which we have now drawn very close, assures us that even the dry bones, “the bones you have crushed will rejoice” (Ps. 51:8) once again. Death cannot overpower God’s boundless love (cf. S.S. 8:6-7), not even the spiritual death which results from sin. Joseph Gelineau, in this respect, notes in a Lenten hymn that no one is too prodigal beyond God’s pardon; “no one is too far from God”.
FINDING JOY IN THE SHEPHERD’S GUIDANCE
1 Samuel 16: 1, 6-7, 10-13; Psalms 22(23); Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41
Fourth Sunday Of Lent, Yr A
Rejoice, Jerusalem! The entrance antiphon of today’s Mass captures the mood of the Church today. Trusting in God’s mercy, which is infinitely greater than our faults, we know that our penitence has not been in vain. Therefore, we have reason to rejoice and exult, all of us who have remorsefully mourned and wept on account of our sins. God does not abandon us in our infidelity. He stays with us and leads us – and this seems to be the major theme of today’s liturgy.
FROM THE WELL TO THE WEDDING:
SEEKING THE WATER OF LIFE
Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 94(95): 1-2, 6-9; Romans 5:1-2,5-8; John 4:5-42
Third Sunday Of Lent, Yr A
Biological and emotional appetites, when pursued in a disordered manner, impede our progress towards our ultimate spiritual goal – union with God. That is why St Paul warns of the tension between the flesh and the spirit (Gal. 5:17). In the first reading, the people of Israel were on a spiritual pilgrimage to a land appointed to them by God. Though a physical territory, its purpose was spiritual, as there they were to live as God’s people, in covenantal union with God. But then their biological need for water soon gave rise to works of the flesh: wrath and sedition (Gal. 5:19-20), stirring tension between flesh and spirit.
GAZING AT HIM WHO LOOKS AT US
Genesis 12:1-4; Psalm 32(33): 4-5,18-20,22; 2 Timothy 1:8-10; Matthew 17:1-9
Second Sunday Of Lent, Yr A
Knowing someone implies recognising their face and voice, which signals their presence. A real relationship presupposes beholding their face and hearing their voice. Our knowledge of God involves this same process: God shows us his face and speaks to us. We call this revelation—literally pulling back the veil that prevents us from seeing or hearing him.
OVERCOMING PLEASURE, POSSESSION, AND PRIDE
Genesis 2:7-9,3:1-7; Psalm 50(51):3-6,12-14,17; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11
First Sunday Of Lent, Yr A
‘The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasant to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. In these words, the scripture summarises the temptation of our first parents and their descendants. Here, the traditional idea comes to mind of the triple concupiscence to which all human temptations could be reduced: pleasure, possession and pride. The tree was tempting because it promised pleasure (good to eat), charmed the eye as fit to be acquired (possession) and pledged access to higher knowledge (pride).
LETTING GOD INTO THE DESERT WITHIN
Joel 2:12-18; Psalm 50(51): 3-6,12-14,17; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
Ash Wednesday
‘Spare your people, Lord!’ These words of today’s first reading show clearly that something has gone wrong in our relationship with God. It is a desperate cry in the face of divine judgment; we plead to be spared because we are guilty; our conscience tells us exactly what we deserve; we deserve the wages of sin in full measure – death (cf. Rom. 6:23). Our sin has led us to dwell in a world that feels unhomely, causing us to long for the paradise we were created for. Instead of living in God’s presence, we find ourselves in a desert, filled with mourning and weeping.
ALL OR NOTHING
Sirach 15:15-20; Psalm 118(119):1-2,4-5,17-18,33-34; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
15 February 2026
Today, we are invited to look inward at the source of light: the Word of God and its completion in Jesus Christ. The Psalmist exclaims, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path” (Ps 119:105). This is not merely a poetic sentiment about selective guidance for difficult choices; it is a call to a devoted life of discerning the “first movements” in the soul.
THE ONLY NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE EXPRESSED DAILY IN CHARITY
Isaiah 58:7-10; Psalm 111(112):4-9; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16
By Fr Clement Obiorah, OCD
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
8th February 2026
Last Sunday, the Beatitudes painted the portrait of the Christian heart. We looked inward at a landscape of humility and peace. Today, the liturgy shifts our gaze outward. Jesus tells us that this interior transformation has an exterior purpose. We do not light a lamp to hide it.
CONSECRATED TO THE SAME HOPE OF SEEING GOD
Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 23; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas Day)
2nd February 2026
The dust of the road from Bethlehem still clung to Joseph’s sandals as he climbed the ascent to the Temple in Jerusalem. In his arms, he carried a six-week-old infant; in his pocket, the modest price of two small birds. To the passing world, he was merely another labourer fulfilling the ritual purification of his wife and the consecration of a firstborn.
HOW HEAVENLY TO YIELD TO OUR NEED FOR GOD
Zephaniah 2:3,3:12-13; Psalm 145(146):6-10; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12a
Reflection for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
1st February 2026
A seductive illusion permeates the modern world, quietly whispering that our worth is measured by our pleasure and our independence. However, on this Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the liturgy invites us to dismantle this illusion. We are called to discover a profound paradox: the constant awareness of need is not weakness, but the deceptive belief that we are self-sufficient.