News in Homilies

Commentary to the15th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 14, 2019

Commentary to the15th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 14, 2019

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

The New Testament gives us the full light, one that allows us to understand what it really means to love God. The first letter of John is very explicit: “This is love: not that we loved God but that he first loved us … . Dear friends, if such has been the love of God, we, too, must love one another” (1 Jn 4:10-11).

Commentary to the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 7, 2019

Commentary to the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 7, 2019

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

Jesus sends his disciples not to condemn, to curse against corruption and bad morals or to threaten divine punishment, but to announce the peace that everyone—many unconsciously—are desperately seeking. Considering the reality we live in, it really takes a great faith to imagine that it is possible to build a world where peace reigns. It is easier to believe that God exists than to keep hope in universal peace.

Commentary on the Readings-13th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C

Commentary on the Readings-13th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

The apostles, invited by Jesus to follow him, abandon the nets and Levi leaves everything (Lk 5:27). To whoever wants to be his disciple, the Lord asks to “sell all that he has” and to start a new journey with him (Lk 18:22), and does not admit hesitation, indecision, afterthoughts.

Commentaries to the Feast of Corpus Christi – Year C

Commentaries to the Feast of Corpus Christi – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

Jesus did not leave us a statue, a photograph, a relic. He wanted to continue to be present among his disciples as nourishment. The food is not placed on the table to be contemplated but to be consumed. Christians who go to Mass, but not receive Holy Communion, should be aware that they are not participating fully in the Eucharistic celebration.

Commentary on the Readings: Feast of the Holy Trinity – June 16, 2019

Commentary on the Readings: Feast of the Holy Trinity – June 16, 2019

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

Christians celebrate today the specific aspect of their faith: they believe in a Triune God. They believe that God is the Father who created the universe and directs it with wisdom and love; They believe that he did not remain in heaven, but in his image, the Son, he came to become one of us; they believe that he accomplishes his plan of love with his power, with his Spirit.

Commentary to the Pentecost Sunday – Year C

Commentary to the Pentecost Sunday – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

Where the Spirit comes radical upheavals and transformation always happen: barriers fall, doors are opened wide; all the towers built by human hands and designed by “the wisdom of this world” shake; fear, passivity and quietism disappear; initiatives are developed and courageous decisions are made. Who is dissatisfied and aspires the renewal of the world and of man can count on the Spirit: nothing can resist its power.

Commentary to the Feast of the Ascension – June 2, 2019

Commentary to the Feast of the Ascension – June 2, 2019

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

With the coming of Jesus in the glory of the Father has anything on earth changed? Outwardly nothing. The lives of the people continued to be what it was before: to sow, reap, trade, build homes, travel, cry and party, as usual. Even the apostles had not received any reduction on dramas and anxieties experienced by other people. However, something incredibly new happened: a new light was projected on the existence of people.

Commentary to the 6th Sunday of Easter – Year C

Commentary to the 6th Sunday of Easter – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

The falling back on the past, the fear of novelty, the pessimistic look about the present and the gloomy forecasts for the future are not signs of love and fidelity to tradition, but symptoms of poor faith in the work of the Spirit. Pope John XXIII dissented from the “prophets of doom” and invited them to contemplate “the fruit of the Spirit” present not only in the Church but everywhere.

Commentary to 5th Sunday of Easter – Year C

Commentary to 5th Sunday of Easter – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

The Church’s days are numbered—some say—because she is old, does not know how to renew herself, repeats old formulas instead of responding to new questions, stubbornly restates obsolete rituals and unintelligible dogmas while today’s people are looking for a new equilibrium, a new way of life, a less distant God.

Commentary to the 4th Sunday of Easter – Year C

Commentary to the 4th Sunday of Easter – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

 The fourth Sunday of Easter is called the Sunday of the Good Shepherd because in it, every year, the liturgy presents a passage from John chapter 10 in which Jesus presents himself as the true shepherd. The four verses that we read in the Gospel today are drawn from the final part of the speech of Jesus and they want to help us deepen the meaning of this biblical image.

Commentary to the 3rd Sunday of Easter – Year C

Commentary to the 3rd Sunday of Easter – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

Jesus was an uncomfortable person for those in power both political and religious. The apostles were equally uncomfortable for the powers that be, that was why they were persecuted. Christians cannot not be but uncomfortable people. They have made and will always bother defenders of unjust situations, incompatible with the Gospel.

Commentry to the 2nd Sunday of Easter – Year C

Commentry to the 2nd Sunday of Easter – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

“Fortunate are you to see what you see!” Jesus said one day (Lk 10:23). The disciples who accompanied the Master during his public life are called by Luke witnesses of the events that have taken place among us (Lk 1:1-2). It is undeniable; they are blessed because they have seen. Among them, there is also Thomas. Yet this experience was just the first stage of a demanding journey, one that had to bring them to faith.

Commenary to Easter Sunday – Year C

Commenary to Easter Sunday – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

“Now, on the first day after the Sabbath, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark…” (v. 1). In these first words of the Gospel of Easter day one can perceive, almost breathe the signs of death’s victory. On earth it’s all silence, immobility, quietness. A woman, alone and frightened, moves in the darkness of the night. Death seems to dominate unchallenged and silence and darkness celebrate the triumph.

Commentary to Good Friday – Year C

Commentary to Good Friday – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

The dramatic agony of the cross has often led the preachers of the past to insist excessively on the gory aspects of Jesus’ passion. From this preaching images, popular representations and some devotions are derived in which the violence of the blows of the scourging, the falls under the weight of the cross, the sadism of the soldiers exasperated. This type of approach to the Gospel texts do not make a good service to the understanding of the Easter events, indeed, it blurs the meaning.

Commentary to Holy Thursday – Year C

Commentary to Holy Thursday – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

Disciple is one who follows in the footsteps of the Master. “Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ had”—Paul recommends to the Philippians (Phil 2:5). “I have just given you an example,” Jesus says, “that as I have done you also may do.” He “has not come to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Even his disciples, following his example, are called to be servants.

Commentary to the Passion (Palm) Sunday – Year C

Commentary to the Passion (Palm) Sunday – Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

During this week we are not invited to grieve and to mourn the death of Jesus, but to rejoice in the freedom that he has realized by giving his life. We also try to question ourselves: indeed have we really entered the new reality born of his sacrifice? Let us ask ourselves if we have accepted his kingdom, assimilating the new face of God, the new religion, the new face of a man and the new society proposed by him.

Commentary to the 5th Sunday of Lent-Year C

Commentary to the 5th Sunday of Lent-Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

In the behavior of Jesus, presented to us in the Gospel, the new, surprising, “scandalous” righteousness of God is presented. He does not condemn anyone, he saves and that’s it.

Commentary to the 4th Sunday of Lent–Year C

Commentary to the 4th Sunday of Lent–Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

And here is the most beautiful of all the parables of the Gospels. From the early days of the church it has been studied, commented and suggested ideas to great writers, painters, musicians, philosophers, psychologists. It is known as the “Parable of the prodigal son,” but this title is not apt because it takes into account only one of the three characters. It neglects his older brother to whom is dedicated the entire second part of the story and, above all, it ignores the real protagonist, the father. It is more correct then to speak of the “Parable of the love of the Father” or the “Parable of the merciful father.”

Commentary to the 3rd Sunday of Lent–Year C

Commentary to the 3rd Sunday of Lent–Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

The message of the parable is clear: from those who have heard the message of the Gospel, God expects delicious and plentiful fruits. He does not want exterior religious practices, not content with appearances (in the spring, the fig tree bears fruit even before the leaves), but seeks works of love. 

Commentary to the 2nd Sunday of Lent–Year C

Commentary to the 2nd Sunday of Lent–Year C

by: Fr. Fernando Armellini in Homilies,

The episode of the “transfiguration” is placed by Luke, eight days after that, Jesus dramatically announced his passion, death, and resurrection, eight days after that, he proclaimed the conditions for one who wishes to follow him: “renounce yourself and take up your cross every day” (Lk 9:22-27).