Children can give us a glimpse of the new Jerusalem, for Zechariah imagines the city with boys and girls playing in the streets; and in the Gospel Jesus turns to children to teach about who is greatest in the Kingdom of God…

Zechariah teaches us not to be too gloomy or pessimistic. Each sorrow can be transformed into a reason for hope. In God’s name he says, “I will favour Jerusalem and the house of Judah; do not fear.”

Luke, more than the other evangelists, regularly portrays Jesus at prayer. It was after such a pause for prayer that he asked his disciples the two questions, “Who do others say I am?” and “Who do you say I am?” They were important questions. …

Luke paints a sad portrait of Herod the Tetrarch, for whom religion was a curiosity, a practical way to win the people’s loyalty. How ironic that his wish to see the Nazarene prophet was fulfilled only when, for political reasons…

Ezra was like another Moses, urging his Hebrew people to faithfully keep their covenant with God. Although the Jews returned from exile in 537 B.C., on reaching the Promised Land they accomplished little, apart from partially…

Whatever our level of faith, we need an openness to the real world and cordial relations with other people. Perhaps that was what Jesus meant in his reply to the message of his mother Mary and his relatives…

Our readings over the next three weeks are from the early post-exilic period, from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Baruch, Jonah, Malachi and Joel. All of them shared a deep love for the Jerusalem temple…

His name Mattija (“gift of Jahweh”) was given to him by Jesus when calling him as an apostle, but he brought with him from his earlier profession a gift for clear and orderly presentation of the story of Jesus

Because of his obviously high regard for women, Luke’s Gospel is sometimes called The Gospel of Women. Today’s summary of the Lord’s ministry is idyllic, like a glorious lap of honour when Jesus was winning everyone for the kingdom of God…

We would not intrude on a meal unless we are invited. Yet this woman intrudes without invitation. She did so because she desperately wanted to come near Jesus and show him a service of hospitality and love…

Christians are meant to dance to Jesus’ tune. The idea of dancing to someone else’s tune usually has negative overtones. But as followers of Jesus we should attune our ears to his rhythms

Widows were the most financially and socially vulnerable group in the ancient world, where women had little personal agency. Without their husbands, they had to depend on their children, particularly their sons, to provide for them…

The centurion recognised the life-giving power of Jesus’ word. His remarkable faith is praised and declared to be greater than any faith his own people had shown in Jesus…