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Reflection for the Second Sunday in Advent at St Benedict’s Monastery in Harkerville – by Br Josias

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Today marks the second week of Advent. As we might well know, Advent is the period of waiting and preparing for both the celebration of Jesus’s birth at Christmas, acknowledgement of his perpetual presence as encountered in the Eucharist and anticipation of his return at the Second Coming. In this second week, a candle of Peace is lit. Traditionally, the second candle is called the Bethlehem Candle, and it symbolizes peace and preparation, reflecting Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the peace that Christ’s birth brings.1

In his Rule, St. Benedict encourages his followers to “seek peace and pursue it.” 2 Before we strive for peace, we need to accept that there is conflict in our hearts, our lives, and in our world. Dealing with that conflict will bring all the necessary peace. So let us pursue peace. And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts, minds and souls in Christ Jesus.3 Amen!

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1 See https://www.mercyhome.org/blog/sunday-mass/advent-wreath/

2 RB: Prologue 17

3 Philippians 4:7

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Sunday 2 November 2025 – Pentecost XXI – Sermon by Br Josias

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Scripture Readings

In the name of God, the Creator, the Redeemer and Sustainer. Amen!

Does the work of a person define their humanity? Can a person be moral without being religious? To what extent should we love those who do us wrong?

For every ‘bad’ person that exists, there is an element of goodness in them; even though it is difficult at times to access that goodness. Indeed, it is difficult to see the God in the other, when our hearts and minds are polluted with what they have done or the company that they keep. As Mark Anthony in William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar said: “The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.”[1] Sometimes people do bad things to us or associate with bad people, such that even when they do good we do not recognise it.

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Sunday 2 November 2025 – Pentecost XXI – Sermon by Br Josias Read More »

Thursdays at Volmoed – 31 July 2025 – Sermon by Br Josias

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Psalm 84

In the name of God, the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sustainer. Amen!

“My soul has a desire and longing to enter the courts of the Lord: with my whole being I sing for joy to the living God”.[1]

When the soul has a desire for the house of the Lord, it could mean one of two things. From a traditional point of view, the psalm ties the presence of God to the temple. So, from the onset, the psalmist might be saying he longs for the presence of God and may only find God in the temple. Of course, that might not be the case today. But there was a time when temple/church became the central point to have an intimate relationship with God. The psalmist believed the temple to be a place he could re-establish his relationship with God. His appreciation for God’s house is not simply because it is beautiful. His soul longs for God’s presence, and even faints when denied the privilege of meeting with God among His people.  

On the other hand, longing for the house of the Lord could also mean he just needed a place to feel safe. As the psalmist goes on to say, one day spent in your Temple is better than a thousand anywhere else; I would rather stand at the gate of the house of my God than live in the homes of the wicked. [2] Some scholars suggest that this psalm could have been written before or after the Babylonian exile. [3] Which makes me think the psalmist’s desire to stand at the gate of the temple is simple a desire for safety or security. Clearly, he wants a different environment from what he is used to.

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Thursdays at Volmoed – 31 July 2025 – Sermon by Br Josias Read More »

Sermon by Br Josias for the Second Sunday after Pentecost

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Scripture Readings

In the name of God, the Creator, the Redeemer and Sanctifier. Amen!

“The greatest disease in the World today is not TB or leprosy or HIV; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.”[1]

This is one of my favourite quotes from Saint Teresa of Calcutta. The only cure for despair and hopelessness is love. I think those words resonate well with what Jesus is doing in the gospel passage this morning. We are told that when he got out of the boat at the country of the Gerasenes, opposite Galilee, he was met by a man of the city who had demons.[2]

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Sermon by Br Josias for the Second Sunday after Pentecost Read More »

Sermon by Br Josias for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

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Scripture Readings

In the name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Jesus spent most of his time on earth modelling a way of maintaining good relationship with God, a way of seeking justice for those in the margins of society and a way of living in harmony with God’s creation. With many teachings and his active ministry, he tried to form a moral community. The Bible tells us that he chose 12 ordinary men whom he later called friends, because he shared with them all that God revealed to him.[1] He was not interested in creating a social group just to hang-out with, he was building a group that will effect change and thus change the world view of their time.  

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Sermon by Br Josias for the Fifth Sunday of Easter Read More »

Sermon by Br Josias for the Second Sunday of Easter

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Scripture Readings

In the name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

During the course of this week, I came across a quote by one of the American revolutionaries, Malcom X, which said: You cannot separate peace from freedom, because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.[1] In other words, we cannot receive peace without freedom. And I believe this could be the case with the gospel passage this morning.

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Sermon by Br Josias for the Second Sunday of Easter Read More »

Sermon by Br Josias for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

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Scripture Readings

In the name of God the Creator, the Redeemer and Sustainer. Amen!

What is a good life? Who is a good person? Can we access a good life by studying ethical principles or behaving in a certain way? Can we obtain the benefits of the Kingdom of Heaven in this life, or do we have to wait for another life? Why are we here? Or better: why did I come here? Is this still life-giving for me?

These are the questions that people ask when they try to figure out the life that lies ahead of them. They are questions one asks when one experiences something strange or life-giving. They are questions of yearning and longing for something extraordinary and of deeper meaning. We sometimes reflect on these questions when things are not going according to plan, or when we try to figure out what should be our next step.

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Sermon by Br Josias for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany Read More »

Sermon by Br Josias for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany

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Scripture Readings

What happens when we advocate for other people? How and where are we involved in God’s promise work of liberation that is good news to the marginalized in our day? With the ongoing injustice, exclusion and oppression that is taking place in various parts of the world, is liberation theology still a prominent theological movement?

These questions came to mind when I was looking at the first reading for this morning. The prophet’s lamentation comes out in a period of despair and disbelief, one that does not expect God to change things. Silence normally accompanies such feelings, but the prophet sets an example for us. He declares:

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest till her righteousness shines out …”

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Sermon by Br Josias for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany Read More »

Sermon by Br Josias for the Second Sunday of Advent

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Scripture Readings

In the Name of God the Creator, the Redeemer and Sustainer. Amen!

This week marks the second week of Advent. The period of Advent for me is a time of reflection. We look at what is and anticipate what ought to come. We reflect on the life that is and hope for something better. This second week of Advent takes us from thinking about hope to a related idea of peace, something we all need to think more about.

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Sermon by Br Josias for the Second Sunday of Advent Read More »

The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost – Sermon by Br Josias

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Scripture Readings

In the name of God, the creator, the redeemer and sustainer. Amen!

Working with persons with intellectual disabilities (PWID) has taught me many things, but the values of tolerance and patience are what I have learned to appreciate most. Trust me, it is a difficult yet a fulfilling task to work with PWID. They too can test your patience, but people who pushed my buttons the most were the coaches and the caregivers.

It is not an easy task to tolerate and be patient with people, regardless of their background. However, these values are important for living and working harmoniously with one another.

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The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost – Sermon by Br Josias Read More »

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