HolytideCatholic life in Amsterdam

Readings

Homilies and reflections from the churches themselves, in full and in three languages, with each parish’s permission. Every paragraph is the original, word for word.

Archive

17 texts
2025 · 15 texts
  • Homily · Krijtberg · 30 August 2025

    Why do people come to church ? ?

    The answer – since ages - is comfort and challenge. Comfort - for your pain, your loss, the painful acceptance of your limits that you have to recognize that you failed in what you were supposed to do, or who you were…

    Fr Jan Stuyt SJ

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 16 August 2025

    20th Sunday, Year C

    Dear brothers and sisters, how can we best understand Jesus' exclamation, ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth’? Or his prophecy that he will bring division? After all, there is already so much division in our world.…

    Fr. Ward Biemans SJ · 20th Sunday, Year C

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 10 August 2025

    Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Abraham on the way During the holidays many people leave their familiar surroundings. Then they resemble Abraham from the second reading: they dwell as strangers in a foreign land, some even stay there in tents.…

    Peter van Dael SJ · Negentiende zondag door het jaar

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 9 August 2025

    Abraham on the Way

    During the holidays, many people leave their familiar surroundings. They resemble Abraham of the second reading: they sojourn as strangers in a foreign land, some even staying in tents. Abraham, on his way to the…

    Peter van Deal SJ · 19th Sunday in ordinary time

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 6 August 2025

    23rd Sunday, Year C

    Dear brothers and sisters, today we hear about doubt and wisdom. One does not necessarily exclude the other. It is human to doubt sometimes. ‘The thoughts of mortals are unsure,’ says the Book of Wisdom. Often,…

    Fr. Ward Biemans SJ · 23rd Sunday, Year C

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 29 June 2025

    Saints Peter and Paul, St. Francis Xavier Church

    Brothers and sisters, in the centre of Rome there is a church called St. Peter in Chains, San Pietro in vincoli in Italian. Beneath the altar lie the chains which we believe the apostle Peter wore when he was imprisoned…

    Pater Ward Biemans SJ · HH. Petrus en Paulus

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 28 June 2025

    Solemnity of Sts. Peter en Paul

    On this day, we remember the death as martyrs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the culmination of their witness to the Lord. Both have publicly confessed the Christ as Messiah, the Son of God. They have proclaimed his…

    Fr. Ward Biemans SJ · Solemnity of Sts. Peter en Paul

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 22 June 2025

    The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves

    Today we celebrate Corpus Christi. The gospel is about the miraculous feeding of the multitude. We can understand this story on three levels. First level: sharing with one another Nearly nine percent of the world's…

    Peter van Dael SJ · Sacramentsdag

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 25 May 2025

    Sixth Sunday of Easter

    Years ago I visited a church in Haarlem, built in a quarter with low houses, a neo-Gothic building from the beginning of the 20th century. A large space with everything still on it and in it. The parish priest had built…

    Peter van Dael SJ · Zesde zondag van Pasen

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 20 April 2025

    Seeing and believing

    Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb. Thus begins the Easter Gospel. While it was still dark: these words recall the first verse of the book of Genesis: The earth…

    Peter van Dael SJ · Paaszondag

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 9 March 2025

    1st Sunday of Lent, year C

    Brothers and sisters, we heard in the first reading that God delivered the Jewish people from Egypt, where they had to work as slaves. The Lord gave them back their freedom. In response to this, Moses says that the…

    Pater Ward Biemans SJ · 1e zondag Veertigdagentijd, jr. C

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 8 March 2025

    1st Sunday Lent, Jr. C, Xavier Church

    Dear brothers and sisters, we heard in the first reading that God freed the Jewish people from Egypt, where they had to work as slaves. The Lord gave them back their freedom. In response, Moses says the people of God…

    Fr. Ward Biemans SJ · 1st Sunday Lent

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 23 February 2025

    Giving and forgiving love

    To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, we heard in the Gospel reading. This sentence is taken from a long speech by Jesus in which he formulates the basic principles of his message. His…

    Peter van Dael SJ · Zevende zondag door het jaar

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 26 January 2025

    Books come to life

    Books must be read A book plays a central role in the first and third readings. The first reading takes us to a square in Jerusalem. That square is filled with people who have returned from the Babylonian exile. They…

    Peter van Dael SJ · Derde zondag door het jaar

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 1 January 2025

    New Year, Holy Mary, Mother of God

    Brothers and sisters, I hope you had a good turn of the year. This morning I rewatched Pieter Derks' New Year's Eve conference. Very funny and refined. It is also good to pause and consider the concerns for the family…

    Ward Biemans SJ · Nieuwjaar, H. Maria, Moeder van God

2024 · 2 texts
  • Homily · Krijtberg · 25 December 2024

    The word became flesh

    Christmas means: warmth and light in the middle of the cold winter night, expectation and hope when the days are short and the nights long, a looking forward to a new beginning while the year draws to a close. The…

    Peter van Dael SJ · Kerstmis

  • Homily · Krijtberg · 8 December 2024

    2nd Sunday of Advent, yr C

    Dear brothers and sisters, a good observer may have noticed: today's Bible texts twice speak of the Lord saying that ‘every valley must be filled, every mountain or hill must be levelled or made flat. The first time…

    Ward Biemans SJ · 2e zondag Advent