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RELIGION LITURGY AND LIFE

Archive for the month “May, 2025”

31 May 2025

Ascension

This weekend we celebrate the ascension. In this feast we celebrate Christ ascending into heaven and then taking his seat at the right hand of the Father. Our lives are made up of so many different times and places of leave-taking and that is what Ascension is really about Jesus leaving the Apostles to return to the Father. Jesus has called the ragged, group of disciples, scattered after his crucifixion, back to himself to form them, fragile and doubtful as they were, into a community for mission to go out into the world  in the name of God.

The Apostles must have felt awful as  Jesus  was leaving them even though he told them that I am with you yes to the end of time.  In the First Reading  Jesus instructed the apostles to wait for the Holy Spirit the paraclete and then ascended to heaven to the right hand of the father. In the Second Reading : we are told that Christ entered heaven to appear before God for us, sacrificing himself once to remove sin. We are called to  trust and approach God with sincere hearts, holding firmly to the hope that is within us. This Gospel reading is all about the past the present and the future. Jesus has little to say, but he is definite about what he has to say when he speaks. The disciples did what he told them to do. He asked them to meet him on the mountain, and they did that. Like any gathering of people, their feelings were varied. Some of them worshipped him, while some of them still doubted.

Jesus didn’t seem to have any great problem with that, because he knew that, when the Spirit came, all of those doubts would be ended. The redemption and salvation off the world was to begin at Pentecost and continue through the generations, until the end of time. It would seem, that he was in a hurry to take his leave of them, so that his plan for  our salvation could get underway. The mission of the apostles was simple to understand; difficult to carry out. It was to teach others all that Jesus had taught them. Just as he asked his disciples to follow him, they were to ask that others should follow him as well which was so hard then and especially hard in the world of today. Over the years so many things have changed in the Church and society. However two things that have not changed are the person of Jesus himself and his message as they are ever old and always new.

At  Easter and in  the weeks since we have been remembering the great events that have brought salvation to the world as we proclaim that Jesus is alive and  with us where we are in 2025. The feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost help us to realize that we are part of a long tradition of faithful faith filled disciples. All of us have our faults and failings, but our call is to be faithful witnesses to Jesus and what he teaches us. As a result of the actions we take and the things we say the people around us will know that we are followers of Jesus who are called to be the hope filled presence of God in the world today.

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24 May 2025

6th Sunday of Easter

This weekend we celebrate the 6th Sunday of Easter and soon we will celebrate Ascension and Pentecost Sunday. At the council of Jerusalem Paul and Barnabas receive endorsement of their policy of admitting Greeks and other pagans to the Church without requiring them to observe the law of Moses. Paul sees clearly that Christs coming means freedom for us. We are no longer bound by restrictions and laws if we observe the commandment of Jesus to love, Love God and others. The love of Christ will be the light illuminating our whole lives.  

In the First Reading from Acts the Apostles decided not to burden Gentile believers with the Jewish law and what it required from them instead they asked them to avoid certain things.  In the Second Reading  from the book of Revelation we are told that the angel showed John Jerusalem, shining with the glory of god. It had twelve gates and foundations named after the tribes of Israel.  In the Gospel we continue to read the Farewell Discourse as Jesus makes a number of promises to the disciples. Throughout John’s Gospel Jesus speaks about his boundless affection for the Father and the disciples. Another favourite theme of John is that, just as the Father and Jesus abide together in love, they will also come to abide in the heart of the disciple. Jesus does not speak these words in the sense of foretelling the future, but rather to prepare the disciples for their daily ‘remembering’ of, and making his words and actions present, in their own lives. Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to the apostles as the advocate.  

Although Jesus had spoken to the Apostles and told them many different things, he knew them well and realized that they wouldn’t remember everything he said Jesus also knew that they would have to endure many struggles, difference and disagreement.  The Apostles would not see eye to eye on everything; they would have different memories of Jesus; they would emphasise different things. In the conflicts that would arise they would have to put their faith to work.  That is why he told them that the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in his name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you. These words are a direct pointer towards Pentecost and the gifts that the Holy Spirit would bring to them as well as us.  We don’t have the physical presence of Jesus with us the way his first disciples did when he talked with them around the table at the Last Supper, washed their feet, and gave them his reassuring promises. His farewell to them was a real farewell he was going, he would no longer be with them. But he assured them and us that he is present in a different way, through his gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus also promised the Apostles Peace  ‘A peace that the world cannot give.’ Sometimes we mistake this peace for our idea of quietness or tranquility, but the peace the Jesus gives is a peace that can be found even in the midst of turmoil. This peace is not something we can manufacture ourselves by our own power. It’s a gift that comes from Jesus, who doesn’t want to lose touch with us. Jesus chose his followers to carry out God’s plan of salvation. He chooses us today to do the same, he gives us a personal stake in the Kingdom of God.  We remember the great gift that the Holy spirit is it is the breath of God that unites us. If we keep on trusting in the presence of the Spirit of God in our lives we will have peace in the midst of any personal, family, or community turmoil that comes our way as well as someone who will keep us going along the right Road !

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16 May 2025

5th Sunday of Easter

This weekend we pray for Pope Leo as he begins his ministry as our Holy Father with mass on Sunday morning to inaugurate his ministry as the successor of Peter. We pray the Holy Spirit will guide him in his leadership of the Church as our shepherd and Father in faith. We also stop and say a prayer for all those who are doing exams over the next few weeks. Our world puts great store on education and often forgets the pressure that this puts on our young people especially at exam time. We pray that they may be inspired to do their best and know that there are people out there family, friends, teachers and lecturers who value them no matter how good or bad  the exam results might be.

On this fifth Sunday of Easter, the scripture readings continue to describe the growth of discipleship and the conditions for the Kingdom of God. Membership in the Kingdom comes about by becoming members of the Church. The term church comes from the Hebrew word Qahal. It comes from a verb meaning called together. So, the Church is a group of people who gather together in faith, hope and Joy. In the First Reading from the acts of the apostles we hear that Paul and Barnabas revisited cities, encouraging disciples and explaining hardships they would endure for the  kingdom of God. They appointed church leaders, entrusted them to the Lord, and shared their mission success in Antioch, emphasizing God’s outreach to non-Jews. In the Second Reading John describes a new heaven and earth, with the old gone. He sees a splendid New Jerusalem and hears God proclaim His eternal dwelling with people, erasing all pain and making everything new. In this Sundays Gospel Jesus calls us to a new way of living when he tells us to love one another as I have loved you.  At one level this is a simple call to love, at another it is a big challenge for us with all that we see going on in our world. This means that we should love as Jesus loves, in order show the face and heart of Christ to a war torn hurting world.

 The love Jesus speaks of seems to be narrow and restrictive. He is addressing his disciples when he says, “love one another.” This love may seem insular and applicable just to an inner circle of his followers. But this is not the case as Jesus wants us to be united with him and one another in love today right where we are. Jesus’ command to love one another is central to Christian life. He taught this lesson at a time when He knew He would be betrayed. Instead of focusing on His own troubles, Jesus emphasized the importance of loving others as he loved them. This teaches us that love should be the foundation of our relationships, even when life gets difficult. Helping and supporting one another in our faith and life journeys means being there for each other through both good and bad times. It means offering a listening ear, a helping hand, and a kind word. By doing this we follow Jesus’ example and build a community rooted in love and care. By loving and supporting one another, we live out the true essence of our faith and strengthen the bonds of faith within our communities. We are called as pilgrims of hope to build and  become that community of love showing the love of God to those around us especially during this Holy Year and at all other times as well.

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10 May 2025

4th Sunday of Easter

This weekend we pray  a prayer of thanksgiving to God for our new Holy Father Pope Leo 14th.   We pray that he will be a good shepherd for us as we follow Jesus united as one family of God with the Holy Father our bishops, priests, deacons, religious and the people of God throughout the world.  The fourth Sunday of Easter is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday it is the day when we pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In the time of Jesus, a shepherd usually had responsibility for about fifteen or twenty sheep whom he accompanied day and night. Both shepherd and sheep got to know each other. The shepherd was responsible for keeping the flock together and safe, for leading it to good pasture, for binding up wounds. The sheep depended on the shepherd for life.

We Christians believe that Christ is our shepherd, leading us to the fullness of life.  We may find this language of ‘sheep’ and ‘shepherds’ strange, but beneath the imagery is our belief that God is a gentle, caring and just shepherd of the flock.   In the First Reading  from the Acts of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas preached to Jews and Gentiles, then facing jealousy and persecution they  continued to spread the good news that word of the Lord is. They left Antioch, filled with joy and the Holy Spirit because of what happened there. In the Second Reading  from Revelation we hear that John saw a great crowd from all nations worshiping before God’s throne. They are protected and led by the Lamb, who wiped away every tear from their eyes. In the Gospel Jesus tells us My sheep hear my voice; “I know them, and they follow me. Our challenge today is to tune in to the voice of Christ asking us to know, love and follow Him. In our world of instant communications we listen to the voices of so many others.  But do we listen to the voice of Christ, who speaks to us through Prayer, Scripture, the Sacraments, nature, and other people?   The image of the shepherd cannot be separated from the way that the shepherd actually cares for his own sheep. Jesus the good shepherd challenges us not to leave the lost sheep behind: Jesus said “I have come to seek out and save the lost so that all may be saved.”   

All of us know people who have wandered away from the Church, who have lost their sense of belonging, who feel they have no faith community to belong to. How will they know they are welcome back if no one tells them? How will they be helped back if no one offers to make the journey with them?  The good shepherd asks us to make the journey with them as people who have listened to his voice calling us to follow him. Jesus the Good Shepherd is for all of us  and we should listen to his voice amidst the trials of our daily lives. Many of the voices we listen to in so many places in the world claim to speak for the good of everyone, but they lead us astray and disappoint us but our Faith and Hope in Jesus does not disappoint. Pope Francis once said, “that with Jesus life becomes richer and that with him it is easier to find meaning in everything. The Gospel of the Good shepherd is a  hope filled call for  us to follow Jesus the loving shepherd who seeks out the lost sheep and rejoices when they are found .

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06 May 2025

CONCLAVE 2025

Tomorrow morning in St Peters Rome the Mass for the election of the new pope will take place at 10am local time during that mass we pray that the Holy spirit will inspire the Cardinal Electors to elect the pope. Later in the day  the Conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis will begin at 5pm when the Cardinals will process from the Pauline Chapel into the Sistine Chapel. There they will take the oath to maintain the secrecy of the conclave under pain of excommunication. Then everyone else who is not an elector will leave when the master of ceremonies declares extra omnes which means all those who are not allowed to remain must leave. Then a Cardinal will give a reflection on what they are about begin and the first ballot will take place. Many people have said they want a more Conservative or a more Liberal pope but it doesn’t work that way as people want what they think is good for everyone else.

The way it works is that all of us should pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire the Cardinals to elect  the Pope who will be a source of unity and a bridge builder within the Church.

O God, eternal shepherd,

who govern your flock with unfailing care,

grant in your boundless fatherly love

a pastor for your Church

who will please you by his holiness

and to us show watchful care.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

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02 May 2025

3rd Sunday of Easter

We have come to the third Sunday of Easter and much has happened since Easter Sunday. The readings of the Easter Season continue to unfold for us the great Easter Mystery – the enduring presence of Jesus among us and what ‘new life in Christ’ might mean. In Jesus resurrection we celebrate the son of God who affirms that he walks with us and suffered died and rose again for us.  Jesus  resurrection assures us that life can come out of death and good overcomes evil.

It doesn’t always seem that way these days when we see the suffering people around the world with war and conflict in so many countries but for people who have faith in God nothing is impossible. After the earth shattering events of Good Friday and the empty tomb on Easter Sunday Peter and the others were ready to put the events of those days behind them and return home to do what they did before they came across Jesus and his message. But Jesus won’t let them go. The apostles courageously proclaim the Good News despite persecution, and Peter recognizes Jesus after a miraculous catch of fish. In our Gospel for this Sunday Jesus comes to the shore looking for the apostles. He gets their attention, as he did when he first called them, with a large catch of fish. He prepares breakfast for them and invites them to eat, “Come, and have breakfast.” After the meal Jesus asks Peter three times about the reality of his love. Insisting on love is something of a mark with Jesus. Three times Peter affirms his love, as three times Jesus insists on it.  

When Peter professes his love Jesus commissions him to care for his flock when he says feed my sheep. In his ministry of teaching, preaching and healing Peter gets through to many people, and the authorities become nervous at the ability of Peter and the apostles to work in the name of Jesus In spite of the opposition Peter will continue insisting on his love for Jesus and this insistence will take him to martyrdom in Rome. No matter whether the believer is new or old, a pew sitter or a leader of people, the call of Christ is the same: “Follow me.”  Following Christ means we lead a life lived in the community of faith where we are. Are we, like Peter, spreading the net for new believers and professing a true love for our Savior? Or are we on the sidelines watching others doing the work when we should really be out there doing the work with them?   This Gospel reading is so appropriate for this weekend as we pray for the Cardinals who will meet in conclave next week to elect the new pope who is the successor of Peter who was  to shepherd the flock of Christ.

As we continue our Easter journey  we remember that the God of Hope, Love and Mercy is with us and wants us to abide in him throughout our lives. There will always be things going on in the world that we have no real control over so let us go forward in faith hope and love as Easter people  as we pray in anticipation of the election of new pope the successor of Peter who was called and commissioned by Christ to shepherd the church.

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