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Archive for the category “Life”

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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26 Apr 2025

Divine Mercy Sunday

This Sunday we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter Divine Mercy Sunday we pray for our Holy Father Pope Francis who died on Easter Monday and whose funeral took place earlier today. As Catholics we feel like sheep without a shepherd as we have lost our spiritual Father. The umbrella over the cross keys in the icon above indicates that the pope has died and we are in a period of mourning called sede vacante.  In the days ahead we are asked to pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire the Cardinals when they meet in conclave to elect a new pope that they will  make the right decision by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

The season of Lent, Holy Week and  Easter  Sunday have come and gone so quickly  and are now a distant memory. Many people think that Easter begins and ends on Easter Sunday but it doesn’t end there the celebration of the season of Easter goes on for 50 days and ends on Pentecost Sunday. I wonder what the Apostles would think if they were to come down to us these days and find that we are celebrating the Death and Resurrection of Jesus that took place over 2000 years ago, they would be amazed especially as they thought everything was over with the Crucifixion on Good Friday but that first Holy Week and Easter Day was only the beginning of the story and here we are all these years retelling the story once again.  In the First Reading  The apostles, performing signs and wonders, gathered in Solomon’s portico, held in high regard despite others’ hesitance. Their number grew rapidly, and the sick were brought to them; even Peter’s shadow was sought for healing. All who came wee healed. In the Second Reading  John, exiled on Patmos for his faith, receives a vision from Jesus on the Lord’s day. Instructed to write, he sees Christ among lampstands, falls down, but is reassured by Christ, the eternal, resurrected one holding keys to death and Hades.

 In this Sundays Gospel reading the Apostles were still huddled together behind locked doors, pondering the shocking experience from the week before when all seemed to be lost. Then Jesus appeared  to them and to assure them that he was alive. His message must have troubled them as well when he told them: “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”   In the same way as the apostles were sent out we are sent out to bring the  message of god’s mercy hope  and love to other people wherever we are. Then of course there is doubting Thomas who heard the witness of the those who saw Jesus but, like so many of us today he wanted more proof.  Jesus says to Thomas, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” That is a favorite quote for many who have not “seen” the risen Christ in person as the disciples did. We have come to believe though we have not seen him in the flesh but he is with us in the midst of our communities through so many different people. The gospel tells us how Jesus gave his followers peace because they trusted him. In spite of the skepticism of Thomas and so many others, Jesus  offers us the same peace of heart mind and soul.  When Jesus says to the Apostles Peace be with you the Peace he is talking about is much more than the lack of conflict. True peace, gives us happiness, since it is built on trust in God and one another. 

As we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday we remember the joy, the hope, the grief and the anxieties of the people in our time those we know and those unknown to us and we bring them to the merciful Lord. Our world is hurting so much because of the things that are happening within it with people at each other’s throats for so many reasons.   May all of us be witnesses to the Hope, love  and mercy of the Gospel as we try to bring the caring face of God’s love to the people wherever we are.

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19 Apr 2025

HOLY SATURDAY AND EASTER SUNDAY

Having  completed our Lenten observance and after the liturgies of Holy Thursday and Good Friday we  are now getting ready to celebrate the Easter Vigil on the day of resurrection that is Easter Sunday. The Church and its people have  only one thing to do today: to pray through the emptiness of Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday is the day when we experience watching and waiting at the tomb as we await the celebration of the Resurrection which we celebrate in the Easter Vigil, easter Sunday and the season of Easter.Holy Saturday is about emptiness, the cross is empty and Jesus lies in the tomb everything around us is still.  It’s not hard for us to share Mary’s sense of emptiness and bewilderment when she arrives at the tomb.

If we were to read the next few verses from John’s Gospel, we would read a story of overwhelming joy as Mary Magdalen meets the risen Jesus. When Jesus speaks her name, Mary recognises him and sadness and emptiness give way to joyful reunion. It’s a story of transformation   how things can change when we meet the risen Jesus. The Psalm for Easter Sunday says, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Above all days, Easter Sunday   is a day of hope filled joy. At Easter and throughout the Easter season we celebrate the kind of hopeful joy each of us longs for, when every tear is wiped away, and there is no sorrow and no more suffering. When we ourselves rise to meet our risen Lord, in that bright morning we will hear him say, “Come away, beloved. The winter is past; the rain is gone, and the flowers return to the earth” (Song of Songs 2:10-12).

In the loving union of that encounter, all the  brokenness  of our lives will be redeemed. That will be the perfect  joy we hope for.  Let us take fresh hope,  with Christ our Passover everything is possible!  Jesus Christ lives! He has Risen as he said he would and his light lights up our world.  During the Easter Vigil we light the Easter fire and from that fire we have light the Paschal Candle.  Our Gospel story for the vigil tells us that we should not look for Jesus among the dead for he has risen and the light of Christ lights up the darkness of our lives and our world.  The resurrection of Jesus is a proclamation that this outcast from Galilee is the beloved Son of God who cannot be held in the darkness of death because he was raised by God his father.

All of us believe that God’s work continues not least because we believe Jesus’ words: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Our celebration of the Easter Season begins with our celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday with the Vigil on Holy Saturday evening during which we welcome and baptize Adult converts to the faith   Then  on Easter morning  we celebrate our Easter masses as we renew our baptismal promises and don’t forget that the feast of Easter continues until Pentecost.  So full of gratitude for Christ’s passion, with joy in his resurrection and, strengthened by the Spirit, we continue our Christian journey of joyful hope this Easter time.

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18 Apr 2025

GOOD FRIDAY

The origin of this day is traced back to Jerusalem and the veneration of the relic of the true cross.  This act of veneration stressed the cross as a symbol of victory.  In our good Friday Liturgy it is not the veneration of a crucifix, which would narrow it down to the historical moment of Jesus’ suffering and death.  Instead we venerate the Cross it is the sign of Jesus death on Good Friday.  On this day in the liturgy we read St. Johns account of the passion, we pray for the needs of the Church and the world, we venerate the Cross and we receive the blessed Eucharist.  When we think of the death of Jesus on the cross we realise that his death was a result of the courage of his convictions. He lived his life with a message of compassion and love, Jesus was often critical of those who lorded it over those who were less well off or who had little or even nothing at all.

The cross of Good Friday is a sign that all of us recognise, it is a sign of the completeness of the love that God has for each one of us faults and failings included.  It is not accidental that the Passion according to John is always read on this day.  This account shows that Jesus is always in charge, in total command of his situation.  John’s Passion is an extended commentary on an earlier statement of Jesus found in John 10:17-18:  “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”    The focus of the liturgy of Good Friday, is not primarily a meditation on Jesus’ pain, nor on our sinfulness, or our imitation of Jesus’ humility.  Instead  the focus on the cross as a reminder that we are beneficiaries of this event here and now in our own time. The final words of Jesus from the cross say it all for us, “It is accomplished!”  Jesus was not overcome. On the contrary!  He has overcome and the fact that we are celebrating Good Friday in 2025 bears witness to this.  When we go up to venerate the cross we should allow the cross to move us to be better people. Consoling, comforting and challenging the people we meet with the hope filled values of Jesus and the Cross.

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11 Apr 2025

PALM SUNDAY

This Sunday is Palm Sunday when Jesus entered Jerusalem his own city. From the ashes of Ash Wednesday we have almost gone through our annual observance of Lent with three more days to come as we head towards Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday the Easter Triduum. On Palm Sunday, we celebrate our Lord’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem where he was welcomed by crowds worshipping him and laying down palm leaves before him. In the Roman Empire people used palm branches and other greenery as a sign of welcome and respect as important people entered their towns and cities.  The Gospels record that this is what many people in Jerusalem did for Jesus as they proclaimed him as the messiah. Palm Sunday  also marks the beginning of Holy Week, with the hope of Holy Thursday the sorrow of Good Friday and then the triumph of the  resurrection  on Easter Sunday.

As we end the season of Lent it isn’t really the end as we all know that events of the first Holy Week were the beginning and here we are in 2025 remembering  the life changing events that took place during the first holy week.  So now in the context of faith we stop and ponder where our Lenten journey has taken us and what Holy Week is about.  It is simply not just about the death of Jesus on Calvary it is about a great deal more and the cross is one of the central parts of this week.  The first reading from Isaiah, speaks about prophet’s unwavering faith in God’s help and faithfulness in times of struggle, opposition and ridicule, and his determination to continue proclaiming God’s message despite the challenges he faced. “I have set my face like flint” set my face against the beatings and scourging that lie ahead, “knowing that I shall not be put to shame.”  The second reading highlights the humility and obedience of Jesus in his sacrifice for humanity, emphasizing his willingness to empty himself and become a servant, ultimately submitting to death on the cross. The passage calls for believers to follow Jesus’ example of humility and service, recognizing him as Lord and King of all. In the Gospel we hear the how the crowd goes from rejoicing and singing Hosanna to the Son of David to calling out crucify him, crucify him.

The entrance into Jerusalem is one of the very few events in Jesus’ life which is mentioned in all four gospels.  It is the only time that Jesus accepts and encourages public acclaim as Messiah even at that time it wasn’t really about him it was about doing his father’s will.  He even goes as far as organising his entrance by telling the disciples to go and fetch the donkey.  The key moment in God’s great plan of salvation is about to begin and Jesus knows exactly how it will unfold and where he will end up.  As we reflect upon the story of Jesus going up to Jerusalem we recommit ourselves to Jesus and his message of salvation.  On Palm Sunday we feel a certain amount of embarrassment when we cry out “Crucify Him” with the palm branches still in our hands. It reminds us of our own fickle responses and our lack of courage in responding to Gods love for us. Yet as we know it was all our  sins that brought Jesus to Calvary. Holy Week is a time for us to realize what we are like, and to find that the only remedy for our fears is the love of God shown to us through Jesus his Son.   As we listen to the Passion story we are called to respond as God’s family, we are called to look out for one another. It’s not just about “me” It’s about “us” and our hope filled journey of faith. Our journey is one of hope and love so let us not be afraid to go into the hope and love of Holy Thursday and the sorrow of Good Friday so that we will be able to celebrate the bright light that is  Jesus resurrection at Easter.

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04 Apr 2025

5th Sunday of Lent

In the first reading God, who controls nature and armies, urges us to forget the past and see His new works: providing for His chosen people, made to praise Him. The exiled people of Israel felt that God had forgotten them, but the prophet Isiah was sent to assure them that God was still concerned for them and would rescue them. The Israelites returned to Jerusalem to make a new beginning in faithful service to God. In the second reading everything is considered a loss compared to knowing Christ. Righteousness comes from faith, not law. Striving to know Christ’s power and share His sufferings, we press on towards eternal life with Him. Paul had placed all his dependence on the Law of Moses until Christs call changed the foundations of his life. He began putting all his trust in Christ.

This Sunday in our Gospel story we hear about the woman who was caught in adultery and we hear Jesus telling us ‘If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Jesus did not deny the Scribes and Pharisees the right to carry out this prescription of the Law, but he insisted on one condition, namely, that they have no sin on their consciences. “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” So many of us today are like the Pharisees in that we are prepared to lift the stone and be the first person to throw it despite our own shortcomings. This story is about so much more than throwing the stones it is really about God’s mercy towards the woman and by association God’s mercy to us. When Jesus and the woman were left alone, he looked up and said, “Woman, where are they?” Ironically, the self-righteous observers of the Law, so eager to throw stones, could not measure up to the requirement that Jesus had laid down and all of them had left.  After they had gone, Jesus lifted up his eyes to the woman looking at her with the eyes of gentleness; he asks her, ‘Has no one condemned you?’ She replies, ‘No one, Lord.’ And he says, ‘Neither do I condemn you.

What does this say to you and me today as so many of us are prepared to throw stones of condemnation at so many people and of course there are also people who would throw stones at us as well.  This gospel teaches us that we should consider what we say and do and their effect on other people. Sometimes the things that we say can be more hurtful than any stones we might throw especially in today’s world of Facebook, Twitter and instant communication. If we remember what Jesus tells us when he says let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw the stone then we won’t go far wrong. The simple truth whether we like it or not is all of us are sinners and none of us are in a position to throw the stone even though we might think we are! The woman caught in adultery expected to die as the Law of Moses prescribed. Through the mercy of Jesus she was able to make a new beginning, her sins forgiven. By the mercy of Jesus  we are also called to our own new beginning. Then, like Paul, we have to forget the past and put our trust in Jesus, crucified and risen again. This new beginning is often difficult, but our strength is in Christ in the eucharist the bread of life. The Gospels of the last two Sundays were parables about God’s forgiveness and tender care in nurturing us back to life. We are called, not to be judges, but people who show God’s compassion and mercy to others.  As we continue our Journey  of hope let us ask the Lord to show us his merciful hopeful way as we head towards the life giving events of Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

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