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6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday we celebrate the 6^th Sunday of ordinary time which is also the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. We remember in a special way all those who are sick and infirm for whatever reason and we pray for their healing. Then on Wednesday we begin the Holy Season of Lent with the ashes and we hear once again the call to repent and believe the good news as we begin Lent for 2024. It is a time when we reflect on our spiritual lives and how we can renew themIn the first reading the Lord told Moses and Aaron what to do about potential leprosy, this  required priestly examination and, if confirmed, the person concerned was declared unclean. Afflicted individuals had to signify their condition by their appearance, vocalize their unclean status, and live in isolation, highlighting the seriousness with which leprosy was treated. The treatment of lepers, as spelled out in the Book of Leviticus today, seems harsh. But let’s not demonize the Israelites. With little understanding of the cause of leprosy, but noticing its awful consequences on the bodies of its victims, the community was frightened of contagion. To keep themselves and their families safe they isolated the sufferers.

In the Second Reading  from Corinthians St. Paul tells us  that In everything, even in eating and drinking, we should aim to honour God. He tells us to avoid causing offense by what you do and say and seek the good of many for salvation. Today we too are called to follow the  example of St. Paul as he followed Christ’s own example so should we. In the Gospel for this weekend  the  leper’s plea for healing was met with Jesus’ compassionate touch and affirmation, leading to immediate cleansing. Despite Jesus’ directive for discretion and adherence to Mosaic law for verification, the healed man publicized his miracle, complicating Jesus’ public ministry. Our Gospel story is about much more than just the healing, it is about the faith that the leper had in Jesus. It is also about the faith we have in Jesus.  After he heals him Jesus tells the man to be silent. The man is to go first to the priests and go through the ritual cleansing prescribed in Leviticus (14:1ff.)  Maybe the priests would ask the man how he was cured and then they would hear about Jesus. Who better to give witness to Jesus than someone whose life has been changed by him? Who better to witness to the strength, joy, encouragement, hope and direction that Jesus gives than one who has been transformed by him? Do we allow ourselves to be transformed by the compassion and words of Jesus in order to show his compassion to others?

The man who Jesus cured proclaimed and spread the word and he brought others to faith even though he was told not to tell anyone. Word of Jesus power preceded him and the people brought all those who needed healing to him. In  fact so many people came from every place in Galilee that Jesus could not travel in the open for fear of the crowd. Aware of our need for healing, we, too, can take the initiative by approaching Jesus. We will be met with compassion and love. We can be restored to our rightful place as beloved sons and daughters. We, too, can tell the story of what God has done for us in our lives. May we share the healed man’s enthusiasm to make known the goodness and the love of God. Next Wednesday with the Ashes  and the call to be faithful to the Gospel we begin the season of lent with all the opportunities it provides for renewal of our spiritual lives.  Let us pray for a spirit of understanding and renewal as we journey through Lent to the celebration of Holy Week and Easter so that we can say with the psalmist Lord you are my refuge and you turned my distress into the joy of salvation.

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time

The readings for this Sunday ask us to reflect on Jesus’ power to heal us, both physically and spiritually. In the first reading, Job laments that he is experiencing so much misery and despair that he find’s that is just too hard to keep going. But then in the  psalm we are reminded  to “Praise the Lord, who heals the broken hearted” as he gives us the strength to go on. Paul’s reflections in the second reading on his role as an apostle underscores the theme of selfless service and sacrifice. His commitment to preaching the Gospel without seeking personal gain highlights the Christian call to serve others whenever they need our help and not to look for anything in return. In the   Gospel reading Jesus comes to Peter’s house, he finds that Peter’s mother-in-law is sick, and he heals her. The whole town hears of her healing and rushes all their sick to Peter’s house. The house is surrounded, and so is Jesus. Now, all of a sudden, Jesus seems to have become a one-man hospital the man who heals all their ills. He is so besieged that he can’t even pray in the house. He has to head out into the countryside secretly in the dark of morning. When his absence is detected, his disciples go looking for him. when they find him, they tell him “Everybody is looking for you!”

When the people of Capernaum saw Christ they saw man of power amongst them; when we see Jesus with the eyes of faith we realise  that he  is the Son of God our saviour who came on earth in order to make us the family  of God. We know who Jesus really is and we know the full meaning of his mission. We see that mission completed by his death on the cross and his resurrection. By his death he conquered death by his resurrection he opened the gates of heaven for us and he shows all of us his followers the road we must take to get to those gates. The road we have to take is not easy and many people have chosen other roads that lead in other directions . But we  believe that there are people  like us  out there looking for Jesus and they are finding and following him and as a result of their witness we follow Jesus as well. Jesus is alive in our midst through the lives of faith we have together. He is our way, our truth and  our life. Turn our backs on him, and our spirits, minds and hearts, might just shrivel up and die for lack of spiritual nourishment. We have come to know that the things of God are built on solid foundations of the rock of faith instead of the things of the world that are built on sand and have no lasting value.  The interaction between Jesus and those he heals, as well as the actions of the disciples, highlight the theme of community as we make our Christian journey.

It shows how faith is lived and experienced within the community, and how the community of believers plays a role in supporting, nurturing, and participating in the mission of the Church  as it brings the faith to others. We are challenged to look beyond the surface, to see the deeper spiritual significance of Jesus’ life and actions, and to embrace our particular role in continuing his mission in the world today. As we reflect on our mission within the church we are invited to deepen our relationship with God and to recommit ourselves to bring his message to the people wherever we are in this troubled world.

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Over the past few days we have been celebrating Catholic Schools week. We  have taken the time to think about the good that has come from our schools. We have also taken time to thank god for our school teachers and our parents who in our homes are our first teachers. But as we thank God for our schools and our teachers we remember that  learning is a lifelong experience of so many things. THE readings for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary invite us to recognize Jesus and grant him authority in our lives. Moses was the prophet for his time and for the needs of his people. In the first reading, Moses foretells the coming of a mighty prophet. Who are the Moses-like prophets for this time for us and our needs? Who do we trust and follow? Whose words and examples direct our minds to Jesus the word of God the authority of the Father? The second reading from Corinthians discusses the states of married and unmarried life, highlighting how the unmarried can focus more directly on pleasing the Lord. This theme of undistracted devotion is relevant to understanding different vocations and the ways they can lead to holiness.

In this Sundays  Gospel we hear about the authority of the Lord to cast out demons and devils. The gospel  reading is taken from Marks gospel . As Jesus begins to teach in Capernaum. The people are spellbound because he spoke with authority, not like the scribes. A man comes to Jesus who is in the hand of an evil power and Jesus makes the devil come out of the man. The bystanders are amazed because Jesus has such authority.  What do we mean when we speak about the authority of the Lord? What do we mean when we talk about authority in general? What ways do we exercise authority in relation to those around us? What ways do we exercise the authority of the Lord as Christians?  The word authority comes from the Latin word auctoritas.  The basic meaning of this Latin word is creator, the word author also comes from this word. In general, authority is intimately connected with its source that source is the person who gives another the authority to do something so the authority that Jesus has comes from his Father.  God’s love for everyone is declared to us in the scriptures. God speaks with us there.  The message is clear: If we are God’s we are to care about and for each other and that includes the refugees, the abused, the poor, the ill, and the mentally challenged.

It means Everyone everywhere! Jesus, entire public life was about compassion and mercy. He despised arrogance, fought hypocrisy, and he believed the heart was stronger than the law. He brought God’s mercy and compassion to the earth and in the process brought us forgiveness from our self-interest, our scapegoating, our manipulation of frayed emotions, and our insecurity in the face of diversity of language, race, nationality origin, or whatever We are truly prophets when we stand for the truth, for the marginalized, for the alien, for the victim of war, for the victims of capitalism that serves only the capitalist. We are surrounded by many voices claiming authority – in media, in politics, in our communities. How do we recognize the true prophetic voice? The key is do those voices follow the teachings of Christ and the Church. The challenge for all of us is to discern and hear the voice of God, to speak and live our faith authentically, and to orientate our lives towards our faith so that other people may believe what Christ teaches and take up his request to follow as we are following  him.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Every time we pick up a newspaper, or turn on the radio or TV these days  we are confronted with bad news, much of it of a very distressing nature. It leaves us numb and helpless when many parts of the world are waring with each other as we realise that we cannot do a lot about what is going on we continue to pray for peace in our world. This weekend the readings talk about good news. The prophet, Jonah, in the first reading took a little time to answer God’s call in fact he only did so the second time around. The first time, Jonah packed his bags and ran away to sea in order to escape God’s wishes. However, God did not give up. Jonah was given a second chance and when he accepted the call, he preached with such faith that the people of Nineveh repented. Mark’s gospel times Jesus’ proclamation of the gospel with John the Baptist’s imprisonment by Herod. It was like passing a baton to the next runner in a race. John’s work was completed: he had prepared the people for the Christ.

His preparation accelerated the expectations that the Messiah was coming soon. Repentance was needed to prepare minds and hearts to receive the Messiah. Even so, repentance was thought to be something of the mind, of the will. Just clearing the landscape of the trash of sin did not completely prepare a person to receive and follow Jesus.  It is interesting to note how Jesus begins his ministry by announcing good news that “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news”. What is this good news? Essentially it is that we can come back to the father’s house like the prodigal Son, where a welcome instead of  judgement awaits us: The Good Shepherd has arrived. His stated aim is ‘”to seek out and to save the sheep that· are lost”  In the Gospel Jesus went to Galilee, preaching God’s imminent kingdom and urging repentance and belief in His message. By the Sea of Galilee, He called Simon and Andrew, fishermen, to follow Him and become ‘fishers of men.’ They promptly did. Next, Jesus summoned James and John, who also instantly left their father and work to follow Him.

This  illustrates the compelling nature of Jesus’ call. That meant they were to get up and leave family and friends to go out into the world to proclaim the good news of salvation.  We too are called to follow Jesus right where we are today. We are called to repent and to encourage others to do the same.  Like Jonah and Peter, we have to make many decisions. sometimes these affect the whole direction of our lives and the lives of others.   Whether we are like Jonah or like Peter in our in the way we make our decisions it is important for all Christians to realise that God is always there. He is waiting for us to accept his challenge to change our lives. As Jonah demonstrates, the story isn’t over yet. That all-important decision to answer the call of Jesus to follow Jesus may be made  right now today or even tomorrow. For every day is a new beginning, every day is brimming over with opportunities to start afresh.  So let us join Jesus in his mission so that others may believe the good news of salvation and hear the call follow me.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday we return to Ordinary Time with the Christmas and new year festivities a now distant memory. Our readings for the second Sunday in ordinary time are all about how god is calling his people. In the first reading we read about ‘Samuel’s Call’. Three times he hears God calling but thinks it is Eli a Temple priest and goes to him. Eli finally understands that it is God calling Samuel and tells him that next time he hears the voice to say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening”. The reading concludes with the thought that God dwelt with Samuel and that he spoke in God’s name. In this Sunday’s Gospel the apostles asked Jesus “Where do you live”? his reply was the invitation for them to “Come and see”.  As well as the Apostles all of us  are invited and welcome to  come and see where Jesus lives as well as what’s going on in our Faith Communities. When we accept the invitation of Jesus we have to ask ourselves why do we come and what do we seek? The early disciples of Jesus must have asked themselves those same questions.  They lived in a culture that distrusted anything new.  

We also  live in a culture that distrusts many things especially faith and all it represents.  The people in this gospel story are like you and me they are people looking and searching for God. Like the disciples we are seekers who want to find Jesus and stay or at least try and stay him. John’s disciples were seekers and it is late in the day for them as the gospel tells us. “It was about the tenth hour around four in the afternoon,” when the disciples received their invitation from Jesus. They need rest from their search and Jesus is offering it to them. The “four in the afternoon” possibly refers to the beginning of the Sabbath the next day.  The disciples spend time with Jesus, they are transformed. One of the disciples, Andrew, is so moved by his encounter with Jesus that he immediately goes to find Simon his brother and tells him, “We have found the Messiah”. Andrew’s response is a beautiful example of evangelization. He cannot keep the good news to himself; he feels compelled to share it with others. This is a reminder for us that encountering Christ should lead us to share the joy of the Gospel with those around us.  Simon, upon meeting Jesus, is given a new name, Cephas, which means “rock.”

This renaming signifies the mission that Jesus would give him, to be the rock upon which he will build his Church.  Just as the disciples were transformed by their encounter with Jesus, we too are invited to open our hearts to him, to seek him with sincerity, and to respond to his call. It is not a passive following to which we are called. This is about making room for him in our hearts and our lives, becoming the living embodiment of the Gospel.  May our encounter with Jesus and what he teaches us deepen our faith, transform our lives, and inspire us to be witnesses of his love in the world wherever  we are.

The Baptism of the Lord

On the Sunday that follows the Epiphany of the Lord, the Church commemorates the baptism of Jesus and  the beginning of his public mission in the world.  Jesus began his mission, like any Christian does, by being baptized by one of those who are charged with representing him on earth.  John the Baptist is indeed the figure of the Church at its beginning, and he is the one who resembles Christ, and represents him among the people of his time.  When John the Baptist baptizes, he told the people that there was someone coming after him and he was not good enough to undo the strap of his sandals.  The Baptism of the Lord emphasizes our incorporation into God’s family through baptism, mirroring Jesus’ own baptism.  The first reading discusses being formed and called by God. The psalm highlights themes of peace, water, and salvation, integral to the baptismal experience. The second reading reflects on the start of the Good News with Jesus’ baptism.

 The Gospel vividly recounts Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan, symbolizing the beginning of His ministry and our own spiritual journey through baptism. Many of us have been to a baptism but none of us remember the time we were baptised unless we were an adult who was baptized at the Easter Vigil or at another time. The beginning of the messianic work of Jesus is marked by the moment of his baptism in the Jordan. We remember that John the Baptist foretold Jesus  coming and he is acclaimed on earth by John and Jesus links himself to John by being baptized by him. Jesus is acclaimed from heaven by the voice of the Father and the presence of the Spirit.  Most of us rarely, if ever, think about our baptism. Through our baptism we died with Christ and have been reborn into a whole new life (Romans 6). We, the baptized, are made a part of the body of Christ. We are called to imitate Jesus, whom Paul says, “went about doing good.” We don’t need a detailed rule book in order to know how we should act in each situation of our lives, for in baptism, we have the companionship of the Spirit of Jesus who is our wisdom, our help and our guide to do good. The baptism of Jesus is a moment of special grace in the story of our salvation. Not only did the Son of God join us in our human condition but the Father and the Spirit were seen and heard to be present with him by the banks of the Jordan. At Jesus’ baptism, the voice heard from heaven identifies him as God’s beloved son. Our baptism also identifies us as beloved sons and daughters of the father. The Church teaches that baptism leaves a “mark” on us which can never be removed. No matter what we do, that mark is always with us. This gospel about Jesus and his baptism by John is the beginning of a purpose filled journey, which, through our own baptism, each of us is asked to travel. It is a journey and the purpose for us is to try and live our lives as people of God enlivened by the Holy Spirit so that others will be inspired to follow Christ by seeing the lives we lead as baptised people who believe in Jesus the Son of God and what he teaches us.

EPIPHANY

On January 6^th  we celebrate the three wise men and their visit to Jesus, as we know they brought gifts of Gold Frankincense and myrrh valuable gifts indeed. As we reflect on the Magi and their gifts we should also reflect on humble start of the church: Jesus was born in a stable as there was no room in the inn. Jesus gave us the Eucharist at the Last supper in the upper room . There he told his apostles as he tells us today do this in memory of me when he blessed the bread and wine he said this after washing the disciples feet remember the Master of the household did not wash the feet of anyone.  Jesus died on the Cross with two thieves one on each side of him no Gold frankincense or Myrrh there just the words of the thief when he said  Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. The Magi from the east, guided by a star, sought the newborn King of the Jews in Jerusalem, unsettling King Herod and the city.

Informed by religious leaders about the prophesied birth in Bethlehem, Herod deceitfully instructed the magi to report back after finding the child. Following the star, the magi reached Jesus, worshiping Him and offering gifts. They returned home by another way to avoid Herod. In the gospel reading for this feast the Wise men represent the “mystery” of the son of God made manifest in human life by becoming one with us and like us. By their very nature they are seekers, people who came looking for the “king of the Jews.” Where would they find this royal child? Not in the courts of the powerful, like Herod. He was an example of how those in power would react to the gentle one who would draw all people into his kingdom. Jesus was not born in a mighty city, nor was he an heir to a powerful ruler. Instead, he was born  in Bethlehem. it was a backwater in the eyes of those of Herod’s court and the religious leaders in Jerusalem.

Through the “least,” and the poor, Christ comes to us. We, like the wise men, will find Christ among the “least.” and this is the message, that lies at the heart of our gospel for today. The call of the Savior is given  to each of us. What do we hear? Will we believe what we hear and see as the Wise men did? we are not going to be able to bring Gold Frankincense and Myrrh to the Lord instead we bring the priceless gift which is our faith and belief in Christ the Son of God. Our faith in Jesus Christ enables us to bear witness to him as a light for all people. Like the wise men we come to worship the one we have found in the manger and then we share with others the treasure we have received kneeling at the crib.

The Holy Family

This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, and it is a good time to stop and reflect on the Christian Family and what it means for us to be part of the family of faith within the Church. This Sunday, we commemorate a family in deep distress because their Son is seen as a threat to a jealous king: Joseph and Mary are running for their lives from Herod the Great. Tradition says that after three years in exile, another angel informs Joseph that Herod the Great is dead. The Holy Family returns to their homeland, not to Bethlehem, since the new king who reigns in his father’s place is also a cruel and barbaric ruler. Joseph brings Mary and Jesus to his native town of Nazareth in Galilee. There, they lived a simple ordinary life, Joseph the carpenter with  Mary and  Jesus who grew in holiness and in knowledge of God.

We recognize the sacrifices Joseph and Mary made for Jesus, in the same way as we recognize the sacrifices our parents made for us  and many other parents  are making for their children today.    In the readings of the Feast of the Holy Family, we encounter a profound invitation to transform our homes and our lives into sanctuaries of God’s love and faithfulness.  The first reading from Sirach emphasizes the respect and honour owed to our parents, linking family life to the spiritual life. It shows us that the familial bond is not just a social thing but a sacred covenant. The Holy Family, in their simple yet profound acts of faith, become a model for us, guiding us to see our family relationships as opportunities to grow in holiness love and charity. The Gospel of Luke, detailing the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, underscores the holy families deep-seated obedience to God’s will as they went up to the temple to do what the law required.

 This gospel story  is a vivid portrayal of a family committed to their faith, where each action and decision is rooted in faith and love.  The Church is a great family, the great family of God. The Church is prophetic: she proclaims the Kingdom of God. Simeon, as well as the prophetess Anna, are there in this gospel to witness to this. This example sets a high standard for us: to make our embodiments of divine love, where every interaction is steeped in the virtues of faith and love. As we meditate on these scriptures, we are called to think about our own family dynamics. It is in our family homes that we learn a philosophy of life. It is there that we acquire principles by which we should live and relate to others. It is there, in the domestic church, that God is acknowledged, that prayer is learned. It is there that our soul is nurtured at the family altar, the family table in which we share a communion of food for the body, the mind and the soul. So in thanking God for the gift of the Christ Child, we also thank God for our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, and the wonderful gift that our families are for us. By strengthening these bonds, we mirror the Holy Family’s commitment to God’s plan and we become active participants in the manifestation of His love and mercy in the world where we are and we are impowered to pass his love and mercy on to those around us.