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3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

This week as we celebrate the week of prayer for Christian Unity we continue our prayer for peace. The world seems to be in complete turmoil now however we know things really are in the hands of God and we place our trust in him. The Sundays of Ordinary Time lead us through the three years of Christ’s public ministry. We began last week with his identification as the Lamb of God by John the Baptist and this week we hear how he called the Apostles to follow him.  The readings for the third Sunday of ordinary time remind us that God brings light into darkness and hope to those who are hopeless. He is near, even in hard times and these days many things are beyond our control and are hard to think about but god is still with us.

In the First Reading God transformed the fortunes of Zebulun and Naphtali, bringing light to their darkness, joy like a harvest, and breaking the bonds of oppression, reminiscent of Midian’s defeat. In our Second Reading St. Paul says I urge unity and no divisions among you, to avoid factions that claim allegiance to different leaders. Christ alone should be our focus, not human leaders. In our Gospel story we hear about Jesus calling Andrew, Simon, Peter, James son of Zebedee and his brother John to follow him. As Jesus travelled around Galilee, he actively built a following. Biblical scholars speculate that the Galileans would network and form groups around social, economic, or religious issues. Even though the Romans put down revolts with brutal efficiency, large Jewish protests did sway official decisions, especially at the local level. There was strength in numbers.  Part-time fishermen like Peter and Andrew, like James and John would easily leave their daily tasks, if the group they joined promised to protect and enhance their way of life.  Proclaiming the Kingdom was a message with political undertones for Jews and Jesus quickly amassed an audience.  This gospel story is about the call of Jesus to the first apostles to be his followers. This gospel is not just an echo from the past it is very much for us today as Christ and his message are the same yesterday today and will be the same forever. Are we listening to Jesus as he says to us today, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men?”  

This Gospel also asks us to remember that our own vocation is an absolutely free gift from God.  This means that we are totally free to accept or deny the invitation for us to take up the vocation that is there for us. Some are called to the Priesthood, or Consecrated Life, others to marriage, others are called to a single life there are many other vocations in life all of them are different. May we experience the beauty of accepting the vocation call we have in our lives.  In this way we will become like the first apostles who quickly responded, continued to learn during their three years walking with Jesus and then in the years afterwards with the power of the Holy Spirit, they did what they probably never imagined they would do when first called; they travelled to the ends of the earth bringing the message of Jesus with them.

Second sunday of Christmas

Yes, you did read the heading correctly it is the second Sunday after the feast of Christmas, and we are now almost at the arrival of the Three wise men on Epiphany which takes place on Tuesday 6^th January. By long standing sacred tradition Christians celebrate Christmas as a season, with the twelve days between Christmas and the Epiphany as one long “Christmas feast.” The season ends with the Baptism of the Lord which is also the first Sunday of ordinary time and that takes place next Sunday.

The first reading is from the book of wisdom. In the wisdom writings we frequently find the ‘Wisdom’ that comes from God is personified. Here in chapter 24 of Ecclesiasticus’, Wisdom ‘speaks her own praises’. She is told to dwell in ‘Jacob’, among the tribes of Israel. She is described as ‘created in the beginning’ and ‘resting’ in the ‘beloved city’. In the second reading from the letter to the Christians of Ephesus begins with a hymn of praise for the plan of God, who chose us ‘from the foundation of the world’ to be his adopted children through the abundance of grace lavished on us in Christ.  In later verses from the same chapter, Paul prays for the Christians of Ephesus, that their faith may grow, and that ‘the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory’ may bestow on them a ‘spirit of wisdom’ and of ‘revelation. The Gospel tells us about the word who was in fact the Son of God. Jesus Christ, therefore, the Word made flesh, was sent as “a man to men.”  He “speaks the word of God” to us and completes the work of salvation which His Father gave Him to do.  

When we look for Jesus as the wise men did, we will find Christ among the “least” and this is the humble message that lies at the heart of our faith especially at this time of year. Jesus does not seek what is good and wise in the eyes of the world he seeks out the small and the humble people those who are unwise in the world’s eyes. May we not be afraid in the year that has just begun to seek the true wisdom that God wants for us, the wisdom of the Wise Men which is the wisdom to seek God and follow the star which is Jesus the light.

Second Sunday of Advent

This year as we light the second purple candle on the Advent Wreath the 2nd Sunday of Advent points us to something new. Isaiah speaks of a branch growing from Jesse’s stump. It is a sign of hope. God is doing something fresh. The old ways are ending. A peaceful king will come. Justice and harmony will grow again. In the First Reading (Is 11:1-10). The reign of David was the high point in the history of Israel. But his successors failed wretchedly. Still, the hope remained that a future king would succeed where his predecessors failed. Here Isaiah foretells that even though the family tree of Jesse (David’s father) has been reduced to a mere stump, nevertheless from that stump a new shoot will spring. He goes on to sketch a portrait of the true king’. In the Second reading (Rom 15:4-9). Paul sees Jesus as the one through whom God fulfilled his promises. He highlights the value of hope.

The scriptures show that those who hope refuse to give up. By urging us to treat others in the same friendly way Christ has treated us, the reading continues the theme of peace and harmony of the First Reading. The Gospel for this Sunday brings the powerful prophetic voice of John the Baptist to centre stage with his urgent summons to conversion. His programme for reform seriously rattled the complacency of the Pharisees and Sadducees who ventured out into the desert to hear him preach. The God he proclaimed is a God who refuses to be controlled or tamed, a God whose presence is one that both consoles and makes radical demands of those who follow him. We hear about John the Baptist the lords herald who said that there is one who is to come after me and I am not worthy to take the sandals of his feet.  John’s task was to go before the lord announcing the coming of Jesus and to point to him when he came. John was called to reawaken a sense of expectation among the people who had grown tired and distant from God.   John was called to bring renewal to institutional expressions of religion which, at the time, had become fossilized into external ritual without meaning.   John attracted thousands to come out into the desert to see him.  Tradition sees the desert as the place where God speaks to the heart of his people.

It is from this solitary place of spiritual combat, the desert bordering the Jordan, that John appears “with the spirit and the power of Elijah” (Luke 7:17).  By his word and his baptism with water, john called the children of the covenant back to the Lord their God as he calls us to come back to the Lord our God today. The figure of John serves as a warning, to all Christians, of our need to draw our strength from Christ alone, rather than identifying with the cultural patterns or the Fads and fashions of the time, which come and go.   The Church is here in the present as it has been in past times to proclaim and live out the message of Jesus in every generation in season and out of season whether people like it or not. The Church is not there in any way to be inward looking.  The people of God, you and I included are called to constant renewal, looking outwards to tear ourselves away from conventional expectations, attitudes and superficial things and centre ourselves completely on God. In every age the church must become like John the Baptist, it must be the uncomfortable reminder of how we must allow the truth of Jesus to break into our lives to enlighten the darkness that can enter our lives or the life of the Church. As the journey of Advent continues, as we prepare to celebrate the nativity of Christ, John the Baptist’s call to conversion sounds out in our communities.

It is a great and pressing invitation to open our hearts and souls to welcome the Son of God who comes among us to make the kingdom of God real to all of us. Johns call for repentance and renewal challenge us to move beyond mere words or fleeting emotions, urging us instead to seek genuine transformation in our lives. His example serves as an enduring reminder that true faith requires courage, humility, and the willingness to put God’s purpose above personal ambition. John’s life highlights the importance of integrity and moral conviction, even when such values come at a great personal cost.  His steadfastness in the face of adversity and his readiness to speak truth to power continue to inspire believers to stand firm in their faith and to act with justice and compassion. In a world often marked by power and self-interest, the witness of John the Baptist remains a beacon, calling each of us to prepare a way for the Lord in our own hearts and communities. Let listen with renewed faith and hope to John the Baptists  call this Advent.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend we celebrate the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time and the readings remind us that God is always at work, even when times are hard and for many people these days they certainly are. The readings also speak of judgment, they give us a  warning about what we need to do  and also give us hope. They call us above everything else to stay faithful and trust that God will care for those who honor Him. In the First Reading  A fierce day will come in which a fire  will consume the arrogant and wicked, says the Lord. But those who honour him will see the healing sun of righteousness rise. The promise of the “sun of righteousness” reflects Malachi’s theme of God restoring His people. For those who honor Him, healing and renewal are certain. 

In the Second Reading  St Paul tells the Thessalonians we worked hard among you as an example to follow. We taught that one must work to eat and advised against idleness and meddling. Living in hope of Christ’s coming does not excuse laziness but calls for service and steady work. The vision of the future in the Gospel Reading for this Sunday doesn’t look very appealing. The bad news is delivered first of all. Jesus imagines a time of terror and trouble and persecution ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. Jesus says, “These things must happen.” Then there will be cosmic upheavals: “the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven”. After this catalogue of disaster there is the good news. Jesus looks beyond the time of distress to the final time, when the Son of Man will gather the nations the scattered people of God to himself.  Jesus sees beyond suffering and persecution to a future of peace with God and one another. God does not want us to be anxious, but he calls us to confidence in the message we hear in the gospel and asks us to live  it in our lives so  that we will remain in his light. Let us encourage one another to remain steadfast in faith, to live with vigilance, and to look forward to Christ’s coming with joy and trust.

The Lord calls us to stay awake amidst the many distractions of life, so that we will recognize him when he comes again. St. John of the Cross wrote, “When evening comes, you will be examined in love” (Sayings, 60).  We prepare for the day of Christ’s coming by recognizing him in the people around us our families and friends as well as  those in the communities where we live and by knowing him through  his word and the sacramental life of faith.  As we see in the world these days false securities and shallow guarantees will not sustain us in times of real strife and testing and we see this in many places in the world.   By rejecting the false securities that are offered to us and placing our trust in God, we find true confidence, strength and peace. In our trials God alone must be our hope our salvation and our shield for  God’s ways must be our ways, so that when our misplaced confidences fail us we can turn our eyes to the Fathers  saving light. We are called this weekend to be living signs of God’s promise a people prepared for the glory that awaits all who honour the Lord. Let us be vigilant and not anxious for that day when God calls us and looks at us with love and says Your endurance has won you your life.’

THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA

Each year, on 9 November, the Catholic Church celebrates the Dedication of the Basilica of St John Lateran. This event commemorates the consecration of the cathedral church of  the Bishop of Rome. Known as “Mother and Head of all the Churches of the City and the World”, St John Lateran holds a unique place in the history and liturgy of the Church. Although the basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the Holy Father as Bishop of Rome, today’s liturgy focuses not on the Petrine ministry but on the place of God’s house, the temple. In the First Reading – Ezekiel tells us From the temple, water flows eastward, bringing life and freshness to everything it touches, with fruit trees along its banks providing food and healing. In the Second Reading we are told that  we are God’s building, with Jesus as the foundation. Each must build carefully, for we are temples of the Holy Spirit, sacred and protected by God. 

The Gospel  from John tells us that Near Passover, Jesus visits the in Jerusalem, expelling merchants and overturning money-changers’ tables, condemning the commercialization of the sacred space. Challenged by the Jews for a sign to justify his actions, he mentions rebuilding the temple in three days, a reference to his resurrection understood later by his disciples. The feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran symbolises the unity of the universal Church and the spiritual leadership of the Pope. This celebration calls all of us to reflect on our own role as “living stones” in the spiritual temple of God. We no longer look upon stone edifices to see God’s presence on earth, but we look on the broken body of Jesus on the cross. He is both the high priest and the offering acceptable to God. Paul’s message continues this truth. We are living stones forming a building.  God’s presence according to Paul is through us. We are built on the foundation of Jesus’ message but we must be careful in the way we build. As we live out our lives we grow individually energized either by the Spirit of God or by the spirit of the world.  The Spirit of God unites, forms us into a single building. The spirit of the world destroys unity and forms warring factions where each side competes with the vother for power, wealth, influence and pleasure.  So we must be careful how we build our life. We are the presence of God to one another through the Spirit that dwells in us and energizes and directs us. So, why do we celebrate the dedication of a Church building in Rome?

St. John Lateran basilica becomes a sign and a symbol for us.  It is a sign of God’s presence in the world. It is high on a hill that is visible for all to see and for all to take hope from its strength.   It is a symbol of those who believe and work to grow in faith hope, love and concern for God’s creation, and all those who are within it. It rejects no one, opening its arms to embrace not only the privileged but also the ordinary people.  Even the ones ignored and forgotten are welcomed and find a place where they might be healed and find life. The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica inspires us to embrace the call to be a living temple of God. Just as the Basilica in Rome is a physical representation of the Church, we are called to be living stones, united in faith and working together to build up the Kingdom of God through his Church. Each person has a unique role to play in the Church and that their contributions, no matter how small, are essential to the overall mission of spreading the Gospel in the world today. May the feast we celebrate this weekend inspire us to cherish our heritage, embrace our mission, and strive to make the Church a true sign of God’s presence, hope, and unity for all the  people wherever we are in the world.

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October is the month when we pray for the missionary efforts of the Church and the missionary men and women who bring the gospel message to those in other countries so that the people there will have faith in Jesus and what he teaches. Also during the month of October we are encouraged to pray the Rosary with the feast of our Lady of the Rosary on the 7^th October. The readings for this Sunday reminds us to trust God, even when life feels unfair or unclear. The readings speak of faith that waits with hope and service that does what is needed. Each passage points to a life that relies on God, not on our own strength. In the First Reading  from  the prophet Habakkuk we are told that despite witnessing violence and injustice, the plea for divine intervention is met with God’s instruction to record a future vision that promises fulfilment and vindicates the just who live by faith. In the Second Reading  from St Pauls second letter to Timothy we are called to Reignite the divine gift within us, embracing God’s spirit of power, love, and discipline, and steadfastly proclaim your faith, guided and protected by the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel for this Sunday is made up of two apparently unrelated sayings of Jesus, one dealing with the gift  of faith and the other a very stark and challenging reminder to the apostles of the call to service they have received as people sent by God to share in Jesus’ mission of proclaiming the Good News. We might be tempted to skip over such ‘hard sayings’ but we are asked to listen to them because the Gospel always liberates us from false ideas about ourselves and. Perhaps we think that having faith means believing certain things. Thinking our faith is small can keep us from doing so many things that we are called to do by our faith in Jesus the Son of God.  The disciples must have thought their faith was so small they couldn’t act on it. But Jesus wants his disciples and by association ourselves to trust and act on our god given faith. The alternative to acting out of faith would be saying things like: I can’t take on that responsibility, I don’t have enough faith. The disciples may have felt similar inhibitions after hearing what Jesus just taught about not leading others into sin. But Jesus teaches, “Act on the little faith you have.  You’ll be surprised what you can do.” His example of the deep-rooted mulberry tree underlines his lesson to us about the power of the smallest seed of faith to work marvels. We may find ourselves doing something that surprises us and those who know us. But despite the remarkable things we might do, we must acknowledge the source of all our good deeds the faith planted in us by God. Realizing this we can say with those servants in the parable: “We are unprofitable servants, we have done what we were obliged to do.” We could also add: “We have only done what our faith has enabled us to do.

“God gives us the grace to do great things in his name as Mary puts it in the Magnificat the Lord has done great things for me and holy is his name. As we pray for our faith to be strengthened we thank god for all those people who helped us to have faith in the first place, our parents, families, teachers, friends and our clergy throughout our lives all of them played their part in giving us the faith.   Although Christ was speaking to the Apostles, His words apply to all of us, in our own lives here and now. Following the example of the Apostles, we must all pray for greater trust and faith in God and his love for all of us especially in our time with all the turmoil that is in the world. This Sunday we are called  to keep our faith alive and active. We are  reminded that faith grows when we trust God living each day in hope, love, and quiet faithfulness. . As we journey through October, may our prayers, and our trust in God continue to bear fruit in our lives and the and the lives of the people in world around us.