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16 Apr 2025

Mass of the Lords Supper

Lent has ended and now we begin the Holy Week Triduum for the Holy Year of Hope. There is a saying that hope springs eternal and in the Holy Week Triduum we celebrate  the hope of Holy Thursday we go to the despair of Good Friday and then on Easter Sunday we  go back to the greatest hope that all of us have that is the resurrection. The word Triduum is the Latin for the three days Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. We should not think of the liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil as three separate events, all three form part of one single extended liturgy. In fact at the end of the Mass on Holy Thursday there is no dismissal and blessing instead we accompany Jesus to the Altar of repose and then leave in silence. In the same way there is no formal beginning and end to the Good Friday liturgy we enter in silence and again we leave in silence.

This three-day liturgy concludes with the solemn blessing at the end of the Easter Vigil or at the morning Mass on Easter Sunday.  On Holy Thursday In the first reading from exodus we hear about the blood sacrifice on the door posts a sign that the people inside would be spared, freed from slavery and death. The death of Jesus becomes the Christian Passover, the sign of gods liberating love. We hear Paul’s account of the institution of the Eucharist in the second reading when he tells us this is what I have learned from the Lord and I am passing it on to you.  These readings make us aware that the institution of the Eucharist is tied to the demand of mutual love  and respect for one another.  On this day  we act out Jesus’ command by participating in the foot washing.  When supper had ended, Jesus took water in a basin and a towel and began to wash his disciples’ feet. He then commanded his disciples to follow his example by giving such loving service to others. Following the celebration of the Eucharist, we move in procession  with the Blessed Sacrament to the  chapel Of reservation there we keep watch up to midnight.  

On Holy Thursday we all bring our different stories here to the table of the Lord.  And we know there will be times when we will be sore, hurt and wounded; when there will be no one to talk away the terrors of the night; when we will occupy the garden of grief alone.  But Jesus has already travelled that road and stands with us. The liturgy on Holy Thursday evening is a meditation on the essential connection between the Eucharist and Christian love expressed in serving one another. Christ is not only present in the Eucharist but also in the deeds of loving kindness offered to others through us. We are the ones who make ‘real’ the presence of Jesus in every smile, kind word and loving action. As I said at the beginning hope springs eternal and we are called to be people of hope filled faith who look out for one another, people who follow Jesus  example by giving such loving service to others. It’s not just about “me” It’s about “us” and our hopeful journey of faith during these days of Holy Week and Easter and beyond as we go on into the future.  

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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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29 Mar 2025

4th Sunday of Lent

This weekend we celebrate the fourth Sunday of Lent In the First Reading  Israel enters the promised land they celebrate the Passover in their new home which gives them food from its soil and rest from their wandering. The Israelites celebrated Passover at Gilgal and ate the produce of Canaan. The manna ceased, and they no longer had manna as they ate the land’s produce. In the Second Reading Paul tells the Corinthian church that anyone who lives in Christ is a new creation. They are ambassadors for Christ whom God uses to call others to reconciliation. God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the message of reconciliation.

We are called to be  reconciled to God through Christ. In the Gospel we hear the story of the Prodigal Son, the contrast between the two brothers is quite sharp. After wasting his share of his father’s fortune the younger brother recognizes the mistakes he has made and returns home looking for the mercy of his father when he says: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son” (Lk 15: 18-19, 21).  The older brother takes a different sort of attitude one of arrogance not only towards his brother but also towards his father! His scolding is in great contrast with the tenderness of the father who comes out of the house and goes to meet him to ask him to go into the house (Lk 15: 20, 28) The big question that we should ask ourselves when we hear this story is what does God do when we turn away from him like the younger son in the Gospel?  He does exactly the same as the Father in the gospel story did he waits and when we return he goes out to meet the returning Son or Daughter with endless love as the psalms put it  great is his love, love without end.

The gospel story of the Prodigal Son is an image of God the Father who invites us to experience his love and return when we go far away from him as he gives us a second chance, Of course being given a second chance is not always fair or just and we see this from the reaction of the older son who complains in a big way about his Father not giving him something to celebrate with his friends. When we look at ourselves we can probably see parts of each of the three characters in us. There is the part of the father who has a keen eye for those who are lost and a good nose for when a party is needed. There is the part of the younger son who which wants to grab everything we can and try everything we shouldn’t. And there is the part of the elder brother which makes other people pay for our loveless fidelity. All three characters are within us, competing to shape the lives we lead when it should be our father in heaven shaping our lives.  This gospel Is all about second chances we remember that second chances are invitations to move forward with hope In our hearts as we leave our old selves behind.

May we not be afraid as pilgrims of hope to come back for we will be received like the Prodigal Son with open arms. like the Father in the Gospel story god will come out to meet us for his compassion and love is without measure.

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15 Mar 2025

2nd Sunday of Lent

This weekend on the 2nd Sunday of Lent we think about how God is working in our lives and how we can let ourselves be transformed by the presence of . In the First Reading God promised Abram countless descendants and the land from Egypt to the Euphrates. Abram believed, and God made a covenant with him, marked by a ritual with animal sacrifices. The responsorial Psalm tells us that The Lord is our  light and salvation. We seek His presence and help, trusting we will see His goodness in the land of the living. In the second reading: we are told to Imitate those who follow Christ. Many focus on earthly things and face destruction. Our citizenship is in heaven, and Jesus will transform us.   Those who Stand firm in the Lord will not be shamed.

In the Gospel reading we hear about Jesus going up the mountain taking Peter James and John, with him and there they hear the voice of the Father identifying  Jesus as “my beloved Son.”  During Lent Jesus invites us to make a journey in  fact our lives if lived in faith should be an exciting journey from the moment we arrive in the world until we get to the pearly gates when we die. During Lent we explore the great depths of God’s love for us as we try to move and live in God’s Spirit as we climb the mountain of the Lord.  Every Lent our prayer and hope is to rise again from the ashes of our sins. Every year we take a journey through penance, self-discipline, prayer, and  good works that lead all of us to the refreshing baptismal waters of Easter. For many members of the RCIA their journey began last Sunday in the cathedral churches and they continue the journey to their Baptism at Easter as Catechumens over the next few weeks. The  Catechumens are led to the sacraments of initiation by means of the rite of election and enrolment  that took place on the first Sunday of Lent then the scrutinies and catechesis follow on the Sundays of lent.

The faithful, listening more intently to the word of God and devoting themselves to prayer accompany them on their journey. Then all of us the baptised who are continuing our own faith journeys renew our baptismal promises at the Easter Masses and bless ourselves with the Easter holy water.This Sunday’s Gospel completes the ‘little parable’ formed by the Gospels of the first two Sundays of Lent. These Gospel readings tell us what Lent and the Christian life is about: that is a journey from temptation and doubt to transfiguration and faith. This is a journey that takes us away from being tempted to allowing ourselves to do good by the action of God’s Holy Spirit within us.  The god who spoke to the disciples on the mountain also speaks to us and directs all of us to Jesus. The voice of the Father also  instructs us  to “listen to him” may we listen and take note of what he is saying and not be afraid to do what he asks of us especially during this Holy Year when we journey together as pilgrims of hope.

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08 Mar 2025

1St Sunday of Lent

On the First Sunday of Lent having placed the ashes on our heads on Ash Wednesday we have embarked on our annual time of renewal. In every area of our lives there is an ongoing need for mending, renewing and refocusing. Lent is the annual spring clean of our spiritual lives renewing our faith as a preparation for celebrating the faith giving events of Holy Week and Easter. In the first reading  Moses instructs the people to offer their first  fruits to God, remembering their ancestors’ journey, oppression in Egypt, and God’s deliverance and gift of the promised land. The Responsorial Psalm  tells us to Trust in God, Our refuge, our stronghold who protects and rescues those who call on Him. He commands His angels to guard us and promises to be with us in trouble. In the second  reading  we are told to  Confess that Jesus is Lord and believe God raised him, and we will be saved. There is no distinction; all who call on the Lord will be saved.  

In our Gospel the reading from Luke details the temptation of Jesus in the dessert.  Before Jesus set out to do his Fathers work he went out into the dessert for forty days of fasting and prayer and during this time he was tempted by the devil. The devil tempted him to use his power to take care of himself, prove his identity by performing astounding signs and make alliances with political and military powers to get himself and his message across. It is immediately after His time in the desert that Christ began His work, of proclaiming the kingdom of God. In proclaiming the message of the Kingdom Jesus gives all of us the good news of truth, hope, peace, and salvation and this enables us to live life to the full and conquer sin. As well as this there is great encouragement for all of us to know that Jesus not only shared our human nature but, like us, he was subject to temptation. In the course of our daily lives we too face temptations to put comfort and material possessions over the sacrifices involved in being a disciple.  As we begin Lent we ask ourselves how do we face the temptations of life? When times get rough and we feel alone, do we still trust in God? When our life just seems empty, do we still believe in the Father who loves us? Are we willing to risk everything for the sake of the Gospel, or do we settle for guarding our own security? These are questions that all of us need to ask ourselves and Lent gives us the opportunity to do this.

God’s desire for us on this first Sunday of Lent in the Holy Year of hope is that we Come back to him with all our heart. God does not want empty words but full hearts. Hearts full of remorse for things that we shouldn’t have done; hearts full of trust as we face the realities about ourselves and our world; hearts full of love as we realize how much we are loved by those around  us our families and friends, and especially loved by God; hearts full of joyful hope as we journey towards Easter. Over the next few weeks may we make good use of our Lenten journey so at the end of Lent we will be able to hear and understand the messages that Holy Week and Easter  have for us renewed in heart mind and spirit and then put them into action in our own lives in the times ahead.

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04 Mar 2025

ASH WEDNESDAY

We start our annual  journey of repentance and conversion for 2025 with the Ashes of Ash Wednesday. The readings and the ashes call on us to change our lives in the spirit of conversion and renewal. There is a big question for all of us as we begin lent will the ashes of today help us to realise that we should have a change of heart and mind as we seek spiritual renewal in Lent, each individual will have the answer to that question for themselves. All of us will have many opportunities to strengthen our spiritual lives during  the 6 weeks of lent as we ponder what our faith really means to us as individuals and as a community.  Ashes hold deep symbolism in the Church, representing both our mortality and the need for repentance. This powerful symbol finds its roots in the Scriptures, where ashes were used as a sign of mourning and repentance. In the Old Testament, ashes were often associated with expressions of grief and sorrow. Job, for example, sat in ashes as a sign of his deep mourning and repentance before God.

The prophet Daniel also fasted and covered himself in ashes as a way of seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness for the sins of his people. These practices served as a visible reminder of our need to turn away from sin and return to God. On Ash Wednesday, we receive ashes on our foreheads as a sign of our own personal need of conversion and renewal of heart  and spirit. As the priest or minister applies the ashes, they say the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This solemn reminder prompts us to reflect on the brevity of life and the importance of living in accordance with God’s will. The ashes are a call to return to god and let go of the things that hinder our relationship with God and embrace a life of holiness.

In the First Reading –Joel 2:12-18: The Lord urges a heartfelt return to him with fasting and repentance, highlighting His gracious and compassionate nature, Slow to anger abounding in love. A communal fast is called, involving everyone, with priests pleading for mercy, leading to God’s compassionate response as he had mercy on the people. In The Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 51  we hear that each person in acknowledging their own sinfulness, implores God’s mercy. As all of us seek a renewed heart and spirit, with God’s presence in our lives and the restoration of the joy found in salvation. The Second Reading  tells us that we are called to be reconciled with God. Christ bore our sins to make us righteous as we  Embrace God’s grace, for now is the time of salvation. As ambassadors of Christ we are called to be reconciled to him and through this reconciliation we are called to be reconciled to one another.

In the Gospel reading from  Matthew  Jesus emphasizes the importance of sincerity in the practice of faith. He advised against performing acts of charity, prayer, and fasting for public admiration, as such actions lack true spiritual value.  Instead, he encouraged discreet and private expressions of faith, assuring that God, who sees everything that is done  in a quiet prayerful way, will duly reward genuine devotion. Lent is all about moving forward in a spirit of conversion and prayerful return to god that is the spirit of metanoia. So the Church asks us at the beginning of Lent to renew our own lives through the great spiritual works of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and to listen to Jesus’ advice in today’s Gospel. On ash Wednesday the ashes are a call for us to change our lives and how we live them. We begin our journey for lent 2025 and we receive the ashes as a sign that we are willing to return to god who says return to me with all your heart and we do that in a special way during this holy  year of hope.

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01 Mar 2025

8Th Sunday of ordinary time

Next week we begin the season of Lent with the Ashes on Ash Wednesday and we begin our annual  journey of repentance and conversion for 2025 as pilgrims of hope. All of us will have many opportunities to strengthen our spiritual lives over the 6 weeks of lent as we ponder what our faith really means to us as individuals and as a community. We also continue our prayers for the health and wellbeing of Pope Francis.

In the First Reading  this Sunday we are told that a persons  speech reveals their faults and true character. Do not praise someone before hearing them speak as this is the test of men. The Responsorial Psalm is  Psalm 91 and we hear that  It is good to thank and praise the Lord, whose kindness and faithfulness are constant. We are also told that the righteous flourish and bear fruit, proclaiming God’s justice and reliability to those around them. In our Second Reading  we are told that Through Jesus, we have victory over death. Again we are called to be steadfast and devoted to the Lord’s work, knowing all we do is not in vain even though sometimes it might look that way for in the Lord we do not labour in vain.

This Sunday in our Gospel Reading Jesus is coming to the end of what, in Luke, is called the “Sermon on the Plain”. He has instructed his disciples to love their enemies, turn the other cheek, treat others as they would want to be treated, not judge them, etc. Jesus is the wise person teaching the disciples a practical wisdom on how to live their lives as his disciples. Jesus says, in summary, a person’s words and actions will reveal their character. The Gospel tells us There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.’ God’s love is effective, it produces good fruit for the benefit of others. The good we do is the  way to spread the faith to others. Jesus sends us to be witnesses to the faith we profess to practice what we preach in all we do and say. Jesus words to us in this weekend’s gospel  show his concern for the integrity and quality of our lives. We cannot, he says, teach others if we ourselves are not witnesses to what we teach. There are many people out there who were witnesses to the truth of the gospel who have turned away and betrayed the truth and become rotten fruit.  Lent is the time to renew our  selves in terms of faith so that we are able to move forward in the certain knowledge and hope of being true witnesses to the faith. Lent is all about moving forward in a spirit of conversion and prayerful return the spirit of metanoia.

 During Lent we are provided with many opportunities for spiritual renewal but that will be for the weeks ahead. But for now let us stop and reflect on the good we do for others and how that becomes a way of  bringing the faith to the people where they are. As we continue our journey as pilgrims of hope we remember  that  God’s love is effective, and it produces good fruit for the benefit of others and we are called to show gods love through all we do and say for one another.

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22 Feb 2025

7th Sunday ir Ordinary Time

We pray this weekend for the well being of our Holy Father Pope Francis as he remains in hospital.  The readings for this Sunday teach us about mercy, forgiveness, and love. These themes show us how to live like Jesus in our everyday lives. The readings call us to live a hope filled life of mercy, just like David showed mercy to Saul in the first reading. Mercy means choosing kindness over revenge. It means forgiving others, even when it is hard.  The First Reading from the first book of  Samuel tells us that David, finding Saul asleep, refuses to harm him, saying it’s wrong to strike the lord’s anointed. He takes Saul’s spear and jug, proving his mercy and faithfulness from afar. The Second Reading 1 Corinthians tells us that The first Adam was earthly, the last Adam (Christ) is a life-giving spirit. We, once earthly, will transform to bear the likeness of the heavenly man.

This weekend we think about the things the Lord asks us to do in following Him, nothing is more difficult that the teaching  “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you It is much easier to sacrifice our wants for the needs of others, then it is to avoid lashing out at someone but that is what Jesus is calling us to do.  The point of this kind of prophetic speech by Jesus is to stimulate his audience (and us) to reflect on the whole pattern of behaviour in human relationships. Jesus is not really suggesting rules to be followed literally in certain circumstances. Rather, we are being invited to reflect on how we can respond to unreasonable demands and personal injuries with nothing but generosity and abandoning all claims to retribution and restitution.  What we are talking about in this Gospel is not some ethical system for the good of society or for our own self-interest but something way beyond this.

What Jesus gives us is the very principle behind the creation of the universe: God’s infinite love for us all. This is the extraordinary challenge that he lays before us: To love the people around us just as he loves us, just as he loves them.  It is not easy and we won’t achieve it often but we know that this is what God wants from us and it is something that deep in our hearts we are glad to do. The way God treats us should be the guideline for our life as Christians. God is infinitely compassionate and merciful, he is extraordinarily patient with our many shortcomings and he puts up with all sorts of foolishness on our part.  What Jesus is suggesting are responses to insults and injuries which break cycles of violent retaliation and provide pathways to peace and reconciliation. By doing this, Jesus says, we can allow the utter generosity of God to shine through us. Doing good only to those who do good to us is not enough to convey the generosity and welcome of God. Only acting with overwhelming generosity and compassion allows the mercy, generosity and compassion with which God meets each of us to be clearly seen in concrete actions It is our task as a true disciple to imitate our master, to imitate the behaviour of God himself. In the words of Micah this is what God asks of us: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God.

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08 Feb 2025

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday we celebrate the 5th Sunday in Ordinary time and we remember and pray for all those who are sick as we celebrate the world day for the Sick on 11th February. We ask God through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes to bless our sick and all those who look after them. The 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time readings highlight important themes. These themes help us understand our faith and God’s call in our lives. In the  First Reading from Isaiah  Isaiah saw the Lord on His throne, felt unworthy, but was cleansed by a seraphim. When God asked for a messenger, Isaiah offered to go. In the Responsorial Psalm I will thank and praise God for His kindness and truth. He answers me and gives me strength. All will praise Him for His great glory and enduring kindness.

The Second Reading from Corinthians tells us that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day. Saint Paul says He appeared to many, including me. By God’s grace, I preach, and you believed. Our Gospel story for this Sunday recounts the story of the of Peter’s calling to be a fisher of men. After a fruitless night’s fishing, Peter obeys the word of Jesus and catches a huge number of fish. He feels unworthy before Jesus; but he is now called to be a fisher of men. Peter recognises the hand of God in what has happened and at the same time realises his own sinfulness but Jesus comes to show us the mercy of his Father. Jesus did not come to be a hermit with an unreachable address in the desert; rather, his whole mission moves in the opposite direction, for he has come “to seek out and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). So Jesus travels into our lives not away from them.  He entertains sinners he enters their homes, meets their families, eats at their table, listens to their stories, and calls all of us to a new way of life when he says follow me. Throughout his life Jesus is never far from sinners he is not far from all of us as well for are sinners too. Jesus doesn’t write us off because we are sinners; Jesus has other plans because he knows that we sinners have a future, not just a past. Simon Peter received his call while he was doing his work. He said, “Yes,” and responded by changing his life.

Every day, in the midst of our routines, at work, home, school there are opportunities to respond to Jesus’ call to follow him. In innumerable ways our Christian vocation must guide what we say and what we do. In all  our decisions big and small, we are asked to live what we profess as Jesus’ followers; to be attentive to what God may be asking of us at that moment of our lives. This may entail being faithful to the commitments we already have; responding to a need we see, or taking the opportunity to witness to what we believe. Our responses may seem small and insignificant. They may be small, but they are never insignificant! In addition, who knows where the next “Yes” we say to Christ may lead us?  Our call as disciples is not only to personal holiness but also to partnership with Christ in transforming the world with words and actions of  justice, peace, integrity, forgiveness, mercy, tolerance, hope and love. We must allow ourselves to be caught and taught by Jesus. The response that is asked for, is to be prepared to give up everything in our quest to know Jesus. In spite of our sense of sinfulness, unworthiness and lack of faith in ourselves, we are called to trust in God’s choice of us and in God’s faith in us who are his beloved daughters and sons.

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