A spiritual exercise for a better 2017

As the New Year approaches many of us will look forward with hope, convincing ourselves that “next year will be better.” The past year may not have gone exactly as we had wanted and our original “New Year’s Resolutions” may have only endured to the middle of January. Whatever may be the case, we look forward to the future and have a glimmer of hope that our current situation will improve.

While looking forward to what “could be” can keep our spirits up for the moment, a much deeper exercise that provides more nourishment to the soul consists of reviewing the entire year and being thankful for the many blessings (and crosses) that God has given us.
This process allows a person to understand where they are and where God’s actions may be leading them. In other words, it is only in looking back that one can move forward.

One way to reflect on the past year is to make a “Yearly Examen.” This practice is simply an extension of the “Daily Examen” that is a central part of Ignatian Spirituality. The Daily Examen is practice where an individual stops two times during the day (at midday and at the close of the day) to examine God’s activity and to recognize any faults or sins committed.

St. Ignatius divided the Daily Examen into five parts and is often described in this way:

1. Place yourself in God’s presence. Give thanks for God’s great love for you.
2. Pray for the grace to understand how God is acting in your life.
3. Review your day — recall specific moments and your feelings at the time.
4. Reflect on what you did, said, or thought in those instances. Were you drawing closer to God, or further away?
5. Look toward tomorrow — think of how you might collaborate more effectively with God’s plan. Be specific, and conclude with the “Our Father.”

This is a beautiful exercise to practice daily and helps you understand how God is working in your life, while also being honest with your own mistakes and failures. It is also a positive way of recognizing your faults while being aware of the love and mercy of God.

Besides making a Daily Examen, one can also look bigger and make a “Yearly Examen” that looks at the major events of the past year, looking forward to what you need to change in the New Year.
Here is how it might look:

1. After placing yourself in God’s presence, first give thanks to God for all the many blessings received during the past year. Pass through each month, remembering the blessings that occurred.
2. Pray for the grace to understand God’s divine providence.
3. Next, review each month again and take notice of any feelings or movements that occur in your heart while doing this activity. Whatever you may feel (whether it was a good feeling or bad feeling), ask God to help you understand why an event happened.
4. Fourth, ask pardon for any sins you committed, trusting fully in God’s mercy.
5. Last of all look forward to the New Year think of ways that you can collaborate more with God’s loving plan for your life.

If we want to progress in 2017 in any way, we must not forget the past, but learn from it and accept everything that happened in light of God’s divine providence. By doing this, we can better move forward and do so in a spirit of collaboration, realizing that God is the one who is in control. In the end, if we are to remember one thing let us recall the words God said to the prophet Jeremiah:

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

Three Ways to Obtain Plenary Indulgence During 100th Anniversary of Fatima

Announced on December 1, 2016: Pope Francis grants three opportunities to receive a plenary indulgence throughout the
Jubilee Year of the Fatima Centennial, which recently began on the First Sunday of Advent, Nov. 27, 2016, and ends next year on Nov. 26, 2017.

André Pereira, rector of the Fatima Shrine in Portugal, outlined the three ways of obtaining the indulgence, detailed in a statement on the shrine’s website.

To obtain the plenary indulgence, the faithful must also fulfill the three ordinary conditions: Go to Confession and Communion, be interiorly detached from sin, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. (The latter means to pray for the Pope to lead the Church as God wills.)

1. Pilgrimage to the shrine
The first way to gain the plenary indulgence is for “the faithful to make a pilgrimage to the Fatima Shrine in Portugal and participate in a celebration or prayer dedicated to the Virgin.”

In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Apostles' Creed and invoke Our Lady of Fatima (i.e., "Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us" or "Virgin of Fatima, pray for us," etc.).

2. Prayer before any statue of Our Lady of Fatima on the 13th of the Month
The second way applies to “the pious faithful who visit with devotion a statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October (2017), and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honor of the Virgin Mary.”

The rector of the Fatima Shrine explained that the visit to the statue of the Virgin “does not necessarily have to be only at Fatima or exclusively in Portugal,” but can be done anywhere in the world.

Additionally, all those seeking an indulgence must also pray an Our Father, recite the Apostle’s Creed and invoke Our Lady of Fatima (i.e., “Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us” or “Holy Virgin of Fatima, pray for us”).

3. Conditions for the elderly and infirm (May 13, June 13, etc. through October 13)
The third way to obtain a plenary indulgence applies to people who, due to age, illness or other serious cause, are unable to get around well.

These faithful can pray in front of any statue of Our Lady of Fatima and must spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 2017.

They also must “offer to merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives.”

Our Lady of Fatima, ora pro nobis!

New look for 2017

Brothers and Sisters,
As one year ends and another year approaches we look forward to all the new beginings that will take place in the coming year.

We are pleased to share with you all our new logo that was designed and gifted to us from the team at Graphic springs.com

We look forward to the year ahead so please do keep checking our facebook page and website for more updates.

Over the next couple of weeks our aim is to have our website upgraded and more Catholic reources added.

If you need anything at all please messege us as our mailbox is always monitored hourly.

Have a blessed Christmas break to you all.

From the team here at Keeping it Catholic NZ

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

From the team here at Keeping it Catholic NZ
We wish you all a Merry Christmas!

May the Joyous celebration of Christ continue to strengthen and inspire us all to seek his heavenly will and press on toward becoming greater Catholics for the sake of his kingdom.

#Keepingitcatholicnz

What if it was...

Oh how true
Have a blessed week!
#Keepingitcatholicnz

Gospel reading Friday | Luke 1:57-66

Gospel Lk 1:57-66

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

+The Gospel of the Lord

Gospel reading Thursday | Luke 1:46-56

Gospel Lk 1:46-56

Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.

+The Gospel of the Lord

Gospel reading Wednesday | Luke 1:39-45

Gospel Lk 1:39-45

Mary set out in those days
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

+The Gospel of the Lord

Gospel Reflection Tuesday

For us Christians, the heart of today’s Gospel passage – continuing immediately from yesterday’s text – is a turning point in the history of the world. As it is also even for those who do not know Christ or who refuse to believe in his origins.

As the story is told by Luke, Mary must have been truly alarmed at the words of her unexpected visitor. Her cousin Elizabeth is now pregnant six months. The incident is taking place in Nazareth, not exactly the centre of the earth, or even of Palestine. A future disciple of Jesus will be heard to say with some cynicism, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Truly in the eyes of the more sophisticated it was something of a backwater. Yet this is the place God chooses to enter our world – not Rome, not Athens, not Alexandria nor any of the other great centres of power, culture and learning in the world of the time.

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” is the greeting of the angel Gabriel, the same one who spoke to Zechariah. How did Mary react to such an extraordinary salutation? The Gospel says that she was “greatly troubled” and well she might be. As a young girl in an obscure little town what could the words possibly mean? “Full of grace” really means that she is being showered with God’s special favours. It is more something that is happening to her than something she already has. The nature of that favour is expressed in what follows – she is to become the mother of a Son whom she is to call Jesus (meaning “God saves”) and who will be a King “of whose kingdom there will be no end”.

What really disturbs Mary is that, although she is already betrothed to Joseph, she is not yet married to him. In other words she is not sleeping with him as his wife. How can she become a mother? It will happen because the conception will be the work of God, the “overshadowing of the Spirit” so that the child who is born will be, in a very special sense, the Son of God. He will also, of course, be the son of Mary. In this way we have the deep mystery of the Incarnation expressed in the language of a story. Jesus will be at the same time someone who is fully divine and fully human. Jesus will be the unique bridge between God and his creation. He will be human “like us in all things but sin”. He will also, through his whole life, his words and actions, be the “splendour of the Father”.

In a great leap of faith and trust in the angel’s message, Mary says ‘Yes’. “Behold, I am the slave girl of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” For us Christians, the moment of that ‘Yes’ is a turning point in the history of the world. As it is also even for those who do not know Christ or who refuse to believe in his origins. It is the moment of Incarnation, when the Word became flesh and began to live among us as one of us. The world would never be the same. In a way, this is a more important moment than Christmas but it is understandable that we should tend to celebrate more the visible presence of God in Jesus at Bethlehem.

Mary had yet to learn what that ‘Yes’ involved but it was made unconditionally and it was never withdrawn. Through a life of trials and tribulations, of which we can know surely only a fraction, right up to those terrible moments as she stood beneath the Cross and saw her only Son die in agony and shame as a public criminal, she never once withdrew that ‘Yes’.

There is a clear message there for us. We too have been called in our own special way to give birth to Jesus in our lives and in our environment. We too have been called to say ‘Yes’, an unconditional ‘Yes’ to following Jesus. Now is the time for us to renew that pledge with Mary’s help and example.

Gospel reading Tuesday | Luke 1:26-38

Gospel Luke 1:26-38 

In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

+ The Gospel of the Lord

No Nativity, No Eucharist!

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” –Luke 2:7

As I contemplated the scene of the nativity, I realized that the Eucharist was a continuation of the nativity. It is the continuation of Christmas.

The manger is a simple feeding trough, where the animals of the nativity scene fed. Yet it held the same body of  Jesus, the bread of life, that we feed on in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

The next morning I received communion at daily mass.  I held the Blessed Sacrament in my cupped hand.  It was then that I realized that I held Jesus, body and blood, soul and divinity.  It was the same Jesus born in a manger that first Christmas day.  My hands represented the manger.  For a moment, as I held Jesus in my hand, my mind returned to the manger scene where I had prayed the night before.

The stable where Jesus was born became the tabernacle and the manger became the ciborium. And, it became clear that we owe the Blessed Sacrament to Bethlehem.  No nativity, no Eucharist!

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. –John 6:35

Bethlehem, the city of Christ’s birth, Beit Lehem (בית לחם) is Hebrew for “House of Bread.” How appropriate that Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, would be born in a city known as the “house of bread.”

The presence of Jesus, made incarnate that Christmas morning in Bethlehem.  It is the same presence, body, blood, soul and divinity that we share in the Eucharist.

Every time we receive the Eucharist, we have the opportunity to “lay him in a manger.”

Volumes have been written about keeping Christ in Christmas. We talk about continuing the Christmas spirit not just on December 25th, but every day of the year. We pray that we can somehow make every day Christmas day.

Help us Lord, to realize that we can do just that. We can do it in the reception of the Eucharist!  Jesus is the Bread of Life.  And the Eucharist we receive, is too!

It is the body, blood, soul and divinity, born that first Christmas morning. Born in the tabernacle of a stable and the ciborium of the manger.

Join with me, my friend, as we celebrate Christmas. And, not just on Christmas day, but all year long in the frequent reception of the Eucharist.

God bless you and Merry Christmas!

Gospel Reflection Monday

In today's Gospel we hear of the birth of John the Baptist as we prepare over the next few days for the celebration of the Christmas feast.

In today’s story we have the classical situation of the elderly wife who is childless. Then one day, the husband, Zechariah, a member of the priestly caste is spoken to by an angel while serving in the Temple. The birth of a son is announced and his destiny. ...He will not touch strong drink (like Samson before him) and be filled with the Spirit of God even before his birth. He will be the source for many to find their way back to God. Zechariah responds with some scepticism and is punished with dumbness for his unbelief. But, following this experience, Elizabeth conceives a child.

The stage is set for the next, and more important, Annunciation.

Today, let us reflect seriously on our own calling by God. Like John, each of us has been called to be a forerunner of Jesus, to prepare the way for Jesus to come into other people’s lives, especially those who have not yet had the experience of knowing him.

Gospel Reading Thursday | Luke 7:24-30

Gospel LK 7:24-30

When the messengers of John the Baptist had left,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. 
“What did you go out to the desert to see B a reed swayed by the wind? 
Then what did you go out to see? 
Someone dressed in fine garments? 
Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously
are found in royal palaces. 
Then what did you go out to see? 
A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 
This is the one about whom Scripture says:

Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
he will prepare your way before you.

I tell you,
among those born of women, no one is greater than John;
yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.”
(All the people who listened, including the tax collectors,
who were baptized with the baptism of John,
acknowledged the righteousness of God;
but the Pharisees and scholars of the law,
who were not baptized by him,
rejected the plan of God for themselves.)

+The Gospel of the Lord 

Gospel Reading Wednesday | Luke 7:18-23

Gospel Lk 7:18b-23

At that time,
John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask,
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
When the men came to the Lord, they said,
“John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,
‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”
At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits;
he also granted sight to many who were blind.
And Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

+ The Gospel of the Lord

Gospel Reflection Tuesday

Brothers and Sisters today's Gospel Reading is a reminder that "Actions speak louder than words!"

It's a reminder for us as Christians that we act on the Lords will in our daily lives. Not only Sundays or when we feel like it. No!! Every day that passes by we should be asking the Lord for his will to be done in our lives so that we may act upon it.

Just because we are practicing Christians doesn't mean we are in an untouchable position. Ask yourself, Do I pray daily? Do I show mercy the other 6 days of the week? Do I practise what I preach?

Probably, after some honest reflection, we would have to admit that we are not really in a position to sit in judgment on others. Given the gifts and graces we have received as Christians, we may not be doing very well compared with those who have never enjoyed the support of a Christian faith and a Christian environment. As Christmas approaches, let us be followers of the Lord in deeds as well as words.

Gospel Reading Tueaday | Mathew 21:28-32

Gospel Mt 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

+ The Gospel of the Lord

Gospel Reading Monday | Luke 1:26-38

Gospel Reading Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

+The Gospel of the Lord

Gospel Reading Thursday | Luke 1:26-38

GospelLK 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

+ The Gospel of the Lord 

Gospel Reflection Wednesday | Mathew 11:28-30

Brothers and Sisters, today's Gospel reminds us that God is never far away from us, even when we go through the most difficult and toubled times.

We hear in today's Gospel Jesus' invitation given to us all followed by a promise. Christ say's "Come to me" followed by the promise "I will give you rest".
The invitation is to turn to Christ at all times no just the troubled times that we find ourselves in.

What we need to understand is Christ won't vanish all our troubles and problems, NO! Instead he will stand with you and guide you through your problems and troubles so that when you reach your peak, you may look back and help those who are suffering in their spiritual lives.

So today sccept the invitation that Christ has put before us all. Place all that you are and all that you have into Christ's hands and he will steer your ship to calmm waters.

Corrie Ten-Booom once said:

"We can look around us and be distressed, We can look inside of us and be depressed, or we can look at Jesus and be at rest".

Gospel Reading Wednesday| Mathew 11:28-30

Gospel MT 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves. 
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

+ The Gospel of the Lord

Gospel Reading Tuesday | Mathew 18:12-14

Gospel Mt 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
“What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”

+ The Gospel of the Lord

Gospel Reflection Tuesday | Mathew 18:12-14

In today's gospel we find one of the five long discourses of Jesus found in this gospel. The discourse deals with various issues involving relationships in the Christian community, and especially when those relationships break down.


Just before this Jesus has been talking about scandal, that is, about actions by a Christian which are the cause of a fellow-Christian doing something wrong. It is bad enough to go against God’s will oneself but to make another fall is much worse. Jesus says it would be better for such a person to be drowned in the sea. This is especially the case if one is dealing with one of the ‘little ones’. These ‘little ones’ are not exactly children – although they are clearly not excluded – but rather those who are weak and immature in their Christian faith and so can easily be misled.


It is at this point that Jesus speaks the parable of the shepherd. A shepherd who has lost just one sheep out of one hundred. He leaves all the ‘good’ ones and goes in search of the stray. It does not say why this one sheep wandered off. All that matters is that it has got lost and is separated from its shepherd. And, when he finds it and brings it back, he is happier over this lost sheep than he is over the ninety-nine who never wandered away. This being a parable there is probably a little exaggeration here because, of course, the real Shepherd loves all his sheep equally. But a point is being made: that our God loves us unconditionally and is not only ready to have us back in the fold but is positively overjoyed about it. This parable can be applied both to those ‘little ones’ who were led astray or those who did the terrible thing of leading them astray. Both will be welcomed back with equal joy.


As we approach Christmas and the birth of that loving Shepherd (how appropriate that the first to greet his arrival were shepherds!) we could well reflect on how we look on those who have gone astray morally or on those who may have been instrumental in causing their behaviour. How judgemental are we? And how ready to receive back the wrongdoer not just grudgingly but with joy?
Let the words of Jesus be deeply etched on our hearts at this time: "It is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost."

Gospel Reflection Friday | Mathew 9:27-31

Brothers and Sisters Today’s Mass is about seeing. The Gospel speaks about the healing of two blind men. It is a story which we find in Mark’s gospel but here with significant differences. For instance, Mark has only one blind man while Matthew has two. We should not just read this as just another miracle, another proof of Jesus’ divine power.

It begins with two blind men going after Jesus calling after him in desperation: "Have compassion on us, Son of David!" There is already an element of faith in calling Jesus by this messianic name and it also points to the healing power of Jesus. Jesus is more than an ordinary rabbi.

When they catch up on Jesus, he asks them "Do you believe that I can do this?" Without their trust in him, Jesus cannot do anything for them. We remember what was said about the unbelieving people of Nazareth. These men say they do believe. "Your faith deserves it, so let it be done for you." They get their sight back. They can now see. Jesus tells them not to say anything about it. Jesus is not interested in being a sensation, he does not want people to have a wrong idea of his real mission. But they ignored his appeal and went about telling everyone of what had happened.


There is more here than meets the eye! What we have here is not just the restoration of their physical sight. They have gained in-sight. They can really see. They can see who Jesus really is, the Word of God, the Action of God and they simply have to share that experience with everyone else. It is not something that they can keep to themselves.It is significant that the following story is about the healing of a dumb man. There are several instances of Jesus healing deafness and blindness in the Gospel.

As disciples of Christ we need to be able to see and understand the message of Jesus and then we need to proclaim it everywhere.


Today is a day for us to be aware of our own blindness and our own deafness. We often have difficulty really hearing and accepting the Word of God and how many us can claim that we can see Jesus as he really is? If we are to celebrate Christmas properly, we must learn how to listen to God’s Word, with understanding and acceptance, and learn how to see deeply into the meaning of his life as it is presented to us. And it starts right there with the baby in the stable.

Gospel Reflection Thursday | Mathew 7:21, 24-27

Brothers and sisters, Today’s Gospel reading reminds us of what true discipleship means.

People often confess that they have not said their morning and evening prayers or that they have not been to Mass. Perhaps they should remember the words of today’s Gospel: "It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of heaven…"

On the other hand, those of us who always do say our morning and evening prayers and never miss a Mass also need to remember them. So...mething more is needed than just being a pray-er. What is needed is that we "do the will of the Father".

What is that will? It is that we be filled with the spirit of the Kingdom and work to make that Kingdom a reality in our world. It involves constant outreach beyond ourselves. We have to go to God by finding him present in the world around us and helping others to be aware of that loving presence also. We will not do that by piously calling on God’s name while ignoring the needs of our brothers and sisters.

To do that is to build our house on sand.
That is not to say that prayer is not important. We cannot effectively do God’s work unless we spend time listening to and responding to his Word in times of undisturbed quiet.

But our prayer is only genuine when it becomes the spur for us to go out and bring something of God’s love and compassion into our world.

What are you building on?

Goespel Daily Reading Wednesday

Gospel Mt 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee,

he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.

+The Gospel of the Lord

Gospel Reflection Wednesday| Mathew 4:18-22

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

The Gospel reading is Matthew’s account of the calling of the first four disciples. “Come after me and I will make you fishers of people,” he says and they drop everything and go after him. They leave behind all their security and means of livelihood and even their family.


They follow Jesus in complete trust, unaware of where he is going or what will happen to them. Following Jesus is a liberating experience. To be a Christian is to be free. Let us never forget that.
Yet the story is more symbolic than actual because we know that later they would return to their boats and their fishing and their family.

Very early on, Peter got Jesus to cure his mother-in-law of a fever. What is most important is not just the external acts but the inner attitude, to be able to use things freely and not to be dependent or clinging.

In John’s gospel it is significant that Andrew is called directly by Jesus while Peter is called by Andrew, who brings him to Jesus. It often happens that a lesser person can be instrumental in calling someone who will do great work for God.

St. Andrew rhe Apostle

Who, for instance, were the people influential turning points in the life of someone like, say, Mother Teresa? Without these key influences what would they have become? Who brought me to where I am now? And who have I brought to Christ?

The same idea is found in the First Reading from the Letter to the Romans. Paul emphasises the

need for the Gospel to be proclaimed. People cannot believe if they have never heard; they will never hear, if there is no proclamation; there will be no proclamation unless people are sent out.

Each one of us, through our Baptism, has received a calling to go out and bring Christ into other people’s lives. We can ask Andrew to help us
– in following Jesus freely and unconditionally
– in learning how to share our faith effectively with those around us.

Gospel Reflection Monday | Mathew 8:5-11

Todays Gospel describes an unexpected level of faith in a Gentile which even amazes Jesus: "When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him: ‘In no one in Israel have I found such faith… I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven'." The Kingdom which Jesus comes to proclaim is for all peoples everywhere.
It is the central message of Christmas.

This is not just a time for celebration and for parties. The birth of the Prince of Peace in the poverty of the stable is a challenge to us to carry on his work among God's children everywhere. Jesus has not failed; it is we who have done so little to carry on what he began.

Advent is a time for us to reflect on the real meaning of God coming to live and work among us and on the responsibility of his followers to carry on the work of making the Kingdom a reality for all.

From Protestant preacher to Catholic Part One

Growing up in a Presbyterian family I thought I had the luxury right at my finger tips.

Just like every other protestant I thought the Protestants were more pure and strict to keeping to the Holy Book and practising Faith in our every day lives.

After schooling in the state system for all my early years, my parents decided to send me to a Catholic secondary school. After observing all the bowing and genuflecting and prayers to Mary and all the Saints, I remembered saying to myself one day during assembly that I will never ever as long as I am at college, bow when entering and leaving the chapel for our school assemblies. I did just that right up till my final year in School.

From college I went to study theology first at the Logos Pacific School of Biblical Studies where I gained my Certificate in Theology and then on to Pacific Theological College where I gained my Licentiate in Theology (L.Th)

After graduating my wife and I served at many protestant churches either as associate pastor or interim pastor. Although we travelled alot to preach at the different churches we were appointed to, I still didn't feel complete.

In October of 2014 I was serving my own parish when I was called upon to take on another parish as an interim moderator at the same time.With the extra parish meant extra work, extra meetings, extra visits and an extra two services. With all the extra work added on top of what I was used too, I found that I had no time anymore on Saturdays or during the week to prepare a sermon for the Sunday services.

Just up the road from where I live is a Catholic church. Two minutes by car and 8 minutes to walk.

Now I knew that they had Saturday vigil services every week at 5pm so I decided to walk up and sit at the back of the church and listen to the priest's homily and take notes as the protestant church don't follow a lectionary so it's up to preachers what they want to preach on from scripture week in and week out.

I done this for three to four weeks every Saturday going up to the church and sitting at the back to take notes for my services the next day. As weeks went by I found myself constantly thinking of the Mass and how Holy it was and the fact that everything that is done from the begining of Mass through to the final Blessing are all quoted from Scripture....

This is the end of Part one
To find out more of my next steps in my journey stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2

Gospel Reading Monday 28th November

Gospel Mt 8:5-11

When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”

+The Gospel of the Lord

Gospel Reflection 1st Sunday of Advent

Brothers and Sisters
We hear in Today's Gospel, “Of two men in the fields, one is taken, one is left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left.” 

This could mean that one is taken away by a natural or personal disaster (an earthquake or a heart attack) and the other left untouched.  Or it could mean that God takes one away to himself and abandons the other.  In either event, the basic meaning is the same.  Two men, two women on the outside apparently the same, doing the same work.  And yet there is an important difference between them.  One is prepared and one is not.

Of course, in our daily lives we have to work, cook food, earn our living, take care of our families… but we must also prepare for the final call.  That is the most basic reality of our lives.  If we forget that, all our other success is actually failure.  Let us remember the story of Martha and Mary.  Martha was so busy about good things, about taking care of others but it was Mary who was in the right place, in touch with the centre of meaning, the Word made flesh.

And we do not know when the Lord will come.  “If the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into…”  And, in many ways, it is a blessing that we do not know the day nor the hour. 

On the one hand, if we did know, we could be filled with a terrible anxiety knowing what the final blow was going to be or, on the other hand, we would let our lives go completely to pot knowing that we could straighten everything out at the last minute.  In either case, our world would become a terrible place in which to live. 

So it is a question of being ready for any eventuality.  “Stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming…”

The obvious question to ask is, How are we to prepare?  St Paul today in the Second Reading has some advice.  “Let us give up all the things we tend to do under cover of darkness and live decently as people do in the daytime.”  I guess there are dark areas in all of our lives.  Things we do, things we say, things we think, the indulging of our lower and self-centred appetites; things which we would not like other people to know about because they are quite wrong.  They do no good to me or to others.

Instead, we need to develop our relations with God and with our brothers and sisters based on a caring and unconditional love for all.  We need to learn how to find God, to find Jesus in every person, in every experience.  We need to respect every person as the image of God.  We are to love our neighbours as ourselves, to love everyone just as Jesus loved us.

If, in our words and actions, our daily lives are full of the spirit of Jesus, then we have prepared.  We do not need to be anxious about the future or what will happen to us.  Concentrate on today, on the present hour, the present situation and respond to it in truth and love and the future will take care of itself.  Then we do not have to fear no matter when Jesus makes his final call. 

Because we know he is going to say:  “Come, my friend. I want to call you now; I want to share with you my life that never ends.”  And we will respond: “Yes, Lord, I am ready.  I have been waiting for you all this time.”  It will be an encounter, not of strangers, but of two old friends.