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.

Mass Readings 1st Sunday of Advent

First Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 1

Reading 1 Is 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm Ps 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Reading 2 Rom 13:11-14

Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

The Word of the Lord

Alleluia Cf. Ps 85:8

-

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us Lord, your love;
and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 24:37-44

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
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The Gospel of the Lord

Daily Readngs Friday

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 507

Reading 1 Rv 20:1-4, 11—21:2

I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven,
holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a heavy chain.
He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent,
which is the Devil or Satan,
and tied it up for a thousand years and threw it into the abyss,
which he locked over it and sealed,
so that it could no longer lead the nations astray
until the thousand years are completed.
After this, it is to be released for a short time.

Then I saw thrones; those who sat on them were entrusted with judgment.
I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,
and who had not worshiped the beast or its image
nor had accepted its mark on their foreheads or hands.
They came to life and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Next I saw a large white throne and the one who was sitting on it.
The earth and the sky fled from his presence
and there was no place for them.
I saw the dead, the great and the lowly, standing before the throne,
and scrolls were opened.
Then another scroll was opened, the book of life.
The dead were judged according to their deeds,
by what was written in the scrolls.
The sea gave up its dead;
then Death and Hades gave up their dead.
All the dead were judged according to their deeds.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of fire.
(This pool of fire is the second death.)
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life
was thrown into the pool of fire.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

The Word of The Lord

Responsorial Psalm Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a

R. (Rev. 21:3b) Here God lives among his people.
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
R. Here God lives among his people.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young–
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. Here God lives among his people.
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
They go from strength to strength.
R. Here God lives among his people.

Alleluia Lk 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 21:29-33

Jesus told his disciples a parable.
“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.”

The Gospel of The Lord

Gospel Reflection Friday Luke 21:29-33

Jesus continues his admonitions about readiness for the future. The key is to watch out for the telling signs.

Just as with the fig tree or any tree, the emerging buds of green indicate that summer is on the way.

When the things Jesus has been mentioning are seen to happen, terrible as some of them seem to be, they are in fact the sign of summer. “The Kingdom of God is near.” On other occasions, Jesus had said that the Kingdom was already present but the Kingdom can be seen in different ways. The Kingdom is present wherever the values of the Gospel are being lived but it will not be fully realised until the very end when all are gathered in Him.

“This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.” When Jesus says that “this present generation” will not have passed away until all this takes place, it is not to say that Jesus’ final coming will happen in the lifetime of his hearers, as some imagined but rather that, with his own suffering and death, the new and eternal dispensation which he inaugurates with the Kingdom will be under way. Ironically, the fulfilment of Jesus’ prophecy is inaugurated by the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the Temple. It inaugurates a new presence of God in the world, a presence in “spirit and in truth”.

However, Jesus’ words could also mean that the Jewish people as a race (here referred to as “this generation”) will continue to exist till the end of time, to the final coming of Jesus.

Lastly, the world in which we live will one day disappear, but the words of Jesus, words of Truth and Life will be forever valid, because they represent a vision of life and those timeless values which we understand as emanating from God and to which every single human being is innately called.

As we come to the end of the Church year it is a time for us to make our decision whether we want to belong to the kingdom that Jesus is inaugurating and not only to belong but also to make its spread our life’s work. Then, no matter when he comes to call us, we are ready.

Daily Reflection Thursday Luke 21:20-28

In today's Gospel Jesus continues his warnings of what is to come. He explains of what is going to happen to Jerusalem and the end of all things.

Jesus speaks of various events and apocalyptic signs to signal the end of time. But remember they are typical biblical phenomena and not meant to be taken as exact foretelling of events.
They concude with Daniel's vision of the Son of Man riding on a cloud coming with great power and glory. Bear in mind it isn't intended to fill people with fear and trembling, except perhaps those who have lived wicked lives.

As terrifying as it may sound the foretelling of the signs to be on watch for it is actually a time for us as Christians/belivers/followers of Christ to "stand up straight and raise your heads, for your redeeming is near at hand".

As we saw in yesterdays Gospel, sufferings and tribulations are part and parcel of living a Christian life to the full.Our message is to save lives with Christ's message of hope!

So as we draw closer to the end of the liturgical year and calendar year let us stand strong in our Faith as we prepare to celebrate/remember the Lord's birth at Christmas.

Daily Reflection Luke 21:19-21

TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO!!

 Jesus continues his warnings, but now mainly to his own disciples. He foretells experiences and happenings which will be soon realised in the Acts of the Apostles, not to mention in the subsequent history of the Church through the centuries, not excluding our own
. 
Jesus speaks of abuse and persecution. “They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons…” The term ‘hand over’ is a theme word occurring again and again in the New Testament. John the Baptist was handed over to Herod who put him in prison and then executed him. Jesus himself is handed over first to the leaders of his own people and then into the hands of the Romans who would execute him. And now Jesus tells his disciples that they, too, can expect to be ‘handed over’ and to be dragged before civil and religious courts and “all because of my name”. 

Many of the early Christians came in conflict with Jewish communities and were ‘handed over’ to synagogues. Synagogues were not only prayer halls and places to learn the Scriptures but also for civil administration and as places of confinement while awaiting trial. 

The charges may be civil or criminal but the real reason will be that the accused are followers of Christ. (China, for example, always insists that the arrest of religious people is because of their violation of civil and criminal laws and not because of their religious affiliation.) As such Christians become objects of fear and hatred, their ideas seen as threatening and even subversive. 

But, says Jesus, they are not themselves to fear or be anxious. When the time comes, they will know what to do and what to say. He will tell them what to say and how to answer. A promise that has been vindicated again and again. The really sad thing is that those betraying them to the authorities will often be members of their own household – “parents, brothers, relatives and ‘friends’”. Again, this prophecy sadly has been realised all too often. 

“All will hate you because of me.” This is strange and, in a way, makes no sense. Jesus who preached truth, love, freedom, peace, justice and non-violence becomes, in his followers, the object of lies, hatred, imprisonment and torture, division, injustice and the most terrible violence. 
“Yet not a hair of your head will be harmed.” Not a phrase to be taken literally because many suffer terribly in their bodies but there is an inner integrity and wholeness that nothing can destroy.

“By patient endurance you will save your lives.” That is, by going through all that our enemies can throw at us we come out at the end people who are whole and complete and who can lift our heads up high. One thinks of, in our own time, Bishop Oscar Romero, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Maximilian Kolbe and many others. Their memories are treasured and become an iinspiration to all of us. 
Let us pray that we may have the courage to be true to our Christian values whatever the cost.

 Let us not be surprised that our faith and our religion can create such anger and such hostility. At the same time, we reach out continually in truth and love to dissipate the unjustified fears that our beliefs can engender in others. 

We are a threat to false values but we must try hard to help people see where real truth and goodness lie. And we do that by seeking for that in our own lives. 

What Jesus' CV may look like in today's world

What an awesome CV...

*Personal Details*

Curriculum Vitae of Jesus Christ 

Name       :   JESUS CHRIST

             

Address   :   Ephesians 1:20
Phone       :   Romans 10:13

The Power of the Rosary

Since converting to Catholicism one of the most beautiful things I have ever done apart from experiencing the Holiness at the Eucharist is learning to pray the Rosary and the Power it has within it. All it takes is a Bible, a rosary, and a medal of a saint, these are the material hallmarks of a Catholic. Combined with faith, prayer and action, the rosary lies at the heart of who we are.

What i've learnt is the rosary is more than a devotion to our lady. The beads and chain of the rosary itself are often a reflection of our character and out hope. Catholics are buried with rosaries, wound carefully about folded hands. There is no greater symbol than this of the primacy the rosary has in the canon of Catholic devotion.

As Catholics, we know -we do not merely believe, we know, that the rosary is the most powerful recitation we can make when we desire a miracle or some other grace from God. By reflecting on Our Most Holy Mother's experiences and the life of Jesus, we become more like the woman who bore all things for the sake of obedience to God's will.

Holy Mary, Mother of God knew the loss of her only child at the hands of unjust executioners. She witnessed the sick and the dying, and she asked Jesus to perform miracles, which He obliged His mother. We know that Mary retains this respect, so by asking for her intercession with Jesus, we too can change in accord with God's will.

Sister Lucia of Fatima told us that "There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot solve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. With the Holy Rosary we will save ourselves. We will sanctify ourselves. We will console Our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls." Let us know and believe this is true.


Let's pray together, remembering the promises of Our Lady to those who faithfully recite her devotion.

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.

3. The rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the heart of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the rosary shall not perish.

6. Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have, during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.

9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.

10. The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.

11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.

12. All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.

14. All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion of my rosary is a great

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Feast of Christ The King

Gospel: Luke 23:35-43

Feast of Christ the King.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King!

Pope Pius XI instituted The Feast of Christ the King in 1925 for the universal church in his encyclical Quas Primas. He connected the increasing denial of Christ as king to the rise of secularism throughout Europe. At the time of Quas Primas, many Christians (including Catholics) began to doubt Christ's authority and existence, as well as the Church's power to continue Christ's authority.

Pope Pius XI, and the rest of the Christian world, witnessed the rise of non-Christian dictatorships in Europe, and saw Catholics being taken in by these earthly leaders. These dictators often attempted to assert authority over the Church. Just as the Feast of Corpus Christi was instituted when devotion to the Eucharist was at a low point, the Feast of Christ the King was instituted during a time when respect for Christ and the Church was waning, when the feast was needed most.

In our Gospel today shows us the great mystery of our Faith! In the moment of his crucifixion, Jesus is shown to be King and Savior of the World.

Luke's Gospel has been loaded with surprises: the poor are rich, sinners find salvation, the Kingdom of God is found in our midst. Here we see the greatest surprise of all. We are confronted with the crucified Jesus, whom faith tells us is King and Savior of all. The irony is that the inscription placed on the cross, perhaps in mockery, contains the profoundest of truth. As the leaders jeer, the thief crucified by his side recognizes Jesus as Messiah and King, and finds salvation.

Jesus is King, but not the kind of king we might have imagined or expected. His kingship was hidden from many of his contemporaries, but those who had the eyes of faith were able to see. As modern disciples of Jesus, we, too, struggle at times to recognize Jesus as King. Today's Gospel invites us to make our own judgment. With eyes of faith, we, too, recognize that Jesus, the crucified One, is indeed King and Savior of all.

God Bless

Why we call Jesus the Lamb of God

The Lamb of God

Why do we call Him a Lamb?

Because of all the many sacrifices the Israelites offered, one in particular stood out as the most important sacrifice on the calendar: the Passover, which celebrated Israel's deliverance from bondage in Egypt (see Exodus 12).

Central to the celebration of the Passover was the sacrifice of an unblemished lamb, and the eating of its roasted flesh.

As we will see in this lesson, in calling Jesus the Lamb, the New Testament wants to call to mind this Old Testament sacrifice.

The image of Jesus as the Lamb expresses the Christian belief that in His death on the cross, Jesus was offered in sacrifice - as the lamb was sacrificed by the Israelite families before the Exodus.

In professing that Jesus is the lamb of God in our celebration of the Eucharist, we are recalling His sacrificial death on the cross. But more than that, we are, as we will see, "re-presenting" that sacrifice.

33rd Sunday Ordinary Time

Gospel Reflection

St. Luke 21:5-19

As we begin to draw nearer to the end of the year you may realise that the readings start to focus on the end times. This is not to scare anyone about the subject; but rather to prepare each and everyone of us as we get ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a time to reflect on the blessings that we have recieved throughout the year. It is also a time to do a "stocktake" of our lives looking back and looking forward to improve our relationship with Christ.

Asking questions like:

How many times have i prayed?  How may masses have i attended this year? Am i living a life wrthy of the calling that i have recieved? Do i love all that surround me?  etc... 

In today's Gospel, we hear of  Jesus warning his followers that in time they will face great persecution for believing in him, and we know this to be true from the acoounts that we read in the "Acts of the Apostles"

In the first and second century it was difficult time for believers. You either had to serve Caesar and live life without fear in the streets or choose to serve Christ and face the punishments/persecutions that were served if you were caught teaching and or preaching about him. But despite the persecutions St Luke tells us/encourages us that through the suffering and the pain that we may go through for professing our Faith, it is the perfect opportunity for you and me to bear witness to the Grace of God.

 Christ then finishes with:


"Your endurance will win you your lives"

Here Christ is assuring his followers that God is present to all who believe in him, starting from the easiest of times right through to the most difficult. As disciples of Christ it is our duty to try and follow his example of trusting in God's mercy and protection even through the most difficult of times.

Brothers and sisters as we beging a new week, let us reflect on the difficult times that we experienced through life and how God was able to pull you through and strengthen your faith.

Perhaps you can write down a timeline begining from your year of birth to the present day and mark all your low and high points through the years and at the end you will be able to see that through your milestones and celebrations God was there even through the low times in your life God was also there to lift you up again.

A quote from one of my favourite protestant preachers, Rev Robert H Schuller

"Tough times never last but tough people do!"

A heart of service

He taught us to learn from Him, to be meek and humble of heart.
If we are meek and humble, we will love each other as He loves us.

-Mother Teresa

St Teresa throughout her whole life did not at any point  take any credit for the work she done among the poor of the poor.

In her words she said to a reporter.
"I am only a pencil in God's hands"

St Teresa, pray for us

Homily not Eulogy

Look familiar?? ---->




Tips to improve your preaching




Recently I attended a service and probably for the first time since I was a kid almost fell asleep during the homily while the preacher read his notes word for word like he was reading a novel and a tone that sounded like he was putting himsef to sleep as well as the congregation.




As a former preacher myself I know how hard it is to prepare sermons for Sunday services with other commitments taking over during the week days like weddings, funerals, birthdays and studies.


But those shouldn't get in the way of preparing a great and effective homily for your congregation on Sunday or for any other service.




Here are some tips to help you preach with purpose
Introduction
After Pentecost, when Christian communities began to spring up in Palestine, there was not as yet a New Testament. What became the Christian Scriptures first began with the preaching of the good news of Jesus Christ. The apostles did two things. They recounted the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Then they used the Old Testament to bring to light that Jesus is the Messiah, the culmination of all God’s promises to the children of Abraham and to all nations. It was the apostolic preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit that gathered and established the Church. The Church is, at its core, the assembly of those who have put faith in the good news of Jesus as preached by the apostles. Therefore, throughout her history, preaching has been central to the identity, mission and life of the Church.

Often that preaching occurred in public forums such as the marketplace or the streets. However, as the Church took root and spread, preaching increasingly took place within the context of the Eucharistic celebration. Its location within the Mass gives it a purpose and meaning which is significantly different from any other type of speech or lecture. The homily is an act of worship as much as it is a catechesis or a moral exhortation. This should always be kept in mind while preparing or listening to a homily. And it is with this in mind that we begin our discussion of the purpose of the homily.

What do those charged with the sublime responsibility of stepping up to the pulpit to preach God’s Word hope to accomplish? I propose that the purpose of the homily and the task of the preacher can be summarized by using the three “I’s”: 1) to illustrate; 2) to instruct; and 3) to invite.

1. Illustrate

The conventional wisdom is that every homily should begin with a story to capture the congregation’s attention and to introduce the theme. Jesus himself understood the power of story-telling and used parables to preach the Kingdom. Similarly, the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection was central to the preaching of the apostles. Stories are an effective tool in preaching because they draw the assembly’s imagination into the quest for faith and understanding. And they bring to light one of the central purposes of the homily which is to illustrate how the word preached by the prophets, by Jesus and by the apostles still has meaning for our day. The joys and challenges of modern life are echoes of the struggles and consolations found in the Scripture. It is the task of the preacher to use the Bible to shed light on whatever issues may be facing those gathered for worship whether it be on the personal level (stress, unemployment, family life, etc.) or on the inter-personal level (homelessness, the economy, abortion, etc.). With confidence that the Scriptures are a sure guide to life in the twenty-first century, the homilist seeks to help the congregation see how the word proclaimed throughout the millenia applies to the choices we make today. Stories, whether they be taken from the lives of the saints or from the newspaper, are a useful means of accomplishing this purpose. However, they are not necessarily the only way. The assembly can be challenged to think about how to apply the gospel to their daily lives by proposing a series of questions (What does it mean to love? What are we doing when we love someone?) or by simply spelling out exactly how it applies in concrete life situations (paying taxes, raising children). The important thing is not always how the homily illustrates a point, but that whatever means one chooses leaves the members of the assembly with the challenge of taking to their homes, schools and places of business the word they heard proclaimed in the liturgy. One of the central purposes, therefore, of the homily is to illustrate how Christ’s call to repent and believe in the good news is to be lived in today’s world.

2. Instruct

It was common before the Second Vatican Council that the preacher would use the occasion of the homily to instruct the assembly on matters of faith and morals. Many times, the preacher would offer a series of reflections over several Sundays on the gifts of the Holy Spirit or the beatitudes whether they related to the readings of the day or not. The problem with such an approach, however, was that it divorced the homily from the rest of the liturgy. Rather than an organic part of the worship service rooted in the themes of the Scriptures which had just been proclaimed, the sermon appeared to be grafted crudely onto the rest of the liturgy. It served to create the suspicion that, if the preacher had to look outside the readings of the day for something to say, then those readings must not have any meaning to our life today. Over the past forty years, the emphasis has shifted to understanding the homily as an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and using it to bring out the themes and subjects proposed by the Scriptural and liturgical texts of the day. That is not to say that the task of instructing the assembly is no longer central to the homilist’s purpose. With the growing influence of the secular media and the decline in the quality of public education, instruction in the truths of the faith and clear exposition of the Church’s moral teaching is as important as it has ever been. However, we must take our cue from the readings of the day. The Lectionary is a textbook for the Church guiding our reflection throughout the liturgical seasons. It ensures that the central truths of the faith – the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, Pentecost, etc. – are meditated on and celebrated continually. And so the Scriptures are to be the source of the preacher’s instruction. But instruct he must, because it can never be forgotten that the homily may be the only opportunity that many of the faithful have to hear the Church’s teaching presented in a clear and complete way. And so, one of the central purposes of the homily must be to instruct the faithful on the truths of our Catholic faith.

3. Invite

The word of God is meant not only to be heard but to be acted on. When the Scriptures are proclaimed effectively, it elicits a response from the hearer whether it be the desire to amend ones life or to make an even deeper commitment to Christ and his Church. Therefore, one of the central purposes of the homily is to invite the congregation to conversion. This invitation echoes the preaching of Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry when he traveled the Galilean countryside calling the people to “repent and believe.” It continues to be the task of the entire Church today to invite all people to consider the love of Christ and to re-order their values and priorities in accordance with that love.
It is natural for us as human beings to want to celebrate life-changing decisions and commitments. The same is true for the spiritual dimension of our lives. When God’s word stirs our hearts, it leads to a change of life which we celebrate in the sacraments. The scriptures steer us toward the sacraments. And so, the purpose of the homily is not only to invite our hearers to conversion, but to invite them also to celebrate that conversion through the sacraments, most especially the sacrament of the Eucharist. The homily, in fact, serves as a bridge linking the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Just as every homily should begin with some type of story or illustration, every homily should also end with some reference to the Eucharist which the congregation is preparing to celebrate and receive. Through the homily, Christ extends an invitation to the banquet of his Body and Blood to all those who would also accept his invitation to conversion. And so a central purpose of the homily is to call the assembly to embrace a change of heart and to celebrate that new commitment by inviting them to the banquet of Christ’s Body and Blood.

Conclusion

In summary, the central purposes of the homily are to illustrate how the word of God is to be lived in our own day, to instruct the faithful on the truths of Christian doctrine and to invite the assembly to conversion, reconciliation and the sacraments. They are the hallmarks of effective and memorable homilies and must always be kept in mind when they are being prepared or delivered. Focusing on them will ensure that our preaching will always be centered in Christ and in his word. And in that way we will be continuing the work of the apostles who founded the Church on the word of God and contributed to its rapid growth by fidelity to Jesus’ teaching.

32nd Sunday Ordinary Time

Gospel Reflection

Reading         Lk 20:27, 34-38

In today's Gospel passage we hear of the Sadducees questioning the Lord about his view on the ressuerction of the dead. Now, before we go any further remember the Sadducees were rich men ( chief priests) who enjoyed life and with so much money at their disposal the last thing they needed to think about was the ressuerction of the dead. 

The Sadducees decide to press Jesus further by pointing out to the Lord that there is no teaching in the Torah regarding the ressuerection of the dead. But the Lord replies to them saying:

“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God

Jesus argues from the same written Law of Moses to show that there is resurrection. Using the texts from the Book of Exodus (Chapter 3) that describe Moses' encounter with God in the burning bush, Jesus shows that God is the God of the living, not the dead. Here Jesus uses the same method and texts of the Sadducees to counter them. As the Gospel text suggests, he beat them at their own game!

More importantly, in this discourse Jesus shows the limits of our imaginations when it comes to eternal life. The Sadducees argued against resurrection because of the limits of earthly existence. They did not imagine another possibility for existence and relationship with God. Jesus proposes that the possibilities of resurrected life are beyond our imaginations. Jesus' conclusion suggests something else as well: To spend time worrying about resurrected life is to miss the point. The point is eternal relationship with God is possible, for God is the God of the living, “. . . for to him all are alive.”

Brothers and Sisters, as we begin another week may we reflect on Christ's words

"he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

Let us keep focus on God and together let us look forward to the ressuerction of the dead and the life of the world to come as we boldly proclaim when we profess our faith.

Marcelles Amiatu