Jesus is raised up on the cross as a vehicle for his descent into the darkness of death. The cross, being the weapon of humiliation and shame is transformed into a sign of salvation. Jesus, clearly mirroring the old Covenant becomes the Paschal Lamb for all generations. Now there is no need for other sacrifices; Jesus, the Lamb of God creates a new Covenant.
Today, we venerate the Cross. On Sunday we will celebrate the Resurrection. Those initial disciples did not have the certainty that we have; even though they saw Jesus in the flesh and heard him preach first hand. On that first Good Friday, they must have been horrified at what happened to their beloved teacher, and we know that some of them scattered. But we also know, that in a few short days they would see him again; risen from the dead.
This time of year, gives us the opportunity to think about what Jesus did for us. The liturgy is so rich in detail; the story of how Jesus was tried, beaten and executed is etched firmly on our minds. We have all probably watched film versions of the life and death of Jesus, but I would guess that very few of these films comes remotely close to what Our Lord went through for us.
Last night we had the chance to stay with the Lord, watching and waiting for this day to come. Today we have the opportunity to recall the events of that first Good Friday and tomorrow at the Vigil we can be present as the darkness formed on Good Friday is illuminated by the Easter fire, and the Easter Candle burns; lighting up the area around where the Word of God is read. But today is a time to ponder; to think about the sacrifice Jesus made for us and to marvel that if we were the only person in the world, Jesus would still have died to save us and that applies to everyone. If that isn’t a great reason to reflect and be thankful, I’m not sure what is.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Friday of the Passion of the Lord
CCC 602-618, 1992: the Passion of Christ CCC 612, 2606, 2741: the prayer of Jesus CCC 467, 540, 1137: Christ the High Priest CCC 2825: Christ’s obedience and ours
Please keep in your prayers this week
Those who are sick, those recovering from surgery, those who are dying, the recently deceased and those who mourn.
All those struggling to feed their families at this time.
Those working to help others who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Those discerning a vocation and those considering coming into the Catholic Church.
The innocent people caught up in wars and conflicts around the world, but especially those in Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Syria and Iraq.
Those preparing for Sacraments this Easter.
For all travelling at this time; may they remain safe and return refreshed.
That all of our school children and staff have a good break and that they remain safe.
Growing up, I was sometimes involved in school productions; this usually meant weeks, if not months of preparation and as we got closer to the actual events a great sense of anticipation and excitement. More often than not, however, once the production happened there was I felt a sense of anti-climax; almost as if the event itself never quite reached the levels of my expectations. I found there always seemed to be a contrast between my expectations and hopes, and how things actually turned out.
I see some of that contrast in the readings used during Palm Sunday. At the beginning of our Liturgy, we have the triumphant entry into Jerusalem of Jesus, hailed as the one coming from the Lord; the one the Jews had waited so long for. The thoughts and feelings of his disciples at that time must have been so exhilarating. They were all together with their teacher as he entered the Holy city. The crowds were with them crying out Hosannah, they were on an upward trajectory; this was their moment. The moment they and the Jewish people had looked forward to for so long.
Contrast that, however, with the Passion narrative, where the crowds have turned against Jesus and the disciples have scattered, instead of Hosannah the crowd now cry out ‘Crucify him!’ The disciples must have had serious doubts as their dreams and hopes seemed to be shattered by the blows Jesus took on [their and] our behalf. The king of Israel; on whom they had hoped so much; given a crown of thorns and mocked by the Romans and the Jewish people; and finally nailed on a cross and killed before being hastily put into a tomb. At that time, they must have thought it was all over. At that time, they must surely have wondered what Jesus was preparing them for.
Their feelings of anti-climax must have been so deep and painful, and yet as we know this was not the end. Three days later they would experience a far greater exhilaration than that entry into Jerusalem. But for now, as our Lenten journey approaches the end, we share in their highs and lows, and we anticipate the Easter celebrations.
For Easter to have any meaning for us we need to experience the sadness and pain of that first Holy Week. We need to witness the Last Supper where the Son of God got down on his hands and knees to wash the feet of his followers as well as ask us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. We need to remember the betrayal of Jesus by Judas and ask ourselves how many times we have betrayed Jesus? We will sit and pray, watching on Thursday night, hoping for the energy to stay awake as we pray. We will remember the three denials of Peter and ask ourselves how many times we have denied Jesus before the cock crows for us? We have to watch as Jesus is taken away to be tried and scourged and ridiculed knowing that our sins added weight to the cross He carried. We, as Christians will venerate the Cross, the weapon used to kill our Saviour and remember that he did all of this for us.
This week, we will experience contrast, and while there will be lows, we know that there will be highs. For me those highs are enhanced by our experiences of the lows. I wish you all a good Holy Week.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
CCC 557-560: Christ’s entry into Jerusalem CCC 602-618: the Passion of Christ CCC 2816: Christ’s kingship gained through his death and Resurrection CCC 654, 1067-1068, 1085, 1362: the Paschal Mystery and the liturgy.
Please keep in your prayers this week
Those who are sick, those recovering from surgery, those who are dying, the recently deceased and those who mourn.
All those struggling to feed their families at this time.
Those working to help others who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Those discerning a vocation and those considering coming into the Catholic Church.
The innocent people caught up in wars and conflicts around the world, but especially those in Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Syria and Iraq.
Those preparing for Sacraments this Easter.
Those families who will complete the Baptism preparation programme this weekend at St Bede’s.
This reflection is for the readings for Year A, which are used in places where the Scrutinies are taking place this Sunday.
Today we are asked to look at the Scriptures with fresh eyes. In the first reading we are reminded that God does not see as man sees; in our Psalm we are reminded that God will guide us along the right path and that we should not fear the evil associated with darkness; in the second reading St Paul reminds us that once we lived in darkness, but that now we live in the light – the effects of this light can be seen in ‘complete goodness, right living and truth’; and in our Gospel passage today we have a tale of two types of blindness.
The blind man in the Gospel was an outcast, at the beginning of the Gospel we hear some of the superstitions associated with disabilities which were prevalent around the time Jesus walked the earth. People associated disabilities or disfigurements with sin; assuming someone must have sinned for God to allow the disability to exist. Jesus refutes this view, stating that the blind man was ‘born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him’.
The story of the curing of the blind man is presented in detail. We have the man who was blind and can now see and we have the Pharisees, who have an obvious miracle in front of them and refuse to see it for what it is, the work of God. They interrogate the man and his parents looking for a thread to rip apart their story, but there is no weakness in their story, it has to be true and yet the Pharisees’ prejudices and self-interest don’t allow them to see God’s graces, which have been bestowed upon this man.
The Pharisees are not alone with this blindness, there are things in our life where we have blurred vision; for example, my upbringing, my initial formation as a cradle Catholic I was taught that only Catholics could get to heaven. This gave me an extremely blinkered view. For the first 23 years of my life, I stepped into a non-Catholic Church twice. The first was as a child when I attended a Sunday school, where they were giving out sweets. The second was when an aunt got married. I never told my mother that I had gone to the Sunday school out of fear; we were to have as little to do with protestants as possible, which I really struggled to understand, because my grandmother was a protestant. My eyes were opened to the merits of other Christian denominations when I attended an Alpha Course led by a couple from the Community Church; there I encountered really good people who love Jesus and put their faith into action.
The reminder that God sees things differently from man when he chose the youngest, least mature shepherd boy to be anointed as King of the Jewish people instead of the elder stronger brothers, reminds me that God does not call the able He enables the called; something we need to remember if we are ever asked to do anything for the Church and do not feel able to do it.
Today we will celebrate the second scrutinies for our Catechumens and the second reading used today reminds me of the Easter Vigil Mass; which we will celebrate in a few short weeks; where we all start out in darkness. At that time the whole Church is in darkness following the events commemorated on Good Friday; when the whole world was flung into darkness. The light which shoots out from the Easter fire, and which is spread from the Easter Candle throughout the church building, dazzling our senses as the flames dance filling the void with light, reminding us that the Light of the World conquers darkness and calls us to live good holy lives.
The building and all attendees at the Vigil Mass, especially those celebrating Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion, are those being awakened – allowing Christ to shine on us and shine through us. This is not a passive Service, this is a Liturgy full of rich meaning, this is a Liturgy when we celebrate the Light of the World and are asked to take His Light out into His World.
We are part way through our Lenten journey, and each Sunday reminds us of what we are journeying towards. Sunday the day of Resurrection, where we gather together to celebrate the Eucharist of Christ. Each Sunday reminds us of the hope we have as Christians, each Sunday reminds us that we do not journey alone, this Sunday we are asked to use our eyes, look around us, to see if there anyone who is struggling, who is alone, who needs help to open their eyes to see the Light?
We need to look and listen to our Scripture readings and ask ourselves, what does God want me to do today, with what I have seen and heard? Then all we need to do is respond.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Fourth Sunday of Lent
CCC 280, 529, 748, 1165, 2466, 2715: Christ the light of the nations CCC 439, 496, 559, 2616: Jesus is the Son of David CCC 1216: baptism is illumination CCC 782, 1243, 2105: Christians are to be light of the world
Please keep in your prayers this week
Those who are sick, those recovering from surgery, those who are dying, the recently deceased and those who mourn.
All those struggling to feed their families at this time.
Those working to help others who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Those discerning a vocation and those considering coming into the Catholic Church.
The innocent people caught up in wars and conflicts around the world, but especially those in Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Syria and Iraq.
Those preparing for Sacraments this Easter.
The families starting the Baptism Preparation sessions at St Bede’s this weekend.
This reflection is for the readings for Year B, which are used in places where no Scrutinies are taking place this Sunday.
Last week we heard that at his Transfiguration, Jesus met Moses [representing the law] and Elijah [representing the prophets] and we know from another Gospel [Luke 9:31] account of the Transfiguration, that Jesus discussed with them what was going to take place in Jerusalem.
This week in our first reading we hear how God told Moses about the laws the people were to live by; these laws still apply for us today. The ten Commandments set out how we are to love God and love our neighbour and they are the foundation stone for many of the laws of many countries; as they also set out reasonable and practical ways for people to live in community. History has shown that when communities or civilizations move away from these laws; the days of those communities are numbered as discord breaks out and anarchy reigns.
The psalm used today, is an indication and an instruction for us ‘You, Lord, have the message of eternal life’. The verses of the psalm encourage us to trust in God, because the laws of the Lord will give us true happiness, they light up our life, they are worth more than gold and taste sweeter than the sweetest of honey.
St Paul tells us that Christ’s resurrection defies human logic; but that this is okay because God’s foolishness is wiser than the wisest of human minds.
In today’s Gospel we hear how Jesus reacted to the misuse of the Temple. It had been turned into a marketplace, with money changers and sellers of birds and livestock. No doubt the temple officials were receiving an income from those based there. They asked him for a justification of his actions and what sign he would give. Jesus said that he would destroy the temple and raise it up again in three days.
As Christians we know the temple he was speaking about was his own body. We know that the whip He made out of cords would be replaced by the sound of the soldiers whips as they scourged Jesus. We know that the animals originally meant for sacrifice and now set free would no longer be needed as a sacrifice; as the innocent Lamb of God would take their place and become the Paschal Sacrifice for the New Covenant. We are told that at the hour when Jesus died, the curtain of the temple would be torn, lightning would flash across the sky and thunder ring out throughout the land as God sees what mankind; his creations; could do to his beloved Son.
During Lent we are given these readings to ponder, we are reminded of the laws, and asked to look at our conscience, when we think about the laws handed down to us from God, via Moses, we are asked to repent the sins we have committed and to turn away from them. Instead turn back towards the Lord. When we think about St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we are to ask ourselves, are we like the Jews who demand to see miracles, or the Greeks who look for wisdom, or are we like St Paul? Do we preach the crucified Christ by what we do and what we say?
When we think about the Gospel, how do we react when we see something which is not right? Are we passive about it or do we react? Jesus was not passive, Jesus stood up for what is right and obeyed his Father.
What do we need to do today, to obey our Father in heaven? When I visited Fr Patrick during this week to plan with him the Liturgy in Tadley and Burghfield Common this weekend, he gave me a couple of cards to sign. These were both related to protecting unborn children from abortion. There are moves within this country to make abortion up until birth legal. This cannot be right. When we look at today’s Gospel and see how Jesus reacted to the misuse of the Temple, we realise that we are called to be people who put our faith into action. We have a voice, the children in their mother’s wombs do not. We need to use our voices to speak for those children. Abortion breaks one of God’s laws. God said we are not to kill.
Finally, I’d like to remember the people who are taking part in the Scrutinies throughout the world today. I’m told that at the recent Rite of Election Portsmouth Cathedral was full of people looking to celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. These are new people coming into the Church. The world will tell us that we are irrelevant, however, as a Church we are still growing. I have noticed this in the churches where I serve. The number of people attending seems to be growing. God is still calling people to Him; our part is to help with the call by living out the message of the Gospel and ensuring that when we see someone new that we help them to feel welcome.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Third Sunday of Lent
CCC 459, 577-582: Jesus and the Law CCC 593, 583-586: Temple prefigures Christ; he is the Temple CCC 1967-1968: the New Law completes the Old CCC 272, 550, 853: Christ’s power revealed in the Cross
Please keep in your prayers this week
Those who are sick, those recovering from surgery, those who are dying, the recently deceased and those who mourn.
All those struggling to feed their families at this time.
Those working to help others who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Those discerning a vocation and those considering coming into the Catholic Church.
The innocent people caught up in wars and conflicts around the world, but especially those in Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Syria and Iraq.
The thought of anyone being prepared to sacrifice their son for any reason is extraordinary. In today’s first reading we hear that Abraham was prepared to follow the will of God and sacrifice his son Isaac. We hear how Isaac carried the wood up a mountain in preparation for the sacrifice and how God intervened once He knew that Abraham feared him enough to go through with his instruction.
In a few weeks we will hear how God sacrificed his Son for the sake of mankind and this time there would be no intervention to stop the sacrifice. Jesus, the Lamb of God, carried another piece of wood up a hill and became the sacrifice offered up for the Father, by the Father to atone for the sins of mankind. Following this sacrifice there would be no need for any other blood sacrifice to atone for sins. Many others, however, would shed their own blood and continue to shed their own blood today, through faith in Jesus Christ. For those who have been martyred, they will see Christ in all His glory. For us, here in 2024, we need to rely on the account in today’s Gospel to get a glimpse of what that glory looks like when we are reminded of the Transfiguration.
That day when Jesus took the apostles up a high mountain and they encountered Moses and Elijah, two key figures from the Old Testament who had their own encounters with God on mountains. Moses representing the Law and Elijah representing the prophets. Imagine being there that day, imagine it from the apostles’ perspective. They were asked to go for a walk with their teacher, he took them up a high mountain and when they got there, there was this almighty light, brighter than anything they had ever seen before. Their teacher was illuminated and there before their eyes they saw two of the greatest men in their history, talking with their teacher. They were obviously well versed in their history, to be able to recognise these men, who had died centuries earlier. Peter, while being extremely frightened, offered to make tents for Jesus and the holy men. But just as they thought nothing else could top what they were seeing there came a voice from heaven, declaring that Jesus is the Son of God. Then as quickly as it had all started, it was over.
As they made their way down the mountain, they were told to keep what they had seen to themselves until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. An expression they had not heard before, so they discussed what that could mean amongst themselves.
This is quite a short Gospel, but there is so much in it. I think, there is a risk that because we hear some of the Gospel stories so often that there is a danger that the impact is lost for us. Nowadays, no doubt, some clever people could recreate the Transfiguration with fancy graphics, special lighting and hidden speakers and maybe they could convince some people that what they have created was real, although the vast majority of people would probably scoff at the idea. But 2000 years ago, there was no technology that could have replicated what has been recorded in the Gospel. We are told to ‘listen to Him’, and we are told this by God the Father.
On that mountain, Jesus allowed his glory to be seen, and God proclaimed Jesus as his Son. As we leave Mass we are asked glorify the Lord by our lives or to go and announce the Gospel of the Lord. We do this by how we interact with those we encounter, we don’t have to stand on a street corner with a bible in our hand. We announce the Gospel of the Lord by loving God and loving our neighbour and when people feel the love we share with them, they will ask us why do we do what we do? Through those encounters we can introduce people to Jesus and glorify His Name.
Another way of showing our love is in how we treat the poor. Last Friday was our voluntary Fast Day for CAFOD. If we remembered to fast [and even if we forgot to] we can donate the money we would have used for our food to CAFOD. Their appeal this Lent is concentrating on helping hard working families. Their website mentions James, who is a fisherman1, he is aware that many of his colleagues are lost at sea each month, but he still needs to go out onto the ocean to work so that his family can eat. He cannot afford the equipment that would keep him safe or warn him about storms. He still goes out, because if he doesn’t, quite simply, his family does not eat. People like James and his family are reliant on our generosity; every penny and pound counts in the fight against poverty. If you are able to donate that would be wonderful, but even if you are unable to donate, please pray for our brothers and sisters who find themselves in this position and thank God for the many blessings He bestows on us.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Second Sunday of Lent
CCC 554-556, 568: the Transfiguration CCC 59, 145-146, 2570-2572: the obedience of Abraham CCC 153-159: characteristics of faith CCC 2059: God manifests his glory to make known his will CCC 603, 1373, 2634, 2852: Christ is for us
Please keep in your prayers this week
Those who are sick, those recovering from surgery, those who are dying, the recently deceased and those who mourn.
All those struggling to feed their families at this time.
Those working to help others who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Those discerning a vocation and those considering coming into the Catholic Church.
The innocent people caught up in wars and conflicts around the world, but especially those in Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Syria and Iraq.
Those preparing for Sacraments this Easter.
Those working for CAFOD and other agencies to support the poor all over the world.
We hear a snippet of the rules surrounding leprosy in the first reading this week. If we were to go to the book of Leviticus there are over 100 verses regarding leprosy in the Law of Moses. One of the main consequences is that someone suffering from leprosy had to live apart from the camp, away from the rest of the Community. The leper in the Gospel reading seems quite forward in his approach to Jesus. ‘If you want to, you can cure me’, are the words he used to Jesus, quite presumptive in fact. Jesus quite happily obliges, and ordered the man to say nothing to anyone; but to do as the law of Moses called him to do and go show himself to the priest.
The irony here is that because the man was so overjoyed by being cured he told everyone, forcing Jesus to live outside of populated areas, in one sense exchanging places with the leper; losing some of his freedom to go where he wanted to.
In Biblical days people with disabilities or who were different were shunned, left to beg for their needs. Jesus did not shun the leper; he found a way to bring the man back into the community. Surely this is a message for us too.
In our community, who do we shun?
Who would feel excluded by us?
Are they not the very ones, who Jesus would invite into our community?
Whilst leprosy is still a disease nowadays, and people still work to find a cure, we can also see leprosy as being like sin. Sin cuts us off from our community, and from the source of holiness, just like the lepers were cut off in Jesus’ time. As we approach the beginning of Lent, we are reminded that this is a time of penance, a time for us all to prepare for the 40 day journey which takes us towards Easter. We can only experience the full joy of Easter if we take part fully in the season of Lent.
I pray that this Lent we all find the time to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, that we can all look at ways to uphold the three pillars of Lent – fasting, prayer and almsgiving and that by taking part in that wonderful Sacrament, we may all be reconciled to each other and to God.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
CCC 1474: living in Christ unites all believers in him CCC 1939-1942: human solidarity CCC 2288-2291: respect for health
Please keep in your prayers this week
Those who are sick, those recovering from surgery, those who are dying, the recently deceased and those who mourn.
All those struggling to feed their families at this time.
Those working to help others who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Those discerning a vocation and those considering coming into the Catholic Church.
The innocent people caught up in wars and conflicts around the world, but especially those in Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Syria and Iraq.
There is a sense of urgency in the Gospel we hear today. We hear that when Jesus, James and John left the synagogue, they went straight to the house of Simon and Andrew. When they arrived there, he was told straightaway that Simon’s mother-in-law was ill. Jesus went to her and helped her up, and the fever had left her allowing her to begin to wait on them. After they had eaten it seemed like the whole town had come out to meet them and Jesus cured many people including those who were possessed. We hear that Jesus, long before dawn, got up and left the house to find a lonely place to pray. When the disciples caught up with him, they said that ‘everyone is looking for you’. Jesus, not wanting to stay in one place for too long said “let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring towns, so that I can preach there too.”. Jesus is literally a man on a mission, in fact he is the Son of Man on a mission. He has a job to do, and he wants to get on with it.
There are so many examples set for us within this short Gospel reading. The first is that when we leave our church building, we must take Jesus with us. Our Sunday obligation is only partially fulfilled by being at Mass; if we listen to the words at Mass, we must take what we have heard out into the world so that more people can be saved. This is part of our Baptismal duties. The next example for us is to try and find some quiet time or space when we want to pray; Jesus did this so often in the Gospels, and it is in these quiet times when we can listen for the Word of God. The next example is that all the people were looking for Jesus;
How do we look for Jesus in 2024?
Do we actively look for Jesus or are we hoping to stumble across him by chance?
The last example is that we are not to keep what we learn to ourselves. After preaching in that Synagogue in Capernaum and healing the sick, Jesus sought out other places to take the Good News; telling us that the Good News is meant to be shared, we have not to keep it for ourselves.
The reading from St Paul in the second reading today, should be the top of our list of ‘go to’ readings for when we are feeling a little bit downhearted or overwhelmed on our mission for Jesus. As someone who preaches, I think this extract from the 1st letter to the Corinthians, sets a good example for me. I am not to boast about preaching the Gospel, after all, I didn’t choose to do it, I have been called to do it. I have got to put effort in; I can’t do this in a half-hearted way because preaching is not only a privilege, but it is a responsibility that I have been given, for which I will be held to account on my judgement day. It is also telling me that I need to be all things to all men to try and win them over to Christ.
For me this is similar to what Pope Francis said about priests [even though I’m clearly not a priest] encouraging them to be like shepherds who ‘smell of the sheep’. Pope Francis said that preachers should not be going into areas with some theoretical idea of what the field they are working in is, as preachers we need to get to know our environment by getting out and about within our community1. This is what I try to do; I live and work in our community, I am a married man, I have children and grandchildren, all living within this Pastoral Area. St Paul also rejoices in his work; this is something else I need to remember in the times when I lack energy and enthusiasm.
In the first reading we hear Job, sounding extremely fed up, he has suffered greatly and is resigned to never experiencing joy again. In all of his troubles he never blames God. If we read the book of Job, we will see that this part is in response to one of his friends who has come to console him in his misery. Instead of consoling, he, and his other friends seem to pile on the agony more by insisting that Job must have done something to upset God and has brought his misfortune upon himself through his own actions. Job knows he is innocent and in this exchange he is letting his friends know that he is accepting of his lot; he doesn’t like it, but he is still accepting of it. How we can learn from Job? Throughout all of the exchanges he displays tremendous faith. His trust in God never waivers.
That trust in God is also evident in our Gospel when we hear of all of the people who sought out Jesus to be healed.
When we pray for friends who are sick, where do we set our expectations?
Do we pray with genuine hope?
Or are we resigned to whatever the medical opinion has stated?
When I looked back at what I had written for this weekend three years ago, I came across an observation from St Bede on how St Peter’s mother-in-law responded when Jesus healed her. He said, “The health which is conferred at the command of the Lord returns at once entire, accompanied with such strength that she is able to minister to those of whose help she had before stood in need.”2
When we experience the healing power of Jesus or any other assistance of Jesus, are we ready to respond immediately to serve Jesus?
I’d like to encourage us this week to actively seek out Jesus in the same way as the people in this week’s Scriptures did. Put our trust in Jesus, take inspiration from Job who maintained his faith through the most trying of circumstances, share the joy of Paul in carrying out our mission for Jesus and respond like Peter’s mother-in-law by looking for ways to serve Jesus as a thank you for prayers answered. In that way we will be taking the Word of God out into our community and surely that can only be good for all of us.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
CCC 547-550: healing as a sign of messianic times CCC 1502-1505: Christ the Healer CCC 875, 1122: the urgency of preaching
Please keep in your prayers this week
Those who are sick, those recovering from surgery, those who are dying, the recently deceased and those who mourn.
All those struggling to feed their families at this time.
Those working to help others who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Those discerning a vocation and those considering coming into the Catholic Church.
The innocent people caught up in wars and conflicts around the world, but especially those in Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Syria and Iraq.
Persecuted Christians everywhere, especially the two priests kidnapped in the Plateau state in Nigeria.
For Ho Yi Ann, Leona, Brian, Nikodem, Charles, Favour, & Hunter due to be Baptised at St Bede’s on Sunday.
As I sit down to write this, it is World Holocaust Day [27th January]; a day when we remember the victims of hatred specifically from World War 2, but also in the years since then. At times it can be very frustrating and infuriating that mankind does not learn and we repeat the mistakes of the past. I was reminded of this on two occasions only yesterday. The first was an encounter with a woman from eastern Europe, who has been in this country for nearly 2 decades. She worked in the NHS and is now unable to work due to illness. She had to move house recently because people; her neighbours, were threatening her, damaging her property, calling her horrible names and telling her to get back to where she came from.
The second reminder of this came last night when I went to the cinema and watched the remake of the Color Purple; this time it is a musical. This is set in the first half of the twentieth century in the southern states of the USA, where racism was prevalent. For the first hour or so there are no white people in the film. The film is mostly about the interactions of one lady who had a tragic childhood and was given away by an abusive step-dad to an abusive husband and the people she met who brought some joy into her life. As well as some morally questionable behaviours in the film there are clear Christian values in this and some of the time is spent in a very lively church.
The first interaction of a white person in the film ends with a very confident black lady being demeaned and beaten up; and then jailed for defending herself. This lady went from being an extremely confident lady to becoming a scared shell of the woman she used to be. Racism, xenophobia, hatred, whatever label we want to put on it, should have no place in our society, and yet it still thrives. It is so easy for people to point the finger at someone different when things go wrong. Sadly, many people listen to them; and are encouraged by some of the media in doing so.
As Christians we are called to love. Not to just love the people we like, the people the same as us, but also to love our enemy [Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27; Romans 12:14 & 12:20]. Today the Catholic Bishops of England & Wales have dedicated this Sunday to pray for Racial Justice1, the theme being Seeing one another in the life of the Church. We are encouraged to look at the lives of the saints; who during their lifetime saw aspects of society, which prompted them to act through their Christian faith and do something about it. Some saw a lack of care for the sick and opened hospitals or hospices, others decried a lack of opportunity for poor people and opened schools.
We are ALL encouraged to look around us; not to look for differences in others; but to see that they are another human being, made in the likeness of Christ; our brothers and sisters here on earth; a gift from God to us all and to care for one another. In this week’s edition of the ‘Big Issue’ we are introduced to 100 ‘Changemakers’ for 2024; all of whom have identified an injustice or gap in the support available to the vulnerable; and done something about it. These people set an example for us all and the Big Issue is encouraging readers to support their initiatives.2
In our Gospel today, the people of Capernaum were impressed by Jesus because he taught with authority, that authority was then confirmed by the actions of Jesus when he called out an unclean spirit. Those unclean spirits recognised who Jesus was; whilst others, including the so called learned; could not see or hear who was in front of them. As Baptised Catholics we have the authority and responsibility to share the Good News that Jesus is our Saviour. He has been called to save everyone, regardless of what we look like, regardless of which language we speak, regardless of which faith we started out in. Jesus is the only way to the Father [Jn 14:6].
In the first reading we hear how God promised to send prophets to the people because they were afraid to hear God directly. These prophets should not be looked upon as some sort of magicians with party tricks who could predict the future using their own energies or methods, these people were spokespersons for God and if we look at the Old Testament, God sent many prophets to guide the Chosen People and to try and keep them close to Him.
St Paul, writing to the early church in Corinth, suggested that single people could devote more of their time to God than married people. St Paul was writing to the Corinthians under the impression that Jesus would return imminently. With that in mind, Paul thought that being married with the responsibility of children would have been a distraction from focussing on Jesus. This does not mean that a vocation to be married is any less than a vocation which involves remaining single. Both vocations have their values and challenges. A single man or a single woman may be able to devote more time to serving God and their community; they have the potential to be more available to serve the Community. Married people serve God in a different way; their Sacrament is a sign of God’s love, and they can help the Church to grow through this love. Not only by raising children in the faith, but also in the way they love each other; they are a tangible sign of how Christ loves His Church.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
CCC 547-550: Jesus accompanies words with miracles CCC 447, 438, 550: Jesus’ power over demons CCC 64, 762, 2595: the role of the prophet CCC 922, 1618-1620: virginity for the sake of the Kingdom
Please keep in your prayers this week
Those who are sick, those recovering from surgery, those who are dying, the recently deceased and those who mourn.
All those struggling to feed their families at this time.
Those working to help others who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Those discerning a vocation and those considering coming into the Catholic Church.
The innocent people caught up in wars and conflicts around the world, but especially those in Palestine, Israel, Ukraine and Russia.
Those on pilgrimage or those planning a pilgrimage at this time.
For Kristoff, Olivier, Lenora and Chimamanda due to be Baptised at St Bede’s on Sunday.
Those who work to promote racial justice in our Community and for those who work to repair the damage done to people through physical and mental attacks .
Married people, that we all recognise the responsibility we have to promote our Sacrament in the way we live and love each other
A first glance at today’s readings gives an indication of people being called and following; people who stuck to their call without hesitation or resistance. And, if we read these texts in isolation, we could be left feeling a bit disheartened. However, if we look a little bit closer at the story of all those involved in today’s readings and Gospel then we can see that they, like us, had their flaws and their moments of doubt.
In the first reading Jonah follows God’s call and goes to warn the people of Nineveh, they ‘renounced their evil ways’, had a change of heart and behaviour, ‘and God relented’. Well done Jonah, but what is Jonah more famous for? He was swallowed by a whale and spent three days in the belly of the beast until he was regurgitated. How did he find himself in the belly of the whale? He was running away from God. He thought that what God was asking of him was too much and he tried to avoid it.
In our second reading we have St Paul, the greatest of preachers, encouraging his readers and listeners to sort their lives out, put their affairs in order. He is secure in what he is teaching, he has no doubts. But, as we all know, Paul originally persecuted Christians, he was present at the execution of St Stephen; the first martyr; he approved of the stoning of Stephen. That all changed on the road to Damascus, when Jesus appeared to him and changed not only Paul’s life, but the course of history; as Paul was called to take the Good News out to the Gentiles, calling all people to be descendants of Abraham, not just the Jewish people.
In the Gospel, St Mark, makes it sound so straightforward, Jesus walks along a beach and calls 4 fishermen to follow him and become fishers of men. They all appeared to have obeyed instantly, but we know that at crucial times, even these most esteemed saints, abandoned Jesus; denying him as the Christ; leaving him to fend for himself.
There are times when even if we do not run away from God, our actions can appear as if we do not believe in God or trust in Him fully. For me, I can sometimes grudge the time I need to spend fulfilling my calling as a Christian. In the past it would be when I returned to work after Christmas or Easter and heard about all the time people had to spend time with their family or catch up with jobs, their holiday time seemed to be filled with relaxation or getting things done, whereas these times for me were spent going to church.
On reflection, I now realise that these were times I got to spend with my church family, enriching my life. There will always be jobs to be done at home, but all of my church family will not always be with me. I have some wonderful memories of the times I spent with some people who have now gone to the Lord or who have moved to other parishes. If I had given in to those grudges or temptations, I would not have those memories to treasure.
This Sunday has been designated as the Sunday for the Word of God.1 Pope Francis, writes about this day “Devoting a specific Sunday of the liturgical year to the word of God can enable the Church to experience anew how the risen Lord opens up for us the treasury of his word and enables us to proclaim its unfathomable riches before the world.” As I said earlier, if we had taken the readings from today in isolation, we could be under the illusion that everyone called followed completely all of the time and never wavered. Even the saints struggled with their calling. But Jesus; the Word of God, made man; has come to encourage us to love, to forgive and to serve.
This is a day to look into our hearts and ask how well do we know the Word of God?
At Christmas, my daughter gave me a gift of a Bible in one Year, this prompts me to look at the Bible every day, and if I manage to stick to it, I will have read the whole Bible by the end of the year. There are various ways of doing this, there is the Bible in a Year podcast with Fr Mike Schmitz,2 or there is the Bible in One Year with Nicky Gumble from the Alpha Course, this can either be done through an App on the computer or by buying a bible which is laid out according to the reading plan for each day.3 There are also other resources available through the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales at their website.4 This includes a seven week course aimed at helping Catholics to get to know the Bible better and is sponsored by the Bible Society, the whole course can be downloaded at their website.
Back in September 2019; when Pope Francis declared that the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time would become the Sunday for the Word of God each year; he said, “the great challenge before us in life: to listen to Sacred Scripture and then to practice mercy”, he continued, “God’s Word, has the power to open our eyes and to enable us to renounce a stifling and barren individualism and instead to embark on a new path of sharing and solidarity.” May this Sunday be for us, a new beginning, where we commit to learning more about Jesus, form a more intimate relationship with Jesus and take Jesus out into the world by what we do and say.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
CCC 51-64: God’s plan of Revelation CCC 1427-1433: inner, ongoing conversion CCC 1886-1889: conversion and society
The first words spoken by Jesus in St John’s Gospel are “What do you want?” This simple question is one which we are called to answer. It is a question we have probably been asked by lots of people, lots of times. But when it is Jesus asking we really need to think carefully about how we reply. Our answer doesn’t only need to be in what we say, or write down, but in what our answer inspires us to do.
At the time, John’s disciples; including, as we heard Andrew; just wanted to know where Jesus lived? They wanted to get to know more about this Jesus, who John the Baptist had called the lamb of God. Jesus had a simple reply, “Come and see”. This reply is for all of us too. Jesus calls us all forward to come and see. Jesus is calling us into an intimate relationship with him. He already knows us, he knows everything about us, but he wants us to know everything about him, too.
Jesus knows that when we come and see then we will like what we see and become followers. Being a follower of Jesus is not all doom and gloom. Being a follower of Jesus is life giving, it is the only place where true joy can be found. Of course, it is not without its challenges; as we know, Christians continue to be persecuted in the present day; this said, all other joys are temporary, being one with Jesus and following him completely brings complete joy, a joy that never ends.
Back in 2009, Pam [my wife] and I were asked to take on a leadership role with Marriage Encounter; we received a phone call whilst we were in the car with our son. We knew that our son was not always happy about the time we spent on Marriage Encounter work, and we also knew that he needed us as he was still a teenager at that time. To our surprise, he immediately said we should say yes, Following this up with “your community are calling you.”
But we knew we had to discern. The previous leaders had given us a scripture reading to look at for while we were discerning, that reading was about trusting and being prepared to step out of the boat. We decided we would also look at the readings of the day to help us discern. When we saw the psalm, it was the same psalm used today. “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.” For those that don’t know Marriage Encounter is an organisation, started within the Catholic Church with the aim of promoting and enriching the Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders, we were already presenting weekends and fulfilling regional leadership roles, but were now being asked to take on the National role, a role which came with much responsibility and lots of time commitments. Initially we didn’t think we had either the time or capacity to do the role. Having read the readings, the psalm spoke to both us. “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.”
Having discerned to accept the role, most of our hurdles, while they didn’t disappear, became easier to overcome. We put plans in place for looking after our teenage children for the times we would be away. Pressures from work seemed to become less and we both found our employers and work colleagues were extremely co-operative with the role. This is when we heard that ‘God does not call the equipped, He equips the called.’
In the Gospel reading we hear towards the end about the calling of Peter. We know that Peter would eventually be given the keys of the Kingdom. Does anyone think that Peter was able to carry that burden when he first met Jesus? No way would he have been ready, and I would guess that when Jesus said to Peter that he would have the authority on earth to lead God’s people, that Peter did not think that he was either worthy or capable at that time. We are enabled or equipped to do God’s work through the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit. When we try to do things under our own power it is far more difficult. But when we ask God in prayer to help us, He sends his Spirit, His advocate to help us. Jesus did not desert us when he Ascended into Heaven, He sent his Holy Spirit to be with us, we are never alone. We need to trust in God, trust that his Holy Spirit; who we received in Baptism and again in Confirmation; is with us and he gives us the gifts and charisms to do His work.
Today has been designated by the Holy Father as a day to pray for peace. In his message for today, Pope Francis is examining the influence of modern technology on peace in the world, in particular he is looking at artificial intelligence. The link in the St Bede’s Newsletter is well worth a read. We may read that and find it very interesting and think that is for governments and big business to concern themselves with, and Pope Francis does aim some of his message at them. However, we all live in the same world, and just as we can all contribute to destructive things we can also contribute to things which make the world better.
If we can find a way of having peace in our own hearts then that can help us to have peace in our household, we can then take that peace; which for us comes from Christ; out into the world. We all know someone who needs peace in their life, as we pray for peace during our Mass or in our own personal prayers later, bring their face into your mind, concentrate on that image and pray that God brings peace into their life. If you don’t know anyone personally who could really appreciate that prayer at this moment then maybe God is calling you to go bigger, pray for peace in a certain town, or city or country.
Remember, God created this world, and he created us. He asked mankind to look after this world, and His Son asked us to love God and our neighbour. Praying for other people is an act of mercy, it is a way for us to show our love, it is a way for us to show we care.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
CCC 462, 516, 2568, 2824: the Father’s will fulfilled in Christ CCC 543-546: to welcome the Kingdom, welcome the Word of God CCC 873-874: Christ the source of Christian vocation CCC 364, 1004: the dignity of the body CCC 1656, 2226: helping children discover their vocation
Please keep in your prayers this week
Those who are sick, those recovering from surgery, those who are dying, the recently deceased and those who mourn.
All those struggling to feed their families at this time.
Those working to help others who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Those discerning a vocation and those considering coming into the Catholic Church.
The innocent people caught up in wars and conflicts around the world, but especially those in Palestine, Israel, Ukraine and Russia.
Those on pilgrimage or those planning a pilgrimage at this time.
For the families due to attend their 1st Baptism preparation session On Sunday at St Bede’s.
For those individuals and countries who do not experience peace; may they come to know God in their hearts.
