Category: Deacon Tony reflects

[Isaiah 35:4-7; Psalm 145; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37]

One of the prayers which can be used during a Baptism is the Ephphatha Prayer and it comes from the Gospel used today “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.” These words recall the actions of Jesus when he healed the deaf man with the speech impediment. Jesus touched his ear and his tongue. In the Baptism Service the celebrant touches the ear and the lips of the person being baptised.

One of the ironic things in the Gospel is that after the miracle where the man was now able to speak and hear; Jesus ordered those present to tell no one, but we read that the more Jesus insisted on this the more widely they published it. While the deaf man could now hear, those present did not listen, and while Jesus released the ligament in the deaf man’s tongue those present failed to control their own tongue and spread the word about the works of Jesus.

All of this was of course prophesised in the Old Testament, and those who were present when this miracle took place would have been very aware of the words of Isaiah found in our First Reading today. Isaiah spoke about God coming to save them; this was during the time of exile and amongst the wonders which the Saviour would do are listed: ‘the ears of the deaf shall be unsealed and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy’. Surely those who witnessed Jesus’ miracle were singing for joy; they had seen with their own eyes, the difference in the man who had been healed; and recognised the signs of the Messiah within the actions of Jesus. I think, for me, remembering how the Gospel today is linked with the Baptism service will give me a new focus at the times when I baptise and use these words and a chance to remind the people attending the Baptism of this Gospel passage.

In the Second Reading today, we are warned by St James not to treat people differently according to how they look or how they appear to be in the social pecking order. All God’s children are equal in the eyes of the Lord. St James pointed out that God chose people who ‘were poor according to the world’ to be rich in faith. We can see this in the world today. In the developed parts of the world, those deemed to be rich in the eyes of the world; we see attendance at Church diminishing. However, in the poorer parts of the world, the Church is vibrant, growing and alive; this is often despite serious persecution from Governments and other organisations.

Whilst in the Gospel, Jesus tells them to tell no one, we, who are baptised, are called to actively go out and share our faith with those we encounter. Our ears have been unblocked to hear His word and our tongue has been freed to proclaim his faith. We are also aware that we don’t just share God’s word through our words; we have also been given hands and feet to do His work. There are times when it is difficult to hear God’s word, for example when we allow other words, sounds and noises to enter our ears and sadly at times we allow words, which are nothing to do with our faith; to leave our lips. The message from Jesus, our Saviour, is that His touch can heal us, we just need to come to Him and keep coming back to Him every time we fail. The well of His mercy never dries up, so let us all be like the man in the Gospel today, find a place, away from the crowd and allow Jesus to touch us, allow our hearts to be opened or in the words of Jesus ‘Ephphatha’.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 1503-1505: Christ the Physician
CCC 1151-1152: signs used by Christ; sacramental signs
CCC 270-271: the mercy of God

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The men and their families who recommence Formation for the Diaconate this weekend.
• The success of the forthcoming Christians Against Poverty [CAP] money coaching programme, in the pastoral area.[1]

Deacon Tony

5^th September 2024

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[1] Money coaching sessions at St Bede’s

[Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8; Psalm 14; James 1:17-18,21-23,27; Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23]

In the first reading today, we hear Moses tell the people about the laws given by God to enable them to have life, enter and take possession of the land that God was giving them. They were instructed to obey those laws and not to remove anything or add anything to them. They are also told that by obeying these laws they will be envied by other nations, and they will truly keep God close to them and be recognised as a mighty nation.

In the Gospel we hear Jesus turn criticism of his disciples back on to the critics, accusing them of adding to these same laws given to the Jewish nation by God via Moses. It was through this same passage that Jesus declared foods to be clean and insisted that it isn’t what we put into our bodies which makes us unclean, it is the things which come from the heart, which are evil, that make us unclean. Jesus lists a whole range of sins which we may recognise that can come from within us. The emphasis here is that if we obey the laws given by God then we are less likely to fall into evil ways, because the laws of God are perfect and the human regulations and traditions which were inserted over the years by the Jewish religious leaders, allowed ‘work arounds’ or ways of bending God’s laws, and if we remember the original statement given by Moses we know that they were not allowed to add or take away any of the law.

The second reading today, comes from the letter of St James, here we are reminded that what God gives us is perfect because it comes from the Father of all light. He never changes and He made us first fruits of all that He created. St James goes on to tell us that we must accept and submit to the word that has been planted in us and this means obeying God’s words; not looking for our own ‘work arounds’ to try and convince ourselves that what we are doing doesn’t really matter or that the sin we want to commit doesn’t harm anyone. The reality is that it harms us and our relationship with God and hardens our hearts; so that we are unable to love God and our neighbour in the way we are called to do.

This idea of first fruits is used elsewhere today, as we enter the Season of Creation. In our Pastoral Area there is a service at 3 pm today [Sunday 1^st September], in Christchurch in Chineham where we will celebrate an ecumenical service with our brothers and sisters from the other Christian denominations, as well as local politicians and dignitaries. The theme of the service is “To hope and act with Creation” and we are asked to keep in mind the first fruits of hope. I will be part of the Ecumenical Service and during it I will use a story from a nun, whose mother was a Native American from the Seneca Iroquois tribe. The story talks about the Native American tradition of looking back seven generations and forward seven generations, recognising who we came from, the sacrifices they made for us and that it is our responsibility to think about those who will come after us; by only using the resources we need to use and ensuring that future generations have what they need; through us making responsible decisions.

However, to mark the Season of Creation, I’m going to use another story this morning from Sister Jose Hobday which also looks at creation. She said that when children were born in her family, they were given a special birth gift. Her father made each of them a little leather pouch, which they referred to as their own little medicine bag. It was a tradition passed down from her mother’s family. In the bag her mother put two things in and so did her dad. They were then given the medicine bag and told to put it in a special place. The tradition was that if they died without their medicine bag then it would be buried separately. This happened with some family members who served overseas during a war. Otherwise, the medicine bag would be buried with the owner.

When they were old enough to understand, they were told what was in their medicine bag. Sister Jose said that her mother had placed inside her bag, a pinch of soil from the state of Texas because she had been born there. She had also placed a piece of umbilical cord from her birth, about two inches of it had been dried in the sun and crumbled it into the soil. She was told that these two things, the cord and the pinch of Texas, symbolised that she had come from the land and her parents. They were to help her remember that she didn’t start out by herself; that she was dependent upon the land and upon family.

She continued by saying that her dad had placed a feather into each child’s bag; he had burned a small piece of the feather and mixed it in with the things her mother had put in. The reason for this was that birds were of the sky. They can soar to the horizon and beyond. The feather said that each of the children were also to soar and find their own place in the world. Her dad would never tell any of the children what other item he placed into their bags. It represented the unknown, the mystery in life. No matter how much pleading or probing or guesses they made; he never revealed the mystery item.

Sister Jose said that to have a mystery like that set before her from an early age proved to be a big help once she began to work with the mysteries in her life, which came along later. It also helped her to understand that God is the centre of all mystery. She still has her medicine bag and describes it as a wonderful gift from her parents; she added that it has shown her the importance of making symbols that tie us to places and to people and to God.[1]

The Season of Creation prompts us to think about our Creator; what He has created and reminds us of the responsibilities God gave us to look after all that He created. This includes all life, the land, the seas and rivers. Everything He has made has a profound beauty; even if we can’t see it or if we consider it to be a pest. Everything created by God has a purpose. The symbols we use during this time remind us of the first fruits. The first fruits in nature are a sign of hope that there will be more fruits provided by our bountiful Father. At our Baptism we become new creations, if we are baptised as young children, our parents make the promises to bring us up in the faith. As parents, Godparents and as Grandparents we have a sense of joy as the youngsters start to say prayers alongside us, joining in and even making their own petitions. These are first fruits, that the seeds of faith we have sown are starting to bear fruit. So, as we begin this Season of Creation, may we always remember that God gives us everything we need and more, it is up to us to only use what we need, to share what we have been given with those who are in need and to protect our planet for those who will be around for seven generations and beyond.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 577-582: Christ and the Law
CCC 1961-1974: the Old Law and the Gospel

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The pupils and staff returning to our schools this week and those who are starting school for the first time or are moving to new schools or colleges
• Those with mental health issues.
• The Season of Creation which starts 1^st September and continues to the Feast of St Francis on 4^th October.

Deacon Tony

30^th August 2024

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[1] Sr Jose Hobday, The Medicine Bag, taken from A World of Stories for Preachers and Teachers by Fr William J Bausch, [Twenty-third Publications, Mystic, CT, 1998] 240.

[Joshua 24:1-2,15-17,18; Psalm 33; Ephesians 5:21-32; John 6:60-69]

There are obvious parallels in our first reading from the Book of Joshua and in the Gospel we hear today. In the first reading, we hear how Joshua: who has by this time taken the Jewish people into the land of milk and honey following the death of Moses; gathers all of the tribes together and asks them to renew the covenant with promises to the Lord. He does this because in the 40 years of wandering, the original group of escaped slaves had been joined by various tribes; so not all of them had been present at the original covenant. Joshua gives them a choice between serving the Lord who had saved them or serving other gods. Thankfully the people chose the Lord.

In the Gospel, some of those who hear the words of Jesus, describe his words as intolerable, other translations describe it as difficult or hard. This of course could mean that they found it difficult to understand or difficult to accept or maybe even both. These followers decided they could not follow Jesus because of this. When Jesus saw there were only a few left, He asked the Twelve, ‘what about you, do you want to go away too?’ Here we have St Peter speaking up, on behalf of the twelve. St Peter did not find it any easier or clearer than the others; the difference is that St Peter chose to believe and accept the words of Jesus. Those who wandered away had had their faith eaten away by the malcontents, in other words, those who complain at every turn, those people who destroy dreams or burst people’s bubbles.

In the challenge given by Joshua, the majority accepted the covenant from the Old Testament. In the challenge given by Jesus for the New Covenant in the New Testament, it appears only a few remained behind. We have the same choice today, do we accept that the bread and wine is changed into the Body and Blood of Christ? Or do we allow those who decry our faith to eat away at what we believe in?

In the second reading we hear from St Paul that the relationship between Christ and the Church is similar to the relationship a husband has with his wife. It is a relationship of respect and mutual submission to one another in love. Building a healthy home where God is loved and revered. Enshrining God in the home and following Christ’s teachings; making every Christian home a domestic church.[1]

When we prepare couples for the Baptism of their young children, we remind them that they are the first teachers of their children, that they are to bring the children up in the faith of the Church. We speak about ensuring their home is one where prayers are said and explain how prayer can be a great way of them helping their children to grow and articulate the fears and joys in their life. This comes out of being a domestic church.

We are like the people in the first reading and the followers of Jesus in today’s Gospel.  The people of Joshua 1300 years before Christ and us 2000 years after the birth of Jesus are united in that we can choose to follow the true God who rescued us.  The Israelites forefathers were rescued from slavery in Egypt, and they made the choice to follow God based on the signs God worked and how He rescued them despite their many failings.  We have been rescued from the slavery of sin by Jesus conquering death.  We can choose to follow the other gods – the world’s way, things like pursuit of wealth, success, recognition, selfishness, apathy towards others etc. – or to follow Jesus.  Will we be like the followers of Jesus who heard Jesus speak, found it difficult to understand, difficult to accept and walk away.  Or will we be like Peter and the other apostles, who, as I said earlier, no doubt found it difficult to hear, difficult to understand as well, but stayed because they had faith in Jesus? 

We face this challenge every day when we are tempted to sin; how we respond will affect our eternal future.  Do we pick and choose the parts of the Church’s teaching which appeal to us or suit our current desires?  If we are in doubt about Church teaching, do we try to find out what is correct, or do we decide based on what we want to do?  I know that in the past I have made decisions, which I am not proud of, which if I had read a little bit more or heard a priest or a deacon speak about at Mass then perhaps my decisions would have been different.  As Christians we have an obligation to live as Jesus wants us to live. This means finding out what Jesus taught and not making it up as we go along.  When we find ourselves hearing something in the teachings of the Church which we find uncomfortable we need to ask ourselves what is it that disconcerts me?  What is it about this that troubles me?  Give it some thought, seek out a priest or a religious or even a deacon, ask them to help you understand.  Then when you have thought about it, put yourself in the middle of today’s Gospel, with Jesus standing in front of you and saying to you “What about you, do you want to go away too?”

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 796: the Church as the Bride of Christ
CCC 1061-1065: God’s utter fidelity and love
CCC 1612-1617, 2360-2365: marriage in the Lord

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• Our young people who have received their exam results recently, that we rejoice with those who are happy with their results and console those who are disappointed.
• Those with mental health issues.

Deacon Tony

24^th August 2024

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[1] Oseagwina Jerome Ituah OCD, Pastoral Review Vol 20. Issue 3, [The Tablet Publishing Company, Twickenham, London, 2024] 80.

[Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 33; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58]

Today we are given choices between wisdom and folly. In the first reading we are invited by wisdom to ‘come and eat my bread, drink the wine I have prepared! Leave your folly and you will live, walk in the way of perception.’ Jesus is the Wisdom of God when he speaks to us in the Gospel, telling us that the bread spoken of in the Old Testament has become a person in the New Testament. Jesus is the Living Bread; his flesh is given for the life of the world.[1]

Jesus is desperate for them to accept this; He emphasises that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. Jesus wants everyone to be saved. Again, Jesus wants them to make the wise decision and choose life over death. The choice is a startling but simple one, He says ‘eat my flesh and live’, the Living Bread of the New Testament gives eternal life, those who ate the bread in the Old Testament are dead.

In the second reading St Paul is urging us to lead a simple life, he is urging us to use the talents God has given us, including our intellect. He warns us against doping our senses with alcohol. Instead of using artificial means, we have to trust in the Holy Spirit, sing psalms and hymns when we are together and continue to sing and chant them in our hearts when we are alone. This reminds me of the times when I find myself with a tune in my head on a Monday morning and realise it is either the Responsorial psalm or a hymn from one of the Masses on the Sunday.

He is telling us to stay focussed on the prize of immortality, nothing else should get in the way. If we think of the past few weeks in our country where some people took advantage of the senseless killing of children to incite hatred of others; we can see that people were influenced by the promptings of others to react, some of them were quite clearly seen to be carrying alcohol; allowing the hatred as well as the alcohol; and perhaps other substances; to fuel their lust for destruction. While St Paul was writing almost two thousand years ago, the description of ‘wicked age’ could be applied to today just as it was to those times so long ago.

Those who sewed the putrid hatred of others because of their religion or colour would do well to obey the last verse of the psalm used today: “Then keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn aside from evil and do good; seek and strive for peace.” By seeking and getting to know Jesus as the Son of God and the Bread of Life, they and we could learn to love instead of hate. If this could happen then maybe this land could become that green and pleasant land once more and all men and women could live in harmony.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 1402-1405: the Eucharist, pledge of future glory
CCC 2828-2837: the Eucharist is our daily bread
CCC 1336: scandal

From Placid Murray OSB [with the new translation inserted at the prayers during Mass.]

“We cannot explain the mysteries of our faith, but we can put them into words. By comparing one mystery with another, we can help ourselves to accept and love them: the light from one mystery will clarify the difficulty arising from another.

The Son of Man came down from heaven, once, long ago, when he was born of our Lady. He comes as the living Bread from heaven repeatedly at Mass. We can help our understanding of his presence in the Eucharist, if we compare it to his first coming on earth. When we speak of his ‘coming’ in either case – at the Incarnation and in the Eucharist – there is no question of travel, distance or space, as we usually understand such things.

The Jews had asked the question: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ We can answer that question by two prayers from the Mass:

1. The bread and wine on the altar, as physical things, come from earth, not from heaven. This is quite clearly said in the prayer at the Offertory: ‘through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become the bread of life.’
2. The consecration of the bread and wine comes from heaven: We shall hear this during the Eucharistic Prayer: ‘Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you: by the same Spirit graciously make holy these gifts we have brought to you for consecration, that they may become the Body and Blood of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate these mysteries.’

This then is our answer to the Jews’ question: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ – How?

By the power of his Spirit, in answer to the Church’s prayer, said by the ministry of her priests.”[2]

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• All the staff and pupils of our schools that they have a safe and healthy break over the summer holidays.
• Those with mental health issues.
• Ariana, Ariella, George, Sophie and Lianne who will be baptised at St Bede’s this weekend.

Deacon Tony

16^th August 2024

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[1] Oseagwina Jerome Ituah OCD, Pastoral Review Vol 20. Issue 3, [The Tablet Publishing Company, Twickenham, London, 2024] 79.

[2] Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, Artos ouranios Sunday 20, Year B, [The Columba Press, Dublin, 1988] 92.

[1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 33; Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51]

According to a survey of 1837 people in the UK who described themselves as Catholic; 51% said that they ‘probably or definitely believe’ in the Real Presence of Christ’s body and blood in the Eucharist.[1] I would suggest that these 51% are the one’s who believed Jesus in today’s Gospel. The other 49% are similar to the people in today’s Gospel who say, ‘Surely this is Jesus, son of Joseph, we know his father and mother.’ Jesus does not correct their mistakes about being the son of Joseph, but he warns them that ‘no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day’. The message for us from this is, that we in 2024, will only see Jesus as the son of Joseph, unless we receive the grace from God to see Jesus as the bread from heaven.[2]

The Holy Mass which we all attend, is not a spectator sport. When we come to Mass, we are joining together as witnesses and active participants in the Eucharist. The priest, acting in the person of Christ [persona Christi], could [if he was to choose to] trace his ordination all the way back to the Apostles who were present at the Last Supper; when the Eucharist was instituted. Jesus did not say this is a symbol of my body and blood, He said take and eat, this is my Body and take and drink, this is my Blood, do this in remembrance of me.

If we were to be really honest with ourselves, can we all say hand on heart, that we approach the Eucharist in a way that demonstrates we fully believe we are encountering Jesus? That we are obeying His words from the Gospel today; to eat the bread of life, which is His flesh for the life of the world? Can we also say that we show gratitude for what, no make that who, we receive? Perhaps one way of showing our belief in the real presence, would be to try and get to Mass a little bit earlier; to help us prepare fully to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist; discarding in prayer, the things which may distract us during Mass. I know that not everyone can do this, as some are looking after their children during the Mass, but we can all respect the silence prior to Mass when some others are preparing to encounter Jesus. A way of showing our gratitude for the Eucharist would perhaps be to stay behind after Mass, thank Jesus for being present in our midst, and not forgetting to say a prayer of thanks for our priest, who has answered the call of God and through his sacred priesthood makes Jesus real for us at every Mass.

Sometimes I find it really difficult to prepare properly for the Mass. There are often lots of things to think about regarding the practicalities of the Mass, ensuring everything is in place; so that the Liturgy can take place properly and respectfully. These practicalities are sometimes a distraction to what is taking place in front of me.

Another element of today’s Gospel is a clear link to the reading we had last week. We heard last week about the Jews complaining to Moses in the wilderness that they had more food to eat while they were slaves of the Egyptians than they had now that God had freed them. As we know God provided manna and quails to eat. This week the Jews were complaining because of the language Jesus was using; some of them found it intolerable. But Jesus went on to explain that God provided the manna in the desert and now He was providing an eternal food.

We know what Jesus has done for us. We know that he died and rose again to save us and yet there are times when we feel hard done by and are less than grateful; times when we find ourselves moaning about our lot in life. These are the times to remember that no matter how tough we are finding things, Jesus is with us, We know this because He said He would be with us until the end of time. [Matthew 28:20] This means that we are not alone. Jesus comes to us in every Mass; He is present through the Word of God and through the Eucharist. When we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, we become like Him, just like He became like us when He was made man.

The part of the letter we hear from St Paul to the Ephesians, urges us to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to be more Christ like. He asks us not to bear grudges, not to lose our temper or raise our voices to anyone, we are to be friends with one another, and kind and forgive each other in the same way that God forgives us. In all of this we are to remember that Christ readily gave himself up for us as an eternal Paschal sacrifice, abolishing the need for any further sacrifices. I know in the last few days I have struggled with this. I know that I have argued and raised my voice and refused to listen to people I love. Thankfully, I have been able to look at my actions, discuss them and restore peace to our relationship.

As we go through the week ahead, it would be good to revisit today’s readings; examine how our relationship is with God and our neighbour. To think about what Jesus in the Eucharist means to us as individuals, If we already believe that the Eucharist is the Real Presence, do we treat the Eucharist with the utmost respect. If we don’t see the Eucharist as the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, then we should pray for God’s grace to see Jesus as the bread from heaven.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 1341-1344: “Do this in memory of me”
CCC 1384-1390: take and eat: Communion

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• All the staff and pupils of our schools that they have a safe and healthy break over the summer holidays.
• Those who are homeless and those who are hungry.
• Victims of domestic abuse.
• The communities which are being subjected to violence and disorder at this time.
• Bailey and Arthur who will be baptised at St Bede’s this weekend.

Deacon Tony

10^th August 2024

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[1] Ben Clements and Stephen Bullivant, Catholics in Contemporary Britain: Faith, Society, Politics, [Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2022].

[2] Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, [The Columba Press, Dublin,1988]91.

(Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15; Psalm 77; Ephesians 4:17, 20-24; John 6:24-35)

Our readings today demonstrate God’s great generosity. To those who found the manna and quails in the desert, they were being given sustenance until they reached the Promised Land; this is something which the people in the crowd referred to in their encounter with Jesus in today’s Gospel.  But Jesus pointed out to them that it was not Moses who provided their food, but God. 

If we remember last week’s Gospel, we heard about Jesus feeding the multitudes with a small boy’s picnic.  Jesus gave thanks for the offering, blessed it and broke it to share with more than five thousand men, women and children.  The people of Jesus’ time were great ones for looking for signs. In today’s Gospel, they ask again for a sign; so that they can believe in Jesus.  Jesus tells the people to look beyond the food, to the deeper meaning of the miracle. The essence of the miracle is to draw them closer to God and save their souls.[1] God sends the true bread, which gives life to the world.  Jesus is the bread of life. He asks us to come to Him and we will never hunger again, to believe in Him and we will never thirst.

In St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we are reminded that as Christians, we are expected to live our lives in a certain way.  We are not to live as the ‘pagans live’.  As Christians, we are temples of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 6:19), so we are to guard against our mind being ‘corrupted by illusory desires’ (deceptive or unreal).  Instead, we are to trust in Jesus; immerse ourselves in the Word of God; allow our ‘minds to be renewed by a spiritual revolution’ and live fully as the new beings our Baptism created us to be, living a life of ‘goodness and holiness of the truth’.

This can only be achieved through Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life; no-one can reach God except through Him.  We do this by listening to the Word of God and receiving the Bread of Life at Mass. By studying and reflecting on the Word of God, between Masses and by putting what we have learned and what we have received into action in our everyday lives.

As a deacon, I am obliged to say the Morning and Evening Prayers of the Church, sometimes these can be prayerful for me, but more often than not I can find this to be a dry, almost functional experience. These are the times I need to remind myself that these prayers are not said for me, these prayers are for the Church and the world the Church exists in. The psalms I read during these times are the same psalms Jesus would have used, these prayers connect me with Jesus. These prayers inspire me to go out and take Jesus to the sick and the housebound, these prayers energise me when I am feeling tired or low.

The message from Jesus today, is that we are to look for what truly satisfies. Today’s world seems to be more about instant gratification rather than taking a long-term view.  Jesus says why look for bread that leaves you hungry or water which will leave you thirsting for more.  He offers something different, revolutionary even; He is the true bread that satisfies. 

In what areas of your life are you left unfulfilled, feeling dissatisfied or looking for more?

Are you constantly looking for something different? 

Jesus has enough to satisfy the deepest hunger – remember his words “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.”

Raniero Cantalamessa, who has been preacher to the Papal Household for the past 3 popes, sums up the importance of the Eucharist, when he said, “the Eucharist is present in the entire history of salvation”.  He supports this by saying “it is present in the Old Testament as a figure, in the New Testament as an event, and in our own time of the Church, as a sacrament. The figure anticipates and prepares the event, the sacrament ‘prolongs’ the event and actualises it.”[2]

‘One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.           And we though many, throughout the earth, we are one Body, in this One Lord’.[3]

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

CCC 1333-1336: Eucharistic signs of bread and wine
CCC 1691-1696: life in Christ

The Eucharist Our Sanctification – Raniero Cantalamessa

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• All the staff and pupils of our schools that they have a safe and healthy break over the summer holidays.
• Bishop Philip on the 40^th anniversary of his ordination as a priest.
• Those who are homeless and those who are hungry.
• Those who persist in searching for things which cannot satisfy; may they turn to Jesus and be satisfied.
• Victims of domestic abuse.
• The communities which are being subjected to violence and disorder at this time.

Deacon Tony

3^rd August 2024

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[1] Oseagwina Jerome Ituah OCD, Pastoral Review Vol 20. Issue 3, [The Tablet Publishing Company, Twickenham, London, 2024] 79.

[2] Raniero Cantalamessa, The Eucharist Our Sanctification, (The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1993)6.

[3] John Foley SJ, Hymns Old and New,(Kevin Mayhew Limited, Stowmarket, Suffolk, 1989)744.

[2Kings; Psalm 144; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1-15]

This Sunday is the Fourth World Day of Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly. As .a Grandfather I consider it to be one of the biggest privileges in life to see and get to know my grandchildren. It also leads me to think about all the memories I have of my grandparents and to recognise how blessed I was to have had all four of my grandparents, un my life; up until I was in my mid-twenties. This year’s theme is taken from the words found in Psalm 74 “Do not cast me off in my old age”.[1] Cardinal Farrell, who announced the theme earlier this year, states that this psalm is a prayer for the elderly, many of whom are lonely. He says it is also a prayer for all Christians ‘who turn their heart to the Father and trust in His comfort’. The Vatican have also announced a Plenary indulgence for all of those who take part in the ‘Day’ and to those who visit an elderly person who lives alone.[2]

The Gospel used today is one which is very familiar to us. The feeding of the five thousand is known to Christians and also to people who do not believe in Jesus. For us, as Catholics, it prefigures the Last Supper and is an example of how Jesus can change the smallest of gifts or talents which we bring to Him; and multiply them. I was very fortunate to be given a book recently called ‘This Is My Body’, it was written by Bishop Robert Barron. If the rest of the book is as good as the first couple of chapters, then it is going to be a fantastic read. In the book Bishop Barron lists the feeding of the five thousand as one of the sacred meals found in the Bible which are intrinsically linked to the Eucharist. In his description of this particular sacred meal Bishop Barron says –“The hungry people who gather around Jesus in this scene are symbolic of the hungry human race, starving from the time of Adam and Eve for what will satisfy. In imitation of our first parents, we have tried to fill up the emptiness with wealth, pleasure, power, honour, the sheer love of domination, but none of it works, precisely because we have all been wired for God and God is nothing but love. It is only when we conform ourselves to the way of love, only when, in a high paradox, we contrive to empty out the ego, that we are filled. Thus, the five loaves and two fish symbolise that which has been given to us, all that we have received as a grace from God. If we appropriate it, we lose it. But if we turn it over to Christ, then we will find it transfigured and multiplied, even unto the feeding of the world. At the outset of the story, the disciples refused to serve the crowd, preferring to send them away to the neighbouring towns to fend for themselves. At the climax of the narrative, the disciples become themselves the instruments of nourishment, setting the loaves and fish before the people. Within the loop of grace, they discovered their mission and were themselves enhanced, transfigured.”[3]

The loop of grace is how Bishop Barron describes how we are to share the graces God gives us and how these graces are only fully revealed when they are shared with others. God’s graces are not to be kept for ourselves but shared out amongst those we encounter. This reminds me of my father-in-law, who always used to say that ‘money was made round, to go round’. He rarely had money, but when he did, he couldn’t wait to give it away.

How do we share the graces we receive? Do we recognise the times God calls us to serve? How do we respond?

If we are honest with ourselves, when was the last time we went out of our way to serve others? If it was recently, well done and thank you. If you struggle to remember, then please receive this as a personal challenge to do it.

Like many other grandparents I am blessed to be able to share some of the time I have been given with my grandchildren. I very much see these young children as gifts from God and I enjoy the time I spend with them. I am also aware, that most of the time, I seem to have far more patience with my grandchildren than I did with my children. Maybe patience is the grace I am given at this stage of my life; to help me to make happy memories for my grandchildren. This loop of grace which Bishop Barron spoke about is made visible for me when I think of the times I had with my grandparents, the patience they had for me, their generosity with their time, the love and care they provided for me have all helped to form me as a man, as a husband, as a dad and now as a grandad. As we celebrate this day for Grandparents and the elderly, I remember my grandparents and pray for their souls, and I think of the many people I am blessed to be able to visit in my ministry; and I thank God for the opportunity to be with them giving them a few minutes when they are not alone.

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 1335: the miracle of the loaves and fishes prefigures the Eucharist
CCC 814-815, 949-959: sharing of gifts in the communion of the Church

Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life – Theme of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly 2024: Statement by the Prefect Cardinal Kevin Farrell (vatican.va)

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• Stephen Patterson and Zacharius Parambi as they are ordained to the Permanent Diaconate this weekend.
• All the staff and pupils of our schools that they have a safe and healthy break over the summer holidays.
• Parents who need to find useful things to occupy their children during the holidays.
• The children who are normally on free school meals, that their parents are able to cope with the additional demands that times away from school bring and that they can access the help which is available to them.
• The 5 children who will be Baptised this weekend: Sofia, maria, Leo, Mabel and Devina; may God bless them and their families.

Deacon Tony 26^th July 2024

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[1] Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life – Theme of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly 2024: Statement by the Prefect Cardinal Kevin Farrell (vatican.va)

[2] Decreto della Penitenzieria Apostolica in occasione della IV Giornata Mondiale dei Nonni e degli Anziani (vatican.va)

[3] Bishop Robert Barron, This is my Body – A Call to Eucharistic Revival, [The Incorporated Catholic Truth Society, London,2024]17.

[Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 22; Ephesians 2:13-18; Mark 6:30-34]

Today we hear in the Gospel about the return of the apostles from the mission we heard about last week; when they were sent out with no possessions to preach, teach and heal. Jesus recognised that they needed to rest and reflect following this mission, so He took them off to a secluded place to recharge their batteries. However, as we also heard, the people guessed where they were going and were waiting for them as they came ashore. Jesus took pity on them stating that they were like sheep without a shepherd.

There are times when we feel spent; and if we are sensible; when we recognise that we really need to stop and look after ourselves. I am sure many teachers and other school staff members are in that position today. Jesus knows that we get tired. In the apostles he recognised that they were so animated and focussed on His mission, that they had neglected to look after themselves. It is impossible for us to look after people if we do not look after ourselves. Remember Jesus said “love your neighbour as yourself” [Mark 12:31].  Most of us can recognise when we become physically tired and need to recharge, but how many of us are able to recognise when we become spiritually tired. Recharging ourselves spiritually is essential for our journey in faith. Bishop Philip encourages all of the clergy to have an annual retreat; a time to find some quiet away from the busyness of the day and to find peace. In other words, encouraging them to look after themselves, so that they can look after the people they serve.

As Catholics, we should all look for a similar time. Not just a holiday, but a time to look at our faith, a place which can re-energise us spiritually. There are many places out there. When we hear Jesus say those words “You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while” how do we respond?

For me, I will be going to Medjugorje later this year, I have been there once before, and I loved it. It is a really peaceful place despite it no longer being a ‘lonely’ place [like Jesus was looking for in the Gospel], there are still plenty of places where I can either sit in silence or walk along; finding a deep sense of peace. I am really looking forward to returning there.

In his letter to the Ephesians, we hear St Paul reminding us today, that through His death and resurrection Christ has brought peace to the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles. Through His resurrection Jesus has brought peace to those who were close to Him and to those who were far away from Him, this peace we share is the one Spirit which brings us to the Father.

It would be wonderful if we could experience that same peace in the world today. In the land where Jesus walked there is destruction on a biblical scale. The politicians and the media try to justify their actions, but is there anyone advocating for peace and an end to the killings at this time? The politicians drown out the sound of the protestors by the noise of their weapons as they inflict more pain and suffering on their enemies; with families seeking refuge, being attacked and slaughtered. For these families there are no quiet places to go to; their choice seems to be between being killed by terrorists who live among them, or by a neighbouring government. At the same time politicians look for photo opportunities with visiting dignitaries or while writing a message on a bomb. With every killing, another family swears revenge and the cycle continues.

The world is crying out for something which can unite us in the same way as St Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians. How we need for these barriers to be broken down, the hostilities to end and for the tears to stop. As Christians we can pray for an end to the bloodshed, for the enemies to see each other as humans with families and loved ones, for the leaders to seek a lasting peace which respects the rights of every person.

I pray for those who work to promote peace. For those who highlight the wrongs committed by either side. I pray for the journalists to be able to report accurately and not just report what their employer wants us to hear or read. I pray for recognition that the victims of war are all equal, that it doesn’t matter which race or colour or religion or nationality that person was; they were all made by God and they will all have had families who loved them. I pray for peace in this world, the World which He created.

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 2302-2306: Christ our peace
CCC 2437-2442: witnesses and workers for peace and justice

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• Stephen Patterson and Zacharius Parambi as they prepare for ordination to the Permanent Diaconate next Saturday.
• All the staff and pupils of our schools that they have a safe and healthy break over the summer holidays.
• Parents who need to find useful things to occupy their children during the holidays.
• The children who are normally on free school meals, that their parents are able to cope with the additional demands that times away from school bring and that they can access the help which is available to them.
• Peace in the world.

Deacon Tony 20^th July 2024

[Amos 7:12-15; Psalm 84; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:7-13]

Recently, one of my neighbours reached the point in life where she was unable to care for herself any longer, and she and her family decided that she would go into a care home. This left the family with what seemed like weeks of sorting through their late father and their mother’s possessions; as well as some things they themselves had left at their parents’ home. As humans we like to have things around us. Things which remind us of places, things which remind us of people and in some cases things which the world sees as valuable. When I heard our neighbour’s daughter explain how long and emotional the sorting out of these things had been for them, I resolved to try and sort through as much of my things as possible; hoping to save my children that that additional struggle when I won’t be around to do it. However, like many of my good intentions, I haven’t started yet.

Today, we hear Jesus send out his disciples in pairs and tells them they are to take nothing with them except a staff. The staff was probably to support them when they were weak or, more importantly, to show that they had the authority of their shepherd, Jesus. But they were to take nothing else. They are to rely on the people for their daily bread, to take no bags, to have no money. Jesus demands their absolute trust in God and wants his disciples to be free from any form of attachment to possessions.[1] As His disciples in 2024, how do we fare against this? Would we contemplate going to another town without packing a bag with things which we might need? These days, that might consist of our mobile phone to pay for things, hand sanitiser and maybe still a face mask, as well as some other ‘crucial’ items.

When we think about the absolute trust the disciples had in Jesus and the results they had in sharing the Good News; casting out devils anointing the sick and curing them, maybe it calls us to question how much we actually trust in God.

In the first reading today, we have the prophet, Amos; who was a simple shepherd and who also looked after sycamore trees; being rejected by the priest of Bethel. Bethel was part of the northern lands and Amos was from the south. The priest wanted Amos to return south, but he defiantly told the priest that God had sent him with a message; he told him to leave his sheep and his sycamores to go and share His message with the northern tribes, the people of Israel. Amos showed his trust in God and obeyed. Amos was a simple man, he was uneducated and his occupation showed that he was poor and yet here he is in front of the priests speaking to them about God.

There is a remarkable encounter Amos had with God earlier in this chapter. God gave Amos a vision that He would destroy Israel’s crops. Amos realising the catastrophe this could cause pleaded with God to relent. God listened to Amos’ prayer and relented. “For us this shows that prayer can be effective, our prayers can never change God’s character, but we can change God’s plans. Ours is not an impersonal God who sets things in stone, but a God who listens to us, a God who is willing to be persuaded”.[2]

Today is Sea Sunday. As an island nation we have a long history and reliance on the sea. Whether it is the fish we eat or the food and clothing which we import, all of us rely on the men and women who work on the sea; and are often hidden from our view; just getting on with what they do to make sure that we can have the things we need. Stella Maris have published a short reflection on the Gospel which I have shared below.

“In today’s Gospel we hear that Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs, but they were to take almost nothing with them – so they had to rely on the providence of God on their travels – and the generosity of the people they would stay with on the journey. Those people would be strangers to them – but the disciples were reliant on those strangers’ hospitality. This requires faith.

The teaching that God’s love is present in welcoming strangers and neighbours is a strong belief of many cultures. The divine lives in each of us, and when we welcome each other, we welcome God, and Jesus, the Son of God.

According to Jesus’ instructions, if people didn’t welcome or listen to the disciples, they were to walk away, shaking the dust from under their feet. This gesture represents both cleansing and Jesus’ displeasure at those who have rejected these strangers (his disciples) – we would surely not want that for ourselves.

When seafarers are in foreign ports, they often rely on the strangers who visit them to support them – to take them to the shops, to give them internet access, to take them to a Church for Mass or confession. Often, they don’t even speak the local language, making things even harder.

Sea Sunday is the day our parishes pray for seafarers and fishers and support Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea) – the Catholic charity that provides that welcome for seafarers in ports in this country and around the world. The chaplains and volunteers of Stella Maris listen to seafarers’ stories, help to provide what they need, and answer Jesus’s call to give hospitality to the stranger.”[3]

This weekend we are all given the opportunity to support Stella Maris with donations and with our prayers. The people who work at sea trust in God’s providence, our donations can help them with practical things and our prayers can be like the prophet Amos’ prayers and help protect them.

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 1506-1509: disciples share in Christ’s healing mission
CCC 737-741: Church called to proclaim and bear witness
CCC 849-856: origin and scope of the Church’s mission
CCC 1122, 1533: mission-mindedness
CCC 693, 698, 706, 1107, 1296: the Holy Spirit as God’s guarantee and seal
CCC 492: Mary as a unique example of being chosen before the foundation of the world

Sea Sunday Message 2024 – Stella Maris

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• Fr Tom Hiney and Fr Ambrose Chou on their ordination to the Priesthood for our Diocese this weekend, that they may be good and holy priests.
• Stephen Patterson and Zacharius Parambi as they prepare for ordination to the Permanent Diaconate on the 27^th of July.
• All seafarers and those who support them and their families often left at home without their loved ones for months at a time.
• The families who complete the Baptism Preparation Course at St Bede’s this weekend

Deacon Tony 13^th July 2024

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[1] Oseagwina Jerome Ituah OCD, Pastoral Review Vol 20 Issue 3 [The Tablet Publishing Company, Twickenham, 2024] 77-8.

[2] David Pawson, Unlocking the Bible, [Harper Collins Publishing, London, 2003]480.

[3] Gospel-Meditation.docx (live.com)

[Ezekiel 2:2-5; Psalm 122; 2Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6]

It is amazing, how the people of Nazareth refused to believe in Jesus because they believed they already knew him. They believed they already knew him and knew his history. They called him ‘the man’ and believed because he had grown up among them that he was just the carpenter and the son of Mary.  Contrast this with people who, like ourselves, didn’t know Jesus when He was growing up, through faith we have tried to get to know Jesus. Only for us he is not the carpenter, and not ‘the man’ nor just the son of Mary. For us, He is the Son of Man and the Son of God.

Their lack of faith affected Jesus so much that he could work no miracles there.  For me this shows that Jesus was not a performer; the miracles of Jesus are no illusion performed by a magician.  For the miracles to work, the recipients had to have faith.  Jesus told us this several times after a miracle had been worked.  Go, your faith has saved you.

The readings today seem to deal with stubbornness and obstinance. In the first reading we hear how Ezekiel was sent to the Jewish people who had turned away from God. God wanted them to know that even if they did not believe or follow Him, they would know that there was a prophet amongst them.  In the second reading St Paul persistently prays for his weakness to be taken away from him but remember that God’s ways are not the same as man’s ways. God informed Paul that He would work through his weaknesses and turn Paul’s weakness into a strength. This allowed Paul to accept his weakness. When we examine why Paul was given the thorn in his flesh, it was to stop him from becoming conceited or too proud of the revelations God was giving him. Paul sees his weaknesses as a way God helps him to stay grounded, not to get too far ahead of himself.

Paul trusted in God, offering up his weakness to God. Are there areas of our life that we would sooner not have, something in us that we think prevents us from getting closer to God, a thorn in our side? Like St Paul can we view the weaknesses we have as a way of keeping us grounded?

There have been times in my life when I have allowed my inner demons hold me back. Fear can stop me from encountering new situations. Fear of rejection, fear of upsetting other people, fear of conflict. Fear is a natural feeling, gifted to us by God to help keep us safe, however, when we allow our fears to stop us from growing or developing ourselves or from helping other people than is that fear life giving? Imagine if the disciples had allowed their fears to stop them from living the Gospel? 

We are all called to take our faith out into the world and help others encounter Jesus. The dismissal at the end of Mass isn’t just some nice words pulled together to end the Mass, it is an instruction. Whether it is ‘Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life’ or ‘Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord’ or ‘Go forth, the Mass is ended’ or just ‘Go in peace’ all of these are all instructions which we are all obliged to follow. So, when we are instructed to glorify the Lord by our life, what do we take that instruction to mean? Or, when we are instructed to Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord, do we start to think how can I do that this week?

Today we are asked to use the gifts God has given us and be like Ezekiel, who took the word of God to places it wasn’t welcome. To be like Paul and not allow ourselves to be too proud or conceited, accept the weaknesses we have been given and allow God to use us for His will. To be like Jesus and not allow those who have an idea of who they think we are to stifle our mission to take God out into the world.

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 2581-2584: prophets and conversion of heart
CCC 436: Christ as prophet
CCC 162: perseverance in faith
CCC 268, 273, 1508: power is made perfect in weakness

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Those seeking election, that they have a genuine call to serve their community and that they back up any promises they make with their actions.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• Deacon Tom Hiney and Deacon Ambrose Chou as they prepare for ordination to the Priesthood for our Diocese on the 13^th of July.
• Stephen Patterson and Zacharius Parambi as they prepare for ordination to the Permanent Diaconate on the 27^th of July.
• All those who established and those who continue to support the link between Bamenda and our Diocese which celebrates its Golden Anniversary this year.
• The families who start the Baptism Preparation Course this weekend

Deacon Tony 29^th June 2024