Category: Deacon Tony reflects

[Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25; 1 Thessalonians 3:12 – 4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36]

Friday was a dark day in the history of our country. The MPs who voted for assisted suicide have made England and Wales a scarier place for the disabled and those with no-one to advocate for them. Also, as the ‘Mother of Parliaments’, we have sent a message to other nations that this is somehow acceptable.

In our first reading today, the Prophet Jeremiah was also writing in dark days. This was a time when the Babylonians were about to conquer Israel, and the people needed hope. Jeremiah reminded the people that God would send a saviour from the House of David. We know that Jesus is that saviour, He is the one who gives us hope in our times of darkness.

St Paul encourages us in the second reading to continue to love one another and he prays that our love will increase until the day that Jesus comes again. We are to live our lives in holiness while we wait on the second coming of the Lord.

Each year the adverts for Christmas seem to start earlier, with some people erecting trees and lights shortly after Halloween. Growing up, for us we waited until after the feast of St Andrew, 30^th November; before we started to prepare for Christmas. In our attic we have a first of December box, which holds the advent calendars and other decorations to help us to start thinking more about Christmas. At the same time, our Scripture readings from the last couple of weeks have been advising us to prepare for the end days, and we are reminded again this week that the day will come when we have to face our judgement. However, the season of Advent is twofold; we are reminded of the end days at the same time as preparing to remember the birth of Jesus.

In the Gospel account from St Luke, we hear Jesus stating that the end days will see the end of everything we know. The horror of this day is represented by cosmic disturbances, the collapse of all we regard as most stable and reliable, the eruption of the ocean and the collapse of the solar system. St Luke sees the destruction of Jerusalem as symbolic of the final liberation at the coming of Christ.[1] We are warned to get ready and stay ready, not to allow the distractions of everyday life to get in the way of our salvation. With this in mind, I was pleased to see in this week’s e-news from Bishop Philip lots of suggestions to help us prepare and stay focussed on the real meaning of Christmas and how we, as Christians, should be preparing during Advent. I have reproduced some of the links below.

The decision in the House of Commons on Friday is devastating for those who are now vulnerable to coercion, those unable to speak for themselves, the disabled, doctors, nurses and other medical staff who may be called upon to assist someone to end their own life. But we are a people of hope and faith. Advent reminds us of our mortality and that we will face judgement when we die, but it also gives us hope of seeing Jesus face to face and the hope that we can live forever in His Kingdom.

At the end of this Advent, the Year of Hope for the Jubilee year of 2025 will officially start. In his letter to the Co-ordinating Pastor for the Jubilee, Pope Francis says “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope.” [2] Bishop Philip has announced six locations for Holy Doors in the Diocese, and we are all encouraged to take part in this Jubilee year in whatever way we can manage. Until then, I pray for us all that this Advent we may find hope where previously there was despair and that those who are on the periphery may encounter us as a loving people. Amen.

Postscript – when I saved this file I had a look at my reflection from 2021 [the last time we used these readings for Year C]. I finished my reflection with the following, in your charity could you please consider this again.

“This is a time when we may find ourselves invited out for a Christmas meal with friends or work colleagues, some of these occasions can be quite expensive.  When we are being generous with our friends is it possible for us to think about those who are in need at this time of year.  Perhaps we could pledge the cost of a drink or the cost of our meal or maybe even the cost of a round of drinks and donate it to charity?  This could be a way of loving the whole human race and help us to be in a position to ‘stand with confidence before the Son of Man’ when He comes again.”

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

First Sunday of Advent

CCC 668-677, 769: the final tribulation and Christ’s return in glory
CCC 451, 671, 1130, 1403, 2817: “Come, Lord Jesus!”
CCC 439, 496, 559, 2616: Jesus is the Son of David
CCC 207, 210-214, 270, 1062-1063: God is faithful and merciful

You can find some useful resources linked below.

• Laudato Si’ Movement Advent Calendar and Contemplation kit to prepare for Christ in creation
• Embracing rest and renewal this Advent  – A Rocha UK (2023)
• Advent Prayer and Advent Calendar – CAFOD
• Zero-waste Christmas – A Rocha UK
• National Justice and Peace Network reflections
• Advent Service with Jesuit Refugee Service (Live stream)
• The Liturgy Project has commentary and notes for each Sunday

Jubilee 2025

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 continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• The Basingstoke Winter Night Shelter as it opens its doors this weekend.

Deacon Tony

30^th November 2024

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[1] From Universalis.

[2] Letter from Pope Francis

[Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 92; Apocalypse 1:5-8; John 33-37]

Through our baptism we share Christ’s role as priest, prophet and king. Bishop Robert Barron described these roles as follows “as priest, he sanctifies, that is to say, he reestablishes the lost link between divinity and humanity; as prophet, he speaks and embodies the divine truth; and as king, he leads us on the right path, giving guidance to the human project.  You might say that, as priest, he is the life; as prophet, he is the truth; and as king he is the way.”[1]

The baptized serve as priests through their sacrificial efforts to bring people to God. They serve as prophets through their witness to the truth in word and deed. And they serve as kings in their efforts to lead others—again through word and deed—to use their talents to advance the Kingdom of God (see CCC 1241).[2]

In the Gospel today, Pilate is interrogating Jesus, he is acting as judge. He thinks he has the power to let Jesus live or to condemn Him to death. The reality is very different. Jesus died on the cross, not because Pilate said so, but because He had to fulfil God’s plan. By dying on the Cross, He would rise again, destroying death and enabling us to be like Him. This is why we know that our death will not be the end. We will face a final judgement and if we have kept Jesus present in our life; we may be able to stay in His presence for ever. However, if we exclude Jesus from our life, we are guaranteed to be excluded from His Heavenly Kingdom.

During the past few weeks, we have been looking at how to truly follow Christ – by putting our faith into action, serving others with generosity and love – these are qualities which enable us to be citizens of the kingdom. This kingdom stands against the rise in nationalism, the oppression of migrants and asylum seekers, warmongering, injustice and persecution, the accruing of wealth leaving others in poverty, the misuse of the created world, the killing of the unborn, the encouragement of suicide and euthanasia. By standing by the true word which does not pass away we discover how to live in this passing world. Then one day we will share in the glory of the Kingdom where Christ is our Way, our Truth and our Life.[3]

The liturgy used today, the last Sunday of the liturgical year, celebrates Jesus as Lord of Love and reveals God’s love for all whom He has created. There is also a call for His followers to live in that love. Our liturgy for today obliges us to care for the most vulnerable in society. The current focus for this is the campaign against the assisted suicide bill. If you have not written to your MP, it is still not too late to do so. It is encouraging that the MP for Basingstoke is holding a meeting with constituents to share his point of view and listen to the views of those who have written to him on this very important topic. If you have written to him and have had an invite, please respond to his email and attend the meeting, it is next Thursday in Basingstoke.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Solemnity of Christ the King: Christ the origin and goal of history

CCC 440, 446-451, 668-672, 783, 786, 908, 2105, 2628: Christ as Lord and King
CCC 678-679, 1001, 1038-1041: Christ as Judge
CCC 2816-2821: “Thy Kingdom Come”

‘Priest, Prophet and King’ by Bishop Robert Barron.

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 fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• People affected by natural disasters, terrorism or warfare.
• Those who no longer recognise Jesus Christ as their Lord and King.
• For peace in our world.
• The deacons and their wives who are attending the Diocesan Diaconate Conference this weekend.

Deacon Tony

23^rd November 2024

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[1] Bishop Robert Barron, at  ‘Priest, Prophet and King’ accessed 21^st November 2024.

[2] Tom Nash at  How Are We Priests, Prophets, and Kings? | Catholic Answers Q&A accessed 21^st November 2024.

[3] Mgr Kevin McGinnell VF, Pastoral Review Vol. 20 Issue 4 [Tablet Publishing Company Ltd. London, 2024] 80.

[Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 15; Hebrews 10:11-14,18; Mark 13:24-32]

Traditionally, at this time of year we remember our deceased relatives and friends; we have lists which we make and ask for those on the lists to be remembered during Mass. We should of course be praying for our deceased loved ones throughout the year. Our great hope is that by our prayers their souls can enter heaven, where they can pray for us. We should also remember to pray for the souls of those in purgatory who have no-one to pray for them; we never know if we will be amongst them in the future

The Scriptures we use today, remind us that at the end of our life, we will be judged. The first reading from the Book of Daniel is the first time in the Bible that the resurrection of the dead is proclaimed. This book, written around two hundred years before Christ was born, revealed that those who remained true to God ‘will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven’ and those who did not remain true would be subject to ‘shame and everlasting disgrace.’ There had been hints elsewhere in the Bible that our death was not the end, for example Job said, ‘I know that my redeemer lives, and that from my flesh I will look on God.’

In the second reading, we hear that the sacrifices made under the Old Law were partial, temporary and needed to be repeated. Christ’s offering was complete and could never be repeated.  This offering is what grants ‘the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying.’ If we want to be included amongst those being saved, then we must repent and change our ways. It is not enough just to turn up at Mass each week and think ‘I’ve done my bit’. To live our faith out properly, it takes more than just turning up. We need to put our faith into action. We need to listen to God’s Word and live out our faith every day. This means that just turning up on a Sunday for an hour can never be enough.

In the Gospel, Jesus paints a picture of what the end of the world will be like; it sounds terrifying. In a reversal of the Genesis story, the two great lights; the sun and the moon; will be extinguished and replaced by the light shining through the Glory of Christ. The angels will gather the chosen ones from heaven and earth, and they will bask in His Glory. Jesus is telling us to get ready, and to remain ready because even He does not know when this will happen, only the Father knows.

If we look at the news, we can see terrible incidents both man-made and natural, and perhaps some where man’s interference has exacerbated what we believe to be natural occurrences. We think of those in Spain over the past few weeks, who have endured severe flooding with horrendous loss of lives. We think of those in war torn areas, like Gaza, Ukraine and Cameroon. We think of the hundreds of thousands of people who are fleeing from their homelands searching for a safe, or in some cases a more prosperous place to live. For all of the people involved, these are times of distress; the world they knew is no more.

When we think of these people who have lost their homes and livelihoods and have had to flee at short notice only grabbing what they can of their possessions or leaving in the clothes they stand in, I wonder if this was me and I had time to pack something to take with me, what would I take? Things like my wallet, my keys, my glasses. But what else would I consider taking? I can access my daily prayers and readings on my phone, but that would only be until the battery runs out; so I would need my charger or maybe better still my prayer book.

Today, Jesus is telling us to be prepared, its not just the practicalities of what to take with us in an emergency. He is urging us to be prepared to answer for what we have done or failed to do during our time on earth. If we think about that and had to deliver our answer face to face with Jesus today, how confident would we be of entering God’s kingdom? When we consider our response and realise tomorrow morning that we have been given another day, what will we do differently? This could be the difference between glorious light or eternal darkness.

As Catholics we have fantastic resources at our disposal, these are meant to guide us towards the light of our eternal home. We have Sacred scriptures; we have the Catechism and the teachings of the Church and the Sacraments to fill us with the graces and inspiration to live out our faith. Getting to know Christ, following His words and putting our faith into action, especially through acts of mercy will help us build our case when we are judged. After all, if we expect to receive God’s mercy, surely, we should be merciful people in the first place. With this in mind, here are some reminders for us all:

The seven Corporal works of mercy are –

1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Shelter the homeless
5. Visit the sick
6. Visit the imprisoned
7. Bury the dead[1]

The seven Spiritual works of mercy are –

1. Admonish the sinner
2. Instruct the ignorant
3. Counsel the doubtful
4. Comfort the sorrowful
5. Bear wrongs patiently
6. Forgive all injuries
7. Pray for the living and the dead[2]

All of these come from the teachings of Jesus, and we are called to do these, if Jesus asks us when we are face to face with Him, how many of these are we able to claim we did out of love for God or our neighbour, what would our answer be? If we don’t like our answer, what do we need to do differently?

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 1038-1050: the Last Judgment; hope of a new heaven and a new earth
CCC 613-614, 1365-1367: Christ’s one perfect sacrifice and the Eucharist

The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy: Charity in Practice

catholicexchange.com/7-ways-to-practice-the-spiritual-works-of-mercy/

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 fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• People affected by natural disasters, terrorism or warfare.
• Josiah, Jasmine, Anayah, Tadgh, Saoirse who will be baptised at St Bede’s this weekend.

Deacon Tony

16^th November 2024

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[1] The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy: Charity in Practice

[2] catholicexchange.com/7-ways-to-practice-the-spiritual-works-of-mercy/

[1 Kings 17:10-16; Psalm 145; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44]

In the scriptures we use today, we hear about giving at times which are difficult.

In our first reading the poor widow had barely enough for her and her child to eat but she was persuaded by the prophet Elijah to share what she had with a promise of reward from God if she shared.  The widow shared what she had; and she was rewarded according to the promise.

In the second reading we are reminded that Christ gave his life to save our souls; Jesus gave His life in obedience to His Father so that his followers would be rewarded according to His promise.

In the Gospel we hear about another widow, who Jesus uses as an example for us all.  She gives everything she owns to the temple and trusts in God’s providence for her own survival.

God is generous, everything we have is provided by Him; God looks after us. If we share what He has given us, God tends to give us more.  This is because God looks for ways to share his benevolence further, the more generous we are with what God gives us the more generous He is with us.  However, we do not always get exactly what we give back, nor should we give only to receive.  God rewards us according to our needs, not our wants.

It would be easy and wrong for us to look upon generosity on a purely financial basis. For example, when we go to Mass, we need to remember that God loves a cheerful giver. Sometimes when we go to Mass, we are burdened by what is going on in our life and this can lead to distractions, resulting in us being unable to take part fully in this most wonderful celebration. At other times, we may even grudge the time we spend at Mass; believing there may be something more worthwhile or interesting elsewhere. These are the times when we need to offer all of these distractions, all of those things which are trying to pull us away from the Lord; and give Jesus the two small coins of our attention and intention. [1]

Do we give our time and attention cheerfully whilst we are in Mass?

Do we take part fully in the prayers, sing along cheerfully with the hymns?

Are we paying attention fully to what is happening on the Sanctuary, or do we allow our thoughts to drift to what we are planning to do afterwards?

Do we come along to watch a performance or are we fully engaged?

Do we offer our intentions for the Mass up in prayer, handing over the things which worry us or distract us?

Just like those in the temple that day, we are still under the watchful eyes of Jesus. He sees the secret places of our hearts where we make decisions. He sees our motivations.  

Would we prefer to be seen as the rich people or as the poor widow?

Do we approach our faith half-heartedly or are we all in?

Each of us can answer these questions for ourselves; and be prepared for the consequences of our thoughts and actions on judgement day.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 519-521: Christ gave his life for us
CCC 2544-2547: poverty of heart
CCC 1434, 1438, 1753, 1969, 2447: almsgiving
CCC 2581-2584: Elijah and conversion of heart
CCC 1021-1022: the particular judgment

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 fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• People affected by natural disasters, terrorism or warfare.

Deacon Tony

5^th November 2024

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[1] Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, [The Columba Press, Dublin, 1988]101.

Bamenda Sunday

[Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalm 17; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34]

Love of God and love of neighbour, the two greatest Commandments. If we listen carefully, when Jesus states the Greatest Commandment; to love God, he has added to the Commandment slightly, but crucially. The original wording used by Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy are “Listen Israel…., You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength.” When Jesus is asked, he says “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” Jesus has added that we are to love God with our mind as well. When the scribe relays Jesus’ words back to him, he uses a different word for mind; he uses the word ‘understanding’. How do we love God with our mind? We do this by getting to know God better: reading the Scriptures, attending Mass, celebrating the Sacraments. But knowledge is not enough. That is why we have the other parts in the Commandment; we need to love God with our heart, soul, mind and strength.

I read the other day that “Satan is a master theologian. He talked to God, interacted with God, believes in God’s existence, and knows more about God’s attributes and abilities than most…. And yet Satan doesn’t love God. Knowledge about God doesn’t equal faith in God.”[1] Our knowledge of God has to develop into the deepest of love for Him; we are to use every part of our being, after all, we only exist because God brought us into being.

When Jesus replied to the scribe, he expanded his answer to say what the second greatest Commandment is too. We are to love our neighbour as ourselves. Interestingly, in the same conversation in Luke’s Gospel the scribe asks a follow up question of Jesus on who is my neighbour? Jesus then uses the parable of the Good Samaritan to explain that our neighbour is the person who at this moment most needs our help. [Luke10:25-37].

Who is our neighbour today?

What help do we need to offer them?

How will we make time to do this?

There is a danger that we can sometimes find ourselves concentrating more on the love of neighbour than on the love of God. Whilst our love of neighbour stems from our love of God, we need to be careful to remember that love of neighbour is the ‘second greatest’ and love of God is ‘the Greatest’. God, our Creator has to be our principal focus; our treasure, because “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” [Matthew 6:21].

When I visit our sick brothers and sisters, I am very aware that I am there to bring the love of Jesus to them. I am often humbled by the faith these people show and pray that if I was in a similar position that my faith will be as strong. Seeing at first hand people who are living with terminal illnesses and people who live with mental health issues makes me realise even more how precious life is. Our Bishop urged us all last week to write to our MP urging them to vote against assisted suicides. The MP where I live, is sadly in favour of this. I would urge everyone who has not written yet to write to their MP; even if they are in favour personally, they are supposed to represent the views of their constituents. If enough of us write, then self-preservation may be enough for them to change their mind and listen to their constituents.

Moses asked the Israelites to listen, today we are called to listen to the heartbeat of our own faith. We recognise the challenge of loving God and loving our neighbour and are reminded in the second reading that Christ’s power to save is certain and that he intercedes for us who come to God through Him.

Placid Murray; the late Benedictine monk said “Our love for God is mainly one of gratitude; our love for our neighbour, one of compassion. If we follow out this twofold commandment, Jesus will say to us as to the scribe: ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God’.[2]

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 2083: commandments as a call for a response of love
CCC 2052, 2093-2094: the first commandment
CCC 1539-1547: holy orders in the economy of salvation

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 fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• Those working to support the projects in Bamenda, all the priests from Bamenda and other places who support our Diocese.
• People affected by natural disasters, terrorism or warfare.

Deacon Tony

2^nd November 2024

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[1] Attributed to JC Ryle on X accessed 31^st October 2024.

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

[Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 125; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52]

For the past few weeks, we have heard accounts from the 10^th Chapter of St Mark’s Gospel. We heard about the rich man who knew the laws, lived by them but could not give up his earthly riches to follow Jesus. Last week we heard two of the disciples; who had given up everything to follow Jesus; ask for better seats when they join Jesus in His Kingdom. This week we hear about Bartimaeus, a bling beggar, who wants to see again.

In a similar way to a few weeks ago; when the disciples tried to stop little children from approaching Jesus; the people tried to silence Bartimaeus.  But he would not be silenced.  He persisted in crying out to Jesus for pity.  His prayer was answered when Jesus stopped and called Bartimaeus towards him.  Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” The reply was “Master, let me see again.”   Contrast this request with the request from James and John which we heard last week.  Bartimaeus had his desire met; because it had the correct focus.  Bartimaeus demonstrated faith in Jesus by asking to be healed.  James and John were looking for personal glory (Mark 10:35-37).  Before Bartimaeus was healed he bore witness to Jesus by calling him Master, after he was healed, he bore witness to Jesus by following Him.

The encounter with Bartimaeus is a model for our petitionary prayer. First, we call out to Jesus, we acknowledge Him as our Lord and Saviour. Bartimaeus called out to Jesus “Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.” Just like the crowd tried to silence Bartimaeus, we need to silence the doubts in our head; we need to ignore those who say that prayer is a waste of time. We then cast off our pride like Bartimaeus; he threw down his cloak, acknowledging that we cannot do whatever our request is under our own power; we need His help. Next, we approach Jesus with courage and faith, that He can grant our request. When we know and recognise that we are in the presence of the Lord, we make our request; we then go away and continue to follow Jesus. The results may not always be as immediate as they were for Bartimaeus, but Jesus does answer every single prayer, and as we heard last week sometimes the answer is no.

On our recent pilgrimage to Medjugorje, two of our fellow pilgrims asked us to pray for two young men who were critically ill following accidents, within 24 hours we heard of progress in both cases. The families involved say their prayers have been answered and are grateful for the prayers said in Medjugorje for their sons. They both still have a long way to go and still need prayers, so if please remember Augustin and George in your prayers.

In the second reading we hear from St Paul that every priest has been called by God. St Paul reminds us that they make offerings for our sins and for their own sins. The only priest never to have sinned is Jesus and He is the high priest nominated by the Father. This is a reminder for us to pray for our priests who serve us despite their imperfections, we should never place them on a pedestal, but we need to pray for them as they pray for us and lead us in our worship.

The reading from Jeremiah heralds the Gospel used today, where it says “I will gather them all, the blind and the lame.  I will comfort them as I lead them back, I will guide them to streams of water”.  Jesus calls all of us to Baptism in the New Covenant; leading us to streams of water, the source of life itself.  Bartimaeus removed his cloak as if he was preparing for Baptism, he was ready to follow Jesus as he asked him to have mercy upon him.  As we ask for mercy at every Mass when we say, ‘Lord have mercy,’ are we ready to be granted mercy?  Are we ready to follow Jesus as Bartimaeus did?

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 547-550: Jesus performed messianic signs
CCC 1814-1816: faith, a gift of God
CCC 2734-2737: filial confidence in prayer

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 continued success of the Christians Against Poverty [CAP] money coaching programme, in the pastoral area.
• The fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• Harrison, Dominic, George, Sofie and Chiamara who will be baptised at St Bede’s this Sunday.

Deacon Tony

26^th October 2024