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Make no mistake the door to salvation was opened for all of God’s children. Through the blood of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ we have been redeemed. We have been reconciled and have the hope of full union with Him. We are one with Him, one BODY in Christ.

Really? Why then are we not living as one body? Where is the sense of belonging to a community? The ownership and stewardship of the community I belong to? That the fraternal love and growth of our community depends on me being present in mind, body and spirit. That I may only be one, but I am the one that makes up the two or three gathered in His name; by His promise He is present to us. Do I know my brothers and sisters in Christ by name? Do I know their family? Can we truly say we are one then?

Holy trinity one God, inspire and grant us the grace to live as one united in Your love. Let us be one as You are one, so that Oneness may shine as a great light for the world to see. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 10:19-25 †
Let us keep firm in the hope we profess

Through the blood of Jesus we have the right to enter the sanctuary, by a new way which he has opened for us, a living opening through the curtain, that is to say, his body. And we have the supreme high priest over all the house of God. So as we go in, let us be sincere in heart and filled with faith, our minds sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful. Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. Do not stay away from the meetings of the community, as some do, but encourage each other to go; the more so as you see the Day drawing near.

Gospel

Mark 4:21-25
The seed is sprouting and growing as he sleeps

Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’
He also said to them, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’

Yes we are called to be bold proclaimers of our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who saves. But in order to be such bold proclaimers we must first live our faith. To be nourished by His Word, sound teaching and receive His graces through a sacramental life. Most importantly we need to affirm one another, to encourage one another to grow in Holiness, love and mercy.

Kingdom builders that we are should take care to stay focused on doing the will of God our Father. Let us not be distracted by the ways and wiles of the world. But be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. So as to exercise the power given to us with great love, self control, and we will bring glory to God by our service to Him and our brethren.

Saints Timothy and Titus pray for us…. Amen

First reading

2 Timothy 1:1-8 †
Fan into a flame the gift God gave you

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus in his design to promise life in Christ Jesus; to Timothy, dear child of mine, wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.
Night and day I thank God, keeping my conscience clear and remembering my duty to him as my ancestors did, and always I remember you in my prayers; I remember your tears and long to see you again to complete my happiness. Then I am reminded of the sincere faith which you have; it came first to live in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I have no doubt that it is the same faith in you as well.
That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy.

Gospel

Mark 3:20-21
Jesus’ relatives were convinced he was out of his mind

Jesus went home, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.

Have you had a conversion of heart? Have you experienced the love of God in His presence? Have you submitted your notion of knowing all there is to know, lofty ideas of self righteousness? Of being a dove instead of a tiger in your dealings with others? Of being able to offer love above all else? If not then what are you waiting for? A bright light? A voice?

The light of the world beckons you to Him. Come to Him with contrite hearts and be changed. Come let us be the light for others through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who poured out His precious blood for us so that we might live! Let us use the many gifts we have been given to gather His flock together. To be the best we ought to be according to His will. Amen

St Paul the Apostle pray for us…

First reading

Acts 22:3-16 †
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

Paul said to the people, ‘I am a Jew and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was as full of duty towards God as you are today. I even persecuted this Way to the death, and sent women as well as men to prison in chains as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify, since they even sent me with letters to their brothers in Damascus. When I set off it was with the intention of bringing prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.
‘I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when about midday a bright light from heaven suddenly shone round me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I answered: Who are you, Lord? and he said to me, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, and you are persecuting me.” The people with me saw the light but did not hear his voice as he spoke to me. I said: What am I to do, Lord? The Lord answered, “Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do.” The light had been so dazzling that I was blind and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so I came to Damascus.
‘Someone called Ananias, a devout follower of the Law and highly thought of by all the Jews living there, came to see me; he stood beside me and said, “Brother Saul, receive your sight.” Instantly my sight came back and I was able to see him. Then he said, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and hear his own voice speaking, because you are to be his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard. And now why delay? It is time you were baptised and had your sins washed away while invoking his name.”’

Gospel

Mark 16:15-18
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News

Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them:
‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’

Are you a saint?

Any answer other than yes is wrong! Even if you said a saint in the making. For by virtue of our baptism we are saints. The problem with most of us is that, we neither see the saint that we are or ought to be nor the saint in others. Yes it is a given that we are not perfect even far from it! But it is our earnest endeavour to grow in Holiness, to be perfected by the One who alone is perfect that we are His saints; we are God our Father’s children.

If we know that God our Father is faithful and has kept His promise by sending His Son our Lord Jesus Christ to save us then why are we not living in that promise fulfilled! Why are we not joyfully sharing the wonder of Him to everyone? Why are we not loving first and foremost rather than to concern ourselves with putting up walls or obstacles to love? How can we not love the sister and brother God our Father created in His image?

Let us continue to strive for Holiness and use the abundant blessings we receive to be blessings for everyone we meet. God love you my fellow Saint. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 6:10-20 †
In this hope we have an anchor for our soul

God would not be so unjust as to forget all you have done, the love that you have for his name or the services you have done, and are still doing, for the saints. Our one desire is that every one of you should go on showing the same earnestness to the end, to the perfect fulfilment of our hopes, never growing careless, but imitating those who have the faith and the perseverance to inherit the promises.
When God made the promise to Abraham, he swore by his own self, since it was impossible for him to swear by anyone greater: I will shower blessings on you and give you many descendants. Because of that, Abraham persevered and saw the promise fulfilled. Men, of course, swear an oath by something greater than themselves, and between men, confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute. In the same way, when God wanted to make the heirs to the promise thoroughly realise that his purpose was unalterable, he conveyed this by an oath; so that there would be two unalterable things in which it was impossible for God to be lying, and so that we, now we have found safety, should have a strong encouragement to take a firm grip on the hope that is held out to us. Here we have an anchor for our soul, as sure as it is firm, and reaching right through beyond the veil where Jesus has entered before us and on our behalf, to become a high priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever.

Gospel

Mark 2:23-28
The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath

One sabbath day, Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick ears of corn as they went along. And the Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing something on the sabbath day that is forbidden?’ And he replied, ‘Did you never read what David did in his time of need when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the loaves of offering which only the priests are allowed to eat, and how he also gave some to the men with him?’
And he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath.’

For those of us not ordained as priests who are not consecrated, what then is our priestly function as laity through our baptism?

Is it not to offer prayers for those in need, those who cannot offer prayers for themselves? Even to fast at times, offer sacrifices of time, money and works of mercy? To aid in reconciling sinners with the Lord our God? To show the correct pathway to Him? Yes sisters and brothers in Christ, we have lots to do. And we are able to do them through the graces and strength we receive from our our Lord Jesus Christ.

Indeed we cannot do as we are called to do if we continue to hold on to our old sinful ways. Those who have been redeemed by Christ must live lives anew in Him. Put on His mantle to love and serve always. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 5:1-10 †
Although he was Son, he learned to obey through suffering

Every high priest has been taken out of mankind and is appointed to act for men in their relations with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins; and so he can sympathise with those who are ignorant or uncertain because he too lives in the limitations of weakness. That is why he has to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honour on himself, but each one is called by God, as Aaron was. Nor did Christ give himself the glory of becoming high priest, but he had it from the one who said to him: You are my son, today I have become your father, and in another text: You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever. During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel

Mark 2:18-22
‘Why do your disciples not fast?’

One day when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Why is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of fasting while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they could not think of fasting. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then, on that day, they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak; if he does, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. No! New wine, fresh skins!’

Follow me. An invitation from the Lord our God. He who knows all there is to know about us is asking us to grow in our relationship with Him. To grow in Holiness. To be and live in His presence. As lights for others who are still in the dark.

Do we remain where we are? Comfortable with our mediocre lives? Afraid to come out of our comfort zones. Or do we trust in our faithful and loving God, our Lord Jesus Christ who came to save us.

Make no mistake, our Lord does not accept sinners for who they are. Rather He sees the good and childlike qualities in all of us. He sees the potential that we ought to be living out. He loved us enough to die for us, so that we can be set free to live in His love.

Come now, let us not tarry any longer. Let us make haste to follow Him. Now and forever. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 4:12-16
Let us be confident in approaching the throne of grace

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.
Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

Gospel

Mark 2:13-17

Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

Apart from me, you can do nothing says our Lord. Our Lord did not mean we are useless or anything remotely close to it. We are God our Father’s children have a special dignity in that regard. However because there is sin in the world we must remain close to Him who hides us in the shadow of His wings. Our veins are not blocked neither our hearts coarsend, and the love of God continues to flow through us. Therefore we should remain tapped into Jesus our Lord who is the vine and we are the branches. For then we are truly fruitful.

The surest way to do this was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Through the Holy Eucharist! We have both the life giving Word and the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ Himself given freely and with great love. In the our Father we pray, give us our daily bread, how is it then we do not go to receive Him daily in answer to our prayer?

Let not the leprosy of sin ever remain in our bodies! Jesus our Lord wants to heal us and is waiting to embrace us with all our faults. Let us turn to Him with contrite hearts and be healed. Then we rejoice as we lead fruitful lives in His love. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 3:7-14 †
Keep encouraging one another

The Holy Spirit says: If only you would listen to him today; do not harden your hearts, as happened in the Rebellion, on the Day of Temptation in the wilderness, when your ancestors challenged me and tested me, though they had seen what I could do for forty years. That was why I was angry with that generation and said: How unreliable these people who refuse to grasp my ways! And so, in anger, I swore that not one would reach the place of rest I had for them. Take care, brothers, that there is not in any one of your community a wicked mind, so unbelieving as to turn away from the living God. Every day, as long as this ‘today’ lasts, keep encouraging one another so that none of you is hardened by the lure of sin, because we shall remain co-heirs with Christ only if we keep a grasp on our first confidence right to the end.

Gospel

Mark 1:40-45
The leprosy left the man at once, and he was cured

A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: ‘If you want to’ he said ‘you can cure me.’ Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. ‘Of course I want to!’ he said. ‘Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once and he was cured. Jesus immediately sent him away and sternly ordered him, ‘Mind you say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your healing prescribed by Moses as evidence of your recovery.’ The man went away, but then started talking about it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived. Even so, people from all around would come to him.

There are areas in our life which are still unruly not quite under our control. For we have chosen not to exercise restraint, self control. In other words we have not submitted fully to the authority of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

His Will for us is to turn away from all sin and to live fully in His love. To lead one another into greater Holiness. And through the authority given to Him by God our Father, He commanded us to go make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all He commanded. How do we so if we are not obedient ourselves? Not disciplined! It is time to recollect, pray, be reconciled, to submit to the love and mercy of Jesus our Lord. So that we can be instruments of His grace and lead others to live fully in His love.

Here I am Lord, I come to Your Will. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 2:5-12 †
The one who sanctifies and the ones who are sanctified are of the same stock

God did not appoint angels to be rulers of the world to come, and that world is what we are talking about. Somewhere there is a passage that shows us this. It runs: What is man that you should spare a thought for him, the son of man that you should care for him? For a short while you made him lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and splendour. You have put him in command of everything. Well then, if he has put him in command of everything, he has left nothing which is not under his command. At present, it is true, we are not able to see that everything has been put under his command, but we do see in Jesus one who was for a short while made lower than the angels and is now crowned with glory and splendour because he submitted to death; by God’s grace he had to experience death for all mankind.
As it was his purpose to bring a great many of his sons into glory, it was appropriate that God, for whom everything exists and through whom everything exists, should make perfect, through suffering, the leader who would take them to their salvation. For the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified, are of the same stock; that is why he openly calls them brothers in the text: I shall announce your name to my brothers, praise you in full assembly.

Gospel

Mark 1:21-28
Unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority

Jesus and his disciples went as far as Capernaum, and as soon as the sabbath came he went to the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.
In their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit and it shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.’ And his reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.

O Jesus Son of the living God, God of Heaven and of earth. Have mercy on my many shortcomings. I have heard Your call to follow You and have responded by leaving my sinful past behind and followed.

But along the way I have fallen and continue to fall from time to time. Each time it causes my heart to be broken and I long to be reconciled with You. Yet each and every time my head hangs low before You, You bid me not to wallow in my sin and to arise in Your love. May I never take Your great love for me for granted. For indeed You do not look upon our sins but the faith of Your Church.

Lord we strive to do better, and be better each and everyday. To be more outward looking as to touch the souls who are lost and in distress. Sanctify us Lord that we may grow in Holiness according to Your will. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 1:1-6 †
God has spoken to us through his Son

At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, the Son that he has appointed to inherit everything and through whom he made everything there is. He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command; and now that he has destroyed the defilement of sin, he has gone to take his place in heaven at the right hand of divine Majesty. So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name.
God has never said to any angel: You are my Son, today I have become your father; or: I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Again, when he brings the First-Born into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him.

Gospel

Mark 1:14-20
I will make you into fishers of men

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’
As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets. He called them at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

Indeed when we gradually empty ourselves of our empty pride, self righteousness, lust, greed and seek the Lord’s graces by surrendering our all to Him in contrite humility. He will come to dwell in our hearts.

No longer will we be concerned about others knowing our achievements or seeking their approval or affirmation;all we want is to glorify God by our obedience to His will for us. And He will grant us all that we need. Our joy is complete in Him!

Lord Jesus increase in me now and always. Amen

First reading

1 John 5:14-21 †
If we ask for anything, he will hear us

We are quite confident that if we ask the Son of God for anything, and it is in accordance with his will, he will hear us; and, knowing that whatever we may ask, he hears us, we know that we have already been granted what we asked of him.
If anybody sees his brother commit a sin that is not a deadly sin, he has only to pray, and God will give life to the sinner – not those who commit a deadly sin; for there is a sin that is death,
and I will not say that you must pray about that.
Every kind of wrong-doing is sin, but not all sin is deadly.

We know that anyone who has been begotten by God does not sin, because the begotten Son of God protects him, and the Evil One does not touch him.
We know that we belong to God, but the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One.
We know, too, that the Son of God has come, and has given us the power to know the true God.
We are in the true God,
as we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God,
this is eternal life.
Children, be on your guard against false gods.

Gospel

John 3:22-30
‘He must grow greater and I must grow smaller: my joy is complete’

Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptised. At the same time John was baptising at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there to be baptised. This was before John had been put in prison.
Now some of John’s disciples had opened a discussion with a Jew about purification, so they went to John and said, ‘Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now; and everyone is going to him.’
John replied:

‘A man can lay claim
only to what is given him from heaven.

‘You yourselves can bear me out: I said: I myself am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent in front of him.

‘The bride is only for the bridegroom; and yet the bridegroom’s friend, who stands there and listens,
is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.
This same joy I feel, and now it is complete. He must grow greater, I must grow smaller.’

Loving the Lord our God is never a private affair, neither is our faith in Him. For the only true measure of our love is how we love His children, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and His other sheep not of our fold. For His will is that we love one another as He first loved us. So that we might live fully in His love.

At every proclamation of the Gospel at every Holy Eucharist, Jesus tells us just how much He loves us. Today He reminds us that He had come to set us free from the bondages of sin. To heal and restore us. We can live in peace and joy in the loving embrace of God our Father.

We are no longer slaves to fear, for we live as children so loved by our one triune God. Amen

Gospel

Luke 4:14-22
‘This text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen’

Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him.
He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.

Gospel

Luke 4:14-22
‘This text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen’

Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him.
He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.

We all go through many fears in our lives. Fear for the well being of our families, fear of losing our jobs, fear of the unknown, fear of evil that lurks, fear of illness and diseases, fear of old age, fear of war, fear of not knowing if we will live to see another day, the list is endless.

Could it be that all this is a result of our imperfect love? For if we truly believe that God is love as He is indeed,and it is by His love we are perfected;then what have we to fear? For does He not dwell in our hearts? How can He not? When we seek Him in His Word daily, we receive Jesus Himself in Holy Eucharist. He makes Himself present to us, are we then present to Him? Do we live in His presence according to His Will?

Lord Jesus I know You are here with me and I am no longer fearful. For by Your love I have been set free to live and love in Your presence. Amen

First reading

1 John 4:11-18
As long as we love one another God’s love will be complete in us

My dear people,
since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another.
No one has ever seen God;
but as long as we love one another God will live in us
and his love will be complete in us.
We can know that we are living in him and he is living in us because he lets us share his Spirit.
We ourselves saw and we testify that the Father sent his Son as saviour of the world.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God lives in him, and he in God.
We ourselves have known and put our faith in God’s love towards ourselves.
God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God,
and God lives in him.
Love will come to its perfection in us when we can face the day of Judgement without fear; because even in this world we have become as he is.
In love there can be no fear,
but fear is driven out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.

Gospel

Mark 6:45-52
His disciples saw him walking on the lake

After the five thousand had eaten and were filled, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away. After saying goodbye to them he went off into the hills to pray. When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. He could see they were worn out with rowing, for the wind was against them; and about the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the lake. He was going to pass them by, but when they saw him walking on the lake they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they had all seen him and were terrified. But he at once spoke to them, and said, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind dropped. They were utterly and completely dumbfounded, because they had not seen what the miracle of the loaves meant; their minds were closed.

The only way to bring others to the knowledge of our Lord and God is by our love. Our love put into the service of others. When they see that we have offered up our time as God’s time. When they see in our faces the joy of having the love of God in our hearts. When they witness in us, our faithfulness in times of trials and challenges. Just as our Shepherd our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ never abandons us. They therefore see Christ in us.

Yes sisters and brothers in Christ, all the above is possible and much more through the grace of God. For the abundant love of God our Father was outpoured through the blood of His only Begotten Son who died to take away our sins and rose so that we might have new life in Him. Jesus gives us the supreme gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist to become partakers of His divine grace. We are nourished as we are sent to be beacons of His light. To gather all unto Himself.

Thank You Lord for Your great unending love for us. Amen

First reading

1 John 4:7-10
Let us love one another, since love comes from God

My dear people, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,
because God is love.
God’s love for us was revealed when God sent into the world his only Son
so that we could have life through him;this is the love I mean: not our love for God,
but God’s love for us when he sent his Son to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

Gospel

Mark 6:34-44
The feeding of the five thousand

As Jesus stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length. By now it was getting very late, and his disciples came up to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place and it is getting very late. So send them away, and they can go to the farms and villages round about, to buy themselves something to eat.’ He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ They answered, ‘Are we to go and spend two hundred denarii on bread for them to eat?’ ‘How many loaves have you?’ he asked. ‘Go and see.’ And when they had found out they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ Then he ordered them to get all the people together in groups on the green grass, and they sat down on the ground in squares of hundreds and fifties. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing; then he broke the loaves and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the people. He also shared out the two fish among them all. They all ate as much as they wanted. They collected twelve basketfuls of scraps of bread and pieces of fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

Never should we ever take our baptism into Christ for granted. For by our one Baptism we belong to God our ever loving Father. We are inserted into life with Christ Jesus our Lord and saviour. His laws are written in our hearts and we are able to follow His commandments. We have the Holy Spirit to guide and unite us all.

Do you then want to give up your heavenly inheritance? By following the children of the world? To follow the voice even if it is your very own which causes disunity? To live in sin and debauchery. To allow your pride to prevent you from glorifying the Lord your God as you should? To allow lust and greed to take away love, honour and respect?

The kingdom of God is indeed at hand. Come to our Lord Jesus Christ who will heal and restore you. Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. Amen

First reading

1 John 3:22-4:6
The Son of God has come and given us the power to know the true God

Whatever we ask God,
we shall receive,
because we keep his commandments
and live the kind of life that he wants.
His commandments are these: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
and that we love one another
as he told us to.
Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him.
We know that he lives in us
by the Spirit that he has given us.

It is not every spirit, my dear people, that you can trust;
test them, to see if they come from God, there are many false prophets, now, in the world.
You can tell the spirits that come from God by this:
every spirit which acknowledges that Jesus the Christ has come in the flesh
is from God; but any spirit which will not say this of Jesus is not from God, but is the spirit of Antichrist, whose coming you were warned about.
Well, now he is here, in the world. Children you have already overcome these false prophets, because you are from God and you have in you one who is greater than anyone in this world; as for them, they are of the world,
and so they speak the language of the world
and the world listens to them.
But we are children of God,
and those who know God listen to us;those who are not of God refuse to listen to us.
This is how we can tell
the spirit of truth from the spirit of falsehood.

Gospel

Matthew 4:12-17,23-25
The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light

Hearing that John had been arrested, Jesus went back to Galilee, and leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum, a lakeside town on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. In this way the prophecy of Isaiah was to be fulfilled:

‘Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali!
Way of the sea on the far side of Jordan, Galilee of the nations!
The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death
a light has dawned.’

From that moment Jesus began his preaching with the message, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’
He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness among the people. His fame spread throughout Syria, and those who were suffering from diseases and painful complaints of one kind or another, the possessed, epileptics, the paralysed, were all brought to him, and he cured them. Large crowds followed him, coming from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and Transjordania.

Yes in a sense holiness is far more difficult to strive for. To many it is far easier to go with the flow. To conform to the ways of the world so as not to stand out for the ‘wrong’ reasons. To be called stiff necked or old fashioned. Small or venial sins are okay, God will understand we are only human.

Really? Why would the Lord your God want less for you? Why would He want to allow you to fall into a greater pit? Your ways are not God ways, your thoughts are not His thoughts.

Those who strive for Holiness are those who recognise just how truly loved they are by God our Father. They seek out the Lamb of God, their Lord and saviour Jesus Christ to be His presence. To grow in their faith, knowledge and most of all their relationship with Him. Through Him love is revealed, love is fulfilled. His grace is sufficient for those who walk on the path to greater holiness.

Lord Jesus I want to always be in Your presence. Transform me Lord, grant me what I need to do Your will. And to lead others to the knowledge of You. Amen

First reading

1 John 3:7-10
No-one sins who has been begotten by God

My children, do not let anyone lead you astray:
to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy;
to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil, since the devil was a sinner from the beginning.
It was to undo all that the devil has done that the Son of God appeared.
No one who has been begotten by God sins;because God’s seed remains inside him,
he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God.

In this way we distinguish the children of God
from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s.

Gospel

John 1:35-42
‘We have found the Messiah’

As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher – ‘where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.
One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.

Only those who strive for Holiness and walk in the light of Christ, can point out the way to Him. And declare that Jesus is truly the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

For their very own lives have been transfigured by Him. People see the change from perhaps wretchedness into holiness. They witness the joy and peace in the hearts of these souls touched by the Holy name of Jesus. The only name that can save.

So dear sisters and brothers in Christ, we who are indeed God’s children have a duty to respond to the call to Holiness. So that we can become powerful beacons of His love, leading His flock safely back to Him. Amen

First reading

1 John 2:29-3:6
Everyone must try to be as pure as Christ

You know that God is righteous – then you must recognise that everyone whose life is righteous
has been begotten by him.

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.
Anyone who sins at all breaks the law, because to sin is to break the law.
Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin;
anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins
has never seen him or known him.

Gospel

John 1:29-34
‘Look: there is the Lamb of God’

Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

To believe and live in Christ Jesus is a great gift from our ever living lord and God. It is not always a bed of roses as there will be moments of great trials. Yet He our Lord will be at our side through it all, we have nothing to fear. We live fully in His peace and joy.

We too are called to encourage our brethren to turn away from sin and be reconciled with the Lord our God. To prepare the way for our Lord so as to receive Him fully into their hearts. For life in Christ is life to the full! And together we will stand ready to greet Him when He comes again.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen

Saints Basil the Great
and Gregory Nazianzen pray for us….

First reading

1 John 2:22-28
The anointing he gave you teaches you everything

The man who denies that Jesus is the Christ – he is the liar, he is Antichrist; and he is denying the Father as well as the Son, because no one who has the Father can deny the Son, and to acknowledge the Son is to have the Father as well.
Keep alive in yourselves what you were taught in the beginning: as long as what you were taught in the beginning is alive in you,
you will live in the Son
and in the Father; and what is promised to you by his own promise is eternal life.
This is all that I am writing to you about the people who are trying to lead you astray.
But you have not lost the anointing that he gave you,
and you do not need anyone to teach you; the anointing he gave teaches you everything;
you are anointed with truth, not with a lie, and as it has taught you, so you must stay in him.
Live in Christ, then, my children, so that if he appears, we may have full confidence, and not turn from him in shame at his coming.

Gospel

John 1:19-28
‘One is coming after me who existed before me’

This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he not only declared, but he declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ.’ ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are you Elijah?’ ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?’ So John said, ‘I am, as Isaiah prophesied:

a voice that cries in the wilderness: Make a straight way for the Lord.’

Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this further question to him, ‘Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?’ John replied, ‘I baptise with water; but there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.’ This happened at Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.

How wonderfully and completely loved we are to have Mary, mother of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ as our mother.

For through her, the face of our Lord’s shine most profoundly on us. Through her immaculate heart she guides us to the way of perfection in Him. Through her intercession our hearts, minds and actions are purified and made pleasing to our Lord. She is our mother, do we honour her as we should? Nothing pleases our Blessed Mother more than that we listen to her son’s will for us. And so she is always by our side to help us along the right path.

O Blessed Mother pray for us your children who love you dearly. Amen

First reading

Numbers 6:22-27
They are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them

The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Say this to Aaron and his sons: “This is how you are to bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.”

This is how they are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them.’

Second reading

Galatians 4:4-7
God sent his Son, born of a woman

When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons. The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, ‘Abba, Father’, and it is this that makes you a son, you are not a slave any more; and if God has made you son, then he has made you heir.

Gospel

Luke 2:16-21
The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger

The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.
When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.