CatholicJules.net

I discovered my wedding ring missing from my finger on Sunday morning. Thinking I must have taken it off for exercise or that it might have got caught in my exercise glove I searched everywhere but could not find it. Would it mean I would have to buy new pairs and have it blessed?

I started to recall when during a prayer session Father Terence had called couples up to the altar and he prayed over us. He asked us to join our left hands and was dismayed to see we weren’t wearing our wedding rings. My excuse then was that I had put on weight and could not put it on. And even after losing the weight I still didn’t care to put it back on. In any case I made it a point thereafter to wear it everyday.

I prayed to St Anthony for help but was resigned to the fact that it might be gone forever.

When to the office on Monday, pulled back my chair and there it was on the floor! How? It must have been lying there from Friday afternoon. Praise the Lord! And thanks to St Anthony….

Is Jesus the Lord of your life?

So You have heard the wonders of our Lord Jesus Christ in the testimonies of others. It may have even have perplexed you to think why have you not had an such an experience of Him? Or if you have then what changed that you seemed to have lost it? Question really is have you actively sought Jesus out? Were you contrite, desired to be forgiven, healed and to be restored as a son/daughter of the Lord your God? To be one with Him in communion? Or did you think nothing more of it and turned back to your lack lustre life? Looking for love in all the wrong places.

Jesus come into the temple of my heart and stay with me. That I may bring You glory now and forever. Amen

First reading
Haggai 1:1-8

In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord was addressed through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, high commissioner of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as follows, ‘The Lord of Hosts says this, “This people says: The time has not yet come to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. (And the word of the Lord was addressed through the prophet Haggai, as follows:) Is this a time for you to live in your panelled houses, when this House lies in ruins? So now, the Lord of Hosts says this: Reflect carefully how things have gone for you. You have sown much and harvested little; you eat but never have enough, drink but never have your fill, put on clothes but do not feel warm. The wage earner gets his wages only to put them in a purse riddled with holes. So go to the hill country, fetch wood, and rebuild the House: I shall then take pleasure in it, and be glorified there, says the Lord.”’

Gospel
Luke 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch had heard about all that was being done by Jesus; and he was puzzled, because some people were saying that John had risen from the dead, others that Elijah had reappeared, still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. But Herod said, ‘John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’ And he was anxious to see Jesus.

27 Aug 2017 at approximately 1008hrs the Lord caused His face to shine on us as the morning sunlight streamed in through the stained glass unto our faces. The gentle warm embrace of His love. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen

The Lord shows His great love in many different and varied ways.

The night before I had sinned in word and deed and was devastated that I had let Him down by succumbing to my rage. The guilt was overwhelming and I wanted to give up! But I clung to the promise of our Lord’s faithfulness and prayed for His mercy. Then I decided to praise Him and continue to pray fervently while waiting to go for reconciliation. 
Attended the New Wine Conference 2 today and during the morning session I received a prayer request from a dear sister in Christ to pray for the soul of her husband who passed on in a room in Genting apparently from undetected lung cancer. I prayed straightway and offered to lift him up in prayer during the Eucharistic Celebration.

Later in the early afternoon, I received a handwritten message requesting for guidance as a fellow sister in Christ was taking up a leadership role in her ministry. I agreed her to help to the best of my ability.

I had stopped asking the question why me? For quite a long time now so instead I will just say thank you Lord for the opportunity and guide me to do Your will as You would have it be done.

The Lord granted my desire for reconciliation as Father absolved me after lunch during a private reconciliation session. I was FREE to receive Him fully in His love at the Eucharist.

After the conference I decided to attend the 3rd Anniversary of the consecration of my Parish’s Eucharistic Celebration. I realised I had a second opportunity to lift the soul of brother Vincent during the Eucharist which I did. The celebration was awesome because of the love of the community, so many familial faces looking back at me with reciprocrated love. Then during Holy Communion I had the opportunity of receiving Jesus from the hands of a beautiful young lady faithful to Christ. Also whom I have been journeying closely with. When I looked up at her after bowing to Christ, she broke down a little while she placed Jesus unto my palm. Didn’t get a chance to ask her why? But I felt His love through her.

All the different opportunities and varied encounters today, I see as His great love for me.
Amen

Haven’t been to visit mum and dad for awhile as I have been very busy. But knowing that both of them haven’t been well I decided after lunch that I would go over after work. Called my wife so that she could arrange to pick Hannah up instead. I didn’t call ahead because I wanted to surprise them.

After I left the office I decided to take a bus as I could take bus 47 direct to their home and the bus stop was only about 50 metres away. There were many empty cabs along the way but I didn’t think anything of it. However just 5 metres from the bus stop I flagged down a cab and got in without any thought.

About 8 minutes away, I received a call from mum asking me where I was? I thought Frances had called and informed her that I was coming so I simply said that I was in a cab on my way. She didn’t quite understand as she was totally unaware of my coming, and asked if I could drop by urgently. She informed me that my dad had fallen and his head was bleeding moreover he couldn’t get up. As she was weak and dizzy she couldn’t lift him up either. I said a prayer for them and asked the Holy Spirit to guide me on what needed to be done.

When I reached their home, my dad was in a fetal position clutching his head at the entrance of the gate. I slowly carried him unto to the wheel chair and checked for bleeding. The bleeding was from his right palm due to two minor cuts. Thankfully there was no head injury or swelling but I guess he was clutching his head due to how close he was to the wall. Praise the Lord that other than having the wind knocked out of him both mum and dad were fine. Dressed his wounds had dinner and helped him to bed.

Praise and thank you Jesus for your mercy and love. Amen

Please lift up prayers for mum and dad. Anthony and Patricia….❤❤❤

Happy are we who have not yet seen our Lord and still know without a doubt that He is here with us now. At this very moment of prayer and reflection. Through Him we have a deep meaningful relationship with our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit.

Because our deepest desire is to do the Will of the Lord our God, we need only ask in Jesus’s name and it will be granted. Sometimes even more than we had requested for. Truly we have witnessed this many times in our lives serving Him through His people.

Lord come dwell in me always. Amen

St Philip and St James pray for us.

First reading
1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.
Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.

Gospel
John 14:6-14

Jesus said to Thomas:

‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.’

Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’ ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me?

‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father, so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work.
You must believe me when I say
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason.
I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father.
Whatever you ask for in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it.’

The winds of change will always continue to blow, but will our faith remain steadfast? Many will rise up and challenge what we stand for. They will rock the foundations we have built upon our Lord Jesus Christ and they will fail. For our hope, strength and fortitude comes from the Lord our God.

He our living God will nourish and strengthen us on our journey. He will pour His graces abundantly upon us who desire to serve Him and our brethren in humble servitude. So that we can continue to build His Heavenly Kingdom.

All power and Glory is Yours alone, my Lord, my God. Amen

First reading
Acts 5:34-42

One member of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee called Gamaliel, who was a doctor of the Law and respected by the whole people, stood up and asked to have the apostles taken outside for a time. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin, ‘Men of Israel, be careful how you deal with these people. There was Theudas who became notorious not so long ago. He claimed to be someone important, and he even collected about four hundred followers; but when he was killed, all his followers scattered and that was the end of them. And then there was Judas the Galilean, at the time of the census, who attracted crowds of supporters; but he got killed too, and all his followers dispersed. What I suggest, therefore, is that you leave these men alone and let them go. If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find yourselves fighting against God.’
His advice was accepted; and they had the apostles called in, gave orders for them to be flogged, warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name.
They preached every day both in the Temple and in private houses, and their proclamation of the Good News of Christ Jesus was never interrupted.

Gospel
John 6:1-15

Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee– or of Tiberias– and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover.
Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, ‘Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’ He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do. Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, ‘There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted. When they had eaten enough he said to the disciples, ‘Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing gets wasted.’ So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves. The people, seeing this sign that he had given, said, ‘This really is the prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself.

Lord You often lead me to take up or do things I never want to do. Most times I feel incapable of carrying out the task. I’m not complaining, just wondering, what if I wanted to do them wholeheartedly? Would it still be Your Will be done?…. 
Thank You Lord for your abounding grace and love in all things. Amen 

It is the Lord alone who is our shepherd, who leads to green pastures. It is by our turning our backs on Him that we are lost.

Soon we find ourselves wandering into wastelands. Dry and parched is the ground we thread on. For this is the nature of sin. That nothing can grow and there is no life. We will whither and die.

We can and must choose to turn back to Him. For our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ is the source of life. In His great mercy and love, He is waiting to embrace us. To restore and grow our relationship with Him.

For this reason we must never forget how He came for us sinners. And even while we were sinners He loved us. How can we then frown upon others who have sinned and returned to His loving embrace? Should we not rejoice instead with Him?

Lord Jesus, grant that I may never take Your love and mercy for granted. Instead let me cherish every moment and lead others to that same encounter with You
Amen

First reading
Micah 7:14-15,18-20

With shepherd’s crook, O Lord, lead your people to pasture, the flock that is your heritage, living confined in a forest
with meadow land all around.
Let them pasture in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. As in the days when you came out of Egypt grant us to see wonders.

What god can compare with you: taking fault away,
pardoning crime, not cherishing anger for ever
but delighting in showing mercy? Once more have pity on us, tread down our faults, to the bottom of the sea throw all our sins. Grant Jacob your faithfulness, and Abraham your mercy, as you swore to our fathers from the days of long ago.

Gospel
Luke 15:1-3,11-32

The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke this parable to them:
‘A man had two sons. The younger said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that would come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.
‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch, so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled his belly with the husks the pigs were eating but no one offered him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.” So he left the place and went back to his father.
‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly. Then his son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.
‘Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing. Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about. “Your brother has come” replied the servant “and your father has killed the calf we had fattened because he has got him back safe and sound.” He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out to plead with him; but he answered his father, “Look, all these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed your orders, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends. But, for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property – he and his women – you kill the calf we had been fattening.”
‘The father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.”’

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The big three that should lead us closer to the Lord our God.

But what is our prayer life like? Does it lead us deeper into our relationship with God our Father? Jesus? The Holy Spirit? Is your prayer solely blocks of petitions? Do you treat Him like a Pez dispenser? Or is your prayer only about asking for forgiveness? Empty and sorrowful.

Esther put all her trust in God her Father because she loved Him with all her heart, mind and soul. She had an ongoing relationship with Him. So when faced with uncertain peril and possible death she did not hesitate to pray to the Lord her God for help. Where did her faith in Him lead her?

Jesus too points us in the direction of a paternal relationship. One we are able to have through Him. So then let us be still and know that He is God. Let us give offer Him our time to listen to His Word, reflecting deeply on His Will for us. And surely even before we need ask Him for anything, plans would have swiftly been set in motion to aid us. Glory to God in the highest! Amen

First reading
Esther 4:17

Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel in these words:

‘My Lord, our King, the only one, come to my help, for I am alone and have no helper but you and am about to take my life in my hands.

‘I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family, that you, Lord, chose Israel out of all the nations and our ancestors out of all the people of old times
to be your heritage for ever;
and that you have treated them as you promised.

‘Remember, Lord; reveal yourself in the time of our distress.

‘As for me, give me courage,
King of gods and master of all power. Put persuasive words into my mouth when I face the lion; change his feeling into hatred for our enemy, that the latter and all like him may be brought to their end.

‘As for ourselves, save us by your hand, and come to my help, for I am alone and have no one but you, Lord.’

Gospel
Matthew 7:7-12

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Is there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.’

Be Holy and Love your neighbour.

The neighbour who is the least of your sisters and brothers. Who is impoverished either from bodily or spiritual needs. Who is starved from companionship. Who is thirsty to love and be loved. For our loving Lord and saviour is identified with these sisters and brothers of ours.

Final Judgement of us is a reality whether we like it or not. And we should rightfully fear of offending our Lord Jesus Christ whom we profess to love. And He is offended when we do not love our neighbour as we should.

Lord Jesus as we journey closer to You this Lent, open our eyes and hearts to the needs of others. Grant us what we need to administer to them. Amen

First reading
Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18

The Lord spoke to Moses. He said: ‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:
‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.
‘“You must not steal nor deal deceitfully or fraudulently with your neighbour. You must not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord. You must not exploit or rob your neighbour. You must not keep back the labourer’s wage until next morning. You must not curse the dumb, nor put an obstacle in the blind man’s way, but you must fear your God. I am the Lord.
‘“You must not be guilty of unjust verdicts. You must neither be partial to the little man nor overawed by the great; you must pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice. You must not slander your own people, and you must not jeopardise your neighbour’s life. I am the Lord. You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’

Gospel
Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
‘Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.” Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”
‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’

All strength, courage and wisdom comes to those who have faith in the Lord our God, Creator of Heaven and earth. It is through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord that we are redeemed, healed made holy. How deep is your faith?

Are you able to testify to the glory of God in Your life? Or are you struck dumb when asked about your faith? Do you hear the word of God speaking to you or are your ears shut by sin? Do you desire to sing God’s praises to all regardless of the circumstance or are you more likely to give in to anger and rage; with vulgarities and spiteful words foaming at the mouth? Do you seek communion with the Lord or do you distance yourself from Him? Are you fervent in prayer, trusting fully in the Lord’s providence or do you doubt ave question Him?

Lord Jesus you are my light and salvation. In You I trust. Amen

First reading
Ecclesiasticus 1:1-10

All wisdom is from the Lord, and it is his own for ever. The sand of the sea and the raindrops, and the days of eternity, who can assess them? The height of the sky and the breadth of the earth, and the depth of the abyss, who can probe them? Before all other things wisdom was created, shrewd understanding is everlasting.

For whom has the root of wisdom ever been uncovered? Her resourceful ways, who knows them? One only is wise, terrible indeed, seated on his throne, the Lord.

He himself has created her, looked on her and assessed her, and poured her out on all his works to be with all mankind as his gift, and he conveyed her to those who love him.

Gospel
Mark 9:14-29

When Jesus, with Peter, James and John came down from the mountain and rejoined the disciples, they saw a large crowd round them and some scribes arguing with them. The moment they saw him the whole crowd were struck with amazement and ran to greet him. ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ he asked. A man answered him from the crowd, ‘Master, I have brought my son to you; there is a spirit of dumbness in him, and when it takes hold of him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and goes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.’ ‘You faithless generation’ he said to them in reply. ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’ They brought the boy to him, and as soon as the spirit saw Jesus it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell to the ground and lay writhing there, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ ‘From childhood,’ he replied ‘and it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ retorted Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.’ Immediately the father of the boy cried out, ‘I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!’ And when Jesus saw how many people were pressing round him, he rebuked the unclean spirit. ‘Deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said ‘I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.’ Then throwing the boy into violent convulsions it came out shouting, and the boy lay there so like a corpse that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up, and he was able to stand. When he had gone indoors his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ ‘This is the kind’ he answered ‘that can only be driven out by prayer.’

I am a child of God.

Although I am a cradle Catholic, I stand in awe and great excitement along side the neophytes post baptism receiving their first Holy Communion. What peace, what joy! I’m no longer a slave to fear and sin. I am a child of God.

Come and see, come dwell with and in me says our Lord Jesus to each and everyone of us. Come and dwell in the mysteries, come listen to my living Word. Receive from me and be born anew. Then share my love with your neighbour.

Thank You Jesus, praise You Jesus. Amen

First reading
1 John 3:7-10

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

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.

​What a wonderful and unique with faith we have that on this blessed day we can wish each other Happy New Year and Merry Christmas! 
Blessed Mary Mother of God, pray for us as we walk this journey in this new year. Amen 

​ In 2015 Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren spoke at Catholic World Meeting of Families… He said this… 
“In today’s society, materialism is idolized, immorality is glamorized, truth is minimized, sin is normalized, divorce is rationalized, and abortion is legalized,” bestselling author Warren said. “In TV and movies, crime is legitimized, drug use is minimized, comedy is vulgarized, and sex is trivialized. In movies, the Bible is fictionalized, churches are satirized, God is marginalized, and Christians are demonized. The elderly are dehumanized, the sick are euthanized, the poor are victimized, the mentally ill are ostracized, immigrants are stigmatized, and children are tranquilized. In families around the world, our manners are uncivilized, speech is vulgarized, faith is secularized, and everything is commercialized.”
Christians are often disorganized and demoralized, and their faith is compartmentalized, and witness compromised. “So what do we need? We need to revitalize our worship, minimize our differences, mobilize our members, and evangelize the lost, and we need to re-energize our families.”
So let us come together as One this 2017 to set the World ablaze with the fire of Christ love. Amen 

The call to follow in the ways of the Lord, His commandments and statutes; is a call to Love. To experience His abundant love for us then to share and witness to His love.

Give no more excuses, let your yes be yes or no be no. No more sitting on the fence remaining lukewarm. No more criticising the Church made of sinners. Step up to the call of discipleship to lead others in His ways.

Let my actions speak of Your love, Lord. Amen

First reading
Isaiah 48:17-19

Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way that you must go.
If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of the sea. Your children would have been numbered like the sand, your descendants as many as its grains. Never would your name have been cut off or blotted out before me.

Gospel
Matthew 11:16-19

Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘What description can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place:

“We played the pipes for you,
and you wouldn’t dance;
we sang dirges,
and you wouldn’t be mourners.”

‘For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet wisdom has been proved right by her actions.’

How do I do the will of my Heavenly Father when I don’t know it? Well why don’t you know it?

He speaks to us everyday and most powerfully when we listen to Him in prayer. And through His living Word. His will is written on our open hearts to receive Him. For this is what it means to build upon the rock.

Many are serving in the name of Jesus but are not serving with His mind and heart. And unless we serve others with His mind and heart, calling out the name of Jesus will not save us.

Lord Jesus be by guide always, so that all I say and do may be pleasing to God our Heavenly Father. Amen

First reading
Isaiah 26:1-6

That day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
to guard us he has set wall and rampart about us. Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, she, the faithful one
whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace, because she trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord is the everlasting Rock; he has brought low those who lived high up in the steep citadel; he brings it down, brings it down to the ground,
flings it down in the dust: the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor trample on it.

Gospel
Matthew 7:21,24-27

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. ‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’

About a month back I received a prompting of sorts to lead an Adoration session whereby the group would come together to give thanks praise and deeper worship without asking a single petition. In my mind I had planned it to be meditative, reflective and combined with Taize.

I grew pretty excited about it but could not decide which group to lead first, my LTW community or my EMC Ministry members? After a while I decided to try it out with the latter but learnt that our group was scheduled to run a session only early next year

So while I shelved the idea for a while, I was still trying to figure out the flow in my mind. Then to my great surprise and astonishment I was asked yesterday to lead an adoration session for the facilitators of the on going Life in the Spirit Seminar while the participants went for reconciliation.. I said Yes even though I had not planned every detail and decided to be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

This evening as I was heading out to dinner first before making my way to church. A thought came to my mind, to bring along tea light candles. So I grabbed a small box of it without checking how many there were and quickly cut up small square sheets of aluminum foil to place them below the candles. Again I didn’t bother to count how many squares I cut as I was in a hurry.

Upon reaching the Church I managed to squeeze in a quick reconciliation for myself before heading on to the Adoration room to setup the candles. Lo and behold I had exactly enough aluminum squares for each candle that was in the box! Praise the Lord!

The Adoration session was wonderful and grace filled to me as I received much consolations throughout. I only pray the participants had the same if not more wonderful experience of the Lord.

Thank You sweet Jesus! All Glory and Praise be Yours alone!

Hope From on High: Dr Scott Hahn reflects on the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings: 

Exodus 17:8-13
Psalm 121:1-8
2 Timothy 3:14-4:2
Luke 18:1-8

The Lord is our guardian, beside us at our right hand, interceding for us in all our spiritual battles.

In today’s Psalm we’re told to lift our eyes to the mountains, that our help will come from Mount Zion and the Temple—the dwelling of the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Joshua and the Israelites, in today’s First Reading, are also told to look to the hilltops. They are to find their help there—through the intercession of Moses—as they defend themselves against their mortal foes, the Amalekites.

Notice the image: Aaron and Hur standing on each side of Moses, holding his weary arms so that he can raise the staff of God above his head. Moses is being shown here as a figure of Jesus, who also climbed a hilltop, and on Mount Calvary stretched out His hands between heaven and earth to intercede for us against the final enemy—sin and death (see 1 Corinthians 15:26).

By the staff of God, Moses bested Israel’s enemies (see Exodus 7:8-12;8:1-2), parted the Red Sea (seeExodus 14:16) and brought water from the Rock (see Exodus 17:6).

The Cross of Jesus is the new staff of God, bringing about a new liberation from sin, bringing forth living waters from the body of Christ, the new Temple of God (see John 2:19-21; 7:37-39; 19:34;1 Corinthians 10:4).

Like the Israelites and the widow in today’s Gospel, we face opposition and injustice—at times from godless and pitiless adversaries.

We, too, must lift our eyes to the mountains—to Calvary and the God who will guard us from all evil.

We must pray always and not be wearied by our trials, Jesus tells us today. As Paul exhorts in today’s Epistle, we need to remain faithful, to turn to the inspired Scriptures—given by God to train us in righteousness.

We must persist, so that when the Son of Man comes again in kingly power, He will indeed find faith on earth.

In a recent retreat we were told to go out and search for what we considered our treasure and bring it back. I had already decided in my mind that I already carried my treasure with me and that it was my faith and love for Jesus.

Still I decided to go along with whatever it was. So as I walked I found a strip of paper with a scripture message, it read ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation shall come to your home.’ taken from Acts. I walked on further and found another strip and after reading it I decided to stop looking for any others. It read, ‘The Lord is my shepherd I lack nothing.’

Since there was quite a fair bit of time I decided to explore the surrounding areas that is when I found a door which read ‘Prayer Room’ I entered it and my heart skipped a beat when I found Jesus! There He was in the form of the Blessed Sacrament. It was a small room but the layout was simply mesmerising.

The Blessed Sacrament rested on a chest high glass column. Just below it streamed water falling into a mini pond. (it was like living water flowing from the heart of Jesus) The backdrop was a forest motif. On the right hand side of the pond rest two statuettes of lambs, one standing the other resting on its tummy. On the left hand side of the pond was a big book of scripture opened over a rock. Just behind it was an oriental shaped lamp. I so badly wanted to take a picture but as I didn’t have a camera I got my notebook and did a rough sketch. Wish I had more of an artistic bone….

Finding Jesus there was the best part of the retreat and whatever spare time I had, I spent it with Him!

Praise the Lord! Thank you Jesus!

Those of you thinking of starting your own neighbourhood or small Christian communites may want to consider some or all of these….

Sharing with you a little on our SCC which is now five years old.

​💟Living The Word Community💟
We are a community built upon the rock which is Christ Jesus. Our foundation is one of faith, trust, humility, love and accountability to one another.

Here are the rules we live by:

1. Our Community belongs to the Holy Trinity.

2. We come together to pray as one, break the Word and strive to live the Word in our daily lives.

3. We make ourselves present not for ourselves but for one another. (Ecclesial)

4. Wherever we are gathered together, we are gathered in Jesus’s name and the ground we are gathered upon becomes sacred ground for open sharing.

5. We bring something to the table no matter how little or small to share in fellowship.

6. We are outward looking always seeking to share with others the love and fraternal bonds we have grown into by the grace of God our Father.

7. We work to deepen our faith by learning and sharing with one another what we have learnt. Our desire to grow never ends.

8. We are a community that affirms one another and encourages one another to use the gifts and charisms we have been given.

9. We must continually renew ourselves in Jesus through the frequent reception of the sacraments of reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.

10. We are one body in Christ. Something which we must always ponder deeply over and hold dear to our hearts. Especially during trials and challenges. The cross we bear is the cross of Christ our Saviour.

Journeying through the year of Mercy deeply reflecting on Compassion, Mercy and Forgiveness has been fruitful.

I have come to realisation that we all have need of mercy and forgiveness at one time or another. We had turned to our loving Father pleading that He be compassionate and merciful for the many sins against Him. We prayed through the Psalms that He blot out our offences and remember Not our sins. How can we then say to our brother or sister ok I forgive but I will never forget? How can we withhold our forgiveness when Jesus did not withhold His forgiveness and forgave all of us as He hung from the cross?

Personally I had suffered personal attacks of character assassination through gossip, been hurt and disillusioned with three very close friends beginning late last year and early this year. I was angered, hurt and saddened all at the same time. I prayed for the strength to forgive and the fortitude to let it all go.

Slowly but surely through deep prayer and reflection I managed to forgive them in my heart. I could not see however any chance of reconciliation since they were not on speaking terms with me. I decided that regardless the situation I would offer them up at every Eucharist, praying for their healing and well being.

After about three months one of them came up to me after the Saturday morning Eucharist gave me hug and made peace. The following week on Sunday morning the second one crossed paths with me outside the confessional we hugged and made peace. The next week I received a message through a friend that the third one wanted to meet up on Sunday to make peace. I was astounded and in awe of the mysterious Grace of God which was working in our lives.

I took to prayer immediately thanking the Lord for His great love, compassion and the graces of His divine mercy which flows from His heart. He then spoke this message to my heart, “A disciple of mine should only concern himself with the saving of a soul. Be it an errant or lost one. There is nothing more precious to me. And it should be just as precious to you as your soul is to me.”

My lord and God, my Jesus, thank you for this profound message. Help me to live it out according to Your Will. Amen

©

First reading
Numbers 21:4-9

On the way through the wilderness the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here; we are sick of this unsatisfying food.’
At this God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel. The people came and said to Moses, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents.’ Moses interceded for the people, and the Lord answered him, ‘Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live.’ So Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.

Second reading
Philippians 2:6-11

His state was divine,
yet Christ Jesus did not cling
to his equality with God
but emptied himself
to assume the condition of a slave
and became as men are;
and being as all men are,
he was humbler yet,
even to accepting death,
death on a cross.

But God raised him high
and gave him the name
which is above all other names
so that all beings
in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,
should bend the knee at the name of Jesus
and that every tongue should acclaim
Jesus Christ as Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel
John 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven,
the Son of Man who is in heaven; and the Son of Man must be lifted up
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.’

​Why me? Lord I ask?
Why not you? The Lord tells me.

I’m not highly learned, I say.
And yet you hear me speaking to you, says the Lord.

I’m not Holy enough and have fallen many times.
Have I not picked you up each time and forgiven you? Now go share my mercy with others.

Lord forgive me for starting this same conversation with you each time you call on me.
I have loved and forgiven you even before you uttered a word.

The good news of our salvation which happened through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; may indeed be strange and difficult to grasp but it is a reality. One which we ourselves experience in a very tangible way through the encounter with the living God.

And so what is the oil that keeps the light of Christ burning deep within us and for others? We have not one but many, can we then say we have run out? We have the living word of God to be reflected, pondered upon and lived. The Holy Eucharist, Sacrament of reconciliation, prayer, fasting when there is a need, almsgiving. Preaching, teaching and sharing in Jesus name. Loving one another as He loved us.

My Jesus my Christ as we await Your return. We gladly trim our wick and oil our lamps. That one day soon we will attend Your Heavenly Banquet as You promised. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 1:17-25

Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the Good News, and not to preach that in the terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed. The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save. As scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scribes? Where are any of our thinkers today? Do you see now how God has shown up the foolishness of human wisdom? If it was God’s wisdom that human wisdom should not know God, it was because God wanted to save those who have faith through the foolishness of the message that we preach. And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Gospel
Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’

Here is the truth, hell is real. Punishment for hard heartedness and wickedness will be carried out. Tormented souls will cry out to the Lord but it will be too late. So don’t let others or your very selves fool you that there is always tomorrow to repent. Some hold out till their deathbed and never got the chance to do a proper reconciliation.

Loving and forgiving is our Lord Jesus Christ. But all He can do is weep for the unrepentant sinner. For they like everyone else are given free will. And they have to live or die with the consequence of the choices they make.

If we stand, let us stand with the Lord. Let pray, fast and do whatever it takes to lead one another closer to the Kingdom of God. Amen

First reading
Isaiah 7:1-9

In the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Razon the king of Aram went up against Jerusalem with Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to lay siege to it; but he was unable to capture it.

The news was brought to the House of David. ‘Aram’ they said ‘has reached Ephraim.’ Then the heart of the king and the hearts of the people shuddered as the trees of the forest shudder in front of the wind. The Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go with your son Shear-jashub, and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the Fuller’s Field road, and say to him:

‘“Pay attention, keep calm, have no fear, do not let your heart sink because of these two smouldering stumps of firebrands, or because Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah have plotted to ruin you, and have said:

Let us invade Judah and terrorise it
and seize it for ourselves, and set up a king there, the son of Tabeel.

The Lord says this:

It shall not come true; it shall not be. The capital of Aram is Damascus, the head of Damascus, Razon; the capital of Ephraim, Samaria, the head of Samaria, the son of Remaliah.

Six or five years more and a shattered Ephraim shall no longer be a people.

But if you do not stand by me,
you will not stand at all.”’

Gospel
Matthew 11:20-24

Jesus began to reproach the towns in which most of his miracles had been worked, because they refused to repent.
‘Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard on Judgement day with Tyre and Sidon as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted as high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell. For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have been standing yet. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom on Judgement day as with you.’

Restored to Life: 
Scott Hahn Reflects on the 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
 
Readings:
1 Kings 17-17-24
Psalms 30: 2,4-6,11-13
Gal 1:11-19
Luke 7:11-17
 

Jesus in today’s Gospel meets a funeral procession coming out of the gates of the town of Nain.  Unlike when he raised Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5) or Lazarus (John 11), no one requests his assistance.  Moved by compassion for the widow who had lost her only son, Jesus steps forward and, laying his hand on the bier, commands him to arise.

The onlookers were reminded of the story of Elijah in the first reading who raised the dead child of the widow of Zarephath and “gave him [back] to his mother.”  They proclaimed that “a great prophet has arisen in our midst.”

Jesus of course is more than a prophet; he is the ruler over life and death.  In the Mosaic law, contact with a dead body renders an Israelite unclean for a week (Numbers 19:11-19).  Jesus’ touch and word reverses that; instead of being defiled by contact with death, he gave life.

Like the physical healings that he performed, Jesus’ raising people from the dead is a sign of the Messiah’s arrival (Luke 7:22).  But it is more than that; these healings are visible signs of the awakening and liberating of men from the spiritual death caused by sin (see Mark 2:1-12).

The Church Fathers return to this theme again and again.  St. Ambrose writes, “the widow signifies Mother Church, weeping for those who are dead in sin and carried beyond the safety of her gates.  The multitudes looking on will praise the Lord when sinners rise again from death and are restored to their mother.”

When we are dead in sin, it is the outstretched hand and the words of Christ spoken by his priest that raise us from spiritual death and restore us to the arms of our mother, the Church.  With the Psalmist, then, we can sing “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.  You brought me up from the nether world; you preserved me from those going down into the pit.”

Counsel of Jerusalem: 
Scott Hahn Reflects on the Sixth Sunday of Easter

Readings:

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23
John 14:23-29

The first Church council, the Council of Jerusalem we hear about in today’s First Reading, decided the shape of the Church as we know it.

Some Jewish Christians had wanted Gentile converts to be circumcised and obey all the complex ritual and purity laws of the Jews.

The council called this a heresy, again showing us that the Church in the divine plan is meant to be a worldwide family of God, no longer a covenant with just one nation.

Today’s Liturgy gives us a profound meditation on the nature and meaning of the Church.

The Church is One, as we see in the First Reading: “the Apostles [bishops] and presbyters [priests], in agreement with the whole Church [laity].”

The Church is Holy, taught and guided by the Spirit that Jesus promises the Apostles in the Gospel.

The Church is Catholic, or universal, making known God’s ways of salvation to all peoples, ruling all in equity, as we sing in today’s Psalm.

And the Church, as John sees in the Second Reading, is Apostolic – founded on the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

All these marks of the Church are underscored in the story of the council.

Notice that everybody, including Paul, looks to “Jerusalem [and] …the Apostles” to decide the Church’s true teaching. The Apostles, too, presume that Christian teachers need a “mandate from us.”

And we see the Spirit guiding the Apostles in all truth. Notice how they describe their ruling: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us.”

Knowing these truths about the Church, our hearts should never be troubled. The Liturgy’s message today is that the Church is the Lord’s, watched over and guarded by the Advocate, the Holy Spirit sent by the Father in the name of the Son.

This should fill us with confidence, free us to worship with exultation, inspire us to rededicate our lives to His Name – to love Jesus in our keeping of His Word, to rejoice that He and the Father in the Spirit have made their dwelling with us.

Today let us ponder over God’s immense love for us as shown through His dearly beloved Son our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

When did our salvation begin? At Easter? Or would it rightly be when God chose to be with us, as one with the human race? A light unto the world of darkness. He dwelled among us to show us the way home. He came to open our hearts and minds to see the wonders of His love. To set us free from the bondages of sin.

Hence there is no Easter without Christmas, while Easter then is the true sign of God’s love fulfilled.

Dearest Mary our mother, help us draw ever closer to the Easter Joy of Your Son’s love for us. Let it reign in our hearts so as we share it with others. Amen

The Annunciation of the Lord

First reading
Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10

The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’

  Then he said:
Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men
without trying the patience of my God, too?

The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.

It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, a name which means ‘God is with us.’

Gospel
Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

Today Lord I remember….

Your great love for me!
How You suffered greatly at the hands of men, so that I may be healed; restored and set free! To love and live with You.

Today Lord as I recall how You suffered….

I know I can unite my sufferings with Yours.  My physical pains, the hurt of being betrayed, abandoned. Of unforgiveness, of feeling inadequate, incomplete. Of being taunted and mocked. Of mental anguish and depression. There is No human hurts and pains that You did not go through or understand. Through Your sufferings I can make sense of mine. And I lift them up to You. I offer them for all who suffer injustice and pain. I offer them for the conversion of sinners. I offer them for peace in the world.

Today Lord I mourn….

For my heinous sins committed against You. For my habitual sins and my weakness of falling back into them; the lack of conviction in Your love to overcome them. For all the times I have failed to do and act for You and my brethren.

Today Lord I ponder and reflect… 

On Your love and will for me. Amen

First reading
Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Second reading
Hebrews 4:14-16,5:7-9

Gospel
John 18:1-19:42

Passion of the Christ: Scott Hahn Reflects on Passion Sunday

Readings:
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24
Philippians 2:6-11
Luke 22:14-23:56
 
What is written about Me is coming to fulfillment,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel (see Luke 22:37).

Indeed, we have reached the climax of the liturgical year, the highest peak of salvation history, when all that has been anticipated and promised is to be fulfilled.

By the close of today’s long Gospel, the work of our redemption will have been accomplished, the new covenant will be written in the blood of His broken body hanging on the cross at the place called the Skull.

In His Passion, Jesus is “counted among the wicked,” as Isaiah had foretold (see Isaiah 53:12). He is revealed definitively as the Suffering Servant the prophet announced, the long-awaited Messiah whose words of obedience and faith ring out in today’s First Reading and Psalm.

The taunts and torments we hear in these two readings punctuate the Gospel as Jesus is beaten and mocked (see Luke 22:63-65; 23:10-11,16), as His hands and feet are pierced (see Luke 23:33), as enemies gamble for His clothes ( see Luke 23:34), and as three times they dare Him to prove His divinity by saving Himself from suffering (see Luke 23:35,37,39)

He remains faithful to God’s will to the end, does not turn back in His trial. He gives Himself freely to His torturers, confident that, as He speaks in today’s First Reading: “The Lord God is My help…I shall not be put to shame.”

Destined to sin and death as children of Adam’s disobedience, we have been set free for holiness and life by Christ’s perfect obedience to the Father’s will (see Romans 5:12-14,17-19; Ephesians 2:2; 5:6).

This is why God greatly exalted Him. This is why we have salvation in His Name. Following His example of humble obedience in the trials and crosses of our lives, we know we will never be forsaken, that one day we too will be with Him in Paradise (see Luke 23:42). Seeing and Believing.

In hopes of going deeper in faith a group of us were encouraged to find spiritual mentors to guide us on our way. I approached a priest but was turned down due to his concern of a conflict of interests with his thoughts on the programme. Then I casually asked someone I looked up to and he agreed. The first time we arranged to meet up, he told me he would call me later that day and he would bring someone who had twenty five years of experience in spiritual counselling to pray together. But the call never came. I was not disappointed in the least.

However what was disappointing to me was that I had spoken with him four to five months earlier when we were at a retreat of sorts to do the Parish Planning; that I was very interested to go for spiritual counselling. He told me that it was not currently available here.

However when it became available in our Parish, I was later told that it was reserved first for those attending a Renewal, and that it may be opened up later for others who were interested. I was disheartened and lost interest especially since there was no news even after the Renewal ended. Also at the Parish Planning he and I suggested a five day retreat for those of us desiring to go deeper into faith. It was planned for and is going to take place later this year. Again I was excited and so marked out the dates in my calendar. The dates however was changed and the latest news is that it will be made available first to those who attended the Renewal before maybe opening it up to the rest.

I took my feelings of disappointment to the Lord in Adoration. Here is what I was led to….

I have more insight than all who teach me for I ponder your Will. I have more understanding than the old for I keep your precepts. Your Word is a lamp for my steps and light for my path. (ps118:99-100,105) Put no trust in Princes, in mortal men, in whom there is no help. It is the Lord who keeps faith forever. (Ps 145:3,7)

I realised that I had put too much hope in what I wanted, and faith in people instead of relying on the guidance of the Lord my God. If He wants me to go for this then He will surely lead me to it or He may be placing something better for me.

Lord Jesus I place my trust in You. Amen

Our History
____________

The group started somewhere in 2010 a year after Seth and Bryan’s first Holy Communion and it was then called CNC 500 (Christian neighbourhood community) not officially registered with our parish till much later.

About a year or two later the name was changed to CNC 500 LTW to distinguish ourselves from the rest of the CNC 500 groups.

The main focus of the group was to build up our faith as a small group and to support one another in our faith journey.

Three main families made up the group (Juan’s, Irene’s and ours) with one or two more joining us occasionally. (Grace’s and Johana’s)

When we first started it was definitely a struggle because none of us at that time was well versed in scripture nor did we know each other very well. Moreover we all had our own busy schedules to keep. But the Lord kept us together and we saw the spiritual growth and love for one another.

Soon it was time to invite a few more but only a handful responded.Two or three who did respond stuck with us as the months passed because they too started experiencing the joy of our Lord present with His community. John one of our avid members felt prompted to start his own group which he did successfully.Still he finds time to join his LTW family whenever he is able to.

As we all journeyed on together we felt the love between all of us grow as the group sharings too became very personal.The sharing of our joys, sorrows, difficulties and personal testimonies of how our Lord has touched us in our lives; help our faith grow exponentially.

It is with this faith and desire to grow deeper in every aspect that it was time as a group to be more inclusive and inviting. We could not remain or be seen as exclusive if we truly wanted to be disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And that is how we have become what we are today. A SCC (small Christian community) striving to daily live the word of God.By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we will continue to grow and lead one another closer towards our heavenly inheritance.

Our Mission And Prayer
_______________________

We are many parts with many gifts and talents but One Body in Christ Jesus our Lord. We live not for ourselves but for one another with full knowledge that there is no communion without sacrifice. God our Father’s love for us is such that He Wills the good in us. So too do we live and love in that same manner, willing the good in others. We are a family striving each day to live the Word of God our Father in our daily lives. We encourage and support one another knowing that our Lord Jesus is with us every step of the way. His peace, love mercy and grace is upon us. Now and forever. Amen

In everything or every situation I will praise the Lord!

Just out of the Holy Trinity Church gate a loud impatient ring of the bicycle bell startles me and I mutter ‘your father’ under my breath. I apologise to my Heavenly Father for my utterance, followed by praise the Lord!

Walking towards the office I realised I forgot my staff access pass for the gantry and to the office. Had to register with security for temporary access through the gantry and wait for a colleague to open the door for me. Praise the Lord!

My colleague Nas came in, we exchanged greetings and he then alerted me to a small tear in my pants at the inner thigh area. As I could not find a sewing kit in my locker, I borrowed his pass to find one at Seven Eleven. They didn’t carry them so I decided to walk all the way to NTUC supermarket to find one. They only had one available, a small one which cost $6.90 I took it with me and decided to check out the clothing area. Saw a business pant on sale and a thought came into mind to get it even though I was planning to sew the old one up. Decided to get a new belt as well because my parish priest had seen my existing one and felt that it was too long. Headed towards the nearest toilet next to NTUC and found that it was closed for cleaning. Praise the Lord!

Hurried back to the office and along the way as I was fiddling to open the sewing kit; the packaging fell on the floor. Reached down to pick it up and the rip got worse! Praise the Lord!

Used the plastic bag I was carrying to hide the huge tear and made my way to the toilet to change. The new pant was a good fit but the new belt was too long. Had to cut it and quickly reattach the buckle as I had thrown away the old one into the dustbin. Spent fifteen minutes at least to get it right. Praise the Lord!

Since I was not eating today I decided to head to Changi City Point to have a haircut instead during lunch. When I reached the QB Barbers I found they were closed and will only open the next day. Praise the Lord!

Decided to go to the value store to look around and found a better sewing kit available for only $1.05
Praise the Lord!

Thank You Lord for an eventful day. Especially for prompting me to purchase the pant otherwise it would have been a whole lot more embarrassing. Praising You Lord had helped me remain calm and at peace.

Glory and Praise be to You O Lord!

I was requested to lead the opening Prayer and introduce the new leadership at our first meeting held yesterday. I had agreed a few days earlier but as the time drew near I found myself heavy hearted and reluctant to do so.

In a very short period of time, the new team out of zeal or unfettered enthusiasm decided to make swift changes. So swift in fact that they did not even accord the members affected any notification, even though I had assumed they had done so. But it was on another decision they had decided to enforce which weighed heavily on my mind. They had decided to override a decision made earlier by our Spiritual Director of which I had already announced to the rest of the members. Even though they managed to convince the Spiritual Director to change it, I felt the implications of what they wanted to do was going to be damaging.

I spent a good part of the day praying for a way out. Even searching for Spiritual direction from a few books. I could not miss the meeting because I had invited a new member to join. But at the same time I felt I could not bring myself to lead the opening Prayer with such a heavy heart. Then as I opened a page to a book I was reading, it read :

‘The ego cannot be allowed to be totally in charge throughout our early years, or it takes over. The entirely open field leaves us the victim of too many options, and the options themselves soon push us around and take control. Law and structure, as fallible as they often are, put up some kind of limits to our infantile grandiosity, and prepare us for helpful relationships with the outer world, which has rights too.’

Keywords such ‘ego’ and ‘infantile grandiosity’ rang loudly in my ears. And I decided to wait humbly on the Lord for direction in Adoration which was to take place later that evening before moving off for our meeting. When I stepped into the Adoration room and knelt down before Him, I began to feel His love embrace me. And as the Adoration progressed, coupled with the background praise and worship songs which seeped in from Auditorium beside us, I was simply enthralled. Such joy and love filled my heart that I was no longer burdened in the least. Then I began to hear and see not only how I was to lead the opening Prayer but also how I was to introduce the team.

During the meeting proper, the decision to change what they had initially proposed was changed on the spot, to something far better than I could have hoped for. All because I waited on the Lord! Praise the Lord!

While there will be a few expected bumps along the way due to the teething period. And as long as we remain focused on Him, our Lord will lead us on.

Day 6 of the Christmas Octave was a celebration for Jesus and a countdown party for the new year. Dinner was held outside the auditorium before heading in for the festivities.

This year I wanted to do something different and so intentionally ate dinner quickly and went round greeting everyone. Introducing myself to Parishioners not seen before.

Then I spotted a couple in their late fifties about to leave after dinner and invited them to stay. Apparently they were not aware there was a year end party inside the auditorium. They were served with some wine and stayed on throughout the night. They even came down to the dance floor and moved to the upbeat music catered for the youths. Later we chatted and I found that Robert and Muriel were living here alone while their daughter a scientist had settled down with her husband in Canada. It was a warming feeling to have been able to celebrate the new year with a new relationship centred on Christ.

All it took was an invitation to come and see……..

Now if all of us invited one couple or one person…..

Dearest sisters and brothers in Christ,

May the love of our Lord Jesus embrace you, your families and your loved ones into the new year.  May the light of His countenance shine upon you and through you.

And may almighty God bless us, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Happy New Year!

Today we say goodbye to another year….

Thank You Lord for Your continued blessings upon me and my family.

Thank You for the new and wonderful relationships formed in Your name.

Thank You for the gift of community and for deepening our bonds with one another. And guiding us on the true nature of communion with You.

Thank You for the precious gift of Your Blessed Mother who was always by my side.

Thank You Jesus for the many opportunities to love and serve You this year and in the next.

2016 ready or not here I come….

“Peace be with you” a simple yet profound greeting. How many willingly use it to greet one another? A heartfelt wish for someone to experience the peace of our Lord upon them.

Following that how many are willing to share with joy the peace they received by their personal encounter with our Saviour Jesus Christ? Perhaps many still live in darkness and know not peace because they have not heard or do not understand that the mercy of God has come into the world. Jesus is here to free them from all that binds them!

The message of old is pertinent today as it is tomorrow. The Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the Gospels. Love God with all your heart and love one another. And we will be united with Him eternally. Amen

First reading
1 John 2:3-11

We can be sure that we know God only by keeping his commandments.

Anyone who says, ‘I know him’, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, refusing to admit the truth.

But when anyone does obey what he has said, God’s love comes to perfection in him.

We can be sure that we are in God only when the one who claims to be living in Him is living the same kind of life as Christ lived.

My dear people, this is not a new commandment that I am writing to tell you, but an old commandment that you were given from the beginning, the original commandment which was the message brought to you.

Yet in another way, what I am writing to you, and what is being carried out in your lives as it was in his, is a new commandment; because the night is over and the real light is already shining.

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother
is still in the dark.

But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light
and need not be afraid of stumbling; unlike the man who hates his brother and is in the darkness, not knowing where he is going, because it is too dark to see.

Gospel
Luke 2:22-35

When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:

‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,

just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel.’

As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’