Don’t you wish that you could say, “I am the disciple that Jesus loved!” The one who leans at His breast at Holy Eucharist, the one who stands at the foot of the Cross of Jesus close to the heart of His mother Mary, the one who discovers the empty tomb in the light of His resurrection and the one now to stay behind till He comes again!
Yes you and I are that very disciple Jesus loves! For He loved us while we were still sinners. Rm 5:8 And when we are obedient to Him, it shows the world that we truly love the Lord of lord, King of kings! For we love as He loved us.
Come Holy Spirit come purify by thoughts, words and actions so that I can remain in fully in Jesus and He in me, One in Communion with You and our Heavenly Father always and forever. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 28:16-20,30-31 ·
In Rome, Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God without hindrance from anyone
On our arrival in Rome Paul was allowed to stay in lodgings of his own with the soldier who guarded him.
After three days he called together the leading Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, ‘Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and would have set me free, since they found me guilty of nothing involving the death penalty; but the Jews lodged an objection, and I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation to make against my own nation. That is why I have asked to see you and talk to you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear this chain.’
Paul spent the whole of the two years in his own rented lodging. He welcomed all who came to visit him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete freedom and without hindrance from anyone.
Gospel
John 21:20-25
This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and we know that his testimony is true
Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them – the one who had leaned on his breast at the supper and had said to him, ‘Lord, who is it that will betray you?’ Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come, what does it matter to you? You are to follow me.’ The rumour then went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, ‘He will not die’, but, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come.’
This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and has written them down, and we know that his testimony is true.
There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the books that would have to be written.
All of us are aging day by day and our bodies reminds us of this fact. Many of us have young vibrant minds trapped in old run down bodies, yet how many of us are using our young vibrant minds for our Lord’s Glory? If we declare that we love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength then how many of His sheep and lambs have we fed and cared for? How many have been led by us into His Kingdom? Can we then declare as St Paul did, that we have fought the good fight? That we have stayed on course and run the race to the very end!
Sisters and brothers the time is NOW! Not tomorrow! Not when you turn 40, 50, 60 or 80! Let us be faithful to the Gospel, in our communities and work hand in hand as One for His Glory! So that when our time is up we can hear our Lord say to us,
Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matt 25:23 Amen Alleluia!
Saints Charles Lwanga and his Companions pray for us….
First reading
Acts 25:13-21 ·
‘I ordered Paul to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar’
King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul’s case before the king. ‘There is a man here’ he said ‘whom Felix left behind in custody, and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him, demanding his condemnation. But I told them that Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused confronts his accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. So they came here with me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next day and had the man brought in. When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected; but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man called Jesus whom Paul alleged to be alive. Not feeling qualified to deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on this issue. But Paul put in an appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the august emperor, so I ordered him to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar.’
Gospel
John 21:15-19
Feed my lambs, feed my sheep
Jesus showed himself to his disciples, and after they had eaten he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.
‘I tell you most solemnly,
when you were young
you put on your own belt
and walked where you liked;
but when you grow old
you will stretch out your hands,
and somebody else will put a belt round you
and take you where you would rather not go.’
In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’
In order to bear witness to Christ where ever we go does not only take courage but love. An extraordinary love that can only come from a deep personal relationship with the Lord our God. And so we must love all unbelievers into becoming believers; perhaps many will still refuse to believe in the One true God, however they will still acknowledge you to be a Son or Daughter of God the Father by your love!
What about us Christians? Have we put aside our differences and what divides us and chosen to simply love one another with the love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? For He loved us with His Father’s love by dying on the cross for us! So do we bear the face of Christ Jesus when we minister to one another? Have we been faithful then to His commandment? “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jn 13:35
Abba Father let Your love dwell in my heart as I carry Jesus with me wherever I go. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 22:30,23:6-11 ·
‘You have borne witness in Jerusalem: now you must do the same in Rome’
Since the tribune wanted to know what precise charge the Jews were bringing, he freed Paul and gave orders for a meeting of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin; then he brought Paul down and stood him in front of them. Now Paul was well aware that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.’ As soon as he said this a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was split between the two parties. For the Sadducees say there is neither resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, while the Pharisees accept all three. The shouting grew louder, and some of the scribes from the Pharisees’ party stood up and protested strongly, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?’ Feeling was running high, and the tribune, afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered his troops to go down and haul him out and bring him into the fortress.
Next night, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem, now you must do the same in Rome.’
Gospel
John 17:20-26
Father, may they be completely one
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Holy Father,
I pray not only for these,
but for those also
who through their words will believe in me.
May they all be one.
Father, may they be one in us,
as you are in me and I am in you,
so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me,
that they may be one as we are one.
With me in them and you in me,
may they be so completely one
that the world will realise that it was you who sent me
and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see the glory you have given me
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Father, Righteous One,
the world has not known you,
but I have known you,
and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them
and will continue to make it known,
so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,
We know for a fact that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ intercedes for us and that the protection of God our Father against all evil is upon all of us His children who have been baptised and entered into the life, death and Resurrection of His only begotten Son.
Still we must be on our guard as St Paul reminds us today. For fierce wolves are amongst us! They seek to weaken our resolve to follow the will of the Lord our God. Therefore we must commend ourselves to Jesus daily to allow His Word and saving grace to empower us. And we must be outward looking, that is to look beyond ourselves; to love and serve one another. Only then can we remain focused on our mission to make disciples of all nations. Amen Alleluia!
Saint Justin, Martyr pray for us…
First reading
Acts 20:28-38 ·
I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, and its power
Paul addressed these words to the elders of the church of Ephesus:
‘Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood. I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock. Even from your own ranks there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them. So be on your guard, remembering how night and day for three years I never failed to keep you right, shedding tears over each one of you. And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the sanctified.
‘I have never asked anyone for money or clothes; you know for yourselves that the work I did earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions. I did this to show you that this is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.”’
When he had finished speaking he knelt down with them all and prayed. By now they were all in tears; they put their arms round Paul’s neck and kissed him; what saddened them most was his saying they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.
Gospel
John 17:11-19
Father, keep those you have given me true to your name
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Holy Father,
keep those you have given me true to your name,
so that they may be one like us.
While I was with them,
I kept those you had given me true to your name.
I have watched over them
and not one is lost
except the one who chose to be lost,
and this was to fulfil the scriptures.
But now I am coming to you
and while still in the world I say these things
to share my joy with them to the full.
I passed your word on to them,
and the world hated them,
because they belong to the world
no more than I belong to the world.
I am not asking you to remove them from the world,
Just a few days ago as a fellow sister in Christ and I went over to the home of a dear sister who is migrating to another country in a month or so. When she saw us at her doorstep her face lit up and greeted us with joy, then we briefly embraced in a warm hug. In that moment I recalled the visitation of our Blessed Mother to her cousin’s Elisabeth’s home; how when Elisabeth heard our Blessed Mother’s greeting St John the Baptist leapt for joy in his mother’s womb. We were there visiting after all to do the 7th Sunday of Easter reflections and so in a sense we too brought Jesus with us. Our intention was to magnify Him in our reflections, to deepen our relationship with Him and one another; And to go on thereafter glorifying Him by our lives!
How many of us would have looked upon this as an opportunity to bring Christ Jesus our Lord with us? Wherever we go? Are we willing to sacrifice our time? To bring Jesus with us when we journey to a Church meeting, community prayer meeting, Ministry meeting, when we visit our aged parents, a home for the aged and sick, Children’s home, Hospice even to a wake. If we are not willing to do so then how are magnifying the Lord by our lives?
When was the last time you brought the joy of our risen Lord with you to someone’s home?
Come dwell in me Lord Jesus Christ as I live my life for You. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Zephaniah 3:14-18 ·
The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst
Shout for joy, daughter of Zion,
Israel, shout aloud!
Rejoice, exult with all your heart,
daughter of Jerusalem!
The Lord has repealed your sentence;
he has driven your enemies away.
The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst;
you have no more evil to fear.
When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem:
Zion, have no fear,
do not let your hands fall limp.
The Lord your God is in your midst,
a victorious warrior.
He will exult with joy over you,
he will renew you by his love;
he will dance with shouts of joy for you
as on a day of festival.
Gospel
Luke 1:39-56
The Almighty has done great things for me
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’
And Mary said:
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
– according to the promise he made to our ancestors –
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit as many call it, is in fact an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Which again many would have already received during their baptism and later again at confirmation. If given an opportunity however, we all should attend such a retreat where it ends with the outpouring. Why? Because it is the Holy Spirit that teaches, guides and shows us how we should be living fully in God our Father’s love. Fully alive with joy in our hearts and emboldened to share the love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ through the Gospel with all! And we all have need of a reawakening, reigniting, rekindling if you will.
Yes indeed I have witnessed the transformation of many over the years after they had attended such retreats because I either helped facilitate the sessions or was present to help in any way I could. Apart from witnessing their gifts put into action, like praising the Lord in tongues, healing of others and too many to list, they began new lives in church ministry or in neighborhood communities serving with joy.
Do not worry, if you don’t have an opportunity to attend such a retreat now. You can still pray to the Holy Spirit to enter into your life more profoundly and prepare your hearts to receive Him at Pentecost through prayer, fasting, and dwelling on His Word.
Come Holy Spirit, come. Amen Alleluia!
First reading Acts 19:1-8 · The moment Paul laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, where he found a number of disciples. When he asked, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ they answered, ‘No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit.’ ‘Then how were you baptised?’ he asked. ‘With John’s baptism’ they replied. ‘John’s baptism’ said Paul ‘was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should believe in the one who was to come after him – in other words, Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the moment Paul had laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of these men. He began by going to the synagogue, where he spoke out boldly and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. He did this for three months.
Gospel John 16:29-33 Be brave, for I have conquered the world
His disciples said to Jesus, ‘Now you are speaking plainly and not using metaphors! Now we see that you know everything, and do not have to wait for questions to be put into words; because of this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them:
‘Do you believe at last? Listen; the time will come – in fact it has come already – when you will be scattered, each going his own way and leaving me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world.’
How well do you know scriptures? “Oh not well but I believe Jesus Christ and that is enough!” Really?
How are you then ever going to grow deeper in your faith and relationship with the Lord Your God? Such that you are able to help others who are struggling in their faith or do not yet know Him. For the bible is not simply a book! It is the inspired work of God, and His Word give life! Pray to the Holy Spirit and He will guide you and your life will be enriched greatly. In time you will be able to boldly proclaim that Jesus is the Christ the Lord of all nations!
Because you would understand most profoundly today’s Gospel of God our Father’s love for You and me. Amen Alleluia
First reading
Acts 18:23-28 ·
Apollos demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ
Paul came down to Antioch, where he spent a short time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers.
An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had only experienced the baptism of John. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him and gave him further instruction about the Way.
When Apollos thought of crossing over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote asking the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived there he was able by God’s grace to help the believers considerably by the energetic way he refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Gospel
John 16:23-28
The Father loves you for loving me and believing that I came from God
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
anything you ask for from the Father he will grant in my name.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.
Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete.
I have been telling you all this in metaphors,
the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in metaphors;
but tell you about the Father in plain words.
When that day comes you will ask in my name;
and I do not say that I shall pray to the Father for you,
because the Father himself loves you for loving me
and believing that I came from God.
I came from the Father and have come into the world
Happy Easter everyone! Yes for many Easter was just one day, but for us who know our faith it is fifty days in Eastertide! This Sunday marks the 7th Sunday in Easter as we count down to Pentecost. So sisters and brothers in Christ, how joyful are you? Are you walking in the light of our Lord’s resurrection? Are you bringing hope, peace and joy to those who have none?
If all of us do our part in sharing the joy of the Gospel with world, then surely God our Father in Heaven will bless all His children and dwell in their hearts then there will be no senseless violence and massacres by those without hope, peace and joy for they would have heard that God our Father loves them and would have experienced the peace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Today let us not be afraid to speak out in love, nor allow ourselves to be silenced as we share the Gospel truths: Our Resurrected Lord is with us! Amen Alleluia
First reading
Acts 18:9-18 ·
‘I have many people on my side in this city’
At Corinth one night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ So Paul stayed there preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months.
But, while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. ‘We accuse this man’ they said ‘of persuading people to worship God in a way that breaks the Law.’ Before Paul could open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘Listen, you Jews. If this were a misdemeanour or a crime, I would not hesitate to attend to you; but if it is only quibbles about words and names, and about your own Law, then you must deal with it yourselves – I have no intention of making legal decisions about things like that.’ Then he sent them out of the court, and at once they all turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue president, and beat him in front of the court house. Gallio refused to take any notice at all.
After staying on for some time, Paul took leave of the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut off, because of a vow he had made.
Gospel
John 16:20-23
Your hearts will be full of joy that no-one will take from you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
you will be weeping and wailing
while the world will rejoice;
you will be sorrowful,
but your sorrow will turn to joy.
A woman in childbirth suffers,
because her time has come;
but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering
in her joy that a man has been born into the world.
So it is with you: you are sad now,
but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy,
Why is it that we often dumb down our faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ around others who may not yet be believers in Him? We are afraid to overwhelm them and want to gradually bring them in perhaps by way of ‘hooks’. Let us ask ourselves then, why did St Paul who managed to garner the attention of the non-believers with his eloquence on how their Unknown God was indeed the same One true God that we all believe; go on to talk about Jesus rising from the dead? Why not save that for later when they are more convinced? Why not take time to build the relationship with them first before leading them to Jesus?
Jesus is the truth, the way and the life! He is the Lord of lords, King of kings! This is truth that we hold dear in our hearts does not change in the presence of unbelievers. If the LORD does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless; if the LORD does not protect the city, it does no good for the sentries to stand guard. Ps 127:1 It is the Lord who will grow the relationship we are only called to sow the seeds of love. For our Lord had said, ““Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” Matt 10:32-33
O Holy Spirit Lord, lead us all to the complete truth now and forever. Amen
First reading
Acts 17:15,22-18:1
I proclaim the God you already worship without knowing it
Paul’s escort took him as far as Athens, and went back with instructions for Silas and Timothy to rejoin Paul as soon as they could.
So Paul stood before the whole Council of the Areopagus and made this speech:
‘Men of Athens, I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, because I noticed, as I strolled round admiring your sacred monuments, that you had an altar inscribed: To An Unknown God. Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it.
‘Since the God who made the world and everything in it is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he does not make his home in shrines made by human hands. Nor is he dependent on anything that human hands can do for him, since he can never be in need of anything; on the contrary, it is he who gives everything – including life and breath – to everyone. From one single stock he not only created the whole human race so that they could occupy the entire earth, but he decreed how long each nation should flourish and what the boundaries of its territory should be. And he did this so that all nations might seek the deity and, by feeling their way towards him, succeed in finding him. Yet in fact he is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist, as indeed some of your own writers have said:
“We are all his children.”
‘Since we are the children of God, we have no excuse for thinking that the deity looks like anything in gold, silver or stone that has been carved and designed by a man.
‘God overlooked that sort of thing when men were ignorant, but now he is telling everyone everywhere that they must repent, because he has fixed a day when the whole world will be judged, and judged in righteousness, and he has appointed a man to be the judge. And God has publicly proved this by raising this man from the dead.’
At this mention of rising from the dead, some of them burst out laughing; others said, ‘We would like to hear you talk about this again.’ After that Paul left them, but there were some who attached themselves to him and became believers, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman called Damaris, and others besides.
After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
Gospel
John 16:12-15
The Spirit of truth will lead you to the complete truth
In times of adversity how many of us would think to turn to our Lord in prayer not so much as to offer petitions for ourselves but simply to offer our praise and worship of the Lord our God? How many would sing God’s praises?
For if we truly in believe our resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ then we know that the victory is already ours! For He had already conquered death and set us free to live fully in His love. And nothing can separate us from the love of God our Heavenly Father. Heaven and earth will move to liberate us! That is why we should Glorify the Lord our God at all times. In good times as well as in bad times, for all the time God is good! And He makes all things new!
Come Holy Spirit come; Come and lead the way. Amen Alleluia
First reading
Acts 16:22-34 ·
Become a believer and you will be saved, and your household too
The crowd joined in and showed their hostility to Paul and Silas, so the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be flogged. They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a close watch on them. So, following his instructions, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Late that night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God’s praises, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly there was an earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and the chains fell from all the prisoners. When the gaoler woke and saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and was about to commit suicide, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Don’t do yourself any harm; we are all here.’ The gaoler called for lights, then rushed in, threw himself trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas, and escorted them out, saying, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They told him, ‘Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too.’ Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all his family. Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there with all his household. Afterwards he took them home and gave them a meal, and the whole family celebrated their conversion to belief in God.
Gospel
John 16:5-11
Unless I go, the Advocate will not come to you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Now I am going to the one who sent me.
Not one of you has asked, “Where are you going?”
Yet you are sad at heart because I have told you this.
Still, I must tell you the truth:
it is for your own good that I am going
because unless I go,
the Advocate will not come to you;
but if I do go,
I will send him to you.
And when he comes,
he will show the world how wrong it was,
about sin,
and about who was in the right,
and about judgement:
about sin: proved by their refusal to believe in me;
about who was in the right: proved by my going to the Father and your seeing me no more;
about judgement: proved by the prince of this world being already condemned.’
Even before the pandemic hit very few folks were willing to open their homes for community prayer meetings. They might gladly do so for family gatherings which was infrequent or for one or two close friends but prayer meetings were by far too much of a hassle.
That said I have been Blessed to know a few ‘Lydias’ who are not simply hospitable but outright generous, loving and kind. They do not only prepare their homes for the Lord’s coming (presence) for the meetings but they seem to look upon you their guest as`Jesus’ In other words, they made feel you welcomed as they would have welcomed our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! No exaggeration! They are true witnesses of living life in the Spirit!
Come Holy Spirit come, come live inside of me. Amen
First reading Acts 16:11-15 · The Lord opened Lydia’s heart to accept what Paul was saying
Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of Macedonia. After a few days in this city we went along the river outside the gates as it was the sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting. One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptised she sent us an invitation: ‘If you really think me a true believer in the Lord,’ she said ‘come and stay with us’; and she would take no refusal.
Gospel John 15:26-16:4 The Spirit of truth will be my witness
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘When the Advocate comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses, because you have been with me from the outset.
‘I have told you all this that your faith may not be shaken. They will expel you from the synagogues, and indeed the hour is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is doing a holy duty for God. They will do these things because they have never known either the Father or myself. But I have told you all this, so that when the time for it comes you may remember that I told you.’
Are we docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit? How can we if we will not spend time in prayer, reflection of His Word for us in His presence? When we do We do not discern His Will as a community or family? Where is the Lord our God in our lives? When we make our own travel plans, our own decisions to migrate, to switch jobs, ministries and so on? Then when something goes wrong whom do we choose to blame?
God our Heavenly Father only wants what is best for His Children and the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us if we ask Him for help. He does not impose His Will on us. We will do well to remember this scripture text by hard, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer 29:11-13
Following after Christ as a disciple, we will be led on a great adventure in His love with many twists and turns. Challenges and trials are to be expected. Yes we will indeed face rejection! For our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ too was rejected as He died on a cross for us. He rose from the dead and through Him we know that we too will be raised up by the power of His resurrection; so we gladly await our Heavenly reward of eternal life with Him. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 16:1-10 ·
‘Come across to Macedonia and help us’
From Cilicia Paul went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra. Here there was a disciple called Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess who had become a believer; but his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy, and Paul, who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality where everyone knew his father was a Greek.
As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, with instructions to respect them.
So the churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers.
They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, having been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they thought to cross it into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them, they went through Mysia and came down to Troas.
One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and appealed to him in these words, ‘Come across to Macedonia and help us.’ Once he had seen this vision we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the Good News.
Gospel
John 15:18-21
The world hated me before it hated you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If the world hates you,
remember that it hated me before you.
If you belonged to the world,
the world would love you as its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
because my choice withdrew you from the world,
therefore the world hates you.
Remember the words I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.
If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too;
if they kept my word, they will keep yours as well.
But it will be on my account that they will do all this,
How do we truly love one another? Do we go out of our way for one another? Are we willing to sacrifice time? Our talents and gifts? Are we at willing to lay down our life for a friend? If not then how do we hope to bear fruit for our Lord?
Is it enough to simply send our prayers and well wishes by whatsapp, messenger, text message, instagram or tweeter to a friend in need? Is it right not to be there for family or friend at a wake? Is it enough to simply give money instead of helping with the care for the poor? Entrust someone else with the care for the downtrodden? If we will not be present for a friend or community then we will not be present for the stranger in need! We will not be present for Jesus!
Jesus by the power of Your resurrection free me from everything that holds me back from loving my friends, family, even the stranger as I should. Grant me the courage, strength, grace and humility to put their needs first before my very own. Let me glorify You by my love and my life for You and my brethren. Amen
First reading
Acts 15:22-31 ·
It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by us not to burden you beyond these essentials
The apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas and Silas, both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to take with them:
‘The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We hear that some of our members have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your minds. They acted without any authority from us; and so we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with Barnabas and Paul, men we highly respect who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly we are sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of mouth what we have written in this letter. It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any burden beyond these essentials: you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols; from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right. Farewell.’
The party left and went down to Antioch, where they summoned the whole community and delivered the letter. The community read it and were delighted with the encouragement it gave them.
God our Father’s Commandments are a gift for us because it brings about order, peace, love, joy and most importantly life. Hence the sanctity of life is protected.
Why then do many frown upon them, shrug and give up saying too difficult to follow? “I need my distractions, I have needs and desires to be fulfilled!”
When we have disagreements amongst ourselves, how many would turn to scripture for a solution? To invite the Holy Spirit to come, guide and bring about resolution? How many would allow for a new and better way instead of holding fast to the norms and traditional approaches to matters outside of faith?
Yes Lord I love You and I endeavour this and every day to keep Your commandments. Bless, Protect and guide me Lord to know and do Your Will always. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 15:7-21 ·
I rule that we do not make things more difficult for the pagans who turn to God
After the discussion had gone on a long time, Peter stood up and addressed the apostles and the elders.
‘My brothers,’ he said ‘you know perfectly well that in the early days God made his choice among you: the pagans were to learn the Good News from me and so become believers. In fact God, who can read everyone’s heart, showed his approval of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he had to us. God made no distinction between them and us, since he purified their hearts by faith. It would only provoke God’s anger now, surely, if you imposed on the disciples the very burden that neither we nor our ancestors were strong enough to support? Remember, we believe that we are saved in the same way as they are: through the grace of the Lord Jesus.’
This silenced the entire assembly, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had worked through them among the pagans.
When they had finished it was James who spoke. ‘My brothers,’ he said ‘listen to me. Simeon has described how God first arranged to enlist a people for his name out of the pagans. This is entirely in harmony with the words of the prophets, since the scriptures say:
After that I shall return
and rebuild the fallen House of David;
I shall rebuild it from its ruins
and restore it.
Then the rest of mankind,
all the pagans who are consecrated to my name,
will look for the Lord,
says the Lord who made this known so long ago.
‘I rule, then, that instead of making things more difficult for pagans who turn to God, we send them a letter telling them merely to abstain from anything polluted by idols, from fornication, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has always had his preachers in every town, and is read aloud in the synagogues every sabbath.’
Yes our Church indeed has its fair share of problems, challenges even obstacles to overcome. One of the main ones today amongst many others is how to bring those who have left the Church back? And we are truly Blessed to have a Pope who has already inspired everyone in starting the synodal process. A means to hear from everyone and allow the Holy Spirit to open new doors as Christ once again makes all things new!
Question is how many are truly connected to the Vine, the source and summit of our lives who gives us life? That is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! How many meetings have we attended where the focus was on Him, He was the centre of our meetings not the agenda! Meetings where we started with Adoration (not a 5-10 minute one) prayer, praise and worship, breaking of the Word only after did we begin our meeting with the invocation of the Holy Spirit. For unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. PS 127:1
Lord Jesus I remain Yours, through You, with You and in You. You are my rock and my salvation and so I pledge to take up my cross and follow after You this and every day. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 15:1-6
They were to go up to Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and elders
Some men came down from Judaea and taught the brothers, ‘Unless you have yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved.’ This led to disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and elders.
All the members of the church saw them off, and as they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria they told how the pagans had been converted, and this news was received with the greatest satisfaction by the brothers. When they arrived in Jerusalem they were welcomed by the church and by the apostles and elders, and gave an account of all that God had done with them.
But certain members of the Pharisees’ party who had become believers objected, insisting that the pagans should be circumcised and instructed to keep the Law of Moses. The apostles and elders met to look into the matter.
Gospel
John 15:1-8
I am the vine, you are the branches
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I am the true vine,
and my Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in me that bears no fruit
he cuts away,
and every branch that does bear fruit
he prunes to make it bear even more.
You are pruned already,
by means of the word that I have spoken to you.
Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.
As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,
but must remain part of the vine,
neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty;
for cut off from me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers;
these branches are collected and thrown on the fire,
and they are burnt.
If you remain in me
and my words remain in you,
you may ask what you will
and you shall get it.
It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,
Do not let your hearts be troubled for the prince of this world has no power over Jesus. We have been inserted into the life, death and resurrection of the Son of God our Heavenly Father through our baptism, therefore the prince of this world has no power over us too! For we are children of God our Heavenly Father so loved and protected by Him.
That is why even when St Paul was terribly beaten, stoned and left to die outside of town, he picked him himself up and went back to the very town that left him for dead! Unthinkable? Why would he do such a thing? How did he do it? Well he carried the peace, love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ with him! Recuperated and renewed by Jesus he went on with St. Barnabas to preach the Good News and put fresh heart into the disciples. For every disciple knows that before we enter the kingdom of God we will have face many hardships and persevere in our faith.
We can do so, because having searched the world over we know that only true peace and joy is to be found in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ alone. He is the way, the truth and the life. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 14:19-28 ·
They gave an account of how God had opened the door of faith to the pagans
Some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead. The disciples came crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town. The next day he and Barnabas went off to Derbe.
Having preached the Good News in that town and made a considerable number of disciples, they went back through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch. They put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. ‘We all have to experience many hardships’ they said ‘before we enter the kingdom of God.’ In each of these churches they appointed elders, and with prayer and fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.
They passed through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. Then after proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia and from there sailed for Antioch, where they had originally been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.
On their arrival they assembled the church and gave an account of all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the pagans. They stayed there with the disciples for some time.
Gospel
John 14:27-31
A peace the world cannot give is my gift to you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,
a peace the world cannot give,
this is my gift to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return.
If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you this now before it happens,
so that when it does happen you may believe.
I shall not talk with you any longer,
because the prince of this world is on his way.
He has no power over me,
but the world must be brought to know
that I love the Father
and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me.’
Every level in our faith journey is a test of our faithfulness and love for our Lord, our saviour Jesus Christ. For if we do bear fruit for Him we will often have an opportunity to witness these fruits in others. Many touched deeply by our Lord through us being instruments of His grace may shower us with fervour, gifts and affirmation. Be wary for the evil one lurks and is waiting to snare you and I! Many have fallen into believing that power and glory is theirs! Even if the Lord is added at the end of ” ‘I’ did this for the Lord!” By St Barnabas and St Paul’s example in today’s first reading, we too should be ‘tearing’ at our clothes at this juncture shouting ‘Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings like you. We have only come to share in the good news of the Gospel and to turn your hearts back to the Lord our God.
If we continue to let ourselves be deceived then will we not only lose our way but lead others to do likewise. We will begin to take shortcuts, cut corners and soon even irreverence for the Lord our God sets in as we declare “My Will be done!”
Lord Jesus help me to remain steadfast to Your Word and Will for me. Holy Spirit Lord, teach, counsel and guide me to the Way, the Truth and the life! Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 14:5-18
We have come with good news to turn you to the living God
Eventually with the connivance of the authorities a move was made by pagans as well as Jews to make attacks on the apostles and to stone them. When the apostles came to hear of this, they went off for safety to Lycaonia where, in the towns of Lystra and Derbe and in the surrounding country, they preached the Good News.
A man sat there who had never walked in his life, because his feet were crippled from birth; and as he listened to Paul preaching, he managed to catch his eye. Seeing that the man had the faith to be cured, Paul said in a loud voice, ‘Get to your feet – stand up’, and the cripple jumped up and began to walk.
When the crowd saw what Paul had done they shouted in the language of Lycaonia, ‘These people are gods who have come down to us disguised as men.’ They addressed Barnabas as Zeus, and since Paul was the principal speaker they called him Hermes. The priests of Zeus-outside-the-Gate, proposing that all the people should offer sacrifice with them, brought garlanded oxen to the gates. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening they tore their clothes, and rushed into the crowd, shouting, ‘Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings like you. We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that these hold. In the past he allowed each nation to go its own way; but even then he did not leave you without evidence of himself in the good things he does for you: he sends you rain from heaven, he makes your crops grow when they should, he gives you food and makes you happy.’ Even this speech, however, was scarcely enough to stop the crowd offering them sacrifice.
Gospel
John 14:21-26
The Advocate, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them
will be one who loves me;
and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I shall love him and show myself to him.’
Judas – this was not Judas Iscariot – said to him, ‘Lord, what is all this about? Do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?’ Jesus replied:
‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him and make our home with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words.
And my word is not my own:
it is the word of the one who sent me.
I have said these things to you while still with you;
How much do we love one another as Jesus loved us? He loved us so much He was willing to sacrifice Himself by laying His life down for us? Are we will ever willing to do likewise for one another? For community? Our Church? For the love of our God?
What are you willing to sacrifice?
If you called to be a lector do you spend hours dwelling on the word that you are proclaiming? Yes proclaiming not reading out loud! Do you practice over and over making sure your diction and pronunciation is spot on? So that from your lips to the ears of those listening the Lord our God is glorified?
If you are a communion minister do you simply dispense with the communion hosts each mass? Or have you prepared your body, mind and spirit each time dwelling in His presence falling deeply in love with our Eucharistic Lord so that each time you raise the host up reverently and high enough for the communicant to see and respond to “The Body of Christ” they receive Him through the hands of a disciple?
If you are a warden, hospitality minister is your job simply to usher the parishioners to their seats? To ensure smooth parking? To ensure the safety of those you serve? Or are you the stewards of the banquet leading them all, the lame, the poor, the blind into the heavenly banquet of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Serving them with humility, patience and above all love!
Are you willing to sacrifice your time, to love those in your community by your presence? To break the word with your sisters and brothers in Christ, to share in His love and to lift one another up who are struggling with faith, challenges and trials. To be there to pray for one another and to lead one another into greater worship? Or have you simply been absent?
Let me be a servant to my brethren after Your own heart Lord, may I love them as You have loved me. Amen
First reading
Acts 1:15-17,20-26 ·
‘Let someone else take his office’
One day Peter stood up to speak to the brothers – there were about a hundred and twenty persons in the congregation: ‘Brothers, the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who arrested Jesus – after having been one of our number and actually sharing this ministry of ours. Now in the Book of Psalms it says:
Let his camp be reduced to ruin,
Let there be no one to live in it.
And again:
Let someone else take his office.
‘We must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.’
Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias, they prayed, ‘Lord, you can read everyone’s heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.’ They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.
Why do we let our hearts be troubled by the cares and worries of the world? If we declare that Jesus our Lord is indeed the Way, the Truth and the Life then why do we not put all our faith and trust in Him? Why do we turn to vices and sin for distractions? Why do we look any else where for comfort? Why do we not hide in the shadow of His Wings for protection?
Since you and I have been brought back to true life with Christ, we must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Col3:1
Have mercy on me Lord for my many failings and shortcomings. I have sinned against heaven and against you. Forgive me your prodigal son, restore me with your loving embrace. Let me live in the light of Son’s resurrection. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 13:26-33 ·
God has fulfilled his promise by raising Jesus from the dead
Paul stood up in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, held up a hand for silence and began to speak:
‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you. What the people of Jerusalem and their rulers did, though they did not realise it, was in fact to fulfil the prophecies read on every sabbath. Though they found nothing to justify his death, they condemned him and asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out everything that scripture foretells about him they took him down from the tree and buried him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied him from Galilee to Jerusalem: and it is these same companions of his who are now his witnesses before our people.
‘We have come here to tell you the Good News. It was to our ancestors that God made the promise but it is to us, their children, that he has fulfilled it, by raising Jesus from the dead. As scripture says in the second psalm: You are my son: today I have become your father.’
Gospel
John 14:1-6
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and trust in me.
There are many rooms in my Father’s house;
if there were not, I should have told you.
I am going now to prepare a place for you,
and after I have gone and prepared you a place,
I shall return to take you with me;
so that where I am
you may be too.
You know the way to the place where I am going.’
Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said:
What is passed on by word of mouth can be adulterated even forgotten. But the written word last lifetimes over! And so by the wisdom of the Lord our God, the whole of our salvation history is found in scripture. The Word made flesh, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ came so that liberated from our bondages of sin we can live free in His love. And at the very end of our lives here on earth we begin our new and everlasting life with Him.
This is our God! Our servant King who suffered and died for us so that we can live!
And returning to God our Heavenly Father He has not left us orphans. He had given us the Holy Spirit and still sends messengers of His love, peace and joy our way. When we welcome them we welcome Him!
Lord Jesus, let me be a messenger of Your love, peace and joy. Amen
First reading
Acts 13:13-25
God has raised up one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour
Paul and his friends went by sea from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia where John left them to go back to Jerusalem. The others carried on from Perga till they reached Antioch in Pisidia. Here they went to synagogue on the sabbath and took their seats. After the lessons from the Law and the Prophets had been read, the presidents of the synagogue sent them a message: ‘Brothers, if you would like to address some words of encouragement to the congregation, please do so.’ Paul stood up, held up a hand for silence and began to speak:
‘Men of Israel, and fearers of God, listen! The God of our nation Israel chose our ancestors, and made our people great when they were living as foreigners in Egypt; then by divine power he led them out, and for about forty years took care of them in the wilderness. When he had destroyed seven nations in Canaan, he put them in possession of their land for about four hundred and fifty years. After this he gave them judges, down to the prophet Samuel. Then they demanded a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin. After forty years, he deposed him and made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose.” To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career he said, “I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.”’
Gospel
John 13:16-20
Whoever welcomes the one I send welcomes me
After he had washed the feet of his disciples, Jesus said to them:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
no servant is greater than his master,
no messenger is greater than the man who sent him.
‘Now that you know this, happiness will be yours if you behave accordingly. I am not speaking about all of you: I know the ones I have chosen; but what scripture says must be fulfilled: Someone who shares my table rebels against me.
‘I tell you this now, before it happens,
so that when it does happen
you may believe that I am He.
I tell you most solemnly,
whoever welcomes the one I send welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.’
Jesus the light of the world has come so that we no longer need to hide in the shadows of the dark by our sins! He illumines our hearts, minds and bodies so that we too can be beacons of His light in the world.
How docile are we then to the promptings of the Holy Spirit? How many calls have we missed to go out into the areas we were called to go? Do we have belong to a community of disciples that affirms, discerns and lays hands according to the will of the Lord our God?
Here I am Lord, I have come to do Your Will. Lead, guide and show me the way that I must go. Amen
First reading
Acts 12:24-13:5 ·
‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart’
The word of God continued to spread and to gain followers. Barnabas and Saul completed their task and came back from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with them.
In the church at Antioch the following were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.’ So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
So these two, sent on their mission by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. They landed at Salamis and proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; John acted as their assistant.
Gospel
John 12:44-50
I, the light, have come into the world
Jesus declared publicly:
‘Whoever believes in me
believes not in me
but in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me,
sees the one who sent me.
I, the light, have come into the world,
so that whoever believes in me
need not stay in the dark any more.
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully,
it is not I who shall condemn him,
since I have come not to condemn the world,
but to save the world.
He who rejects me and refuses my words has his judge already:
the word itself that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.
Can you be a Christian, a follower of Christ and yet do not hear His voice? If so then we have allowed the world to drown out His sweet voice! For Jesus says “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.” He knows us all outside, inside, through and through! Because we have entered into a deep personal relationship with Him. And so we are docile to His soft promptings and we follow His word and will for us. This is why we must remain steadfast in prayer, daily entering into His presence to listen to His Word and to be in community. We must be Barnabas for one another!
What do I mean? He urged everyone to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion for he was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. If we read a few chapters earlier chapters of today’s first reading, we see how instrumental he was in bringing St Paul into the community of the Apostles who were wary of the great persecutor of Christians. St Barnabas affirmed and guided St Paul and welcomed him into the fold. Was it an easy feat? No! St Paul was a scholar, a high flyer if you will since he was educated under the famous Jewish teacher Gamaliel. He was known for his zeal in whatever he set out to do. Yet St Barnabas took charge of him and led him just like their shepherd, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And so let us be Barnabas for one another. Amen
First reading
Acts 11:19-26 ·
They started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Lord Jesus
Those who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.
The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.
Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’
Gospel
John 10:22-30
The Father and I are one
It was the time when the feast of Dedication was being celebrated in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon. The Jews gathered round him and said, ‘How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus replied:
‘I have told you, but you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness;
but you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine.
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father.
Is your soul thirsting for God, the God of your life? For if it were you would naturally seek Him daily in His Word and in His presence ever eager to hear His Will for you. You have a deep connection with Him and though free as you are to live your life to the full; you listen out attentively to His voice to lead you through the day. Is it through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ alone that we will enter into our Heavenly inheritance, and even now we have entered into Heaven on earth through Him.
Lord I seek You alone today and every day, protect me from all evil. For my only desire is to be obedient and to remain steadfast in Your love. Amen Alleluia
First reading
Acts 11:1-18
God can grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life
The apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God, and when Peter came up to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him and said, ‘So you have been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?’ Peter in reply gave them the details point by point: ‘One day, when I was in the town of Jaffa,’ he began ‘I fell into a trance as I was praying and had a vision of something like a big sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners. This sheet reached the ground quite close to me. I watched it intently and saw all sorts of animals and wild beasts – everything possible that could walk, crawl or fly. Then I heard a voice that said to me, “Now, Peter; kill and eat!” But I answered: Certainly not, Lord; nothing profane or unclean has ever crossed my lips. And a second time the voice spoke from heaven, “What God has made clean, you have no right to call profane.” This was repeated three times, before the whole of it was drawn up to heaven again.
‘Just at that moment, three men stopped outside the house where we were staying; they had been sent from Caesarea to fetch me, and the Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going back with them. The six brothers here came with me as well, and we entered the man’s house. He told us he had seen an angel standing in his house who said, “Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter; he has a message for you that will save you and your entire household.”
‘I had scarcely begun to speak when the Holy Spirit came down on them in the same way as it came on us at the beginning, and I remembered that the Lord had said, “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” I realised then that God was giving them the identical thing he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?’
This account satisfied them, and they gave glory to God. ‘God’ they said ‘can evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.’
Gospel
John 10:1-10
I am the gate of the sheepfold
Jesus said:
‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’
Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.
So Jesus spoke to them again:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who have come
are thieves and brigands;
but the sheep took no notice of them.
I am the gate.
Anyone who enters through me will be safe:
he will go freely in and out
and be sure of finding pasture.
The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come
so that they may have life and have it to the full.’
The sad truth today is that many have turned away from God because they think religion is a sham and only works for those who cannot face the reality of life! How many have left the church saying “How can and all loving and merciful God have allowed Covid-19 to overwhelm the whole world?” Such that we can no longer worship together and when we are allowed we are given so many other restrictions which most other churches do not have! How is it that the authorities have different guidelines for different churches? Where are our Shepherds when we need them?
Do not lose focus or sight on what is truly important! Where is our Christian faith? Did we tire of doing good or giving to charity? Who is our Lord and Saviour? Who shall we go to?
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life! For we believers know that He has the message of eternal life and He is the Holy One of God. For He has given us peace, love and joy like no other. And through His most precious name, healing, sights and wonders of God still take place this very day. What is done is done, let us move onward towards and encourage one another as we continue our pilgrim journey as One Body in Him. For the Spirit of life has been given to us by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 9:31-42 ·
The churches grew and were filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit
The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Peter visited one place after another and eventually came to the saints living down in Lydda. There he found a man called Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you: get up and fold up your sleeping mat.’ Aeneas got up immediately; everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were all converted to the Lord.
At Jaffa there was a woman disciple called Tabitha, or Dorcas in Greek, who never tired of doing good or giving in charity. But the time came when she got ill and died, and they washed her and laid her out in a room upstairs. Lydda is not far from Jaffa, so when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men with an urgent message for him, ‘Come and visit us as soon as possible.’
Peter went back with them straightaway, and on his arrival they took him to the upstairs room, where all the widows stood round him in tears, showing him tunics and other clothes Dorcas had made when she was with them. Peter sent them all out of the room and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the dead woman and said, ‘Tabitha, stand up.’ She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up. Peter helped her to her feet, then he called in the saints and widows and showed them she was alive. The whole of Jaffa heard about it and many believed in the Lord.
Gospel
John 6:60-69
Who shall we go to? You are the Holy One of God
After hearing his doctrine many of the followers of Jesus said, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’ Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, ‘Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?
‘It is the spirit that gives life,
the flesh has nothing to offer.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit
and they are life.
‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me unless the Father allows him.’ After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him.
Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’
You and I can be powerful instruments of the Lord our God’s grace. Question is how much are we willing to suffer for His namesake? To face our fears and go according to His Will for us. To carry our cross and follow after our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Couldn’t Saul’s sight be restored instantaneously without human intervention? Yet Ananias was called to face his fears and to go be an instrument of God’s grace for Saul. Likewise we know how Saul, later known as Paul will go on to be a powerful instrument of the Lord our God’s grace for the pagans and rest of the World. He suffered much but glorified our Lord all the more!
How did St Paul and many of the Saints before us push onward amidst trials, pains and challenges? Jesus Himself nourished them through the Holy Eucharist feeding them His body, blood, soul and divinity. He comforted and healed them; At the very end of their lives they went on to their eternal reward with Him.
Jesus my Eucharistic Lord and God I adore You! Amen
First reading
Acts 9:1-20 ·
This man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before the pagans
Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord’s disciples. He had gone to the high priest and asked for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that would authorise him to arrest and take to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or women, that he could find.
Suddenly, while he was travelling to Damascus and just before he reached the city, there came a light from heaven all round him. He fell to the ground, and then he heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ he asked, and the voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me. Get up now and go into the city, and you will be told what you have to do.’ The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless, for though they heard the voice they could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but even with his eyes wide open he could see nothing at all, and they had to lead him into Damascus by the hand. For three days he was without his sight, and took neither food nor drink.
A disciple called Ananias who lived in Damascus had a vision in which he heard the Lord say to him, ‘Ananias!’ When he replied, ‘Here I am, Lord’, the Lord said, ‘You must go to Straight Street and ask at the house of Judas for someone called Saul, who comes from Tarsus. At this moment he is praying, having had a vision of a man called Ananias coming in and laying hands on him to give him back his sight.’
When he heard that, Ananias said, ‘Lord, several people have told me about this man and all the harm he has been doing to your saints in Jerusalem. He has only come here because he holds a warrant from the chief priests to arrest everybody who invokes your name.’ The Lord replied, ‘You must go all the same, because this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before pagans and pagan kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he himself must suffer for my name.’ Then Ananias went. He entered the house, and at once laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on your way here so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately it was as though scales fell away from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. So he was baptised there and then, and after taking some food he regained his strength.
He began preaching in the synagogues, ‘Jesus is the Son of God.’
Gospel
John 6:52-59
My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink
The Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’
He taught this doctrine at Capernaum, in the synagogue.
Imagine you are Philip in today’s reading and the Lord speaks to your heart to be ready to set out at noon. Then he tells you to meet a chariot in which an unusual character is seated reading a passage of scripture. What if you thought to yourself is this all in my head? What if you thought better and went a different way? Or decided it was too awkward to start a conversation with a total stranger. How would he react? What would he think of me? How then would the Eunuch have ever had a chance to understand what he read? Or to have encountered Jesus through the sharing of the Good News of Jesus? How could his life have changed such that he would rejoice for coming out of darkness into the light? How would he have eternal life when Jesus the bread of life is kept from him by our very own insecurities and unbelief?
Everyone who believes has eternal life! Do you truly believe? If you say you do then how many have you brought to Jesus? How many have heard the word of God today through you? How many are rejoicing in Jesus for having met you? Is Jesus really for everyone or do you pick and choose who to speak to about Him?
My Lord and my God! Forgive me my many shortcomings! Open my lips and I shall praise Your name. Amen
First reading
Acts 8:26-40
Philip baptizes a eunuch
The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Be ready to set out at noon along the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.’ So he set off on his journey. Now it happened that an Ethiopian had been on pilgrimage to Jerusalem; he was a eunuch and an officer at the court of the kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia, and was in fact her chief treasurer. He was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and meet that chariot.’ When Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ ‘How can I’ he replied ‘unless I have someone to guide me?’ So he invited Philip to get in and sit by his side. Now the passage of scripture he was reading was this:
Like a sheep that is led to the slaughter-house,
like a lamb that is dumb in front of its shearers,
like these he never opens his mouth.
He has been humiliated and has no one to defend him.
Who will ever talk about his descendants,
since his life on earth has been cut short!
The eunuch turned to Philip and said, ‘Tell me, is the prophet referring to himself or someone else?’ Starting, therefore, with this text of scripture Philip proceeded to explain the Good News of Jesus to him.
Further along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘Look, there is some water here; is there anything to stop me being baptised?’ He ordered the chariot to stop, then Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water and Philip baptised him. But after they had come up out of the water again Philip was taken away by the Spirit of the Lord, and the eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Philip found that he had reached Azotus and continued his journey proclaiming the Good News in every town as far as Caesarea.
Gospel
John 6:44-51
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven
Jesus said to the crowd:
‘No one can come to me
unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,
and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They will all be taught by God,
and to hear the teaching of the Father,
and learn from it,
is to come to me.
Not that anybody has seen the Father,
except the one who comes from God:
he has seen the Father.
I tell you most solemnly,
everybody who believes has eternal life.
‘I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the desert
and they are dead;
but this is the bread that comes down from heaven,
so that a man may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
The Lord our God will never abandon us for even in our hour of great trial and suffering He is with us. For the Church He built is upon rock and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Through His great love and mercy He has sent instruments of His grace to us, to heal us, bind up wounds and casts out evil.
We too can and should be instruments of His grace, by living first in the light of His resurrection. Choosing to love Him above all things, turning away from sin and temptation and being faithful to the Gospel. He has given us of Himself in Holy Eucharist for He is truly the bread of life! Then surely through the power of the Holy Spirit we will live grace filled lives bringing His hope, peace and love into the world. And He will raise all of us believers up on the last day. Amen
First reading
Acts 8:1-8
They went from place to place, preaching the Good News
That day a bitter persecution started against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles fled to the country districts of Judaea and Samaria.
There were some devout people, however, who buried Stephen and made great mourning for him.
Saul then worked for the total destruction of the Church; he went from house to house arresting both men and women and sending them to prison.
Those who had escaped went from place to place preaching the Good News. One of them was Philip who went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them. The people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there was great rejoicing in that town.
Gospel
John 6:35-40
It is my Father’s will that whoever sees the Son should have eternal life
Jesus said to the crowd:
‘I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never be hungry;
he who believes in me will never thirst.
But, as I have told you,
you can see me and still you do not believe.
All that the Father gives me will come to me,
and whoever comes to me I shall not turn him away;
because I have come from heaven, not to do my own will,
but to do the will of the one who sent me.
Now the will of him who sent me
is that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me,
and that I should raise it up on the last day.
Yes, it is my Father’s will
that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life,
Today as we celebrate the feast of St James and St Philip we are reminded that like them we too are chosen, just like these holy men by our Lord’s perfect love. And He gave them eternal glory and He offers us the same.
We must believe in the Gospel truths, that having died for our sins, Jesus rose from the dead so that we too might rise with Him in His eternal glory. And our believing is shown in the way we live our lives to glorify Him. By our love for Him and for one another. For Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matt 25:40 and again “‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” And in today’s Gospel it is clear whatever we do or don’t do for our brothers and sisters not only directly affects our relationship with Jesus but also with God our Heavenly Father. Can we then continue to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to those in need of our help?
Abba Father forgive me my many shortcomings. Help me overcome them, so that I may strengthen my relationship with You, and by Your love may I tend to my sisters and brothers according to Your will for me. Through Your Son, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
Saints Philip and James, Apostles Pray for us
First reading
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 ·
The Lord appeared to James, and then to all the apostles
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
To have seen me is to have seen the father
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.
How many brothers and sisters have you seen that when they speak appears to you like the face of angel? A messenger of God who speaks the truth and seems to lead you closer to Him? You are truly blessed if you have seen one because in this day and age it is indeed very rare! Why?
Because most prefer to engage in half-truths, or are very secretive about almost everything. Many seem to think that knowledge is power and to share it diminishes their power. They want to be in total control, for they alone can see the bigger picture, they know things that you do not. Then there are yet others who feel strongly that speaking the truth about our faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to dear friends and family of other faiths is just too uncomfortable and is sure to jeopardize the relationship with them. Really? Do they not want to see these very ‘loved’ ones reunited with them in heaven? Do we not profess our believe in One God every Sunday?
Yet we work hard for the latest in everything, mobile phones, Laptops, watches, bags, game consoles, buffet spreads, fine dining areas, Cruises, travel areas and so on! All that do not endure to eternal life!
Listen to what Jesus is offering you and me, for on Him the Father, God himself, has set his seal. That we must believe in the one He has sent for love of us; Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 6:8-15 ·
They could not get the better of Stephen because the Spirit prompted what he said
Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia. They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. So they procured some men to say, ‘We heard him using blasphemous language against Moses and against God.’ Having in this way turned the people against him as well as the elders and scribes, they took Stephen by surprise, and arrested him and brought him before the Sanhedrin. There they put up false witnesses to say, ‘This man is always making speeches against this Holy Place and the Law. We have heard him say that Jesus the Nazarene is going to destroy this Place and alter the traditions that Moses handed down to us.’ The members of the Sanhedrin all looked intently at Stephen, and his face appeared to them like the face of an angel.
Gospel
John 6:22-29
Do not work for food that cannot last, but for food that endures to eternal life
After Jesus had fed the five thousand, his disciples saw him walking on the water. Next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side saw that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that the disciples had set off by themselves. Other boats, however, had put in from Tiberias, near the place where the bread had been eaten. When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’
Jesus answered:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs
but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.
Do not work for food that cannot last,
but work for food that endures to eternal life,
the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you,
for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’
Then they said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’
Do not be afraid it is I the Lord Your God, I stand with you in your hour of need and in your struggles. For I am with you always! This message is for you and all who will listen to my Word.
So then having heard His Word for us today, let me ask you…do you belong to a faith community? When was the last time you made yourself available to be in the presence of Jesus in your community? To reflect and share on His Word that gives life, meaning, hope and builds the community of disciples up? How have you contributed to the community by your gifts, talents? Have you given your all for the community you hold dear? Is your community growing in faith and love for one another?
Here is a truth we should reflect on deeply today? How are we One Body in Christ if we do not belong to any community which meets regularly to not only break bread but to share the Word of God? Belonging in a ministry is not the same as being part of a community unless the ministry gathers weekly or at least fortnightly to pray, share the word and strengthen fraternal bonds. We are not meant to remain as individuals saying things like it is between God and I! God knows me and I know Him. If you know God as you say you do then how can you not know that our God is a triune God? Have we forgotten the words of Jesus in John 17:22? ” I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.”
O Holy Spirit unite us to Jesus Christ and to His Body. That we may all be One in Him. Amen
First reading
Acts 6:1-7 ·
They elected seven men full of the Holy Spirit
About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.’ The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.
Gospel
John 6:16-21
They saw Jesus walking on the lake
In the evening the disciples went down to the shore of the lake and got into a boat to make for Capernaum on the other side of the lake. It was getting dark by now and Jesus had still not rejoined them. The wind was strong, and the sea was getting rough. They had rowed three or four miles when they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming towards the boat. This frightened them, but he said, ‘It is I. Do not be afraid.’ They were for taking him into the boat, but in no time it reached the shore at the place they were making for.
When a reminder comes back to back, two days in a row then it is important we take heed. For our Lord and our God deigned that He should give us of Himself so we may partake of the Bread of life in Holy Eucharist. For we are on an arduous pilgrim journey back to our Heavenly inheritance and so He is ever present to nourish us on our way.
How have our faith and love in Him grown this Easter? Are we filled with joy and light of His resurrection?
Or are we still lukewarm in our faith and thin skinned that we will NOT have the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of His name. Therefore we will not affirm that He is truly present in Holy Eucharist and remind our fellow sisters and brothers that we should all return to Church to receive Him. We still lack the courage to share the good news of the Gospel, that is the love of God our Heavenly Father for all mankind!
JESUS! My Eucharistic Lord and my God! I do believe and trust in You. Amen
Saint Catherine of Siena Pray for us….
First reading
Acts 5:34-42 ·
They were glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name
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
The feeding of the five thousand
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.
We are all born of the earth and are therefore earthly in body and mind. Through our baptism we are infused with Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour and given new life through the Holy Spirit. We had become children of God our Heavenly Father.
We need spiritual nourishment if we are to remain steadfast to God our Father’s Will for us and for our fight against evil which prowls around the earth seeking the ruin of souls. Through our Lord’s divine providence we are given the supreme gift of the Holy Eucharist! The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. We are tapped directly into the Vine of life! How then can we remain at home seeking only Spiritual Communion? It is time to listen to our Lord’s call once again, “Come to me all you are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest”
Obedience to God comes before obedience to men (our own thoughts and will). Amen
First reading
Acts 5:27-33 ·
We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit
When the officials had brought the apostles in to face the Sanhedrin, the high priest demanded an explanation. ‘We gave you a formal warning’ he said ‘not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of this man’s death on us.’ In reply Peter and the apostles said, ‘Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’
This so infuriated them that they wanted to put them to death.
Gospel
John 3:31-36
The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to him
John the Baptist said to his disciples:
‘He who comes from above is above all others;
he who is born of the earth is earthly himself
and speaks in an earthly way.
He who comes from heaven
bears witness to the things he has seen and heard,
even if his testimony is not accepted;
though all who do accept his testimony
are attesting the truthfulness of God,
since he whom God has sent
speaks God’s own words:
God gives him the Spirit without reserve.
The Father loves the Son
and has entrusted everything to him.
Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
but anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life:
In John 3:16 we hear simple yet profound words which every Christian should have memorized by now and kept like a treasure in their hearts that “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.” Then as His word for us goes on, we have blessed assurance that “God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.”
How then are we who are saved living? Are we living still living in the light of our Lord’s resurrection joy filled and hopeful? Or have we chosen to return to the darkness of sin by giving into temptation, being chained by habitual sin once again! If you are in latter group, stop throwing your life away and seek the mercy of Jesus who is waiting patiently to set your free.
Come let us share as One the joy of our new life in Christ Jesus, for that is His Will for all of us. That we who live by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what we do is done in God. Amen
First reading
Acts 5:17-26 ·
The men you imprisoned are in the Temple, preaching to the people
The high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Prompted by jealousy, they arrested the apostles and had them put in the common gaol.
But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out, ‘Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life.’ They did as they were told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach.
When the high priest arrived, he and his supporters convened the Sanhedrin – this was the full Senate of Israel – and sent to the gaol for them to be brought. But when the officials arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and reported, ‘We found the gaol securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked the door we found no one inside.’ When the captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard this news they wondered what this could mean. Then a man arrived with fresh news. ‘At this very moment’ he said, ‘the men you imprisoned are in the Temple. They are standing there preaching to the people.’ The captain went with his men and fetched them. They were afraid to use force in case the people stoned them.
Gospel
John 3:16-21
God sent his Son into the world so that through him the world might be saved
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
‘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.
No one who believes in him will be condemned;
but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,
because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.
On these grounds is sentence pronounced:
that though the light has come into the world
men have shown they prefer darkness to the light
because their deeds were evil.
And indeed, everybody who does wrong
hates the light and avoids it,
for fear his actions should be exposed;
but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light,
so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.’
It is indeed great and wonderful if we can have a group of believers united, heart and soul in everything. But this is not always the case is it?….For instance, if you we want to have a food drive and plan to pack and distribute food packages to the poor in the community. If everyone were focussed on Christ Jesus our Lord and single minded in serving the poor alone will there be squabbles among one another on who is in charge? Or who will take charge and be responsible? How heavy an individual package is? Will we be slip shod in our calculations, communications and handling of the packages? Will we make it difficult for one another because of disagreements? Will there be issues with timings and availability? Or even access to perform the works? Yes for every good work that needs to be done the evil one is lurking to sow discord and disharmony! All the more we must remain steadfast in Christ Jesus our Lord, to pray constantly and lift one another up in prayer. To be humble in all our dealings with one another and our endeavours.
We who are born in the Spirit through our baptism and confirmation must surely know that we have been inserted into the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore we strive for Holiness and unity for we are One Body in Him. For just as He was lifted high upon the Cross to save us; we too must likewise be willing to give our all for Him and one another. To die to ourselves so as to be raised through, with and in Him. Amen Alleluia!
First reading
Acts 4:32-37 ·
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.
The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.
None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.
There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.
Gospel
John 3:7-15
No-one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man who has come down from heaven
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
‘Do not be surprised when I say:
You must be born from above.
The wind blows wherever it pleases;
you hear its sound,
but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’
‘How can that be possible?’ asked Nicodemus. ‘You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!’ replied Jesus.
‘I tell you most solemnly,
we speak only about what we know
and witness only to what we have seen
and yet you people reject our evidence.
If you do not believe me when I speak about things in this world,
how are you going to believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things?
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.’
Pre-Covid and a few years earlier, folks in our parish greeted one another with “Peace be with you” followed with a nice big hug. Needless to say this was already breaking the norms in an Asian country, yet this is how well formed we were in our faith and were growing towards greater discipleship. We were simply following the word of God mentioned in today’s first reading where it says greet one another with a kiss of love. While we will most certainly not kiss one another for it is just not culturally possible for the majority, regardless of race or language; We were already showing our love for one another putting not only into our words but by our action. Covid certainly put a damper on things like this, but as we all head towards a new normal once again, in the endemic phase; many of us are certainly looking toward reviving it in our parish. For it brought about a warm and loving atmosphere; You could sense that we were growing closer to being One with and in Christ.
That being said it is time for us to be courageous and take a step out in greater faith to lay healing hands on the sick, cast our devils and much more. However if we feel we are not yet ready, then at the very least we can proclaim the Good News to all creation.
Saint Mark, Evangelist Pray for us….
O God, who raised up Saint Mark, your Evangelist, and endowed him with the grace to preach the Gospel, grant, we pray, that we may so profit from his teaching
as to follow faithfully in the footsteps of Christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, (one) God, for ever and ever. Amen
First reading
1 Peter 5:5-14 ·
My son, Mark, sends you greetings
All wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God now, and he will raise you up on the appointed day; unload all your worries on to him, since he is looking after you. Be calm but vigilant, because your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to eat. Stand up to him, strong in faith and in the knowledge that your brothers all over the world are suffering the same things. You will have to suffer only for a little while: the God of all grace who called you to eternal glory in Christ will see that all is well again: he will confirm, strengthen and support you. His power lasts for ever and ever. Amen.
I write these few words to you through Silvanus, who is a brother I know I can trust, to encourage you never to let go this true grace of God to which I bear witness.
Your sister in Babylon, who is with you among the chosen, sends you greetings; so does my son, Mark.
Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Gospel
Mark 16:15-20
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.’
And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.
Unless I put my fingers into the holes of his hands and side I will not believe. Famous words of a skeptical disciple of Christ, yet this very disciple is the only one in the whole bible which comes to the perfect realisation of who Christ really is for him and for us all when he declares, “My Lord and My GOD!”
Unless we humbly surrender ourselves to Him, body, mind and spirit we will never His experience and even see our resurrected Lord as we ought to. And we can do so in…..
Fervent prayer and worship
Dwelling on the Word of God
At the Eucharistic Celebration
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Community breaking and sharing of the Word
When we listen and sing along to praise and worship songs
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” And so sisters and brothers we are the Blessed for we believe; and we shall go on sharing the Risen Lord with all whom we meet. Amen
First reading
Acts 4:13-21 ·
We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard
The rulers, elders and scribes were astonished at the assurance shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated laymen; and they recognised them as associates of Jesus; but when they saw the man who had been cured standing by their side, they could find no answer. So they ordered them to stand outside while the Sanhedrin had a private discussion. ‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘It is obvious to everybody in Jerusalem that a miracle has been worked through them in public, and we cannot deny it. But to stop the whole thing spreading any further among the people, let us caution them never to speak to anyone in this name again.’
So they called them in and gave them a warning on no account to make statements or to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John retorted, ‘You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God. We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.’ The court repeated the warnings and then released them; they could not think of any way to punish them, since all the people were giving glory to God for what had happened.
Gospel
Mark 16:9-15
Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News
Having risen in the morning on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had cast out seven devils. She then went to those who had been his companions, and who were mourning and in tears, and told them. But they did not believe her when they heard her say that he was alive and that she had seen him.
After this, he showed himself under another form to two of them as they were on their way into the country. These went back and told the others, who did not believe them either.
Lastly, he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.’
Jesus provides fish for the disciples
John 21:1 … After these things, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, Im going fishing. They told him, We are also coming with you. They immediately went out, and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing.
4 But when day had already come, Jesus stood on the beach, yet the disciples didnt know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus therefore said to them, Children, have you anything to eat? They answered him, No. 6 He said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. They cast it therefore, and now they werent able to draw it in for the multitude of fish. 7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, Its the Lord! So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around him (for he was naked), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away), dragging the net full of fish.
9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish which you have just caught. 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of great fish, one hundred fifty-three; and even though there were so many, the net wasnt torn.
12 Jesus said to them, Come and eat breakfast. None of the disciples dared inquire of him, Who are you? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus came and took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples, after he had risen from the dead.
Jesus saves! His very name in Hebrew means salvation! And that is why Jesus came down from Heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man. For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. John 3:16
So let us turn back this very day to the heart of Jesus, let our bodies, minds and spirits be cleansed from all forms of sin. So that we can live fully and free in His love. Such is the love of our Saviour that He seeks to dine with us. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. ” Rev 3:20
Filled with His presence, filled with joy, filled with the light of His resurrection let us go forth glorifying Him by our lives; declaring to one and all that Jesus lives! He is for you, me and everyone! Amen
First reading
Acts 4:1-12
The name of Jesus Christ is the only one by which we can be saved
While Peter and John were talking to the people the priests came up to them, accompanied by the captain of the Temple and the Sadducees. They were extremely annoyed at their teaching the people the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead by proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. They arrested them, but as it was already late, they held them till the next day. But many of those who had listened to their message became believers, the total number of whom had now risen to something like five thousand.
The next day the rulers, elders and scribes had a meeting in Jerusalem with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, Jonathan, Alexander and all the members of the high-priestly families. They made the prisoners stand in the middle and began to interrogate them, ‘By what power, and by whose name have you men done this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed them, ‘Rulers of the people, and elders! If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today. This is the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone. For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.’
Gospel
John 21:1-14
Jesus stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.
It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words ‘It is the Lord’, Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.
As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.
Not all of us have the faith it takes to perform miracles for our Lord and our brethren, but all of us can put His light and love into action can we not? We can help the blind men and women we chance upon to get from one point to another safely. We can help the elderly stand when they want to get up and even help if they need to use the washroom. We can offer kind words and joy filled greetings with all that we meet today and tomorrow. We can pause in our busyness to help someone who has a question or a need.
Or have we become blind, deaf and lame to the call of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to live in the light of His resurrection? Have we become inward looking only caring for ourselves? If so then we surely have not spent time at all in His presence listening to His Word and Will for us. W have refused to get up and go witness Him in the Blessed Sacrament? To receive Him in Holy Eucharist and to be received by Him in that very loving embrace?
Open my eyes Lord to see You! Amen
First reading
Acts 3:1-10 ·
I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus, walk!
Once, when Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour, it happened that there was a man being carried past. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from the people going in. When this man saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them. Both Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us.’ He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them, but Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ Peter then took him by the hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm, he jumped up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God. Everyone could see him walking and praising God, and they recognised him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. They were all astonished and unable to explain what had happened to him.
Gospel
Luke 24:13-35
They recognised him at the breaking of bread
Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast.
Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’
Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.
When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’
They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
Do not let sin rob you of the Easter joy which is yours to have! Do not let your guard down for the lion prowls looking for prey. Turn to Jesus who had conquered death and sin and He will set you free! Share this with your family and friends too so that they can be free to live in the light of His resurrection.
In our deepest pains and sorrows, Jesus stands in our midst. In a most soothing voice He will surely say to us, “Why are you weeping?” For no sorrow can stand against the power and love of our Lord’s resurrection as He embraces us in His loving arms. Amen
First reading
Acts 2:36-41 ·
You must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus
On the day of Pentecost, Peter spoke to the Jews: ‘The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.’
Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, ‘What must we do, brothers?’ ‘You must repent,’ Peter answered ‘and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himself.’ He spoke to them for a long time using many arguments, and he urged them, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation.’ They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.
Gospel
John 20:11-18
‘I have seen the Lord and he has spoken to me’
Mary stayed outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognise him. Jesus said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master. Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ So Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.
Preserve me Lord, I take refuge in You. You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness for ever. This if you are not aware is extracted from today’s responsorial Psalm and it encapsulates what the true joy of Easter is all about. It is about living in the presence of our resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Yesterday as we were reflecting on the Easter Sunday readings, I shared with my brother in Christ that just wishing one another ‘Happy Easter’ seemed rather superficial to me. What we all should be doing is living the joy of the resurrection in our lives! Such that when we look upon one another the light of Christ shines forth from us. For example at the Easter Eucharistic celebration I gazed upon the congregation and my heart was filled with joy as I saw many familiar faces which shone with the light of Christ. My fellow brothers and sisters who had journeyed through Lent together, had come to this Celebration of celebrations renewed and fully alive in Him! Their hearts cried out to me, ‘Happy Easter!’
And so filled with awe and great joy let us go out to share the joy of our resurrected Lord with everyone by the way we live our lives. And when they ask us why we remain so joyful even amidst trials and challenges? We can proclaim that Jesus lives in us now and forevermore. Amen
First reading
Acts 2:14,22-33
God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to this
On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: ‘Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you, as you all know. This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law. You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for him to be held in its power since, as David says of him:
I saw the Lord before me always,
for with him at my right hand nothing can shake me.
So my heart was glad
and my tongue cried out with joy;
my body, too, will rest in the hope
that you will not abandon my soul to Hades
nor allow your holy one to experience corruption.
You have made known the way of life to me,
you will fill me with gladness through your presence.
‘Brothers, no one can deny that the patriarch David himself is dead and buried: his tomb is still with us. But since he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn him an oath to make one of his descendants succeed him on the throne, what he foresaw and spoke about was the resurrection of the Christ: he is the one who was not abandoned to Hades, and whose body did not experience corruption. God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that. Now raised to the heights by God’s right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit, who was promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.’
Gospel
Matthew 28:8-15
Tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee: they will see me there
Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples.
And there, coming to meet them, was Jesus. ‘Greetings’ he said. And the women came up to him and, falling down before him, clasped his feet. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there.’
While they were on their way, some of the guard went off into the city to tell the chief priests all that had happened. These held a meeting with the elders and, after some discussion, handed a considerable sum of money to the soldiers with these instructions, ‘This is what you must say, “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.” And should the governor come to hear of this, we undertake to put things right with him ourselves and to see that you do not get into trouble.’ The soldiers took the money and carried out their instructions, and to this day that is the story among the Jews.
May the light of our Risen Lord glow within you and shine forth for the world to see. Happy Easter to you and all at home. Lots of love Julian & family ❤️
There is no Mass today. The readings given here are used in the afternoon celebration of the Lord’s Passion. But how can it be called a celebration? Well had Jesus our Lord not died for us upon the cross there will be no Easter, no resurrection, hence no life for us! We would simply die for our sins! Today therefore we celebrate God our Father’s endearing love for us; For He so loved the world He gave us His only begotten Son, so that anyone who believes in His shall not perish but have eternal life.
And so today is not a holiday for us but a day we take a hard look at ourselves. How have we crucified Him by our sins? “Surely not I?” you may say, but think hard again…perhaps here are some of the ways…
When you plotted an schemed with others on how to ‘pay’ someone ‘back’ who landed you in trouble? Or give them a taste of their own medicine!
When you lost your temper and laid hands on another causing hurt and pain.
Cursed, mocked or used vulgarities against another.
Lied, bore false witness against another.
Gossiped.
Cheated, stole even if it was just stationery from the office.
Lusted, masturbated, engaged in ‘harmless’ sexual banter or engaged in sexual activity outside of marriage.
Was blind and deaf to the needs of the poor and downtrodden.
Sin of omission.
Let us then crucify these all our other sins upon the cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who bore them for us. Turning away from them with contrition of heart let us then embrace and love Him with all our heart, mind and soul. Amen
First reading
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
The servant of the Lord, an expiatory Sacrifice
See, my servant will prosper,
he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights.
As the crowds were appalled on seeing him
– so disfigured did he look
that he seemed no longer human –
so will the crowds be astonished at him,
and kings stand speechless before him;
for they shall see something never told
and witness something never heard before:
‘Who could believe what we have heard,
and to whom has the power of the Lord been revealed?’
Like a sapling he grew up in front of us,
like a root in arid ground.
Without beauty, without majesty we saw him,
no looks to attract our eyes;
a thing despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering,
a man to make people screen their faces;
he was despised and we took no account of him.
And yet ours were the sufferings he bore,
ours the sorrows he carried.
But we, we thought of him as someone punished,
struck by God, and brought low.
Yet he was pierced through for our faults,
crushed for our sins.
On him lies a punishment that brings us peace,
and through his wounds we are healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each taking his own way,
and the Lord burdened him
with the sins of all of us.
Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly,
he never opened his mouth,
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house,
like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers
never opening its mouth.
By force and by law he was taken;
would anyone plead his cause?
Yes, he was torn away from the land of the living;
for our faults struck down in death.
They gave him a grave with the wicked,
a tomb with the rich,
though he had done no wrong
and there had been no perjury in his mouth.
The Lord has been pleased to crush him with suffering.
If he offers his life in atonement,
he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life
and through him what the Lord wishes will be done.
His soul’s anguish over
he shall see the light and be content.
By his sufferings shall my servant justify many,
taking their faults on himself.
Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute,
he shall divide the spoil with the mighty,
for surrendering himself to death
and letting himself be taken for a sinner,
while he was bearing the faults of many
and praying all the time for sinners.
Second reading
Hebrews 4:14-16,5:7-9 ·
The Lord burdened him with the sins of all of us
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.
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.
Gospel
John 18:1-19:42
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ
Key: N. Narrator. ✠ Jesus. O. Other single speaker. C. Crowd, or more than one speaker.
N. Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kedron valley. There was a garden there, and he went into it with his disciples. Judas the traitor knew the place well, since Jesus had often met his disciples there, and he brought the cohort to this place together with a detachment of guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns and torches and weapons. Knowing everything that was going to happen to him, Jesus then came forward and said,
✠ Who are you looking for?
N. They answered,
C. Jesus the Nazarene.
N. He said,
✠ I am he.
N. Now Judas the traitor was standing among them. When Jesus said, ‘I am he’, they moved back and fell to the ground. He asked them a second time,
✠ Who are you looking for?
N. They said,
C. Jesus the Nazarene.
N. Jesus replied,
✠ I have told you that I am he. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go.
N. This was to fulfil the words he had spoken, ‘Not one of those you gave me have I lost.’
Simon Peter, who carried a sword, drew it and wounded the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter,
✠ Put your sword back in its scabbard; am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?
N. The cohort and its captain and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him. They took him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had suggested to the Jews, ‘It is better for one man to die for the people.’
Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus. This disciple, who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest’s palace, but Peter stayed outside the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who was keeping the door and brought Peter in. The maid on duty at the door said to Peter,
O. Aren’t you another of that man’s disciples?
N. He answered,
O. I am not.
N. Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there warming themselves; so Peter stood there too, warming himself with the others.
The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered,
✠ I have spoken openly for all the world to hear; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet together: I have said nothing in secret. But why ask me? Ask my hearers what I taught: they know what I said.
N. At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying,
O. Is that the way to answer the high priest?
N. Jesus replied,
✠ If there is something wrong in what I said, point it out; but if there is no offence in it, why do you strike me?
N. Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him,
O. Aren’t you another of his disciples?
N. He denied it, saying,
O. I am not.
N. One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
O. Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?
N. Again Peter denied it; and at once a cock crew.
They then led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was now morning. They did not go into the Praetorium themselves or they would be defiled and unable to eat the passover. So Pilate came outside to them and said,
O. What charge do you bring against this man?
N. They replied,
C. If he were not a criminal, we should not be handing him over to you.
N. Pilate said,
O. Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law.
N. The Jews answered,
C. We are not allowed to put a man to death.
N. This was to fulfil the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way he was going to die.
So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him, and asked,
O. Are you the king of the Jews?
N. Jesus replied,
✠ Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?
N. Pilate answered,
O. Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?
N. Jesus replied,
✠ Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.
N. Pilate said,
O. So you are a king, then?
N. Jesus answered,
✠ It is you who say it. Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.
N. Pilate said,
O. Truth? What is that?
N. and with that he went out again to the Jews and said,
O. I find no case against him. But according to a custom of yours I should release one prisoner at the Passover; would you like me, then, to release the king of the Jews?
N. At this they shouted:
C. Not this man, but Barabbas.
N. Barabbas was a brigand.
Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged; and after this, the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him and saying,
C. Hail, king of the Jews!
N. and they slapped him in the face.
Pilate came outside again and said to them,
O. Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case.
N. Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said,
O. Here is the man.
N. When they saw him the chief priests and the guards shouted,
C. Crucify him! Crucify him!
N. Pilate said,
O. Take him yourselves and crucify him: I can find no case against him.
N. The Jews replied,
C. We have a Law, and according to that Law he ought to die, because he has claimed to be the Son of God.
N. When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased. Re-entering the Praetorium, he said to Jesus
O. Where do you come from?
N. But Jesus made no answer. Pilate then said to him,
O. Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?
N. Jesus replied,
✠ You would have no power over me if it had not been given you from above; that is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater guilt.
N. From that moment Pilate was anxious to set him free, but the Jews shouted,
C. If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar’s; anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar.
N. Hearing these words, Pilate had Jesus brought out, and seated himself on the chair of judgement at a place called the Pavement, in Hebrew Gabbatha. It was Passover Preparation Day, about the sixth hour. Pilate said to the Jews,
O. Here is your king.
N. They said,
C. Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!
N. Pilate said,
O. Do you want me to crucify your king?
N. The chief priests answered,
C. We have no king except Caesar.
N. So in the end Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
They then took charge of Jesus, and carrying his own cross he went out of the city to the place of the skull or, as it was called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him with two others, one on either side with Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.’ This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate,
C. You should not write ‘King of the Jews,’ but ‘This man said: “I am King of the Jews.”’
N. Pilate answered,
O. What I have written, I have written.
N. When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck to hem; so they said to one another,
C. Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide who is to have it.
N. In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled:
They shared out my clothing among them.
They cast lots for my clothes.
This is exactly what the soldiers did.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother,
✠ Woman, this is your son.
N. Then to the disciple he said,
✠ This is your mother.
N. And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfil the scripture perfectly he said:
✠ I am thirsty.
N. A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said,
✠ It is accomplished;
N. and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.
Here all kneel and pause for a short time.
It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:
Not one bone of his will be broken;
and again, in another place scripture says:
They will look on the one whom they have pierced.
After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus – though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews – asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away. Nicodemus came as well – the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time – and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, following the Jewish burial custom. At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried. Since it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was near at hand, they laid Jesus there.
Every year on this Holy Thursday of Thursdays we call to mind what the Lord has done for us….
He instituted the Priesthood so that for all time we would not be left as orphans.
He instituted the Holy Eucharist an eternal covenant uniting us One with Him through His Body, Blood, Soul and divinity.
He showed His love put into action by lowering himself to wash the feet of His disciples which prefigured how He who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross! Phil 2:6-11 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Jn 15:13 And so Jesus laid down His life for us.
He commanded us to love one another as He loved us. “You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.”
Great is Your love for us O Lord! Honour, glory and praise be to You our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen
(Maundy from the Latin word Mandatum which means command)
First reading
Exodus 12:1-8,11-14 ·
The Passover is a day of festival for all generations, for ever
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:
‘This month is to be the first of all the others for you, the first month of your year. Speak to the whole community of Israel and say, “On the tenth day of this month each man must take an animal from the flock, one for each family: one animal for each household. If the household is too small to eat the animal, a man must join with his neighbour, the nearest to his house, as the number of persons requires. You must take into account what each can eat in deciding the number for the animal. It must be an animal without blemish, a male one year old; you may take it from either sheep or goats. You must keep it till the fourteenth day of the month when the whole assembly of the community of Israel shall slaughter it between the two evenings. Some of the blood must then be taken and put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where it is eaten. That night, the flesh is to be eaten, roasted over the fire; it must be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. You shall eat it like this: with a girdle round your waist, sandals on your feet, a staff in your hand. You shall eat it hastily: it is a passover in honour of the Lord. That night, I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, man and beast alike, and I shall deal out punishment to all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord! The blood shall serve to mark the houses that you live in. When I see the blood I will pass over you and you shall escape the destroying plague when I strike the land of Egypt. This day is to be a day of remembrance for you, and you must celebrate it as a feast in the Lord’s honour. For all generations you are to declare it a day of festival, for ever.”’
Second reading
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ·
Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord
This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.
Gospel
John 13:1-15
Now he showed how perfect his love was
It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was.
They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘Never!’ said Peter ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.’ ‘Then, Lord,’ said Simon Peter ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ Jesus said, ‘No one who has taken a bath needs washing, he is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’ He knew who was going to betray him, that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are.’
When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’
Do we listen as a disciple would each morning when we awake? Eager to be in the presence of our Lord as we pray and listen attentively to His Word and Will for us? Having done so are we not renewed, invigorated and ready to face unafraid the day the trials and challenges ahead?
Yes indeed if only we are steadfast in this endeavour day after day. And are aware that we need to remain connected and focused on our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ throughout the day. To spend pockets of prayer time! Otherwise we will be tempted by the ‘Thirty silver pieces’ offered to sell away our faith and love of our Lord and to give in to our base desires and lusts!
Jesus my Lord, I call on You to help me remain faithful and attentive to Your will for me. Let me be a disciple always willing to take up my cross to follow after You. Amen
First reading
Isaiah 50:4-9 ·
Who thinks he has a case against me? Let him approach me
The Lord has given me
a disciple’s tongue.
So that I may know how to reply to the wearied
he provides me with speech.
Each morning he wakes me to hear,
to listen like a disciple.
The Lord has opened my ear.
For my part, I made no resistance,
neither did I turn away.
I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;
I did not cover my face
against insult and spittle.
The Lord comes to my help,
so that I am untouched by the insults.
So, too, I set my face like flint;
I know I shall not be shamed.
My vindicator is here at hand. Does anyone start proceedings against me?
Then let us go to court together.
Who thinks he has a case against me?
Let him approach me.
The Lord is coming to my help,
who will dare to condemn me?
Gospel
Matthew 26:14-25
‘The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will’
One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?’ They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment he looked for an opportunity to betray him.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied ‘and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.”’ The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.
When evening came he was at table with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.
Mark 14:66-72. Peter denies he knows the Lord Jesus ….
As Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the maids of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus! 68 But he denied it, saying, I neither know, nor understand what you are saying. He went out on the porch, and the rooster crowed. 69 The maid saw him, and began again to tell those who stood by, This is one of them. 70 But he again denied it.
After a little while again those who stood by said to Peter, You truly are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it. 71 But he began to curse, and to swear, I don t know this man of whom you speak! 72 The rooster crowed the second time. Peter remembered the word, how that Jesus said to him, Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. When he thought about that, he wept.
Even when Jesus knew Peter was going to deny him, he prayed for Peter. That through the guilt and shame of denying his master, humbled he will be renewed and strengthened to lead his brethren. After his denial, Peter gazed into the eyes of Jesus and saw that he was still very much loved and forgiven. Jesus the source of all life desires that we all should have life, life to the full! Hence He willing laid down His life and forgave us from the cross, to take away the sins of the world so that we can live free in His love.
Pity Judas turned away from Jesus instead of turning towards Him! Otherwise he too would have known his Saviour’s love and mercy for him. He would gained his life instead of taking it upon himself to end it.
We who have experienced the great mercy and love of our Lord Jesus Christ will eagerly share it with others, “My lips will tell of Your help (righteous deeds)” Ps 71;15
Lord let me be Your light in the world. Amen
First reading
Isaiah 49:1-6 ·
I will make you the light of the nations, so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth
Islands, listen to me,
pay attention, remotest peoples.
The Lord called me before I was born,
from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.
He made my mouth a sharp sword,
and hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me into a sharpened arrow,
and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel)
in whom I shall be glorified’;
while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain,
I have exhausted myself for nothing’;
and all the while my cause was with the Lord,
my reward with my God.
I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,
my God was my strength.
And now the Lord has spoken,
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
to gather Israel to him:
‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’
Gospel
John 13:21-33,36-38
‘What you are going to do, do quickly’
While at supper with his disciples, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, wondering which he meant. The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, ‘Ask who it is he means’, so leaning back on Jesus’ breast he said, ‘Who is it, Lord?’ ‘It is the one’ replied Jesus ‘to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish.’ He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’ None of the others at table understood the reason he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’, or telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen.
When he had gone Jesus said:
‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified,
and in him God has been glorified.
If God has been glorified in him,
God will in turn glorify him in himself,
and will glorify him very soon.
‘My little children,
I shall not be with you much longer.
You will look for me,
And, as I told the Jews,
where I am going, you cannot come.’
Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later.’ Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’
How can withhold the best of ourselves for the Lord? How can we not give Him the first fruits of the earth? The perfect offering from our flock? Gold, silver, frankincense and myrrh! Our talents and our gifts!
What did the Lord our God withhold from us? Nothing! Jesus, God our Father’s perfect offering, laid down His life for us. To pay off a debt that we could not repay. Great is His mercy and love for us that He chose to save us while we were sinners. While we were broken by sins, He could have let us perish, but instead came to bind up our wounds and heal us. While our love for Him wavered and waned He could easily have snuffed us out, instead He rekindled the fire of His love within us. We now are free to live life to the full in His love. We can love one another as we ought. All because He first loved us and gave His all for us. Amen
First reading
Isaiah 42:1-7 ·
Here is my chosen one in whom my soul delights
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom my soul delights.
I have endowed him with my spirit
that he may bring true justice to the nations.
He does not cry out or shout aloud,
or make his voice heard in the streets.
He does not break the crushed reed,
nor quench the wavering flame.
Faithfully he brings true justice;
he will neither waver, nor be crushed
until true justice is established on earth,
for the islands are awaiting his law.
Thus says God, the Lord,
he who created the heavens and spread them out,
who gave shape to the earth and what comes from it,
who gave breath to its people
and life to the creatures that move in it:
‘I, the Lord, have called you to serve the cause of right;
I have taken you by the hand and formed you;
I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations,
‘to open the eyes of the blind,
to free captives from prison,
and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.’
Gospel
John 12:1-11
‘She had to keep this scent for the day of my burial’
Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those at table. Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was full of the scent of the ointment. Then Judas Iscariot – one of his disciples, the man who was to betray him – said, ‘Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contributions. So Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.’
Meanwhile a large number of Jews heard that he was there and came not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, since it was on his account that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.
As swiftly as when we first entered into Lent on Ash Wednesday, we are now fast entering into Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday.
And so through this Lenten journey of 2022 we need to reflect deeply to see if we are more united with Christ Jesus our Lord and with one another, then we have ever been!? Will we be a people welcoming Him, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is He comes in the name of the Lord.” Joyful that the Lord is present in our midst as we basked together as One in His love for Him and for one another.
Or will we be a people who shouts ,”Crucify him! Crucify Him! for we have refused to repent of our sins. Looking inwardly at ourselves, our wants, our desires. Community? What community?! Every man, woman, child for themselves! My journey, my choice!
Then just like Caiaphas himself, we will find that we have not grasped the situation at all! We have failed to see that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has sought through this Lent to gather all of us unto Himself. To renew, heal and transform us so that we can experience the depts of being One through Him, with Him and in Him. He wants to dwell in our hearts, for He is our God and we are His people.
Sanctify me Lord! That I may become Your Holy dwelling place. Amen
First reading
Ezekiel 37:21-28 ·
I will bring them home and make them one nation
The Lord says this: ‘I am going to take the sons of Israel from the nations where they have gone. I shall gather them together from everywhere and bring them home to their own soil. I shall make them into one nation in my own land and on the mountains of Israel, and one king is to be king of them all; they will no longer form two nations, nor be two separate kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and their filthy practices and all their sins. I shall rescue them from all the betrayals they have been guilty of; I shall cleanse them; they shall be my people and I will be their God. My servant David will reign over them, one shepherd for all; they will follow my observances, respect my laws and practise them. They will live in the land that I gave my servant Jacob, the land in which your ancestors lived. They will live in it, they, their children, their children’s children, for ever. David my servant is to be their prince for ever. I shall make a covenant of peace with them, an eternal covenant with them. I shall resettle them and increase them; I shall settle my sanctuary among them for ever. I shall make my home above them; I will be their God, they shall be my people. And the nations will learn that I am the Lord, the sanctifier of Israel, when my sanctuary is with them for ever.’
Gospel
John 11:45-56
Jesus was to die to gather together the scattered children of God
Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed in him, but some of them went to tell the Pharisees what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting. ‘Here is this man working all these signs’ they said ‘and what action are we taking? If we let him go on in this way everybody will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy the Holy Place and our nation.’ One of them, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said, ‘You do not seem to have grasped the situation at all; you fail to see that it is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed.’ He did not speak in his own person, it was as high priest that he made this prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation – and not for the nation only, but to gather together in unity the scattered children of God. From that day they were determined to kill him. So Jesus no longer went about openly among the Jews, but left the district for a town called Ephraim, in the country bordering on the desert, and stayed there with his disciples.
The Jewish Passover drew near, and many of the country people who had gone up to Jerusalem to purify themselves looked out for Jesus, saying to one another as they stood about in the Temple, ‘What do you think? Will he come to the festival or not?’
Jesus does not want us to live a life of guilt and shame. To be ridiculed, mocked or burdened. On the contrary He calls out to each and everyone of us, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28
In our moments of great difficulty and anguish we can cry out to Him with great confidence, “I love You, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Ps 18:1-2 And He will make haste to help us and deliver us from evil.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. And whoever believes in Jesus the Son of God, will not perish but have eternal life. Amen
First reading
Jeremiah 20:10-13 ·
He has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men
Jeremiah said:
I hear so many disparaging me,
‘“Terror from every side!”
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’
All those who used to be my friends
watched for my downfall,
‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error.
Then we will master him
and take our revenge!’
But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero;
my opponents will stumble, mastered,
confounded by their failure;
everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.
But you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice,
who scrutinise the loins and heart,
let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
Sing to the Lord,
praise the Lord,
for he has delivered the soul of the needy
from the hands of evil men.
Gospel
John 10:31-42
They wanted to stone Jesus, but he eluded them
The Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good works for you to see, works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be God.’ Jesus answered:
‘Is it not written in your Law:
I said, you are gods?
So the Law uses the word gods
of those to whom the word of God was addressed,
and scripture cannot be rejected.
Yet you say to someone the Father has consecrated and sent into the world,
“You are blaspheming,”
because he says, “I am the son of God.”
If I am not doing my Father’s work,
there is no need to believe me;
but if I am doing it,
then even if you refuse to believe in me,
at least believe in the work I do;
then you will know for sure
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’
They wanted to arrest him then, but he eluded them.
He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to stay in the district where John had once been baptising. Many people who came to him there said, ‘John gave no signs, but all he said about this man was true’; and many of them believed in him.
Lord Jesus You who was in the beginning and will be at the very end, I prostrate myself in humble worship just as father Abraham did. I seek to follow after You in faithfulness and obedience. But I am sinner Lord often found wanting and in need of Your Grace. I fall into the doubt and despair turning to sinful desires looking searching for reprieve. Help me Lord to overcome such temptations which lead me away from You. Let me remain focused on You and Your Will for me, for I know that everything I will ever need or want is to be found in You. Grant that I many glorify You all the days of my life by my service of You and of brethren.
Be near, O Lord, to those who plead before you, and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy, that, cleansed from the stain of their sins, they may persevere in holy living and be made full heirs of your promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
First reading
Genesis 17:3-9 ·
Abraham, the father of a multitude of nations
Abram bowed to the ground and God said this to him, ‘Here now is my covenant with you: you shall become the father of a multitude of nations. You shall no longer be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I make you father of a multitude of nations. I will make you most fruitful. I will make you into nations, and your issue shall be kings. I will establish my Covenant between myself and you, and your descendants after you, generation after generation, a Covenant in perpetuity, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land you are living in, the whole land of Canaan, to own in perpetuity, and I will be your God.’
Gospel
John 8:51-59
Your father Abraham saw my Day and was glad
Jesus said to the Jews:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
whoever keeps my word
will never see death.’
The Jews said, ‘Now we know for certain that you are possessed. Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead, and yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never know the taste of death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? The prophets are dead too. Who are you claiming to be?’ Jesus answered:
‘If I were to seek my own glory
that would be no glory at all;
my glory is conferred by the Father,
by the one of whom you say, “He is our God”
although you do not know him.
But I know him,
and if I were to say: I do not know him,
I should be a liar, as you are liars yourselves.
But I do know him, and I faithfully keep his word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced
to think that he would see my Day;
he saw it and was glad.’
The Jews then said, ‘You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham!’ Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
before Abraham ever was,
I Am.’
At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.
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