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If we are too rigid we will lose our members then we will not have anyone to serve in our ministry. So let us be more compassionate after all we are all volunteers. So what happens thereafter? There is no growth in faith in the members, neither is there growth in love for one another. Folks are free to choose when or where they want to serve. Prayer meetings, formations are missed and often there is a problem filling the required numbers for service. Often the same members are doing double, sometimes even triple the amount of work and there is a risk of burnout if they are not grounded in Christ. Most folks do not realise that by having turn their backs to the needs of their fellow members and ministry they have made themselves betrayers of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose call is to love one another first above all. How do you love then if you are not present? Or have other more important interests?

First and foremost the problem is we forget the root or etymology of the word volunteer actually means to enter into service of others that is, of one’s own free will. It does not mean that we are free to pick, choose as and when. In ministry you may have started out as a ‘volunteer’ but there must always be the movement towards greater discipleship of Jesus Christ our Lord. Coming together often to pray and discern the Lord’s will for us is paramount. Docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit we will be of greater service to one another and others through the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then we will bear much fruit, fruit that will last. Amen

St Matthias, all the Apostles and Saints pray for us……

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.

Gospel

John 15:9-17
You are my friends if you do what I command you

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know his master’s business;
I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me: no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you is to love one another.’

If we are open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, He will most certainly lead us to far greater growth in love and faith through Christ Jesus our Lord. And in ways we cannot even imagine. We will then not be so quick to insist on sticking to set prayers, formation, methods and so on. When someone in our community is moved to suggest something new, we will listen intently then bring it to prayer and discernment.

This is our how we grow together in love and greater discipleship. For it is the Lord’s voice we seek always and together as one flock, we recognise and follow Him. We reject the voices and promptings of those who seek to steal us away from Him. We welcome the stranger the Lord sends our way to love and to guide to His truth, way and life. For by His grace alone we have life to the full. Amen

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.’

What we often lack is conviction in our faith. The commitment and the sacrifice it takes to deepen our relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord and our resolve to be a light in the lives of others. That is why many of the promises of Christ go unclaimed by us. For Jesus did say “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” St Peter claimed this promise and so today we hear of the wonders He performed in our Lord’s name.

Do you not think that if we are faithful and faith-filled we can do likewise? That is to do great things in Jesus’s name. To be powerful instruments of His Grace and more importantly to gather His flock unto Him. We can and we shall! Let us make a commitment this very day to enter into greater discipleship of our Lord Jesus Christ. To live in the Spirit and in the joy of our Risen Lord. Amen

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.’

When we lose our temper with someone, scold them harshly, use abusive language, vulgarities, scream, shout, humiliate. Are we not persecuting our Lord? What if we then escalate it by being physical with them. Are we not scourging our Lord? Still don’t see the connection? Ask yourself then, who is a child of God? Only baptised Christians? If your eyes have now opened then you’ll be able to see many other ways and situations in which you have persecuted our Lord.

See then also that our Lord still loves you dearly, give the truth of your heart to Him and seek Him in the gift of the Sacrament of reconciliation. Then be filled with the Holy Spirit to proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God sent to save us from sin and lead us into eternal life with Him. He is our Eucharistic Lord and God!

Yes sisters and brothers in Christ, we have the Supreme gift of the Holy Eucharist! The source and summit of our faith. For the Word made flesh has spoken this truth and reality to all in today’s Gospel. Those who believe in this truth will live forever. Through Holy Communion we are united fully with Jesus our Lord and with one another in a very deep and profound way.

Thank You Jesus for this great and wonderful gift from Heaven, Your precious body and blood! 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 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.

Are you growing in your faith and knowledge of Christ your saviour, who alone gives life to the full? Oh no the catechism growing up was very basic and the priests in my parish are too busy to provide formation. Don’t know where to look even if I wanted to!? Scripture to be honest is ancient and boring to me.

The keyword to all the excuses we have is ‘want’ to. If we really wanted to, that is if it is our hearts desire, then do you not think the Holy Spirit will lead us or send someone to guide us? Besides by the grace of God, we managed to secure domains like catholic.com and formed.org with great wealth of information and are searchable even. Then there are also parish formation and programs that have been organized for us from time to time, our excuse for not signing up or registering? No time! Too busy!

If only you would receive the Word of God into Your hearts and allow Him to embrace You through a lived experience of Him. You will begin to feel something ‘old’, worn, familiar and comfortable yet New all at once. Every faith discovery is an exciting adventure in His love. Then truly you will be able to proclaim with joy in your heart, Jesus is the bread of life! He gives me life to the full! Amen, Amen, Amen, Alleluia!

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 sharers, 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.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’

We have all been given, rather entrusted with a powerful message to share both with one another and all whom have not yet heard it. The message of God our Father’s love and mercy. For through His only Begotten Son our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ we have forgiveness of sin and hope of life everlasting with Him.

We do Not have to wallow in guilt and shame any longer or continue to seek worldly pleasures which cannot satisfy our insatiable appetites. All we need is Jesus our Lord who is indeed the bread of life! We will not hunger, thirst or have want of anything else. He frees us to live in the joy of His Resurrection. And when we cling to His promises we can become powerful instruments of His grace, mercy and love. He can and will turn all curses into blessings, tragedies into victories! Through death new life arises, through Him, with Him and in Him. Amen alleluia!

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, and that I shall raise him up on the last day.’

Come Lord Jesus come to my aid! Lord give me a sign that I may believe in You! Lord if You answer this prayer I promise to…..Why do I pray so hard when you don’t answer Lord?

What if I told you Jesus was always there by your side? That He is real and truly the Son of the living God whether you want to believe or not. God our Father loves you dearly and wills only the best for you, therefore the answer to your prayer is sometimes No. Think a little more deeply, can the Lord our God be the Lord of your life if He must bend to your will? For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways. (Isa 55:8-9)

Empty yourself completely, mind, heart, hands, will and surrender your whole life to Jesus. Just as surely as the sun rises in the morning, you will begin to experience the presence of the Risen Lord profoundly in your life. You will hear Him speak to your heart. Come what may, Your lived experience of Christ will carry you through it all.

Lord Jesus into Your hands I commit my spirit. Amen

First reading

Acts 7:51-8:1 †
‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’

Stephen said to the people, the elders and the scribes: ‘You stubborn people, with your pagan hearts and pagan ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? In the past they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers. You who had the Law brought to you by angels are the very ones who have not kept it.’
They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and said aloud, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’; and with these words he fell asleep. Saul entirely approved of the killing.

Gospel

John 6:30-35
It is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven

The people said to Jesus, ‘What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’
Jesus answered:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven, it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven,the true bread;
for the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’

‘Sir,’ they said ‘give us that bread always.’ Jesus answered:

‘I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never be hungry;
he who believes in me will never thirst.’

To utter the words I believe in God the Father almighty, and in Jesus Christ His only Begotten Son in whom He sent to save us, the Holy Spirit, our one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, one baptism in which we are inserted into the life, death and Resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins; is not enough! For if we truly believe then we must live out what we believe.

Can we then walk around with a grimace on our faces? Can we dishonour the absent by loose talk? Can we openly declare our unforgiveness of another? Can we scream or rebuke others and subject them to public humiliation? Can we ignore the pleas for mercy and help? Can we choose personal comfort over the discomfort of serving others in the community? Whose face do we represent when others look upon us? Whom is it by our actions that others see that we serve? Whose kingdom are we building?

Our work therefore should reflect our believe in our Risen Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. For then we truly honour, worship and glorify Him. Amen

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.’

In the communities you belong to, do you affirm one another’s gifts and talents? So as to develop them through the grace of the Holy Spirit in service of all? Do you encourage one another to grow spiritually and deepen the faith and knowledge of the Word? Unless a community prays together regularly, deepen their faith by reflection and sharing of the word of God; then sharing in the love of the Lord by their service of one another there will be no growth! Christ must always be the centre of all that we think, say and do.

Then when challenges and trials come our way, we will face them stoically for we know the Lord stands with us through it all. We will hear Him say to us, “it is I, do not be afraid” then we will find that we have already arrived at our destination. So let us place all our faith and trust in our Risen Lord and saviour Jesus Christ as we journey onwards through our discipleship and service of 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.

Upon this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not overcome it. This promise of Christ Jesus holds fast to this very day two thousand plus years later. And our Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is built upon this very foundation. Yes indeed the gates of hell will not overcome it because we do not freely pick and choose what we want to believe. We have a Magisterium and our Church has been guided by the Holy Spirit ever since the day of Pentecost.

Over the centuries many have sought to extinguish the light of our Church but through the blood of the Martyrs we flourished and grew. Because we clung to the promises of Jesus Christ our Lord, lived our lives according to the Gospel and professed His life, death and Resurrection to all. The Apostles St Philip and St James whose feast day we celebrate, reminds us all that by their examplary lives;we are not called to be followers but disciples after our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen Alleluia

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.
I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater works,
because I am going to the Father.
Whatever you ask for in my name I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask for anything in my name,
I will do it.’

Why bother sharing the truth of our faith with others when they are not prepared to listen? Wouldn’t it be better to just share it with those interested and are enquiring? Isn’t the former a waste of time and effort?

What it comes down to is how deep is your faith? Your relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore how obedient are you? Afterall Jesus never said to share your faith with a select few, He commanded for us to “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” If you truly love our Lord Jesus Christ the way you claim to, then wouldn’t you want to share the joy of the relationship you have with Him with others?

The deeper your relationship, the deeper your prayer life will be and the deeper the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who will guide your every thought and action. You will never shy away from the truth but boldly claim Jesus is Lord of all nations. Indeed you will be seen as an alleluia person living in the joy of the Risen Lord. 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: the anger of God stays on him.’

Why live a guilt ridden life? One that shys away from the light that frees us and choosing to remain in darkness. Even the darkest secrets will not be hidden forever. For all things will eventually come to light! So stop watching pornography! Stop living lives of duality! Stop giving in to your addictions! Stop choosing sin over the love of God! Stop living in the prison you’ve created for yourself and come out into the light!

For our Lord Jesus Christ has come to save us. There is no sin too great that He will not forgive if You turn your heart towards Him. Allow Him to embrace you and set you free! So that His light will shine through You as you boldly proclaim His life, death and Resurrection. So that whoever comes to believe in Him just as you believe, will have eternal life. Amen alleluia!

St Joseph pray for us…

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.’

Mi casa es su casa meaning my home is your home. What a warm and loving invitation, an epitome of what it means to be in communion. Yet these days very few will open their homes with such welcome and hospitality. Not for family, friends let alone the stranger. For this simply takes too much time, effort and zero return on cost! How then were the believers, the early Christians as mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles able to live in such harmony and communion with one another?

It is through the power of the Resurrection of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ! Our little hearts become bigger and bigger as it is filled with His peace, love and joy. As we live in the Spirit, we find we don’t have want or need for anything of the world. All we will ever need is provided for by our loving Father in Heaven. We give gladly of our hearts not to receive anything in return, yet we are blessed abundantly. The more we give, the more receive. Today there are still such loving communities of disciples living in the Spirit! Do you belong to one of these?

Thank You Lord Jesus, for by Your death and Resurrection You have opened the gates of Heaven for us. Through You we become one with You and with one another. Glory and Praise to You our Lord Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen

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.’

Through our baptism we have been given seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, are we using them to grow in Holiness? Do we even know what they are to begin with? And if we say that we do, then how many of them are we using, if any at all? For in using the gifts we have been given and living in the light of Christ Jesus our Lord we walk in the light;and His light shines through us for others. We can boldly proclaim His love for all by our lives lived in the Spirit.

We will not be comfortable in coming to Jesus only in the night, but throughout the day and night;for we carry His light with us in our hearts, thoughts and all that we do. In moments of difficult we turn to Him and He will empower us to overcome all fear and the challenges we face.

O Holy Spirit come! Be my guide this and everyday. Amen Alleluia!

First reading

Acts 4:23-31 †
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the word of God boldly

As soon as Peter and John were released they went to the community and told them everything the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard it they lifted up their voice to God all together. ‘Master,’ they prayed ‘it is you who made heaven and earth and sea, and everything in them; you it is who said through the Holy Spirit and speaking through our ancestor David, your servant:

Why this arrogance among the nations,
these futile plots among the peoples?
Kings on earth setting out to war,
princes making an alliance, against the Lord and against his Anointed.

‘This is what has come true: in this very city Herod and Pontius Pilate made an alliance with the pagan nations and the peoples of Israel, against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, but only to bring about the very thing that you in your strength and your wisdom had predetermined should happen. And now, Lord, take note of their threats and help your servants to proclaim your message with all boldness, by stretching out your hand to heal and to work miracles and marvels through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ As they prayed, the house where they were assembled rocked; they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the word of God boldly.

Gospel

John 3:1-8
Unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God

There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leading Jew, who came to Jesus by night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who comes from God; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.’ Jesus answered:

‘I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’

Nicodemus said, ‘How can a grown man be born? Can he go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?’ Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God: what is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
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.’

Unless we see, hear, feel for ourselves we will not believe! The disbelieve of the disciples that the Lord had Risen initially is something for us to ponder about. We see how patiently loving our Lord Jesus is by revealing Himself to them at different intervals. Allowing for them to grow fully into men and women of great faith! How has our own faith in the Risen Lord grown? Are we fully convicted to proclaim the good news to others?

If we have truly experienced the love and presence of the Risen Lord ourselves can we remain silent? For it is an overwhelming joy that fills our hearts that we seek to share with all who will listen. So then while we have been instructed by our Lord Jesus Christ to ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.’ We do so for love of Him, obedience naturally follows.

Let us be convicted as we boldly proclaim that Christ has died, Christ has Risen and Christ will come again. 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.’

Now that Lent is over and we are in the Easter Octave, are you living a life renewed in Christ Jesus our Risen Lord? Are you sharing the joy of Easter with your family, friends, community? Or have you returned to your old comfortable way of life? Seeking familiar pleasures, heading no where, bearing no fruit. In other words gone ‘fishing’ catching nothing!

Jesus our master is inviting you to be obedient and cast your net where He tells you. To change the direction of your life so that you can live more fully in His love bearing much fruit. Then come and be with Him as He awaits to embrace and nourish you at every Holy Eucharist, then you will see with eyes fully opened that it is the Lord! Then He can send you out to share with great joy and fervour that He, Jesus is our Risen Lord; and it is He alone who saves! Amen Alleluia!

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.

Our salvation lies in our Lord Jesus Christ who came to save us from eternal death! Through His life given up for love of us, by His death and Resurrection we are set free from the clutches of sin. To live fully in His love.

Such is His love for us that to this very day, in our moments of great distress, anxieties, despair He comes to offer the peace that He alone can give. ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? He will say to us, reminding us that His promise of true life had already been fulfilled. We should therefore cling to that promise and live in the joy of our Risen Lord. Then like St Peter and St John we too can share the good news of Christ our Lord’s mercy and love. So that all who repent of their sins will be forgiven and will live free in His love, now and forever. Amen

First reading

Acts 3:11-26 †
You killed the prince of life: God, however, raised him from the dead

Everyone came running towards Peter and John in great excitement, to the Portico of Solomon, as it is called, where the man was still clinging to Peter and John. When Peter saw the people he addressed them, ‘Why are you so surprised at this? Why are you staring at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or holiness? You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him. It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses; and it is the name of Jesus which, through our faith in it, has brought back the strength of this man whom you see here and who is well known to you. It is faith in that name that has restored this man to health, as you can all see.
‘Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing; this was the way God carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that his Christ would suffer. Now you must repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, and so that the Lord may send the time of comfort. Then he will send you the Christ he has predestined, that is Jesus, whom heaven must keep till the universal restoration comes which God proclaimed, speaking through his holy prophets. Moses, for example, said: The Lord God will raise up a prophet like myself for you, from among your own brothers; you must listen to whatever he tells you. The man who does not listen to that prophet is to be cut off from the people. In fact, all the prophets that have ever spoken, from Samuel onwards, have predicted these days.
‘You are the heirs of the prophets, the heirs of the covenant God made with our ancestors when he told Abraham: in your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed. It was for you in the first place that God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.’

Gospel

Luke 24:35-48
It is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead

The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread.
They were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.
Then he told them, ‘This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms has to be fulfilled.’ He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.’

We all at one time or another will face issues of insecurity, difficulty in trusting and believing in our faith. Sometimes we look for comfort or distraction in the world and thereafter fall into sin. Then guilt and regret sets in and at times we despair and become despondent. This whole situation happens more often than not, when we are inward looking. We find ourselves going backwards instead of moving forward to life in Christ.

We must always look to Jesus Christ our Risen Lord who has already conquered death and sin. We must hold on to the promises fulfilled in Him! In our moments of difficulty if we turn to look for Him, we will find that He had never left. Through His Word our hearts are renewed, set aflame. We are sent to offer our hope and faith in Him to others in need. When we live in the promises of our Risen Lord, we are empowered by Him. We can expect amazing things to happen, all for the glory of God. 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.

Too often we are so caught up in our worldly affairs, our griefs and sorrows that we cannot see, hear His voice or even recognise our Risen Lord standing before us. Can our Guardian angel then help and point us in the right direction?

Those who live in the presence of the Risen Lord can attest to the peace and joy they carry in their hearts with them where ever they go. They know with a sense of certainty that life on earth is only a gateway to true eternal life with our Saviour Jesus Christ. And so they live out their baptismal vows to grow in Holiness.

Therefore sisters and brothers let us live loving, Christ centred lives. So they we will be able to lead others who do not yet know Jesus, into new life with Him through baptism. Through Christ our Lord. 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.

See the transformative power of the Resurrection of Christ Jesus our Lord! A simple fisherman becomes a fisher of men for the Lord. He who denied ever knowing Him now and forevermore proclaims His life, death and Resurrection. His Kingship and rule over Heaven and earth.

What about us? When will we stop living in denial? Of ever knowing Him by our actions and inaction of drawing closer to Him through prayer and His Word for us. He makes His presence known to us, yet do we humbly come before Him, clasping at His feet. That He may touch our hearts and set us free to live in His love. Stop living in your tombs! Come out and meet Your Risen Lord!

Here I am Lord I’ve come to do Your Will. 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.

How beautiful is our Easter Celebrations which began at the Vigil with a walk from darkness into light when from the paschal candle; all other candles were lit. We heard the triumph and glory of God through the readings, we welcomed our newly baptised sisters and brothers into one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We renewed our own baptismal vows and rejoiced in the joy of our Risen Lord!

This morning on the Holiest of Sundays the beginning in which all other Sundays follow, we celebrate the Day of the Risen Lord. We hear a new Gospel truth not proclaimed the evening before, then we await in eager anticipation to receive the Risen Lord in the Holy Eucharist. Sunday is truly a day set apart, Holy, Holy, Holy. Amen

Today we remember and celebrate the second and final part, the completion of the passover of our Lord Jesus Christ, in which He passed over from death into new life! By His Resurrection we have victory over death! We rise to new life with Him just as the the neophytes do this very evening through their baptism.

Let us live then in the joy of the Risen Lord bringing the joy of the Gospel to all whom we meet! Happy Easter dearest sisters and brothers in Christ. To Him be the glory forever more. Amen

We recall the first part of our Lord’s passover today, in which he passed over from life into death. He suffered tremendously, physically, mentally, spiritually, and died a cruel death for love of you and me.

He was crushed, bore the sins of the world and carried it with him to his tomb. So that death will NOT be the final answer for us! God Himself came down to save us, He paid the debt in full without which we would surely die. The temple veil was torn, no longer are we separated from the love of God!

We adore you O Christ and we praise you. For by your Holy cross you have redeemed the world!

Thank you Jesus my Lord for loving and saving me. Amen

I have often repeated at many prayer meetings over the last few years that there is no Christmas without Advent; just as there is no Easter without Lent. It is all about the journey up the mountain to reach the pinnacle. And because of the sacrifices and the commitment it takes to complete the journey, we find at the top of that very mountain Jesus our Lord waiting to embrace us. What joy! What cause for great celebration!

I began 2019 with a commitment to grow deeper in my faith and love for our Lord. And so I was resolute in overcoming habitual sins by praying more and reading scripture more. And to serve the community as best as I could. In fact it was because of the various communities that I’ve journeyed with this Lenten season that has enabled be to more faithful, faith-filled and steadfast! This year I also signed up for a series of Catholic talks on leadership, attended a Lenten retreat and most recently a two day Passover Seminar.

The latter was led by whom I’ve affectionately called my spiritual father, a lay person Brother Lalith Perera from Sri Lanka. He is truly an anointed speaker who had made many difficult theological concepts or truths easy for everyone to understand. It was during this retreat that I was charged up and eager to hold on to the promises of Christ as I know He has great plans for me. That also means more challenges and sacrifices are to be expected.

Post Seminar and on hindsight one of the reasons it was exceptionally fruitful for me is because I simply said yes when I was asked if I could help, tired as I was. Because the night before our community meeting ended late and by the time I got to bed it was close to midnight. Woke up at 5am to reflect on the word, rushed for morning EC then on to the seminar thinking I could rest. But when a dear sweet lady, family of brother Lalith asked if I could help I was silently praising the Lord for yet another opportunity to serve Him through His community. Didn’t matter what the task or tasks were. I was given a tag to put on. When some close friends saw me wearing it, one of them and me why so special? Why do you have it and we don’t? I jokingly answered, “Can you drink this cup?” They laughed and so did I. But again now looking back I can’t help but think there is more to that simple line. To follow Christ is to carry our cross and follow Him! Can we indeed drink His cup when it is presented to us?

The seminar and the follow up talk on Tuesday, “When Heaven goes silent” has given me great insights to the promises of our ever loving God. To have the unfailing, rock solid hope and faith our Blessed Mother had and to know without doubt that all God’s promises will be fulfilled. So while its still two more days to Easter, I already have the joy of the Risen Lord in my heart! Praise the Lord!

(I recorded part of the praise and worship to share… Come and see for yourselves…. Next time…)

Today at the start of the tridium towards Easter we recall the great love of God our Heavenly Father who gave us Jesus His high priest. Through Him specially chosen men are anointed to be shepherds after His own heart. To tenderly love and serve His flock by getting down on their hands and knees if they have to. For our Lord Jesus Christ Himself set the standard by His own example. So let us pray for all priests as they renew their vows of service to Him and to us.

To pass over from death to new life with Him, Jesus gave us of Himself through the Holy Eucharist. To nourish, strengthen and to be given the special grace to serve and love one another as He loved us. Through His precious blood we are washed clean and unless we allow Him to touch us, we will have no union with Him. For just as we receive the bread of life into our very being, He too receives us into His very bosom.

Lord Jesus while I am not one of your consecrated priest, I renew by commitment to love and serve Your flock. By my baptism I was made priest, prophet and king to love and serve them with all my heart. I will get down on my knees to wash their feet if I have to, just as You have done for me. Bless me Lord and keep me close to Your heart. Amen

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.’

We know the Word of God is alive and active. It is powerful and gives life. In an instant our lives can be transformed when the Lord our God breathes His Word into our hearts. And so a disciple seeks His Master’s Word by coming into His presence day after day. Desiring the grace to remain steadfast and faithful. Through this experience the tongue is discipled. It speaks only to glorify the ever living God.

How then can a disciple betray the Master by his or her own very words? When we try to justify our ill intentions or try to rationalise them. When our words tear down and cause grievous hurt. When we are in denial of our sinful choices. When we allow pride to dictate what we say. When we offer lip service to our Lord and our brethren with no commitment or dedication to put our words into action. All these are a result of hearts empty of the Word of God.

Jesus my Lord, I seek You daily that I may serve You worthily according to Your will. Grant me your grace and mercy that I may love You and my brethren evermore dearly. 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.

The light of all nations our Lord Jesus Christ has come to cast away darkness and sin, to gather us all unto the bosom of our Heavenly Father how are you prepared to receive Him?

Funny how most if not all can identify themselves with St Peter admitting that at one time or another they have denied knowing Him, even if just in a certain sense. And if they see it as a betrayal it comes across milder than what Judas Iscariot did. So almost no one will identify themselves as having been Judas!

How different then is it when we barter off Jesus for something or someone? What are the thirty silver pieces we had received? Relaxing pleasures with family and friends on Sunday instead of attending the Holy Eucharist together and keeping Sunday Holy? Not attending prayer or community meetings to share in the love of Christ, placing all else as priority? Receiving Holy Communion but treating family, friends, even strangers harshly when things don’t go our way. Many times we have sold Him off for the sake of our pride, pleasures, lusts, greed and self centredness. So just as we cannot say we have not committed murder, when we have murdered someone in our hearts, in our words actions, and killed their spirit; so too we cannot say we have never betrayed Jesus as Judas did!

The good news is that if we are contrite in heart and spirit, we will find that our Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us is waiting with open arms to embrace us in reconciliation. So let us run to Him now! 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.’

For all of us who had turned back to our Lord Jesus Christ and had come before Him in our sinfulness,found that He still loved us as on the day we were born. No severe punishment, no torturous penance. Our separation from His love, held captive by our sins was punishment enough. He simply embraced us, brought light into our darkness and restored us as heirs to the Heavenly Kingdom. This is the love of our God!

Yet do we perfume His feet in our love and thanksgiving? So that we bring anyone and everyone’s attention to Jesus our Lord. Ah so this their God? See how they bow down lovingly at His feet, how they move gracefully to anoint his feet with peace we lack, with joy we do not seem to possess. See how He looks upon them with great love and tenderness, I want that relationship too!

Or we can simply look inwards and think to ourselves that we are deserving of such love. Look only to what we lack and how we will fill that emptiness with our worldliness! Is this how we pay tribute to our Lord? With ingratitude and selfishness? Love is never to be kept within one’s own heart. It is always to be given away and then we will find it never runs dry. For those who keep it tightly hidden, will find they held on to nothing.

Lord Jesus thank You for your love and mercy in my life. Let me bring the light You have brought into my life and may it shine for all the world to see. 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.

Jesus came to gather us all unto Himself, so that we can be one united in Him, through the love God our Heavenly Father. So as we draw closer to Holy week let us examine ourselves to see how much have we grown in our love and faith? How much more united are we as Christian disciples bringing the joy of the Gospel into the World?

Have we allowed the seeds of the Word of God to be planted deep into our very own hearts and the seedlings are growing through our acts of love for others? Have we died to ourselves and are ready to rise more fully in Him at Easter? Are we more merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful?

Do not despair if you not quite there, turn to our Lord Jesus Christ this very day. Set your sights on Him and He will guide and lead you. He will wash you clean and restore you to live more fully in His love. For He will never abandon us. He is our Shepherd and we are the sheep of His flock. Amen

Jesus came to gather us all unto Himself, so that we can be one united in Him, through the love God our Heavenly Father. So as we draw closer to Holy week let us examine ourselves to see how much have we grown in our love and faith? How much more united are we as Christian disciples bringing the joy of the Gospel into the World?

Have we allowed the seeds of the Word of God to be planted deep into our very own hearts and the seedlings are growing through our acts of love for others? Have we died to ourselves and are ready to rise more fully in Him at Easter? Are we more merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful?

Do not despair if you not quite there, turn to our Lord Jesus Christ this very day. Set your sights on Him and He will guide and lead you. He will wash you clean and restore you to live more fully in His love. For He will never abandon us. He is our Shepherd and we are the sheep of His flock. 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?’ 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?’

There will always be folks who will try to find fault in you. They will throw ‘stones’ at you and even incite others to do likewise. Especially when you are trying your best to grow in holiness and your relationship with the Lord. For this is the nature of sin and evil in the world. How you respond if you must, is what distinguishes you from those who are not disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Does your fortitude come from the faith in God our Heavenly Father whom you know will never abandon you? Hence when you do respond, you would have allowed the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you in all you say and do. You will NOT pick up ‘stones’ yourself to throw back. For like Jeremiah in today’s first reading, you have committed your cause to the Lord!

Jesus my Lord, You have gone through it all, betrayal, mental and physical anguish; even the temptation to give in and give up. Be with me in all my moments of difficulty. Thy will be done Lord, thy will be done. 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.

How deep is your faith in the Lord your God? Would you renounce your faith? Partake in idolatry for the sake of peace and quiet? No?

Can you then choose work or pleasure over attending the Sunday Eucharistic Celebration or any day of obligation? Can you then participate in the ritualistic rites, prayers to other gods to appease your family? Can you tell your children to skip mass or skip attending Cathechism classes as their studies are more important right now? Can you pick and choose the best doctrines and practises of the various Christian denominations to follow? Can you then turn to fortune tellers, card readers for guidance? We need to examine carefully all that we have done and all that we have failed to do; and turn back to the Lord our God.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:5-6 is this not what we profess when we stand to recite the creed? Hold fast therefore to your faith in our one triune God. For He is indeed faithful to those who are faithful and obedient unto Him. His light will shine through any darkness we may encounter. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen

First reading

Daniel 3:14-20,24-25,28
God has sent his angel to rescue his servants

King Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods, and that you refuse to worship the golden statue I have erected? When you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, or any other instrument, are you prepared to prostrate yourselves and worship the statue I have made? If you refuse to worship it, you must be thrown straight away into the burning fiery furnace; and where is the god who could save you from my power?’ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘Your question hardly requires an answer: if our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, O king, he will save us; and even if he does not, then you must know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have erected.’ These words infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar; his expression was very different now as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He gave orders for the furnace to be made seven times hotter than usual, and commanded certain stalwarts from his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar sprang to his feet in amazement. He said to his advisers, ‘Did we not have these three men thrown bound into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ ‘But,’ he went on ‘I can see four men walking about freely in the heart of the fire without coming to any harm. And the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: he has sent his angel to rescue the servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their own.’

Gospel

John 8:31-42
If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed

To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said:

‘If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples, you will learn the truth and the truth will make you free.’

They answered, ‘We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, “You will be made free”?’ Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly, everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured, but the son’s place is assured. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
I know that you are descended from Abraham;
but in spite of that you want to kill me
because nothing I say has penetrated into you. What I, for my part, speak of is what I have seen with my Father; but you, you put into action the lessons learnt from your father.’

They repeated, ‘Our father is Abraham.’ Jesus said to them:

‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would do as Abraham did. As it is, you want to kill me when I tell you the truth as I have learnt it from God; that is not what Abraham did. What you are doing is what your father does.’

‘We were not born of prostitution,’ they went on ‘we have one father: God.’ Jesus answered:

‘If God were your father, you would love me,
since I have come here from God; yes, I have come from him; not that I came because I chose, no, I was sent, and by him.’

What is it about gazing upon a man crucified on the cross that will save us? To many it is simply morbid and distasteful. Rather they would prefer to look upon an empty cross. It serves its purpose as a reminder. Really? Why then was Moses instructed to put a fiery serpent on a standard? Why was the standard alone insufficient? Hence it not the wood of the cross that had brought salvation to the World! It was God made man, born into the world for us; who hung on the cross and died for our sins that saved us.

So when we gaze upon the crucifix we are reminded of the great love of God our Father who sent for us His only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ. The great love of Jesus our Lord who willingly laid down His life for us so that we might have new life in Him. The Holy Spirit that reveals this mystery and unites us all through the one for all act of love. We are one Body in Him through our ever increasing faith and love. And as we gaze long and lovingly enough upon the crucifix, we begin to see the Risen Lord with arms outstretched ready to embrace us.

O Cross reign Victorious! O Cross Thou wilt redeem us. Amen

First reading

Numbers 21:4-9 †
If anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked up at the bronze serpent and lived

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

Gospel

John 8:21-30
When you have lifted up the Son of Man then you will know that I am He

Jesus said to the Pharisees:

‘I am going away; you will look for me
and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’

The Jews said to one another, ‘Will he kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, “Where I am going, you cannot come”?’ Jesus went on:

‘You are from below; I am from above.
You are of this world; I am not of this world.
I have told you already: You will die in your sins. Yes, if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.’

So they said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus answered:

‘What I have told you from the outset.
About you I have much to say
and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is truthful, and what I have learnt from him
I declare to the world.’

They failed to understand that he was talking to them about the Father. So Jesus said:

‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man,
then you will know that I am He
and that I do nothing of myself:
what the Father has taught me is what I preach; he who sent me is with me,
and has not left me to myself,
for I always do what pleases him.’

As he was saying this, many came to believe in him.

Remain steadfast! Indeed there is great beauty in the world to be admired. Yet do not allow your mind engage in fantasy to pollute your heart. To desire then lust over till your sinfulness spins out of control. Instead master yourself! Look away and skyward towards heaven. Pray always to overcome all sin and temptations. For the evil one lurks and seeks to trip us up especially during this season where we are striving for greater holiness. Giving in, is to plunge ourselves into darkness. Unless we turn to the Lord our God we will be lost, stumbling into greater darkness.

Truly our hope lies in the light of the World, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ! He alone can roll away the huge stone which keeps us buried in the tomb of our sins. He is the light that will set us free to live fully in His light and love. He alone will vindicate us from the darkness that seeks to surround us and keep us hidden from Him. Let us therefore strive to always walk in His light. Amen

First reading

Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62
Susannah and the elders

In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim. He had married Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, a woman of great beauty; and she was God-fearing, because her parents were worthy people and had instructed their daughter in the Law of Moses. Joakim was a very rich man, and had a garden attached to his house; the Jews would often visit him since he was held in greater respect than any other man. Two elderly men had been selected from the people that year to act as judges. Of such the Lord said, ‘Wickedness has come to Babylon through the elders and judges posing as guides to the people.’ These men were often at Joakim’s house, and all who were engaged in litigation used to come to them. At midday, when everyone had gone, Susanna used to take a walk in her husband’s garden. The two elders, who used to watch her every day as she came in to take her walk, gradually began to desire her. They threw reason aside, making no effort to turn their eyes to heaven, and forgetting its demands of virtue. So they waited for a favourable moment; and one day Susanna came as usual, accompanied only by two young maidservants. The day was hot and she wanted to bathe in the garden. There was no one about except the two elders, spying on her from their hiding place. She said to the servants, ‘Bring me some oil and balsam and shut the garden door while I bathe.’
Hardly were the servants gone than the two elders were there after her. ‘Look,’ they said ‘the garden door is shut, no one can see us. We want to have you, so give in and let us! Refuse, and we will both give evidence that a young man was with you and that was why you sent your maids away.’ Susanna sighed. ‘I am trapped,’ she said ‘whatever I do. If I agree, that means my death; if I resist, I cannot get away from you. But I prefer to fall innocent into your power than to sin in the eyes of the Lord.’ Then she cried out as loud as she could. The two elders began shouting too, putting the blame on her, and one of them ran to open the garden door. The household, hearing the shouting in the garden, rushed out by the side entrance to see what was happening; once the elders had told their story the servants were thoroughly taken aback, since nothing of this sort had ever been said of Susanna.
Next day a meeting was held at the house of her husband Joakim. The two elders arrived, in their vindictiveness determined to have her put to death. They addressed the company: ‘Summon Susanna daughter of Hilkiah and wife of Joakim.’ She was sent for, and came accompanied by her parents, her children and all her relations. All her own people were weeping, and so were all the others who saw her. The two elders stood up, with all the people round them, and laid their hands on the woman’s head. Tearfully she turned her eyes to heaven, her heart confident in God. The elders then spoke. ‘While we were walking by ourselves in the garden, this woman arrived with two servants. She shut the garden door and then dismissed the servants. A young man who had been hiding went over to her and they lay down together. From the end of the garden where we were, we saw this crime taking place and hurried towards them. Though we saw them together we were unable to catch the man: he was too strong for us; he opened the door and took to his heels. We did, however, catch this woman and ask her who the young man was. She refused to tell us. That is our evidence.’
Since they were elders of the people, and judges, the assembly took their word: Susanna was condemned to death. She cried out as loud as she could, ‘Eternal God, you know all secrets and everything before it happens; you know that they have given false evidence against me. And now have I to die, innocent as I am of everything their malice has invented against me?’
The Lord heard her cry and, as she was being led away to die, he roused the holy spirit residing in a young boy named Daniel who began to shout, ‘I am innocent of this woman’s death!’ At which all the people turned to him and asked, ‘What do you mean by these words?’ Standing in the middle of the crowd he replied, ‘Are you so stupid, sons of Israel, as to condemn a daughter of Israel unheard, and without troubling to find out the truth? Go back to the scene of the trial: these men have given false evidence against her.’
All the people hurried back, and the elders said to Daniel, ‘Come and sit with us and tell us what you mean, since God has given you the gifts that elders have.’ Daniel said, ‘Keep the men well apart from each other for I want to question them.’ When the men had been separated, Daniel had one of them brought to him. ‘You have grown old in wickedness,’ he said ‘and now the sins of your earlier days have overtaken you, you with your unjust judgements, your condemnation of the innocent, your acquittal of guilty men, when the Lord has said, “You must not put the innocent and the just to death.” Now then, since you saw her so clearly, tell me what tree you saw them lying under?’ He replied, ‘Under a mastic tree.’ Daniel said, ‘True enough! Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God has already received your sentence from him and will slash you in half.’ He dismissed the man, ordered the other to be brought and said to him, ‘Spawn of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you, lust has led your heart astray! This is how you have been behaving with the daughters of Israel and they were too frightened to resist; but here is a daughter of Judah who could not stomach your wickedness! Now then, tell me what tree you surprised them under?’ He replied, ‘Under a holm oak.’ Daniel said, ‘True enough! Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God is waiting, with a sword to drive home and split you, and destroy the pair of you.’
Then the whole assembly shouted, blessing God, the saviour of those who trust in him. And they turned on the two elders whom Daniel had convicted of false evidence out of their own mouths. As prescribed in the Law of Moses, they sentenced them to the same punishment as they had intended to inflict on their neighbour. They put them to death; the life of an innocent woman was spared that day.

Gospel

John 8:12-20
‘I am the light of the world’

Jesus said to the Pharisees:

‘I am the light of the world;anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark;
he will have the light of life.’

At this the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.’

Jesus replied:

‘It is true that I am testifying on my own behalf,but my testimony is still valid,
because I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
You judge by human standards; I judge no one, but if I judge, my judgement will be sound,because I am not alone: the one who sent me is with me; and in your Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I may be testifying on my own behalf, but the Father who sent me is my witness too.’

They asked him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered:

‘You do not know me, nor do you know my Father; if you did know me, you would know my Father as well.’

He spoke these words in the Treasury, while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.

It is time to make up our minds once and for all, if Jesus is the Lord of our lives. If He is then we must strive to take up our cross and follow Him. Union with Him is what leads us to everlasting life. Through Him we are set free from the snares of evil and sin. He will vindicate us from the lies told of us. Remain steadfast then in His love.

For the world refuses to accept the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ! It seeks to discredit the Son of God who came to save us all. And so whoever speaks up for the truth, the way and the life is seen as the enemy. Be on guard therefore for the ways of the world are deceptive.

We who are for our Lord Jesus Christ have nothing to fear. For nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not even death! For we know we will surely rise with Him. Amen

First reading

Jeremiah 11:18-20 †
‘Let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten’

The Lord revealed it to me; I was warned. O Lord, that was when you opened my eyes to their scheming. I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughter-house, not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me, ‘Let us destroy the tree in its strength, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten!’

But you, the Lord of Hosts, who pronounce a just sentence, who probe the loins and heart, let me see the vengeance you will take on them, for I have committed my cause to you.

Gospel

John 7:40-52
The Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without hearing him

Several people who had been listening to Jesus said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?’ So the people could not agree about him. Some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him.
The police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, ‘Why haven’t you brought him?’ The police replied, ‘There has never been anybody who has spoken like him.’ ‘So’ the Pharisees answered ‘you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.’ One of them, Nicodemus – the same man who had come to Jesus earlier – said to them, ‘But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ To this they answered, ‘Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of Galilee.’

Virtuous men and women after the heart of the Lord our God are generally seen as odd balls. They are often seen as unwelcomed company perhaps because they remind others those around of their shortcomings even though they may have not spoken a word. They take the ‘fun’ out of gatherings when they refuse to participate in indulgent activities. Their idea of a ‘good’ time is to praise and worship God in all they say and do. Enough with their sanctimonious attitudes!

The fact is that they who think such thoughts or say these things have hearts distant from the Lord our God. They have not encountered the living God and therefore have no knowledge of Him let alone a relationship. We must pray all the more for them, slowly and gently if God willing we will be given an opportunity to lead them to Christ Jesus our Lord. For we who have experienced the fullness of life in Him, know that all the sacrifices and challenges we face by carrying our cross to follow after Him; is miniscule compared to the bountiful graces and lavish gifts He showers upon us in His great love for us. Without Jesus there is no life.

Lord Jesus remain by my side in moments of great difficulty, amidst ridicule and persecution for my undying faith in You. Amen

Let us pray for the missionaries in the world…

First reading

Wisdom 2:1,12-22

Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man and condemn him to a shameful death

The godless say to themselves, with their misguided reasoning:

‘Our life is short and dreary, nor is there any relief when man’s end comes,nor is anyone known who can give release from Hades. Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our breaches of the law and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing.

He claims to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a son of the Lord.
Before us he stands, a reproof to our way of thinking, the very sight of him weighs our spirits down; his way of life is not like other men’s, the paths he treads are unfamiliar.

In his opinion we are counterfeit; he holds aloof from our doings as though from filth; he proclaims the final end of the virtuous as happy
and boasts of having God for his father.

Let us see if what he says is true, let us observe what kind of end he himself will have. If the virtuous man is God’s son, God will take his part and rescue him from the clutches of his enemies.

Let us test him with cruelty and with torture, and thus explore this gentleness of his and put his endurance to the proof. Let us condemn him to a shameful death since he will be looked after – we have his word for it.’

This is the way they reason, but they are misled, their malice makes them blind. They do not know the hidden things of God, they have no hope that holiness will be rewarded,they can see no reward for blameless souls.

Gospel

John 7:1-2,10,25-30

They would have arrested him, but his time had not yet come

Jesus stayed in Galilee; he could not stay in Judaea, because the Jews were out to kill him.

As the Jewish feast of Tabernacles drew near, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went up as well, but quite privately, without drawing attention to himself. Meanwhile some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Isn’t this the man they want to kill? And here he is, speaking freely, and they have nothing to say to him! Can it be true the authorities have made up their minds that he is the Christ? Yet we all know where he comes from, but when the Christ appears no one will know where he comes from.’

Then, as Jesus taught in the Temple, he cried out:‘Yes, you know me
and you know where I came from. Yet I have not come of myself:no, there is one who sent me and I really come from him, and you do not know him,
but I know him because I have come from him and it was he who sent me.’

They would have arrested him then, but because his time had not yet come no one laid a hand on him.

Jesus is the gateway to a far deeper and meaningful relationship with God our Heavenly Father. We can do far greater things in Him through the grace and love He lavishly bestows on precisely because of our relationship with Him. For on our own we can do nothing! So then now is the time for us to grow in love, faith and solidify the bonds of your union with Him.

Come now so not wait till its too late. Come now as you are, do not wait to change first, do not wait on anyone else, let our Lord Jesus Christ be the one to change you and make you whole. Don’t even wait for your Parish’s reconciliation service before Holy Week, go now and see the priest for the Sacrament. Understand that every second of every time we get to spend in direct union with Christ is precious and life giving. And so want to have sin keep us from that.

May God our Heavenly Father bless us this day and everyday. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen

First reading

Isaiah 49:8-15
On the day of salvation I will help you

Thus says the Lord:

At the favourable time I will answer you, on the day of salvation I will help you.
(I have formed you and have appointed you as covenant of the people.)
I will restore the land
and assign you the estates that lie waste.
I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out’, to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’

On every roadway they will graze, and each bare height shall be their pasture.
They will never hunger or thirst, scorching wind and sun shall never plague them;
for he who pities them will lead them and guide them to springs of water.
I will make a highway of all the mountains, and the high roads shall be banked up.

Some are on their way from afar, others from the north and the west, others from the land of Sinim.
Shout for joy, you heavens; exult, you earth! You mountains, break into happy cries!
For the Lord consoles his people and takes pity on those who are afflicted.

For Zion was saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
the Lord has forgotten me.’
Does a woman forget her baby at the breast, or fail to cherish the son of her womb?
Yet even if these forget,
I will never forget you.

Gospel

John 5:17-30
The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and all who hear it will live

Jesus said to the Jews, ‘My Father goes on working, and so do I.’ But that only made them even more intent on killing him, because, not content with breaking the sabbath, he spoke of God as his own Father, and so made himself God’s equal.
To this accusation Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees the Father doing:
and whatever the Father does the Son does too.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything he does himself, and he will show him even greater things than these, works that will astonish you.
Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,
so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses; for the Father judges no one; he has entrusted all judgement to the Son, so that all may honour the Son as they honour the Father.
Whoever refuses honour to the Son refuses honour to the Father who sent him.
I tell you most solemnly,
whoever listens to my words,
and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life;
without being brought to judgement he has passed from death to life.
I tell you most solemnly,
the hour will come – in fact it is here already – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and all who hear it will live.
For the Father, who is the source of life, has made the Son the source of life;
and, because he is the Son of Man, has appointed him supreme judge.
Do not be surprised at this,
for the hour is coming when the dead will leave their graves at the sound of his voice: those who did good will rise again to life;
and those who did evil, to condemnation.
I can do nothing by myself;
I can only judge as I am told to judge, and my judging is just, because my aim is to do not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.’

Can you trust and believe without the slightest hesitation that the Word of the Lord our God spoken to you will be as He said? For instance when He tells you all will be well, through scripture, through men and women of prayer and great faith, through His priests. Will you still struggle to believe that your ailing daughter, son, spouse will be well again? That you will give birth to a healthy baby even though the markers for down syndrome are high? That your aged parent will survive the operation? And many other scenarios..

The demands of such a faith is simple when you put our Lord Jesus Christ above all and everything. For He alone makes the impossible, possible! He is the great I AM possible. In His great mercy and love, He answers all our prayers. For with and through Him there is no loss. For even to die in Him is to rise to new life with Him. He creates all things new, therefore we have every reason to rejoice in Him come what may. Amen

First reading

Isaiah 65:17-21 †
Be glad and rejoice for ever at what I am creating

Thus says the Lord: Now I create new heavens and a new earth, and the past will not be remembered, and will come no more to men’s minds. Be glad and rejoice for ever and ever for what I am creating, because I now create Jerusalem ‘Joy’ and her people ‘Gladness.’ I shall rejoice over Jerusalem and exult in my people. No more will the sound of weeping or the sound of cries be heard in her; in her, no more will be found the infant living a few days only, or the old man not living to the end of his days. To die at the age of a hundred will be dying young; not to live to be a hundred will be the sign of a curse. They will build houses and inhabit them, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

Gospel

John 4:43-54
Go home: your son will live

Jesus left Samaria for Galilee. He himself had declared that there is no respect for a prophet in his own country, but on his arrival the Galileans received him well, having seen all that he had done at Jerusalem during the festival which they too had attended.
He went again to Cana in Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a court official there whose son was ill at Capernaum and, hearing that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judaea, he went and asked him to come and cure his son as he was at the point of death. Jesus said, ‘So you will not believe unless you see signs and portents!’ ‘Sir,’ answered the official ‘come down before my child dies.’ ‘Go home,’ said Jesus ‘your son will live.’ The man believed what Jesus had said and started on his way; and while he was still on the journey back his servants met him with the news that his boy was alive. He asked them when the boy had begun to recover. ‘The fever left him yesterday’ they said ‘at the seventh hour.’ The father realised that this was exactly the time when Jesus had said, ‘Your son will live’; and he and all his household believed.
This was the second sign given by Jesus, on his return from Judaea to Galilee.

What the Lord our God desires most from us is a deep and meaningful relationship. That is why so often in Scripture He refers to Himself as the bridegroom and we are His bride. But what we offer Him instead is our shallow disposition and lip service of our declaration of love for Him. We praise and glorify ourselves when we should be glorifying the Lord our God.

Come now let us turn our hearts to Him, for only a humble contrite spirit will be able to hear His soft gentle voice. Empty ourselves of all that is worldly and allow Him to fill us with His grace. Only then we can truly declare our love for Him. For our lover has embraced us and whispered in our ear. He is one with us and we are one with Him. And humbled by His great love for us, we will willingly serve Him and brethren according to His Holy Will for us. Amen

First reading

Hosea 5:15-6:6 †
What I want is love, not sacrifice and holocausts

The Lord says this:

They will search for me in their misery.
‘Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has struck us down, but he will bandage our wounds; after a day or two he will bring us back to life, on the third day he will raise us and we shall live in his presence.
Let us set ourselves to know the Lord; that he will come is as certain as the dawn his judgement will rise like the light, he will come to us as showers come, like spring rains watering the earth.’

What am I to do with you, Ephraim? What am I to do with you, Judah?
This love of yours is like a morning cloud, like the dew that quickly disappears.
This is why I have torn them to pieces by the prophets, why I slaughtered them with the words from my mouth,
since what I want is love, not sacrifice; knowledge of God, not holocausts.

Gospel

Luke 18:9-14
The tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified.

Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

When our life is riddled with sin are we not likewise struck dumb? We cannot praise and thank the Lord our God for all His Blessings and love. In fact it is difficult to even the see the good in another. We tend to shy away from those we recognise as Holy and will find fault with them to try and disprove their ‘holiness’. How can these recognise the hand of God in anything?

Indeed let us NOT be stubborn and allow our hearts to become hardened! Let us always turn to Jesus to be free of the sin that binds us. Let Him loosen our tongues to praise and Glorify God our Father. To Glorify Him again by our lives. Tarry no longer vthen, our Lord Jesus awaits
You in the Sacrament of reconciliation.

Then together we shall stand united through our Lord Jesus Christ as one family of God our Father’s children. Amen

First reading

Jeremiah 7:23-28
Here is the nation that will not listen to the voice of the Lord its God

These were my orders: Listen to my voice, then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Follow right to the end the way that I mark out for you, and you will prosper. But they did not listen, they did not pay attention; they followed the dictates of their own evil hearts, refused to face me, and turned their backs on me. From the day your ancestors came out of the land of Egypt until today, day after day I have persistently sent you all my servants the prophets.
But they have not listened to me, have not paid attention; they have grown stubborn and behaved worse than their ancestors. You may say all these words to them: they will not listen to you; you may call them: they will not answer. So tell them this, “Here is the nation that will not listen to the voice of the Lord its God nor take correction. Sincerity is no more, it has vanished from their mouths.”

Gospel

Luke 11:14-23
Know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you

Jesus was casting out a devil and it was dumb; but when the devil had gone out the dumb man spoke, and the people were amazed. But some of them said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.’ Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses. So too with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? – since you assert that it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils, through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges then. But if it is through the finger of God that I cast out devils, then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you. So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own palace, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than he is attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil.
‘He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.’.

In today’s modern world our Catholic Church is seen as ancient, its believes, laws, and faith are outdated. Yet those who strongly believe so, cannot account for the fact that it has lasted two thousand years with generation after generation singing the same tune that our church is dated.

We have lasted this long because we have observed the commandments of the Lord our God and have taught them to all God’s children. For His laws are written on our hearts, the wisdom and depth of them completed through Christ our Lord flows out of great love for all His children. And so our one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church will still be around for ages to come. For it has been built upon our rock! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Heb 13:8

Pray brothers and sisters that we remain steadfast to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our mind and all our strength;and to love another as He loved and continues to love us. Amen

First reading

Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9
Keep these laws and observe them

Moses said to the people:
‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you.
‘See, as the Lord my God has commanded me, I teach you the laws and customs that you are to observe in the land you are to enter and make your own. Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?
‘But take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and to your children’s children.’

Gospel

Matthew 5:17-19
I have not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to complete them

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.’

Let us not take the love and mercy of our Heavenly Father for granted! When will we come to our senses and see the goodness and abundance in which He provides for us. Not so in luxuries but the fullness and richness of life filled with peace, joy and love in our hearts.

Many still will take all they can get from Him, then stray to lead wanton, decadent lifestyles. Their search for happiness never ends and soon enough they find only misery. For some it will be too late before they wake up to the reality of it all. Yes indeed the Lord is slow to anger and merciful but do not wait to the very end to turn back to Him. Come now as you are, sinful wretched and sorrowful. He will embrace you with His loving arms, heal and restore you.

Finally for those who are already serving Him with love in your heart for Him and for neighbour, then you are truly living in His presence. For there will Never ever be resentment in your heart come what may. For you know that you are truly and greatly loved by your Heavenly Father. Amen

First reading

Micah 7:14-15,18-20 †
Have pity on us one more time

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

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

Gospel

Luke 15:1-3,11-32
The prodigal son

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

Those who are jealous of others for whatever reasons possess hearts which are empty, more importantly they are far from the Lord our God. If only they would come to the realisation that God our Father loves them so much and uniquely there will be no room whatsoever for jealousy. For it will be filled with God’s abundant love.

Instead they sometimes choose to allow their jealousy to consume them, that they fall into greater sin. How many then can only see the faults in others? How many get angry when their ‘enemies’ garner more attention and popularity? How many stoop to dishonour those they dislike when they are not present with their unfettered tongues? How many pieces of silver have they sold their own fellow brother and sister in Christ by writing them off in their hearts? Have they then not rejected Christ Himself?

Come now let us turn our hearts to Jesus and be healed of any jealousy, any sense of feeling unloved or feeing inadequate. Let the love of Christ Jesus our Lord embrace and consume us. So that we can be free to live fully in His love and light this very day. Amen

First reading

Genesis 37:3-4,12-13,17-28 †
Let us kill him: then we shall see what becomes of his dreams

Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, for he was the son of his old age, and he had a coat with long sleeves made for him. But his brothers, seeing how his father loved him more than all his other sons, came to hate him so much that they could not say a civil word to him.
His brothers went to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem. Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Are not your brothers with the flock at Shechem? Come, I am going to send you to them.’ So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
They saw him in the distance, and before he reached them they made a plot among themselves to put him to death. ‘Here comes the man of dreams’ they said to one another. ‘Come on, let us kill him and throw him into some well; we can say that a wild beast devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams.’
But Reuben heard, and he saved him from their violence. ‘We must not take his life’ he said. ‘Shed no blood,’ said Reuben to them ‘throw him into this well in the wilderness, but do not lay violent hands on him’ – intending to save him from them and to restore him to his father. So, when Joseph reached his brothers, they pulled off his coat, the coat with long sleeves that he was wearing, and catching hold of him they threw him into the well, an empty well with no water in it. They then sat down to eat.
Looking up they saw a group of Ishmaelites who were coming from Gilead, their camels laden with gum, tragacanth, balsam and resin, which they were taking down into Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do any harm to him. After all, he is our brother, and our own flesh.’ His brothers agreed.
Now some Midianite merchants were passing, and they drew Joseph up out of the well. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver pieces, and these men took Joseph to Egypt.

Gospel

Matthew 21:33-43,45-46
This is the landlord’s heir: come, let us kill him

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son” he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.” So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone. This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see?

‘I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.’
When they heard his parables, the chief priests and the scribes realised he was speaking about them, but though they would have liked to arrest him they were afraid of the crowds, who looked on him as a prophet.

Time passes very swiftly for everyone. You may not remember anything from when you were a babe, but certainly you will remember bits of your early childhood, the invincible teenage years and now look at you now! What have you done to please the Lord your God? How has your faith and relationship with Him grown? Have you helped those He had put unto your path? Or have you been oblivious? Caught up in living your life to the ‘fullest’. Never looking past your immediate family, concerned only with yours and their comfort and security. There is still time you say well here is the truth, there is NOT!

For time belongs to God alone and time for us only exists in His presence. The rich, wealthy and powerful have no names for the Lord only remembers the names of the poor and the poor in spirit, who hunger and thirst for Him. So while we are on this short pilgrim journey let us turn heavenward and look upon the stars as Abraham our Father did. To recognise God our Father’s children; our dear sisters and brothers in which we are called to look after and care for till one day soon, we are all reunited in His Heavenly Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lord God Almighty Father, thy will alone be done. Amen

First reading

Jeremiah 17:5-10
A curse on the man who puts his trust in man and turns from the Lord

The Lord says this:

‘A curse on the man who puts his trust in man, who relies on things of flesh,whose heart turns from the Lord.
He is like dry scrub in the wastelands: if good comes, he has no eyes for it, he settles in the parched places of the wilderness,
a salt land, uninhabited.

‘A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord,
with the Lord for his hope.
He is like a tree by the waterside that thrusts its roots to the stream: when the heat comes it feels no alarm,
its foliage stays green; it has no worries in a year of drought, and never ceases to bear fruit.

‘The heart is more devious than any other thing,
perverse too: who can pierce its secrets?
I, the Lord, search to the heart, I probe the loins,
to give each man what his conduct and his actions deserve.’

Gospel

Luke 16:19-31
Dives and Lazarus

Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
‘In his torment in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus in his bosom. So he cried out, “Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.” “My son,” Abraham replied “remember that during your life good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony. But that is not all: between us and you a great gulf has been fixed, to stop anyone, if he wanted to, crossing from our side to yours, and to stop any crossing from your side to ours.”
‘The rich man replied, “Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father’s house, since I have five brothers, to give them warning so that they do not come to this place of torment too.” “They have Moses and the prophets,” said Abraham “let them listen to them.” “Ah no, father Abraham,” said the rich man “but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Then Abraham said to him, “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.”’

Blessed be the Lord our God who is compassionate. Who is patiently waiting for us to repent of our sins and return to Him. For without His compassion we are indeed doomed to an empty life of misery.

Today we hear the call for us to be compassionate just as our Heavenly Father is compassionate. And yet while we want our Lord to be compassionate with us, we are often not compassionate with one another. Shouting and screaming at others when things don’t go our way. Punishing our children severely over the smallest things. Not reaching out to those who hunger and thirst. Those who are sick and need to be tended to.

We need the grace of God upon us so that we can be loving and compassionate as He is. Therefore let us always turn back to Him, seek His forgiveness, be nourished and stand ready to serve those in need of our tender loving care. Amen

First reading

Daniel 9:4-10
Yours is the integrity, Lord; ours the shame

O Lord, God great and to be feared, you keep the covenant and have kindness for those who love you and keep your commandments: we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, we have betrayed your commandments and your ordinances and turned away from them. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. Integrity, Lord, is yours; ours the look of shame we wear today, we, the people of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in every country to which you have dispersed us because of the treason we have committed against you. To us, Lord, the look of shame belongs, to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God mercy and pardon belong, because we have betrayed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God nor followed the laws he has given us through his servants the prophets.

Gospel

Luke 6:36-38
Grant pardon, and you will be pardoned

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’

Is there a problem or challenge too huge for you to handle? So desperate that there seems to be no one who can help? The good news is that we have a God bigger than any of our problems put together! A listening heart which is always present to His faithful children.

I once use to question if the Lord truly answered prayers? Why then have I prayed so hard and nothing happens? Over the years I have learnt that it was my faith that was lacking. I prayed with my lips not with my heart. I prayed for what, how and when I wanted my prayers to be answered and not by submitting myself to His Holy will, letting the Lord my God be God in my life.

Today I pray with all my heart and soul, fervently and as frequently as I possibly can. I pray as a child who knows He is loved, to His Heavenly Father. Then wait and watch for the goodness of the Lord my God to unfold. Like when He grants His peace and warmly embraces the mother who has lost her husband and child. When He shrinks the tumour embedded in the brain of a brother in Christ. When He restores hope and faith in one who became paralysed from the waist down in an accident. When He gathers back His flock of a community which was dwindling to nothingness. When He reconciles family members estranged due to what seemed as irreconcilable differences at the time. The hand of God and His goodness is truly inexhaustible. Amen

First reading

Esther 4:17 †
I am alone, Lord, and have no-one but you

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gospel

Matthew 7:7-12
Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find

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

We have it in our power to do great evil and it takes far less effort to do so. However it takes mastery of self to be restraint and choose at all times to do good. This mastery comes from a deep awareness that we are children of God so loved by our Heavenly Father from before we were in our mother’s womb.

And His great love for us continued even when we strayed and had turned out backs on Him. The sign of this great love is the cross in which hung our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. An offering at the Altar for the redemption of the world. If anyone looks upon Him and cries out to Him, they are saved.

God our Father chose as He saw fit, Jonah to be His prophet to call His people back to His loving embrace. And the people stubborn as they were listened, change their hearts to be obedient. How and why was Jonah so convincing? Because he was obedient unto the Lord His God, With great faith He allowed the Lord to fill him with His grace, to take away all fears and to speak with the Lord’s authority.

Lord grant me the grace You bestowed on Jonah, so that I too may be an instrument of Your grace to lead those who have strayed back to You. Amen

First reading

Jonah 3:1-10 †
The Ninevites repent, and God spares them

The word of the Lord was addressed a second time to Jonah: ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you to.’ Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He preached in these words, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’ And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. A proclamation was then promulgated throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his ministers, as follows: ‘Men and beasts, herds and flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.

Gospel

Luke 11:29-32
As Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign

The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:
‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’