Posts Tagged ‘repentance’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: June 28, 2024 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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We see in the first reading what evil can take place when the Lord our God is not present. How when we choose to do evil in His eyes, we have chosen for ourselves a life of exile from Him.

Sin is like a leprosy, it spreads as it devours our very being. We live as outcast from all that is good! Yet while we are alive, there is still time to repent and turn to Jesus. We can cry out to Him, ‘if you want to Lord, you can cure me.’ For by His love for us and His incarnation, our Lord Jesus Christ came to save us. Through His death and Resurrection we are set free from all sin!

Lord Jesus I come before You, sinful and sorrowful for all my sins. Set me free to love to You and my brethren as I ought to according to Your will. Amen

Saint Irenaeus, pray for us…

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First reading
2 Kings 25:1-12


The sack of Jerusalem and the final deportation

In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his whole army to attack Jerusalem; he pitched camp in front of the city and threw up earthworks round it. The city lay under siege till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. In the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, when famine was raging in the city and there was no food for the populace, a breach was made in the city wall. At once, the king made his escape under cover of dark, with all the fighting men, by way of the gate between the two walls, which is near the king’s garden – the Chaldaeans had surrounded the city – and made his way towards the Arabah. The Chaldaean troops pursued the king and caught up with him in the plains of Jericho, where all his troops deserted. The Chaldaeans captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentence on him. He had the sons of Zedekiah slaughtered before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes and, loading him with chains, carried him off to Babylon.
    In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month – it was in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon – Nebuzaradan, commander of the guard, an officer of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned down the Temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses in Jerusalem. The Chaldaean troops who accompanied the commander of the guard demolished the walls surrounding Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan, commander of the guard, deported the remainder of the population left behind in the city, the deserters who had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the common people. The commander of the guard left some of the humbler country people as vineyard workers and ploughmen.



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Gospel
Matthew 8:1-4

‘If you want to, you can cure me’

After Jesus had come down from the mountain large crowds followed him. A leper now came up and bowed low in front of him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And his leprosy was cured at once. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Mind you do not tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering prescribed by Moses, as evidence for them.’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: June 18, 2024 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Both our actions and inactions have consequences. Strip away everything else, what remains begs an answer is how have we loved?

Our children see how their parents live and whether intended or not they pick up on everything. All that is good as well as all that is bad. Most of all they are witnesses to how we treat others whether within or outside of family.

Therefore, let us always repent of our sins and stand in the faith that we are still truly loved by a merciful Father who had sent His Son to save us. Loving God our Father as we should in right worship then truly, we shall be perfected through Him our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Let my love for my brethren Lord, be a reflection of my love for You. Amen

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First reading

1 Kings 21:17-29

The punishment of Ahab and Jezebel foretold

After the death of Naboth, the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Up! Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, in Samaria. You will find him in Naboth’s vineyard; he has gone down to take possession of it. You are to say this to him, “The Lord says this: You have committed murder; now you usurp as well. For this – and the Lord says this – in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick your blood too.”’

    Ahab said to Elijah, ‘So you have found me out, O my enemy!’ Elijah answered, ‘I have found you out. For your double dealing, and since you have done what is displeasing to the Lord, I will now bring disaster down on you; I will sweep away your descendants, and wipe out every male belonging to the family of Ahab, fettered or free in Israel. I will treat your House as I treated the House of Jeroboam son of Nebat and of Baasha son of Ahijah, for provoking my anger and leading Israel into sin. (Against Jezebel the Lord spoke these words: The dogs will eat Jezebel in the Field of Jezreel.) Those of Ahab’s family who die in the city, the dogs will eat; and those who die in the open country, the birds of the air will eat.’

    And indeed there never was anyone like Ahab for double dealing and for doing what is displeasing to the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the most abominable way, adhering to idols, just as the Amorites used to do whom the Lord had dispossessed for the sons of Israel.

    When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments and put sackcloth next his skin and fasted; he slept in the sackcloth; he walked with slow steps. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; I will bring the disaster down on his House in the days of his son.’

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Gospel

Matthew 5:43-48

Pray for those who persecute you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: April 14, 2020 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Jesus calls us to holiness through a reminder of our baptism, in which we were inserted directly into His life, death and resurrection! Therefore let us repent of all our sins so as to be fully united with and in Him.There is absolutely no sin our Lord cannot forgive, so then there is nothing preventing you from turning back to His loving embrace which awaits You. For by the glory and power of our Risen Lord He will set you free. Free to love and to live in His love.We will no longer need to cling to Him. For He dwells directly in our hearts. Our mission is to share Him with others. So that they too can experience the joy of the Risen Lord dwelling within them. Amen

First reading

Acts 2:36-41 ·
You must repent and be baptized in the name of JesusOn 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.

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: April 8, 2020 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Today’s first reading has a special place in my heart. For the Lord has spoken these very words to me a number of times as He gently and lovingly wakes me in the morning. He reminds me just how much He loves me as I listen intently to His word and will for me. Then He sends me out to comfort those who are tired and struggling, to bring His presence to them. So that they too might know how loved they are by Him.

Have I not be tempted to sell off my relationship with Him for thirty pieces of silver? Surely I have when I choose to watch netflix, online movies for hours on end without even pausing to pray or to be His disciple. When my work in the office is all I think about even when I’m at home. When I choose to distract myself with pornographic material instead of looking upon Him. When I simply refuse to come out of my comfort zone to explore new ways, be it using the latest technology available to draw closer to Him and lead others to do likewise. When I choose to laze, eat and sleep without lifting a finger to help those in need. The list above is not exhaustive…

Yet it is in these times I must turn to my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ who still loves me and confess to Him, ‘Surely it is I who have betrayed you Lord, in Your mercy Lord pardon my sins and heal me.” So that I may once again have my loving saviour wake me. To listen to Your sweet voice, receive Your grace and to begin the day in filial discipleship. 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.

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: January 30, 2020 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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In those days the light of King David shone like no other! He led Israel out of darkness uniting them with the Lord their God. He was anointed and truly Blessed by the Lord our God.

Let us not forget however that he was far from Saintly. He was blinded by power, driven by ambition and gave in to his insatiable sexual appetites. He was one of us in all regards, for just like us he too was conceived with original sin. Yet each time he fell into sin and awoke in realisation, his heart was in great anguish. His contrite spirit cried out to the Lord our God and he repented. Then once again He was able to sing beautiful psalms of gratitude and praise to God. It is with his ever grateful heart that he continued to serve the Lord and was able to shine once again for Him!

Let us never wallow in our sin but turn back always to our Jesus Christ who awaits to embrace us in His mercy and love. So that we can once again shine for Him in all that we say and do. Amen

First reading

2 Samuel 7:18-19,24-29
‘The house of your servant will be blessed for ever’

After Nathan had spoken to him, King David went in and, seated before the Lord, said: ‘Who am I, O Lord, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this? Yet in your sight, O Lord, this is still not far enough, and you make your promises extend to the House of your servant for a far-distant future. You have constituted your people Israel to be your own people for ever; and you, Lord, have become their God.
‘Now, O Lord, always keep the promise you have made your servant and his House, and do as you have said. Your name will be exalted for ever and men will say, “The Lord of Hosts is God over Israel.” The House of your servant David will be made secure in your presence, since you yourself, Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, “I will build you a House”; hence your servant has ventured to offer this prayer to you. Yes, Lord, you are God indeed, your words are true and you have made this fair promise to your servant. Be pleased, then, to bless the House of your servant, that it may continue for ever in your presence; for you, Lord, have spoken; and with your blessing the House of your servant will be for ever blessed.’

Gospel

Mark 4:21-25
A lamp is to be put on a lampstand. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given

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

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: December 12, 2019 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Our only aim must be to enter the kingdom of Heaven. To be with our Heavenly Father. Just as Elijah proclaimed this, and we know it to be true in our hearts; there is but one God alone whom we must all worship and adore. For the Lord our God had loved us first from the very beginning and will love us to the end.

Let us then heed the call of St John the baptist to repent of our sins and to turn back to God. He had pointed the way to our Redeemer, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Through Him alone, we shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven where He reigns forever. Therefore how ever many times we might have been distracted, and fallen back into sin let us turn our gaze back to the loving face of our Lord and see that He still loves us. He is the lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world and He will have mercy on us when we turn to Him with our contrite hearts. Amen

Our Lady of Guadalupe pray for us…

First reading

Isaiah 41:13-20 ·
I, the Holy One of Israel, am your redeemer

I, the Lord, your God,
I am holding you by the right hand;
I tell you, ‘Do not be afraid,
I will help you.’need

Do not be afraid, Jacob, poor worm,
Israel, puny mite.
I will help you – it is the Lord who speaks –
the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.

See, I turn you into a threshing-sled,
new, with doubled teeth;
you shall thresh and crush the mountains,
and turn the hills to chaff.

You shall winnow them and the wind will blow them away,
the gale will scatter them.
But you yourself will rejoice in the Lord,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

The poor and needy ask for water, and there is none,
their tongue is parched with thirst.
I, the Lord, will answer them,
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.

I will make rivers well up on barren heights,
and fountains in the midst of valleys;
turn the wilderness into a lake,
and dry ground into waterspring.

In the wilderness I will put cedar trees,
acacias, myrtles, olives.
In the desert I will plant juniper,
plane tree and cypress side by side;

so that men may see and know,
may all observe and understand
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Gospel

Matthew 11:11-15

Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm. Because it was towards John that all the prophecies of the prophets and of the Law were leading; and he, if you will believe me, is the Elijah who was to return. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: October 26, 2019 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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From dust we came, from dust we shall return. A stark reminder of our mortality as we call to mind our many sins that prevent us from living Christ centred lives to the full.
For not just what we did wrong, but for what we failed to do was right in the eyes of our Lord. While there is still time we should repent, turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospels. Only then can we start bearing fruit as we are called to do.

Yes Jesus our Lord and Saviour has indeed come to set us free from all sin and to grant us eternal life with Him. We must therefore respond with a resounding yes Lord! Come into me and change me from within. I desire greatly that You dwell in me as I dwell in in You. Come Holy spirit come, come into my life. Show me the way into the heart of the Lord my God. That I may always do what is pleasing to Him. Now and forever. Amen

First reading

Romans 8:1-11 ·
The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you

The reason why those who are in Christ Jesus are not condemned is that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. God has to Newquay what the Law, because of our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body God condemned sin. He did this in order that the Law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature but as the spirit dictates.
The unspiritual are interested only in what is unspiritual, but the spiritual are interested in spiritual things. It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual. That is because to limit oneself to what is unspiritual is to be at enmity with God: such a limitation never could and never does submit to God’s law. People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God. Your interests, however, are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him. Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.

Gospel

Luke 13:1-9
‘Leave the fig tree one more year’

Some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, ‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’
He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard, “Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: July 30, 2019 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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We thank You O Lord God Almighty for your continued blessings, love and mercy upon us. Glory to You O Lord our God!

Are we grateful and thankful enough to the Lord our God? Or have we taken all we have for granted? We now have ‘Tents of Meeting’ we call churches in which we are now able, through our Lord Jesus Christ to meet Him and to be in His Presence. To be allowed to receive Him into our very being, so that through His divinity in us we can grow in Holiness to be with Him in paradise, there is NO other God like ours!

Yet how many choose more ‘important’ things, places or events they rather be at than to attend the Eucharistic Celebration? How many say why do I need to go to church to pray when I can do so at home or anywhere for that matter? What are you and I doing to bring them to the awareness of the the true meaning of Communion. Of what it means to be one Body in Christ, as we worship and we pray. Of the foretaste and experience of Heaven at every Eucharistic Celebration. Most important of all the source and summit of our Faith, the loving embrace of our Lord Jesus Christ when we receive Him at Holy Eucharist. The opportunity of having our Risen Euchartic Lord dwell within us! Amen, Amen, Amen!

Are we grateful and thankful enough? That in His mercy and love, our Lord patiently awaits for us to repent of our sins and turn back to Him. So whether tares, darnel or any other name can be transformed into wheat; sinners into Saints!

We thank You O Lord God Almighty for your continued blessings, love and mercy upon us. Glory to You O Lord our God!

First reading

Exodus 33:7-11,34:5-9,28
‘They are a headstrong people; but forgive us our faults’

Moses used to take the Tent and pitch it outside the camp, at some distance from the camp. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who had to consult the Lord would go out to the Tent of Meeting, outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, all the people would rise. Every man would stand at the door of his tent and watch Moses until he reached the Tent; the pillar of cloud would come down and station itself at the entrance to the Tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. When they saw the pillar of cloud stationed at the entrance to the Tent, all the people would rise and bow low, each at the door of his tent. The Lord would speak with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would turn back to the camp, but the young man who was his servant, Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the Tent.
And the Lord descended in the form of a cloud, and Moses stood with him there.
He called on the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness; for thousands he maintains his kindness, forgives faults, transgression, sin; yet he lets nothing go unchecked, punishing the father’s fault in the sons and in the grandsons to the third and fourth generation.’ And Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshipped. ‘If I have indeed won your favour, Lord,’ he said ‘let my Lord come with us, I beg. True, they are a headstrong people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage.’
Moses stayed there with the Lord for forty days and forty nights, eating and drinking nothing. He inscribed on the tablets the words of the Covenant – the Ten Words.

Gospel

Matthew 13:36-43
As the darnel is gathered up and burnt, so it will be at the end of time

Leaving the crowds, Jesus went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain the parable about the darnel in the field to us.’ He said in reply, ‘The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!’