Posts Tagged ‘sacrament of reconciliation’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: April 27, 2021 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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4th Week into Eastertide are we still awake? Alive and joyful in the celebration of our Resurrected Lord? Have we remained steadfast so as to hear His soft promptings guiding us and leading closer to the bosom of God our Heavenly Father?

Or have we once again allowed the voices of the World overpower us? Have we gone back to our old routines of work and worldly distractions. Had we decided to miss our community prayer meetings as they now hold little importance to us? Well then it is we who have chosen to abandon our Shepherd! He has become a stranger to us and we can no longer recognise His voice.

While there is still breath in us it is not too late. Turn back to Him with contrite hearts and be reconciled! It is only through Jesus that we are fully alive. It is only through Him that we are One with our Heavenly Father.

Lord Jesus have mercy on me a sinner. Be with me always and never let me lose my way. You are my Shepherd I belong to You, let me always listen to Your voice. Amen Alleluia!

First reading

Acts 11:19-26 ·

They started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Lord Jesus

Those who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

    The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.

    Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’

Gospel

John 10:22-30

The Father and I are one

It was the time when the feast of Dedication was being celebrated in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon. The Jews gathered round him and said, ‘How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus replied:

‘I have told you, but you do not believe.

The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness;

but you do not believe,

because you are no sheep of mine.

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;

I know them and they follow me.

I give them eternal life;

they will never be lost

and no one will ever steal them from me.

The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,

and no one can steal from the Father.

The Father and I are one.’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: January 15, 2021 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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The power to forgive comes from God’s love. In and through God’s love forgiveness is its powerful witness, for it liberates, heals and bestows His peace, love and joy.

Jesus came to save us through forgiveness of our sins. In His great love for us, He conferred the power to forgive sins to His Apostles; this anointing continues through the ages through His priests. Let us not take this for granted and go as often as it takes to prepare us for our Heavenly inheritance and eternal rest in God our Heavenly Father.

This wonderful gift is not just for life thereafter but for now, as we walk in His presence and rest in  His peace, love and joy. Amen

First reading
Hebrews 4:1-5,11 ·
None of you has come too late for God’s promise

Be careful: the promise of reaching the place of rest that God had for the Israelites still holds good, and none of you must think that he has come too late for it. We received the Good News exactly as they did; but hearing the message did them no good because they did not share the faith of those who listened. We, however, who have faith, shall reach a place of rest, as in the text: And so, in anger, I swore that not one would reach the place of rest I had for them. God’s work was undoubtedly all finished at the beginning of the world; as one text says, referring to the seventh day: After all his work God rested on the seventh day. The text we are considering says: They shall not reach the place of rest I had for them. We must therefore do everything we can to reach this place of rest, or some of you might copy this example of disobedience and be lost.


Gospel
Mark 2:1-12
The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, word went round that he was back; and so many people collected that there was no room left, even in front of the door. He was preaching the word to them when some people came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men, but as the crowd made it impossible to get the man to him, they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was; and when they had made an opening, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some scribes were sitting there, and they thought to themselves, ‘How can this man talk like that? He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins but God?’ Jesus, inwardly aware that this was what they were thinking, said to them, ‘Why do you have these thoughts in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven” or to say, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he turned to the paralytic – ‘I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home.’ And the man got up, picked up his stretcher at once and walked out in front of everyone, so that they were all astounded and praised God saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: November 16, 2020 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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All too often we are plunged into darkness when we sin and yet we cannot seem to figure out why emptiness grows within us. Evil seeds are planted in our heads and we start forming conspiracy theories, “everyone is against me,” “seems like others are more privileged than me and my family.” The voices that tells us not to cry out to Jesus become louder than our own conscience and so we remain quiet and fade away into further darkness. We forget how to love as we should and the distance between us and our Lord only widens!


Take courage and cry out to Jesus as we should and He will invite us to come back to Him. He will set us free to live fully in His love. His light will once again shine upon us and then we will be able to carry His light within us to others. Heart, mind and soul are opened to glorify Him by our love put into action for others.


Therefore sister and brothers, as we draw closer to the start of Advent. Let our hearts yearn to be fully reconciled with Jesus the light of all nations. Strive to do what we must by seeking the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation often, so that filled with His grace we become beacons of light for others. Amen

First reading Apocalypse 1:1-4,2:1-5

Think what you were before you fell, and repent
This is the revelation given by God to Jesus Christ so that he could tell his servants about the things which are now to take place very soon; he sent his angel to make it known to his servant John, and John has written down everything he saw and swears it is the word of God guaranteed by Jesus Christ. Happy the man who reads this prophecy, and happy those who listen to him, if they treasure all that it says, because the Time is close. From John, to the seven churches of Asia: grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, from the seven spirits in his presence before his throne. I heard the Lord saying to me: ‘Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus and say, “Here is the message of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who lives surrounded by the seven golden lamp-stands: I know all about you: how hard you work and how much you put up with. I know you cannot stand wicked men, and how you tested the impostors who called themselves apostles and proved they were liars. Know, too, that you have patience, and have suffered for my name without growing tired. Nevertheless, I have this complaint to make; you have less love now than you used to. Think where you were before you fell; repent, and do as you used to at first.”’

Gospel Luke 18:35-43

‘Son of David, have pity on me’
As Jesus drew near to Jericho there was a blind man sitting at the side of the road begging. When he heard the crowd going past he asked what it was all about, and they told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. So he called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.’ The people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him, and when he came up, asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Sir,’ he replied ‘let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.’ And instantly his sight returned and he followed him praising God, and all the people who saw it gave praise to God for what had happened.