12th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

12^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

Zechariah 12: 10-11; 13:1. Psalm 62: 2-6. 8-9 Rv. 2, Galatians 3:26-29,.

They will look on the one they have pierced.

O God, you are my God, for you I long.

All baptized in Christ, You have all clothed yourself in Christ.

But you, he said, who do you say I am.

In St. Peter's,The Vatican

Luke 9: 18-24   Now it happened that Jesus was praying alone, and his disciples came to him and he put this question to them, 'Who do the crowds say I am?' ¹⁹ And they answered, 'Some say John the Baptist; others Elijah; others again one of the ancient prophets come back to life.' ²⁰ 'But you,' he said to them, 'who do you say I am?' It was Peter who spoke up. 'The Christ of God,' he said. ²¹ But he gave them strict orders and charged them not to say this to anyone. ²² He said, 'The Son of man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.' ²³ Then, speaking to all, he said, 'If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me. ²⁴ Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, will save it.

 'If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me.

Do you stand with Peter?

Jesus is about to set out on his journey to Jerusalem. He knows what awaits him there. The writing is clearly written on the wall. If he continues to preach, to heal and liberate people from the clutches of Satan then the hostility of the chief priests and the Pharisees will destroy him. They will have him executed by the Romans and that means crucifixion. He is not going to stop and so his fate is sealed. It is a matter of months and he will be dead. Are the disciples ready to carry on his mission? Having listened to the popular understanding he asks them the crucial questions, “Who do you say I am?” He is not asking for a catechism answer. He is asking them “who am I for you?”

There was a time in some countries and still is in others that certain forms have a column, ‘your religion’. People would fill in, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Catholic, C of E, CSI etc. Religion is seen as belonging to an organization with codes and rules. People may feel their identity in this group and support the group and even fight for it. We have witnessed religious struggles and wars. This is not the kind of ‘religion’ Jesus is interested in. He asks you, not what your religious denomination is but ‘who am I for you’, ‘who do you say I am?’ He wants your answer. He knows the catechism answer.  Who is Jesus for you? Whether the words are the same or not, your answer will necessarily be different from mine. If you can say, “Jesus you are everything for me. I want to know you more and more and whatever happens I will be your disciple,” then you are in the company of Peter.

Jesus will teach you what it means to be a disciple. Jesus knew what was coming to him in Jerusalem. He went on because he trusted that his Father would vindicate him. ‘God will definitely raise me’. We can only follow Jesus if we have the same kind of confidence that he had in his Father.

Like Jesus we must go forward openly and courageously living the Christian life in the face of a sceptical and hostile world. There will be much subtle opposition and hidden persecution. We must be ‘Jesus’ people’; we belong to him and live by his values. We trust that ‘on the third day’ he will vindicate us too.

Do you know Jesus through the Gospels and daily prayer? Do you bravely ignore the sneers and persecution of the world for your belief in Jesus? Do you contribute to strengthening your community of believers?

Father, give the love for Jesus that makes us strong in our witness to him

                                                       

St. Peter's Basilica Vatican                

                                                              

 

 From the top of St. Peter's

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time C & Weekdays

11^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

2 Sam.12: 7-10, 13.  Psalm 31:1-2, 5-7, 11.Rv 5.  Galatians 2:16.19-21.

Why have you shown contempt for the Lord, doing what displeases him?

I live in faith: faith in the Son of God who loved me and sacrificed himself for my sake.

It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love

Luke 7:36-8:3

³⁶ One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to a meal. When he arrived at the Pharisee's house and took his place at table, ³⁷ suddenly a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town. She had heard Jesus was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment. ³⁸ She waited behind him at his feet, weeping, and her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them away with her hair; then she covered his feet with kisses and anointed them with the ointment. ³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who this woman is and what sort of person it is who is touching him and what a bad name she has.' ⁴⁰ Then Jesus took him up and said, 'Simon, I have something to say to you.' He replied, 'Say on, Master.' ⁴¹ 'There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed him five hundred denarii, the other fifty. ⁴² They were unable to pay, so he let them both off. Which of them will love him more?' ⁴³ Simon answered, 'The one who was let off more, I suppose.' Jesus said, 'You are right.' ⁴⁴ Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, 'You see this woman? I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷ For this reason I tell you that her sins, many as they are, have been forgiven her, because she has shown such great love. It is someone who is forgiven little who shows little love.' ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.' ⁴⁹ Those who were with him at table began to say to themselves, 'Who is this man, that even forgives sins?' ⁵⁰ But he said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'

¹ Now it happened that after this he made his way through towns and villages preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, ² as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³ Joanna the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their own resources.

Have you felt the love of Jesus?

You can’t commit sin in your sleep, nor when you do not realize what you are doing is sinful, nor when you are in some way forced and not able to make a free decision. David knew that committing adultery with Bathsheba was sinful. He freely gave in to his lustful feelings and took her to his bed. He tried to cover up his evil deed but when he failed he cold-bloodedly planned and carried out the murder of Uriah, her husband. Uriah was dead. David thought he had succeeded. But God sees all. Confronted with his sin, David repents and Nathan tells him he will not die. But his child has to die and “the sword will never be far from your House”. His own son will try to kill David.

The contrast with the Gospel could not be starker. The woman too has sinned and not just once. “Her many sins” Jesus calls them. Those sins though done in bed were not done in sleep. She knew she was sinning and she freely sinned. There was no excuse. She stood guilty before God and man. Man’s verdict is clear and harsh. Simon gives it. But what is God’s verdict? Now that God has Himself become a man and has undergone Himself all the temptations that every man and woman can encounter, He understands the weakness and frailty of people. They are sick. They are bound. They are victims. They need mercy, healing and strength as much as forgiveness. Yet He understands the horror and wickedness of sin and will experience this in his own flesh as He hangs in anguish on the cross – the physical victim of our sins. But Jesus came for sinners like this woman and David too. Repentance is of the essence but like the father in the parable of the lost son which he will tell later, Jesus goes out to the sinner. He will not crush the broken reed.

The difference between heaven and hell, we are told, is that hell is full of unrepentant sinners whereas heaven is full of sinners who turned to Jesus for mercy. The greatest saints were once the greatest of sinners: the woman in today’s Gospel forgiven and healed of 'her many sins', St. Peter who failed his Lord and”going out wept bitterly”. St. Paul, who could never thank God enough for the grace of conversion.

If only we have faith enough to meet Jesus as a real person, we will experience his love. Once we know His love, then we will also turn to him and be saved. Do you want to experience Jesus? Then search for Him daily in prayer and His Word.

Father, grant that I may taste your love in the forgiveness of my sins and sing your praise in thanksgiving.

 Capernaum and the northern end of the sea of Galilee. Here light rose over the earth

Weekdays of 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Meeting Jesus through the Gospels

1. Sit quietly, recollect yourself. Concentrate on Jesus. Call on the Holy Spirit. Take your time. There is no rush and there is no fixed rule to follow. Be free in the Spirit.

2. Be aware that Jesus is with you. Use a mantra if you like, e.g. ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ..’

3. Read the passage with Jesus who was there and in the Holy Spirit who inspired it.

4. Note the words and sentences that strike you.

5. Pray about these and ask the Lord to speak to you through his Spirit.

6. Keep a journal of the inspirations you are given for your life. Jesus is present to you and he is speaking to you.

7. If the passage is a ‘dramatic’ one try and live the passage in your imagination. Remember it is not just imagination because Jesus is present now with you. Put yourself in the scene.  It is the Holy Spirit who makes Jesus real.

June 14^th Monday

Matthew 5:38-42

³⁸ 'You have heard how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. ³⁹ But I say this to you: offer no resistance to the wicked. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; ⁴⁰ if someone wishes to go to law with you to get your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone requires you to go one mile, go two miles with him. ⁴² Give to anyone who asks you, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.

Do we believe in a God who is a loving Father, who cares for us, who will see to all our needs if only we seek his Kingdom and justice, who will intervene to see that justice is done and quickly? If we do we can follow these precepts of Jesus. If we don’t then we will be forced ‘to defend our rights’. The history of wars and self-defence don’t reveal many believers. But Jesus followed his own teaching. He refused to resist in Gethsemane, before the chief priests and Pilate. They crucified him. But his death brought life to the whole world. It takes courage and faith to follow Jesus. Who can believe that to refuse to resist the evil person is the way to conquer him, to generously respond to those who treat us unjustly can win them? Is Jesus a dreamer or is this the way to peace?

Tuesday 15^th June 2010

Matthew 5:43-48

⁴³ 'You have heard how it was said, You will love your neighbour and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say this to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; ⁴⁵ so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the bad as well as the good, and sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much? ⁴⁷ And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? ⁴⁸ Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.'

Who has loved their enemies? Can we think of those in history who have followed the teaching of Jesus today? Do we love our enemies, do good to them or justify bombing them? ‘Kill your enemies before they kill you’. Mahatma Gandhi refused to hate, refused to practice violence. A Hindu he loved the Sermon on the Mount. Martin Luther King followed him too. Both gave their lives but did they not succeed? Has the Church followed its Master? Putting aside Governments what of us? Have you and I followed Jesus? Who are your ‘enemies’? What is your attitude to them? How do you treat them? As children of God, our standard is our Heavenly Father. He is perfect, does not take revenge on unbelievers or blasphemers but gives his good things to them too. We are called to imitate him. How far do you “Overcome evil by good”? (Rom. 12:23).

Wednesday 16^th June 2010

Gospel Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

¹ 'Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. ² So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win human admiration. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. ³ But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; ⁴ your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. ⁵ 'And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. ⁶ But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

¹⁶ 'When you are fasting, do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let people know they are fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put scent on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

Jesus spoke in the context of a highly religious society. Rabbis prayed three times a day. There was much public prayer. It paid to appear religious, to pray often and long. Such persons were admired. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving were the pillars of Jewish religious society. Jesus is challenging his disciples; who are they doing it all for? Self or God? Does it come from a heart deeply in love with God and is it an expression of their inner spirit of reverent obedience to God? It is not the secrecy but the sincerity that he is calling for. In a secular and unbelieving society my love for God may make me pray and fast so as to be seen and so proclaim that I believe in a hidden God. You may have to ask; do I pray? Then why and for whom? Have I the courage to be seen?

Thursday 17^th June 2010

Matthew 6:7-15

⁷ 'In your prayers do not babble as the gentiles do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. ⁸ Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹ So you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be held holy, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us. ¹³ And do not put us to the test, but save us from the Evil One. ¹⁴ 'Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.

Jesus says prayer is not to be mechanical nor is the amount of prayers we say important. Ours is a personal relationship of children to a beloved Father and to Jesus as our Brother. Prayer is to live out this relationship. Jesus called his Father, Abba – a tender name used by children. We have the privilege of calling God tenderly too. This prayer is the Lord’s Prayer in that he prayed in this way. He invites us to share his prayer. We pray that our Father be glorified, reign and be obeyed. We pray for bread, the bread from heaven. We ask God to forgive us our sins. We too forgive others. Jesus too was weak and prayed to be spared evil. We too pray the same. Jesus stresses that we can only pray this pray if our hearts are open to God by our forgiveness of others. Is yours?

Friday 18^th June 2010.

Mt 6:19-23

Gospel

¹⁹ 'Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and woodworm destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworm destroys them and thieves cannot break in and steal. ²¹ For wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be too. ²² 'The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is clear, your whole body will be filled with light. ²³ But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkened, what darkness that will be!

 If you think of treasure in terms of wealth and things, then the light within you is darkened. It is useful to have what we need to live but our treasure must always be persons. Life is relationships and eternal life too. To store up treasure in heaven is not to amass a ‘spiritually fat bank account’, no doubt earned through all kinds of meritorious acts. The clearer your eye is the clearer you will recognize Jesus now in your life and the deeper will be your relationship with him. He is the one who loves you supremely. The treasure in heaven which Jesus exhorts us to earn is the relationship of love with him that we build up here on earth. To live in love with Jesus for ever is the only treasure to long for. The rest is dross. To meet Jesus is life. What do you think?

Saturday 19^th June 2010.

Mt 6:24-34

Gospel

²⁴ 'No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money. ²⁵ 'That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and what you are to wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body more than clothing! ²⁶ Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? ²⁷ Can any of you, however much you worry, add one single cubit to your span of life? ²⁸ And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; ²⁹ yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one of these. ³⁰ Now if that is how God clothes the wild flowers growing in the field which are there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you who have so little faith? ³¹ So do not worry; do not say, "What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What are we to wear?" ³² It is the gentiles who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. ³³ Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on God's saving justice, and all these other things will be given you as well. ³⁴ So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'

. Do you believe that you have a Father who loves you and is all powerful to help you become the person he dreamt of when he created you? Then if you do, why are you so anxious about anything in your life? Is he not there for you? Will he not see to everything? I wonder how many of us have this kind of faith. But this is what Jesus is telling us today. It is not for us to worry about our material and physical needs, nor even about our spiritual ones. Our Father will look after all these, Jesus says. All you have to do, he says, is search for him with all your strength and practice the justice that he loves. You must live for him with everything that you are. Have you the wisdom to do this and the courage to relax in his arms?

10th Week of Ordinary Time

Meeting Jesus through the Gospel

1. Sit quietly, recollect yourself. Concentrate on Jesus. Call on the Holy Spirit. Take your time. There is no rush and there is no fixed rule to follow. Be free in the Spirit.

2. Be aware that Jesus is with you. Use a mantra if you like, e.g. ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ..’

3. Read the passage with Jesus who was there and in the Holy Spirit who inspired it.

4. Note the words and sentences that strike you.

5. Pray about these and ask the Lord to speak to you through his Spirit.

6. Keep a journal of the inspirations you are given for your life. Jesus is present to you and he is speaking to you.

7. If the passage is a ‘dramatic’ one try and live the passage in your imagination. Remember it is not just imagination because Jesus is present now with you. Put yourself in the scene.  It is the Holy Spirit who makes Jesus real.

Monday June 7^th

Matthew 5:1-12

 Blessed are the poor in spirit

¹ Seeing the crowds, he went onto the mountain. And when he was seated his disciples came to him. ² Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them: ³ How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. ⁴ Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance. ⁵ Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted. ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness: they shall have their fill. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. ¹¹ 'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

Notice that Jesus is speaking to his disciples, to those who have accepted him as Lord and Saviour and become the children of the Father in heaven. We have a Father who loves us beyond measure and wants to bless us in every way. To receive this inheritance all we have to do is welcome his gifts. This is what Jesus means when he says, blessed are the poor in spirit – how privileged are those who realise that they have nothing of their own and rely on the mercy and goodness of God, for they will receive everything that is God’s. The beatitudes describe the mind of Jesus himself and those who have the same mind as Jesus are those who will be given the Kingdom of heaven. The Beatitudes teach us what he values in life.  Do you try with God’s grace to put on the mind of Christ?

Tuesday June 8^th 2010

Matthew 5:13-16.

¹³ 'You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled under people's feet. ¹⁴ 'You are light for the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way your light must shine in people's sight, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven.

We live in a consumer society – people want as many luxuries as they can afford. More money, more things. A thirst for this world’s satisfaction. We live in a world lusting for power, prestige, the honour and respect of others. If you too have embraced these values then how are you different from others? Salt is different and salt makes a difference, a huge difference. Jesus was different. Rich, he became poor, had nowhere to lay his head. Can you give up your wealth and your desire for wealth? Can you give all this to the poor? Can you be a humble servant of others even in the highest place? If not, then how can you be the salt of the earth? Are you rejecting the call of Jesus? Then what is left? There is no salt. There is no light. Both you and the world are lost.

Wednesday June 9^th 2010

Matthew 5:17-19.

¹⁷ 'Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. ¹⁸ In truth I tell you, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, is to disappear from the Law until all its purpose is achieved. ¹⁹ Therefore, anyone 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 person who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of Heaven.

Over generations God revealed himself. He spoke through prophets.  In Jesus he has brought this prophecy to fulfilment. Jesus himself is the Word of God. There is no other from God. He is the living Word and invites us into intimate union with himself. In Jesus we know God himself. He lives among us still and through him we can experience God. We can live in God and God can live in us. We can know Jesus partially through the revelation of the Old Testament. But now we know him fully through deep friendship with him. We now read the Old Testament with him and understand it in him, for it looks towards him. We fulfil it by listening to him and bringing others to him so that we all live by the values and truths of Jesus. Do you live in Jesus the Word of God?

Thursday June 10^th 2010

Matthew  5: 20-26

'For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven. ²¹ 'You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You shall not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. ²² But I say this to you, anyone who is angry with a brother will answer for it before the court; anyone who calls a brother "Fool" will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls him "Traitor" will answer for it in hell fire. ²³ So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. ²⁵ Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. ²⁶ In truth I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.

Jesus did not criticize the scribes for their observance of laws. They were stringent in their observation of the letter. But it was external only. What was in their heart and could not be seen didn’t matter for them. For Jesus the fulfilment of the law only has value in God’s eyes when it is an expression of the love in our hearts. We must not kill. Jesus says, not only that but we must not cultivate anger from which murder springs. Rather, love your enemies. Before we make peace with God through sacrifice we should first make peace with our brother and sister. Our sign of peace at Mass should be something real and must extend to everyone, present and absent. Now is the time. We should use it to be at peace with God and with people. Injustice will have to be paid for one day.

Friday 11^th June Solemnity of the Sacred Heart.

Luke 15:3-7.

Jesus told the Pharisees this parable: ⁴ 'Which one of you with a hundred sheep, if he lost one, would fail to leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the missing one till he found it? ⁵ And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders ⁶ and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, I have found my sheep that was lost." ⁷ In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner repenting than over ninety-nine upright people who have no need of repentance.

Why did Jesus use this parable for the Pharisees? They despised shepherds as having a sinful occupation. They could not keep the Law. Pharisees would never keep sheep. God didn’t just become man, he ‘became sin’ in order to seek and save sinners. Then like a shepherd he goes in search of his lost sheep because it is his and he wants it back. He cares for his sheep because he loves them and doesn’t forget even one of them. Do you realise that Jesus cares for you because he loves you, that he longs for you to be with him and cannot bear the thought that you may be lost? He calls you again and again by speaking to you through the inspirations of your heart, by the word of others and the circumstances of your life. Do you respond or continue on your own way – to the abyss?.

June 12, 2010
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Luke 2:41-51

Every year his parents used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. ⁴³ When the days of the feast were over and they set off home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. ⁴⁴ They assumed he was somewhere in the party, and it was only after a day's journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere. ⁴⁶ It happened that, three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions; ⁴⁷ and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. ⁴⁸ They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, 'My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.' ⁴⁹ He replied, 'Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he meant. ⁵¹Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. He went down with them then and came to

Joseph and Mary go in search of Jesus. They cannot see him anywhere. He is their Son and they love him. They cannot bear the thought of losing him. They forget everything till they find him. They are our models. Do you search for Jesus as they did and Jesus for you? We cannot see him anywhere but you belong to him and he to you. Do you realise how much he loves you and do you respond? Ask for the grace to return his love for you and respond to the grace. Go in search of Jesus day by day. Though you will never see him your heart will be filled with joy because those who seek will find. Jesus will have his own way of being present to you and you to him. Do you realise that life is meant to be an everlasting love story?

The Body and Blood of Christ C

The Body and Blood of Christ C

Genesis 14:18-20. Psalm 109:1-4. Rv.4. 1Cor 11:23-26.

Melchizedek brought bread and wine.

The Lord’s revelation to my Master: sit on my right.

This is my body which is for you. This cup is the new Covenant in my blood.

He took the five loaves, blessed and broke them and handed them to his disciples. 

Luke 9:11-17

But the crowds got to know and they went after him. He made them welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing. ¹² It was late afternoon when the Twelve came up to him and said, 'Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here.' ¹³ He replied, 'Give them something to eat yourselves.' But they said, 'We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people.' ¹⁴ For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, 'Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.' ¹⁵ They did so and made them all sit down. ¹⁶ Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the crowd. ¹⁷ They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps left over were collected they filled twelve baskets.                                                                                  

The poor rich man

We were not born then, nor did we live in Palestine, nonetheless we can share in the life and death of Jesus. The manner is different, the reality the same. Jesus lives in our midst. We can hear him, share in his Death and Resurrection and meet him as ‘Lord and God.’ We can minister to him as anyone in the Gospels. It is not enough to learn our faith we must experience it.  The Eucharist is a case in point. The Corinthians would come together but did not celebrate the Eucharist. They forgot the reality. Our great enemy is routine. We celebrate the Eucharist so often and so many times without realizing what we are doing. In every Mass we remember the Last Supper and Jesus’ Passion and Resurrection. In the Mass Jesus who died and rose to glory for us is present. Do you realize this? We listen to him speaking to us as did the disciples. Or is it a myth? Jesus comes to us as living food which can transform us into him. Is it theology or reality?

If we come with living faith we can experience the Good Physician in every Mass however simply celebrated. We need to come prepared. How many of us come to Mass without preparation. We ‘pop into Mass’. If we are to hear Jesus speaking to us we need to read and pray over the readings before Mass. No one throws seeds without preparing the ground beforehand. If our hearts are not ready, the Word will not produce a harvest. Readers so often do not realize the responsibility they have when they proclaim God’s Word. Through the lack of preparation and a faith-filled proclamation they deprive God’s people of their food. Each reader is called to touch the hearts of the hearers, as God would, if he proclaimed the Word himself. Do our hearts burn within us as we hear the homily? Do we have a sense of being a community gathered around the Lord, as did the disciples at the Last Supper? Do we expect to receive the Holy Spirit in power in every celebration and experience the rivers of living water flowing from our hearts now Jesus is glorified? (John7:37). After receiving Jesus in Holy Communion do we experience an ongoing transformation into his Body? Or do we simply forget what has happened and continue as usual?

We may blame the banality of our celebrations of the Eucharist on the different ministers. There is some truth in this. A liturgy which is full of faith, in which the ministers perform their ministry well, is a source of grace and healing. Nonetheless ultimately it depends on how we come to share in the presence of our ‘Lord and God’. Do you come ready and anxious to meet the healing Lord?  Are you poor when you should be rich?

Father, may we realize the presence of Jesus in the Mass and through his food become the presence of Jesus.

The Catholic Faith: The one-word-religion

The Catholic Faith

THE ONE-WORD-RELIGION

 Our religion is the one Word, Jesus. Our religion is a Person, not an organisation nor a theory nor a moral code.  It is to know a Person, to love a Person and life is to please a Person. The Person is Jesus. Jesus has died for us. He has risen for us and he is with us now even more than when he walked the roads of Palestine. “Do not be afraid, I am with you”.- “till the end of time”. “Through him all good things come” (Mass prayer).

Our religion is to know Jesus: to know him personally as an intimate friend. “I do not call you servants, but my friends”. Without this friendship there is no religion. He welcomes all, saint and sinner, rich and poor, learned and illiterate, the well and the ill. His friendship will change us radically – to our very roots.

Our religion is not learning but experiencing – experiencing Jesus.

We need him;

We need to be loved: “he loved his own in the world and to the end”

We need peace of mind: “my peace I give you”

We need to be free from anxiety: “let not your hearts be troubled”

We need to relax: “come to me, I will give you rest”

We need to be free from fear: “Do not be afraid”

We need forgiveness: “her sins, her many sins, are forgiven her”.

We need joy in our life: “I say these things that your joy may be complete”. 

We need to live life to the full: “I have come that you may have life and to the full”.

“You believe in God, believe also in me”

These gifts can be ours to the full: “he who asks will receive, he who seeks will find and he who knocks will have the door opened”

We are lost in the maze of life: “I have come to seek and search for the lost”

We are slaves of sin: “The Spirit is upon me: to liberate captives”

We don’t know where to turn; “I am the Good Shepherd”.

We are in the dark: “I am the light of the world”

We are weak: “I am the bread of life”.

We thirst for we know not what: “All those who thirst come to me and drink”.

We have a fruitless life: “I am the vine, you the branches – you will bear much fruit”

We have no prospect of eternal life as humans: “I am the Resurrection and life”

We find no meaning in life: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”

We have no way into eternal bliss: “I am the door”..

Jesus waits for each of us: ”I stand at the door and knock”

To know him is to love him. To love him is to keep his commandments. To keep his commandments wins the vision of Jesus: “I will show myself to him”

Is it possible? “Without me you can do nothing”.

THE CHURCH

The Church is the gathering of those who believe in Jesus. They are centred on him. They love him and as they love him, they love one another. “This is the sign by which everyone will know you are my disciples”. “Love one another as I have loved you”.

This is the Church Jesus founded and it will last for ever. It is not the structures that we see. With so many believers in the world today it is necessary to have structures – Popes, Roman Curia, Dioceses, Bishops, parish priests, Canon Law, Rules, Liturgy, Sacraments, even the Bible. They are necessary now, but not to be confused with the Church. They can be and will be one day swept away. The Church has only one law, one tradition, one heart: it is to love Jesus and all who believe. Jesus and those who love him are for ever. They constitute his Church.

“Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I will be there with them”.

 “You have only one teacher, the Christ. You are all brothers and sisters”.

“He who believes in me, even though he dies, will live”.