Collect Series: Feast of the Holy Family Year A

 Collect Series

The Mass: Collect series Icon

FEAST OF HOLY FAMILY YEAR A

 

COLLECT

O God who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family,

Graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and the bonds of charity,

And so in the joy of Your house, delight one day in eternal rewards.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged:

1.    What is the shining example of the Holy Family?

2.    Why did God us the example of the Holy Family?

3.    What answer do I give to someone who mocks the Holy Family and/or who says they are irrelevant today?

4.    What are the virtues of family life?

5.    How will I practise the virtues of family life this coming week?

6.    What spiritual goals will I implement in this  coming year?

Matthew 2:13–15, 19–23

Theme: “Out of Egypt I called my Son.”

Setting the Scene

The tenderness of Bethlehem gives way to urgency and danger. An angel warns Joseph in a dream to take the Child and His Mother and flee to Egypt, for Herod seeks to destroy Him. In the dark of night, Joseph obeys immediately. The Holy Family becomes a family of refugees, guided only by faith and trust in God’s promise. 

In Egypt, they live among strangers, waiting until another angel announces that it is safe to return. They settle in Nazareth, fulfilling what the prophets had foretold: that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. 

This passage reminds us that God’s protection often comes through quiet obedience and that holiness sometimes requires courage in the face of uncertainty.

Gospel Reflection

Matthew presents Joseph as a man of action rooted in faith. He listens, discerns, and obeys without hesitation. His silence speaks volumes — a faith that does not argue or delay, but trusts completely in God’s plan.  The Holy Family’s journey mirrors the journey of Israel — out of Egypt, through exile, and back into promise. Jesus, the new Moses, will later lead His people from the slavery of sin to the freedom of grace.  Their flight also reveals the vulnerability of love. God enters a world of danger, not as a powerful ruler but as a Child carried in the arms of His parents. Holiness here is not serene comfort but courageous love that protects, endures, and trusts.

Personal Reflection

This Gospel speaks to every family that has faced fear, change, or hardship. The Holy Family shows us that divine strength often takes the form of quiet resilience.  Like Joseph, we are called to listen to God’s voice, even when it leads us into unfamiliar places. Like Mary, we are called to trust that God’s providence will not fail us.

Every home becomes holy when love is stronger than fear, when faith lights the path through uncertainty, and when obedience is shaped by compassion.

The flight into Egypt reminds us that God’s plan is at work even in the detours — that our journeys, too, can become sacred if we walk them with trust.

 

Questions for Reflection

1. How do I respond when God’s plans interrupt my own?
2. What can I learn from Joseph’s quiet, immediate obedience?
3. Where do I find the courage to trust God in times of uncertainty?
4. How might my own family or community be called to “flee” from harmful patterns or influences?
5. What helps me remember that God’s protection sometimes comes through simple faithfulness?
6. In what ways does the Holy Family’s journey reflect my own spiritual pilgrimage?

Closing Prayer

Lord God,
You guided the Holy Family through danger and exile,
and led them safely into Your promise.
Protect our families with the same watchful love.
When we face fear or uncertainty,
teach us to listen as Joseph listened,
to trust as Mary trusted,
and to walk in faith as they walked.
May our homes be places of refuge,
our hearts temples of Your presence,
and our lives paths of obedience to Your will.
Amen.

 

Moments with the Gospel Series: The Tender Mercy of God

 Moments With The Gospel

Moments with the Gospel series;

The Tender Mercy of God

As I was meditating on Luke 1:78 Gospel for Christmas Even ( morning Mass, the expression the word tender leapt off the page. I wanted to savour it more.

“The tender mercy of our God…” (Luke 1:78)

First, notice that Scripture does not just say mercy.
It says tender mercy. Those adjective matters.

Let us turn our attention to What tender is not.

1. What tender is not

Tender is not:

• Harsh
• Rushed
• Impatient
• Distant
• Clinical

God’s mercy is not administered like a verdict or a transaction.
It is not “You are forgiven, now move on.”

2. The feel of the word tender

Tender is a felt word.  It evokes:

• A hand placed gently, not gripping
• A wound being touched carefully, not pressed
• A voice lowered, not raised
• A closeness that knows fragility

Tender assumes vulnerability in the one being touched.

God does not approach us as if we are sturdy.
He approaches us knowing we are easily bruised.

3. The original sense (why Luke chose this word)

The Greek word Luke uses (splanchna) refers to the deep inner organs — the gut, the womb, the place where emotion is physically felt. Think about that for a few moments- deep inner organs…that is where God wishes to gives us His tender mercy.

This is not surface kindness. This is mercy that:

• aches
• stirs
• moves from deep within

God’s mercy is visceral. It comes from His depths toward ours.

 

4. Tender mercy at the manger

Now place this word beside Christmas.

God does not arrive: with force, with volume, with dominance Rather He arrives as an infant, unable to speak, unable to defend Himself, dependent on human care- the care of Mary His mother and Joseph his step father.  He has no royal throne but born in a stable amongst the animals. That is tender mercy embodied.

God does not shout forgiveness from heaven.
He lies in straw and gazes on the world with His tender mercy.

5. Tenderness assumes time

Tender things cannot be rushed.

You don’t rush tending a baby, don’t rush touching a wound or don’t rush comforting grief

The tender mercy of God moves at our pace, not His power.

This is mercy that waits for us to be ready.

6. A Christmas Eve invitation

Perhaps today’s Gospel is not asking us to do anything. Perhaps it is asking us to:

• stop bracing
• stop explaining
• stop proving
• stop holding ourselves together

And to let ourselves be treated tenderly by God Even — especially in the places we hide.

.

 

Come Lord Jesus series Fourth Sunday of Advent Year A

Come Lord Jesus series

Advent Wreath: Come Lord Jesus series Icon.

Fourth Sunday of Advent — Year A

Entrance Antiphon:

“Drop down dew from above, you heavens,

and let the clouds rain down the Just One;

let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour.”

(cf. Isaiah 45:8)

Reflection

Advent now reaches its final threshold. The long watching, the repeated promises, the patient waiting all gather into a single, urgent prayer: “Drop down dew from above.” The Church no longer speaks only of preparation; she speaks of imminence. Heaven is addressed directly. Earth is commanded to open. Salvation is no longer distant — it is about to take flesh.

Isaiah’s imagery is rich and deliberate. Dew does not fall with force or noise. It arrives gently, silently, almost unnoticed — yet it brings life wherever it rests. This is how God chooses to come. Not with violence, not with spectacle, but with a quiet, life-giving descent. Advent has trained us to recognise this kind of coming: humble, faithful, transformative.

“Let the clouds rain down the Just One.”
The Saviour who comes is righteous — not merely morally upright, but perfectly aligned with the will of God. He comes to set right what is distorted, to restore what has been bent by sin, to bring justice that heals rather than wounds. Christ is the “Just One” because in Him, mercy and truth meet.

Then the prayer turns toward us: “Let the earth be opened.”
The earth is no longer passive ground. It must open, receive, cooperate. Advent reaches its climax here. God is ready to give — now the question is whether we are ready to receive. The opening of the earth mirrors the opening of the heart. Salvation is never forced; it is welcomed.

“And bring forth a Saviour.”
This is the heart of Christmas waiting. The Church stands on the edge of fulfilment, knowing that the promise will soon be realised in Mary’s womb, in Bethlehem’s poverty, in a child laid in a manger. God’s answer to the world’s longing will not be an idea, but a person.

Fourth Sunday of Advent is quiet, intense, and deeply focused. There is nothing left to add. Nothing left to prepare except the heart itself. Heaven is ready. Earth is summoned. Salvation is at hand.

Practice for Today:
Pray slowly, throughout the day:
“Lord, open my heart to receive You.”
Then rest in the stillness of this final waiting.

Come, Lord Jesus.

 

Come Lord Jesus Series: Saturday of Third Week of Advent Year A

 Come Lord Jesus Series

Advent Wreath Come Lord Jesus series Icon.

Saturday — Third Week of Advent (Year A)

Entrance Antiphon:

“Come, O Lord, visit us in peace,

that we may rejoice before You with a blameless heart.”

(cf. Psalm 24:3; Psalm 85:8)

Reflection

As the third week of Advent draws to a close, the Church once again places on our lips a simple, trusting prayer: “Come, O Lord.”
The repetition is intentional. By now, Advent has moved us beyond curiosity and anticipation into desire. We are no longer asking if the Lord will come, but how we might receive Him more fully.

The prayer asks for a visitation — not a passing moment, not a fleeting consolation, but a presence that enters and remains. When God visits His people in Scripture, something always changes. Peace settles where there was restlessness. Clarity emerges where there was confusion. Strength is given where weakness was felt. Advent teaches us to ask not for dramatic signs, but for this quiet, transforming nearness.

“Visit us in peace.”  Peace here is not merely calm or comfort. It is wholeness — the restoration of right relationship with God, with others, and within ourselves. As Christmas approaches, the temptation can be to rush, to push, to manage everything perfectly. This antiphon gently resists that impulse. It reminds us that true readiness comes not from control, but from peace received.

The fruit of this visitation is beautifully named: “that we may rejoice before You.”  By Week Three, Advent joy has matured. It is no longer the sudden lift of Gaudete Sunday alone, but a steadier joy rooted in trust. To rejoice “before” the Lord is to stand honestly in His presence, without pretence, without fear, knowing that He comes in mercy.

And finally: “with a blameless heart.”  This is not perfection. It is simplicity. A blameless heart is one that is turned toward God, willing, open, and ready to receive. Advent does not demand flawlessness; it invites orientation — a heart facing the Lord.

As we stand on the threshold of the final days of Advent, this prayer gathers everything we have learned:
Come.
Visit.
Bring peace.
Awaken joy.
Unify the heart.

Week Three of Advent — A Short Reflection & Review

Week Three of Advent has been marked by joy deepening into confidence.
We have heard heaven and earth rejoice, we have been comforted by God’s mercy, we have been reminded that Christ our King comes as the Lamb, and we have been assured that He who is to come will not delay. Fear has been named — and gently loosened — as the Saviour draws near.

This week has asked us not only to rejoice, but to trust.  Trust is to  trust God’s timing and to trust His way of coming.
To trust that peace is possible even before everything is resolved.

As we prepare to enter the final, most intense days of Advent, the invitation is to simplify and  to let go of what clutters the heart so that Christ may be welcomed with freedom and joy.

Spiritual Review Question — Week Three:

Where has joy or peace grown in me this week, and what might I need to release so that my heart can be fully ready for the Lord who comes?

Let the answer be gentle.
Advent is almost complete.
The Lord is very near.

 

.Come, Lord Jesus.

 

Come Lord Jesus Series: Friday Third Week of Advent Year A

 Come Lord Jesus Series.

Advent Wreath: Come Lord Jesus series Icon.

Friday — Third Week of Advent (Year A)

Entrance Antiphon:

“He who is to come will come and will not delay,

and now there will be no fear within our land,

for He is our Saviour.”

(cf. Hebrews 10:37)

Reflection

Advent now speaks with unmistakable urgency. Today’s Entrance Antiphon does not invite speculation or prolonged waiting; it makes a firm declaration: “He who is to come will come and will not delay.” The season has been preparing us for this moment — and now the Church assures us that God’s coming is neither uncertain nor postponed. What has been promised is about to be fulfilled.

The letter to the Hebrews reminds us that God’s timing is purposeful and exact. What feels like delay to the human heart is, in truth, divine patience — the careful preparation of a people ready to receive salvation. Advent insists that God is never late. He comes at the moment when hope has been refined, when longing has been clarified, and when hearts are sufficiently open to recognise Him.

The antiphon then announces a striking consequence of His coming: “there will be no fear within our land.” Fear has been a quiet companion throughout human history — fear of loss, fear of suffering, fear of the unknown, fear of being forgotten. Advent does not deny the reality of fear, but it boldly proclaims that fear does not have the final word. When Christ draws near, fear loosens its grip.

This is not because circumstances suddenly become easy or predictable. It is because fear cannot coexist with the presence of the Savior. Christ does not come to eliminate every difficulty, but to anchor us so deeply in God’s love that fear no longer governs our choices or defines our future.

The final line brings everything into focus: “for He is our Saviour.”
Not a distant helper.  Not a temporary comfort.
Our Saviour.

This is the heart of Advent faith. We are not saved by our vigilance, our preparation, or our spiritual effort. We are saved by His coming. As Christmas approaches, the Church gently but firmly shifts our attention away from ourselves and back to Him.

He will come.  He will not delay.  Fear will not prevail.

Because He is our Saviour.

Practice for Today:

Name one fear you are carrying into these final days before Christmas.
Pray simply:
“Jesus, You are my Saviour. I place this fear in Your hands.”

Come Lord Jesus series: Thursday Third Week of Advent

 Come Lord Jesus Series

Advent Wreath: Come Lord Jesus series Icon.

Thursday — Third Week of Advent (Year A)

Entrance Antiphon:

“Christ our King is coming;

He is the Lamb foretold by John.”

Reflection

Advent now turns our gaze very deliberately toward the person of Christ Himself. Today’s Entrance Antiphon makes no attempt to soften or generalise the mystery: “Christ our King is coming.” The Church names Him plainly. The child we await is not only gentle and vulnerable; He is King — the one to whom all authority belongs, the one before whom every heart must eventually bow.

Yet this kingship is immediately defined in an unexpected way: “He is the Lamb foretold by John.” Advent refuses to separate glory from humility. Christ comes as King, but He comes as Lamb — the Lamb proclaimed by John the Baptist, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. His reign is not one of domination, but of self-giving love. His throne will be a cross; His crown will be of thorns.

By placing these two images side by side, the liturgy teaches us how to recognise Christ when He comes. If we expect power without sacrifice, we will miss Him. If we look only for gentleness without authority, we will misunderstand Him. Advent trains the heart to hold both together: majesty and meekness, sovereignty and surrender.

John the Baptist stands quietly behind this antiphon. He does not draw attention to himself. He points. He names. He prepares the way by teaching us how to see rightly. As Advent nears its end, the Church begins to speak more clearly, more urgently: this is who is coming. Not a vague hope, not a comforting symbol — but Christ, King and Lamb, Savior and Judge, mercy and truth united in one person.

This antiphon also asks something of us. If Christ is King, then our lives are not our own. If He is Lamb, then the way of discipleship will involve humility, patience, and love that costs something. Advent joy deepens here into commitment. Rejoicing gives way to readiness.

We are no longer simply waiting.
We are preparing to receive Him.

Practice for Today:
Pray slowly:
“Jesus, my King and my Lamb,
teach me to recognise You as You truly are.”

 

 Come Holy Spirit Series

Come Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Spirit — Gift of the Most High

Introduction

Each week, we continue our journey of encountering the Holy Spirit through a specific name or title. These are not merely poetic labels, but windows into the mystery of the Spirit's presence and work within us. Today, we meditate on the name: Gift of the Most High.

1. What Does This Title Mean?

The title Gift of the Most High captures a profound truth: the Holy Spirit is not something we earn, manufacture, or control. The Spirit is a gift — freely given by God the Father, the “Most High.”

This name is rooted in the ancient understanding of God as transcendent, majestic, and holy — the One above all creation. And from that place of majesty, God stoops down in love and bestows upon us the supreme gift: His own Spirit.

Jesus echoes this in Luke 11:13:

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

The Holy Spirit is not a tool or a feeling, but the very life of God — poured out generously, lavishly, and lovingly into our hearts.

 

2. Why Is the Holy Spirit Called a Gift?

A gift implies generosity, grace, and the goodness of the giver. When something is a gift:

• It is not earned.
• It is not possessed.
• It is not forced.
• It is received in love.

The Holy Spirit is the Gift of gifts — a divine person given to us so that we may be united to God, transformed from within, and empowered to live as sons and daughters of the Kingdom. This gift is not a one-time event but a continual outpouring. Every moment we open our hearts anew, the Spirit is given again.

The Church speaks of the Spirit as “the first gift of the Resurrection.” At Pentecost, that promise was fulfilled. And in every generation, that gift continues — not because we are worthy, but because God delights to give of Himself.

 

3. Scriptural Foundations

This name is echoed throughout Scripture, even if not always in these exact words. Here are some key verses that support the understanding of the Spirit as a gift:

Acts 2:38 – “Repent and be baptized… and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 5:5 – “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
1 Corinthians 2:12 – “We have received… the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”
John 14:16 – “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.”
4. How Do We Respond to This Gift?

The proper response to a gift is gratitude — not just a polite thank you, but a life lived in joyful response.

To receive the Holy Spirit fully, we must cultivate:

Openness: A willingness to be surprised, stretched, and transformed.
Humility: A recognition that we are not the source of our own sanctity.
Obedience: A readiness to follow where the Spirit leads, even when it challenges our comfort.
Love: A desire to live not for ourselves, but for the One who gave us this precious gift.

Let us never forget: the Gift of the Most High is not a thing to be used, but a Person to be loved.

5. For Prayer and Reflection

• Do I approach the Holy Spirit as a true gift, or do I sometimes treat the Spirit like a spiritual power to be used?
• How might I make more room in my heart to receive this Gift more deeply?
• In what ways can I live today with a spirit of gratitude for the Gift of the Most High?

You might like to pray:

Come Holy Spirit, Gift of the Most High.
Open my heart to receive You more fully.
Help me to live in constant gratitude and surrender,
that my life may become a gift back to You. Amen.