Praying the Communion Antiphon Series: Monday First Week of Lent Mt 25

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series.

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

A Time Set Apart – Monday, First Week of Lent

Communion Antiphon (cf. Matthew 25:40, 34)
Amen, I say to you: whatever you did for one of the least of my brethren,
you did it for me, says the Lord.
Come, you blessed of my Father;
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

 

Thinking About the Words

Praying the Communion Antiphons is so rich — the liturgy quietly reframes Scripture, and unless we slow down, we miss the nuance.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says:

“Whatever you did to one of the least of these… you did it to me.”

But in the Communion Antiphon, we hear:

“Whatever you did for one of the least of my brethren, you did it for me.”

It is a subtle shift.

“To me” speaks of identification. Christ is mysteriously present in the poor. What we do touches Him. 

“For me” highlights intention. What we do becomes something offered  to Him.

At Communion, that nuance matters. As we approach the altar, the Church places these words on our lips as if to say:

When you feed the hungry, you are not merely performing charity.
You are making an offering to Christ Himself.

There is another quiet shift.

In the Gospel, the kingdom is proclaimed first — “Come, inherit the kingdom” — and then the works of mercy are named.

In the antiphon, the works are heard first, and then the inheritance.

Why?

This is intentional because at Mass, we are not simply hearing about the Last Judgment. We are being formed for daily life.

The order gently reminds us:

Mercy is not a footnote to discipleship. It is the path into the kingdom.

As we receive Christ in Communion, we are also being sent to recognise Him in the least.

 

Reflection

• Do I recognise Christ in those I find inconvenient?
• When I act with mercy, do I see it as charity or as an offering to Christ?
• Is my Lenten practice inward only, or does it move outward toward the vulnerable?
• What one concrete act of mercy is the Lord inviting me into today?

 

This communion Antiphon  is deeply Lenten.

Not dramatic repentance. Not private piety alone. It is But love made visible.

The Communion Antiphons provide an opportunity to notice the nuance.
It helps to sharpen our liturgical eye.

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
open my eyes to see You in the least.
Let every act of mercy become an offering to You.
Lead me into Your kingdom by the path of love.

 

 

Collect Series First Sunday Lent Year A

Collect Series

The Mass Collect series icon.

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
COLLECT 

The Collect for the first Sunday of Lent Year A reads as follows:

 

Grant, almighty God,

through our yearly observances of Holy Lent, 

that we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ,

and by worthy conduct pursue their effects.

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, the following reflection questions emerged:

 

1. What does Christ's death and resurrection mean to me?
2.  How can I reflect its meaning in my life this coming week?
3.  What is the self sacrificing love of Christ?
4. How may I be able to reproduce it in my life this coming week?
5.  How does my Lenten observance support this goal of self-sacrifice?
6.   How can I grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ this           week?
7.   How have I succeeded in my Lenten commitment so far? 
8.  Have I kept to the commitment I set myself or have I already strayed away from what I started?
9.  What alterations do I need to make to my Lenten commitment during this week? 
10.  What extra supports do I need to ensure progress during the first full week of Lent.

GOSPEL REFLECTION

 

First Sunday of Lent

Matthew 4:1–11

Theme: “Led by the Spirit into the Desert”.

 

Setting the Scene

At the beginning of Lent, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert. This detail is important. The desert is not a punishment or a failure; it is part of God’s design.

For forty days and nights, Jesus fasts and prays. In the silence and solitude of the wilderness, He faces temptation — not at the height of His public ministry, but at its threshold. What unfolds in the desert will shape everything that follows.

The temptations Jesus encounters are subtle and deeply human: the desire for comfort, power, and control. Each time, Jesus responds not with argument or force, but with Scripture — rooted in trust in the Father.

 

Gospel Reflection: Choosing Trust Over Control

This Gospel reveals that temptation is not simply about doing wrong; it is about being drawn away from trust in God. The devil’s questions are carefully phrased: “If you are the Son of God…” They invite Jesus to prove Himself, to act independently, to grasp rather than receive.

Jesus resists each temptation by remaining anchored in His identity and relationship with the Father. He refuses to turn stones into bread, not because hunger is wrong, but because dependence on God matters more than immediate relief. He refuses power without obedience, glory without sacrifice.

Lent invites us into this same pattern. The desert exposes what we rely on when familiar supports are stripped away. It reveals where we seek security apart from God — and gently calls us back to trust.

 

Personal Reflection

The desert is not always a physical place. Often, it appears as uncertainty, silence, limitation, or vulnerability. Like Jesus, we may find ourselves tempted to escape discomfort, seek control, or prove our worth.

This Gospel reassures us that temptation is not a sign of failure. It is a place of discernment. Lent gives us time and space to notice what pulls at our hearts and to choose, again and again, to trust God’s word over other voices.

As we begin this first full week of Lent, we are invited to walk with Jesus in the desert — not with fear, but with confidence that God is at work even in dryness and struggle.

 

Questions for Reflection

Where do I experience “desert moments” in my life right now?

What temptations feel most familiar to me — comfort, control, or recognition?

How do I respond when prayer feels dry or difficult?

What helps me remain grounded in God’s word during times of testing?

What invitation might God be offering me through this season of Lent?

SUMMARY

On the first Sunday of Lent each year, we are given the Gospel of the temptations of Christ. 

Each of the temptations invite Jesus to be the false Messiah by being the political Messiah, a powerful ruler and to accept human privileges of power, wealth and glory.  Like Jesus, in his humanity, Satan still tempts us. The temptations have many forms and guises but underneath each of them, their purpose is twofold, that is to provide a short term gain or attraction since Satan's goal is to lead us away from God.

 The important point to remember about temptation is that, like Adam and Eve in the garden when they saw the apple, it was as scripture says ' pleasing to the eye and good to eat'.   Temptation therefore comes as a guise in the form of a good in our lives- something desirable and worthwhile.  It also comes a pleasing alternative- a quick solution where no effort on our part is required.

 When we give in to temptation, we take the easier route, the more pleasing option. When we resist temptation, we build up our defences in the form of grace so that when stronger temptations emerge, we have the grace and strength with God's help to overcome it. The .other important point to remember about temptation and how Satan tempted Jesus was that he did not turn up on day 1 in the desert but he waited until he was hungry and tired. Jesus responded strongly using scripture as His.

 If our pattern is to easily fall into temptation (take the easier route when we know in our hearts, we need to be taking a different option) then we all need to build our strength- weight training for the soul.  God does not provide us with a temptation which is greater than we can manage.  However, we need to be aware of what temptation really is and not be drawn into the enticement.  The evil one is subtle so we need to stay focused and finely tuned to God's way. Lent is our intense weight training boot camp but remember, we must stay focused all the year.

  Now when we consider the love of God and resist it because my love for Him is stronger than my need for the coffee, then I assure you, it definitely becomes easier.  Put Lent into the picture as well as motivation and it definitely helps.  However, remember the subtly of the evil one whispering in the ear ' cake with your coffee wont hurt you- you will enjoy it. Perhaps even you need it or you deserve to reward yourself'- it can become easier to listen to the reasoning and succumb.  Why because there is nothing inherently wrong with the cake.  However, the reason for going without it is for spiritual reasons- my love for God and building up my spiritual muscle.

 The response of Jesus to Satan also needs to be our own. Jesus chooses complete dependence on God, a recognition that God and his will must always come first, a willingness to obey God at any cost.  In effect Jesus states that nothing- not pleasure, not power, not wealth must ever come between us and saving will of God. Jesus does not fool around with temptation but stamps on it decisively. We too need to stamp decisively on the temptations that come our way so that we remain faithful to God.

 During this first full week of Lent, let us ask God to be merciful to us and pray that when temptation comes our way, we will call on God to assist us to be strong. Let us stand up to Satan and all his works this week. Let us remember our goal- Heaven.

 

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You were led by the Spirit into the desert
and remained faithful in trust and obedience.
Walk with me in my own desert places.

Help me to listen to God’s word,
to resist voices that pull me away from truth,
and to grow in trust as I journey through Lent.
Amen.

 

 

 

 

Praying The Communion Antiphon Series: Saturday after Ash Wednesday Mt 9:13

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

A Time Set Apart – Saturday after Ash Wednesday
I Desire Mercy

Communion Antiphon (cf. Matthew 9:13)

I desire mercy, not sacrifice, says the Lord;

for I did not come to call the just but sinners.

Thinking About the Words

“I desire.”

These are strong words. Not suggestion. Not preference. Desire.

What does God truly want?

“Mercy, not sacrifice.”

This does not abolish sacrifice — Lent is full of it.
But it corrects the heart behind it.

Sacrifice without mercy becomes performance.
Fasting without mercy becomes pride.
Discipline without mercy becomes harshness — toward ourselves and toward others.

Mercy is relational.
It bends toward weakness.
It sees clearly and loves anyway.

“I did not come to call the just but sinners.”

Lent begins not with achievement but with honesty.

The antiphon is prayed as we approach Communion — which means we approach not because we are “the just,” but because we are the ones being called.

Mercy is not the reward for Lent.
It is the starting point.

 

Reflection

• Is my Lenten practice rooted in love or in self-measurement?
• Where do I need to show mercy — to someone else, or to myself?
• Do I approach Christ as one already accomplished, or as one being called?
• What would mercy look like in one concrete interaction this week?

 

This antiphon is deeply Lenten. It keeps everything aligned. Not intensity. Not self-punishment but mercy. It is a wonderful reminder for us as we enter into the first full week of Lent.

 

Prayer

Lord, teach my heart Your mercy.
Let my sacrifice be shaped by love.
Call me again today.

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon Thursday after Ash Wednesday Ps 50

 Praying the Communion Antiphon.

Praying  the Communion Antiphon series

A Time Set Apart – Thursday after Ash Wednesday

A Clean Heart

Communion Antiphon (Psalm 50:12)

Create a pure heart for me, O God;

renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 

Thinking About the Words

“Create.”

The psalm does not say “improve” or “repair.”
It says create.

This is the same verb used in Genesis — the divine act that only God performs. It implies that some renewal is beyond self-effort. Lent is not self-improvement. It is allowing God to do what only God can do.

“A pure heart.”

In Scripture, the heart is not merely emotion. It is the centre of decision, desire, and direction. A pure heart is not a flawless one. It is an undivided one. We can think of any scripture but we only need to revise readings from Ash Wednesday to explore a pure heart.

What competes within my heart?
Where is there mixture — love of God alongside lesser attachments?

“Renew a steadfast spirit.”

Steadfastness is endurance. Stability. A spirit that does not sway with mood or pressure. Not dramatic enthusiasm — but rooted constancy.

Lent is not asking for intensity. It is asking for steadiness.

And notice: this antiphon is prayed at Communion.

As we receive Christ, we ask for a heart that reflects Him.

 

Reflection

• Where do I need God to create, not merely adjust?
• Is my heart divided or undivided?
• What would steadfastness look like in my daily reactions?
• Am I willing to let God work at the level of the heart, not just behaviour?

 

There is something deeply Lenten about antiphon.  Ash Wednesday marked us outwardly. Today the Church leads us inward.

And this one — create — is such a perfect early-Lent movement.
Ashes mark.  Psalm 50 cleanses. Communion renews.

 

Prayer

Create in me a pure heart, O God.
Renew in me a steadfast spirit.
Do in me what I cannot do alone.

 

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon: A Time Set Apart Ash Wednesday.

 Praying Communion Antiphon

Praying Communion Antiphon Series Icon.

A Time Set Apart – Ash Wednesday

Rooted for the Season of Love

Communion Antiphon (Psalm 1:2–3)
He who ponders the law of the Lord Day and night
will yield fruit in due season.

 

Thinking About the Words

“Ponders.”

The word suggests more than reading.  It carries the sense of murmuring, turning something over quietly, almost repeating it under one’s breath. It is the difference between glancing and dwelling.

On this first day of Lent, the Church does not give us ashes as the final word. She gives us pondering. Pondering also reminds us of the Incarnation where Mary treasured and pondered these things in her heart.  Are we prepared this Lent to ponder the Lenten themes of repentance, change of heart and embracing Jesus as our Personal Saviour?

“Day and night.”

This is Genesis language. Creation itself unfolds in the rhythm of evening and morning. To ponder day and night is to allow the Word to accompany the whole of life — activity and rest, clarity and confusion, resolve and fatigue.

There is also something deeply practical here. What we dwell on during the day often settles into the heart at night. The thoughts we rehearse become the attitudes we carry. Lent asks: what am I allowing to shape me?

“Fruit in due season.”

Not immediately. Not by force. Due season belongs to God. Lent is watering and weeding and planting. Holy Week is pruning so that we are ready to meet the risen Christ in the garden.  Easter is flowering. The fruit is often hidden until grace ripens it.

If this is the season of love, then perhaps the fruit is not dramatic achievement, but a quieter heart, a softened reaction, a steadier gaze. Remember this antiphon is proclaimed just before we go to communion.

 

Reflection

• What does “pondering” look like in my daily life? Do I allow the Word to linger?
• What thoughts accompany me into the night?
• What fruit is the Gospel inviting me to cultivate this Lent?
• Am I willing to trust God’s timing rather than demand immediate growth?
• Reflect on past Lents. Consider the attitudes and ask God’s forgiveness.
• What attitude do I want to have this Lent towards  God?  How might I cooperate with this attitude by the fasting, prayer and almsgiving?

 To ponder the richness of Psalm 1 and how it might enrich our spirituality during Lent you may wish to read my blog post on Psalm 1

So that we can continue to ponder throughout this sacred day, we may wish to write our own prayer, pray the communion antiphon or use this prayer.

Prayer

Lord, let Your Word remain with me day and night.
Plant in me the love You desire,
and bring it to fruit in Your season.

 

This is how we begin Lent. 

Ashes on the forehead.
Word in the heart.
Season of love underway.

 

May our Lent be a sacred season.

 

Praying the Communion Antiphons in Lent: Introduction to series

 Praying the Communion Antiphons.

Praying Communion Antiphons  Icon

Introduction to Series

Each day at Mass, just before we receive Holy Communion, the Church gives us a sentence or two usually either related to Psalms or Gospel itself. This is known as the Communion antiphon and is said by the congregation whilst the priest is consuming from the chalice.

It is brief.
It is scriptural.
It is intentional.

Often, we barely notice it. If we do not have the words in front of us, it might even sounds garbled  or at best a few people praying aloud. 

This Lent, rather than adding something new, I would like to slow down and listen more carefully to what is already being given — the Communion Antiphons of Lent from the Roman Missal.

They are not random verses. They are chosen words placed on our lips as we approach the altar. 

What we ponder shapes us. What we carry through the day settles into the heart.

 During this holy season of Lent, each day we will:

• Think about the words themselves — their meaning, their nuance, their echoes in Scripture.

• Allow them to question us in practical, everyday ways.

• Carry a short prayer drawn from the antiphon into the rest of the day.

Lent is about entering more deeply into what the Church already gives us.

I hope you will come on this interior Lenten journey and encounter Jesus through this Communion Antiphon series.

Come Holy Spirit Series: The Spirit of Revelation

 Come Holy Spirit Series

Come Holy Spirit

 The Spirit of Revelation

Unveiling What Eyes Cannot See

“God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”  1 Corinthians 2:10

 

A Spirit Who Reveals

In a world full of information, it’s easy to confuse knowledge with revelation. But revelation is different. It is the uncovering of divine truth — not merely facts, but insight into God's heart, purpose, and presence.

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Revelation because He does not just inform; He illumines. He does not just present ideas; He unveils the very mystery of God’s will. Without the Spirit of Revelation, we read the Scriptures but remain blind. With Him, even a single verse can break open our hearts.

 

Beyond Human Understanding

St Paul says, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard… God has prepared for those who love him. These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Cor 2:9–10). The Spirit of Revelation helps us perceive truths we could never arrive at on our own — truths about who God is, who we are, and what we are called to be.

This is more than intellectual learning. It is  a graced encounter. Sometimes it is a flash of insight during prayer; sometimes it is a quiet certainty in the middle of confusion. The Spirit does not just give us answers — He gives us understanding.

 

Why This Matters

We need the Spirit of Revelation when:

• The Word of God feels dry or distant.
• We’re discerning the next step and feel lost.
• We long to grow but don’t know how.

It is the Spirit who reveals the hidden workings of grace in our lives. He draws us into God’s mystery not to confuse us, but to transform us.

 

A Personal Reflection

When I began praying about this theme, I realized how often I rely on reasoning — trying to ‘figure things out.’ But then I remembered the moments when truth simply dawned on me, gently and without striving. That is the Spirit of Revelation: not something I discovered, but Someone who showed me.

The Spirit reveals what we are not yet ready to ask. He opens windows in the soul we did not know were there.

 

A Prayer to Close

Spirit of Revelation, open the eyes of my heart.
Lift the veil that clouds my understanding.
Show me the truth that transforms, not just informs.
Lead me into the deep places of God’s heart.
Reveal to me what I need to see — and give me the courage to respond.
Amen.