Come Holy Spirit: A New Beginning

 Come Holy Spirit Series

Come Holy Spirit Series

Come Holy Spirit: A New Beginning

Looking Back — and Looking Forward

Just over a year ago, during the Easter Octave, we began a journey together called Come Holy Spirit.

Week by week, we explored the many ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives. We reflected on:

• The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
• The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
• The Names and Titles of the Holy Spirit
• The Spirit's action in our lives through Revelation, Reminding, Dwelling Within, Transformation, and Sending

Along the way, we discovered that the Holy Spirit is not simply a theological concept or a distant figure of faith. The Holy Spirit is God's living presence within us — teaching, guiding, strengthening, comforting, transforming, and sending us forth as disciples of Christ.

As we celebrated Pentecost, our journey reached a natural milestone. But it did not reach an ending.

Because life in the Spirit is never finished.

 

The Journey Continues

Now that we have entered Ordinary Time, it seems fitting to begin a new phase of our journey.

Ordinary Time is sometimes misunderstood. There is nothing "ordinary" about it in the sense of being dull or unimportant.

Rather, it is the season in which we learn how to live as disciples day by day.

The great feasts of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost have been celebrated. Now comes the invitation to allow those mysteries to shape our daily lives.

And so, in the weeks ahead, we will continue to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit — this time through the lens of the Sunday Gospel.

 

A New Question

Each week we will ask:

What is the Holy Spirit doing in this Gospel?

We will look beyond the events of the story and seek the deeper invitation of the Spirit.

• What is the Spirit revealing?
• What is the Spirit teaching?
• What is the Spirit asking us to notice?
• How might the Spirit be inviting us to respond during the coming week?

The goal remains the same as it has always been:

To know the Holy Spirit more deeply.

To become more attentive to His presence.

To grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

Walking With Jesus in Ordinary Time

The Holy Spirit always leads us to Jesus.

As we journey through the Sunday Gospels during Ordinary Time, we will walk alongside Christ and ask the Spirit to open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts.

Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we pray that our hearts may burn within us as the Scriptures are opened and explained.

The Holy Spirit who inspired the Gospel writers is the same Spirit who speaks through the Gospel today.

The question is not whether the Spirit is speaking.

The question is whether we are listening.

 

Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit.

As we begin this new stage of our journey, open our hearts to Your presence.

Help us to hear Your voice in the Sunday Gospel.

Teach us to recognise Your promptings in our daily lives.

Lead us ever closer to Jesus.

May Ordinary Time become a season of extraordinary grace as we learn to walk more closely with Christ and listen more attentively to Your guidance.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Lead us forward.

Amen.

 For Reflection This Week

• What has been the most significant insight or grace from the Come Holy Spirit series so far?
• How has my understanding of the Holy Spirit grown over the past year?
• What am I hoping the Holy Spirit will teach me during this new phase of the journey?

 

Next Week:

Come Holy Spirit: Walking with Jesus in Ordinary Time

 

Collect Series: Collect for Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

 Collect Series

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

Eleventh Sunday  Ordinary Time

 

The Collect for the 11th Sunday of Year A reads as follows:

O God, strength of those who hope in You,

graciously hear our pleas,

and since without You, mortal frailty can do nothing,

grant us always the help of Your Grace,

that in following Your command we may please You by our resolve and our deeds.

Though Our Lord Jesus Christ Your Sons,

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

God, for ever and ever.

 

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

 

1.    What does the gift of hope in God mean to me?

2.    How has God been my strength in my life?

3.    How will God be my strength and hope this week?

4.    How self-aware of my fragilities, weaknesses, and sinfulness?

5.    In what ways will I repent this week and ask God’s forgiveness?

6.    How will I educate myself more in the commands of God this week?

7.    What resolve do I need to make about my spiritual life? (eg does my morning prayer or night prayer need a renovation, a makeover or a tweak).

 

Gospel Reflection

Matthew 9:36–10:8: Theme: “The Harvest Is Plentiful”

Setting the Scene

As Jesus travels through towns and villages, teaching, preaching, and healing, He encounters crowds of people who are searching for hope, guidance, and meaning. Matthew tells us that Jesus looks upon them with compassion because they are “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Moved by this deep compassion, Jesus turns to His disciples and speaks of a plentiful harvest but a shortage of labourers. He invites them to pray that God will send workers into His harvest.

Jesus then does something remarkable. He does not simply ask the disciples to pray for labourers; He commissions them to become part of the answer to that prayer. He gives them authority to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven, heal the sick, and bring God's mercy to others.

This Gospel reminds us that discipleship is never passive. Those who encounter Jesus are invited to participate in His mission.

Gospel Reflection: Seeing with the Compassion of Christ

At the heart of this Gospel is the compassion of Jesus. He does not see a crowd; He sees individuals. He notices their struggles, fears, wounds, and longing for God. His response is not frustration or judgment, but love.

The image of sheep without a shepherd would have been familiar to Jesus' listeners. Shepherds guided, protected, and cared for their flocks. Without a shepherd, sheep became vulnerable and easily lost. Jesus recognises that many people are spiritually searching and in need of guidance, hope, and encouragement.

His words about the harvest reveal God's desire to gather people into His Kingdom. The harvest is plentiful because God's love reaches every person. Yet Jesus acknowledges that there is much work to be done. The mission of proclaiming the Gospel is not reserved for a select few; it belongs to all who follow Him.

The disciples are sent out to continue the work of Jesus. They are called to bring healing, hope, mercy, and the Good News of God's Kingdom. Their mission reflects the heart of Christ Himself.

Today, the same invitation is extended to us. We may not be called to travel from village to village, but we are called to witness to Christ in our homes, workplaces, parishes, and communities. Wherever we are, we can become instruments of His compassion and love.

Personal Reflection

Many people today still feel like sheep without a shepherd. Some struggle with loneliness, grief, anxiety, uncertainty, or a loss of purpose. Others may appear strong on the outside while carrying hidden burdens within.

Jesus continues to look upon His people with compassion. He sees our needs, our wounds, and our hopes. He also invites us to see others through His eyes.

Sometimes we may feel inadequate or unqualified to serve God's mission. The disciples themselves were ordinary people with limitations and weaknesses. Yet Jesus entrusted them with His work. He does not ask us to be perfect; He simply asks us to be willing.

This Gospel invites us to reflect on how God may be calling us to share His love with others. A kind word, a listening ear, a gesture of encouragement, or a simple act of service can become a powerful witness to the presence of Christ.

Questions for Reflection

1. What part of this Gospel speaks most strongly to me today?
2. When have I experienced the compassion of Jesus in my own life?
3. Who are the people around me who may be feeling lost, burdened, or in need of encouragement?
4. How is God inviting me to participate in His harvest?
5. What gifts has God given me that I can use in service of others?
6. Do I see people with the compassion of Christ or through the lens of my own judgments and assumptions?
7. What practical step can I take this week to bring hope, healing, or encouragement to someone else?

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,

You looked upon the crowds with compassion
and called Your disciples to share in Your mission.

Open my eyes to see others as You see them.
Fill my heart with Your love and mercy.

Help me to be willing to serve wherever You call me,
bringing hope, encouragement, and kindness to those I meet.

May I become a faithful worker in Your harvest
and a witness to Your presence in the world.

Amen.

 

 

 

Collect Series: Collect for Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.

 

Collect Series.

The Mass: Collect Series Icon

The Collect for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ ( Corpus Christi ) reads as follows: 

Lord Jesus Christ,

You gave us the Eucharist as the memorial of Your suffering and death.

May our worship of this sacrament of Your Body and Blood

help to to experience the salvation You won for us 

and the peace of the kingdom 

where You live with the Father and the Holy Spirit 

one God, for ever and ever.

 

In making this prayer tangible the following reflection questions emerged.

 

 1.How does participating in the Eucharist as a memorial of Jesus' suffering and death deepen my understanding of salvation?

2. In what ways does the act of worshiping the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ allow me to experience the peace of the kingdom? 

3. How can I more fully embrace the significance of the Eucharist as a means of encountering the living presence of Jesus Christ? 

4. What does it mean for me personally that Jesus is present in the Eucharist as the Father and the Holy Spirit dwell with Him in unity? 

5. How does my participation in the Eucharist shape my relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? 

6. How can I allow the grace and transformation received through the Eucharist to permeate my daily life and interactions with others?

7. How can I not only receive Jesus in Eucharist but become who I receive this week?

Gospel: John 6:51–58

"I am the living bread which has come down from heaven." (John 6:51)

Today's Gospel confronts us with one of the most challenging teachings of Jesus. His listeners struggle to understand how He can give them His flesh to eat. The language is shocking, and many find it difficult to accept. Yet Jesus does not soften His words or explain them away. Instead, He repeats and deepens His teaching.

At the heart of this passage is a profound truth: Jesus desires not simply to teach us, guide us, or inspire us from a distance. He desires to unite Himself with us completely.

Throughout the Gospels, we encounter a God who continually seeks relationship with His people. In the Old Testament, God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. He travelled with Israel through the desert in the Ark of the Covenant. He dwelt among His people in the Temple. In Jesus Christ, God became one of us. In the Eucharist, He remains with us still.

When Jesus says, "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him," He reveals the extraordinary intimacy that God desires with every believer. The Eucharist is not merely a reminder of Christ. It is an encounter with Christ. It is His gift of Himself to us.

Yet this gift is not only about what we receive; it is also about what we become. Every time we receive Holy Communion, we are invited to allow Christ's life to take deeper root within us. We are called to think as He thinks, love as He loves, forgive as He forgives, and serve as He serves.

The Eucharist nourishes us for the journey of discipleship. Just as ordinary bread sustains physical life, the Bread of Life sustains our spiritual life. We live in a world that can leave us spiritually hungry—hungry for meaning, peace, hope, and love. Jesus offers Himself as the food that truly satisfies.

This feast also reminds us that the Eucharist is never a private possession. We come forward as individuals, but we receive as members of one Body. The same Christ who feeds us also unites us. Around the altar, social status, achievements, and differences fade away. We stand together as God's people, dependent upon the same grace and nourished by the same Lord.

As we celebrate Corpus Christi, we are invited to renew our wonder before this great mystery. The Eucharist is God's enduring answer to the human longing for His presence. Christ remains with us—not as a memory of the past, but as a living reality today.

May we never take this gift for granted. Instead, may every Communion deepen our relationship with Christ and strengthen us to be His presence in the world.

Reflection Questions

• Do I approach the Eucharist with faith and expectation, recognising Christ's real presence?
• How is Jesus inviting me to allow His life to shape my thoughts, words, and actions?
• What spiritual hunger am I bringing to Christ today, trusting that He alone can satisfy it?

"He who eats this bread will live for ever." (John 6:58)

 

 

 

Moments with the Gospel Series: Reflection on Mk 12_13-17

 Moments with the Gospel

Moments with the Gospel Series

Reflection on Mk 12:13-17
 

This is a fascinating Gospel passage. The text is often remembered for the famous line: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God'".

However, the real drama is in the trap that is being set for Jesus.

The Trap

In Mark 12:13-17, the Pharisees and Herodians come together to question Jesus. Normally these groups were not natural allies:

• The Pharisees resented Roman occupation.
• The Herodians were generally supportive of the Roman-backed rule of Herod.

They begin with flattery, calling Jesus truthful and impartial. This is not genuine praise; it is bait. Then comes the question: "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

To us it sounds like a simple political question. To first-century Jews it was explosive.

If Jesus answered "Yes, pay the tax,"

• many ordinary Jews might see Him as siding with the occupying Romans.
• He could lose popular support.

If Jesus answered "No, don't pay the tax,"

• the Herodians could report Him to the Roman authorities as encouraging rebellion.
• He could be arrested.

From their perspective, Jesus was trapped.

Why Were They Surprised?

They expected Him to choose one side or the other.

Instead, Jesus asks for a denarius. When they produce the coin, He asks:

"Whose image and inscription is this?" They answer:"Caesar's."

Notice something interesting. The people trying to trap Jesus are carrying the Roman coin themselves. In a sense, they are already participating in Caesar's economic system. Jesus then replies:

"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

Rather than choosing between two options, He exposes the inadequacy of the question itself.

The Deeper Meaning

The coin bears Caesar's image. Therefore, give the coin back to Caesar.

But what bears God's image?

According to Genesis 1:26-27, human beings are created in the image of God.

So the implication is much deeper:

• The coin belongs to Caesar.
• Your very life belongs to God.

Jesus shifts the discussion from taxation to discipleship.

The Pharisees are arguing about a coin. Jesus is talking about the human heart.

Why They Marvelled

Mark concludes:

"And they were amazed at him."

They were amazed because:

1. He escaped their trap completely.
• Rome could not accuse Him of rebellion.
• The crowd could not accuse Him of surrendering to Rome.
2. He turned the question back on them.
• Instead of Jesus being examined, their own loyalties were exposed.
3. He elevated the discussion.
• They were debating politics.
• He spoke about ultimate allegiance to God.

That may be the most surprising part of Jesus' answer. The Pharisees expected a political statement. Jesus gave them a statement about identity, worship, and the sovereignty of God.

The denarius carried the image of the emperor, probably Tiberius Caesar.

On one side was the emperor's portrait, and on the other side was an inscription that many devout Jews found offensive because it implied divine honours for Caesar.

So when the Pharisees produce the coin immediately, they reveal something:

• They are using Roman currency.
• They are participating in the Roman economic system.
• They benefit from the system they are criticizing.

Jesus gently exposes a degree of hypocrisy.

Could they have used other coins?

Yes. For Temple purposes, different coins were often used. The Temple tax, for example, was commonly paid with Tyrian silver coinage because of its high silver content. This is why money changers were needed in the Temple precincts (the episode where Jesus overturns the tables).

So Jews could be handling several different kinds of currency depending on the situation.

An irony in the scene

Many commentators point out a subtle irony.

The people who are questioning Jesus about loyalty to Caesar are standing in the Temple area carrying Caesar's coin.

Jesus Himself apparently does not have one.

He has to ask them to produce it.

Mark doesn't explicitly say Jesus had no coin, but the narrative certainly paints that picture.

An even deeper layer

Jesus asks:

"Whose image is this?"

The Greek word for "image" would have immediately reminded many Jewish listeners of Genesis:

"God created humankind in His image."

So the argument progresses almost like this:

• The coin bears Caesar's image → give it back to Caesar.
• You bear God's image → give yourself to God.

That is why His answer is so brilliant. He doesn't merely answer the tax question. He transforms it into a question about worship, identity, and allegiance.

The Pharisees came wanting a political answer.

Jesus gave them a theological answer that was far bigger than the question they asked.

And that is probably why Mark says:

"They were utterly amazed at him."

They thought they had trapped Him between Rome and the people. Instead, He lifted the discussion from a coin in a pocket to the destiny of the human soul.

A Spiritual Reflection

One way to hear this Gospel is:

"What in my life belongs to Caesar, and what belongs to God?"

The startling answer is that while governments may rightly claim taxes, laws, and civic duties, God claims something far greater:

Not merely a coin from our pocket, but our whole selves, because we bear His image.

 

Come Holy Spirit Series: The HOly Spirit who sends

 Come Holy Spirit series

Come Holy Spirit — The Spirit Who Sends

The Final Step Toward Pentecost

As we arrive at the final post in this Easter journey toward Pentecost, we pause and look back at where the Holy Spirit has led us.

We have reflected on:

• the Spirit of Revelation — who opens our eyes
• the Spirit Who Reminds — who brings truth back to our hearts
• the Spirit Who Dwells Within — who makes His home in us
• the Spirit Who Transforms — who changes us slowly and deeply from within

Now we come to the final movement:

The Spirit Who Sends

Because the Holy Spirit is never given only for ourselves.

The Spirit prepares us, transforms us, and fills us —
so that we may go forth into the world carrying the presence of Christ.

 

Scriptural Foundation

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
— John 20:21

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses…”
— Acts 1:8

 

 Pentecost Is About Mission

Before Pentecost, the disciples remained behind locked doors:

• uncertain, fearful, hesitant.

After the coming of the Holy Spirit, everything changed.

They did not suddenly become perfect people.

But they became courageous, faithful and willing to go. The Holy Spirit transformed frightened followers into witnesses.

This is the great movement of Pentecost:
not inward only but outward as well.

The Spirit sends.

 Sent Into Ordinary Life

Sometimes we imagine being “sent” means:

• travelling far away
• doing extraordinary things
• becoming someone important

But often the Holy Spirit sends us into:

• ordinary conversations
• hidden acts of kindness
• difficult relationships
• quiet faithfulness
• daily witness

The Spirit sends us wherever Christ is needed.

Sometimes the greatest witness is simply:

• patience
• gentleness
• hope
• forgiveness
• remaining faithful when life is difficult

The Holy Spirit sends us not only through words,
but through the way we live.

The Spirit Sends Us Together

Pentecost was not experienced alone.

The Spirit descended upon the gathered community.

This matters deeply.

The Christian life is not  only isolated, self-contained or individualistic Rather, The Holy Spirit draws us into communion and then sends us forth together as the Body of Christ.

We need:

• one another’s encouragement
• one another’s gifts
• one another’s prayers

The Spirit who sends also unites.

 

 A Personal Reflection

It is easy to think:

“Surely the Spirit sends other people… not me.”

The Holy Spirit does not only send priests, missionaries, teachers or public leaders

He sends every baptised person. The question is not:
“Am I called?”

But:
 “Where is the Spirit sending me now?”

Perhaps into:

• deeper prayer
• healing
• service
• courage
• trust
• speaking a word of hope
• and living more intentionally as a disciple of Christ

 

Preparing for Pentecost

As Pentecost approaches, perhaps this week can become a time of openness and expectation.

Some gentle ways to prepare:

• Pray daily:
  “Come Holy Spirit.”
• Read Acts 2 slowly and prayerfully
• Ask:
• Where is the Spirit sending me?
• What fears still keep me behind locked doors?
• Spend a few quiet moments each day simply inviting the Spirit into your heart
• Attend Mass or spend time before the Blessed Sacrament with a spirit of expectation
• Revisit the gifts and fruits of the Spirit from earlier in this series

Pentecost is not simply a past event.

It is an invitation: to become more open to the living presence and action of the Holy Spirit now.

 

 Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit,
Spirit Who Sends.

Fill me again with Your presence.

Where I am fearful, give courage.
Where I am hesitant, give trust.
Where I am closed in on myself, send me outward in love.

Help me to carry Christ into the places You call me to be.

Teach me that Pentecost is not only something to celebrate,
but something to live.

Open the locked doors within me.

Come, Holy Spirit.
Send me forth in peace, courage, and love.
Amen.

 

 For Reflection This Week

• What fears still keep me behind “locked doors”?
• Where might the Holy Spirit be gently sending me?
• How can I prepare my heart more intentionally for Pentecost?

 

And so this Easter journey comes full circle:

• Revelation
• Reminding
• Dwelling
• Transformation
• Sending

A journey not simply of learning about the Holy Spirit —
but of learning to live with Him.

Come, Holy Spirit.