Opening Prayer Series: Sixth Sunday of Eastertide Year A

The Opening Prayer for the Sixth Sunday of Easter Year A reads as follows:

Let us pray

(that we may practise in our lives the faith we profess)

Ever-living God,

help us to celebrate our joy in the resurrection of the Lord

and to express in our lives the love we celebrate.

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

1. What is the faith I profess?
2. How does this faith that I profess impact on my life this coming week?
3. How will I continue to celebrate my joy in the resurrection of the Lord this coming week?
4. How will I express in my life  the love I celebrate this coming week?
5. What difference has the season of Easter been to me this last 5 weeks?
6. How can I begin to prepare for the feast of Pentecost?

May this reflection questions be a fruitful source of meditation for you during this coming week 

Spiritual anniversaries

I do not know about you but I like to have spiritual anniversaries and remember them in some way.  You might be wondering what I mean by spiritual anniversaries- these are events in my spiritual journey such as anniversary of baptism,  first reconciliation (confession), first communion, confirmation and other special moments in my spiritual life, which are not sacraments, but have been incredible blessings.(eg life in the Spirit Seminars, fruitful spiritual direction sessions and the like)

Today is one of those days- anniversary of my first communion in 1968-nothing like getting out a photo and having a look at myself on that day- getting out my first communion dress and thinking- wow- did I ever get into that!!!! And remembering as much as I can about the whole day- for example- it was not only the first time I received the Eucharist, but it was the first time I had a cup of tea-never had another 'cuppa' until another 20 years later!!!

You might be thinking- I do not remember these dates- why not do some research and find out your special dates or if not, then try to recall approximately when it might have been.Or if you really do not have any success in finding out the dates, then why not set your own calendar of spiritual anniversaries- that way you can celebrate these events in your life when it is suitable for you each year.

As a single person, I only have my birthday to celebrate- so spiritual anniversary celebrations help to create joy in my heart around the calendar year.It is something I created early in my life and continued.

Remembering my first communion anniversary today is a great opportunity to thank God for the gift of Himself in the Eucharist, and to desire to know and love Him more. What would life be without the Mass and without being able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist?

But of course spiritual anniversaries are not just about wallowing in a trip down memory lane. It is an opportunity for some spiritual review and spring cleaning and a chance to ask God for those graces I need now and for the future.

I hope that your spiritual anniversaries too are a source of great joy and growth for you.

Compendium Series: Why was the world created?

53. Why was the world created? (CCC293-294)

Compendium states:

The world was created for the glory of God who wished to show forth and communicate his goodness, truth and beauty.  The ultimate end of creation is that God, in Christ, might be “all in all’ (1 Cor 15:28) for his glory and for our happiness.

What does this mean for me?

1. I am able to appreciate the world more when I remind myself that it was created for the glory of God who wished to show forth and communicate his goodness, truth and beauty.

2. Creation is not only for the glory of God but created also for our happiness. I can praise and thank God for His generosity.

Questions to consider:

1.  How do I show forth and communicate God’s goodness, truth and beauty in my life?

2. How do I express my happiness for creation.

3. What is my responsibility for creation and what command did God give to us in Genesis in regard to creation?

About the Mass Series: Communion Rite Our Father: Part 5

3. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’.

‘Thy Kingdom come’ - What does this mean?

 It means that we pray that God’s kingdom will become present to us in the same way that we ask for his name to be hallowed among us.  We pray that the kingdom built for us by God, the kingdom won by the death and Resurrection of Christ, will fully come. In addition, we plead that we who were formerly slaves will be living members of that kingdom.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) says:

‘Thy kingdom come refers primarily to the final coming of the reign of God through Christ’s return. But, far from distracting the Church from her mission in this present world, this desire commits her to it all the more strongly. Since Pentecost, the coming of that Reign is the work of the Spirit of the Lord who “completes his work on earth and brings us the fullness of grace”’. (Para 2818 p.676)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church then goes on to comment

‘The Kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit. The end-times in which we live is the age of the outpouring of the Spirit.  Ever since Pentecost, a decisive battle has been joined between the “flesh” and the Spirit’ (Para 2819 p.676)

However, it is important to remember as we pray this phrase that the Kingdom of God has been coming since the Last Supper and, in the Eucharist, it is in our midst.  The Kingdom will come in glory when Christ hands it over to his Father.

We do not just wait for the kingdom to come. We, through the grace of the Spirit working in us, have the ability to make the kingdom come in our lives each day.

How will YOU make the Kingdom come this week/month/year in your life?

Feast Days: Our Lady Help of Christians.

The Opening Prayer for the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians reads as follows:

Lord, 
You place deep in our hearts the love of Mary, Help of Christians,
through her prayers,
grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens.
Under her protection, may Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace. 


On this feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, may all Australians pray for our country.
Why not undertake to say this prayer each day/week for this coming year. Then through our prayers of intercession, our country may indeed be granted wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens.
Let us start praying for our country today on our feast day.

Opening Prayer Series: Fifth Sunday of Eastertide Year A

The Opening Prayer for the fifth Sunday of Easter Year A reads as follows:

Let us pray

(that we may enjoy true freedom)

God our Father,

look upon us with love.

You redeem us and make us your children in Christ.

Give us true freedom, 

and bring us to the inheritance You promised. 

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

1. What is true freedom?
2. What are the areas of my life that are trapped by slavery?
3. What steps will I take this week to free myself from this slavery?
4. What does it mean to me for God to look upon me with love?
5. How will God's look of love impact on my life this week?
6. What does it mean to me to be a child of God in Christ?
7. What does it mean to me to be promised my inheritance with God in Heaven?

Today's Gospel from St John gives us all hope that when we die, that God has prepared a place for us. It should fill us with great joy, and indeed we do know the way since Jesus is the way, truth and life.

However, there is a lighter side to what could be considered a theological gospel. The responses of both Thomas and Phillip (and perhaps ourselves at times) seems so practical and human. Thomas wanted his confusion cleared up- 'Lord we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?'

Perfectly normal query for both him and us. For example, we do not know where Jesus is in our lives sometimes, since He may seem absent, so how do we find him again in our prayer life?

Phillip is also practical. He is not concerned on directions like Thomas, rather he wants the lot now.
'Lord let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied'. Perhaps we can be like Phillip and want results now too.We are not interested in waiting or the experience of the journey..

Of course the spiritual journey with Jesus is about believing, hoping and being in relationship with Him.  We cannot have the complete joys of Heaven now, but we can hope for them. We can order our lives so that we are union with Jesus and journey towards our heavenly home. Most importantly, we can journey with Jesus throughout our life and allow Him to be our greatest friend. We may not understand how the Father is in Jesus and He is in the Father, but Jesus asks us to believe.

Let us ask God to strengthen our faith, hope and love in Him this week.

Eastertide Prayer Series: Prayer in the spirit of Taize.

During Lent, the Church asks us to turn towards God by Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.  During Eastertide, we are to rejoice that the Lord is truly risen. However, any progress that we may have made during our Lenten effort should not be abandoned. Eastertide is a great time to consolidate our Lenten effort but with joy filled attitude.

In this series 'Eastertide Prayer Series', I wish to focus on 6 different types of prayer, all of which we can use during the year, but may concentrate upon during this time of rejoicing.  In this post, I focus my attention to Prayer in the Spirit of Taize.

What is the purpose of Devotions? Is not the Mass and the Sacraments enough?  

The purpose of devotions is to help us nurture our relationship with God- Father, Son and Spirit.  In Lent, as we endeavour to spend more time in prayer, we turn our minds towards God and turn away from sin.  In the process, we become strengthened for the journey towards Holy Week and experience the joy of Easter renewed.Now that Eastertide has begun, we can relish the joy of the Easter season and continue to be focused on improving our spiritual growth.

Prayer in the Spirit of Taize is a beautiful form of prayer which focuses our attention on my relationship with God.  It is a prayer form in community, but the focus is personal, that is, one on one with God.  When the practicalities of organizing a prayer in the spirit of Taize is taken seriously and all the details dealt with appropriately, then it is indeed a beautiful prayer form.  It uses sung Taize chants, scripture and veneration of the cross as its structure with ample time for silence when there is ample time to meditate. The ambiance created by the candles around the cross and the prayer space and the hospitality shared afterward add to the total experience.

I have to say that as a prayer form, I am a devotee. From 1999, Initially, I attended this prayer form on the recommendation of a priest friend of mine.  Knowing that he would ask me, I thought  I would attend once and then I would be able to tell him that I had been there.  Once was enough I thought.  However the Spirit had a different plan for me and for the rest of that year,  I attended this prayer form weekly as a participant.  I really do believe God has a sense of humour.!!!

Then when this prayer group closed, I set it up at another venue and was the coordinator for it from 2000-2004.  Then when circumstances prevented us from staying there, I set it up again at 2 other parishes- one in my own parish in 2005-2007, and the other in another parish, where it was appropriate to have the coordinator from that parish.  However, I was involved in creating the sheets for each fortnight ,as well as play the piano/organ for the prayer. Sadly because of my circumstances, I am no longer able to engage in this prayer form in a community setting. I have to say that I do miss it greatly.

I have had the pleasure of experiencing other people benefiting from it, one couple who had attended for some time, moved interstate. They asked me to help them set it up with them in their own home, and later in their own parish as well as the other person who became the coordinator in their own parish initially experienced this prayer form during 2000-2004. She also wished for others to experience it and asked me to help her set it up.Another friend who moved to UK also set it up in his parish with my help and experience.

I outlined my personal experience so that you appreciate my love for this type of prayer form.  It is not for everyone since some find the singing of the chants stressful or monotonous, the silence overwhelming and the power generated in the peace filled atmosphere too much. Other people, like myself, have found it consoling in times of need and great distress in either a short term prayer form or an ongoing one.  It very much depends, I believe on one's spiritual personality.  Thankfully, the Church has many different prayer forms.  There is something for everyone. All we need to do is look and experience them and see where it takes us.

Compendium Series: Who created the world?

52. Who created the world? (CCC290-292,316)

Compendium states:

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the one and indivisible principle of creation even though the work of creating the world is particularly attributed to God the Father.

What does this mean for me?

1. I can thank God, Father, Son and Spirit for the gift of creation and praise the Triune God.

Questions to consider:

1. Why is creating the world attributed to God the Father?
2. What scriptures support it?
3. How do the other scientific theories inadequate?
   

About the Mass Series: Communion Rite: Part 4: ‘Our Father’

2. ‘Hallowed be thy name’.

What does this phrase mean?  

Saint Cyprian in his reflection commented that it is not, as if we think we make God holy by our prayers. Rather, we are asking that his name may be made holy in us.  We pray that we who have been hallowed (made holy) in Baptism may persevere in what we have begun.

Or perhaps to put it another way ‘may your name be held holy’.  Looking at this phrase in this light means that it also connects with the commandments.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) also tells us

‘…And so, in adoration, this invocation is sometimes understood as praise and thanksgiving. But, this petition is here taught to us by Jesus as an optative: a petition, a desire, and an expectation in which God and man are involved.  Beginning with this first petition to Our Father, we are immersed in the inner most mystery of his Godhead and the drama of the salvation of our humanity. Asking the Father that his name be made holy draws us into his plan of loving kindness for the fullness of time, “according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ,” that we might be holy and blameless before him in love”’ (Para 2807 p.673).

So we might want to ponder further:

· Personally, what does this phase mean to you? What is the personal challenge in this phrase for you?

· How might we heighten this desire and expectation and make this petition our own?

· How might we be drawn into his loving plan and be holy and blameless before him in love this week?                            

Starions of the Cross

During Lent, the Church asks us to turn towards God by Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.  During Eastertide, we are to rejoice that the Lord is truly risen. However, any progress that we may have made during our Lenten effort should not be abandoned. Eastertide is a great time to consolidate our Lenten effort but with joy filled attitude.


The erection and use of the Stations did not become at all general before the end of the seventeenth century, but they are now to be found in almost every church. Formerly their number varied considerably in different places but fourteen are now prescribed by authority. They are as follows:

1. Christ condemned to death;
2. Jesus carries His cross.
3. Jesus falls the first time;
4. Jesus meets His Blessed Mother;
5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross;
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus;
7. Jesus falls the second time;
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem;
9. Jesus falls the third time;
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments;
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross;
12. Jesus dies on the cross;
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross; and
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

The Stations of the Cross, often referred to as Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa  are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. Taken in the former sense, the Stations may be of stone, wood, or metal, sculptured or carved, or they may be merely paintings or engravings. Some Stations are valuable works of art, which have been much copied elsewhere. They are usually ranged at intervals around the walls of a church, though sometimes they are to be found in the open air, especially on roads leading to a church or shrine. In monasteries they are often placed in the cloisters.

 You might wonder why there is the stations of the Cross during World Youth Day since one might be tempted to think that this would not be a user friendly youth activity.  The object of the Stations is to help  us to make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ's suffering and death and this has become one of the most popular of Catholic devotions. It is carried out by passing from Station to Station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn. It is very usual, when the devotion is performed publicly, to sing a stanza of the "Stabat Mater" while passing from one Station to the next.

The Stations of the Cross are mostly 'performed' during Lent, but  when entered into during WYD,. In fact, it may help us to reflect in a deeper way the suffering and death of Jesus. Although the stations traditionally stop at the tomb, we may also continue our journey enjoying the company of the Risen Lord.  It is good to remember that every Friday of the year, except for any major feasts, is also a day of penance. Some people like to make the Stations of the Cross as their form of prayerful penance on Fridays throughout the year.

The stations of the Cross when 'performed' at WYD are usually slightly different from the traditional stations of the Cross, since they often include other scenes which interconnect with the passion and death of Christ.
There was been approved by the late John Paul 11.

As you prepare spiritually for WYD, why not begin/again to come familiar with the stations of the Cross and  use them each week leading up to WYD. You will gain from the experience and will be able to enter into the WYD Stations of the Cross in a much deeper and heartfelt way, since without any connection to this type of prayer, the WYD Stations can have the downside of being a performance rather than a spiritual experience.

The Stations of the Cross are the main event for the Friday of the week.  So make sure you are ready spiritually for this day.

Opening Prayer Series: 4th Sunday of Eastertide Year A

The Opening Prayer for the 4th Sunday of Easter Year A reads as follows:

Let us pray

(that Christ our Shepherd will lead us through the difficulties of this life) 

Almighty and ever-living God,

give us new strength,

from the courage of Christ our Shepherd,

and lead us to join the saints in Heaven,

where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

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

1. How does the image of Christ the Good Shepherd  impact in my life?
2. What do I know of the image of Christ as Shepherd and how does it relate to me?
3. What is the courage of Christ the Good Shepherd?
4. How can Christ the Good Shepherd give me courage this coming week?
5. What desire do I have to join the saints in Heaven?
6. Why should Heaven be my ultimate and primary goal?

In today's Gospel we read of some the characteristics of the Good Shepherd such as:

• the Shepherd lets his sheep through the gate
• the sheep listen to His voice.
• He calls each sheep by name.
• He goes ahead of the sheep and they follow Him.
• The sheep know His voice.

Sheep are often considered to be dumb animals,and we, can be indeed by like sheep following the leader, even if the leader is not leading us to where we need to be.  Each of the characteristics of Christ as Good shepherd can be most comforting for us who struggle with our lives.  Christ knows each of us by name and we know His voice when we listen to Him. He goes ahead of us and we follow Him. 

However, when we have Christ as our Good Shepherd who loves us and knows us by name, we definitely need to listen to His voice and follow Him, so that He will lead us to greener pastures.  

So let us not be dumb sheep, but follow Christ as our Shepherd. Let us listen to His voice and respond to Him as He calls us each by name. Let us discern and listen to the voice of the Shepherd that Christ has given us in our pastor. Let us pray for him on this special day, and ask that Christ may give many more vocations.

May Christ the Good Shepherd guide you.

 

Eastertide Prayer Series: Stations of the Cross

During Lent, the Church asks us to turn towards God by Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.  During Eastertide, we are to rejoice that the Lord is truly risen. However, any progress that we may have made during our Lenten effort should not be abandoned. Eastertide is a great time to consolidate our Lenten effort but with joy filled attitude.
In this series 'Eastertide Prayer Series', I wish to focus on 6 different types of prayer, all of which we can use during the year, but may concentrate upon during this time of rejoicing.  This week, the prayer focus is on The Stations of the Cross.

The erection and use of the Stations did not become at all general before the end of the seventeenth century, but they are now to be found in almost every church. Formerly their number varied considerably in different places but fourteen are now prescribed by authority. They are as follows:

1. Christ condemned to death;
2. Jesus carries His cross.
3. Jesus falls the first time;
4. Jesus meets His Blessed Mother;
5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross;
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus;
7. Jesus falls the second time;
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem;
9. Jesus falls the third time;
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments;
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross;
12. Jesus dies on the cross;
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross; and
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

The Stations of the Cross, often referred to as Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa  are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. Taken in the former sense, the Stations may be of stone, wood, or metal, sculptured or carved, or they may be merely paintings or engravings. Some Stations are valuable works of art, which have been much copied elsewhere. They are usually ranged at intervals around the walls of a church, though sometimes they are to be found in the open air, especially on roads leading to a church or shrine. In monasteries they are often placed in the cloisters.

The object of the Stations is to help  us to make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ's suffering and death and this has become one of the most popular of Catholic devotions. It is carried out by passing from Station to Station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn. It is very usual, when the devotion is performed publicly, to sing a stanza of the "Stabat Mater" while passing from one Station to the next.

Now the Stations of the Cross are mostly 'performed' during Lent, but it does not prevent us from making the stations of the Cross in Eastertide or throughout the year. In fact, it may help us to reflect in a deeper way the suffering and death of Jesus. Although the stations stop at the tomb, we may also continue our journey enjoying the company of the Risen Lord.  It is good to remember that every Friday of the year, except for any major feasts, is also a day of penance. Some people like to make the Stations of the Cross as their form of prayerful penance on Fridays throughout the year.

So although making the Stations of the Cross at first glance may seem an odd focus during Eastertide, it may indeed be a fitting consolidation of our Lenten effort and/or it may give us another opportunity to consider the great love for which Our Saviour suffered and died for each of us personally.

About the Mass Series: Communion Rite Part 3: Our Father.

Through the centuries many of the saints have written explicit meditations on this prayer, taking apart the words, as it were, so that their meaning could take deep roots in their hearts. The reflections, which follow are those of Saint Cyprian who wrote them around AD 250, as well some ponderings of my own.  I hope that they provide further thoughts for reflection on this precious prayer.

1. Our Father, who art in Heaven:

One of the greatest truths of our faith is that we are the adopted sons and daughters of God and so can call Him Father. John 1:11-12 says: ‘He came to his own and his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believed in his name’

It is noteworthy that we are not instructed to say ‘my Father’ for we do not pray for ourselves alone, but we pray as members of the community of the church, the sons and daughters of God, and we pray for the good of all.

The following reflection questions may engage you to ponder further.

·        What is your image of God as Father?

·        Is God as Father your 'Abba’-daddy?

·        Does your image or experience of God as Father need healing?

·        How might we deepen our relationship with God as Father during this week/year?

·        What does it mean to you personally to be a son or daughter of God?

·        What consolation does it give you to pray as members of the community of the Church?

What an amazing phrase!!     

Opening Prayer Series: Third Sunday of Eastertide Year A

The Opening Prayer for the Third Sunday of Eastertide reads as follows:

Let us pray,

( that Christ will give us a share in the glory of His unending life)

God our Father,

may we look forward with hope to our resurrection,

for You have made us for Your sons and daughters,

and restored the joy of our youth.

In making this prayer tangible for this coming week, the following reflection questions emerged.

1. Why do I want to have a share in God's glory?
2. How can I contribute to sharing God's glory to others in my work, home and parish?
3. Why is it important to look forward with hope to my own resurrection?
4. What does it mean to me to be a son/daughter of God?
5. What does it mean for God to have restored the joy of my youth?
6. How can I become the person God wants me to be this coming week?
7. What is my spiritual plan/agenda for this coming week to love and know God better?

Today's Gospel is the familiar story of the disciples on the way to Emmaus.  In it, Jesus allows the disciples to share their disappointment, sadness and their own personal hope before He gave them some teaching about Himself through the Scriptures. It was not until they were at table that He revealed Himself to them, and then the 'light bulb' experience occurred ' Their eyes were opened and they recognized Him' and 'did not our hearts burn within us as He talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us'..

So what about us? Do we spend time with Christ to be able to share our disappointment and sadness of our lives and our personal hope. Like the disciples in our gospel, He listens to us uninterrupted. God is God, and yet humble enough and respectful of us to listen to us uninterrupted. God is amazing.  Then we too need to pass Him the same courtesy- be silent before Him as He teaches us what we need to know.  We too can have a 'light bulb' experience when our eyes are opened by Him and we recognize Him. We too long for our hearts to burn within us as He talks to us.  

In spending time with Jesus, we must remember that we have two ears and one tongue- let us use both ears to listen to Him speak to us and our tongue to share the intricacies of our lives. God is ready to listen to us, but are we ready this coming week to listen to Him and have a 'light bulb' experience.

Let our hearts burn within us this coming week, not with indigestion of life, but with the love and companionship of God.

Reflection and Prayer Series: Leaning on His love.

My reflection and prayer series is about sharing reflections and Prayers which have impacted upon me and have provided food for thought. I hope that they will also nurture your soul and spirit.

My post is called:

LEANING OF HIS LOVE  

Strength is often found within the silence
While resting in the presence of the Lord.
Abiding in His peace we feel His power, 
While leaning on His love, we are restored.

May you continue to feel the presence of the risen Lord during Eastertide.

Eastertide Prayer Series:Eucharistic Adoration

During Lent, the Church asks us to turn towards God by Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.  During Eastertide, we are to rejoice that the Lord is truly risen. However, any progress that we may have made during our Lenten effort should not be abandoned. Eastertide is a great time to consolidate our Lenten effort, but with joy filled attitude.

In this series 'Eastertide Prayer Series', I wish to focus on 6 different types of prayer, all of which we can use during the year, but may concentrate upon during this time of rejoicing. My second post in this series focuses upon Eucharistic Adoration.

Tests conducted have shown, from a psychological perspective, that to spend time in meditation helps  us emotionally, as well as it having innumerable physical health benefits.  Psychologists often recommend having 'me time' or 'time out' to their clients.  Eucharistic adoration is one way we can have that time out, but with our greatest friend, Jesus.   Eucharistic Adoration, that is adoring Jesus in the tabernacle and/or in a Monstrance, is a grace-filled time for those who avail themselves of the opportunity.  Eucharistic Adoration is a powerful and faith-filled way to obtain the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits and blessings that Jesus wishes to offer to us.

Eucharistic adoration is a beautiful form of prayer. It is a time to be silent before Jesus truly present in the Eucharistic host in the monstrance or in the tabernacle.  It is a time to receive the physical, emotional and spiritual blessings that Jesus has to offer us and to be able to get on with our busy lives renewed.  It is a time to love Jesus and to tell Him all that is in our hearts and minds. Jesus knows, but He listens with respect to us when we need to offload. It is a time to sit, de-clutter and be still before Him.

Some parishes have Eucharistic devotions on a scheduled basis. Some parishes sadly do not, since it is considered 'old hat' or 'pre- Vatican 2'.  During Lent, the Church encourages us to spend time in prayer.  Now that we are in Eastertide, we can try to consolidate our desire to spend time in prayer  by exploring  further what we have commenced in that penitential season or choosing another form of prayer from the rich ocean of possibilities that the Church offers to us.

Why not explore what your parish or neigbouring parish has to offer with regard to Eucharistic adoration ?  Make a date with Jesus by marking  off some dates in your diary, whether it be a community based Eucharistic Adoration, or calling in to visit Him in the tabernacle to or from school or work.  

Let us be like the disciples to enjoy the company of the risen Christ during this Eastertide season.

Compendium Series: Why affirm God created the heavens and earth

51. What is the importance of affirming ‘in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ (Genesis 2:1)? (CCC 279-289)

Compendium states:

The significance is that creation is the foundation of all God’s saving plans. It shows forth the almighty and wise love of God and it is the first step toward the covenant of the one God with his people.  It is the beginning of the history of salvation which culminates in Christ and it is the first answer to our fundamental questions regarding our very origin and destiny.

What does this mean for me?

1. I can praise Father God for creation and for His wise love.
2. I can praise God for my origin and destiny brought about by creation as the beginning of the history of salvation.

Questions to consider:

1. Why is creation the first step toward the covenant of the one God with His people?

2. What is my personal salvation history?

3. What do I consider to be my origin and destiny?

About the Mass Series: Communion Rite Part 2: Our Father

The Communion Rite begins with the ‘Our Father’ (the Lord’s Prayer). This prayer praises God, asks for our ‘daily bread’ and forgiveness of our sins, and reminds us that we need to be united and at peace with our neighbour through forgiving those ‘who trespass against us’.  In asking for our ‘daily bread’ we recognise that it is God who feeds us with himself –Christ- under the form of Bread, as well as providing for all our daily needs.  Because the Our Father leads into the Deliverance Prayer there is no Amen at this point.

Our body posture is important here. We as a congregation are no longer kneeling as we were in the Eucharistic Prayer, but are standing. We are standing to praise God, standing to acknowledge our daily needs, standing to ask forgiveness, standing in unity with our neighbour.  In this posture, Jesus invites us to be whole just like he invited many of those who were healed by him. He invites us to stand- not to be afraid and to be whole.  We are adopted sons and daughters of God and so call Him Father. We are co-heirs with Christ. Somehow in this posture, we claim that for ourselves once again.

Of course, we know the prayer by heart and say it often. It is perhaps the best-known prayer in the world, and it is precious because it comes to us from Jesus himself.  It is timely to remind ourselves the context that Jesus gave this prayer: Luke records: ‘Lord, teach us to pray like John taught his disciples’. (Lk 11:1)

Perhaps on our spiritual journey, our prayer life becomes dry, or perhaps we have short times or even extended periods when we feel overwhelmed with our life.

Perhaps, like the disciples, we too can have a fresh start with the words ‘Lord, teach us to pray’.

May is the month of Mary

Today is the beginning of May-it is a month often dedicated to Mary.  It is an opportunity to consider the role of Mary in our lives and to appreciate her as our spiritual mother. Why not try to say a decade of the rosary during the month of May. Obviously the 5 decades would be wonderful, but if time does not permit, then once decade said with reverence and concentration would indeed be powerful.

When I was a child, my family lived in UK.  I remember the processions that we had and learnt something more about Mary as my mother during that month particularly.  I remember all these many years later a hymn that we learnt:  It is as follows.

May is the month of Mary

month that we love so well

Mary is God's own mother

gladly her praises we tell

Refrain

Mary is beautiful

Mary is fair

Gladly we praise her 

in love and in prayer.

I have to say there were probably other verses, but you might like to think about Mary means to you and what you could do to appreciate her more in your life during this special month.

What will YOU do?

Opening Prayer Series: 2nd Sunday of Easter Year A

The Opening Prayer for the Second Sunday of Easter reads as follows:

Let us pray

(for a deeper awareness of our Christian Baptism)

God of mercy,

You wash away our sins in water,

You give us a new birth in the Spirit,

and redeem us in the blood of Christ.

As we celebrate Christ's resurrection,

increase our awareness of these blessings 

and renew Your gift of life within us.

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

1. Why is it necessary to have a deeper awareness of my Christian Baptism?
2.  What difference does today's feast of Mercy Sunday make in my life?
3. What is my relationship with the sacrament of Reconciliation-am I a regular frequenter of this sacrament or a Christmas and Easter penitent?
4. How does God's new birth in the Spirit make a difference to me?
5. What does Christ's resurrection mean to me and how might it change my life this coming week?
6. What blessings and graces do I wish to receive during Eastertide?
7. How might I continue/change my Lenten effort during Eastertide to Pentecost?

On this second Sunday of Easter- Mercy Sunday, the gospel gives a clear description of the institution of the  sacrament of Reconciliation- Jesus giving His disciples to forgive sins in His name. Obviously every priest who hears confession gives the sign and the words of absolution, but it is Christ Himself hidden in the priest who hears our sins and gives us absolution.

We are also confronted with doubting Thomas- a persona we can all take on at some point in our spiritual lives. However, like St Thomas we need to be able to say from our hearts ' My Lord and My God'.

On this Mercy Sunday, let us take the opportunity given us by the Church to receive a plenary indulgence by receiving communion at Mass, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation ( ideally on the day, but can be within a week before or after the feast) and say the prayers for the Holy Father.  

Mercy Sunday is a beautiful feast to contemplate- it is not magic as some may think, but a chance for those who have been away from the church to find their way back, for those who have let the sacrament of Reconciliation slip from their spiritual lives to be renewed, and for all Catholics to receive the wonderful graces God is offering. 

Remember to RSVP to Christ's invitation to Mercy Sunday in your parish or area.