Happy Australia Day

Today is Australia Day-26 January.  there are always plenty of celebrations around the country for its citizens to join and celebrate. Many Australians become citizens of our country on this day at many ceremonies around the country.

On a personal note, today I played the organ for Mass first, playing  the 3 verses of the National Anthem, the third verse being the Christian verse, which sadly we, as a country do not sing regularly.

There is a lot to be thankful for in our country and a lot of issues that need God's grace.

My prayer for all my fellow citizens comes from the feast of our patroness- Our Lady Help of Christians, but I like this prayer for today also. I hope that you will pray it with me.

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.

Happy Australia Day to all my readers.

Compendium Series: Unity of the soul and body

69. How do the soul and body form a unity in the human being? (CCC362-365.382)

The human person is a being at once corporal and spiritual. In man, spirit and matter form one nature.  This unity is so profound that thanks to the spiritual principle which is the soul, the body which is material becomes a living human body and participates in the dignity of the image of God.

What does this mean for me?

1. My soul and body is a living human body and participates in the dignity of the image of God.
2. I need to look after both my body and soul so that it may participate fully in the dignity of the image of God in which it is meant to be clothed.
3. In looking after my body, I need to clothe it in a way that expresses the image of God, eat in a healthy manner, exercise regularly and allow my body regular rest and sleep.
4. In looking after my soul, I need to participate fully regularly at Mass and avail myself of the opportunity to repent of my sins and be forgiven by God's mercy through the sacrament of reconciliation, attend to my daily prayers and spend time with God knowing and loving Him.

  Questions to consider:

1. What effect does sin have on my body and how does it affect my participation in the dignity of the image of God?
2. What importance to do give to looking after both my body and my soul?
3. What changes to I need to make in my life to give unity to both my body and soul?

Gospel of Mark: Chapter 1 Section 2: The preaching of St John the Baptist.

Welcome to my Gospel of Mark Series. During 2012-13, each week, I will write a post about the Gospel of Mark as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark.  I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season of Year B.

 In today's post, we explore chapter 1:2-8 which is the preaching of St John the Baptist. The prologue of Mark's Gospel (1:1-13) introduces Jesus as He really is. He does this first through John the Baptist who was the last of the Old Testament prophets. St Mark compares him with Elijah, God's messenger in the prophecy of Malachy. Like Elijah, John wear a leather belt, and eats a desert food of locusts and honey ((2 Kings 1:8).

The baptism of conversion asked of all by John is more than repentance and turning from self-centredness. It has to be a turning towards God under the influence of his healing and creative action. It is as Mark called it in greek a baptism of metanoia ( meaning other mind or a new attitude of God centredness to replace self- centredness). This whole of the opening passage fixes our vision on the future provided we have a radical change of heart. We need to be people filled with a deep desire for the good that comes from the fture. Raidcal hope coming from interiour conversion is the true way into the future.

St Mark fixes our gaze on John the Baptist because he:

1. symbolized a way into the future by a baptism of conversion.
2. wishes to show us that his baptism in water sumbolised dramatically a personal readiness of heart for a baptism with divine Spirit to be given by Jesus, the more powerful one coming after  him.
3. wants us to realize that God centredness cannot be realized by human effort alone, but we prepare ourselves for it as we wait for it to come as a gift from God.

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?
• Imagine the atmosphere and stand in the crowd. Try to feel within yourself the atmosphere as the crowds crowd around John to hear his message. How do you feel as you hear his message?
• How am I a messenger of God's word to family/work colleagues, parishioners, those I meet?
• Reflect on a time in your life where you have felt the messenger of God has gone ahead of you to prepare the way?
• How much do I see myself turned toward God and prepared to welcome His coming into my life?
• How will I prepare a way for the Lord?
• What paths do I need to make straight in my life and how will I achieve it?
• What is my attitude to the sacrament of reconciliation- what problems (if any) do I encounter when I think of this sacrament?
• Make a list of areas in my life that need a change of heart and develop an action plan on how this change of heart might occur. (eg name an area and name one/two changes that you will implement with God's help.
• Imagine meeting John the Baptist for the first time.  What is my attitude towards him and towards people whose clothes and behaviour are different from mine? 
• What impact does the message of John the Baptist have on you (1:7-8). Hear his message as God's message to you.
• How has this passage spoken to you- what does it say to you personally?

  It is important to remember that St Mark wishes us to know the person of Jesus. Using a highlighter, mark all adverbs, adjectives or any phrase that describes Jesus or the people around him. You may wish to review last week's verse  and do the same thing.  As you continue to do this as we journey through St Mark's gospel, you will see emerging the person of Jesus.

Who is the person of Jesus in this passage? We know from last week that Jesus has a title and mission.

What will we learn about the person of Jesus this week?                

Opening Prayer Series: Collect 3rd Sunday of Year B

The Collect for the Third Sunday of Year B reads as follows:

Let us pray,

Almighty and ever-living God,

direct our actions according to Your good pleasure,

that in the name of Your Beloved Son 

we may abound in good works.

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.

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

1. Why do I wish to pray that God dircts my actions this coming week?
2. What actions in my life need God's direction?
3. What specifc actions in my life will I work on with God's assistance this coming week?
4. Why do I need to direct my actions to God's good pleasure?
5. Define what ''good works"' means to me?
6. How will abound in good works in my family, workplace, parish and those I meet this coming week?

In the opening two sentences of today's Gospel we are given two clues: (1)John had been arrested and (2) Jesus proclaims the Good News from God.  In this opening sentence, with John's arrest, John's task of pointing the way to Jesus is over and now, Jesus begins His mission, not just any mission, but to proclaim the Good News from God. The message Jesus proclaimed to His listeners is just as relevant amd stark today as it was then '' Repent and believe the Good News".  We are to do this, not because we feel like it or it is fashionable but remember the second sentence "There He proclaimed the Good News from God".   So we have a choice to follow God's advice or ignore it at our own peril.

 

We also need to consider God's message to us '' Repent and believe the Good News".  Repentance is not just going to confession and then forgetting all about God's message until the next time we participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation. No, one we have repented, we are given the task to believe the Good News.  This requires us to know what the Good News is. We may need to take some time to study the Good News and lovingly come to know God more. Then as we are given greater understanding, then we can take the next step to believe.  The point is, wherever we are at in our lives today as we hear this Gospel, we have the choice to "'Repent and believe the Good News".

The third aspect of the Gospel is the calling of the disciples. They hear the call of Jesus and leave their employment to follow Him. Again these disciples, like us had to make a choice. They could have said '' no or not now Lord''. They heard the call and answered it.  

 

We too need to hear the call, but we need to be listening as well and provide an environment which enhances the possibility of us hearing the call.  We need to remember in our prayer time that we have two ears and one mouth.  This is easy to forget when we have alot to share with our loving God. I have been guilty of this lately with so many life changing decisions to be made in my life that I have been yakking and yakking and yakking with Jesus. I have to remind myself to stop and listen and wait for the answer.

Let us make a resolve this week to " Repent and believe the Good News" and to be listening with our heart to hear the  call Jesus may give us.

 

 

Reflection and Prayer Series: Be at Peace

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:

BE AT PEACE 

The shelter of Your love, Lord, is my haven, 

Freed from the sturggle of trying to fulfill my own dreams 
and  order my own life. 
I can rest in Your arms and be at peace.

May we Be at peace this coming week.

Compendium Series: Why does the human race form an unity?

68. Why does the human race form an unity? (CCC360-361)

Compendium states:

All people form the unity of the human race by reason of the common origin which they have from God.  God has made ‘from one ancestor all the nations of men’ (Acts 27:26). All have but one Saviour and are called to share in the eternal happiness of God.

What does this mean for me?

1. All people have a common origin with me which they have from God.
2. All people are called to share in the eternal happiness of God.
3. I am called  to share in the eternal happiness of God and I prepare myself to  live in this happiness  by living in this happiness in my life each day.

 Questions to consider:

1. When I see behaviours which are opposed to God’s plan, how do I be at peace with the fact that these people are also called to share the eternal happiness of God?
2. How might I evangelise those who do not yet believe in God and their Saviour?

Gospel of Mark Series: Overview & Jesus introduced- Part 1-The Title.

Welcome to my Gospel of Mark Series. During 2012-13, each week, I will write a post about the Gospel of Mark as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark.  I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season of Year B.

During the previous introductory posts to this series, I set the scene and talked about the Gospels in general and defined and discussed the meaning and implication of the Gospel in our lives.  Then I explored the Gospel of Mark examining the purpose of Mark's writing and its style and structure.

So how will we explore Mark's Gospel?

Using the format below  which I have found effective, can take as little as 10-15 minutes or as long as you wish and is suitable for an individual,family or group of parishioners.

 SUGGESTED FORMAT

1.  Collect your journal (if you choose to use one) and pen.  I find that if I do not use a journal, then I have a notepad ready since as I gradually still my mind, distractions such as what should be on the shopping list occur. Pen and paper help to keep these distractions to a minimum. 
2. Light a candle, then sit quietly letting go of the éxcess chatter of the brain. Move onto step 3 when your heart and mind are stilled enough to focus.
3. Open your heart to the Holy Spirit in prayer and ask Him to guide you in your study of the designated scripture passage.
4. Read designated Scripture passage for the week.
5. Pause for reflection on relevant scripture questions.
6. Have family members/parishioners share. If you are embarking on this journey alone, then share your findings with the Holy Spirit.
7. Ask The Holy Spirit to enlighten your heart and mind and listen to what He wants to share with you.
8. Close with a prayer or hymn.

In the following posts, I will not repeat the format. You may be comfortable with a different format or you may adapt this format for your situation. The important thing is that we come to know and love Jesus more through our study of St Mark's Gospel.

The overall structure of St Mark's Gospel can be divided as follows:

1. Jesus is introduced-           1:1-13.
2. Jesus calls His discples-    1:14-3:6.
3. Jesus with His people.-     3:7-6:6.
4. Jesus in His mission-         6:6-8:30.
5. Jesus forms His disciples   8:31-10:52.
6. Jesus comes to Jerusalem: 11:1-13:37.
7. Jesus dies on the Cross      14:1-16:8.
8. Appearances of the Risen Christ 16:9-20.

Within each section above, there are key stories upon which to reflect. Each week I will discuss these.

SECTION 1: JESUS IS INTRODUCED:

1.  St Mark introduces us to Jesus by using His title.(1:1)
2. The preaching of John the Baptist. (1:2-8)
3. The Baptism of Jesus. (1:9-11)
4. Jesus in the desert. (1:12-13).

This week, let us explore  Section 1.1- The title of Jesus.

Although we are looking at the very first verse and only one verse, it is significant. It reads:

"The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God". 

Straightaway, Mark gives Jesus His title as Christ and Son of God. Christ means Messiah. In ancient times, it meant king, a priest,  or prophet anointed to God with oil for a task, but especially an anointed one yet to come. 

Christians confess Jesus to be the Christ and the Son of God because He:

• fulfilled Old Testament prophesies.
• was raised to life by God, not by oil but with the Holy Spirit.
• shared equally with the Father and the Holy Spirit in His life on earth.
• breathed the Holy Spirit into the world by His resurrection in God's power.

These two title terms become a centrepiece of Mark's Gospel in Chapter 8:29- Peter's confession of Jesus as "Messiah", and in chapter 15:39, the roman centurion's confession of Jesus as " Son of God".

When Mark wrote " the beginning of the Gospel", he wanted us to understand along with the audience of his own time that eveything he wrote about Jesus is the beginning and foundation of the Gospel which the church was sent to announce. Mark is the only evangelist who used the word  "gospel"or the"  good news".

It is interesting to note that the word " Christ" occurs seven times throughout his gospel, whereas Jesus is named the "'Son of God" twice by God Himself and on five other occassions. As we explore Mark's gospel, we may wish to keep this in mind and perhaps make a note of it in our journal, since we may wish to find these examples and understand the title in context of the texts.

On reflecting on this short verse, we may wish to appreciate the difference between the evangelists.  Each week at Mass, we hear ' the gospel according to...

As a family/parishioner or small study group, why not explore the following:Each member tell a story/event that all members are familiar. 

1. Allow a certain time for each member to share.
   b)Have one member of the group write each member's contribution.
   (c)When each member has finished, allow the recorder to reflect back what he/she wrote.(d)Observe and discuss the similarities and differences in the same story/event by each member.
   NB: It is important however to remember that the evangelists were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Listen to Jesus as He introduces Himself to you.
2. What does it mean to know Jesus as Messiah- the one who saves  in my life? What areas of my life need Jesus as Messiah to save?
3. How might you tell the Gospel- spread the good news to others ( family, work colleagues, parishioners, those we meet each day).
4. Share with the group your own reflection thoughts on how this verse has introduced you to Jesus in a new or different way.

 In the next post, we will further explore being introduced to Jesus by the preaching of John the Baptist.

Often we say no news is good news. In some instances, this is indeed true.  However, when it comes to introducing others to Christ, it is indeed good news to hear the Gospel, appreciate more fully terms such as Gospel, Christ, Messiah and Son of God mean at a deeper level and introduce Our Messiah  to others.  

                                                         

Opening Prayer Series: Collect for 2nd Sunday of Year B

  Before I reflect on the Collect (Opening Prayer), I wish to advise my readers that today onwards, I will use the new English Translation of the Mass.  However, for the purpose of the Blog, I will still refer to it as the Opening Prayer Series, but refer to it as the Collect.
If you wish to appreciate more fully the purpose and structure of the Collect, please refer to my post: Collect of the Epiphany of Our Lord on 8 January 2012.


The Collect for the 2nd Sunday of Year B reads as follows:

Let us pray,

Almighty and ever-living God,

who governs all things,

both in Heaven and on earth,

mercifully hear the pleading of Your people,

and bestow Your peace on our times.

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.

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

1. How can I appreciate the majesty of God this coming week?
2. What reply would I give to someone who asks " If God governs all things both in Heaven and on earth, why does He allow suffering"?
3. What areas of my life do I need to surrender to God's governance?
4. What do I mercifully plead  for?
5. What areas of my life need Your gift of peace?
6. How can I strengthen my relationship with God the Father, Son and Spirit this coming week?

It seems to me that there are three aspects of today's Gospel.Firstly, we need to be introduced to Jesus, just as John the Baptist pointed out Jesus to his followers 'Look, there is the lamb of God".

Just as we meet another person, the next step requires choice and action.  Do we want to get to know this person?  If so, then how will we get to know this person?  Remember to choice not to get know someone is also a choice and it requires an action too.  

However, Jesus is not just anyone.  When we have been introduced to Jesus, we need to make a positive decision to get to know Him and follow it up with action. This is the second aspect.  

Let us listen carefully to see what today's Gospel according to St John tells us the disciples did.

• The disciples followed Jesus.
• They asked ''where do you live?
• They followed Him again when they did not get a direct answer to find out more.
• They stayed with Him the rest of that day. 
  

Finally, the third aspect is, like any relationship, we do not want to keep our best friends to ourselves. When a couple for example are engaged, they want to tell the world (albeit their world) that they are in love.  We too need to be in love with Jesus and we need to want to share Him with others. This is the third aspect. This may be called evangelisation, but in essence it is bringing others to Christ ( like John the Baptist) and as required helping them get to know Him.  Then it is their responsibility through the bounty of God, to make the choice and take the action to get to know Him. 

How to evangelise is a huge topic, but first we must start with ourselves because we cannot introduce Jesus to others if we do not know and love Him ourselves.  Let us make the choice to really to get to know and love Jesus this coming year and if it is His will, bring others to Him also.

Reflection and Prayer Series: Living for You

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:

LIVING FOR YOU

In the darkness, in the silence, 

give me a faith that never fatils and a hope that never dims.  

Help me Lord to learn that living for You 

often means waiting on You.

May we live for You this coming week.

Compendium Series; what was God's purpose in creating man and woman?

67. For what purpose did God create man and woman? (CCC358-359,380-381)

Compendium states:

God has created everything for them but he has created them to know, serve and love God, to offer all of creation in this world in thanksgiving back to Him and to be raised up to life with Him in heaven. Only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of the human person come into true light.  Man and woman are predestined to reproduce the image of the Son of God made Man, who is the perfect image of the invisible God.

(Colossians 1:15).

What does this mean for me?

1.  I can choose to live according to God’s plan each day- to know, love and serve him and to offer all of creation in this world in thanksgiving back to him.
2. I can thank God that He desires me to reach heaven and live with Him for ever.

 Questions to consider:

1.  How do I reproduce the image of the Son of God in my life?

2. What is my attitude towards creation, and how does the knowledge that God created everything for me alter it?

3. What is my attitude to human life?

4. How might I choose to be pro-life according to Gospel values?

 About the Mass Series-New Translation:

INTRODUCTION PART 1

Welcome to my new series called ' About the Mass-New Translation'

At some time or other people people ask the question ‘Why should I go to Mass?’ The Eucharist is so fundamental to our faith journey. When we attend Mass, we are in the company of Heaven and we receive Jesus Himself, body, blood soul and divinity in Holy Communion. The Eucharist therefore is so fundamental for our soul because it is its food.  Just as we are nourished by food for our bodies when we eat, we also need to nourish our soul by receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, rather than starving it.  

However this is not a new question as saints and popes have grappled with it in their time.  Their reflections outlined in Pray with Me (1993) assist us as follows: 

• The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer'.( Pope Paul V1). 
• For each Mass we hear with devotion, Our Lord sends a saint to comfort us at death.' (Revelation of Christ to St. Gertrude the Great).  
• If we know the value of the Mass we would die for joy."'  (The Cure of Ars, St John Vianney)

• ‘The world could exist more easily without the sun than without the Mass’.  (Padre Pio). 

Have we ever felt overwhelmed with God’s goodness and wondered how we may thank God?   

St. Teresa of Avila when she felt overwhelmed with God’s goodness asked Our Lord

‘How can I thank you?’  Our Lord replied ‘Attend One Mass’. (p. 22).

I have previously written a series called ‘About the Mass’. Some of what I have written is quite relevant to this new series "' About the Mass- New Translation".  Where there are relevant parts, I will recommend it to you for your reading.  I will post once a week for over 12 months. You will find all future posts in this series in my 'Sacraments' category. I hope you will embark on this journey with me and follow the series.  'About the Mass-New Translation'  series will be divided into 8 sections namely:

1.  Introduction,
2. Overview of the New Translation: Same Mass, New Words, Deeper Meaning, Greater Love of the Mass  Parts 1-5.
3. Preparation for Mass.
4. Introductory Rite
5. Liturgy of the Word
6. Liturgy of the Eucharist
7. Communion Rite
8. Concluding Rite.

Its purpose is twofold, that is,

(a) To provide a greater understanding and love of the Mass, and

(b) To provide an understanding into the changes in the New English Translation.

As I write this series, with a global pastoral environment in mind, my prayer is wherever we are on our faith journey, we will know, appreciate and always value God’s gift of the Mass to us.

How can I grow in the virtue of love this year?

You have probably gone back to work, been briefed for the year and possibly feel heavy and stressed with the prospect of even more work to do with less staff employed. Perhaps there were redundacies before Christmas, and you will miss those who are no longer part of your work environment. Perhaps there is exactly the same staff with the same annoying habits or perhaps there are some new staff to get to know.

The Christmas season is now completed both in the secular world where it celebrates for only one day and of course, litugically.  But how can we put the Christmas message  of " peace to people of goodwill"into our daily lives  throughout the year?

As Catholics, we want to grow in the love of God and our neighbour. You might like to

1. visit or revisit the virtue of Love part 1-3 in my Virtue series written in 2010 as a foundation for understanding this virtue.
2. Discuss it with your family and friends.
3. Pray to God to discern how you might put this into practice in your workplace.
4. Decide out 12 ways that you can act upon this in the work place. You may choose to use one of these suggestions for each month.
5. Once you have started your action plan, you may wish to monitor your progress in a diary and also note the changes that occur over time in your work place. 
6. Pray for all your office colleague who drives you nuts first before embarking on some action activiity.

As Catholics in the workplace, we have the capacity to change a toxic or stressed workplace environment. If we plan carefully, we can get others onboard either willingly or by our own example. We must not allow others to treat us as doormats, since that is not a healthy self- love.  However, we can find ways to grow in the virtue of love if we are truly wanting this goal.

Why not share your ideas. I would love to hear what action plan you put into place and  your progress during the year.

If you do not like this idea or it is not appropriate for your workplace, then try at least to think of  one change you would like to see/hear/feel in your workplace that could be implemented. Remember you may not expect miracles straight away, since many people feel uncomfortable with even small changes, but over time, your capacity to grow in love will occur and with that change, others will feel the change.

Gospel of Mark Series: Introduction Part 2- purpose, style and structure.

WELCOME TO GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES

Welcome to my Gospel of Mark Series. During 2012, each week, I will write a post about the Gospel of Mark as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark.  I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season of Year B.

In last week's post, I set the scene and talked about the Gospels in general and defined and discussed the meaning and implication of the Gospel in our lives.  This week, as promised, I wish to explore the Gospel of Mark examining the purpose of Mark's writing and its style and structure.  

Mark sought to capture for his readers the events, and meanings of this Good News of Jesus Christ's life, as well as what the early Church made of it all.  Mark made it clear that there could be not be a faith community apart from Jesus, since Jesus and the meaning of His life are only available when individuals and communities seek in faith to meet and understand Him.  In Mark's time (unlike our own where we have technology), Jesus could only be received in community, through reflection, prayer and openess to God's Spirit. In our own time, the availability of technology provides opportunity for evangelisation and learning in a different type of community ( eg blog community of readers).  However, the other means at Mark's disposal to receiving Jesus still are valid for our own time as well.

The particular purpose of Mark's Gospel is to introduce people to Jesus. His gospel is long on story and short on explanation. He may have said, (just like we can say to others) something like

" I would like you to meet Jesus" or He's quite a person and I think it would be great for you to get to know Him".  Perhaps we can keep this as our mind set as we journey through Mark's gospel.

Mark certainly acknowledged the Jewish heritage of Jesus (chapter 2), but his gospel is a consistent reminder that Jesus is breaking all patterns of thinking that would too narrowly define Him and His mission. The structure of the gospel demonstrates this view of Jesus, with the linchpin being chapter 8, to which all the earlier stories of heaing, teaching and miracles point.

The remainder of Mark's Gospsel is an unfolding of the messiahship of service and suffering rather than of honours and power.  For Mark, it is critically clear that knowing Jesus will alway be a matter of learning service and accepting sacrifice.

Next week, let us begin to explore chapter 1. Perhaps with openess to God's Spirit, you may wish to reflect upon Chapter 1 as preparation or you may wish to continue to get a overall view of the Gospel with these introduction pointers in mind. 

 Look forward to continuing the journey next week. 

Opening Prayer Series: Collect for the Feast of the Epiphany

 Before I reflect on the Collect (Opening Prayer), I wish to advise my readers that today onwards, I will use the new English Translation of the Mass.  However, for the purpose of the Blog, I will still refer to it as the Opening Prayer Series, but refer to it as the Collect.

In the new English translation of the Mass, the Opening Prayer is now called the Collect, which, in fact was what it was originally called.  Why the change?  Simply, its name reflects is purpose.

At the end of the Introductory Rite in the Mass is the Collect (Opening Prayer). The priest invites us to pray silently for a moment, and then, in our name, expresses the theme of the day’s celebration and petitions to God the Father through the mediation of Christ in the Holy Spirit.  In other words, he ‘collects’ or gathers up all the prayers on our behalf and offers them to God. He reads it from the Book of the Chair.  In the new translation of the Mass, the stucture of the sentences are longer and more complex, but with careful listening, we will learn to be able pray them in our hearts.

The  Collect has a unfolding structure which is as follows:

An invitation to prayer:  ‘Let us pray’,

A time of silence: a time to present our intentions to God.

The invocation:  these can be varied but they all address God in some form- for example- Father, Eternal Father, Lord, God of mercy and power, Father of love.

The anamnesis or thanksgiving:

The request: Give,

The affirmation of the mediation of Christ in unity with the Holy Spirit: ‘Through Christ our Lord’ who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Our response: ‘Amen’.

 

The Collect for the Feast of the Epiphany reads as follows:

O God, who on this day revealed Your Only Begotten Son to the nations

by the guidance of a star,

grant by Your mercy, that we, who love You already by faith, 

may be brought to behold the beauty of Your subline glory. 

Though 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.

Are you able to identify the structure of this week's prayer?

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

1. What does the feast of the Epiphany mean to me?
2. What value is it to me to be like the 3 wise men and be guided by the light of the star in my life?
3. How would I consider my readiness for meeting God face to face this week?  What changes need to be made in my life?
4. Reflect on the mercy of God in my life and how God's mercy has brought me closer to Him.
5. What hold me back from accepting God's invitation to His mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week?
6. What is the quality of my faith and how will I strengthen this virtue this week?

 What does today's Gospel from Matthew chapter 2 offer us?  

In Chapter 2, there are 4 stories interwoven into the chapter namely

1. The Visit of the Magi,

2. The flight into Egypt,

3. The Massacre of the Innocents and

4. The return from Egypt.

 

It should be noted that in today's Gospel we hear only the first part of the story- the visit of the Magi. However,since today is also the closing of the Christmas season, I have chosen to reflect on the whole of chapter 2 to present the 4 interwoven stories to give a complete picture. After all the visit of the Magi are our last Christmas characters to emerge.

The Magi were probably wise men who studied astrology, but later tradition portrays them as kings, who because of their knowledge knew that the star that appeared for them was something they had to follow. Their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh symbolized Christ’s royalty, divinity and passion.
They listened to what Herod had to say to them, giving him respect, but were not drawn into his dishonest behaviour, since they seemingly seemed aware of his insincerity and fear.
It is interesting to note the reaction of Herod who was governed by power and who

• felt threatened at the possibility there may be another king ( someone to threaten his job),
• played the game pretending he wanted to worship also ( sought out information about the threat and how he might overcome the enemy).

The Magi however stayed focused on what they came to seek- they were guided by the star, which filled them with delight because it helped them find what they came to seek- Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the manger. They were able to do him homage and offer their gifts.

We then  encounter the flight into Egypt. Joseph is not a procrastinator.  He does what the angel tells him without delay ' He got up and taking the child and his mother with him left that night for Egypt.' One senses the urgency and the worry and the fear of knowing that Herod wanted Jesus killed- not the type of start to being the foster father of Jesus that Joseph may have hoped for.  Yet, Joseph as we know was a man of faith and believed in God's providence towards him and Mary. His faith and obedience to God sustained him in this difficult journey.

The wise men and Joseph’s fear of Herod is justified as we read the next phase of chapter 2 where Herod has all male children up to the age of 2 killed since he was outwitted by the wise men. He took revenge because he did not get his own way and made as many people suffer because of it.

Then in the final section of this chapter is the story of Joseph returning with Mary and the baby from Egypt after Herod’s death back to the land of Israel.  However, as Herod’s son had succeeded Herod, Joseph was warned in a dream not to go there but settled in the region of Galilee- at Nazareth.
What can we learn for our lives from these 4 connecting stories in this chapter?

This week as we reflect on chapter 2, we may wish to:

• Stay focused and to give the Christ child homage, by bending our knees and offering our gifts to Him. We need to place God first in our lives at all times
• Be guided by the light of the star of faith just as the wise men followed the signs given to them. God gives us signs to follow through the church and the sacraments.
• Be  attentive to what God is telling us to do. We need to be  pro-active and responsive as Joseph. Spend some time in reflection to hear what God is speaking to us.
• Have compassion for parents who suffer and grieve through loss of a baby/child either through miscarriage,abortion or tragedy. We may wish to learn more about the issue of abortion
• Be alert and listen  to the stirrings of God within us, since He desires the best path for us.

Compendium Series: Why is man and woman created in God''s image

Welcome to My Compendium for 2012. 

Do you every wonder especially when life seems more challenging, what God's plan for you and for me is?  In this series, I encourage you to learn and soak in to your spirit what God's plan is as stated by the Compendium of the Catholic Church 

When I started this series, my desire was to become more familiar with my faith so that I felt comfortable in not only knowing my faith, but being able to speak the truth of the faith confidently. To personalise the compendium of the Catholic Church, I followed these steps during the week:

• learnt the answer to the question by rote.
• inserted my name into these questions. 
• wrote my own answer to the question in a simpler form without losing its integrity or meaning.
• reflected on 'what it means for me".
• reflected on 'Questions to consider'.
• Devised an action for each day to integrate this truth of faith into my life.
• Use the compendium series to shine on areas of my life which need repentance and use it for preparation for the sacrament of reconciliation.

If you have not visited this series before, you may wish to start the journey this year. If you started the journey and faded along the way, you may wish to revisit this series and restart the journey, or if you have stayed on the journey, you may wish to continue the journey during 2012.

You may consider one question per week is not sufficient. I find it sufficent and able to done  by the above mentioned steps.  If you wish to proceed at a faster pace, decide on your plan of action that is most appropriate to you.

So let us now start, restart or continue the journey for 2012. 

66. In what sense do we understand man and woman is created in the image of God? (CCC355-357)

Compendium states:

The human person is created in the image of God in the sense that he or she is capable of knowing and loving their Creator in freedom.  Human beings are the only creatures on earth that God has willed for their own sake and has called share, through knowledge and love, in his own divine life.  All human beings, in as much as they are created in the image of God have the dignity of a person.  A person is not something but someone capable of self knowledge and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with God with other persons.

What does this mean for me?

1. I praise and thank God for allowing me to be created in his own image, for calling me to share, through knowledge and love, his own divine life and giving me a dignity, self knowledge and freedom to enter into communion with You and with other people.
2. I am able affirm myself in the following ways:

1. I am created in the image and likeness of God.
2. I am capable of knowing and loving God my creator in freedom.
3. I am able to share God’s divine life through knowledge and love.
4. I have a dignity of personhood as I am created in the image of God.
5. I am capable of self knowledge and of freely giving myself to God and other people.
6. I am capable of entering into communion with God and other people.

Questions to consider:

1. What do I do to enhance self knowledge rooted in God?
2. How am I entering into communion with God each day?
3. How do I enter into communion with other people?
4. How am I enhancing knowledge of love in order to share more fully his divine life in my life?
5. What blockages are there in my life which stops me from knowing and loving God my Creator in freedom?

 May you appreciate this coming week your dignity in God.

Gospel of Mark Series: Introduction Part 1

WELCOME TO GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES

Welcome to my Gospel of Mark Series. During 2012, each week, I will write a post about the Gospel of Mark as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark.  I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season of Year B.

Every time we attend Mass, we hear the Gospel read according to either Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.  These writers were divinely inspired to write by the Holy Spirit. These writers received their final formulation as a result of 35-50 years of Church reflection on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.Their writings have similarities and differences, some leave out some events, whilst other focus on other events in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

This is not surprising, as we all see and perceive the same event differently.  Why not test it for yourself with a family event. Get a piece of paper and draw 2 columns. Recall a family event together.  Note the similarities and note the differences in each column.  I am sure you will be surprised to see what each family member recalls and perceives.

The first three Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) are often referred to as 'synoptic' gospels. If you place them side by side, you can see with (syn) your eyes (optics) that there are clear similarities and obvious differences in them. The similarities indicated their common traditions.  The differences show that the meaning of some of Jesus encounters, healing and teachings were treasured differently.  In many places it seems that Matthew and Luke are directly dependent on Mark. Matthew and Luke also include things that are absent from Mark.  Finally, each gospel has some stories with no parallel in the other two gospels.  However, inspired by the Holy Spirit each of them individually, and all of them together, are of inestimable value to us as we learn to understand more deeply and pray the gospels.

The word gospel comes from the greek "eu" meaning good and "angelion" meaning message or news. Culturally, the Roman Empire used the term to announce the good news of a military victory or the succession or a new emperor.  However, Mark used the word not only to change the cultural context, but to introduce his hearers to the Saviour, Messiah and Lord in the new and radical different way in the person of Jesus.

What is the Good News?  When you are asked what is essentially the Good News of the Gospel, it is essentially as follows:

1. God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of mankind.
2. Jesus is the full revelation of God in Jesus' own person, teachings and healings and it is we can encounter the living God.
3. God vindicates mankind through the obedience of His Son through His death.  Jesus shows us that He is Messiah and has the power to save through His suffering and death on a cross at Calvary. The tree of Adam ( sin) is now transformed on the tree of the Cross.
4. Jesus' resurrection points to the promise of our breaking the chains of sin and death, and we are invited to enter fully into a graced-filled life.
5. God provides His people a meeting place through His Church where we are nurtured and nourished by His love in the Sacraments so that one day we will meet our Saviour face to face in our homeland of Heaven.

Next week  in the post Introduction Part 2, we will continue to explore the Gospel of Mark examining the purpose of Mark's writing and its style and structure. 

Do you not want to wait for next week?  Prepare yourself for the journey and get a journal (exercise book/notebook) Would you like to get your overall view of St Mark's Gospel?  During the week, why not read 2 chapters each day, or if you have some extra time, why not read the whole 16 chapters in one sitting.

May the inspired writing of St Mark's Gospel bless you during this year.

Opening Prayer: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

OPENING PRAYER SERIES

The Mass: Opening Prayer Series Icon.

The Opening Prayer of the Solemnity of Mary, mother of God reads as follows:

Let us pray

( that Mary, the mother of the Lord, will help us by her prayers)

God our Father,

may we always have the prayers of the Virgin Mother Mary,

for You bring us life and salvation 

through Jesus Christ her Son

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit 

one God, for ever.

 

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

1. What is my relationship with Mary, mother of God?
2. How might my relationship with her grow this coming week?
3. Look at the manger scene and contemplate the role of Mary as mother.
4. Read the scripture passages of the Christmas story and bring into my life the experience of Mary as mother of God.
5. Decide to pray the rosary/ one decade of the rosary this week in gratitude to Mary as mother of God and as my spiritual mother.

Happy new Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS.

 

It is a start of a new year and with that can bring a whole range of emotions such as:

• relief that the previous year has gone, especially if it has been a difficult one
• hope: a looking forward to the unknown
• motivation: to set new year resolutions such as lose weight, get fit, stop smoking and the like.
• sadness: that the year that was is gone.

For us Catholics, we started our new liturgical year in Advent. Hopefully we made our spiritual resolutions. Perhaps we did and we have not yet got started. If that is the case, then the new calendar year is a great time to renew our spiritual goals especially whilst we are in the season of Christmas.

I like to think that God gives us Christians two chances to move into action as far as our spiritual goals are concerned.

 

This year, starting at Pentecost-to-Pentecost 2013, Pope Benedict has called for a year of Grace. Why not join me in preparing for our year of Grace starting today. Let us take an honest look at ourselves and work out our spiritual needs and goals so that we can make each day count.

Some suggestions include:

• Reviewing our practice of the sacraments- am I able to increase my attendance to daily mass or at least one extra mass during the week?
• Do I understand the fullness of the new translation of the Mass? You might like to research this carefully and/or follow my series about the new translation on my blog which I hope to write each week.
• How well do I engage in the sacrament of reconciliation?  What are the problems you experience with this sacrament and how might you grow in this sacrament?
• How well do I know my faith? What does my faith mean to me?  You might like to follow my compendium of the catholic church series and make it your own as you engage in the reflection questions?
• Understanding the scripture: why not take a book of the bible and come to understand it more fully. My series on my blog on Genesis may be starting point since it has 50 chapters or you might like to follow my new weekly series on the Gospel of St Mark.
• Do you have time in your week to spend time with Jesus in the blessed sacrament-why not find your nearest church/chapel that offers exposition and make a date with the Lord in your diary.
• Saying grace at meals with the family- if this practice has faded, why not get it started again.

There are of course many opportunities for grace in our lives.  Let us reach out and like Mary, treasure them and ponder them in our hearts. 

Let us start today and make each day a day of grace. Let it indeed be a happy New Year.