Happy Christmas to you all

Happy Christmas to all of my readers.

Jesus is the reason for the season.  It is a season liturgically until the feast of Epiphany. We can make it our season spiritually as well and in our lives. Christmas is not just one day, but its message must be carried in our hearts all year for 365 days.

Today is the day that Jesus was born- the Word became incarnate is what we say in the Nicene Creed every Sunday.  On this one day of the year, we genuflect on these words. Let us adore in our hearts as we profess with our lips our faith.

As advent has disappeared for another year, and we start Christmastide, we may wish to think about what spiritual progress we made  (or not) and to decide what we will do to progress spiritually during Christmastide.  It is a short season of approx. 12 days depending on how the dates fall. However it is a time not to waste. It is a season to give and receive abundant blessings.

So on this first day of Christmas why not decide on what you will do for the next 12 days? 

I have a tradition of  spending some time each day during these 12 days at the crib at church.  I like to remember parishioners who have helped me during the year, parishioners I need to forgive and past parishioners who can share this precious time with me from Purgatory and Heaven.  I do this because it brings together memories of past Christmases into the present Christmastide.

I also pray for the world and its many needs, those whom I love and treasure and their needs along with those whom I find it hard to forgive. There are many people to think about at the crib.  I gather them all around in my mind and after spending some time in prayer

I give them to Jesus in the crib.

You might like to do this with your family- light a white candle and if you have crib at home then take some moments to spend it together around the crib.

So before Christmas Day ends and the secular world would like to  get caught up in the secular Boxing day sales, cricket, boxing day sailing, tennis and cricket, make a decision to make the most of Christmastide spiritually. 

Remember Jesus is the reason of the season- grow through this wonderful time spiritually.



Advent Series: Season of Hope Monday of Third Week. Renewal

Winter Rain

Snow mixed with rain- bitter, biting turning roadways into slippery messes where fenders clash in angry encounters.

Winter rain.  I cannot comprehend its place in creation.  Its dreary dangerous combination of sleet and ice browns an already dreary world barren of leaves and flowers.  The winter rain brings no beauty, just brown mud and sinus headaches without the promise of spring flowers.  It servers no purpose.

The Lord, the creator of the heavens.. is God. 

The designer and maker of the earth  not creating it to be a waste,

but designing it to be lived in.  Isaiah 45.18.

Suggestion

1. Light the Rose coloured candle in your advent wreath along with the other 2 candles.

On the third Sunday of Advent the  rose-colored candle is lit. This rose-colored candle is known called the 'Shepherds' candle' and it represents joy.

Breathe in that joy as you light the candle and become one of the shepherds in your mind.

2.What are the areas of your life that need  feel like/ are winter rain- feel bitter, biting slippery messes.  Make a list.

3. What is your attitude/feeling towards winter rain?  Now read again the scripture.

4.  As you look at the rose candle- breathe in the joy it represents. Think of the shepherds on the way to Bethlehem- hearing the angels words in their shepherd's field on that cold winter's night that was so deep (as the carol tells us).  As these come to mind, now present to the Lord your list of winter rain, the slippery messes in your life.   Ask  Him this advent to bring renewal to these areas of your life.  Be confident and joyful in hope  as you present your list.  Know that in His time, these areas will be renewed.  Thank God for this renewal and live as though this renewal has already occurred as you wait with hope and with trust.

5. Look back for a moment and review what has changed since you started Advent- are you more hopeful, more trustful of God? Are you waiting in love for Him?  Have you progressed even in the slightest way since Advent begun.  If your answer is yes, be thankful and continue to grow.  If your response is inclined to be no or maybe, then persist- don't give up- God will renew you in His time. Trust and live in Hope today.

6. Reread the Scripture and allow it to be your prayer today.



Gaudete Sunday Rejoice in the Lord Always- Third Sunday of Advent

The rose candle is lit the third Sunday of Advent, for this color anticipates and symbolizes the Christmas joy announced in the first word of the Entrance Antiphon: "Rejoice" (Latin, Gaudete). For this reason the Third Sunday is also called Gaudete Sunday, and rose color vestments are permitted. The traditional color of the vestments during Weeks 1, 2 and 4 is either purple or violet to represent penitential spirit. Advent is a season of hope, but a penitential spirit during this season is a fitting way to prepare the way of the Lord. On Gaudete Sunday rose-coloured vestments may be worn instead of violet, which is prescribed for every day in the season of Advent. A rose coloured candle is included in the Advent wreath. During the otherwise penitential season of Advent, the readings on the third Sunday emphasize the joyous anticipation of the Lord's coming. 

The Advent Wreath is an important liturgical symbol which helps us to prepare the way of the Lord with the lighting of the candles each week.  During Advent, family and friends can gather around the Advent Wreath lighting the appropriate candle(s), read from the daily Advent meditation and sing Advent hymns. The Church's official Book of Blessings also provides a blessing ceremony for the Advent Wreath which can be used in the absence of a priest.


 Gaudete Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent in the Christian calendar. It can fall on any date from 11 December to 17 December. The term Gaudete is broadly translated from Latin as Rejoice, a word that appears in the entrance antiphon (introit) of Masses held on this day: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near. (Roman Catholic Rite years A, B and C).
 

 So on this Rejoicing Sunday let us really feel and see and sense it.

We may wish to sing this hymn throughout the day

'Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice'

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.

Rejoice, Rejoice, again, I say rejoice.

Rejoice, Rejoice, again I say rejoice.


or perhaps you may prefer This is the day.

Advent Series: Season of Hope: Thursday of Second Week: Christ the Teacher

Teacher:

Where is my teacher, the one I trust? He leads me where I would rather not go and teaches me what I would rather not learn. His lessons are hard to accept and yet good, oh so good to those who have developed a taste for them. Bitter in my mouth, yet far sweeter than the finest chocolate or the sweetest of honey. My teacher feeds my soul.

Where is my teacher, the one I trust, He brought me thus far, surely He will not abandon me now.  I hunger for that which only he can teach.

 

''I, the Lord, your God teach you which is for your good,

and lead you on the way you should go''. Isaiah 48:17

 

 

 

Suggestion:

 

 

1. Light the Second Advent candle and quieten your spirit before the Lord. As you light it think of its name and all that Bethlehem means. If you have some difficulty with your own thoughts on Bethlehem, then, why not Google something about the manger, about Bethlehem itself. Share what you have learned in your note book or with family members/parishioners. If you have done this  earlier in the week, do your thoughts on Bethlehem change today- are they different or similar?  Bethlehem mean house of Bread.


2. Think of all your teachers in your life- parents, school teachers/university tutors, priests, friends, colleagues, your employer, parishioners etc.  What lessons have they taught you. What lessons were bitter in your mouth at the time and hard to swallow but sweet later.  You might like to list some of these lessons and list the person/people involved. Is there one person who is a significant teacher in your life?


3. Now think of Christ as your teacher: What lessons has Christ taught you that were bitter/sweet?  What lessons were for your good and gave you direction?  How often do you consult with Christ as your teacher- seldom, only when things are tough, every day?


4. Going back over the series so far and some particular issue that has touched you since starting this journey of season of hope series,  why not talk it over with Christ as Teacher.  What lessons do you need to learn from it, how will Christ guide you?  


5. Before you close your session, thank Christ for your life now as it is- it may not be ideal or how you would like- but thank God. Thank God for your life, what you have learned, the mistakes you have made and learned from them, and the hope you have for your life in the future. Leave one aspect, one concern before the Lord and give it to Him to hold, to guide you and to give you what is good from it. 

Leave your meditation time with hope knowing that God will teach you, give what is for your good and lead you on the way you should go.


6. Read the scripture again and keep it in your heart today.  You may also like to listen to

The Lord is my shepherd ( Boniwell)  or The Holy Vine ( Moore)
 

Advent Series: Season on Hope. Monday of Second week of Advent: Fragility vs Trust in God's Word

Fragile World

A teenager dies in a car accident caused by another teenager who was drunk.

Another country announces nuclear capability.

Floods, fires and famine claim untold lives.


The world as we know it can change with the wrong turn of a car, with the flick of a switch, with being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Our world as we know it changes daily.

Where do we find hope in the midst of this uncertainty, among these tragedies?  Life is so fragility.

''All humankind is grass, and all their glory like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it.  Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever". Isaiah 40:6-8

On the second Sunday of Advent, the second purple candle is lit. This candle is known the 'Bethlehem candle', symbolizing Christ's manger. It represents love.

Suggestion:

1.Light the Second Advent candle and quieten your spirit before the Lord. As you light it think of its name and all that Bethlehem means. If you have some difficulty with your own thoughts on Bethlehem, then, why not Google something about the manger, about Bethlehem itself. Share what you have learned in your note book or with family members/parishioners.

2. Write down your list of the fragile world- what is fragile in your world? What are the uncertainties, the floods, fires and famines in your life- loosing your job, being insecure in your employment, feeling burnt when you are overlooked for promotion, being flooded out physically in your home and emotionally/spiritually with negativity and depression.

3. Read the scripture from Isaiah.  What occurs to you about this scripture? What hope does it provide when the word of the Lord stands forever- do you believe it for your life?  Reread your list and apply hope to each one of them because the word of the Lord stands forever.

4.Notice in the scripture that we are likened to grass and our glory like a flower of the field- they fade and wither WHEN the breath of the Lord blows upon it.  In other words- in God's timing not ours.  This applies to our death- it is not for us to choose our timing but leave it to God in trust.
It also applies to our lives- we are grass and a beautiful flower- grass starts as a seed and then flourishes and then fades, likewise a flower- both show the glory of God, just as we do by what we do, what we are and what we say and behave.

5. Now commit your fragile world to the trust of the word of God.  Breathe in the hope from God that this season provides- it is a season of hope.

Second Week of Advent Homily

Most virtues that we know have their origins in God. God is very affectionate of preparing right from the beginning. God prepares the land and the seas before creating animals and plants. God prepares the Garden of Eden before the creation of man. The divine action always involves preparation. Before the people of Israel left Egypt, God used the Passover to prepare them. God prepares our redemption through the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today’s readings tell us about preparation: to prepare for the Lord. As we heard in the first reading today, the prophet Isaiah was told to comfort God’s people and to assure them that the period of warfare has ended. God returns to the people after a period of their separation from Him. To this end, the prophet went further to tell the people to prepare for the coming of the Lord. 

According to the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah, preparation is seen as a form of a road construction. It is a physical road construction which involves three activities: levelling, filling and making plain. In our spiritual life, the road represents our heart, which needs to be levelled, filled and /made plain for the Lord.  The road presents our hearts made rough by the paths we have chosen that lead us away from God.

We need to level our heart again by being cleansed of our sins and disobedience in our lives. We need to turn to God and fill our hearts with virtues and values which demonstrate that we belong to God. We need to change our lives and go back over our paths to God to make it plain for the Lord. It is good to prepare our spiritual life before the glory of God will be shown to forth to all of us.

Yet, many of us put advent on hold spiritually.  We prepare the home, the decorations, the food and buying the presents in readiness for our family celebrations.   Do we remember that we are celebrating the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas?  These activities are necessary practical preparation.  However, the Church provides Advent as a season of hope so that we can prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts spiritually.   We tend to anticipate the glory but only a few are ready to undertake the spiritual road. Many of us are seriously waiting to celebrate Christmas but only a few are ready to get there through the process of Advent.  We may be ready to celebrate Christmas with the food, presents and decorations, but we have often neglected our spiritual Advent preparation.  We have wasted our spiritual opportunity to level, fill and make our hearts plain for the Lord.  It is time for us to prepare our hearts for the Lord in our lives.

The Gospel reading is very much similar to the first reading where it emphasises the word preparation.  But it establishes with the idea of the baptism of repentance. In other words, John the Baptist challenges us to accept repentance as a very dependable way of preparing our hearts for the coming of the Lord. There will be a strong need for us to approach the sacrament of reconciliation this season in order to prepare ourselves for the birth of our Lord. We need to reconsider and improve our lifestyles; we need to make a positive change in our hearts habitable for our Lord when he comes.

The barrier to preparing for the lord in our world today is so much about material possession. However, John the Baptist recommends detachment from material wealth as one way of preparing for the Saviour.  John the Baptism himself was “clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist.” This means that we should be modest with material things this season so that we have time and space to prepare the way for the lord. It is time now that we act because the day of the Lord will come like a thief that we don’t expect.

Often many people fix dates for the time of the coming of the Lord but they have also failed several times. Our waiting should not based on our human way of reckoning time. Our waiting should be that of preparation or being ready for the coming of our Lord. God expects us at this time to be concerned about preparing a way for Him. He is not coming to Bethlehem but into our hearts. Will YOU be prepared and ready to receive Him into YOUR heart?

 Let tomorrow we are expecting belongs to today and let us also remember that when we fail to prepare we prepare to fail. We may be tempted to say that we are half way through Advent so it is too late to start to prepare spiritually.  Let us make the decision today  to level out, fill and make plain for the Lord our hearts.

We pray that this season will be the time for us to devote and prepare the way for the Lord. 

This homily was given on 9th December at St Dominic's East Camberwell by

Deacon Lawrence Bosekana OP. 

New Horizons contributed in the process of editing.

Advent Season of Hope Series: Weariness and Release

Weariness:

I am so weary from the constant demands of parenthood- demands that never seem to stop, just change. I am tired from the household tasks, from the endless clutter, from my family never picking up after them.

I am weary with my job and in my weariness I am overlooking so many details. Constant complaints  wear me down.

I am weary of the Christmas parties- the office get togethers- always something to bring- I make the effort with the Kris Kringle but no one else seems to care. I am weary of making an effort.

Suggestion:

1. Light the Prophecy Candle of your advent wreath.  Spent some time quietening your spirit and coming into the presence of God in the bright warm light of the Candle. Read the scripture:

                                         '' For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder
                                     and the rod of their taskmaster, you have smashed as on the day of Midian'' 
                                                                                     Isaiah 9:3.

2. What makes you weary? Write a list of as many as you can. Don't make yourself weary doing it- just name the incident/experience/ frustration/ people involved. 

3. Who are the taskmasters in your life? Is it myself, colleagues, parishioners, stranger down the street, your boss?

4. Read aloud this weariness of yours and the task masters of your life? Reading it aloud helps you to acknowledge it, get it out into the open ( in a safe environment) . You might even add more to your list.

5. Now spend some time with the Lord and ask for release from your weariness-  breathe in His love, feel the release in your body and mind and spirit.  Feel the burden being lifted and the rod  being smashed. You might even like to find a twig of a tree or something to break   so that you hear the smash of the rod of the taskmaster and you feel the pole on your shoulder being lifted.

 You may wish to listen to Thou shall Break them ( Messiah)

6. Before you end your time, revisit  what you have begun in this season of hope-
We have explored our need to Trust again,  to believe, to listen to the voice of hope, to bring comfort and to  find release.
Read the scriptures which were helpful to you this week to encourage you in your journey of hope .

NB This was for Friday/Saturday of First week- I thought I had posted. Sorry.

Advent series: Season of Hope: Thursday of First Week : Comfort.

Comfort:

The young nurse lightly touches the elderly woman's shoulders as silent tears stream down the pale wrinkled cheeks, flowing unceasingly.

The old man sits on a park bench remembering all that he has lost: his family, his friends, his careers.  He sits silently, saddened with lonely memories.

The whole room is full of people. The party is in fully swing.  Yet silently they suffer emotional pain- they long to be loved, understood and accepted.

Suggestion:

1. Light the Prophecy Candle of your advent wreath.  Spent some time quietening your spirit and coming into the presence of God in the bright warm light of the Candle. Read the scripture:

                                         
"Comfort, give comfort to my people,  says your God.
                   Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an  end,
                                                        her guilt is expiated.". Isaiah 40:1-2



2.Write down  what loneliness is for you. When does it happen, what do you feel physically, emotionally and spiritually?  What triggers are there and are these triggers connected to past experiences?  Take time with your list. Read them and get in touch with the feeling of loneliness. 

3. What do you think  loneliness is for other people?  How do they feel when they are lonely? What triggers might they experience when they are lonely?

4. Name 2 or 3 similarities and differences of your experience of loneliness and other people?


5. Now take a deep breath trusting in  God and give Him your list in this season of hope. Name one of these triggers of the lonely road  which you want to change into comfort.  Listen to the small voice within you to help you choose and be directed by Him.

You may choose to listen to Comfort Ye My People ( Handel).

6.  Decide on one or two actions that you could take that will be a starting point towards  Comforting yourself and others. Allow yourself to be filled with hope as you take a step towards Comfort of  Body, Mind and Spirit.

Use me Lord to comfort and give hope with a smile, a touch, a word an ear to myself and to others.

7. Re read the scripture again:  
                                      
                                            "Comfort, give comfort to my people,  says your God.
                   Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an  end,
                                                        her guilt is expiated.". Isaiah 40:1-2

You may also wish to listen to City of God ( Dan Schutte).

Advent Series: Season of Hope: Wednesday of First Week of Advent: Voice of Hope.

Voice of Hope.

Who speaks to me?  Someone I can trust?  Will the words I hear withstand the test of time?
Will they lead me to salvation or despair?

Who do I hear speaking to me in my darkness, speaking words of comfort, of hope?
I want to believe what I hear, but fear holds me back- fear based on past mistakes, fear based on caution. Dare I throw caution to the wind?

Still the voice persists, never growing weary- sometimes soft, sometimes strong, always loving, never giving up on me even when I am ready to give up on myself.

Dare I trust this Word?  Dare I not trust?

On the first Sunday of Advent, the first purple candle is lit. This candle is known as 'the prophecy candle' in remembrance of the prophets, primarily Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. This candle represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming Messiah



Suggestion:

1.Light the Prophecy Candle of your advent wreath.  Spent some time quietening your spirit and coming into the presence of God in the bright warm light of the Candle. Read the scripture:

                                          It is I who say to you " Fear not.  I will help you". Isaiah 41:13


2.Write down your fears- fears based on past mistakes, and fears based on caution. Take time with your list. Read them and get in touch with the feeling of fear.  What happens physically, emotionally and spiritually to you when you fear.


3. Now take a deep breath trusting in  God and name one of those fears which you want to change into trust. Listen to the small voice within you to help you choose and be directed by Him.

You may choose to listen to You raise me up.

4.  Decide on one or two actions that you could take that will be a starting point towards  trusting. Allow yourself to be filled with hope as you take a step towards trusting/ retrusting God again in your life.

5. Re read the scripture again:  
                                      
                                            It is I who say to you " Fear not.  I will help you".  Isaiah 41:13

                        You raise me up

Advent Series of Hope: Tuesday of First Week of Advent: Believing.

Believing
'
'' You promised'' children often protest to their parents.  We as parents may think how did '' I will think about it'' become a promise?  How did the merest suggestion that I would consider their request take on the trappings of an oath?   It baffles me.
To children, a suggestion is as good as promise.  They believe in that promise, and their faith is unshakeable in you as parents.   Therein lies their hope.


So what is a promise?  What happens to us when a promise has been violated in any way.

In this day and age, words can be cheap.  People can promise to do something, be there for you or help you. It may give you some hope in a difficult situation that you are not going to be alone.
What do you feel when the promise of help, of being there for you in your hour of need is not followed through- is not fulfilled.

How we feel and think about a promise whether positive or negative can influence our belief in God fulfilling His promises to us.  Of course, God always fulfils his promises but we, may not see it that way. We may have lost hope or lost our faith and belief in God who loves us.

On the first Sunday of Advent, the first purple candle is lit. This candle is known as 'the prophecy candle' in remembrance of the prophets, primarily Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. This candle represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming Messiah

During this advent let us renew our faith and belief in God who loves us. Let us relearn how to trust God again in our lives.

Suggestion:

1.Light the Prophecy Candle of your advent wreath.  Spent some time quietening your spirit and coming into the Be still for the presence of the Lord the bright warm light of the Candle. Read the scripture:

Know that the Lord does wonders for his faithful ones';

the Lord will hear me when I call upon Him  Ps 4:4

2.  Consider what does a promise mean to me?  How well do I keep a promise?  What occurs to me when  a promise is not fulfilled?

3. Think of people whom you may have hurt during the year by not fulfilling your promises to them.  Pick up the phone/write a note to say sorry.  Let trust and belief in your words be restored.

4. What commitments did you make to God and have not fulfilled?  Examine those times and seek forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

5.  Write down or discuss a promise which you would like God to fulfil this advent. Are you prepared to believe that God will fulfil this promise in the best possible way for you?  Do you give God the answer or allow God to provide the answer? 

6. Now in trust, in faith and in belief give your request to God.  Pray a prayer of belief and trust in God in your own words and carry the words of scripture with you throughout the day in your heart.

Know that the Lord does wonders for his faithful ones';

the Lord will hear me when I call upon Him  Ps 4:4

                   

Advent Series of Hope: Monday of the first week of Advent: Trust

SOON:

''Soon'' a voice whispers in the night to the woman awaiting the birth of her first child.
''How soon?"' she responds.  She hears no answer.

''Soon'' the dying man hears.  ''When'' the relative asks.  No answer is the reply.

''Soon'' the search team member says to the troubled parents waiting for the news of their lost son.
''When?''  There is no answer.

How soon is soon? Today? Tomorrow? Next week? or Ten years from now?

In advent we hear this reading

" The days are coming, says the Lord

when I will fulfil the promise I made to the House of Israel and Judah''.  Jeremiah 33.14

In advent we are invited to view time with an advent perspective. We are to wait with expectancy and with hope. We know that God keeps His promises but God keeps His promises on His schedule not ours. We know from the Old Testament that the people of Israel waiting for centuries for your coming- You came.  They waited  and You came.

On the first Sunday of Advent, the first purple candle is lit. This candle is known as 'the prophecy candle' in remembrance of the prophets, primarily Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. This candle represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

Suggestion:

You may choose to do this as a personal reflection or you may choose to include your family.
If you choose to do it with your family, then you may wish to think about the timing of the reflection- perhaps ask family members to name one or two ways. Adjust this reflection exercise to suit your needs.

1. Review your year and recall the times God has fulfilled something in your life-when He has answered your prayers and/or given you something better than what you asked in His timing?

2 What are the ''soons'' in your life that you would like God to fulfil this advent? List as many as you wish.

3  From your list, which one on your list would you like God to fulfil soon. 

Now light the Prophecy candle on your advent wreath or if you do not have one, light a candle representing the advent wreath..  Let the warmth of the flame fill you with hope, with patience and with expectancy and trust in God.

4. Spend some quiet time  with God. Thank God for all the blessings and graces He has given you in your life and especially those you have recalled.  Thank God again- perhaps say sorry for not thanking Him at the time.

5.  In the spirit of trust and hope of Advent season,  present Him your list-  ask God to fulfil His promise soon.  When you present God your list, remember let it go- let God decide when soon is.
Wait patiently with hope and expectancy knowing that God will fulfil His promise in His own time in His own way but it will always be for my good.

6. Read the scripture now with trust, hope and expectancy.

         On this first Monday of Advent are you prepared to wait for God to fulfil His promises? 

Are you ready to learn to trust God a little more this advent.



Advent Season of Hope Series: Introduction

Welcome to Advent- Season of Hope Series. I intend to write a reflection each day in Advent  using a scripture from Advent.  So let us begin the series with an introduction".

In today's world,  full of despair and hopelessness, in a world filled with false hope based on fleeting promises and false gods, true hope often can elude us.  Hope is more than an abstract concept concerned with some distant future.  Genuine hope must be connected to everyday reality yet grounded in the confident assurance that these things for which we long will come to pass.

How welcome, then is Advent, with its focus on humanity's yearning for justice, renewal, healing, liberation and comfort. 

For centuries the people of God continued to hope despite their suffering from persecution destruction and exile; their hopes were fulfilled. The Old Testament readings of Advent liturgies reveal God's wondrous works and steadfast love and gives us ample assurance that God loves us as God loved the Israelites.

We hold on to the message of Advent in hope. We search for wisdom and courage, we ask for God's help in our struggles, we rejoice and give thanks when our hopes are realized.

Advent essentially is therefore a season of hope in three key areas.  We look forward  to remembering and revisiting Christ birth in our world- the incarnation which is a cornerstone of our belief. Then we look forward in hope to the day we meet Christ face to face on a personal level as we leave this world. We also  look forward in hope to His second coming at the end of time since then everything will be put under His feet and Christ shall reign for ever.


The vignettes and scripture selections which I offer during this series are, I hope a reminder that God does work in mysterious ways that God always loves us, and that God keeps His promises.
I also offer a suggestion that you and/or your family could touch these scripture passages to make them a reality for you and your household. I will also offer some music that can accompany your reflection time.

During this advent-in this season on hope let us commit ourselves again to trusting in God and in His promises. Let us commit to being a people of hope.

Advent Year B Happy New Year

 

Happy New Year.

 

 

Welcome to Advent- the start of the liturgical Year- Year B in the liturgical cycle.

What is your new Year resolution?  I mean your spiritual resolution for this new Year.

As I look back over the last liturgical year,  I am glad that Jesus is patient because I know I have not grown as much spiritually as I could. Plenty of room for improvement.!!! Hopefully you had a wonderful spiritual year and can built on it this year.

 

Sometimes we can be so overwhelmed as we undertake a stocktake of our lives that we give up hope.

If you are feeling a little like this after a stocktake, why not receive the sacrament of reconciliation- Jesus is waiting to welcome us and to lift the burden from our hearts. It is also a wonderful time to receive this sacrament leading up to Christmas.

 

What I like to do on the first Sunday of Advent is to set my spiritual goals for the Year with the view of growing spiritually throughout the year.  What about you?   Here is a list of some of my goals for the Year.

 

1. Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly: I know I can put off attending this sacrament throughout the year- so when I get my new diary, I write in regular dates for this sacrament. I think of it as a date with Jesus. Generally the very act of writing the dates in for the whole year helps me to not leave this sacrament to chance.  It says to me it is important.  It also means I can lock out this time for the sacrament. When things come up during the year, I can easily say no or work around it ensuring that this sacrament does not become neglected in my life.

Receiving the sacrament in Advent gets me off to good new year.!!!

 

2. Attending Mass during the week: I like to attend Mass during the week either daily or as often as I can. I know when I hear myself say '' I cant be bothered'' or it is too hot, too cold etc that my soul is backsliding. However when I attend Mass daily, there is also a danger that I attend because I promised myself I would as if I can tick that goal off the list.  Being mindful of why I am attending Mass is vital and keeping God as no 1 in my life critical to my spiritual growth.

 

3. Exploring different ways of praying: I like to attend Evening Prayer with the Friars. Living on my own can be great for my personal prayer but communal prayer can be missing when I do not make an effort to attend.   Thankfully in my parish,  we have communal evening prayer. 

However I can become ''bored'' with the routine.  Exploring and understanding more about the psalms is something I want to learn about this year.

 

4. Helping Others: At the last judgement, we will be judged on how we have helped others.  We may not be able to help others who are in great need on the other side of the world with our presence. We can definitely pray for them,  or give financially if we are able.

However we may be able to help someone in need closer to home- in our own home or neighbourhood or parish. We may be able to highlight a cause or run and event ( a morning tea/afternoon tea/ trivia night )  for it with the proceeds going to the cause. 

Perhaps we can seek out someone in the parish who needs assistance in some way and give it to them or perhaps we can join a group in the parish or even start a group that fills a need.   This latter idea is what I want to do- I want to start a group that fills a need in the parish- don't know what yet ( keep you posted).

 

5. Identifying one vice in my life and changing it into a virtue. I have identified a habitual sin and I have committed myself to eradicating it this coming year. Working on one area is better than not working on any. It gives impetus as well and focus for the year.

 

These 5 ideas will definitely keep me going for the year- I may add others as the year unfolds.  However, as this new liturgical Year starts, I wish to commit myself to knowing and loving God more in my life and showing it in my life.  

 

                                What will be YOUR commitment to God this New Year?

 

 

 

 



 



Collect for Christ the King.

The Collect for the Feast of Christ the King reads as follows:

Almighty ever-living God,

whose will is to restore all things

in Your beloved Son, the King of the Universe

grant, we pray, that the whole creation set free from slavery,

may render Your majestic service,

and ceaselessly proclaim Your praise.

 

 

 Pope Pius XI universally instituted The Feast of Christ the King in 1925 in his encyclical Quas Primas. Pius XI, and the rest of the Christian world, witnessed the rise of dictatorships in Europe, and saw Catholics being taken in by these earthly leaders. Pope Pius connected the denial of Christ as king to the rise of secularism, since at the time of Quas Primas, secularism was on the rise, and many Christians, even Catholics, were doubting Christ's authority, as well as the Church's, and even doubting Christ's existence.

It is interesting to observe that just as the Feast of Corpus Christi was instituted when devotion to the Eucharist was at a low point, the Feast of Christ the King was instituted during a time when respect for Christ and the Church was waning, when the feast was most needed. In fact, it is still needed today, as these problems have not vanished, but instead have worsened.

Pope Pius hoped the institution of the feast would have various effects. They were:

1. That nations would see that the Church has the right to freedom, and immunity from the state (Quas Primas, 32).
2. That leaders and nations would see that they are bound to give respect to Christ (Quas Primas, 31).
3. That the faithful would gain strength and courage from the celebration of the feast, as we are reminded that Christ must reign in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies (Quas Primas, 33).

Today, the same distrust of authority exists, although the problem seems to have deteriorated. Individualism has been embraced to such an extreme, that for many, the only authority is the individual self. The idea of Christ as ruler is rejected in such a strongly individualistic system. Also, many balk at the idea of kings and queens, believing them to be oppressive. Some even reject the titles of "lord" and "king" for Christ because they believe that such titles are borrowed from oppressive systems of government. However true these statements might be (some kings have been oppressive), these individuals miss the point: Christ's kingship is one of humility and service. The following two scripture quotes support this view.  Jesus said:

'You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45, NAB).
and also:
'Pilate said to Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?"... Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world,to testify to the truth (John 18:33b, 36-37).

Jesus knew the oppressive nature of secular kings, and in contrast to them, He connected His role as king to humble service, and commanded His followers to be servants as well. In other passages of Scripture, His kingdom is tied to His suffering and death. While Christ is coming to judge the nations, His teachings spell out a kingdom of justice and judgment balanced with radical love, mercy, peace, and forgiveness. 

 Christ the King Sunday used to be celebrated on the last Sunday of October, but since the calendar reforms of 1969, the feast falls on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is the Sunday before Advent. It is fitting that the feast celebrating Christ's kingship is observed right before Advent, when we liturgically wait for the promised Messiah (King).

As we celebrate this solemnity, we may thank God that Pope Pius XI' instituted this  feast of Christ the King because it reminds us that our allegiance is to our spiritual ruler in heaven as opposed to earthly supremacy in whatever form it takes in our lives.

When we celebrate Christ as King, we are not celebrating an oppressive ruler, but one willing to die for humanity and whose "loving-kindness endures forever." Christ is the king that gives us true freedom, freedom in Him. Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of Kingship.

 

As we celebrate this feast, we may wish to look back at our spiritual year. We may ask ourselves whether Christ has been king of our hearts throughout the year and if not, resolve to make Him King of our hearts. 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



Collect for 33rd Sunday of Year A

The Collect for the Thirty Third Sunday Year A reads as follows:

 

Grant us, we pray O Lord our God,

the constant gladness of being devoted to You,

for it is full and lasting happiness

to serve with constancy the author of all that is good.

 

 

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

 

 

1. What does it mean to me to be devoted to God?

 

2. How will I show that devotedness to God this coming week?

 

3. How do I feel when I am devoted to God?

 

4. What areas in my life hinder me from being totally devoted to God?

 

5. What steps will I take this week to remove at least one of these hindrances?

 

6.  What does it mean to me to serve God with constancy?

 

 

 

The gospel today of the story of the talents is an interesting one.  We tend to think of the word talents as gifts/abilities/ graces that God has given us.  Indeed this is true.  When we read this Gospel with this definition in mind, it is important that whatever talent that God has given us that through His help that we develop  it/them.   This is the crucial learning for the man with one talent- he buried it and as Jesus points out, did not even put it in the bank to earn interest to give to his master on return.

 

I don't know about you, but at times I feel like the man with one talent when I don't know what to do, feeling down and worried- it is easier to bury the talent than to move forward.  It is like the saying : if life serves you lemons, make lemonade''.  Sometimes this seems impossible and the sourness of the lemons and the pips etc get in the way of the creativity to make the lemonade.

 

 

In the story we do not know whether the man with one talent was lazy or he just did not know what to do.  Perhaps he thought that by burying it, it would give him time to think what to do, and perhaps, he forgot about making the decision or just procrastinated.

 

 

What we do know is Jesus wants us to use our gifts/talents for the benefit of others and not to keep these gifts/talents to ourselves. 

 

The English word "talent" was used to translate the Hebrew word (pronounced) kik-kar, meaning a round loaf, and the Greek word (pronounced) tal-en-ton (from which the English word talent originated) that referred to the standard weights used in a balance, but was also used for a larger unit. The standard for the talent was variable, depending on the Hebrew or Greek usage. A talent ranged from the English equivalent of about 70 to over 90 pounds.

 

According to the Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, whatever its exact value, in the New Testament a talent indicates a large sum of money. The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament says that this sum was maybe even as much as a million dollars in today’s currency. No wonder the master was so upset with the servant who buried his one talent in the ground!

 

John B. Carpenter gives a more open interpretation in his article, “The Parable of the Talents in Missionary Perspective“: “Parables are about principles, and this parable is about faithfulness of endeavor.” He goes on to say the money was used as an example of everything with which we have been endowed by God and that we cannot identify the talents more specifically.
R.T. France’s commentary on Matthew argues that talents refers to “the specific privileges and opportunities of the kingdom of heaven…to be faithfully exploited before the master returns.

So when we read this gospel along with the Collect of the day, it is obvious that whatever we have been given by God is to be used for the benefit of others and we are to do this joyfully knowing that we are serving Him.

At the end of each day just before I fall asleep, I like to ask myself in my prayer time  2 questions:

            1. What was I most grateful for today?
            2.  What was I least grateful for today?

I find this is very helpful because it helps me review my day and acknowledge what went well and what needed improvement.  It is important to do it just before you fall asleep, because whatever needs healing or processing can occur during the night and you wake with a greater sense of gratefulness.

Perhaps if you are struggling to think of your gifts/talents/time  or are inclined to say I don't have any talent then why not ask  these same questions in a slightly different manner.

    1. What skills/talents, time, money. conversations and actions did I do today out of love for God?

   2. What skills/ talents, time, money, conversations, and actions could I have done better today.

When we think of our days, they may not be that spectacular.  This is where we can be tempted to think that we do not have anything to offer.   However, think again- even smiling in the street or nodding could make a difference to a person's life that day- you gave your smile, warmth and love to them in that instant. Perhaps it is holding the lift for someone or letting a car come into the traffic( provided it is safe). There are so many ways as there are people- we all can make a difference.

                                So what talent/s will you use for the glory of God this coming week?    

 

 

 





November- the month of Holy Souls.

The feasts of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, when Catholics are encouraged to offer Masses and prayers for our deceased family members and relatives, were the living expression of a doctrine which stretched back to the earliest era of Christianity, and which is embodied in the Apostles' Creed.

The origin of All Saints Day is to be found in the prayers made to the martyr saints of the persecuted Church in the early centuries.  All Souls Day reflects the constant teaching of the Church, stretching back into the Old Testament period where it is record in the Book Maccabees, " It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to prayer for the dead, that they may loosed from their sins'

It seems a tragedy that All Saints Day is less recognized that Halloween, now a secular celebration of what was once the day before All Hallows (Saints) Day.

In Australia in 2001, the Australian bishops made a decision to reduce the number of Holy Days of Obligation, with the great feast of All Saints Day and All Souls Day (albeit an unofficial  Holy Day of Obligation) disappearing from the awareness of  even practising Catholics. Sadly in some parishes including mine, the emphasis in November is about students and exams, rather than the Holy Souls.  As a consequence of that decision, a diminished awareness of the doctrine of Communion of Saints has resulted, a doctrine which teaches that believers on earth are united in a spiritual fellowship with the saints in Heaven and the souls in Purgatory.

These beautiful feasts days are both a source of inspiration and a consolation that we, in the world as the pilgrim Church can aspire to be reunited with our families and friends who are the Church triumphant in the joyful perfection of Heaven.  We can also give the souls in purgatory- great consolation by our prayers and Masses since we can pray for them, but they cannot pray for themselves.  Let us especially pray for the Holy Souls who have no one to pray for them or have been forgotten.

Many Catholics like to think that their loved ones have gone ''straight to Heaven''.  However, as consoling as this thought is at the time of death, it is not Church teaching.  You may wish to check the Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 1029-31 on Purgatory. However the doctrine of purgatory also gives us hope. We hope that we will get to heaven ourselves but we live in the hope that our loved ones have reached eternity.  We do not know for sure on most occasions, but there are times that bereaved get a certain sense that their loved ones have reached eternity.  We live in hope.

However, just for a few moments let us be practical. If a person went into confession and confessed their sins and came out and dropped dead straightaway outside the door of the confessional, then, yes, there might be a possibility of a quicker route to Heaven. If a person who had the opportunity of a plenary indulgence and died outside the confessional, then there definitely could be case for going straight to heaven, since any residual effect would be wiped. Short of that, we all have some shortfalls/sins/weakness at the time of death.

 

To enter Heaven, we want to be perfect, ''just as our Heavenly Father is perfect''.  So God, in His kindness and love provides that opportunity for our souls to be cleansed and purified. Of course, how long we are in purgatory is in a sense up to us, since we can use our time wisely here on earth spiritually, or we can squander it largely or to a lesser extent. However when we die and give an account of ourselves, God, by giving us the chance of purgatory is being kind and letting us know that our salvation is assured, but we still need to do some ''grooming'' through the efforts of the pilgrim church and the Church triumphant.  We cannot do it ourselves.
It will be one of my happiest moments in heaven if someone tells me in heaven that my prayers, works of charity or trials  and attending Mass helped to release them from Purgatory.
What about you? Would you want to hear it from someone in heaven too?

Let us assist the Holy Souls by our prayers, works of charity, offering up our day and trials for them and attending Mass for their souls not only on these great feasts, but also during the month of November especially, but also during the year.

Let these great feasts touch our spiritual consciousness this year.

Homily for 31st Sunday of Year

This homily was delivered at St Dominic's East Camberwell by Rev Fr Paul Rankin OP who was ordained in 1984.  He was, until May this year our Pastor.  He was moved to PNG for other work for the order, but is with us again at the moment.  This was the homily he delivered at 6pm Mass Saturday 4th November for 31st Sunday of the Year.

I normally listen carefully to the homily and try to remember it so I can put it into practice during the week. I departed from this approach last night and asked Fr Paul for his homily. I was so struck by it and his delivery.

During the night, I wondered whether I might ask him could I share it on my blog. I asked him this morning and he very graciously agreed.  I am delighted to be able to share this homily of Fr Paul with you.

I hope it speaks to your soul like it did to mine last night.

Do we think of Christianity as basically a simple religion?  Not easy, but uncomplicated.  Demanding hard things like tolerance and patience, long suffering, exposing ourselves to ridicule or hatred for our beliefs, but simple.

You know: “love God and love your neighbour?”’  Got it!

 Haven’t we all found, though, that we start the day with the resolution to do that, even if were brought up in those distant pre-Vatican 11 days- making a ‘morning offering’ of the day, and then, gone about the day without ever thinking about it again- until the examination of conscience before going to bed.

We probably spent the day doing good, more or less, as well as possible.  But St Catherine of Siena would not think we had done as well as we could. In her Dialogue, she writes that Jesus said to her, regarding the exercise of charity,” unless you do it for love of me, it is worth nothing to you in the realm of grace’’.

This is the difference between a good life, and a holy life.  And holiness is what we are offered.

In fact, Christianity cannot be a simple religion since the human person is not a simple being.  Listen to the advice, or exhortation, of a medieval Dominican, Humbert of Romans.  Here is what he had to say in one letter:

“…let us strive most eagerly to turn away from sin with our whole heart by avoiding faults; let us turn to the Lord with our whole heart by doing penance.  Let us seek the Lord with our whole heart by begging pardon, let us cling to the Lord with our whole heart, loving God above all things; let us serve the Lord with our whole heart with our praise; with our whole heart let us follow the path of the Lord by our pursuit.

Then, a reason why we might do all this: ‘’ We really owe all this to the Lord who gives our heart countless gifts”.

And a catalogue of these gifts: “The Lord illumines our hearts with wisdom, governs them with goodness, feeds them with delights, draws them with beauty, changes them with power, makes them one with love, allures them with promises, teaches them with harsh blows, shakes them with threats, and softens them with blessings.  Our most delightful God looks into our hearts by proving them, speaks by informing them, touches by stirring them, visits in consoling them, gives life by justifying them, and open them by shedding light on them.

 For all these gifts we ought to thank God tirelessly.”

 St Catherine again relates Jesus explaining why each person has different gifts, instead of everyone having all of them.

‘’I could well have supplied you with your needs, both spiritual and material. But I wanted to make you dependent on one another so that each of you would be my minister; dispensing the graces and gifts you have received from Me. So, whether you will it or not, you cannot escape the exercise of charity.

So, let us get the maximum benefit and offer all that we have and all that we do for the glory of God and making known His truth.


May God bless Fr Paul . New horizons.