Birth of John the Baptist

COLLECT SERIES

The Mass: Collect series icon.

COLLECT

The Collect (Mass during the day) for the Nativity of St John the Baptist reads as follows:

O God who raised up St John the Baptist,

to make ready a nation fit for Christ Our Lord,

give Your people we pray,

the grace of spiritual joys,

and direct the hearts of all the faithful

into the way of salvation and peace.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son,

who lives with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

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

1.            Why does the Church celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist?

2.            How can I make myself ready for Christ this coming week?

3.            How can I bring another person to Christ?

4.            Why should I pray for the grace of spiritual joys?

5.            What is the way of salvation and peace?

6.            How can I be led into the way of salvation and peace this coming week?

7.            What is my personal plan in this Year of Grace for this coming week?

GOSPEL REFLECTION.

The Church celebrates 3 birthdays throughout the Year- Birth of Christ (holy day of obligation), Birthday of Mary (8 September) and Birth of John the Baptist. Both Mary and John the Baptist are significant in our faith for the Birth of Christ. Mary, of course is Mother of Jesus and John the Baptist is the last prophet who announces Christ to his followers. After that, he steps away and allows Christ to continue the ministry to which He had been called.   He is also a relative of Jesus as well. 

In today's Collect, it says that God raised up St John the Baptist to make ready a nation fit for Christ the Lord.  In today's Gospel, which is Luke's account of the Nativity of John the Baptist, we sense the neighbours joy for Elizabeth and Zechariah, since having children was considered a blessing and to give birth to a child late in life raised the stakes of interest even further amongst the neighbours.

These neighbours would have remembered what they have been told about Zechariah when the angel appeared to him nine months before the baby's birth, (Lk 15:23) and now when the child is to be named, there is a break from tradition and he is called John, which his father communicated by writing. Then his power of speech returns and he praises God.  St Luke creates the awe and wonder experienced by the neighbours so well.  A birth of a child always creates interest from loved ones, friends and neighbours. But how much more interested would these neighbours been as they watched St John the Baptist grow and mature.

So, we are not Zechariah and Elizabeth's neighbours.  How does this gospel scene speak to us?

This gospel passage may encourage us to:

·     Be aware of the presence of God in our lives and the lives of others and in experiencing        it, express our gratitude to God.

·       Appreciate the gift of new life in a birth of a child and experience and share the joy
    with the new parents.

·       Pray for the new born child asking God to help him/ her to grow with His blessing.

·     Understand that the naming of a child is important as it often indicates personality traits and future career path. If you are expecting a child, you may wish to ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in the naming of your child.

·    Remain faithful to what we believe to be true especially if we have had some spiritual confirmation/experience.

May the celebration of the nativity of St John the Baptist 

give you encouragement to bring others to Christ 

and to be faithful to your vocation to which God has called you.

10th Sunday of Year B Collect Series.

COLLECT SERIES

The Mass Collect series icon.

COLLECT

The Collect of the 10th Sunday of Year B reads as follows:

O God, from whom all good things come,

grant that we, when we call on You in our need,

may at Your prompting discern what is right

and by Your guidance do it.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

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

1. How often do we acknowledge all that God gives us?

2. How might I express gratitude to God and others during this week?

3. What is my prayer life like?  Do I only call on God when I am in need?

4. How does God help us discern what is right?  

5. How does God guide us in doing what is right?

GOSPEL REFLECTION

WHAT IS ORDINARY TIME?

Now that we have completed Christmas, Lent and Eastertide seasons, we start again now into the Ordinary Season of the Year. Of course, Ordinary does not mean it has to be ordinary. We want this Ordinary season to be extraordinary.  What is Ordinary time?

Ordinary Time, or the season in the liturgical calendar outside of Advent, Lent, Christmas and Easter Seasons, is a time when the church focuses on the life and ministry of Jesus.  The season celebrates the mysteries of Christ's life and death and looks to the salvation and eternal life that He brings.

Green represents hope-like the hop we feel when we see the first buds in springtime- and it is fitting that green is the liturgical colour that marks this season.

In the earliest church, most priests probably wore white. The original vesture for Mass in the West was simply the formal attire of Roman gentlemen, which was white. As time went on and Christianity spread, the vestments worn by priests gradually grew more elaborate. The liturgical year developed, and colours came to be associated with different feasts and seasons. These colours varied, however, based on culture, the availability of coloured dyes, and local traditions.

It wasn’t until the early 13th century that Pope Innocent III established four official liturgical colours: green, white, red, and black. Rose and violet (purple) were added in the 16th century, after the Council of Trent. These decrees affirmed colours that were already in use, and probably excluded others that regional churches or dioceses had been using. After the Second Vatican Council, these same colours were kept.  A few countries have additional approved colours due to their own ancient traditions. (Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches, for example, are two churches that have their own traditions and colours.)

We will be reading from Mark for the remainder of Ordinary time, although on occasional Sundays, we hear the Gospel of John. Today's Gospel is from Mark3:20-35.   Follow the link to read a reflection on today's Gospel. It is not an easy Gospel to understand in isolation. Reading the section before and after this section gives us the message that there is growing opposition to Jesus from the Pharisees and Sadducees as their power and authority is being perceived by them as being threatened by Jesus. Jesus is not there to threaten their power but to give salvation to all.  May we hear His message as we hear the Gospel read today.

The psalm is also a very well-known one and can be used at any time we wish to pray it.   However, as we pray it, feel the intensity and the mood.  Do we pray with this intensity at all times or only when we need something for ourselves or loved ones?   I particularly love the line: Lord hear my voice.  Sometimes when I am praying for something/someone, there can be moments where i wonder whether God is even hearing me.  This line and the remainder of the verse is always reassuring. Oh let your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleading.

As we begin again Ordinary Time, it is always a good idea to have a stocktake of our spiritual lives.  What is working well and what part of your spiritual life needs urgent attention?  Let us set out your goals and desires through the discernment of Jesus (as our Collect prayer suggests) and let us, through God's guidance do it.

Suggested reflection questions to springboard your thoughts/actions towards a renewed spiritual life during Ordinary time.

1. Review our spiritual life: e.g. prayer life. are we a regular at prayer or only when our need something or are worried?

(b) if we are regular at prayer. then has our prayer become routine.. how will we freshen it and give it new life?  (e.g. change style of prayer/ experiment with different types of prayer styles)

2.What about our sacramental life?  Are we regular in attending Sunday Mass?  What is our attitude when we are at Mass? Are we there because of obligation or because we love Jesus and want to grow in His grace?
(b) are we able to attend weekday Mass at least once during the week?
(c) are we able to attend exposition of the Blessed Sacrament during the week/month? Even if it is not in your parish, it may be held in a parish near you?
(d) What about receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a month?

3. What help can we provide to those in our family, parish, neighbourhood that are less fortunate than we may be?  How can we share the good that God has given us?
(b) What can we do to encourage our young people to think of others and to share the good God has given them?  (e.g have a family discussion of what they are prepared to do to express their love for God).

We can only change ourselves with the grace of God not others so we need to put our own house in order.  However, in the process of doing that, it does not mean we cannot encourage others as well to try as well.  Every one's journey is different.  Encouragement needs careful, thoughtful words so do think about what and how you encourage another person before doing it as unhelpful words can move a person further away. We can ask Jesus to give us the right words and the right timing for the person we are thinking about, and should the occasion arise naturally, we may have the courage to encourage.

Let us make this Season of Ordinary Time extraordinary.