Collect for First Sunday of Advent Year B

 COLLECT SERIES

COLLECT

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

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

Let us pray

(that we may take Christ's coming seriously)

All powerful God,

increase our strength of will for doing good

that Christ may find an eager welcome at His coming

and call us to His side in the Kingdom of Heaven

where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit

one God for ever and ever.

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

1. How will I take Christ's coming seriously this coming week?
2. In taking Christ's coming seriously, what changes will I make to my life?
3. Examine my will for doing good right now and decide what steps will I take to increase its strength?
4. How will I make best use of this season of Advent to give Christ an eager welcome at Christmas?
5.  What gift will I give Christ at Christmas this year?
6. What short term, medium and long term goals do I wish to achieve this liturgical year?

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

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Today begins the start of a new liturgical Year.  We may be inclined to say hurray.  2020 has been difficult for us all and still proves to be a challenge health wise and with many restrictions including church, we may indeed be glad especially those countries where we are able to worship again even though with restricted numbers.  For those countries who are yet to be able to worship even in restricted numbers, let me say that our thoughts and prayers and communions are being offered for you.

Today's Gospel message is very clear "Stay awake! You never know when the Lord will come''.  This should give us all a knock out of our seats in Church.  However, let us consider it further. 

Consider for a moment when we are sleepy and tired. We are not physically, emotionally, spiritually switched on. We are tired, even exhausted, our capacity to make well informed decisions is greatly impaired since our capacity to concentrate is shot. It is so hard to stay awake when we are tired. We also need to think about why we are tired. Perhaps we have been burning the midnight oil or just so tired that our bodies cannot sleep.

The Church commands us to stay awake. To be awake implies that we are conscious at least- hopefully physically, emotionally and spiritually in good condition. Our senses are on heightened alert. Why do we need to remain in peak condition?  Today's gospel tells us 'You never know when the Lord will come''.

We may all had the experience of someone we love dying suddenly. For those left behind, it is a tragedy and great shock because they were not expecting it. I had this experience with the sudden death of my mother..  Thankfully mum was ready to meet her Lord.

The season of Advent gives us time to prepare spiritually for the coming of Christmas. If we only make physical preparations such as the meal, the cleaning, the Christmas tree and crib, then we  will lose the benefit of this season. We are to prepare spiritually for the coming of the Lord, not only at Christmas, but for our own meeting with Him when He calls us home. We need to be like the five sensible bridesmaids who have enough oil for their lamps so that when the bridegroom comes at any hour of day or night, we are ready to trim our lamps.

Advent too is a time to ponder His second coming.  Advent is a season of hope.  Scripture is quite clear about this also.  Scripture tells us that we do not know the hour or the day of the Lord's second coming. The Church in this season of Advent invites us to be ready for the Lord's coming and look forward to it with hope.

In this quiet hour Lord.

 

REFLECTION AND PRAYER SERIES.

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 Scripture reflection is 

 

''Is not the Lord Your God with You?
Has  He not granted you rest on every side ”’   
(Chronicles 22:18) )

 

Christ the Redeemer

 

 

My post is called:

 

In this quiet hour Lord.

In this quiet hour Lord,

 Come to bless me

Let me know nothing  

but Your presence and Your grace.

 

 

 

 

 

Collect for 32nd Sunday of Year A

 

COLLECT SERIES

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

 

COLLECT

 The Collect for the 32nd Sunday of the Year reads as follows:

Almighty and merciful God,

Graciously keep from us all adversity,

So that unhindered in mind and body alike,

We may pursue freedom of heart the things that are Yours.

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.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS.

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

1.    How does God show me mercy in my life?

2.    What adversity has been part of my life? 

3.    What lessons have I learned from adversity in my life?

4.    What adversities do I want God to spare me?

5.    What are the things that hinder my mind and body?

6.    How can I purse freedom of heart and the things that are Yours this coming week?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION.

 

What happens when we are asleep?  Hopefully we relax and sleep to give our bodies and minds rest and build up strength for the next day. We dream, even though most of us are not aware of it. It is the way our mind processes what is going on in the subconscious.

What happens when we cannot get enough sleep? We toss and turn and/or perhaps we get up and make a cuppa or sit up for a while until we are ready to fall asleep again or at least give it another try.  I know- I have many nights like this, although now I use this restlessness to pray as well as have  a cuppa.

When we are sleep deprived it is difficult to function the next day.  The mind can be foggy, our judgement is clouded, our focus is diminished and if you are like me, I need more coffee to begin to function.

 

So staying awake in a practical sense seems odd b/c our physical  and emotional reserves are depleted if we do not get enough rest.

 

Staying awake means keeping our consciousness alert.  It means being focused, motivated and driven to complete the task.

When we stay awake in the spiritual sense, we are aware and attuned to our God who loves us.  We are on the ready for anything.

 

Ask yourself ‘ are you ready for Heaven right now?   What unfinished business would you leave undone?  Are these things important?

Many catholics joke that we want to get to Heaven but not now… we might wonder why we are reluctant to get there.  Is it fear of our death or judgement?  God is always merciful- just but merciful.

 

In this month of November, we may wish to remember the souls in Purgatory.  Yes, it is a teaching of the church.  We are invited to remember those who have gone before us, who have received their personal judgement from God and who need to make reparation for their failures, sins and  unworthiness for Heaven- they are not yet perfect.

We need to pray for them as they cannot pray for themselves.  They need our prayers, our attendance at Mass, join in our communion and offering our day for them.  Everything we do can be offered for them. 

We can stay awake by considering our lives deeply now and where needed take appropriate action to rectify with God’s help what is needed.  That way we can grow in holiness and  know that should we get the call to come to Heaven, we will be ready.  We will look forward to that call from God to take us home.  Heaven after all is our home.

 

 

All Saints Day and All Souls Day

 

THE ORIGINS OF ALL SAINTS AND ALL SOULS DAY.

All Saints

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.

 

All Souls Day.

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?

 HOW TO MAKE THESE FEASTS TOUCH YOU DURING COVID.

In this year of Covid, where some countries are coming out of lock down and some are going back to lock down, this month of November, we can be a great help to each other.  If you are in a country where Mass is celebrated in person, ( even if there are only 10 worshippers allowed), remember that the Saints and Souls in purgartory are with you there too.  I like to think of the Church being crowded with all the Saints, souls in Purgatory and all the angels too with the 10 worshippers we are allowed ot have in our country currently.  Wow what a congregation Remember too to pray for all the people in the world whose country is in lock down and they are not able to get to Mass in person.

 

If your country is in lock down, avail yourself of the live streaming Masses around the world.  Priests say of course that it is not the same as being in person. That is true but when this is the only possibility for your faith to be nurtured by attending Mass, then don’t skip it.  It is the attitude in which you participate.  Attend Mass online not watch it like you would a movie. Make your spiritual communion too. 

 

Know that when I am able to be at Mass in person, I am offering my Mass and communion for you.  When I attend Mass online, I still offer up the Mass for you too and share in the pain of not being able to receive Jesus sacramentally.  Still, with faith, God can do everything.

I know that He has supplied me with huge graces this year throughout covid. I hope not to squander them. I am so grateful for all God’s blessings during lock down.

 

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.