Collect for Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time

 

COLLECT SERIES

 

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

COLLECT

 

The Collect for Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C reads as follows:

Grant, we pray, almighty God,

that, always pondering spiritual things,

we may carry out in both word and deed

that which is pleasing to you

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What are the spiritual questions/ confusions/uncertainties that I currently have? Make a list.

2. If you do not have any spiritual questions/confusions/uncertainties right now, then make a list of areas that you would like to know more for spiritual growth.

3. Word and deed come from the heart and flow from what is in our hearts. What words and deeds will we carry out this coming week that will be pleasing to God.

4. What one area in my life will I try to improve through the power of God’s grace this week?

5. Spend some time with Jesus and ask Him to show you what you need to do this coming Lent to become a pleasing dwelling for Him this Easter.

 

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Today’s Gospel is from Lk 6:27-38.  It is a continuation of the Beatitudes.  It is important to realise that in the time of Jesus that when some one did wrong to another person there was retaliation, retribution, payback.  Scripture says ‘ an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’.  The punishment and the crime were as if they were measured. A person payed back with a punishment that fitted the crime/hurt.

So when Jesus taught to Love One Enemies and do good to those who hurt you it would have been shocking to hear.  It also needs to be shocking for us to hear because we too, in a sophisticated and ungodly way can pay back and retaliate by the way we act and in what we say.

Forgiveness is indeed a process and it does not happen by our own means overnight.  However, what Jesus offers us is  a way forward to being at right with our neigbour.  There are some relationships that are toxic and we need the grace to move away. God never expects us to be a human doormat either.  However, when someone does us wrong and we are hurt   we need to pray for that person that they actually come to realise the wrong that they have done and are given the grace to repent. 

When there are situations where a person is badly hurt and the other party does not say sorry, it can be salt into the wound.  In this case, it is even more important to be honest with God with our feelings and ask for healing for these wounds.  It is a great opportunity to delve deeper with Jesus to see whether we have responded from a place of a past wound/past experience and that is why we have reacted to this current situation in this way.  It is also a great opportunity to put this teaching of Jesus into practice by praying for the other party.  We all enter into the process of forgiveness in our own way.  We need to draw close to Jesus the healer and be open to the Holy Spirit as we explore in God’s presence how the current hurt is affecting me.  We need to check that it does not lead us into greater sin such as anger, resentment, unforgiveness. If and when it does, we need to talk to our spiritual director/confessor in Sacrament of Reconciliation and ask advice in the areas of struggle.  We need to repent of our own sins, our own failures, and ask Jesus to forgive us.  We need to remember the words of the Our Father too.

We need also to remember that Jesus said on the cross’ Father, forgive them’ they do not know what they do’.  Jesus suffered the greatest betrayal, the worse possible suffering and yet before He died hanging on the cross, He forgave them- He forgave humanity.

Perhaps our enemy can also be ourselves. We need to ask God to come into our deepest part of our being and heal the wounds we inflict on our own selves. Loving our self in a healthy Godly way can also be a challenge. Yet we are called to love our selves too in the commandment of love.

There is a lot to ponder in this Gospel. If you are at peace with loving your enemies and praying for those who treat you badly, then thank God for that grace.  You may wish to focus in your reflection time on some other phrase or attitude that Jesus calls you to in this Gospel.

 

May Jesus lead you further along the path of Holiness this coming week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collect for Sixth Sunday Ordinary Time Year C

 

COLLECT SERIES

 

The Mass; Collect Series Icon.

COLLECT

 

The Collect for Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C reads as follows:

O God, who teach us that You abide in hearts that are just and true,

grant that we may be so fashioned by Your grace

as to become a dwelling pleasing to you.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Spend some time in gratitude for all the many times that God has abided in my heart and helped me to remain just and true.

2. Ask forgiveness for the times when my heart strayed from His abiding by being unjust and untrue to God.  Repent of these areas in Sacrament of Reconciliation.

3. Ask Mary, who was fashioned by grace and held a pleasing dwelling place for Jesus to intercede for me so as to refashion my life and be open to receiving the graces I need.

4. What one area in my life will I try to improve through the power of God’s grace this week?

5. Spend some time with Jesus and ask Him to show you what you need to do this coming Lent to become a pleasing dwelling for Him this Easter.

 

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Today’s Gospel is from Lk 6:17,-20-26.   This is Luke’s account of the Beatitudes.

We are very familiar with the Beatitudes, however Luke’s account  gives us a very important lesson- every action has consequences whether for good or for bad.

Often the psychology of the world teaches us to promote the positive in our lives. This is good in itself but what it often does not encourage is to really examine our attitudes and the consequences of them either for good or for evil.

Luke’s account  reminds us that there are consequences.

Jesus is not opposed to riches per say but it is what we do with them and the attitude we have towards them that is important.  For example someone who is wealthy can spend their money on themselves having a good time and either not give a toss about others in need or worse still not even stop to think about them.  They may even take the attitude that they have worked hard for their wealth so why should they get it on a plate- a handout.  This type of attitude will have consequences.

However, the wealthy person who works hard, shares his/her wealth for the betterment of other people in ways small and great and uses his/her money as an instrument and is not governed by it will have a very different attitude.  There is a danger too here if the wealthy person does not abide in God constantly.  Pride/ Fame/Power and Greed could easily lurk around too.  There will be consequences too without the constant abiding in God and remembering that God is the Creator and we, are the created.  God gives and God can take away.

I remember back in 2000 at World Youth Day having a glimpse of what the beatitude of ’Happy are you who are hungry now: you will be satisfied’.

On the long 19km walk in 46 degree heat, every country had its checkpoint for food. Unfortunately when we reached our checkpoint the food was gone and we were told to ask at the next checkpoint. We did with the same result at every checkpoint until we reached our destination.  Yes there was physical hunger but as my mind turned towards what I was doing there at World Youth Day and the anticipation of  being at the Mass with Pope John Paul 11, my hunger increased for the things of God and my mind did not focus on my physical hunger.  As it turned out, I eventually had some food when I returned back to where I was billeted 24 hours later.

Yes on that day I can honestly say that my soul indeed was satisfied.

Of course, this is just one aspect of one of the beatitudes. 

 

• There are many great commentaries on the beatitudes that we can read and reflect upon.   For Example: Read a summary of St. Bernard's advice for living the Beatitudes, and the Holy Father's exhortation to the youth at Toronto's World Youth Day to be people of the Beatitudes.
• For some ideas on how to live the poverty and detachment prescribed by the first beatitude (Blessed are the poor in spirit), read this interview with spiritual director and writer Fr. Dubay.

These links were taken from Catholic Culture.org

However, the message from today’s account is clear. Live out the beatitudes and remember to consider its consequence when it is not lived out well.

We have the Sacrament of Reconciliation to assist us to strengthen us and to repent of our failures, and through God’s grace may we continue to abide in Him and live out the Beatitudes in faith, hope and love for God.

 

May you have a blessed week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collect for 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C

 

COLLECT SERIES

 

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

COLLECT

 

The Collect for Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C reads as follows:

Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care,

that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace,

they may be defended always by your protection

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Spend some time in reflection on my life/ this last month/last week on the unfailing care of God. Acknowledge these times and spend time thanking God for them.

2. How do I rely on the hope of heavenly grace in my life?

3. What are the securities in my life I use rather than the hope of heavenly grace?

4. What areas in my life do I want and/or need protection from God?

5.  What does unfailing care mean to me in my relationship with God?

6.  When I attend Mass next Sunday, how will I have grown spiritually? (decide on an area to work on this coming week).

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Today’s Gospel is from Lk 5:1-11.   There are a number of aspects to this gospel.

1. Jesus is teaching the crowd. This is like a collective approach- perhaps like a priest giving a homily at Mass.  There is a crowd but each person is listening and responding to their best ability.( hopefully).  Each person is filtering as well according to their circumstances. Have you ever heard a homily and thought ‘that was for me’.  I have from time to time and when that moment comes, I have so much gratitude because I know that God is providing for me with unfailing care at that moment.  Yes, He provides every day, every week but I am more receptive at that moment and the fire in my soul is recharged, relit and burns.

2. Jesus and Peter encounter:  When Peter realises the enormity of the miracle, he realises the enormity of this unworthiness.  Jesus does not want us to grovel but we do need to acknowledge with humility that God is God and we ourselves do not make things change.  It is God.  The more we acknowledge that God is the Creator, the Provider, the Lover of Me, and I am the created- whom God loves intensely, the easier it is as we are in right relationship.  When we think that we are in control, we make things happen, we do this, we set goals/dreams then our relationship with God is out of sync.  

3. Peter’s response:  Peter did not stop there stuck in his unworthiness but saw the need of other disciples and went and helped them.  We  too must look around and see the need of others and in love, help them.  We must ask Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see this need and the grace to help others in the way God wants.  In this way we can cooperate with God and be His channel of grace to others.  Remember we have countless opportunities to help others every day- it does not have to be a big action- a smile, a kind word, active listening to someone in need emotionally or spiritually, helping a colleague at work who is struggling with a task, doing the dishes, laying the table etc. The key is our own inner attitude-  think of the love that God has shown me in my life and out of gratitude and love for God, choose to help others who are in need.  Do we help others because we have to or think we ought to or do we help others because God has given me so much that I want to pass it on to others.  Think of Peter’s response here.  He knew he was unworthy but he also knew that despite his humanity he still had to help others because God truly loved him. 

4. The response of Jesus- Jesus tells Peter of his mission : from now on it is not fish that you will catch but men’.  In other words, with the skills that Peter had as a fisherman he would use those skills to ‘catch people not fish’.

What mission is Jesus giving you?  What skills do you have that Jesus will use in a different way for the building up of the kingdom?   What is Jesus asking of me this year?

 

On a personal note:  I have started reading the Gospel from Sunday night through to Saturday evening in preparation for the following Sunday.  I used to do this years ago and I found it to be a wonderful way to prepare for Mass.  Sadly I stopped doing this for ages but thankfully, I was reminded of it recently and decided to reinstate it again in my prayer life.  The benefit of it is that by reading and reflecting upon the Gospel ( and other readings too) is that certain phrases or lines, or even just words emerge for consideration each day.  My favourite line from this Gospel is’ If you say so, I will pay out the nets’.  

I have found this to be useful in ordering my day.  I tell Jesus all the things I wish to accomplish for that day in the order I think I will do them.  Then I ask Jesus is this the most efficient way to achieve these tasks?  I listen and the Holy Spirit  often suggests a different order.  I have to say that for a long time that I have either not asked God or have ignored the advice sadly. However I was drawn to this line throughout this week. So, when I presented my day list to God and when I felt the Holy Spirit give a different order, I responded with’ If you say so, I will pay out the nets’.  The results have been astonishing this week- I really should not be astonished as it is God directing me. I feel this week that I have tried my best to cooperate and be in relationship with God and it has started to build trust with Him again. I also like Peter wanted to acknowledge that I am human- the created not the creator and learning to have humility is key.  I do not achieve through my own gifts/abilities and skills since God provided them in the first place.

If you have not tried something like this before be patient with yourself.  Just commit to reading the Gospel for the following Sunday ( or if you prefer the previous Sunday) and read and reflect on it. Jot down in a journal the words, lines or overall response you have. Then ask God to help you act upon the Gospel in your day.

I am not writing this to give myself a pat on the back or be proud, but to share my experience of how living out the scripture through reflection can make a huge difference and if it is something you might to take to God in your prayer to see whether it is what God wants for you right now.  It may or may not be- Ask God.  If it is not what God is asking of you right now, then ask Him to show you the way for you.  

If it is, then even if you have doubts and fears or think you know better ( like Peter and myself too) then just say and mean with all your heart

 ‘ If you say so, I will pay out the nets’.