Praying the Communion Antiphon Series: Tuesday of Holy Week.

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon

A Time Set Apart:  Tuesday of Holy Week

Handed Over for Us All

Communion Antiphon (Romans 8:32)
God did not spare his own Son,
but handed him over for us all.

 

Thinking About the Words

“God did not spare his own Son…”

This is one of the most piercing lines in all of Scripture.

There is no holding back.
No protecting.
No shielding.

God gives what is most precious.

“But handed him over…”

This phrase echoes strongly through today’s Gospel (Gospel of John 13:21–33, 36–38):

• Judas will hand Jesus over
• Peter will deny Him
• the disciples will scatter

But beneath all of this, there is a deeper truth:

God Himself hands over the Son.

Not as abandonment…
but as gift.

“For us all.”

This is the heart.

Not for the perfect.
Not for the faithful only.

But for:

• Judas
• Peter
• the scattered disciples
• and us

 

A Deeper Insight

Today’s Gospel is heavy:

• betrayal is named
• denial is foretold
• confusion fills the room

And into that moment, the antiphon speaks:

This is not chaos.
This is part of the saving plan.

What looks like loss
is actually self-giving love unfolding.

 

Holding Both Together

The Gospel shows:

• human weakness
• fear
• betrayal

The antiphon reveals:

• divine purpose
• love
• surrender

So we begin to see:

The Passion is not just something done to Jesus…
it is something given by God.

 

At Communion

At Communion, this becomes very personal.

We receive the One who has been:

not spared…
but given…
for us.

 

Reflection

• Do I truly believe that Christ was given “for me”?
• Where do I struggle to accept the depth of God’s love?
• How do I respond to a love that holds nothing back?
• Can I remain with Jesus even in moments of confusion or weakness?

Prayer

Lord,
you did not spare your own Son,
but gave him for us all.
Help me to receive this love
and to remain with you.

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon.

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series: Monday of Holy Week

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon 

A Time Set Apart: Monday of Holy Week

Do Not Hide Your Face

Communion Antiphon (Psalm 102:3)
Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress.
Turn your ear toward me; on the day when I call, speedily answer me.

 

Thinking About the Words

“Do not hide your face from me…”

This is a deeply relational prayer.

In Scripture, the face of God means:

• presence
• closeness
• favour

So, this is not just about help. It is about not being abandoned.

“In the day of my distress…”

Again, we hear this word — distress.

 now it becomes more personal.

This is not just pressure or suffering.

It is the fear that in that suffering, God might feel distant.

 

“Turn your ear toward me…”

The prayer becomes more urgent.  It is not enough that God exists.

The heart longs to know:Is He listening?
Is He near?

“Speedily answer me.”

This is very human. When we are in distress, we do not want delay.

We want:

• response
• reassurance
• presence

 

A Deeper Insight

Now, in Holy Week, this takes on a profound meaning.

This is not only our prayer.

This becomes the prayer of Christ.

On the Cross, Jesus will pray:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

So this antiphon allows us to enter into that space:

The place where distress meets trust.

 

Connection to the Gospel

Today’s Gospel (John 12:1–11): Mary anoints Jesus. It is a moment of:

• tenderness
• devotion
• love

And yet, underneath, Jesus says:

“She has kept this for the day of my burial.”

So, while the Gospel shows love poured out, the antiphon reveals what lies ahead:

distress… and the cry for the Father’s presence

Holding Both Together

This is the beauty of Holy Week:

• Love is present
• Devotion is real
• Suffering is approaching

And in that tension, we hear the prayer:

“Do not hide your face…”

 

At Communion

As we receive the Eucharist:

We receive the One who:

• will enter this distress fully
• will cry out to the Father
• and will remain in trust

 

Reflection (Keep it Gentle Today)

• Where do I feel God’s face is hidden from me?
• Can I bring that honestly into prayer?
• Do I trust that God is listening, even in silence?
• How can I remain close to Christ this Holy Week?

 

Prayer

Lord,
when I am in distress,
do not hide your face from me.
Turn your ear toward me
and draw me close to you.

 

Personal Note:  I have been sick this past week and still not well.  Sorry for the late posting.

Collect Series Palm Sunday Year A

 Collect Series

The Mass: Collect Series

 

COLLECT

Almighty ever-living God, who as an example of humility for the human race to follow

Caused our Saviour to take flesh and submit to the Cross,

Graciously grant that we may need His lesson of patient suffering

And so merit a share in His Resurrection.

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

one God, for ever and ever

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1.    What does humility mean to me?

2.    How important is humility to me?  What is the difference between true humility and false humility?

3.    What does Jesus submitting to His Father’s will to suffer and die for me really mean for me?

4.    What lessons of patient suffering this coming week will I learn?

5.    What does it mean to have a share in His Resurrection?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Gospel for the Entrance Procession

Matthew 21:1–11

Theme: “Behold, Your King Comes to You.”

 

Setting the Scene

Jesus approaches Jerusalem at the height of expectation. The city is already filled with pilgrims for Passover. Tension sits in the air — religious, political, spiritual.

He does not enter on a war horse.

He does not enter surrounded by soldiers.

He sends for a donkey.

Matthew is deliberate here. He wants us to see the fulfilment of Zechariah’s prophecy:

“Behold, your king comes to you, humble, mounted on a donkey.”

The crowd responds with enthusiasm. Cloaks are thrown down. Palm branches are cut and waved. The cry rises:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

Hosanna means “Save us.”

They are proclaiming Him as Messiah.

But their understanding is incomplete.

They expect liberation.

They do not yet understand surrender.

 

Gospel Reflection: The King We Want — and the King Who Comes

Palm Sunday confronts us with a question:

What kind of king are we welcoming?

The crowd welcomes a king of hope and promise. But many are hoping for political rescue, national restoration, visible power. Jesus offers something deeper — freedom from sin, not Rome; transformation of hearts, not overthrow of governments.

It is easy to praise Christ when we imagine Him fulfilling our expectations.

It is harder to remain faithful when His kingship leads to sacrifice.

The same Lord who enters Jerusalem in humility will soon be rejected. Palm Sunday teaches us that faith is not built on emotional enthusiasm. It is rooted in steady discipleship.

The donkey matters.

Humility matters.

God’s way rarely mirrors worldly triumph.

The King who comes to us comes gently — never forcing, never overwhelming. He invites welcome, not applause.

 

Personal Reflection

Palm branches are easy to wave.

The Cross is harder to carry.

Where do I welcome Christ with joy — yet resist when His way does not align with my plans?

Do I recognise His kingship when it appears humble, hidden, or inconvenient?

Palm Sunday invites me to examine not just my praise, but my understanding of who Jesus truly is.

 

Questions for Reflection

·         What expectations do I place on God?

·         How do I respond when Christ’s path is different from what I hoped?

·         Where might I need to embrace humility rather than control?

·         Am I prepared to follow this King beyond the procession?

 

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,

You entered Jerusalem in humility,

not seeking power but obedience.

Help me to recognise Your kingship

when it comes quietly.

May my praise be rooted in truth,

and my faith remain steady

when the path becomes difficult.

Amen.

 

Personal note:  I have been unwell during this past week. I know this is late for Palm Sunday but I hope that it may assist you during this holiest week of the year.

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series: Saturday Fifth Week of Lent

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon

A Time Set Apart: Saturday Fifth Week of Lent

Gathered Into One

Communion Antiphon (John 11:52)
Christ was handed over to gather into one the scattered children of God.

 

Thinking About the Words

“Christ was handed over…”

We have heard this phrase already this week.

• God did not spare His Son
• He was handed over

Now we see why.

“To gather into one…”

This is beautiful.

Sin scatters. Fear divides. Wounds separate. Christ comes to gather.

Not just individuals but a people, and not just a people- a people He calls as His own - - the children of God.

“The scattered children of God.”

This is very tender.

We are not described as:

• failures
• strangers

But as children.

Even when scattered…we still belong.

 

A Very Gentle Insight

This antiphon does not ask anything of us. It simply tells you:

You are being gathered.

Even in weakness. Even in tiredness. Even in not being at full strength.

Christ’s work is not dependent on our energy.

He is quietly drawing us into Himself.

 

Connection to the Gospel

Today’s Gospel (John 11:45–56):

The authorities decide:

“It is better that one man die for the people…”

They think in terms of control and survival.

However, John tells us something deeper:

Jesus will die not just for one nation, but to gather all into one.

What they intend as destruction becomes unity.

 

At Communion

At Communion, this becomes very real.

We come:

• from different places
• with different burdens

And we are gathered into one Body.

 

Reflection

• Where do I feel scattered right now?
• Can I allow Christ to gather me, even in my weakness?
• What would it mean simply to rest in Him?

 

On the Last day of Lent (weekdays) before we head into Holy week, the Church through the Communion Antiphon leaves us with the purpose of Jesus for coming to us on earth- to gather us into one children of God. Even holding the thought ‘Christ gathers me’ throughout this coming Holy Week may help us as we enter into the holiest week of the year.

NB Lent officially ends at midday on Holy Thursday. There is the Mass of the Last Supper in the evening. It is a time of moving from Lent into the Tridium (ie Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday).

Prayer

Lord,
when I feel scattered and tired,
gather me into your peace.
Hold me close
and make me one with you.

 

Personal Note: During this week I have been quite sick with a severe flu and incessant cough. I am on the road to recovery but still not completely better.   You may notice that some posts are posted on the same day.  I am trying to catch up.

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series Friday Fifth Week of Lent

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon

A Time Set Apart:– Friday, Fifth Week of Lent

By His Wounds

Communion Antiphon (1 Peter 2:24)
Jesus bore our sins in his own body on the Cross,
so that, dead to sin, we might live for righteousness;
by his wounds we have been healed.

 

Thinking About the Words

“Jesus bore our sins…”

This is deeply personal.

Not just that sin exists —
but that it is carried.

And not carried in an abstract way.

“In his own body…”

This is physical, real, embodied.

The Cross is not symbolic suffering.
It is actual suffering borne for us.

“On the Cross…”

Now everything is clear.

We are at the threshold of Holy Week.

The “lifting up” we reflected on earlier is now fully visible.

 

“So that…”

This is important.

The Cross is not only about what Jesus does.
It is about what becomes possible for us.

“Dead to sin…”

Not just forgiven.

But freed from its hold.

“We might live for righteousness…”

A new way of living opens.

The Cross is not the end.

It is the beginning of new life.

 

“By his wounds we have been healed”

This is one of the most striking lines in Scripture.

Healing comes not apart from suffering,
but through it.

What appears broken becomes the place of restoration.

 

The Lenten Movement

Now everything is converging:

• God does not condemn
• He gives His Son
• He hands Him over
• He is lifted up

And now:

He bears… He suffers… He heals

 

Connection to the Gospel

Today’s Gospel (John 10:31–42):

The tension is at its peak.

They pick up stones.
They want to arrest Him.

Jesus withdraws.

The rejection is almost complete.

And the antiphon reveals what they cannot yet see:

This rejection will become redemption.

 

At Communion

This antiphon is very powerful at Communion.

We receive the One who:

• bore our sins
• carried our wounds
• and now gives us life

The Eucharist becomes a quiet participation in that healing.

 

Reflection

• Do I truly believe that Christ has carried my sin?
• Where do I need healing in my life?
• Am I willing to let Christ’s suffering bring life within me?
• What does it mean for me to “live for righteousness” today?

 

There is something very still and powerful here. We are no longer approaching the Cross.

We are standing before it.

And the Church gives us this truth to hold:

By his wounds… we are healed

Prayer

Lord,
you have borne my sins
and carried my wounds.
Heal me
and lead me into new life.

---

Praying the Communion antiphon Thursday Fifth Week of Lent

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon

A Time Set Apart: Thursday, Fifth Week of Lent

Handed Over

Communion Antiphon (Romans 8:32)
God did not spare his own Son,
but handed him over for us all.

 

Thinking About the Words

“God did not spare his own Son…”

This is one of the most striking lines in Scripture.

It echoes the story of Abraham and Isaac —
but here, God does what Abraham was not required to do.

He does not hold back.

There is no hesitation. No withholding. He does not hold back because of His love for His Father and for us.

“But handed him over…”

This phrase is very important.

“Handed over” appears again and again in the Passion:

• Judas hands Jesus over
• the authorities hand Him over
• Pilate hands Him over

But here we see the deeper truth:

God Himself hands over the Son.

Not as an act of cruelty but as an act of love.

“For us all.”

This is universal. Not just for a few. Not just for the worthy. For all. That all includes me.

 

A Deeper Insight

This verse shows us something essential:

The Cross is not an accident. It is not simply human betrayal. It is also divine self-giving. God gives what is most precious.

 

The Lenten Movement

Now we are very close to Holy Week.

Earlier we saw:

• mercy
• light
• invitation
• “lifted up”

Now we see the cost in its clearest form:

Nothing is held back.

 

Connection to the Gospel

Today’s Gospel (John 8:51–59):

Jesus declares:

“Before Abraham was, I AM.”

And they pick up stones.

The tension is at its peak.

Rejection is growing.

And the antiphon tells us:

Even this rejection will become part of the mystery.

Because Jesus is not only rejected.  He is given.

 

At Communion

This antiphon is deeply moving at Communion.  We receive the One who has been:

given… handed over… not spared And we realise: This is not distant. This is for us.

 

Reflection

• Do I recognise the depth of what God has given for me?
• Where do I still think God holds something back?
• How does it change my understanding of love to see that nothing is spared?
• How might I respond to such a gift?

 

There is something very quiet and powerful here.

Earlier we saw:

“Neither do I condemn you.”
“You will know when I am lifted up.”

Now we see:

He is given.

And Lent leads us to this truth:

God holds nothing back in loving us.

 

Prayer

Lord,
you did not hold back your Son,
but gave him for us all.
Help me to receive this love
and to trust in your generosity.

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon; The Annunciation of Mary

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon

On Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, which replaces the Lenten weekday.

So today in our Communion Antiphon we do not continue the Lenten weekday flow but we enter the mystery of the Annunciation.

 

A Time Set Apart: The Annunciation

The Word Becomes Flesh

Communion Antiphon (cf. Isaiah 7:14)

Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son;

and his name will be called Emmanuel.

 

Thinking About the Words

“Behold…”

This is a word of attention.

Something extraordinary is happening.
We are invited to pause and look closely.

“A Virgin shall conceive…”

This is not just a biological statement.  It is a theological revelation.

God is acting in a completely new way.

Not through power or through force. God acts through gift and openness.

“And bear a son…”

The promise becomes concrete. God’s plan is no longer distant — it is entering history.

“Emmanuel…”

This is the key.

“God with us.”

God is not far away or is God observing. God enters into human life from within.

 

The Heart of the Annunciation

The Gospel (Luke 1:26–38) brings us to Mary.  The angel speaks.  Mary listens.
And then comes the moment:

“Let it be done to me according to your word.”

This is one of the most important responses in all of Scripture.

Mary does not fully understand. However she makes the choice to trust.

 

Connection to Lent

This solemnity is not a distraction from Lent.

It is its deepest foundation.  Everything we are moving toward:

• the Cross
• redemption
• the “lifting up” of the Son

begins here.

The Cross begins with “yes.”

Without Mary’s “yes, “there is no Incarnation. Without the Incarnation, there is no Cross. Without the Cross, there is no resurrection.

 

Connection to Yesterday

Yesterday we heard:

“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know…”

Today we see where that begins: The Son is first received.

Not lifted up yet…but conceived.

 

A Lenten Insight

Lent often focuses on what we give up or do. However today shifts the focus:

Are we willing to receive what God is doing? Mary shows us that the spiritual life begins not with effort, but with openness.

 

At Communion

At Communion, we receive the same Christ:

• first received by Mary
• now given to us

The Annunciation becomes present again:

God comes to dwell within.

 

Reflection

• Where might God be inviting me to say “yes”?
• Do I need to understand everything before I trust?
• What does openness to God look like in my life today?
• How can I receive Christ more deeply this Lent?

 

There is something very gentle about today.

In the middle of Lent, the Church pauses and reminds us:

Salvation begins quietly…with a yes.

And that yes still echoes in every Eucharist,every prayer,
and every moment of trust

Prayer

Lord,
like Mary,
help me to receive your word with trust.
Let your life take root within me
and grow according to your will.

Praying the communion Antiphon series: Tuesday fifth week of Lent

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon

A Time Set Apart: Tuesday, Fifth Week of Lent

Lifted Up

Communion Antiphon (John 8:21 / cf. 8:28)
When you have lifted up the Son of Man,
then you will know that I am he, says the Lord.

 

Thinking About the Words

“When you have lifted up the Son of Man…”

At first, this sounds like a gesture of honour.

But in John’s Gospel, “lifted up” has a deeper meaning.

It points to:

• the Cross
• the moment of apparent defeat
• the place where Jesus is raised up before the world

So “lifting up” is both:

• suffering
• and glory

 

“Then you will know…”

Knowledge here is not intellectual.

It is recognition through encounter.

Only when Jesus is lifted up — on the Cross — will people truly understand who He is.

 

“I am he”

This is very important.

In John’s Gospel, this echoes the divine name:

“I AM”

So Jesus is not simply saying “it is me.”

He is revealing His identity as:

• the one sent by the Father
• the one who shares in God’s very being

And this revelation happens through the Cross.

During the Passion in the garden, Jesus uses these same words 3 times. With each statement, the pharisees and elders who came to arrest Him, react.

The Lenten Movement

Now we are very close to Holy Week.

The focus shifts:

• earlier: light, thirst, healing
• now: the Cross begins to appear clearly

Lent is leading us to this moment:

We will understand who Jesus truly is…
when we see Him lifted up.

 

Connection to the Gospel

Today’s Gospel (John 8:21–30) shows misunderstanding.

The people ask: “Who are you?”  They cannot grasp what Jesus is saying.

And Jesus responds: They will understand later.

When? When He is lifted up.

 

At Communion

This antiphon is very powerful at Communion.

We receive the One who will be:

• lifted up
• given for us
• revealed through love on the Cross

The Eucharist quietly brings that reality into the present.

 

Reflection

• What does “lifting up” mean in my understanding of Jesus?
• Do I recognise the Cross as the place of revelation, not just suffering?
• Where might God be inviting me to trust even when I do not fully understand?
• How does the Cross reveal who God truly is?

 

This is a turning point in Lent.

We move from:

• seeing
• receiving
• and believing

to:

understanding through the Cross. This is because in John’s Gospel, the deepest truth is this: We come to know Jesus most fully…
when He is lifted up.

 

 Prayer

Lord,
when I look upon the Cross,
help me to recognise who you are.
Teach me to trust in your love
even when the path is difficult.