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?    

 

 

 





Collect for 32nd Sunday of Year A

The Collect for the 31st Sunday of Year A reads as follows:

 

Almighty and merciful God

by whose gift Your faithful offer You

right and praiseworthy service,

grant we pray that we may hasten without stumbling

to receive the things You have promised.

 

 

 

1. What is my attitude when I attend Mass?

2. What is the gift I offer God this week at Mass?

3. How does God's gift of right and praiseworthy service be shown in my worship and in my life this coming week?

4. What are the things God has promised?

5.  Do you want to receive the things God has promised?

6. What are the things in my life that may cause me to stumble in receiving the things God has promised?

7. What action/s will I take this coming week to move forward towards God and to erase  one or two areas of stumbling with God's help.

 

Today’s readings fit in well with the two aspects of observation of pretending to be something or someone and remembering those who really know who they were (All Saints). Or there are two messages:  one concerns our attitudes towards others, and the other is about truth.

As we heard from the Prophet Malachi and Jesus in today’s readings, speakss challenging words to those leaders who have been pretenders. These leaders were given a sacred trust. Instead of serving others, they demanded service from others. They put on costumes of importance and respect so that others will notice what they are doing. Jesus warns against this sort of behaviour to the Church leaders not to be actors or hypocrites but is also speaking to us as well. We too need to show our love for God and value the sacred trust God gives us by serving others.

The problem of the Pharisees, as Jesus describes in the Gospel, is not about their words but their actions. The Lord says, “Do everything they tell you,” but be careful, not to follow their examples. In other words, they taught more truth than they actually lived. They didn’t practice what they preached. The Gospel remembers Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees because it  shows what can happen to all of us too. Sometimes the way we speak goes against the way we act. Often we become like Pharisees in our lives. We turn to ignore the truth as long as we gain people’s attention. We all have a gap between what we say and what we do. Sometimes we just ignore the real truth that we should practice.  We need to ask why. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to shed light, so that we can through His help, become authentic Christians. 

The Lord says, “They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry, and do not lift a figure to help.” We embrace our leaders to high standards, but we make many exceptions for ourselves. We expect to do well from salespeople, professionals, and fellow workers but excuse ourselves many times. We  may write abusive letters of complaint to others but we ourselves easily  disrespect other people.  We question others’ motives and good faith, but we ourselves ready to disagree if anybody challenges to question our own. We excuse little in anybody else but will always find an excuse for ourselves.

How deeply do we let the truth sink into our life? Are we good at all the outward signs of devotion yet within us is a very different world, a darker world, a world of anger, jealousy, and self-righteousness? How deep does our faith go?  

The saints are the good examples for us to imitate in order to follow Christ because their deeds match with their words. Saints are virtuous, kind, and patient people. God shows to us, a clear way, His presence and His face in the lives of the saints in the human condition who are more perfectly transformed into the image of Christ. They are the living reflection of the face of Christ.

It is important to remember that the saints were like us. They suffered the same faults/sins, weaknesses and chose to work through perseverance to change- day by day, moment by moment. They chose to work on them and persevere moment by moment  because they loved God and had a desire to change their faults/sins/weaknesses.  The saints were like us but perhaps, unlike us at times, their love for God was strong and they desired to change their behavior so that it was in keeping with God intended- we are made in the image and likeness of God.  However, mostly our behavior does not conform perfectly to that, as the saints realized in their lives.  They set out through God's help to change it and persevered daily.

Maybe there’s a bit of the Pharisees in each of us. Finally, the Lord says the Pharisees like titles of respect father, teacher. We like titles too and are proud of titles like Australian, Catholic, a parish member, partner, friend, confidant.   But do we abide by the responsibilities, service, a dedication that go with titles such as father, mother, citizen, partner, confidant?

This should give us a good description of humility. One thing that is central to the lives of all saints is humility when we acknowledge that we all fall short of the glory of God and are all in continuing need of grace. What conclusions would people draw about Jesus from us, if there were no written Gospels and the only source from which people could learn about Christ was ourselves?

Every time we come to Mass, Jesus calls us to take off our masks and costumes and to let the word of God work within us, to make our life a living Gospel for all people to hear and to see. To grow in Christ, we never have to be afraid of the truth about ourselves. We only have to be afraid of the masks we wear.  When we use the sacrament of Reconciliation, we can take of our masks, ask sincerely for forgiveness from God, and receive absolution from Him through the priest.

If there is a little bit of the Pharisee in each of us, there also is a little bit (hopefully a lot more)  of Christ in each of us. We pray today and ask God to help us to grow in a very honest way so that our words and deeds may fruitful to other people’s lives.     

                                      

                                                 So who will you choose to be this week

                                            a Pharisee or a Saint in  progress?

This homily was given on 5th November at St Dominic's East Camberwell by

Deacon Lawrence Bosekana OP. 

New Horizons contributed in the process of editing. 

 





Collect for 30th Sunday of Year A

The Collect for the 30th Sunday of Year A reads as follows:

 

Almighty ever-living God,

increase our faith, hope and charity,

and makes us love what You command,

so that we may merit what You promise.

 

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

 

1. What is faith and what does my faith mean to me?

2. How will I increase my faith this coming week?

3. What is hope and what does it mean to me?

4. How will I increase hope in my life this coming week?

5. What is love and what does it mean to me?

6. How will I increase love this coming week in my life?

7. What does God command?

8.  What does God promise and how will I merit it?

 

In the first reading we are reminded that if we are harsh with the widow or orphan, God's anger will rage against you.  In other words, we are to treat those who are experiencing difficulties in their lives with respect and the more vulnerable their position is, the more we need to treat them as well as we can.

 

In the second reading, we are reminded to turn away from idols and to serve God.  We need to examine therefore what our idols are as awareness of them is the first step. If we are not aware that they serve as an idol, it is impossible to make the decision freely to turn away from them.  If we are not aware of the idols in our lives, then pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten us- to show us the areas of our lives that need  changing- that possess some sort of idol in it.

Idols can be in themselves harmless but it is what we make them, what we do with them that makes them an idol.  For example- watching TV can be an enjoyable activity. However when we watch too much of it and neglect our duties or our families or God, then it has become an idol. We consider it to be more important than God, our family or our duty. It is out of whack with what is healthy.

Food can become another idol- we all need food but as we know some food is not good for us in extreme amounts. Food for some people can become an addiction and/or an escape from the troubles in their lives.  It can replace God in this sense because they go to food as their comfort and guide rather than seek God and His guidance.  I know- it is my weakness and something I have to watch carefully.

 

The Gospel outlines the commandment of love- the two fold one- to love God and to love our neighbour as ourselves.

From a counselling perspective it is
difficult to give and receive love if we do not love ourselves in a healthy manner first.  Note I say a healthy manner. 

God expects us to love ourselves- He does not consider it to be selfish. It can be if we only think of ourselves but healthy love of ourselves involves  respecting ourselves in our body, in our mind and in our souls. It means to give balance to our relationship to God, to oneself and to other people. It means to be aware of our shortcomings and be prepared to work on these areas so that we can become a stronger, healthier version of ourselves- to be made in the image and likeness of God. It is us who, through original sin and our contribution of sin mar God’s image. We need to love God that we wish to restore that likeness of God’s image  and do whatever it takes to live a healthy balanced and respectful life  by being the best version of ourselves- the version God intended.

Loving our neighbour can only occur effectively if we, ourselves love God.  We cannot fully love our neighbour and ourselves if we fail to spend time with God, if we do not pray and enter into relationship with Him.  We cannot love God if we do not give Him worship at Sunday Mass or we ignore His commandments. 

God must be number ONE  in our lives.  Then and only then, will our quest for loving ourselves in a healthy way and our neighbour be possible.

                      

 

 

 

 



 



29 Sunday of Year A Collect

The Collect for the Twenty Ninth Sunday of the Year reads as follows:

 

Almighty ever-living God

grant that we may always conform our will to Yours

and serve Your majesty in sincerity of heart.

 

 

In making this prayer tangible the following reflection questions emerged:

 

 

1.What is my will?

2. What do I understand God's will for me?

3. What areas of my life conform to God's will and which areas do not yet conform?

4. Why do these areas  do not yet conform to God's will?

5. What changes could I make to ensure that these non confirming areas move towards conforming to God will?

6. How will I serve God in sincerity of heart this week?

 

 

The gospel reminds us today that we are not only heirs to the kingdom but we are citizens of God on earth.  In that regard, we must behave accordingly and ''give to Caeasar the things that belong to Caesar and those that belong to God''.

So what does this gospel mean for me then?  We belong to God in body, mind and spirit- we need to put Him first in our lives in every way. The catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that our purpose in life is to know love and serve God in this life and be happy with Him for ever in Heaven. How are you doing with this purpose in your life?  I know I am struggling in my life right now.

 

It follows then that if we belong to God and are wholeheartedly knowing, loving and serving Him in in sincerity of heart that we would do all that is right and just  towards the world we share.   Many people justify cheating on their tax- they feel they are being put upon and being treated unfairly and so, take the next step of dishonesty to ''balance the scales'' in their favour.   However, they are not only being dishonest financially but dishonest to the society in which they live and more importantly, dishonest in the sight of God.

 

This does not only apply to financial matters but to time as well.  Time wasting at work is another way of being dishonest and not giving to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar.  I am not talking about here where people are expected to work long hours and given insufficient breaks as if they are a machine- the so called human resources which takes the humanity out of the workforce. 

 

If you are an employer and do not give your employees genuine breaks, then you are treating your employees unjustly and are not serving God. For example an half hour for lunch is disgraceful when the employee often has to spend 5 minutes each way to get to/from lunch room- they may have 15 minutes to hurry down food causing digestion problems, more stress and not building any collegiality amongst staff. It does not give them enough rest to renew themselves before they begin again.  It is short sighted as well as staff will find other ways when they feel put upon to get the time they need to work effectively.   So then the employee becomes dishonest in time by necessity ( still wrong) and cycle of dishonesty of time is rife in no time.  

 

Then there are issues of wages and contracts. It is unjust to treat someone as a casual when in fact they are working a regular shift for years.  Are you as an employer being just to your staff- are you being just in the sight of God to your staff? Do you treat your staff as people not machines?  Is money your god not God Himself?

 

There are so many ways that we as employers and employees can give to Caesar the things that are Caesar and the things that belong to God.

 

We may ask ourselves what belongs to God as we hear this gospel?  Remember what the catechism says'' We must love God with our whole heart, soul and mind and our neighbour as ourselves''. Our whole being belongs to God  so give Him everything. Know love and serve God in this life so you can be happy with Him for ever.

 

Part of knowing, loving and serving God then is to know and carry out your affairs in honesty and justness (whether you are an employee or employer) or regardless what you are doing in your life.   Remember the way you treat another person is the way you are treating God as God lives in the other person.


 

 

 





Collect for 26th Sunday of Year A

The Collect for the 26th Sunday of Year A reads as follows:

 

O God, who manifest Your almighty power

by pardoning and showing mercy

bestow we pray, Your grace abundantly upon us,

and make those hastening attain your promises

heirs to the treasures of Heaven.

 

 

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

 

 

1. What does it mean to me to be pardoned by God?

2. How does God show mercy to me in my life?

3. What grace do I want God to bestow on me this coming week?

4. What does it mean to me to be an heir to God's kingdom?

5. What difference being an heir to the Kingdom make in my life this week?

6. What are the treasures of Heaven and how will these treasures manifest themselves this coming week in my life?

In today's Gospel we have 2 sons response to the father- one says yes straightaway but does not go into the vineyard and the other says no but later thinks the better of it and goes.  It should be pointed out here that in the Jewish tradition that elders were respected, especially parents. So, to say no to the parent was indeed disrespectful and hurtful. The son who initially said no to his father was therefore being incredibly disrespectful and hurtful to the father. 

Today's gospel is therefore about lip service and heart service.  How do we respond to God?  Is it lip service- do we go to Mass or say our prayers with our lips whilst our heart is lukewarm at best?
Do we respond to God with our whole heart, soul and mind? Hopefully it is the second one.!!

Still, we are human, so we can get distracted,  we can become lukewarm and we can even offend God by our sins.  Jesus, through the sacrament of reconciliation/penance or confessions provides us with the remedy of confessing our sinfulness and being absolved. When we say no to God, in its many forms, we can be absolved and start again if we are truly sorry.  We can also receive healing and grace from the sacrament through regular reception of the sacrament.  So whether we have received the sacrament yesterday/today or it has been the ice age since we used this sacrament, we can say yes to God again with our whole heart and mind and through the sacrament be refreshed, renewed and forgiven.

                                         Will YOU say YES to God?

 

 



 



Collect for 23rd Sunday of Year A

The Collect for the 23rd Sunday of Year A reads as follows:

 

O God, in whom we are redeemed and receive adoption,

look graciously upon your sons and daughters

that those who believe in Christ

may receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance.

 

 

Ín  making this prayer tangible for this coming week, the following reflection questions have emerged:

 

1. What does it mean to me to be redeemed by God?

 

2. What does it mean to me to receive adoption from God?

 

3. What does it mean to me a son/daughter of God?

 

4. What difference will being a son/daughter of God make in my life this week?

 

5. What would it mean to me to receive true freedom and an everlasting inheritance.

 

6. what areas of my life are a hindrance to true freedom and how might I move towards freeing these areas in order to receive true freedom from God?

 

7. What one change will I make in my life  this coming week to be a better disciple/ a better person to my family, friends, work colleagues, parishioner, a stranger and to anyone I meet?

 

 

Today's gospel provides us with a model for approaching reconciliation.  Obviously the three fold model is not something that occurs, one after the other in a short space of time- no, there is genuine effort, sincerity of heart and allowance of time that can heal ( not always) in between different phases of the reconciliation process.

 

I think it also needs to be pointed out here that when there has been significant hurt/distress that the process of reconciliation will take longer. Our hearts do not run to a timetable.  Some hurts/distress may end up being forgiven but not necessarily  seeing the person who was involved in the hurt.  We may find our own way to be at peace through prayer and kindly thoughts towards that person without actually reopening the relationship. In some cases, reopening the relationship may indeed to be to our own detriment of well being. It does not mean that we have not forgiven the person. In fact, it may be the most loving thing to do for our own well being and for theirs as well. 

 

 

The important thing from this Gospel today is Jesus invites us to think about process in reconciliation- to realise that reconciliation needs the initial heart to heart with only the people concerned and then if that is not able to be resolved, then mediation involving others may be required.

 

This topic is close to my heart this week- I have a family member who has not contacted me in 6 years. The phone call came out of the blue so I am shocked and stunned.  I have not rushed to answer the request to meet.  I am still shocked- the past re-emerges and it is difficult not to play the tapes of the past in my mind. Is it the loving thing to do to meet?  Some people would say yes and some no and some perhaps would say a yes and a no.  There is a case for a yes and a case for the no and I wish for wisdom to know what to do- what is the most loving thing to do for both parties.   There are just so many questions and thoughts.  I ask you to pray for me so I do get the wisdom to know what is the best thing to do. What is God requiring of me in this situation?

 

Reconciliation is definitely a process but at the basis of it needs to be a sense of trust and respect for both parties.  Where is trust and respect, people can have differing opinions and still be friends. We do not have to be the same as the world would want us to believe. Where trust and respect is present in a relationship, both parties can make mistakes, perhaps even hurt the other party by their behaviour/actions but even though trust and respect may be dinted/damaged, their friendship will likely to endure.  Take the trust and respect for granted- then it is likely to be a different story.

 

As we listen to this week's gospel, we might like to think about all our relationships- what makes them a good relationship, what can be improved or in my case with my estranged family member, do some more thinking/ take action to pick up the phone. We can appreciate the relationships that are working well and nurture them more by thanking God for His blessing on them.  We can ask for assistance in the relationships that need improvement and where relationships are irrevocably damaged, ask for the grace to leave them (if that is required) but with a loving attitude.

 

May this week's gospel challenge you to think about all your relationships and their quality including your relationship with God.

 

 

 

 



 



Collect for 22nd Sunday Year A

The Collect for the 22nd Sunday of the Year A reads as follows:

 

God of might, giver of every good gift,

put into our hearts the love of Your name,

so that, by deepening our sense of reverence,

You may nurture what is in us as good

and by Your watchful care,

keep safe what You have nurtured.

 



 

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

 

 

1. What are the good gifts God has given me in my life?

2. What good gifts do I ask for and wish to receive from God?

3. What does God's name mean to me?

4. How do I react when others misuse it?

5. What can I do to heighten other people's awareness of when they misuse God's name?

6. What does it mean to me to be nurtured by God in my life/this week?

 

On a personal note, I wish to share with you an experience I had with a friend who is not a Christian.  When I first met her, she used to use God's name in conversation a lot.  As I did not know her very well, I kept quiet and did not say anything. Then one day not long later I had had enough of it, I decided that it had nothing to do with not knowing her well, but everything to do with God's name being misused. So I asked her politely to stop using God's name in that way as it is offensive to Him and to myself who honours His name as a Christian.  She apologized and said it was a bad habit she had got into and had wanted to get out of it but did not know how.  So I suggested she come up with a range of expressions she could use instead. Then that way, she would have a choice of expressions to use.

 

The point of my sharing with you this experience is that we, as Christians often put up with all sorts of things thinking that we are tolerant to others, but in fact no helping them appreciate our faith.  In Australia  ''Oh my God or OMG is used so frequently-  when I hear it said now, I just say ''that's great to hear you are praying''- it soon stops it. Hopefully it makes people think. 

Perhaps you can do the same in your circle of friends and acquaintances.

 

In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us that we have to, as disciples deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him.  We may wish to think about:

• What does denying ourselves mean- what areas in my life could I make a start. Motive is key here- we are denying ourselves out of love for God and in the process, God will make something good for us out of our love of Him expressed through your denial/fasting. 
• What is/are the cross/es in our lives that God has given us to take up daily?  Remember, even though at times it feels like the cross is too heavy and we cannot go on, God gives us a cross that we have the strength to carry- He never gives us the cross without the graces to manage the cross. We need to ask for those graces and ask Jesus to carry the cross with us- He always carries the heavy end.
• How do I follow Jesus- what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? The 4 keys are prayer, fasting and receiving the Sacraments regularly ( receive Communion at Mass as often we can and ensure regular/monthly (as Pope Francis recommends)  attendance at Sacrament of Reconciliation.

We cannot hope to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him if our motive is not love for God.  We have to have some type of relationship with Him. Our motive of love of God is key.

If we have forgotten this,  then start small. One small act of denial done with love in our hearts for God is worth everything to God. Yes, even that second piece of cake that you would love to eat- gone without for love of God is worth everything to God because, in His eyes, YOU are worth everything to HIM.  Motive is the key and keeping it in the forefront of my mind, helps me significantly, especially when I am tired/exhausted or feel it is all too much.

Starting small but working it into our day gets us into the habit of it and soon, it becomes part of our own nature. One small act one day becomes 7 small acts in a week, and 365 in a year.   Remember motive is key- love for God.

 

We may not understand the cross that God has given you- but we do know that God gives us a cross that we can manage- He never crushes our spirit beyond what He knows we can do.  Sometimes, we give up long before our God given strength.  Have you ever looked back on part of your life when the cross was incredibly heavy to carry and thanked God for carrying it with you.  Perhaps you wondered how you got through that phase of your life.  I know I have and have been slow to realise God's nurturing through it.   Today's Collect is a reminder of the loving caring and nurturing God we serve.

 

Finally let us remember this week that the purpose for our lives is essentially ''to know, love and serve God here on earth and be happy with Him for ever''.  ( Catechism of Catholic Church).

 

Let us be the best disciples we can this coming week.

 

 

 

•  

 

 



Twentieth Sunday of Year A Collect

The Collect for the Twentieth Sunday of Year A reads as follows:

O God who have prepared for those who love You

good things which no eye can see,

Fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of Your love,

so that loving You in all things and above all things,

we may attain your promises

which surpasses every human desire.

 

 

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

 

1. What does God's love mean for me?

2.  How is my love for God? What one aspect will I change this week?

3. What challenges do I have in relationship with God's love for me?

4.How will I live out my love for God this week by loving Him in all things and above all things?

5.What are the promises that God offers and that we wish to attain?

 

Today's Gospel of the Cannite Woman bringing her need to Jesus expresses not only the faith of the woman, in face of rejection but shows that with perseverance she is able to get the healing for her daughter.  Parents want to be able to give the best to their children, but when they are sick, they will go to extraordinary lengths to assist the sick child in order that they will be well again.   This woman is no different.  She is persistent in her requests to Jesus, not for herself, but for her sick child.

 

Some people might think that God is a begrudging  God wanting us to grovel before Him, before He considers our need.  No definitely not.  They are mistaken.  .

When we are praying and/or interceding for another person, we too need to be persevering and persistent.  God hears the first time- in fact He knows the need before we even ask.   Being persevering in prayer when interceding is important as it brings not only the request but the people for whom we ask closer to God and ourselves as well.  We enter into dialogue with Him about our concern, just as the Cannite Woman did with Jesus.  When we recognize that we have nowhere else to turn, clinging to the only One who can answer us is an act of faith.

 

We need therefore to pray with faith when we are praying ourselves, but especially when we are interceding for other people and we need to persevere in asking, knowing that God will bring something good from our prayer.  It may be not we asked or what the person thinks that they need at that time, but God will always do what is best for us.  We need to persevere in prayer and pray with faith. 

 

 

 





Nineteenth Sunday Year A

The Collect for the Nineteenth Sunday of Year A reads as follows:

 

Almighty ever-living God,

whom, taught by the Holy Spirit,

we dare to call God our Father,

bring, we pray, perfection in our hearts

the spirit of adoption as Your sons and daughters

that we may merit into the inheritance

which You have promised.

 

 

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

 

 

1. How would you describe your father (either living or deceased)  to someone who had never met him?

2. What qualities  of my father reflect/ed God as Father?

3. What does it mean to me to call God as my Father?

4. What does it mean to me to be a son or daughter of God?

5. How will being a son or daughter of God make a difference in my life this coming week?

6.  What changes in my attitudes/behaviours will I make this week to merit my inheritance?

 

 

Matthew's Gospel Chapter 14:22-33 is the story of Christ commanding Peter to come to him across the water.   I love this gospel because of the encounter Peter has with Jesus.  Peter has enthusiasm and faith and yet  fear and doubt.  He is willing and enthusiastic to follow Christ's command to walk on the water and whilst he has faith, he is successful at what he thought was impossible. Of course, as soon as he took his eye from Jesus  and allowed doubt and  the fear of the wind to grip him, he faulted. However he cried out with a prayer from the heart ''Lord save me'.

 

Peter's enthusiasm and faith in Jesus is there to remind us that we too must possess these qualities. We must be prepared to give our all in faith and trust Jesus with the outcome.  Without that initial step of Peter from the boat, he would not have experienced his walking on water- something no doubt he thought impossible. Remember he was a fishermen so knowledge of the water was like the back of his hand to him. He trusted Jesus in his heart initially to do what he asked. Do we do the same?

 

Then of course there is Peter's doubt and fear which sets in.  Why does it set in? Precisely because he took his eye and focus from Jesus and allowed self doubt and fear to rule his thoughts.  He looked down rather than kept his gaze on Jesus.   I don't know about you, but I can sure relate to this side of Peter's personality.

 

So how is this story from the gospel relevant to us?  Let's be practical for a moment.  Perhaps you have a new business,  craft or hobby or language you would like to learn or have started. Maybe you started it, like Peter, with enthusiasm and joy and you made some progress in learning or starting the new business.  You started or want to start with enthusiasm because you know with God's help you can learn this new skill.   However then you met up with the knockers in life- perhaps yourself as the inner critic or perhaps others who made unhelpful comments. These added up in your mind and the doubt and fear crept in or it might have hit like a force of wind.

Either way, you no longer saw the goal of learning the new skill with the help of Jesus as the goal, but the doubt and fear grip you instead.  Do you cry out in faith and in fear ''Lord save me''. Do we hear the voice of Jesus say '' Courage it is I''.

 

God gives us both the enthusiasm and faith and the doubt and fear  in our personalities but we can choose to live with one or the other.  Which one will you choose?

 

 Let us stay focused as we keep our eye on Jesus this week. 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



Transfiguration of Our Lord

The Collect for the Transfiguration of Our Lord reads as follows:

O God, who in the glorious Transfiguration

of Your Only Begotten Son

confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witnesses of the Fathers

and wonderfully prefigured our full adoption of Sonship,

grant we pray, to your servants,

that, listening to the voice of your Only beloved Son,

we may merit to become co-heirs with Him.

 

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

 

1. What does the feast of the Transfiguration mean to me?

2. How does this feast impact on my life and how might it impact this coming week?

3. What does it mean to me to be a co-heir with Christ?

4.  What is the quality of my listening to the voice of Christ in my prayer and in my life?

5.  What are the hindrances/blockages that get in the way of my listening to the voice of Christ?

6. What steps will I take during the month of August to work towards removing one of those blockages.

 

Let us think for a moment what are the qualities required for listening- listening to a friend, listening to a programme on TV/radio or listening to nature?

 

1. There needs to be a decision/choice to listen. Without this conscious choice to listen, then we may be still hearing aurally but not consciously. The choice to listen changes the nature of our listening.

 

2. We need to be receptive to what we are hearing. If we listen to a friend with the attitude of we are waiting for them to finish so we can launch into our own monologue, then our friend will not have felt listened to and we have lost an opportunity to be receptive to someone else. Listening is a two way process. We need to listen with our ears and our heart and with our mouth shut.  You know the old saying that God gave us 2 ears and one mouth for a reason.

 

3. We need to let go our own needs/ agendas/thoughts when we truly listen to another person. We need to listen with our heart.

 

4.We need to tune in to what the person is saying and often what the person is not saying- what is between the lines...body language can give us vital clues but when we are really tuned in, we can pick up what is really being said and felt.

 

5. We need to suspend our own thoughts/agendas or hypotheses( even when they are accurate) so that we can truly listen.  The other person may not be ready to hear what we have to offer- they need at first to be heard and often people who are heard and feel heard make their own decision/choice of what to do. It becomes obvious to them and we do not need to actually say it.  We, by listening have given them a path of receptivity to themselves.

 

When we listen to the voice of God, many people find it frightening because they are not used to being receptive, silencing the noise of life around them to find the quiet inner voice of God within them.

A lot of what I have said about listening above also applies to our listening to the voice of God. Obviously we cannot see God so do not have the benefit of body language but as we come more accustomed to listening to God, we do understand at some level His body language for us.

 

First there is the choice/decision.. this is crucial.  I want to listen to what God wants to say to me. Perhaps God does not want to say something to me but He would like me to be in His presence.

We need to silence the outer chatter, which initially can be tricky if we do not know how.  Learning to slow down our breathing and using a phrase or word when the outer chatter pops up in our mind can be most useful as it helps us to refocus and to reaffirm our choice to listen to God and to be in His presence.

 

Remember listening on a human or God level is a two way process.  Often we may have a lot to tell God- He is listening.  How much of our conversation with God is us talking and us listening? 

 

The other aspect about this Feast that is important for us is that it gives us hope of future glory- our future glory. We too will be transformed when we get to Heaven.

However, we can start the process now- the decisions we make for good/evil/not so good,  the temptations we avoid, the decisions we make to grow in our faith and to live it out with passion and zeal- all of these steps are part of our process of transformation.  Sometimes people are given a 180 Degrees transformation but for many people it is a day to day choice in little things that lead to a transformation of equal magnitude.

Sometimes we are given moments of mountain top experience which, like the disciples do not want to come down the mountain- it is wonderful for us to be here.  My recent holiday is one such experience which has been a transforming moment for my life- something very precious. 

 

So take a moment to examine your life- what is good/ what needs improving and what needs to change.  Make the decision to explore and bring God into your exploration- listen and be receptive to what God is telling you right now for your life.

 

God truly listens to us so why not give Him a listening ear this week.

 

 





Soul selfie-15th Sunday of the Year.

With the best of intentions I hoped to write my usual posts for the Collect for the 14-15th Sundays.  I still may be able to write about this Sunday's readings but I am on holidays in UK. It is a long way from Australia obviously, but what I am realising is that in parish life, the same situations arise.  There are the people who get in there to help, the people who fear losing status so engage in all sorts of behaviours which are not helpful to the overall good.  There are the same problems and needs essentially- when I say the same, I mean there is a similar theme of need or desire.

I took this trip for a priest friend of mine's silver jubilee which was celebrated in style with a lovely Mass  followed by a garden party in the church's lovely English garden. No end of trouble had been spared to make the celebration one which will be remembered for many years to come by these parishioners.  Obviously they wanted to give my friend ( their parish priest) a beautiful celebration to express their gratitude to him for all that he means to them, which by the way, is enormous.

As a guest of the parish priest and never having been to UK to this parish, it was a little daunting for me as making small talk is my strong suit.  However, the amazing part about the whole day for me was this feeling of belonging there as if I had been .in their parish all my life.  This is significant because I have been in my own parish many decades.  This is not meant to be a downer on my own parish but just an expression of how I feel at this moment in time whilst I am on holidays.

What is also gratifying for me is to see how much his parishioners love him.  I have had many parishioners share with me their thoughts about their lives and how my friend, as their pp has impacted for the greater good in their lives. It is beautiful to hear for me for so many reasons- especially as he is my very good friend.  When there has been so much scandal and negativity about the priesthood in general and catholic life, it is great to see a parish who is displaying  catholic life in a parish at its best.

Obviously there had been a lot of preparation for the big day and all went beautifully, My priest friend was actually overcome and overwhelmed with so much love.  It was a delightful sight.
Still although it was a fabulous day, it was obviously to me that this parish have put in a lot of hard work at so many levels to make their parish what it is. Something like I experienced does not happen if it is not already there.

Anyway last night and today, I went to his Masses to experience his parish yet again.  At the family Mass, I have never seen so many young children.  This was not any school Mass or special Mass- no, just an ordinary Sunday Mass- but nothing ordinary about it.  For me, I am on holidays- so no responsibility of playing the organ or singing or playing and singing these last 2 weekends.  It was interesting to hear a different repertoire of hymns and part of the Mass.  I am lapping up the nurture for my soul as well- so important to regroup and soak up something for myself.  It is not only a holiday but turning out to be a retreat for my soul.

So I have shared something of my experience here.  I would love to share so much more. 
However I want to say how important it is to make parishioners welcome- something sometimes we can overlook, how vital it is to be connected as a parish and to work together as a community. all it takes is a smile, a nod, a hello to start with to the person in the seat next to you or in front.  That nod can be everything for someone feeling down, out of it, confused, worried or a visitor. I found it was taking the risk too- stepping out of my usual comfort zone and saying hello.  I asked myself whilst I am here how I would feel if I walked into my parish for the first time? Would I feel the same belonging as I have had the privilege to experience here in this lovely parish?  Daunting question but a necessary one, I think, to consider what we, as a parish could embrace in a tangible and centred manner.

It is vital it seems to me that if the parish priest/ pastoral council have a vision to try your best to embrace it and to support him as much as possible in the way that you can.  What ever you can to build up your own faith and the faith of others by your presence and support of your parish, the more we reflect Christ and his church in a beautiful way.

I do support my own parish in many ways but this holiday has given me time to appreciate, reflect, reenergise myself so that when I go back, I can commit once again with an enthusiastic and energetic heart. In the light of today's Gospel, sowing the seed in whatever way I can is important. God asks of us to sow in whatever proportion we can.- if we are capable of 100 fold, then we must do that, but if 60 fold or 30 fold is in reach of our capacity, then we must do all we can to reach our true potential in sowing the seed. I ask myself what is my true capacity and in the light of the seed types, what do I need to do to encourage growth in myself, in others and in my parish.

Perhaps this post might help you reflect on your commitment to your parish.  Perhaps too, it fits in with today's Gospel of sower and the seed.  I always like to ask myself when I hear this Gospel as to which seed am I right now.  Obviously we can be all seeds but at different times in my life,   I resonate with a particular seed type. It is always useful for me since it is like a photo or snapshot of my soul- perhaps it is like a selfie.!!!

So why not this weekend as you listen to today's Gospel take a selfie of your soul.  Ask yourself which seed are you right now?  Which seed do you want to be and what will you do this coming week to move towards becoming that seed?  What seed/s could you sow for your parish?

                                               May your soul selfie be an opportunity for change and growth in you.

Fourteenth Sunday of Year A

The Collect for the 14th Sunday of Year A reads as follows:

O God, who in the abasement of Your Son,

have raised up the fallen world,

fill your faithful with holy joy,

for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin

you bestowed eternal gladness.

 

In making this Collect tangible, the following reflective questions emerged.

 

1. What does it mean for me that Christ has raised a fallen world?

 

2.  What is the slavery and sin in my life?

 

3. What does it mean for me to  have eternal gladness.

 

4. How can I have eternal gladness every day?

 

 

 





Thirteenth Sunday of Year A Collect

The Collect of the 13th Sunday of Year A reads as follows:

O God, through the grace of adoption

chose us to be children of the light

grant, we pray,

that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error

but always seen to be standing in the bright light of truth.

 

 

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

 

 

1. What does it mean to me to be a child of God through adoption?

2. How do I choose to be a child of the light in my life/ this coming week?

3. What are the hindrances in my life that impede my choice to a child of the light?

4. What does darkness of error mean for me?

5.  What does the bright light of truth mean to me?

6.  How do I show the bright light of truth in my life/this coming week?

 

What is it like to be in the presence of a holy man/woman?  We may struggle to put words to the experience and yet, we know we have experienced something that has uplifted our soul- perhaps you feel a physical reaction like your heart beating faster or perhaps you feel a warm glow or perhaps you don't have a physical reaction at all but you feel centred and at peace.

Whatever way it occurs, recognizing the presence of a holy man/woman is important as it can inspire us to review our life and to encourage us to do better in our quest for holiness.

 

In the Gospel Jesus tells us that we have to accept our cross since if we don't, we are not worthy of Him.  We are not greater than the Master. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sake. He gave His life for me and for you.- for the whole world.  We need to remind ourselves that He gave His life for me - it makes it personal. Feel the impact of the statement: Jesus died for me.

Now are you ready to accept your cross too to be worthy of Jesus?

 

However we do not suffer alone nor carry our cross alone.  Jesus is carrying most of the burden. We have to do our share. However the cross Jesus gives us is something we can bear because it is designed just for us taking into account our personality, our strengths/weaknesses  and temperament. Jesus takes this all into account and gives us something that we, with His help, can carry. I sometimes lose sight of this when the burden seems too much. I think I have to carry it alone and then the cross gets very heavy. Remember during the Passion, Jesus fell 3 times carrying the cross. He took it up again and kept going.

 

Are you prepared to stand in the light of truth this coming week?  Some people find it hard to stand out from the crowd and do not stand up in the light of truth when required.  It takes practice and perseverance and courage. However the Holy Spirit gives us the graces we need to step up. 

As Catholics even more than ever, we need to stand up for what we believe, to explain it to others in a way that is accessible, without watering down the real message of Jesus.  Sometimes we can feel bombarded or perhaps we feel we don't have the words.  Every day, every action, every word and thought can be an opportunity to witness and to stand in the light of truth. 

 

Make the choice and walk with Jesus this coming week.

 

 

 





12th Sunday of the Year Collect Year A

The Collect for the 12th Sunday of Year A reads as follows"

Grant O Lord

that we may revere and love Your Holy name,

for You never deprive Your guidance

 those who You set firm on the foundation of love.

 

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

 

1. How do I communicate my reverence for God's Holy name?
2. What do I do/say when others misuse God's name?
3. What might I like to do/say when others misuse God's name in the future?
4. What is the foundation of love?
5. What areas of my life are deprived of Your guidance?
6. What does the image for the phrase "set firm" evoke?

 

Today's  readings remind us of the importance of being spiritually prepared for battle.  Not everyone believes in Christ and some that used to, enjoy the conquest of knocking us out spiritually.  We, as Christians must be prepared for battle and remain strong in the fight.  We know that God is on our side and we must remain close to Him. 

 

We might feel depressed by today's first reading at first hearing/reading but read it again and feel the certainty of God's help and support.  It outlines what we are likely to experience and do experience on a daily basis.  We may wipe off some of it and say oh I am just tired or perhaps use phrases like I am not in a good emotional space or perhaps even overlook the  acts of others who are trying to prod and poke you.  Make no mistake, every day is a battle of the soul, but as we battle, we have God on our side. As the Collect says: God never deprives His guidance  on those He sets firm in the foundation of love.

 

The Gospel too reminds us too that ''it is not those who can kill the body that we need to fear but those who kill the soul''.  Without a healthy soul, our body is in fact dead regardless of how healthy we might eat, how many times we exercise or go to the gmn, regardless of how many steps/kms we walk per day.  A healthy body is good and necessary, but more importantly is the soul. It is this that we should give priority. 
 

Looking after and nurturing our soul through regular prayer, receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Mass helps to strengthen our soul, so that we become strong enough to cope and take on the battle.   Once we let these slip, we are in a weakened state and then, those who wish to kill the soul have an opening- we have given them the opening. There is no fight since we have nothing to fight for or no inner weapons to use.

 

The battle has many forms. Make no mistake Satan is clever and knows how to get to our Achilles heel. Many people these days don't believe Satan exists.  With that premise, they are no longer in the battle. They have surrendered. Satan in his own way has control over them because they are no longer even aware of his subtle devious ways.  Hopefully this is not your belief, but if it is, then become aware again.

 

So with God's help, let us continue to strengthen our souls so that we can take on the battle enthusiastically. God is on our side. We do not fight the enemy alone.

 

May God give you the courage to face the fight and live in His guidance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Feast of Body and Blood of Christ. Year A

The Collect for the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ Year A reads as follows:

 

O God who in this wondrous Sacrament

have left us a memorial of Your Passion

Grant us we pray,

so to revere the sacred mysteries of Your body and Blood

that we may always experience in ourselves

the fruits of Your redemption.

 

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

 

 

1. What is my attitude towards receiving the body and blood of Christ?

2. Is it still a wondrous sacrament every time I receive Christ in the Eucharist?

3. What do you experience when you receive Christ in the Eucharist?

4.  Why is the Eucharist a memorial of Christ's Passion?

5   What are the fruits of redemption in the Eucharist?

6. How will today's feast change me this coming week?

The Feast of the Body and blood of Christ is a wonderful feast as it focuses on the unique gift of Himself given for us in the Eucharist.  On this wonderful feast we have a chance to renew our love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. As Catholics we believe that when we receive Holy Communion, Christ is truly present because of the words of consecration said by the priest at Mass although the appearance of the bread and wine  remains. This is not something the Church implemented by itself for practical purposes. No, Jesus Himself in the Gospel tells us that He is offering Himself to us as ''real food and real drink''.

 

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church no 292 when explaining what the fruits of Holy Communion tells us:

 

''Holy Communion increases our union with Christ and with his Church.

It preserves and renews the life of grace received at Baptism and Confirmation

and makes us grow in love for our neighbour.

It strengthens us in charity, wipes away venial sins and preserves us from mortal sin in the future.''

 

Jesus uses the ordinary items of bread and wine and makes them Himself. These ordinary items of bread and wine look the same but after the consecration have changed- but not just changed, changed into Jesus Himself. We know this to be called transubstantiation. By using ordinary items,  they are available to us easily. Yet, we must never forget that after the consecration, they have been changed to Jesus Himself under the form of bread and wine.  How truly awesome is that.

 

We can receive Holy Communion every day if we wish. Certainly we need to receive Jesus in this sacrament every Sunday at Mass.  We may wish to ponder: 

• What is my attitude to this sacrament?
• What difference does receiving Christ in the Eucharist make in my daily life?
• What hindrances do I experience which prevent me from entering into deeply this mystery?

 

Today in our parish, First Holy Communion is being celebrated. We see the young children at Mass with their families, all dressed up in their white dresses and the young boys looking more like young men in a special outfit.  Some people wonder and perhaps even criticise the children in their white dresses highlighting the expense aspect.  However, it seems to me that by preparing for First Holy Communion spiritually as well as their clothing, they have captured something of the importance of the Sacrament. It is definitely highlighted in their minds that this is an important day in their lives.  May they continue on their journey of faith. Please pray for these  children so that they will become strong in their faith and practise it daily.

 

You might like to reflect upon your own first Holy Communion.  I remember my own vividly as  mine was in a different country than my country of origin and therefore had different traditions.  During the Communion Breakfast, I had my first cup of tea as well. I never had another cup of tea for another 20 years after that.!!!

 

May we, like them always consider receiving Christ in the Eucharist an ''event'' to be revered,

and benefit from the fruits of Christ's redemption.

 

I hope that you will be able to spend some extra time with Jesus

to reflect on this wonderful gift of Himself to each of us personally.