Christ the Good Shepherd.

GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY.

CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD: (pixabay)

On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Church highlights Christ as ‘’the Good Shepherd’’.  The Pope and the Bishops are the shepherds of the flock of Christ. It is fitting to acknowledge their special teaching and Pastoral ministry. You may like to

• Pray for the Pope and Bishops of the Church, especially the Bishop of your diocese.
• Send a card to acknowledge and thank the Bishop for his ministry.  If you know a bishop personally, this is indeed fitting.
• Examine how we relate to our Pastor. Give him support and acknowledgement of all he does in the name of Jesus the Good Shepherd.  He is Jesus for us as he ministers the sacraments and the one who gives us support in the highs and lows of living.  What do you do for him? 
• Encourage those who are thinking of a vocation to priesthood or religious life to pursue it.
• Encourage those who are in formation in priesthood.  They are our ''intending good shepherds'' so need our love and support to reach ordination day and beyond in ministry.

CHRISTMAS AND THE GOOD SHEPHERD

I also think that it is good to remember on this Good Shepherd Sunday that the Good news of the angels that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem was delivered by the angels to shepherds in the fields on that first Christmas night.  We are all familiar with the carol-’'While shepherds watched their flock by night''.  God could have had the message of salvation delivered to anyone He chose.  He chose shepherds that first Christmas night.

Then there are many references in the Bible which provide more compelling imagery for us of Jesus as Good Shepherd.  My favourite is from Ezekiel 34:11-20, but particularly  

'' I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed,

 and I will bind up the crippled, 

 and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; 

I will feed them in justice.'' (Ezek 34:16)

GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY AND VOCATIONS.

How do you relate to Jesus as Good Shepherd?

The Church also highlights on this fourth Sunday of Easter known as 'Good Shepherd Sunday' Vocations to the Priesthood and religious life.  All the baptized have a vocation. We are all called to holiness.  For those called by Christ to the Priesthood and religious life, they are called in a special way and need our love and support for them to carry out the work Christ has asked of them. After all, it is through our pastor's ministry and example along with our efforts that we can grow in love for God, and our souls can ''safely graze''.

May Christ the Good Shepherd encourage and embrace us,

May we listen to the sound of His voice,

Divine Mercy Sunday

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY

Jesus as Divine Mercy

On the Second Sunday of Easter, the Church celebrates Mercy Sunday- a feast instituted by the late Pope John Paul 11. The Gospel account of Doubting Thomas highlights the need to have faith, but shows Christ's patience with those of us who come to faith through experience. We all have times when we want something extra-a sign, a direction, a clue from God.  Christ encourages us to walk by faith and not by sight. 

Today's Gospel highlights Jesus giving the Apostles His power to forgive sin and/or retain them- the start of the sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation.  People often say that I can confess my sins straight to God and don’t need to go through a priest. However, the point is that we are confessing our sins to God, but God in His infinite kindness provides us with priests who are God's ear for us and God's hand of mercy at the words of absolution.  

God provides through the presence of a priest the visible signs we need to make it tangible, along with the grace of the sacrament. It is like Thomas who needed to see the nail scarred hands. Also, priests like us, are human too- they too struggle in their own individual ways. They understand the struggle and can demonstrate to us God's understanding and mercy.  We need to always pray for our priests as well, since as shepherds of our souls, we need them to stay on track and keep us on track towards Heaven.  

PERSONAL NOTE 

On a personal note- Praying for the priest as part of my preparation for the Sacrament is something I like to do. In my parish, an order parish, we are blest with a variety of priests.  So, I am never quite sure who will ''appear'' for confessions.  However, God always seems to provide the one I need and from time to time, He provides the ones I may prefer. Regardless, he is always God's loving hand of mercy and forgiveness.  I don’t know about you, but have you ever been to Sacrament of Reconciliation and the priest spoke the very words or phrases that you needed to hear?  Isn't just the most wonderful moment. I used to think when I was young that he could read my mind.  In later years when this happens, I know God is working in him and I smile to myself and thank God.

The other personal note I would like to share is that today is the anniversary of my confirmation- back in 1970.but I love to celebrate these special spiritual milestones.  I find it a great way to ponder anew the sacraments and give myself a refresher, set some new spiritual goals for the year and keep the journey towards heaven moving in the right direction.  The journey of the Spirit is always alive. It is even more special today as it falls on Mercy Sunday.

Mercy Sunday is an amazing feast of God's love and mercy.  Why not avail yourself of the great opportunity God provides in your parish or in your area. 

As we celebrate Mercy Sunday, let us give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and everlasting love.

Alleluia.!!!

Second Sunday of Easter- Why is it called Mercy Sunday?

On the Second Sunday of Easter, the Church celebrates 'Divine Mercy Sunday''- a feast instituted by the late Pope John Paul 11.Mercy Sunday is a beautiful feast to contemplate- it is not magic as some may think, but a chance for those who have been away from the church to find their way back, for those who have let the sacrament of Reconciliation slip from their spiritual lives to be renewed, and for all Catholics to receive the wonderful graces God is offering.

On this second Sunday of Easter, ''Mercy Sunday'', the gospel gives a clear description of the institution of the  sacrament of Reconciliation- Jesus giving His disciples to forgive sins in His name. Obviously every priest who hears confession gives the sign and the words of absolution, but it is Christ Himself hidden in the priest who hears our sins and gives us absolution.  As we celebrate Mercy Sunday, let us give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and everlasting love.

On this Mercy Sunday, let us take the opportunity given us by the Church to receive a plenary indulgence by receiving communion at Mass, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (ideally on the day, but can be within a week before or after the feast) and say the prayers for the Holy Father. 

Remember to RSVP to Christ's invitation to Mercy Sunday in your parish or area.

Eastertide Prayer Series: Prayer in the spirit of Taize.

During Lent, the Church asks us to turn towards God by Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.  During Eastertide, we are to rejoice that the Lord is truly risen. However, any progress that we may have made during our Lenten effort should not be abandoned. Eastertide is a great time to consolidate our Lenten effort but with joy filled attitude.

In this series 'Eastertide Prayer Series', I wish to focus on 6 different types of prayer, all of which we can use during the year, but may concentrate upon during this time of rejoicing.  In this post, I focus my attention to Prayer in the Spirit of Taize.

What is the purpose of Devotions? Is not the Mass and the Sacraments enough?  

The purpose of devotions is to help us nurture our relationship with God- Father, Son and Spirit.  In Lent, as we endeavour to spend more time in prayer, we turn our minds towards God and turn away from sin.  In the process, we become strengthened for the journey towards Holy Week and experience the joy of Easter renewed.Now that Eastertide has begun, we can relish the joy of the Easter season and continue to be focused on improving our spiritual growth.

Prayer in the Spirit of Taize is a beautiful form of prayer which focuses our attention on my relationship with God.  It is a prayer form in community, but the focus is personal, that is, one on one with God.  When the practicalities of organizing a prayer in the spirit of Taize is taken seriously and all the details dealt with appropriately, then it is indeed a beautiful prayer form.  It uses sung Taize chants, scripture and veneration of the cross as its structure with ample time for silence when there is ample time to meditate. The ambiance created by the candles around the cross and the prayer space and the hospitality shared afterward add to the total experience.

I have to say that as a prayer form, I am a devotee. From 1999, Initially, I attended this prayer form on the recommendation of a priest friend of mine.  Knowing that he would ask me, I thought  I would attend once and then I would be able to tell him that I had been there.  Once was enough I thought.  However the Spirit had a different plan for me and for the rest of that year,  I attended this prayer form weekly as a participant.  I really do believe God has a sense of humour.!!!

Then when this prayer group closed, I set it up at another venue and was the coordinator for it from 2000-2004.  Then when circumstances prevented us from staying there, I set it up again at 2 other parishes- one in my own parish in 2005-2007, and the other in another parish, where it was appropriate to have the coordinator from that parish.  However, I was involved in creating the sheets for each fortnight ,as well as play the piano/organ for the prayer. Sadly because of my circumstances, I am no longer able to engage in this prayer form in a community setting. I have to say that I do miss it greatly.

I have had the pleasure of experiencing other people benefiting from it, one couple who had attended for some time, moved interstate. They asked me to help them set it up with them in their own home, and later in their own parish as well as the other person who became the coordinator in their own parish initially experienced this prayer form during 2000-2004. She also wished for others to experience it and asked me to help her set it up.Another friend who moved to UK also set it up in his parish with my help and experience.

I outlined my personal experience so that you appreciate my love for this type of prayer form.  It is not for everyone since some find the singing of the chants stressful or monotonous, the silence overwhelming and the power generated in the peace filled atmosphere too much. Other people, like myself, have found it consoling in times of need and great distress in either a short term prayer form or an ongoing one.  It very much depends, I believe on one's spiritual personality.  Thankfully, the Church has many different prayer forms.  There is something for everyone. All we need to do is look and experience them and see where it takes us.

Eastertide Prayer Series: Stations of the Cross

During Lent, the Church asks us to turn towards God by Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.  During Eastertide, we are to rejoice that the Lord is truly risen. However, any progress that we may have made during our Lenten effort should not be abandoned. Eastertide is a great time to consolidate our Lenten effort but with joy filled attitude.
In this series 'Eastertide Prayer Series', I wish to focus on 6 different types of prayer, all of which we can use during the year, but may concentrate upon during this time of rejoicing.  This week, the prayer focus is on The Stations of the Cross.

The erection and use of the Stations did not become at all general before the end of the seventeenth century, but they are now to be found in almost every church. Formerly their number varied considerably in different places but fourteen are now prescribed by authority. They are as follows:

1. Christ condemned to death;
2. Jesus carries His cross.
3. Jesus falls the first time;
4. Jesus meets His Blessed Mother;
5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross;
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus;
7. Jesus falls the second time;
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem;
9. Jesus falls the third time;
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments;
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross;
12. Jesus dies on the cross;
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross; and
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

The Stations of the Cross, often referred to as Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa  are used to signify either a series of pictures or tableaux representing certain scenes in the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident, or the special form of devotion connected with such representations. Taken in the former sense, the Stations may be of stone, wood, or metal, sculptured or carved, or they may be merely paintings or engravings. Some Stations are valuable works of art, which have been much copied elsewhere. They are usually ranged at intervals around the walls of a church, though sometimes they are to be found in the open air, especially on roads leading to a church or shrine. In monasteries they are often placed in the cloisters.

The object of the Stations is to help  us to make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ's suffering and death and this has become one of the most popular of Catholic devotions. It is carried out by passing from Station to Station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn. It is very usual, when the devotion is performed publicly, to sing a stanza of the "Stabat Mater" while passing from one Station to the next.

Now the Stations of the Cross are mostly 'performed' during Lent, but it does not prevent us from making the stations of the Cross in Eastertide or throughout the year. In fact, it may help us to reflect in a deeper way the suffering and death of Jesus. Although the stations stop at the tomb, we may also continue our journey enjoying the company of the Risen Lord.  It is good to remember that every Friday of the year, except for any major feasts, is also a day of penance. Some people like to make the Stations of the Cross as their form of prayerful penance on Fridays throughout the year.

So although making the Stations of the Cross at first glance may seem an odd focus during Eastertide, it may indeed be a fitting consolidation of our Lenten effort and/or it may give us another opportunity to consider the great love for which Our Saviour suffered and died for each of us personally.

Eastertide Prayer Series:Eucharistic Adoration

During Lent, the Church asks us to turn towards God by Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.  During Eastertide, we are to rejoice that the Lord is truly risen. However, any progress that we may have made during our Lenten effort should not be abandoned. Eastertide is a great time to consolidate our Lenten effort, but with joy filled attitude.

In this series 'Eastertide Prayer Series', I wish to focus on 6 different types of prayer, all of which we can use during the year, but may concentrate upon during this time of rejoicing. My second post in this series focuses upon Eucharistic Adoration.

Tests conducted have shown, from a psychological perspective, that to spend time in meditation helps  us emotionally, as well as it having innumerable physical health benefits.  Psychologists often recommend having 'me time' or 'time out' to their clients.  Eucharistic adoration is one way we can have that time out, but with our greatest friend, Jesus.   Eucharistic Adoration, that is adoring Jesus in the tabernacle and/or in a Monstrance, is a grace-filled time for those who avail themselves of the opportunity.  Eucharistic Adoration is a powerful and faith-filled way to obtain the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits and blessings that Jesus wishes to offer to us.

Eucharistic adoration is a beautiful form of prayer. It is a time to be silent before Jesus truly present in the Eucharistic host in the monstrance or in the tabernacle.  It is a time to receive the physical, emotional and spiritual blessings that Jesus has to offer us and to be able to get on with our busy lives renewed.  It is a time to love Jesus and to tell Him all that is in our hearts and minds. Jesus knows, but He listens with respect to us when we need to offload. It is a time to sit, de-clutter and be still before Him.

Some parishes have Eucharistic devotions on a scheduled basis. Some parishes sadly do not, since it is considered 'old hat' or 'pre- Vatican 2'.  During Lent, the Church encourages us to spend time in prayer.  Now that we are in Eastertide, we can try to consolidate our desire to spend time in prayer  by exploring  further what we have commenced in that penitential season or choosing another form of prayer from the rich ocean of possibilities that the Church offers to us.

Why not explore what your parish or neigbouring parish has to offer with regard to Eucharistic adoration ?  Make a date with Jesus by marking  off some dates in your diary, whether it be a community based Eucharistic Adoration, or calling in to visit Him in the tabernacle to or from school or work.  

Let us be like the disciples to enjoy the company of the risen Christ during this Eastertide season.

Eastertide Prayer Series: Introduction and The Mass

Welcome to my Eastertide Prayer Series.

During Lent, the Church asks us to turn towards God by Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.  During Eastertide, we are to rejoice that the Lord is truly risen. However, any progress that we may have made during our Lenten effort should not be abandoned. Eastertide is a great time to consolidate our Lenten effort but with joy filled attitude.
In this series 'Eastertide Prayer Series', I wish to focus on 6 different types of prayer, all of which we can use during the year, but may concentrate upon during this time of rejoicing.  The types of prayer are as follows:

1. The Mass
2. Eucharistic Adoration.
3. Stations of the Cross
4. Prayer in the style of Taize.
5. Scripture Meditation
6. Divine Mercy Devotions.

What is the purpose of Devotions? Is not the Mass and the Sacraments enough?  

The purpose of devotions is to help us nurture our relationship with God- Father, Son and Spirit.  In Lent, as we endeavour to spend more time in prayer, we turn our minds towards God and turn away from sin.  In the process, we become strengthened for the journey towards Holy Week and experience the joy of Easter renewed.Now that Eastertide has begun, we can relish the joy of the Easter season and continue to be focused on improving our spiritual growth.

At the heart of all devotions is the Mass.  Obviously so much can be said about the Mass.  If you wish to gain an understanding of the Mass and its structure, you may wish to visit my series 'About the Mass'.During Lent especially many people choose to make the effort to go to daily Mass (or as many times as possible). Perhaps during Eastertide, you may wish to make the effort to attend Mass as often as possible to gain a greater appreciation for the wonderment of the resurrection and the Easter season.  Attending and participating in Mass in body, mind and spirit is the most effective devotion- we hear the Word of God proclaimed and we are able to receive Christ in the Eucharist. The Mass therefore is a prayer from its beginning to its end. The beauty of the Mass is capped off with our lives because we have the opportunity to live it out during the week in our lives, so it is an ongoing prayer.


Whatever devotion or extra prayer that we may embark on, it is important that we remind ourselves what Jesus said about the right attitude towards prayer in the scriptures.  Matthew's Chapter 6 vs 1-6 stated

"Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in  heaven.
Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received  their reward.
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward  you.

So as we embark on either continuing our chosen Lenten penance or choosing something special for Eastertide let us endeavour to do what Jesus asks of us. 

Let us grab God's attention. by keep our minds and hearts focused on Him.