Opening Prayer Series: 5th Sunday of Lent Year A

The Opening Prayer for the fifth Sunday of Lent Year A reads as follows:

Let us pray

(for the courage to follow Christ)

Father,

help us to be like Christ Your Son,

who loved the world and died for our salvation. 

Inspire us to by His love,

guide us by His example,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

One God for ever and ever.

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

1. Reviewing our Lenten effort so far, how has the gift of courage been evident/lacking?
2. What steps will I make this coming week to use the gift of courage in my Lenten effort?
3. Do I know Christ sufficiently to desire to be like Him?
4. How can I be like Christ in my daily life this coming week? ( name one example that will be your focus)
5. How can I be inspired by God's love this coming week and how will I put it into practice?
6. How will I be guided by Christ's example this coming week?
7. If Lent was to start this week, what would I do differently from what I have been doing during this Lent so far?

Martha's berating of Jesus ' If you had been here, my brother would not have died' is not unexpected of her personality.  She was a practical woman. She would not have been impressed knowing that Jesus had stayed two days longer from when she and her sister Mary sent the message.  Mary, her sister too, despite her different personality also berated Jesus in similar words.

Whether we are a Martha or a Mary, we can all at some time say to Jesus 'why were you absent from me when I needed you most'. Whatever of our berating of Jesus, we usually start it with the word why. 

However, Martha showed that despite her frustration, disappointment and confusion, she had faith in Jesus
' whatever you ask of God, He will grant you'.  Have we the same faith as Martha and be able to say the same?

Mary however, cried. It seems that these tears moved Jesus. He felt compassion and He wept.
For many who grieve, the words 'Jesus wept' in this gospel is comforting.

We too can be dead in our soul and need Jesus to unbind us and let us go free.  God frees us each time we are absolved from our sins in the sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us use this sacrament often and well so that we may experience Jesus saying to us

'come out, 

unbind yourself

let yourself go free'.

Reflection and Prayer Series: The Son of Eternity

My reflection and prayer series is about sharing reflections and Prayers which have impacted upon me and have provided food for thought. I hope that they will also nurture your soul and spirit.

My post is called:

THE SON OF ETERNITY 

Even with the shadow of the cross ever before Him

Christ managed to look beyond the darkness of Calvary 

to the sun of etenity.

Lord, empower us to do likewise-

to look past our loneliness and loss.

beyond the despair of our cross

and keep our eyes on the Son of Etentiy.

As we travel closer to Holy Week, let us anticipate the joy of Easter dawn.

Compendium Series: who is the Holy Spirit?

47. Who is the Holy Spirit revealed to us by Jesus Christ? (CCC 243-248)

Compendium states:

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Most Blessed Trinity.  He is God, one and equal with the Father and the Son.  He “proceeds from the Father” (John 15:26) who is the principle without a principle and the origin of all Trinitarian life.  He proceeds also from the Son (Filioque) by the eternal Gift which the Father makes of him to the Son.  Sent by the Father and the Incarnate Son, the Holy Spirit guides the Church ‘to know all truth’ (john 16:13)

What does this mean for me?

1. I am able to come to know the Holy Spirit and enter into a deeper relationship with Him.
2. I can pray to the Holy Spirit to help me to know all truth and pray that the Church accept His guidance.

 Questions to consider:

1. What is my relationship with the Holy Spirit?
2. Is the Trinitarian life present in my life? How might I review my life in light of the Trinitarian God?
3. How does the Holy Spirit guide the Church?
4. Do I accept and acknowledge the guidance of the Holy Spirit in my life?

About the Mass Series: Eucharistic Prayer Part 6

Part 2: ‘Memorial Prayer and Offering’.

Characteristic of all the Eucharistic Prayers is a statement of offering, which is linked to and in conjunction with the Memorial Prayer. It is an explicit declaration that the Church is offering the ‘bread and cup’ or some other elaborated equivalent.  

Eucharistic Prayer 1 requests that ‘the offering be accepted as were the sacrificial gifts of Abel, Abraham and Melchisedech’.  Eucharistic Prayer 11 speaks of offering ‘this life-giving bread, this saving cup’.  Eucharistic Prayer 111 refers to ‘this holy and living sacrifice,’ while Eucharistic Prayer 1V refers to the offering ‘Christ’s body and blood’.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2007) explains this ‘offering’ as follows:

‘In this memorial, the Church- and in particular the Church here and now assembled- offers the spotless victim to the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Church’s intention is that the faithful not only offer this victim, but also learn to offer themselves and so to surrender themselves, through Christ the Mediator, to an ever more complete union with the Father and with each other, so that at last God may be all in all’. (p.28).

In other words, there is only one offering action in the Mass, and it is celebrated during the Eucharistic Prayer.  It is an offering made by the whole Church, but especially by the community assembled in faith.  In a prayer of praise, the church unites itself to Christ who ‘forever lives to make intercession’ (Heb 7:25).

 Since the Eucharistic Prayer is the pledge of future glory, we also recall the Virgin Mary, the apostles, the martyrs and all the saints who already share in the heavenly banquet announced and prefigured by the Eucharist.  Therefore, the Eucharistic Prayer names only those with whom the ecclesial community share the faith.  

Christ, through the Church in every Mass gives us the opportunity to unite, offer and surrender ourselves, our lives and those whom we love to Him.The Mass is so rich in meaning and provides us with many grace-filled moments throughout.   

Do we fully appreciate the wonderful gift Christ gives us in the Mass for our pilgrim journey?    

Gospel of Matthew Series: chapter 8: Cures and Faith

In Chapter 8, we have a collection of a number of different incidents of cures and how the faith of the person being cured is all important. They are:

•  The cure of the Leper who asks Jesus directly to heal him.
• The healing of the centurion's servant who was not physically present but healed through the faith of the centurion.
• The healing of Peter's mother in law who after her healing was able to wait upon them.
• The healing of the people suffering demonic illness who were brought to Jesus by others.
• The healing of the demoniacs who knew who Jesus was and asked to be freed from it and to place the demons into the swine.
• The calming of the storm- this shows how fear can dissipate faith.

In all of these sketches, the importance of faith to be healed, whether physically present or not is the key. 

We can choose to ask Jesus directly for a healing for ourselves, like the leper or we can have enough faith to ask for a healing for another person who is not physically present, or when the storms of life overwhelm us, we can call out with confidence not with fear that Jesus will calm the storm and give us healing. We must believe.

ACTION PLAN FROM CHAPTER 8

This week as we reflect on chapter 8, we may wish to:

•  Consider how the devil tempts us not to believe in the power of God's healing.
• Consider our ability to pray for healing for ourselves- physically, mentally and spiritually so that our soul is strengthened..
• Consider whether God may be calling you into healing ministry.
• Consider the vocation of healing- pray for those in this ministry- doctors, nurses, surgeons, physiotherapists, chiropractors, psychologists, counsellors, pastoral workers and of course our priests who are a channel of God's healing in the sacraments of anointing of the sick and the sacrament of Reconciliation.
• Consider how we can bring the ministry of healing to others whether through intercessory prayer and/or through the gift of healing that we may possess. How can we continue the healing mission of Jesus?

How does our action plan compare with Jesus?  May Chapter 8 inspire us to consider how we are continuing the ministry of Jesus and to have faith in Him to move mountains.

Opening Prayer Series: 4th Sunday of Lent Year A

The Opening Prayer for the Fourth Sunday of Lent Year A reads as follows:

Let us pray

(for a greater faith and love)

Father of peace,

we are joyful in Your Word,

Your Son Jesus Christ,

who reconciles us to you. 

Let us hasten towards Easter 

with the eagerness of faith and love. 

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

1. Why do I need a greater faith and love in my life this coming week?
2. What priority in prayer will I place on this intention?
3. What is the place of Jesus in my life- what relationship do I have with Jesus?
4. What relationship do I have with Father God? How can I improve this relationship?
5. Does my Lenten effort need a total overhaul or just some minor adjustments as I journey in this Lenten season?
   
6. How will my eagerness of faith and love be strengthened during this coming week?

Today's Gospel is a powerful one.  If at Mass you hear the shortened version, then it is well worth reflecting during the week on the complete version of the man born blind.  One important aspect of this Gospel  for us to realize is that we can all be like the pharisees and be judgmental if a person or society members do not fit into our world. If we do not like what we hear, we can close ourselves off to the evidence of our senses. When we do this, we need to come to our senses!!!.

Another important aspect is to realize that God's healing power can be brought to bear whether the illness is from birth or later on in life. God is the healer.  However, it is also worth noting carefully that those who have good intentions in healing ministry must never judge the person with the illness or ailment. For example, to say it is the fault of the parents when a teenager/youth has used drugs is unhelpful for the parents. Casting blame inappropriately is no healing.  Only God can cast appropriate judgment on any situation. We are all born blind in some degree or other. What we need to seek is Christ and ask him 

Lord remove my blindness and let me see.

Reflection and Prayer Series: God's Cross and mine

My reflection and prayer series is about sharing reflections and Prayers which have impacted upon me and have provided food for thought. I hope that they will also nurture your soul and spirit.

My post is called:

GOD'S CROSS AND MINE

The cross's shadow fall on me 
From high on Calvary's bitter hill. 
When viewed against Christ's agony, 
My cross looks poor and smaller still.

Do You need a different way to carry your cross this week?