Collect of 12 Sunday of Year C

COLLECT SERIES

THE MASS  COLLECT SERIES ICON.

COLLECT

The Collect for the 12th Sunday of Year C reads as follows:

Lord God, teach us to fear and love Your Holy name,

for You never withdraw Your guiding hand

from those You establish in Your love.

We make this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ

who lives and reigns with Him and the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

 REFLECTION QUESTIONS 

In making this prayer tangible for my life during the week, the following reflections questions emerged:

1.What does it mean to me to fear God?

2. What does the catechism of the Catholic Church say about fearing God?

3. How can I love His Holy name?

4. What can I do when others profane God's Holy name in conversation? Will I accept it or gently challenge them so as to bring a greater understanding and love of God's Holy name?

5.How will I thank God for His continual guiding hand in my life?

6. How will I continue to establish my relationship with God this week?  Have I become slack or do I need to focus on my prayer life, receiving the sacraments more sincerely or understanding the scriptures?

The second commandment tells us not to take the name of the Lord in vain.  When we love someone, we respect them and do not wish someone else to disrespect them either.  We use the Lord's name to praise, bless and glorify God. 

The compendium of the Catholic Church also tells us:

" It is forbidden to call on the name of God  to justify a crime and it is also wrong to use the holy Name of God in any improper way as in blasphemy ( which by its very nature is a grave sin, curses and unfaithfulness to promises made in the Name of God".( no 447).

PERSONAL APPLICATION

I have a friend whom I see regularly.  She is not a believer and constantly takes the Lord's name in vain.  I always find it offensive.  At first, when I did not know her very well, I used to let it slide when she used God's name in vain in conversation.  I thought it was a tactful thing to do given that she is not a Catholic and not a believer.  Then I began to feel very uncomfortable with this reasoning.  I was also a little frightened to comment. 

The next occasion that it occurred I felt weak and let it go verbally, but my body language must have said something different. I found it fascinating that she commented that I don't like that language.  She apologised for using it and said that she had just got into the habit of it and that she would try and break the habit.  I have known for over 3 years since then, and there have been only a few occasions that she has reverted back to her old habit.

By helping others to praise, bless and glorify God appropriately and not accepting old habits, we can help them form new positive and a loving relationship with God even if they are not aware of  or acknowledge God personally. We can still be a blessing for them.

2. Another misnomer that is often said by younger people is the word "' adore"' as in they adore their cat or family or friend etc. Adoration is meant for God alone.  We may respect and love our family, friends or even our cat/dog but never adore them. We venerate Mary and the Saints in the Catholic Church but should not adore them as adoration is for God alone.

3, We can also pray for those who either don't know when they blaspheme God or when we hear it on TV.  We can ask that their hearts be enlightened  and that they come to love and fear God. We can make a difference in these ways.

Let us thank God for never withdrawing His guiding hand from us

and make the effort this coming week to establish a deeper loving relationship with God.



Good Shepherd Sunday

Christ the Good Shepherd.

CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

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]

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,

Hear His call and follow Him.

Veiled Statues in Holy Week.

VEILED STATUES IN HOLY WEEK

For many years it was the tradition that when someone died at home, the person was laid out and the mirrors and statues were covered over with a cloth.  

During Holy Week, the statues and crucifixes in the church will be covered with veils made from light purple cloth with no decoration. This is a sign that the Church is, in a sense in mourning, rather than the usual beauty and brightness that the statues bring. You will find further accurate information on this tradition  here. 

It should be remembered however that this outward sign of covering the statues and crucifix has a purpose, which is to focus the mind on the passion and death of Christ.  

PERSONAL NOTE

On a personal note, for many years in my parish the statues were removed altogether. In more recent years they have been covered, although with a change of parish priest, I experienced the former form in more recent times again.  My personal preference is for the statues to be removed as it creates a sense of emptiness and bareness and assisted me to think specifically on the passion and death of Christ.  My usual visit to my favourite saint's statue had to be denied in Holy Week, but it made the return at Easter more delightful.

May you focus on the passion and death of Christ during Holy Week.

Rejoice in the Lord always- 4th Sunday of Lent

LAETARE SUNDAY

How is your Lenten journey progressing?  

Are you feeling weary and ready for a little break?

In Lent, we have the tradition to have a mid-Lent break, (the half way point of Lent), which is known as 'Laetare' Sunday derived from the latin 'to rejoice'. Liturgically we break away from the Lenten penitential spirit of the purple vestments to the wearing of rose-coloured vestments by the priest and/or deacon.  These rose-coloured vestments are only worn twice a year, so from a practical perspective, some parishes do not have a set, but use lighter purple vestments.

LET UP SUNDAY

The fourth Sunday of Lent is also known as 'let up Sunday' because we 'let up' on our Lenten penance. It can be a timely reminder for those of us who may have struggled through Lent so far.  I remember thinking during one of my disastrous Lents that we had reached the mid-point, and I had not got started.  It is an excellent time to review how our Lenten journey and tweak it accordingly.  Never too late to start and/or start again.

Ironing and Lent

 Happy Ash Wednesday.

 

ASH WEDNESDAY

Today is Ash Wednesday.  Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. The Church decrees that Ash Wednesday and Good Friday  are days of fasting and abstinence for all adult Catholics from 14-65 years.  It is only a minimum requirement laid down by the Church, but fasting, prayer and alms giving are essential tools in our journey of conversion of heart in this season of penance. For health reasons, the Church does not expect the sick and infirm to fast and abstain.

What does the Church mean by fasting?   The Church's expectation of fasting means to eat much less than would normally be eaten on these 2 days specifically, by eating one main meal and two light snacks. A traditional main meal dish on Ash Wednesday is either fish pie or vegetable casserole. It is highly recommended that we maintain fasting by not eating between these snacks and main meal on these two days.  Abstinence requires that we abstain from all meat and meat products.

We are entering into a holy season, a season of repentance and a season which provides us with the opportunity to have a conversion of heart.  We need therefore to not just obey the Church's decree in order to fulfill our obligation, but rather enter into it enthusiastically in the right spirit of mind and heart.

IRONING AND LENT

So, you might wonder what is the link between ironing and Lent?  I was ironing this morning. I decided to get it done as I had been putting it off. Today was the day to take some action.   As I was ironing, I turned off the music and allowed myself to be in my own thoughts.  It occurred to me as I was ironing that these tablecloths, serviettes etc needed extra care to iron out the creases.  In fact, they needed the moisture from the steam to restore them.  My soul can become dry and creased through sin, so in this season of repentance, the Church offers us a chance to beautify our souls by giving us moisture and steam to concentrate in ironing out the creases (sin).  Some creases are small and others are larger. Both need the iron to smooth out the creases. 

So, with these thoughts, it led me to consider the creases of my soul and what am I going to do about them during this holy season.

I hope you all get a lot of ''spiritual ironing'' done during Lent so that by Easter dawn your soul will have new life. 

what does the Epiphany mean?

COLLECT SERIES

THE MANGER

COLLECT

The Collect for the Feast of the Epiphany reads as follows:

O God, who on this day revealed Your Only Begotten Son to the nations

by the guidance of a star,

grant by Your mercy, that we, who love You already by faith, 

may be brought to behold the beauty of Your sublime glory. 

Though our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son, 

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

one God for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

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

1. What does the feast of the Epiphany mean to me?
2. What value is it to me to be like the 3 wise men and be guided by the light of the star in my life?
3. How would I consider my readiness for meeting God face to face this week?  What changes need to be made in my life?
4. Reflect on the mercy of God in my life and how God's mercy has brought me closer to Him.
5. What hold me back from accepting God's invitation to His mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week?
6. What is the quality of my faith and how will I strengthen this virtue this week?

GOSPEL REFLECTION

 What does today's Gospel from Matthew chapter 2 offer us?  

In Chapter 2, there are 4 stories interwoven into the chapter namely

1. The Visit of the Magi,

2. The flight into Egypt,

3. The Massacre of the Innocents and

4. The return from Egypt.

It should be noted that in today's Gospel we hear only the first part of the story- the visit of the Magi. However, since today is also the closing of the Christmas season, I have chosen to reflect on the whole of chapter 2 to present the 4 interwoven stories to give a complete picture. After all the visit of the Magi are our last Christmas characters to emerge.

The Magi were probably wise men who studied astrology, but later tradition portrays them as kings, who because of their knowledge knew that the star that appeared for them was something they had to follow. Their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh symbolized Christ’s royalty, divinity and passion.

They listened to what Herod had to say to them, giving him respect, but were not drawn into his dishonest behaviour, since they seemingly seemed aware of his insincerity and fear.

It is interesting to note the reaction of Herod who was governed by power and who

• felt threatened at the possibility there may be another king ( someone to threaten his job),
• played the game pretending he wanted to worship also ( sought out information about the threat and how he might overcome the enemy).

The Magi however stayed focused on what they came to seek- they were guided by the star, which filled them with delight because it helped them find what they came to seek- Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the manger. They were able to do him homage and offer their gifts.

We then encounter the flight into Egypt. Joseph is not a procrastinator.  He does what the angel tells him without delay ' He got up and taking the child and his mother with him left that night for Egypt.' One senses the urgency and the worry and the fear of knowing that Herod wanted Jesus killed- not the type of start to being the foster father of Jesus that Joseph may have hoped for.  Yet, Joseph as we know was a man of faith and believed in God's providence towards him and Mary. His faith and obedience to God sustained him in this difficult journey.

The wise men and Joseph’s fear of Herod is justified as we read the next phase of chapter 2 where Herod has all male children up to the age of 2 killed since he was outwitted by the wise men. He took revenge because he did not get his own way and made as many people suffer because of it.

Then in the final section of this chapter is the story of Joseph returning with Mary and the baby from Egypt after Herod’s death back to the land of Israel.  However, as Herod’s son had succeeded Herod, Joseph was warned in a dream not to go there but settled in the region of Galilee- at Nazareth.’

PERSONAL REFLECTION/APPLICATION

What can we learn for our lives from these 4 connecting stories in this chapter?

This week as we reflect on chapter 2, we may wish to:

• Stay focused and to give the Christ child homage, by bending our knees and offering our gifts to Him. We need to place God first in our lives at all times and realise that the gifts we have are because He gave them to us firstly.
• Be guided by the light of the star of faith just as the wise men followed the signs given to them. God gives us signs to follow through the church and the sacraments.
• Which 3 gifts will I offer at the crib this day/week/year.  Remember Christmas is not finish when we put away the Christmas decorations. We can keep the image of the crib in your minds and offer our gifts to Jesus each week at Sunday Mass.
• Be attentive to what God is telling us to do. We need to be pro-active and responsive as Joseph. Spend some time in reflection to hear what God is speaking to us.
• Have compassion for parents who suffer and grieve through loss of a baby/child either through miscarriage, abortion or tragedy. We may wish to learn more about the issue of abortion
• Be alert and listen to the stirrings of God within us, since He desires the best path for us.
• Be aware of the Herod's type behaviour in ourselves, colleagues-How could his/our behaviour change for a better outcome?
• How can I help a person displaying Herod behaviour?
•  How will I be like Joseph like this week/year? 

  

I hope that the feast of the Epiphany will alert us to the Light of Christ for our lives.

New Year's Resolutions and the role of Limbic lag

GENERAL SERIES

Well, it is New Year's Eve and it is a time for many people to make new Year resolutions.  Some make impossible resolutions only to be disappointed with themselves for not keeping it, whilst others make resolutions knowing that they won’t keep it.

So, let's think about making a resolution- it is a resolve to change something. It means that we can identify at least one thing in our lives that we want to change. 

 THE ROLE OF LIMBIC LAG

 However, when we decide to change, we do need to be kind also to realize that through the limbic lag, there is a delay in our bodies catching up with our mind.  A change of habit needs 21 days of consistent change before the body finally acknowledges the changes. We need patience and perseverance. Psychological/emotional well-being can bring forth positive or negative physical reactions in our bodies, and therefore there is a strong link between mental and physical health.

The body systems interrelate with each other to ensure an organism function normally. The brain receives information from other body systems to ensure proper functioning of the body. Examples of body systems include the circulatory system, digestive system, endocrine system, integumentary system, muscular system, nervous system, reproductive system, respiratory system, skeletal system and urinary/excretory system. Each system depends on others, either directly or indirectly.

 

GOAL SETTING

 

The other thing we need to remember when we make our resolutions is that the goal needs to be achievable and it needs to be specific.  Saying we are going to exercise is a good resolution but the goal is too general.  Instead, we might say "My goal is to exercise twice a week for 2 months''.  Here the goal is specified with a time factor- after the two months we can review our goal.

 
Another point to remember about making changes is that people around you may not support the change in you.  This does not mean that you should give up on your resolution.  Being aware that others may not want to change and/or it reminds them of what they are not doing themselves can motivate them to sabotage your efforts.  Be strong and continue on your journey with the grace of the Holy Spirit.

 SPIRITUAL GOALS

 

The same applies to our spiritual goals.  Limbic lag still operates but without making any spiritual goals for the year, we have not acknowledged the need to change. Thankfully with God's help and guidance we can make appropriate resolutions and when we fail, through the ministry of reconciliation, we also have a chance to acknowledge our failures and a chance to start again.

 

I hope you all have a happy new year and that your resolutions will be just that- a real resolve to make changes in your lives.