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.  

 

 

 

 





Trinity Sunday Year A

The Collect of the Mass for Trinity Sunday reads  as follows:

 

Father,

You sent Your Word to bring us truth
and Your Spirit to make us holy
Through them we come to know the mystery of your life 
Help us to worship You, one God in three Persons,
by proclaiming and living our faith in You.

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

1. How I do worship the One True God yet Three Persons?.
2. How does the Trinity work in my life?
3  How do I know the mystery of Your life through the Trinity this week ?
4  What commitment am I prepared to make to know one God yet three persons in my life?
5. What relationship do I have with each of the Three Persons of the One God?
6. How might I proclaim and live my faith in the mystery of the Trinity?

This feast highlights the relationship nature of God in that there is Fatherhood, Sonship and from that love issues the Holy Spirit. . We can spend time trying to explain it, as St Patrick did using the shamrock and many others since, but in essence it is a mystery that we will never truly understand until we reach Heaven. 

 

However, we do not need to wait until then to develop a relationship with  each Person of the Blessed Trinity- we are still praying to God, but each Person of the Trinity can help us as we draw close in our lives.  Jesus helps us to know the Father, since as Jesus Himself said" to know Me is to know the Father since the Father and I are One''.  The Holy Spirit provides all the gifts and fruits to help us be holy. I don't know about you, but I need to be close to the Holy Spirit to increase my level of activation of the gifts and the fruits in my life. I want to be holy but I need the Holy Spirit to guide and support me in this journey towards Heaven. Remember Jesus at the Ascension told us He would not leave us orphans- He would send the Advocate and that He would be with us until the end of time.

The other interesting point to note is that the vestments for Trinity is white. Why is this interesting? It is interesting because white is made up of all the colours to make white.  It lines up well with the feast because although there are 3 persons, there is only one God.  So although there are many colours to make up the colour white, the colour white then is one colour.

The Gospel reading tells us that God came into the world to save us. However we need to want to be saved.  It is our choice. God has given us free will to choose Him or not, but if we choose to reject God, then it has consequences- the consequence is that we have condemned ourselves by rejecting God, not God rejecting us. If we do choose Him, we may suffer or go through some difficult times as part of normal life, but we will be happy because despite the difficulties we encounter, we walk our journey with God.  We have chosen God as a friend, companion, guide.  However, this is a choice we need to make every day. It is not just a one off decision.  It is an every day decision, so that we can live according to God's commandments.  In times of doubt or fear or in happiness, we can say a profound yet very simple prayer: 

                      Glory Be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
                      as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be
                      world without end.

I find that even when I say the first line of this prayer in times of stress and anxiety brings relief and courage.

May we come to worship a Trinity of Persons , one eternal God in our prayer and in our lives.

Pentecost Sunday: The Birthday of the Church

Pentecost Sunday- Happy Birthday to all believers

 Happy Birthday to all believers.

This feast marks the 50 days of Easter and the closing of Eastertide as a liturgical season, and the birth of the Church.  So Pentecost is the Church's birthday- ours too as Christians.

God is three persons- Father, Son and Holy Spirit yet one God.  This is a mystery.  However we can in our prayer life tap into all three persons. Most of us tend to  communicate with God as Father or Jesus as His Son. 

 

However, this feast reminds us that Jesus did not leave us orphans when He ascended to Heaven- He gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit to be with us until the end of time.  Yet, sadly, the Holy Spirit can be forgotten and/or ignored in our spiritual lives.  Yet, He has many special gifts to offer us.  We can have a very special intimate relationship with Him, just as we do with Jesus and with Father God.

So we might like to take some time to reflect on my relationship with the Holy Spirit.  Some reflective questions may include:

1. What is my relationship with the Holy Spirit? 

2. How does the  Holy Spirit work in my life?  
3. How will I use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to bring Christ to the world this week?  
4. Do I know my faith adequately to be able to teach the gospel to one other person? If not, what steps might I take to change this?  
5. What areas in my life has the risen Christ  renewed during Eastertide and how might the Spirit assist you to continue this renewal for the remainder of the year?  
6. How might I live in the power of the Holy Spirit in my life?

We may also want to reflect on the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and how they operate in our lives. 

Traditions/customs associated with Pentecost Sunday 

Fruit Salad is often used as a dessert for Pentecost Sunday. It is made from 12 fruits to represent the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit which are: Charity, Generosity, Joy, Gentleness, Peace, Faithfulness, Patience, Modesty, Kindness, Self-Control, Goodness and Chasity.

The fruit salad can be made using both dried fruits such as currants, raisins, dates and tinned fruits as well as fresh fruits. These are then combined with a syrup made with sugar and water and perhaps a dash of your favorite liqueur.

 

Another name for Pentecost Sunday is its traditional name' Whitsunday' which commemorated the white robes worn by the newly baptized on this day.  Two other traditional desserts served therefore are white food-meringues or a sponge cake topped with white icing to represent the white robes worn by newly baptized.

Regardless of whether you choose these traditional Pentecost desserts or not, it is important to remember that a new chapter began at Pentecost, and the Apostles started to take the Gospel of salvation to the whole world.  This is also our task.  Pentecost ends the liturgical season of Eastertide, but it marks the birthday of the Church.  

We may wish to pause and say a prayer of thanks in gratitude for the person/people who taught us our faith and have helped us on our spiritual journey.  We may wish to reflect on how we came into the Church.  I was baptized as a young baby- a cradle catholic.  I thank my parents and godparents for bringing me into the family of the Church. However, at some point, we have to make our own decision to follow Christ and take our faith seriously.  This is the journey we all make each in our unique way.  The Holy Spirit is in this journey with us too.

The message of Easter and of the Church is not something meant to be kept to ourselves, rather it is the glorious news that we must take to everyone : the love of God, the forgiveness of sins, and the redemption of the human race.    

As we celebrate the feast of  Pentecost, let us be filled and renewed by the Holy Spirit.  We may wish to make the commitment to deepen our relationship with the Holy Spirit and to pray each day at least one prayer to the Holy Spirit such as:

''Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful 

and enkindle in them the fire of Your love".

May the Holy Spirit bless you abundantly.

Ascension of Our Lord Collect Year A

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

Let us pray,

Gladden us with holy joys Almighty God,

and make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving,

for the Ascension of Christ Your Son is our exaltation,

and, where the Head has gone before in glory

the Body is called to follow in hope.

Through 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.

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

1. Why am I asking God to gladden me with holy joys?
2. Why should I rejoice with devout thanksgiving on this Solemnity?
3. What does the Solemnity of the feast of the Ascension mean to me?
4. How will this Solemnity affect this coming week in my life?
5. How will I  prepare my spiritual plan for this coming week?
6. How might I live in the glory and hope of the ascension this week?  

The Ascension of Our Lord is essentially a feast of hope since we can look forward to eternal life.  We must however not sit on our hands and wait. Christ has given us His command and we need to live lives worthily, so that we can enter through the narrow gate.  


The four fold command of Christ to His disciples is a command to us and gives us a mission- a focus.

• Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations,
• baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
• Teach them to observe all the commands I gave you
• Know that I am with you until the end of time.

So how can we make disciples of all the nations?   We need to be ready with our answer should someone asks us for our reason for our belief.  Most of us can evangelize others by not even saying a word- it is by example of the lives we lead. 

Evangelization does not have to be difficult.  If we  are trying our best to live good Christian lives,  other people will be attracted to it. Then when a casual question or conversation occurs, it may be our time to speak.  More importantly it  is a time to listen, since it is the question of the enquirer that is important.  As the journey unfolds, then there will be a time for them to want to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit.  This will be God's timing, not ours, since it is God who is leading the person to Himself.  Then as their journey continues, it is time for learning and teaching ( RCIA for example is part of the process), and as catholic pilgrims on the journey, we need to remember and encourage each other in our struggles knowing that Jesus is with us always.

So yes, the feast of the Ascension is a feast of hope of future glory. We need to have this hope in our hearts and try to live our lives now with this future glory in mind. Next week, it will be  Pentecost Sunday.   However, in the light of today's Solemnity, we can start to get ready this week with hope in our hearts and future glory in mind and examine our lives right now. We can then decide and prepare our own personal spiritual plan for the remainder of the year.

What will we do with Christ's 4 fold command this coming week in our family, parish, workplace and neighbourhood?

6th Sunday of Eastertide Collect

The Collect for the 6th Sunday of Eastertide reads as follows

 

Grant almighty God,

that we may celebrate with heartfelt devotion

these days of joy,

which we keep in honour of the risen Lord,

and that we relive in remembrance

we may always hold to in what we do.

 

 

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

 

 

1. What is the quality of my celebration of Eastertide?

2.  Why do I want to celebrate with heartfelt devotion these days of joy?

3.  What does Christ risen mean for me in my life for this coming week?

4.  What difference does celebrating the risen Lord make to my life/to my coming week?

5.  How does what I hold in faith and what I do compare?


The challenges in today's readings are important for us to consider and for us to decide on what we can do.
1. Are we able to give the reasons to others for which we hope?  Are we able to encourage others to know and love Jesus?
2. Are we able to live by our faith by keeping the commandments, living the beatitudes and having a strong sacramental life?

So  in light of these questions on today's readings  and those that I have posed for reflection on the Collect,  what will you do this week to live your faith more deeply and to love God more fully?

 

     May you continue to receive many Easter blessings.   Alleluia.

 

 

 



 



Collect for 5th Sunday Eastertide.

The Collect for 5th Sunday of Eastertide  reads as follows:

"Almighty ever-living God,

constantly accomplish the Pascal Mystery within us,

that those who You were pleased to make new  in Holy Baptism,

may under your protective care bear much fruit

and come to the joys of life eternal".

 



 

 

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflective questions emerged:

 

 

1. What does the Pascal mystery mean to me?

2.  Why should I want to accomplish the Pascal Mystery within me?

3. What does Baptism mean for my life?

4.  What newness of life have I received this Eastertide?

5.  What have I done with these new graces?


In the Gospel today, Jesus tells His disciples ( and us) " I am the way, the truth and the life''.  We might ask ourselves"' What does this mean to me''.  Sometimes, we might know what to do- we may be puzzled by what is the right route for us. We only have to ask Jesus since He is the way, the truth and the life. 

Yesterday was the centenary of the apparitions of Fatima.  It is interesting to note that despite after 100 years that the message of Fatima of Prayer, Fasting and Saying the Rosary remains as relevant today as then- perhaps even more so.    If we put these two aspects together, then it seems to me that Fatima gives us a practical way to follow Jesus in His way, His truth and His life.

I hope that the blessings of Eastertide have been wonderful for you all and continue to be so.

                                                                Alleluia.


 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



Good Shepherd Sunday-4th Sunday Eastertide

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.

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.

We also need to pray for those priests, who through human fragility/illness of some kind, were not able to live their vocation worthily and through their actions have caused much hurt in the church, not only to those whom they hurt but to the whole church. They still need our prayers even though we may not understand their actions and may feel quite angry and hurt for the mess they have caused in the Church.

May Christ the Good Shepherd encourage and embrace us,

May we listen to the sound of His voice,

Hear His call and follow Him.