Collect 5th Sunday of Lent Year C

COLLECT SERIES.

THE MASS: COLLECT AND GOSPEL REPLECTION

The Collect for the 5th Sunday of Lent Year C is as follows:

By Your Help we beseech You Lord our God,

May we walk eagerly in that same charity

with which, out of love for the world,

Your Son handed himself over to death.

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 reflections questions emerged:

1.   What are the areas in my life that I need help from God?
   
2.    Consider the love with which Christ handed himself over to death. What personal response do I make to Jesus for this enormous love.
   
3. Beseech-implore, entreat, press, demand: all synonyms for beseech. How does using these words make a difference to my reading of the first line of the Collect.
   
4.  When can we ‘’die’’ eagerly out of love for someone else?
   
5. How does the willingness of Jesus to hand himself over to death out of love for me change me this coming week?

GOSPEL REFLECTION.

The Gospel is from St. John, 8:1-11 and is about the woman caught in adultery.

When the scribes and pharisees quote from Moses, they conveniently misquote leaving out the fact that if a man and woman are caught in adultery, they are to be stoned. In other words, both parties are involved not just one.

We also notice the 2 voices of Jesus- one which indicates His sense of injustice and perhaps even disgust because He is fully aware of their malicious intent to blame the woman and let her take the stoning and they wanted to trap Him. Remember the scripture says’’ they were looking for something that they could use against Him’’

Then there is the just and merciful voice of Jesus.  He provides the woman to own the sin that she has committed, and does not condemn her.  The key however which is often overlooked in homilies and commentaries is this point ‘’ Go and sin no more’’. Jesus had allowed her to accuse herself and own her sin, had been merciful in not condemning her in full view of the crowd, but when they were alone releases her from the burden of the sin by saying ‘’neither do I condemn you’’.  The crucial part is’’ Go and sin no more’’. In other words, her sin was forgiven but with that comes the responsibility to begin again and attempt to sin no more.

 Jesus, who is the just One, does not condemn the woman; whereas these people are sinners, yet they pass sentence of death. God's infinite mercy should move us always to have compassion on those who commit sins, because we ourselves are sinners and in need of God's forgiveness.

So how does this Gospel passage affect us at this stage of our Lenten journey?  What difference will it make in our lives this week?  We can examine the times we

1.    accuse others leaving out details to suit our own agenda,

2.    play the blame game,

3.    are self-righteous in our thinking rather than humbly acknowledging we are sinners,

4.    have not provided merciful response to family, co-workers, parishioners, those we meet.

5.    Continue to commit the same sins without addressing the cause or making the effort to ‘’Go sin no more’’.

As we listen to this Gospel today at Mass, why not choose our course of action of how we may put this Gospel into our lives in a practical way throughout this week.

Stand firm in Faith

REFLECTION AND PRAYER SERIES.

REFLECTION AND PRAYER SERIES

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 Scripture reflection is 

'It is by faith that you stand firm.
(2 Corinthians 1:24)

Christ the Redeemer  Reflection and Prayer Series Icon

My post is called:

                                                      Stand firm in faith

Faith does not expect to have all questions answered

Faith celebrates the search and rejoices in life’s journey.''.

4th Promise: They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death”.

PROMISES OF THE SACRED HEART

Sacred Heart of Jesus: Promises of the Sacred Heart series icon.

In this series, there will be posts on the Promises of the Sacred on each first Friday where I will focus on each promise each Month.

FOURTH PROMISE

As we begin another moth let us focus our attention on the fourth Promise which is our focus for the month of April.

'

Our Fourth Promise is ' They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death”.

We can find in the Heart of Jesus an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death if we look and desire it first in ourselves and then, through our own certainly of the refuge of Jesus, we can attract others to God. whether they be family members or work colleagues/ parishioners or a stranger.

How do we not experience that assured refuge within myself? The answers are as varied as our unique selves, and yet on many occasions, it has to do with a form of selfishness and/or one or more of the seven deadly sins being in play within ourselves.  If you wish to explore this further then I recommend that you read my 12 steps Catholic Spirituality series. Click here to read the first post of the series.

You may also wish to explore my series on the Virtues which are the answer to living a holy life and a remedy for each of the seven deadly sins.  Click here to read the first post of the series.  

CONSIDERING THIS PROMISE

When we consider the word refuge, other synonyms for it include Sanctuary, shelter, protection, harbour, retreat, haven, place of safety. So now the 4^th promise could read

1.    We can find in the Heart of Jesus an assured sanctuary during life and especially at the hour of death.

2.    We can find in the Heart of Jesus an assured shelter during life and especially at the hour of death.

3.    We can find in the Heart of Jesus an assured protection during life and especially at the hour of death.

4.    We can find in the Heart of Jesus an assured harbour during life and especially at the hour of death.

What a blessing- this is the 4^th promise and our focus for the month of April.

You will note also that the 4^th promise from Jesus not only through our life but especially at the hour of death.  We may wonder why use the word especially as if to emphasise it.

Our time and circumstances of our deaths are known only to God.  We need therefore to be ready at any given time. We all know people who have been taken in utero, people taken in infancy, people taken suddenly, people who have gone to God when they were young, people who die because of ill health and people who die from natural causes (old age). For example, last night at Mass, I heard of a Dominican priest who had passed at the age of 104.

With each of these passing of these people we know, we have a reaction. It may remind us of the fragility of life and of our own death. When we have these thoughts, we are not being morbid. It is a blessing to be reminded because if our life is not in order- we are not living according to our Catholic faith as well as we can, it is an opportunity to review our lives and get it into order, review our habits, review our priorities and put God again first place.

It is important to find in the Heart of Jesus an assured refuge especially at the hour of death because we can find mercy there from Him who loves us unconditionally.  God provides for us the opportunity to repent not only before we pass but up to 15 minutes (approx.) afterwards until the soul leaves the body.  Why wait until then.
Jesus in the gospels tells us to live life to the full and part of that fullness is being prepared every day to meet Him.  We need the assured refuge especially at the hour of death so that we may be given the grace to say sorry to God for our sins.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

1.     Bring the family together for a meeting in how each individual and as a family may put this into practical application for this month.
   (NB:  Obviously, the discussion needs to be age appropriate and when discussing the hour of death aspect of this 4^th promise to be mindful of how you will approach it before having the discussion. Consider what family members might say/feel so that you, as the driver for the discussion can ensure the emotional and spiritual safety of the family when having this discussion).
2.  Remember to get each member to be specific so that the process of practical application is viable and able to be managed.
3. Think about how you might apply this promise not only In your own life and family but in your parish and extended world.
4.  If you live alone, then you can reflect on it yourself first and decide on how you may carry out/live the promise during the month. Discuss it too with Jesus. He wants to know how you feel about this promise.  There may be opportunities during the month to discuss it with other people in your life.

Remember to focus on both parts of the promise- in life and especially at the hour of death but by including the other synonyms in the discussion you can focus on the beauty and the magnificence of the promise Jesus is offering.
This 4th promise may also assist us in our Lenten journey as we consider His death and resurrection and what this promise may mean in that context for us.

Above all, remember Jesus and His love.

Personal Note: I did start this post yesterday on First Friday- sorry for the delay in posting.

no 94 What is the meaning of the expression "'conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit""

COMPENDIUM SERIES

 

No 94 What is the meaning of the expression “conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit”? (484- 485)

WHAT DOES THE COMPENDIUM SAY?

Compendium states: 

This expression means that the Virgin Mary conceived the eternal Son in her womb by the power Holy Spirit without the cooperation of a man.  The angel told her at the annunciation that the Holy Spirit will come upon you (Lk 1:35)

PERSONAL RESPONSE

What does this mean for me?

• I can thank God constantly for Mary’s faith and her yes to God.  By Mary May not have understood completely in how this was to be, but I love and faith in god is an example to me. 
• I can be thankful that Joseph was a man of honour and cooperated with with God’s plan through Mary as husband and stepfather to Jesus.
• Some people think that Catholics worship Mary.  I can direct them clue to the true teaching, that is, Catholics worship and adore God only, but venerate Mary and the saints through prayer using sacred images to help them in the contemplation.
• I can be thankful too that Jesus chose to love us and humbled himself by being born of a woman.  I can ponder bear Jesus the Son of God lived in Mary’s womb for nine months going through: all the stages of development by the baby goes through in utero.

    Questions to consider.

1. 1. How would my explanation of this teaching make a difference to another person?
   
2. 1. 2. 

    What benefit does it have to me knowing that Jesus grew up in the womb of Mary        but it was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit? 
3. 3.     3. How do I say yes to God when I do not understand what He is asking? Is my faith strong like Mary to yes to God without fully understanding?
4. 3.      4.How do I carry the word of God to others so that they too can carry and give birth to Him  in their lives? 

1. 
   
2. 2.
3. 
   

Responsorial Psalm Part 1: About the Mass Vol 2

Liturgy of the Word: Responsorial Psalm Part 1.

THE MASS: ABOUT THE MASS VOL 2 ICON.

Why read/sing Psalms?

God speaks to the people by doing marvels from them. The people respond by celebrating those marvels. God leads the people of the Exodus across the Red Sea. Myriam, the tambourine player, celebrates the Lord who threw horse and rider into the sea (Exod 15 &21). God delivers Anna from her barrenness by giving her Samuel. Anna responds by celebrating the Lord who enables a barren woman to give birth seven times 

(I Sam 2:5).  In the New Testament God blesses the virginity of Mary by making her the mother of Jesus. Mary glorifies the Lord; she exults in God her Saviour and in this Jesus that she carries within her. 

The Word commemorates old marvels; we as the community celebrate those deeds today and actualise them on the level of our celebration: we respond to the God of marvels through the Responsorial Psalm.

STRUCTURE OF DIALOGUE.

Notice also the structure of the dialogue that the Lectionary establishes between the Word that comes from God, and the word that comes to us as the community:

·                     Word of God: Old Testament.

·                     The community responds: (spoken/singing) Responsorial Psalm.

·                     Word of God: Letters from the New Testament:

·                     The community speak/sing: Gospel Acclamation.

·                     Word of God: Gospel.

·                     The community prays: General Intercessions (Prayers of the Faithful).

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: ITS IMPORTANCE FOR US AT MASS.

 The Word proclaimed is the word of the covenant. The psalm that responds to it is the canticle of the Covenant. The Word prepares for the Covenant, making us enter into it. The Psalm sings its grace, imploring God to keep us in it.

 Just before his Ascension, Jesus speaks to the apostles about what is written concerning him in ‘the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms’. (Lk 24:44).  Therefore, Jesus’ story is found in the Psalms.   Every Sunday, (weekdays too) the community is invited to read a page of that story, to discover an aspect of the face of Jesus.  

Let us recognise His face in the Psalm this week and RESPOND

Step 2 Personal and group discussion-12 step Catholic Spirituality Series.

12 STEP CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY SERIES : STEP 2 

I started this series in September 2018 and will continue with the series this year.  If you have not read the first posts, click here to read.  This series is based on the 12 Steps of AA and could have easily been called 12 Step Christian Anon programme.  However, I prefer to think of it as a 12 Step guide to Catholic spirituality

Today we continue on with Step 2: We Confess that Jesus Christ can lead us to the fullness of life.

 COMPLETING STEP 2:PERSONAL REFLECTION (STEP 2 CONTINUED)

It is now time towards completing step 2 by looking at what we have learnt about ourselves and through personal reflection.  This 12 step guide to catholic spirituality is very personal because we are all unique in our spirituality.  So what I offer in the personal reflection section are some suggestions.  If they don’t work for you, then find another solution.  The important thing is to not give up,  but to keep moving forward in a quest to becoming as God made us, that is, in His image and likeness.

PERSONAL REFLECTION.

1.     1. Begin with the New Testament reading it slowly.  When you come to sections you do not understand, make a list of questions for discussion with a priest and/or another Catholic.  The aim is to get an understanding about Jesus proclaimed in the gospels.  If you already have this perspective on Jesus in the gospels, then you might like to venture into other New Testament writings.

2. I also suggest that you choose wisely the priest and/or catholic with whom you ask your questions and discuss these matters.  It is very important to choose someone who is very knowledgeable in the faith and can  discuss these matters in keeping with the catholic church, not their version of what the Catholic Church should teach or worse still, a misguided version of what they hope the Church might teach in the future.    Sadly there is a huge difference and not every Catholic or priest is well formed, so ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the right person who can help you and lead you to the truth  of God.

2. If you are not currently worshipping, then I encourage you to find catholic community, experience their worship and get a feel for it.  Ask yourself and Holy Spirit ‘’ Do I feel like I belong here?’’. 

3 3   If you are already a catholic and attend mass regularly in your parish, then you may wish to review how you feel about your parish, not to walk away from it, but to discern how you feel about your parish.  Is it your spiritual home?  If so, what are the reasons for it?  If not, then what will need to change within yourself to made it so?  Answering these questions can be very enlightening.

44.  Having made a list of questions that you wish to discuss, you may wish to consult with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Although this book is an excellent reference, it can be confusing to understand.  I highly recommend the compendium of the catholic church, since it is set out with questions and answers which a short, concise and easy to read.  I have also have a series called compendium of the catholic church where I discuss one question per week.  In this series, I like to personalise what I have learned and make the practical for my life.  You may wish to check out my series using the above link.

55.   Having asked the Holy Spirit to guide you to the right priest and/or another  Catholic, make an appointment to discuss the questions that you have.  Be ready to listen to this person as well as the Holy Spirit speaking within you.  Be discerning.  If they give your answers that our contrary to what you have already read in the compendium of the catholic church, then it may be wise to move on and find somebody more suitable.  Your faith is not only important but it is to be treasured carefully.  It is the pearl of great price.

6.    Hear  Jesus asking you ‘’ or who do you say I am?’’ What is your response?

66.Why not consider spending some money to install Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)- where you can get the catholic station from America 24/7.  The programs give the true Catholic perspective.  Financially, you’re paying for the installation but there is ongoing fee. The website is also very helpful

GROUP DISCUSSION.

1. Ask each member to give their answer to the Jesus’ question “ who do you say I am?’’

22.   Why is the resurrection such an important Christian belief?

33.   What is the problem of focusing on the resurrection only and not including the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross?  Why  is it fundamentally flawed?

44.  What do you believe about the resurrection?

55.   How did Jesus reveal God to us?

66.  What do Catholics and Christians believe about Christ’s redemption?

Hopefully by now, you will feel ready to move to step 3: ‘’ we decide to turn our lives over to Jesus Christ’’.  I will begin step 3 next week.

Remember, in step 2, our objective is to confess that Jesus Christ can lead us to the fullness of life.  When working through such a programme, we can feel that we are never quite ready to move forward.  The advantage of such a programme is that we can come back to it and deepen our faith as we begin again through the 12 steps.

I have done this a number of times and always given the benefit of it because I have commenced the programme from a place of faith at that time.  It is important to remember that our faith never stays still.  We are either progressing are regressing at any given time.  Hopefully, we are progressing in our faith and love for God.

However, if you need more time to work through step two, then take that time.  Do not feel pressured to move forward.  The Holy Spirit  will guide you when you are ready to make that next step.  Be guided by the Holy Spirit.  My blog posts will be there when you are ready to read them.

Next week: step 3: we decided to turn our lives over to Jesus Christ

Jesus enters Jerusalem Mk 11 1-11 Gospel of Mark Series

THE BIBLE Gospel of Mark series icon 

During 2019, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. If you are following this series for the first time, you will find this series under Scripture- New Testament- Gospel of Mark. 

JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM  Gospel of Mark series 

Click here to read the first post in the series. I have written this series in different years (2012, 2015, 2018) with some irregularity, but am determined to complete this series this year since I am more than half way through this Gospel.

My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.  In today's post we explore chapter 10:46-52 which is called Jesus enters Jerusalem

Jesus enters Jerusalem

Jesus draws near to Jerusalem at Bethpage and Bethany to enter the city from the mountain of Olives to the east, since He had come from Jericho near the Jordan River.  Jesus is about to begin in Jerusalem what Mark’s gospel is a brief ministry.

The prophecy of Zechariah may be in Marks thoughts as he describes the preparation for the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, not on a horse’. but humbly on the donkey.  Jesus tells his disciples to bring a young donkey from a village.

Some of the disciples spontaneously place their garments, on the donkey.  Others spread them on the roadway before him, which again reminds us of ‘’the way’’ along which Jesus leads His disciples.  Others cut leafy branches, from the fields on the mount of Olives.

Some disciples go before him and some and follow, but without the great crowds which we find in the gospel of Matthew.  They jointly sing hosanna, which literally means ‘’please save’’ and was commonly used as a joyful cry of praise to God.  They shout and sing together, that Jesus is one blessed by God who is coming to Jerusalem in His name.

He comes as a humble servant ready to give even his life, to ransom the people into the freedom God’s kingdom.  This humble entry reveals He is the Messiah to those in of faith in God, but conceals it from those who seek a different kind of messiah.

Jesus enters the temple.  He looks around and then with the twelve leaves the city to spend the night at Bethany on the Mount of Olives.

JOURNAL REFLECTIONS

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?

• Imagine that you are one of the disciples- What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?

• Imagine being one of the disciples placing the branches on the donkey or following along the way behind Jesus  who can now see.- what would you have felt?  

• What is reading the Gospel passage with the eyes and ears of disciple mean to me?

• How does Jesus invite me to look at in my life?

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus? What questions do I want to ask Him about my life and what following Him as a disciple means?

• Am I willing to look into myself with honesty and ask how much do I grasp what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus with sight in the light of this teaching? 

• Is my faith in the divine power of Christ, whom we follow, large enough to make us ready to walking faithfully his ‘’way’’?

• In the light of this passage, how will you respond to Jesus as a true disciple?

• If a fellow parishioner had read this passage, what might he/she say about this passage?

• In the light of this Gospel passage what positive change will you adopt in your life and in your spiritual life.  How will you implement these changes?