All four Gospels record the presence of a group of women at the crucifixion of Jesus: (Matthew 27:55-56) ; (Mark 15:40-41); (Luke 23:49); (John 19:25-27).  From these descriptions, we can immediately glean a number of facts:  There were many women present at the crucifixion.  These women had followed Jesus from Galilee and helped support His ministry.  For the most part, these women observed the crucifixion from afar, or at a distance, but at some point, a group of them got close enough to stand by the cross of Jesus, and hear Him speak.

With these facts in place, let’s turn our attention to identifying the different women named by the evangelists. This task is complicated by the ambiguity in John’s description: (Jn 19:25). John tells us that both the mother of Jesus, and her sister were present at the crucifixion. But is John telling us that this sister is Mary the wife of Clopas, or is he listing Mary the wife of Clopas as a separate person?

On balance, it seems more likely that the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus is the same woman as Mary the wife of Clopas. This is evidenced in the fact that John inserts an 'and' between the other names, but doesn’t include it here: “his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene”. It seems that the words Mary the wife of Clopas are placed in apposition to the words his mother’s sister; that is, they are describing who his mother’s sister is, rather than introducing a new person.

But if this reading is correct, then we are left with a new puzzle: Does it really make sense to say that Mary the mother of Jesus had a sister who was also called Mary? Admittedly, there was far less variety of personal names in first century Judea, than what we observe in western culture today. Mary in particular was an extremely popular female name, accounting for as many as one in four of the women who lived in the Holy Land during Jesus’s day. But even so, it still seems unlikely that a family would give two of their daughters the same first name.

Fortunately, we can avoid this conundrum, by recognizing that the Greek word for 'sister' is not necessarily restricted to biological siblings. For example, the word can also refer to sisters-in-law, which in this instance seems to make the most sense. In fact, early Christian tradition identifies Clopas as the brother of Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. If this tradition is correct, then Joseph and Clopas were brothers, who both married women called Mary, and these Marys were therefore sisters-in-law.  

We can therefore conclude with some degree of probability, that Mary the wife of Clopas is the woman whom John describes as the sister(-in-law) of Mary the mother of Jesus. Where things get a whole lot more complicated, however, is in the scholarly debates over whether this Mary the wife of Clopas who appears in John’s Gospel is the same woman as the one whom Matthew calls 'Mary the mother of James and Joseph', and Mark calls 'Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses'. 

(Note: Joses is simply a Greek variant on the name Joseph; hence Matthew and Mark are clearly referring to the same woman).  

While this debate can be fascinating, it also tends to be inconclusive. For this reason, we won’t get into this arguments here.  

This leaves one final enigma, namely, the identity of the woman Salome. Only Mark’s Gospel mentions her by name, but there is good reason to suppose that she is the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Mt 10:2). This reasoning is based on the fact that Matthew and Mark offer parallel descriptions of the women present at the crucifixion, but whereas Matthew lists 'Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee', Mark’s version gives us 'Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome'.  On this basis, it is often inferred that Salome is the mother of the sons of Zebedee. If this is correct, then it suggests that Salome is the same mother who approached Jesus, earlier in the Gospels, to ask whether her two 'sons of thunders' (Mk 3:17) might sit at His right and left hand in His Kingdom (Mt 20:20-24).

Based on the foregoing, we are now in a position to summarize which women were present at the crucifixion:

1. Mary Magdalene

2. Mary of Clopas (= the sister-in-law of Mary the Mother of Jesus)

3. Mary the mother of James and Joseph (= POSSIBLY the same woman as #2)

4. Salome (= the mother of the sons of Zebedee)

5. Mary the Mother of Jesus

Of course, these are just a few of the 'many women' (Mt 27:55) who accompanied Jesus to Calvary, and remained with Him in His darkest hour.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of this season.

May these weeks leading up to the celebration of your Passion, Death and Resurrection remind us who you are, 

how you love us, and how you have called us to be your followers.

May we journey through this season in prayer, removing distractions that take our gaze from your glory.

May we see your love and goodness in new ways.

May our actions reflect our hearts, and may we worship you through all that we say and do, throughout the coming weeks.

May Easter be a day of joyful celebration as we meet you, who alone can raise us up from our ashes, Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lent 2025, is a journey within a journey, as it falls within the Jubilee 2025 with its theme Pilgrims of Hope. 

So, while Lent is often seen as a time to pause and reflect, may this Lent be for us a time to carry on moving – to continue on our pilgrim journey towards the celebration of the Resurrection.

Throughout the Jubilee 2025 there is only one way into St Peter's Basilica in Rome: through the Holy Door opened by Pope Francis, on Christmas Eve at the start of the Jubilee. There is also something ‘one way' about a true celebration of the Season of Lent:  “A return to God with all our heart, to strip ourselves of worldly trappings, and return to the heart, returning to what is essential” (Pope Francis).  

“Lent helps us to remove all the cosmetics that we use, in order to appear presentable, better than we really are. It means looking within ourselves, and acknowledging our real identity, removing the masks we so often wear, slowing the frantic pace of our lives, and embracing life and the truth of who we are. Life is not a play; Lent invites us to come down from the stage, and return to the heart, to the reality of who we are: a return to the heart and the truth” (Pope Francis).

The Holy Father invites us to join with the Church, on this one-way Lenten journey of Hope, towards the joy of Easter.

Now there is only Sacred Silence, no chit-chat, no phones, no unnecessary noise. It is similar to the places Jesus went to be alone, to spend time with our Father.  The saints similarly went to locations, away from worldly noise, to pray, and worship their Creator. God speaks to us in this Holy Silence; here we kneel, pray, and have a conversation with Him. In our mind’s eye, we can see the angels and saints surrounding the Blessed Sacrament, and glorifying God, just as they do in heaven. The Book of Revelation tells us how every creature in heaven and earth cries out in adoration, “To the one who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be blessing and honour, glory and might, forever and ever” (Rev. 5:13).  Attentive to the beautiful surroundings, it is the longing for God, and His nearness that consumes us.  It is a time to listen, a difficult trait for many of us, a time we can discard from our minds, everything that does not belong to Him.

We kneel, or sit quietly; He waits for us, wants to hear about our lives, our joys, our sorrows. In His presence, we recall how He was insulted, publicly humiliated, and suffered for us, to save us from eternal damnation. Now we can thank Him, tell Him we love Him, give Him thanks for all the graces, and blessings, He gives us — words of Thanksgiving we rarely offer. In His presence, we always genuflect in homage.

The Church concluded, that the Eucharistic grace(s) from Jesus, should not be limited to Holy Communion. He is present with us, when hidden in the tabernacle (dwelling place), and when exposed on the altar. He is here for us to Adore. These periods of Exposition, have been going on since around the 13th century. Initially, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed on a church altar, to offer Thanksgiving for God’s intervention, resulting in military victories; the Sacrament was likewise exposed during times of crisis, including war, famine or widespread illness. People would come before the Sacrament, and pray for God’s Divine assistance, in whatever the crisis was. This was the forerunner of Forty Hours Devotion, perpetual Adoration, and the other times of Exposition in our churches.

Pope Benedict XVI said, “I heartily recommend to the Church’s pastors, and to the People of God, the practice of Eucharistic Adoration, both individually, and in community. Great benefit would ensue from a suitable catechesis, explaining this act of worship, which enables the faithful to experience the Liturgical celebration, more fully and fruitfully” (Sacrament of Charity, no. 67). 

Benediction ends the glorious time of the Eucharist being exposed for Adoration. The priest or deacon, and all present, kneel before the Sacrament and sing “Tantum Ergo”, as written over 800 years ago by Thomas Aquinas. The presider uses incense, to praise our Saviour, while we are singing. Other prayers are said, then the celebrant wearing a humeral veil, goes to the altar, and with covered hands, elevates the monstrance, and it is Jesus who Blesses all in attendance. The significance of the covered hands, is to distinguish that it is not the celebrant, but Jesus who is giving this Blessing. We say the Divine Praises together, and then the celebrant reposes the Blessed Sacrament into the tabernacle. Benediction can be finished with the singing of “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name.”  We depart with an overwhelming sense of peace.

While spending time with Jesus, exposed on our altars, provides us a special time to worship Him, we can also go into any Catholic church, when open, and adore Our Saviour, hidden in the tabernacle. He is always present. 

Canon Law, No. 937 tells us: “Unless there is grave reason to the contrary, the church in which the Most Holy Sacrament is reserved, is to be open to the faithful, for at least some hours everyday, so that they can pray before the Most Blessed Sacrament.”

A plenary indulgence can be obtained by spending at least a half hour in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, and completing the other indulgence requirements: confession, penance, Holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Pope.

Adapted from an article by D.D. Emmons 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes the centrality of the Liturgical year for all who follow Christ: “The Church, ‘in the course of the year,…unfolds the whole mystery of Christ from his Incarnation and Nativity through his Ascension, to Pentecost and the expectation of the blessed hope of the coming of the Lord'” (CCC, No. 1194).

There’s no need to do anything elaborate to grow in your practice of liturgical living.  Celebrating the Church year can be as simple as changing your prayer habits in small ways, or incorporating the liturgical seasons into daily life.

For example, start by noticing what you already do at home to mark the changing seasons in the Church: Advent candles, Christmas or Easter decorations, or special food for holidays.  One easy idea is to change your prayer habits each month. Start your daily prayer with the Hail Mary in October, in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary. Pray your own short litany of favourite saints each day in November.  Liturgical living isn’t limited to home either, especially if you spend much of the day on the go. In November, you could say a short prayer whenever you pass a church or cemetery, in honour of our beloved dead. In December, pray “Come, Lord Jesus” whenever you see a Nativity scene.

When planning your calendar for work or home, check online to see what saints’ feast days are coming soon. You might start by marking memorials that connect with your name, nationality, parish. Beyond birthdays, remember family and friends in prayer on their baptism, anniversary, or wedding anniversary, too.

The Liturgical year is a gift that belongs to all of us. Every Christian can access and grow from the joy that comes in celebrating the sacred seasons. Following the Liturgical year is not one more thing ‘to do,’ but a way to live. Clearly, the best way is to keep the Liturgy at the centre of your life — so when you prioritize Mass on Sunday, you’re already doing it!

Each day has a particular meaning that invites us to meditate and offer our prayers with specific intentions.  This traditional weekly spiritual itinerary helps us deepen our faith, and live it more intensely.   Here are the meanings of each day:

Monday: The souls in purgatory 

This day we pray for the souls who are waiting to reach heaven. One day, we too will be part of that purgatory, and the Church will pray for us so that we may reach eternal glory.

Tuesday: The Holy Guardian Angels 

Each one of us has a guardian angel who watches over us and protects us. Although we cannot avoid all difficulties, we know that they are there to free us from evil, and help us fulfil God’s plans.

Wednesday: Saint Joseph

The powerful intercessor who cared for Jesus and Mary deserves our special veneration. 

Thursday: The Holy Eucharist.  

It is the day to remember the institution of Christ’s greatest gift: His real presence in the Eucharist. In every Mass, we relive that infinite love, that always accompanies us.

Friday: The Passion of the Lord

Friday reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. It is a day to meditate on His surrender, and on the love that saves us.

Saturday: The Blessed Virgin Mary

Saturday is dedicated to Mary, who lived the greatest loneliness after the death of her Son.  Although she knew that Jesus would rise again, the pain she experienced was immense.  This day we accompany her in her hope and strength.

Sunday: The Holy Trinity

The Lord’s day is dedicated to the mystery of the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the heart of our faith.

In this weekly structure, we find the great mysteries of our faith: the Trinity, the Eucharist, the passion of Christ, his Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, the angels who guard us, and the souls in purgatory. These devotions help us to live our spiritual life with more meaning, and to offer our prayers for specific causes. But God is always beckoning us deeper into the life of faith. Contemplating the truths held in the Liturgical year, can help us to keep Christ’s dying and rising — the Paschal mystery — at the heart of our faith.  Try one new thing this season, a prayer or practice that can draw your faith into daily life: your own Ordinary Time.

Adapted from an articles by Laura Kelly Fanucci ( October24)  and from www.exaldi.org 

As a child of God, known and knit together in my mother’s womb - Lord, let me believe in your love. 

As a child of God, baptized to be a dwelling place of the Holy Trinity - Lord, let me believe in your love. 

As a child of God, rescued, redeemed, and recreated - Lord, let me believe in your love.

As a child of God, chosen and anointed for a purpose - Lord, let me believe in your love.

When I am swallowed up in self-condemnation - Lord, let me receive your love.

When I am tempted to hopelessness and quiet despair - Lord, let me receive your love.

When I am experiencing the ache of longing and loneliness - Lord, let me receive your love.

When I am overwhelmed by the demands of life - Lord, let me receive your love.

In the place of my deepest wounds - Lord, love me there.

In the place of my secret shame - Lord, love me there.

In the place of my buried memories - Lord, love me there.

In the place of the enemy’s strongholds - Lord, love me there.

With bold confidence - Let me rejoice in your love, Lord.

With child-like faith - Let me rejoice in your love, Lord.

With reverent awe - Let me rejoice in your love, Lord.

With profound gratitude - Let me rejoice in your love, Lord.

That others may be consoled - Let me reveal your love, Lord.

That others may be healed - Let me reveal your love, Lord.

That others may be strengthened - Let me reveal your love, Lord.

That others may be given a future and a hope - Let me reveal your love, Lord.

Through intimacy with you in prayer - Open my heart even more to your love, Lord.

Through the grace of the sacraments - Open my heart even more to your love, Lord.

Through the sweetness of suffering with you - Open my heart even more to your love, Lord.

Through the continuous revelation of Yourself in this present paradise - Open my heart even more to your love, Lord.

Father, Author of my life, -  I love you. 

Jesus, Redeemer of my life, - I love you.

Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of my life, -  I love you.

Holy Mary, whose maternal mission is to lead me deeper into the love of the Trinity, -  Pray for me.

Amen. 

In order to remember,

we must forget.

Only when we forget

do we truly re-member.

To remember is to romanticise,

to subconsciously construct subtle changes in our recall,

a little emphasis here,

a little nuance there,

according to our own imaginations

- and prejudices.

Our collective memories so easily fail us

and fool us.

So we can become blinded

to what truly led to so many being slaughtered,

those whose precious souls we recall today.

Yesterday.

And today.

And forever.

In our remembering,

we so easily forget.

So we must forget,

because our remembering has become foggy,

comfortable, distorted,

and our familiarity has bred contempt.

We must let it all go

in a cloud of forgetting.

Only then may we truly see,

beholding as if for the first time.

If we truly re-member we will be shocked.

Shocked at what was then.

Shocked at what is today.

Shocked, and awakened

- woken up to suffering,

which we do so much to avoid.

A romanticised story

is so much easier to handle

than the truth.

But in seeing for the first time,

we are awakened.

Peace is a vain hope

if we remain asleep.

So we must wake up.

Wake up to war - and all its horrors.

And wake up to peace.

If we awake,

if we re-member as though for the first time,

we will see the precariousness of our world

as though for the first time.

Maybe, this year, we are beginning to wake up?

‘Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God’.

If we are to make peace,

we must be peace.

We just add to the noise

if we merely clamour for peace .

Peace is given,

and peace is what we can become.

Today.

If we awaken, we awaken to everything,

as it is, with all its terribleness.

But, deeper than this,

we awaken to the gift of Peace.

It is time to wake up…

A world that has become heartless and indifferent to greed and war, and a Catholic Church in need of revitalizing its missionary joy, need to open themselves up to Christ's infinite love - Pope Francis wrote this in the Encyclical, on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ, called 'He loved us'.

By contemplating Jesus' Sacred Heart, the faithful can be filled with the ‘living water that can heal the hurt we have caused, strengthen our ability to love and serve others, and inspire us to journey together, toward a just, solidary, and fraternal world’.

While it is the Pope's fourth encyclical, it is meant to be understood in conjunction with his previous ones, ‘Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home, and ‘Fratelli Tutti’, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.

The present document can help us see those teachings of the social encyclicals … For it is by drinking of that same love, that we become capable of forging bonds of fraternity, of recognizing the dignity of each human being, and of working together, to care for our common home.

Since 1899, there have been four papal encyclicals, and numerous texts, dedicated to the Sacred Heart -- a symbol of Jesus' infinite love.

When we witness the outbreak of new wars, with the complicity, tolerance, or indifference of other countries, we may be tempted to conclude that our world is losing its heart.

The human person embodies spiritual, emotional, creative, and affective dimensions, that are often undervalued, neglected, or squelched in today's world.  It is the heart, that integrates all these dimensions, that are so often fragmented or neglected.

The most precious treasures, that animate, and dwell in the human heart, are often the simple, and poignant moments in life.

All these little things, ordinary in themselves yet extraordinary for us, can never be captured by algorithms and artificial intelligence and, in fact, poetry and love are necessary, to save our humanity, not just reason and technology.

Many saints, and religious congregations have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart.  St. Ignatius' Spiritual exercises, encourage people to ‘enter into the heart of Christ’ to ‘enlarge our own hearts’ and train them to ‘sense and savour’ the Gospel message, and ‘converse about it with the Lord’.

Christ's heart, is aflame with infinite love, and Christ desires to be loved in return, especially by loving and serving one's neighbours, and those who are most marginalized.

Jesus recognizing the dignity of every person, especially those who were considered 'unworthy’.

‘In union with Christ, amid the ruins we have left in this world by our sins, we are called to build a new civilization of love. That is what it means to make reparation, as the heart of Christ would have us do’.  ‘Amid the devastation wrought by evil, the heart of Christ desires that we cooperate with Him, in restoring goodness, and beauty to our world’.

Pope Francis invited Catholics to rediscover, or strengthen, their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the practices connected with it, particularly Eucharistic adoration, and receiving the Eucharist, on the first Friday of each month.  This practice once served to remind the faithful, that Communion was not a reward for the perfect, but to renew people's confidence, in the ‘merciful and ever-present love’ of Christ in the Eucharist, and His invitation ‘to union with Him’.

Today the First Friday’s devotion, can help counter ‘the frenetic pace of today's world, and our obsession with free time, consumption, and diversion, mobile phones and social media, (and) we forget to nourish our lives with the strength of the Eucharist’.

Pope Francis’ encyclical addresses the human and Divine love, reflected in the Heart of Jesus Christ.  Pope Francis delves into the importance of the heart, as a symbol of the intimate and spiritual centre of the person, and of Jesus Christ.

1. The Love of Jesus Christ

The Pope begins by recalling that Jesus Christ loved us deeply.  This love is unconditional, and does not require any prior merit. Jesus Christ calls us friends, and offers us His friendship and love, in a selfless, and complete way.  

“He loved us”, Saint Paul says (cf. Rom 8:37), in order to make us realize that nothing can ever "separate us" from that love (cf. Rom 8:39).

2. The Importance of the Heart

The heart is presented as an essential symbol, to express the love of Jesus Christ, since the heart represents the centre of our inner life, the place where our most important, and sincere, decisions are made.

3. The Heart in Culture and the Bible

In ancient times, the heart was considered the centre of thought and emotions. In the Bible, it is mentioned that the Word of God discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart, which shows its importance, as the core of sincerity and personal truth.

4. Return to the Heart

In a modern world, dominated by superficiality and consumerism, Pope Francis calls for a return to the heart. This return implies a deep self-knowledge, and a search for authenticity, in our actions and relationships.

5. The Heart and Human Relationships

The heart is fundamental to establishing authentic relationships, and overcoming the fragmentation of individualism. A society without a heart, is a narcissistic and isolated society. The heart allows for true connection and communion with others.

6. The Heart of Jesus as a Model

The Pope invites us to contemplate the Heart of Jesus Christ, which symbolizes His love for humanity. This heart is the living core of the Christian message, and the origin of our faith. The gestures and words of Jesus in the Gospels, show how He loves us, and draws close to us.

7. The Adoration of the Heart of Jesus

The heart of Jesus is a symbol of His Divine and human love, and invites us to a personal and trusting relationship with Him.

8. The Image of the Heart of Jesus

The Pope emphasizes that the image of the Heart of Jesus is not one among many, but a real symbol that represents the centre of His love for humanity. This image calls us to adoration, and union, with Christ, in His entirety.

9. Sensitive and Divine Love

The love of Jesus Christ is both Divine and human. His human heart, full of affections and feelings, is a sacrament of His infinite love. Devotion to the Heart of Jesus, helps us to understand and experience this lov,e in all its dimensions.

10. Social Consequences of the Heart

The Pope concludes that taking the heart seriously has social implications. A society that values ​​the heart, will be able to overcome current imbalances and conflicts, promoting a more just, and loving world.

‘Dilexit Nos’ is an invitation to rediscover the importance of the heart, both in our spiritual life, and in our human and social relationships. The Heart of Jesus is presented as the perfect model of unconditional and total love, which calls us to live an authentic and full life, in communion with God, and with others.

It has taken many years, but I have come to the realization that, no matter what I do, no matter what I don’t do, not every single person whom I encounter, will absolutely love or adore me!  Even if I try to do every single thing right, even if I try to be a really super-nice guy to all, some people will not like me!  Maybe I remind them of someone else! Perhaps I bring to mind a nuisance from school?  And, maybe, just maybe, it’s actually me?

Perhaps I can be annoying, thoughtless, nasty, and hurtful, both unintentionally, and, in my sinful nature, intentionally.

There can a shedload compliments given after a homily, but the one criticism given, that’s what I will remember!  It’s all part of fallen human nature. 

It’s a simple fact — not everyone will always like me. And, sadly, if I’m honest with myself, there’s some people whom I encounter, about whom I’m not too crazy, either!

Jesus, who is truly the only perfectly just man, and who is the only one worthy of adoration, predicts His rejection, and ultimately His blessed Passion.

If Jesus, who alone is perfect, can be not be accepted, and loved by all, why should we humble creatures, created in God’s image and likeness, but still fallen, expect anything different?

For those of us who are ordained for service to God’s people, for those engaged in pastoral work, we want to be liked.  Let’s face it, being liked helps bring people to Church, and to the Lord.  But it’s also nice to be liked!

We should remember that, in humility, our job, our task, indeed the task of all Christians, is not about being liked and admired.  It’s all about being good and just, being Christ, to all whom we meet.  Our task, in spite of our flaws and failings, is to cultivate the peace of Christ to the world.  

Let us Pray for that grace, in spite of our uncertainties.

On average, people check their phones almost 100 times a day.  What if that attention and time was directed toward God? 

This video, explorers the power of Eucharistic Adoration. This practice, of silence with God, has the power to transform our lives. You’re invited into a practice, that can change how you view yourself, the world, and your future.  

The Catechism says the heart is “the inner dwelling”.  It’s the place of emotions and passions, but also the centre of our soul. What if we let God touch our souls, through silence with God in Eucharistic Adoration?

We take kindness for granted, forgetting both its central importance, and the need to cultivate it, in self, and others.

“We are for the most part unhappy, because the world is an unkind world” so wrote Fr. Frederick Faber (a close collaborator with John Henry Newman).  He describes kindness as “the overflowing of self upon others. We put others in the place of self”  He says that kindness is our imitation of Divine Providence.

But how is kindness cultivated?  It seems that here, two things are worthy of note.

First, while all virtues are cultivated, at least in part, by way of example, the power of showing kindness stands out.  When I am kind toward others, they are powerfully moved, consciously and unconsciously, to ‘pass on’ that kindness.  To say that kindness is contagious, only weakly captures this.  Kindness touches something deep.  It touches something at the foundation of our existence.  It resonates, like an echo of something that we saw, or felt, at the moment of our creation.  God smiled upon me.  He smiled me into existence, and now someone else sees that, and cares. “Kindness reveals a man to himself,” says Faber.

The hidden power of our kindness, toward others, is not just its power to make them kind; it has power to give them life, and be life-givers.

The second point is similarly encouraging and challenging. While receiving kindness is perhaps the most natural path to people becoming kind, it is not the only one.  We do well to remind ourselves, that we can always choose to be kind—regardless of what we have received.  This is often harder than it seems.  It is hard to be kind when you don’t ‘feel like it;’ and especially when you are hurting.  Surely all of us have at least a few images of what authentic kindness looks and feels like.  We can imitate it. We can even ‘fake it.’ But is this inauthentic?  How can it be inauthentic, when its root is the desire to give of self to others? In other words, the reason for faking is anything but fake.

What an extraordinary witness, and gift, are those who decide to be kind, just because.  Perhaps at root, because by some grace, - who knows just how - they have discovered the generous kindness that creates, sustains, saves, and forgives - with joy.  And they realize the power, and the gift, of kindness, seemingly mundane, yet in reality anything but insignificant, or incidental.  So they choose to act accordingly, in the little interactions of each day, starting in their home.  And their persevering choices change everything.

Whether you’re eight years old or in your 80s, at some point in your life you’ve probably struggled with the question, “Why do we have to go to Mass?”   

You just may not feel like going at times. You may not like the music or the homilies in your parish. You may think Mass is boring. You may feel as if the parish is not welcoming.  You may try to convince yourself that you can pray just as well outdoors, or in the comfort of your own home. 

Even though you know that going to Mass is a good thing, you can talk yourself out of going by focusing on the negatives.  At first, you may feel a little guilty, but eventually, you can justify your decision by convincing yourself that you are too busy, too tired, too bored or too frustrated. 

When that happens, you miss the great gift that God gives to us in the Eucharist. 

If you feel like skipping Mass, here are 10 good reasons to go: 

1. God asks us to make one day holy:

God asks us to set aside one day, to refocus physically, mentally and spiritually.   We live in a secular world. Going to Mass helps us to see everything from a different perspective. We begin to see, in the depths of our being, that God is in charge. We can let go of our own agenda, because we know that God will inspire us, guide us, and strengthen us, for the week ahead. 

2. Jesus gives us the gift of Himself:

When we go to Mass, we are doing what Jesus commanded His followers to do.  It is a command to love, and to be loved by God.  Jesus offers Himself to us, in the Word of God that we hear, and in His Real Presence, offered to us in the Blessed Sacrament at Communion. 

3. We need to be part of a community:

When we come together at Mass to pray and worship God, we fulfil a deep need inside of us, to be in communion with other people.  The other parishioners – even if we don’t know all of them – give us support, affirmation and encouragement in our attempt to live the Gospel message. They help us to see that we are not alone. They remind us that we are all part of the Body of Christ. 

4. God has a special message for us: 

When we listen to the readings, the homily and the prayers of the Mass, God speaks to us in a special way. We should come away from each Mass with at least one inspiration that will impact our lives in some way. We just have to pay attention, and be open to what the Lord is trying to tell us. 

5. We need to talk to God:

When we go to Mass, we speak to God through our singing, our communal responses and prayers, and our personal prayers from the depths of our hearts. During the Mass, we have the opportunity to ask God for what we need, promise God that we will do what he wants us to do, and thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. 

6. People need our prayers: 

We can pray for other people anytime, but when we pray for others during Mass, we pray in a special way. It doesn’t matter if the other people are separated from us by distance or by death. The Mass brings us together in the Body of Christ, and we become the communion of saints. It is part of the cosmic dimension of the Mass, that unites heaven and earth by reaching across time and space. 

7. We need to stand up for what we believe:

Being a follower of Jesus is counter-cultural. At every Mass, we have the opportunity to stand up, and proclaim what we believe publicly. We admit that we believe in God, in Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, in the Catholic Church, in the communion of saints, in the forgiveness of sins, and in life after death. It is a powerful statement of allegiance, and an opportunity to recommit ourselves. 

8. We need to acknowledge that we make mistakes:

 At every Mass, we have the opportunity to review the past week. We admit that we have sinned in thought, in word, in deed, in what we have done, and what we have failed to do. We seek forgiveness, and we are assured that God still loves us. Before we receive Communion, we admit that we are not worthy, and ask God to heal us. Going to Mass helps us to strengthen our commitment to live moral lives. 

9. We need ritual in our lives: 

Mass is a ritual, which means that through the repetition of prayers, movements, and the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, we are formed, disciplined, and consoled. The “sameness” of the Mass carries us along the spiritual journey – even when we don’t “feel” like praying. The “sameness” of the ritual allows us to be transformed on a soul level, even if we are unaware of what is happening. 

10. We need to experience something bigger than ourselves: 

When we go to Mass, we share in the death and resurrection of Jesus. When we offer our ordinary lives to God, through Jesus, we enter into God’s great plan for the world. We are strengthened by the Eucharist, and sent out into the world to bring the Gospel message to all people. The Mass gives meaning and purpose to our lives. It gives us a sense of destiny, and offers the kind of peace that the world cannot give. It helps us develop a sense of wonder and awe. It helps us to see that there is something bigger than ourselves. 

What if you changed your attitude about going to Mass?  What if you began to think of Mass as the time in the day when you can connect with God, and with other people in a special way?  

What if you concentrated on the things you like about your parish, instead of what you don’t like?   What if you made Mass a priority? 

The effects of these kinds of positive attitudes may surprise you.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is not just a symbol of Divine love, but a real invitation to enter into a relationship with God, who desires nothing more than to stay within the very centre of our being — our hearts.

In Scripture, the ‘heart’ signifies much more than our emotions or feelings. It represents the moral and spiritual centre of a person.  It is in the heart, that God chooses to meet us, in the fullness of our humanity, with all our virtues and vices.  The Lord knows every character of our hearts, and it is His desire to reclaim them for Himself.

As we hear in Proverbs, “My son, give me your heart.” This plea, from Our Heavenly Father, is an invitation to intimacy, to surrender, and to transformation.

Initially, our spiritual journey begins in a place where our hearts are not yet fully aligned with God’s will. They are, as Scripture tells us, under the state of evil.

We are reminded of the profound consequences of the first disobedience in the Garden of Eden – the immediate result of their disobedience, was the awareness of their nakedness.  This spiritual ’nakedness’ goes beyond physical exposure; it signifies a radical change in human nature.  However, all is not lost. Despite their fall, God did not abandon humanity - Instead, He called them.

Yet, even in recognizing our fallen state, God’s response was not one of condemnation but of compassion.  His heart overflows with mercy, choosing to offer us a path to redemption, and life.

This journey toward God involves a continuous battle within our hearts, a struggle between sin, and grace.  It is a time for awareness, for cleansing, and for opening ourselves to the transformative power of God’s love.  Through faith, the grace of Christ enters our hearts, initiating a process of healing and renewal.

In this battle, we are called to expand our hearts, to deepen our faith, and to seek the grace that God longs to bestow upon us.

But it is essential to yearn not for earthly treasures, but for the true riches that come from a heart transformed by God — a heart that is poor, sorrowful, clean, meek, and gentle.

Ultimately, our spiritual journey leads us to a moment of profound union with Christ, a moment when sin is expelled from our hearts by the Holy Spirit, and we are sanctified.  This union, with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, marks the summit of Christian perfection, which is to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength.

It is a love so strong, that it led to Jesus’ heart being pierced on the cross for us, from which blood and water flowed as a source of sacramental life for the Church.

The Eucharist, the very heart of our faith, binds us to Jesus, uniting our human frailty with His Divinity.  As we partake of the one bread, our hearts are strengthened; as we share the one chalice, our hearts are filled with joy.

Through these sacred mysteries, the grace of the Holy Spirit flows from Jesus’ Heart into ours, guiding us on the path, from a heart ensnared by sin, to a heart that is completely devoted to God.  We ask for the grace to journey from darkness, into His marvellous light, from sinfulness to sanctity, from a heart of stone, to a heart that mirrors the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

May our lives be a testament, to the love that God has for each of us, a love that knows no boundaries, a love that calls us to ever greater union with Him.

May we embrace the call to repentance, confession, and the redemptive value of suffering, recognizing the transformative power of God’s mercy in our lives.

We pray to open our hearts to the transforming power of God’s love.

There is nothing ordinary about these days of Ordinary Time that follow the season of Eastertide. 

First we celebrate Pentecost - the outpouring of the Spirit that gives birth, so dramatically, to the missionary Church. Then we come to the great feast of the Most Holy Trinity, acknowledging the great mystery of One, Almighty every-living God, revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

And to complete the trilogy of great Solemnities, we have the feast of Corpus Christi, celebrating the gift of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.   And as the feast of Corpus Christ comes around once more, it’s good to be reminded, that the Body of Christ is not just about what we a blessed to receive in the Eucharist, but also who we are called to be in the world.

May 2024

1st - St Joseph, the Worker

3rd - St Philip & St James (Feast)

4th - the English Martyrs (Feast)

9th - The Ascension of the our Lord (Solemnity)

13th - Our Lady of Fatima (Memorial)

14th - St Matthais, Apostle (Feast)

19th - Pentecost (Solemnity)

20th - Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church (Memorial)

23rd - Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest (Feast)

26th - The Most Holy Trinity (Solemnity)

27th - St Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop (Feast)

31st - The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast)

June 2024

2nd - The Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ (Solemnity)

7th - The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Solemnity) - World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests - No Friday Abstinence

8th - The Immaculate Heart of Mary (Memorial) - RIP: Bishop John Francis McNulty, sixth Bishop of Nottingham (1943)

9th - Tenth Sunday of the Year

11th - St Barnabas, the Apostle [Patron of our Cathedral] (Feast)

16th - Eleventh Sunday of the Year - Day for Life

22nd - St John Fisher, Bishop & St Thomas More, Martyrs (Feast)

24th - The Nativity of St John the Baptist (Solemnity)

27th - RIP: Bishop Robert Brindle, fourth Bishop of Nottingham (1916)

30th - St Peter & St Paul, Apostles (Solemnity) 

- Holy Day of Obligation & Day of Special Prayer (in England & Wales) for the Holy Father, Pope Francis

In his pastoral message for Good Shepherd Sunday, the Chair of the National Office for Vocation, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, has affirmed the value of being a good listener in order to hear God's call to holiness.

"One of our modern problems is that our world is very noisy, and it is often difficult to hear our own voices and thoughts in the surrounding din, let alone the words of others," he writes. "One situation that can occur is we find ourselves on set paths in life, and it is not easy to change direction even if we want to do just that. Commitment to our families and other responsibilities block our ears and we just carry on as before."

Good Shepherd Sunday is the day chosen for 'Vocations Sunday' and is celebrated this year on Sunday, 21 April.

Saint John Henry Newman teaches that God has a definite purpose for each and every one of us, but Archbishop McMahon is keen to highlight the huge value of priests, nuns and monks to the Church: "There is no doubt that the church needs priests to celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments, and Religious to offer a living witness to the values of the Kingdom of God. Without them, we would be a very impoverished Church."

But how can we work out whether God is calling us to a particular vocation? The Archbishop of Liverpool suggests women and men should ask whether their vocational journey is likely to bring them contentment: "One simple test is whether following a particular path in life gives us joy. If we are happy and content, or at least think we will be, then it is worth giving it a try. I am not saying that we should be deliriously happy all the time but there should be an underlying knowledge that we have chosen the right path in response to God's call."

Archbishop McMahon is quick to point out that although discerning a vocation involves a leap of faith, it is not a leap into the unknown: "Just as there are risks in getting married, no matter how much we prepare for it, so there are risks in offering yourself for priesthood and religious life. In all cases we have examples of happy and fulfilled people living their vocation."

Quoting Pope Francis, he proposes two pillars of Catholic life that can help people interpret God's call - serving others and spending time before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

"Adoration is a special kind of prayer which helps us shirk off everything except that one person who is important to us - Jesus Christ. Pope Francis' second point was to steer us towards service of others. In serving others, giving ourselves to other people in response to different needs, we undoubtedly find Jesus."

Crowned with thorns, our Lord is lifted up on the Cross, where He dies as “King of the Jews.”  Notice how many times He is called “king” in today’s Gospel—mostly in scorn and mockery.

As we hear the long accounts of His Passion, we must remind ourselves—He suffered this cruel and unusual violence for us.

He is the Suffering Servant foretold by Isaiah in today’s First Reading. He re-enacts the agony described in today’s Psalm, and even dies with the first words of that Psalm on His lips.

Listen carefully for the echoes of this Psalm throughout today’s Gospel—as Jesus is beaten, His hands and feet are pierced; as His enemies gamble for His clothes, wagging their heads, mocking His faith in God’s love, His faith that God will deliver Him.

Are we that much different from our Lord’s tormentors? Often, don’t we deny that He is King, refusing to obey His only command, that we love Him and one another? Don’t we mock Him, by paying lip service, with our half-hearted devotions?

In the dark noon of Calvary, the veil in Jerusalem’s temple was torn. It was a sign, that by His death, Jesus destroyed forever, the barrier separating us from the presence of God.

He was God, and yet humbled Himself to come among us, we’re reminded in today’s Epistle. And despite our repeated failures, our frailty, Jesus still humbles Himself to come to us, offering us His body and blood in the Eucharist.

His enemies never understood: His kingship isn’t of this world.  He wants to write His law, His rule of life, on our hearts and minds.

As we enter Holy Week, let us once more resolve to give Him dominion in our lives.

Let us take up the cross He gives to us—and confess with all our hearts, minds, and strength, that truly this is the Son of God.

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., invites visitors to explore the lives of heroic women — saints in the Church — through art every day.  Instead of producing a photograph, art seeks to reveal underneath a likeness — a likeness that may or may not actually look like the person involved — that tries to expose something deeper.  One way to look at images and art, including that of the saints, is by examining the symbols included.  Art, opens up a new way of encountering women saints and drawing inspiration from them.  Here are 10 paintings from the National Gallery that shed light on revolutionary women who responded to God’s call to change the Church and the world — each in her own way.  

1. Mary, Mother of God “The Alba Madonna” by Raphael (c. 1510)

2. St. Anne “Saint Anne with the Christ Child, the Virgin, and Saint John the Baptist” by Hans Baldung Grien (c. 1511)

3. St. Mary Magdalene “The Repentant Magdalen” by Georges de La Tour (c. 1635/1640)

4. St. Joan of Arc “The Maid in Armor on Horseback” by Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel (c. 1908-late 1909)

5. St. Catherine of Alexandria “Saint Catherine” by Lorenzo Lotto (1522)

6. St. Lucy “Saint Lucy” by Francesco del Cossa (c. 1473/1474)

7. St. Cecilia “Saint Cecilia and an Angel” by Orazio Gentileschi and Giovanni Lanfranco (c. 1617/1618 and c. 1621/1627)

8. St. Veronica “Saint Veronica” by Hans Memling (c. 1470/1475)

9. St. Helena “Saint Helena” by Cima da Conegliano (c. 1495)

10. St. Barbara “Saint Barbara” by Master of the Starck Triptych (c. 1480/1490)

I do not know about you, but a temptation that I face every Lent, is to refuse to go into the desert with Christ.  To think that Lent can be complete if, for example, all I do is give up snacking, or listening to music in the car.  The first big hurdle that I need to get over, is to hear Christ’s voice from the desert, saying: “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while” (Mk 6:31), and respond to it.

Every Lent, the same Holy Spirit who drove Jesus into the desert, wants to drive us into the desert, to renew, and deepen, our relationship with God.  While God is not calling us all physically to go to the Sahara Desert, He is calling us to remove ourselves from the distractions of life, so that in doing so, we can clearly hear and see Him.

Let us now turn to the Gospel. The three temptations in the Gospel, are temptations that every one of us faces.  Learning how Jesus responds to them, we learn how to respond to them in our own lives.  In the first temptation, the devil disordered our relationship with God the Father.

In the second temptation, the devil disordered our relationships with others.  And in the final temptation, the devil disordered our relationship with ourselves.  In response to these three fundamental temptations, Jesus not only shows us how to resist, but also prescribes for us, on Ash Wednesday, the medicine we need through the traditional practices of prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

• Prayer helps us die to our own ego, to put on the mind of Christ.

• Almsgiving has us think of others’ needs, and act to help them.

• Fasting helps us to control our fleshly hungers, and makes it possible for us, to hunger for what God hungers.

These three practices are the means, by which we enter Jesus’ prayer, fasting for 40 days in the desert, and His total self-giving, and resist the temptations of the devil.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Epiphany, when the infant Jesus was visited by the Magi. Today, we enter Ordinary Time, and in the Gospel we are again presented with the adult Jesus.  The Sundays, and weeks, of Ordinary Time, lead us through the life of Christ, emphasizing His ministry and teachings, so that we can mature as His disciples.  With this in mind, it makes sense that we should begin Ordinary Time by returning to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, and His calling of the first disciples. In fact, our readings this Sunday, have a theme of vocation, of hearing the call of the Lord, and responding properly.

In our first reading, the prophet Samuel is only a boy, and is hearing the voice of God for the first time. This whole scene is rich with lessons on the spiritual life. Before we consider these lessons, we need to remember that, while perhaps most of us won’t receive the rare gift of hearing the audible voice of God, all of us can hear God speak to us in various ways, especially through Sacred Scripture, the teaching of the Church, our conscience, and in our own prayer, but we have to learn to distinguish His voice, from that of strangers.  

If we want to hear God’s voice, to know His will for our life, and receive His guidance, we need to place ourselves in His presence in concrete ways. As Catholics, of course, this ideally looks like spending time before the Eucharist, whether during exposition, or simply in the tabernacle.

While at first Samuel mistakes the voice of God, for the voice of the priest Eli, his response is revealing: “Here I am. You called me”.  This simple response implies humble obedience, and an eagerness to serve. In our Responsorial Psalm, we prayed to have this same disposition: “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will”.

Samuel is persistent; he doesn’t become frustrated, or give up when he doesn’t understand what is happening. Sometimes we are quick to judge our prayer as fruitless, or ineffective. But we need to trust.  God wants us to form us in humility and obedience, so that we can receive what He wants to give us.

Samuel hears the Lord and responds, “Speak, for your servant is listening”.  His disposition of humility and openness, allows the Lord to use him as a great prophet. This applies also to us: if we spend time in the Lord’s presence, we will carry that presence in a powerful way.  People are supposed to experience God when they encounter us. 

Looking briefly at the Gospel reading, it has a very similar theme of responding to God’s call. John the Baptist points out Jesus. as the 'Lamb of God' to his disciples. None of us is alone as we seek to know God better, to hear His voice and follow His will. While personal prayer is extremely important, we should not seek the Lord in total isolation. God speaks to each of us, and He gives everyone a variety of gifts, so that we need to rely on each other. The Body of Christ is interdependent, with each member both serving and needing all the others. 

Jesus, Good Shepherd, help us to hear your voice clearly in the midst of so many other voices. Increase our desire for your presence, and your words. Give us the help we need in following you, and use us to bring others to you. Amen.

God wants to change our lives this Lent, but this will require a more serious response and commitment from us.

1. Do something every day - it will be hard to make progress if we don’t take on a consistent practice each day during Lent. 

2. Make sure it pushes you - we should aim at conversion of heart, and our sacrifices should reflect this turn away from the world, and to God,

3. Don’t forget regular fasting - consider eating less each day, giving up meat more than once a week, or fasting a few days a week. 

4. Prayer is essential - we need to do our part, but, even more so, we need to turn to God for help. 

5. Go to Mass more often - at Mass, we will encounter Christ in His tangible presence, who can dwell within us, making us His tabernacle in the world. 

6. Pick a spiritual book to read - this will help us to meditate during a daily holy hour, praying through the mysteries of the faith. 

7. Do something to help others - to love God, we must also love our neighbour, which expresses, and actualizes, this love. 

This Lent can be different.   We can lean into serious prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to turn our hearts to God.  

In modern English, we typically use the word ‘epiphany’, to mean a sudden insight or intuition. It is generally a personal and private phenomenon. But the original meaning of ‘epiphany’ is the public revelation or manifestation of something.

There are a few spiritual laws on display in Matthew’s account of the visit of the magi. We could summarize them as: 1) those who seek God, find Him; 2) those who find Him, worship Him; and 3) those who worship Him, share Him.

Seek

God had said to the prophet Jeremiah, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13). And Christ said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Lk 11:9). The Magi seek Christ using reason and faith. They ask, “Where is the new-born king of the Jews? We saw His star at its rising and have come to do Him homage”.  Like the magi who followed the star, we too experience God’s handiwork in nature. We can learn about Him indirectly through His creation. But nature is not God. Notice that the star did not lead the magi all the way to Jesus. They had to consult Sacred Scripture in order to find Him. And of course, it was only by coming into His presence, that they could worship Him.

Find

“They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child, with Mary, His mother”.  The magi had assumed that Jesus would be in Jerusalem with the king and other “important” people. Instead, they found him in the lowest place: a manger, a feeding trough for animals.

Worship

“They prostrated themselves and did Him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh”.  Today, all of us have been affected to some degree by consumerism. “What’s in it for me? What can I get out of this?” We do have real spiritual needs, but these questions miss the main point. The example of the magi, reminds us that the centre of worship is sacrifice — in other words, giving and not receiving.

Mission

“ . . . they departed for their country by another way”.  We don’t know what became of the Magi, or what they did to share about their experience. But we do know that they were changed by their encounter with Jesus, and that they followed God’s will, by protecting Jesus from Herod.

Every Mass is a Christmas: The incarnate Christ becomes present again in humble form. And every time we come to Mass, it is an Epiphany: The Lord is revealed to us. We are to be like the magi: we seek the Lord, we find him here, we worship him by offering our gifts, and we leave as changed people.

On the Epiphany of the Lord, after the singing of the Gospel, a Deacon, in keeping with an ancient practice of Holy Church, 

announces from the ambo, the moveable feasts of the current year, according to this formula:

Know, dear brothers and sisters, that, as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ 

so by leave of God's mercy we announce to you also the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Saviour. 

On the fourteenth day of February will fall Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season. 

On the thirty-first day of March you will celebrate with joy Easter Day, the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the ninth day of May will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

On the nineteenth day of May the feast of Pentecost. 

On the second day of June, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. 

On the first day of December, the First Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honour and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

Of all the events during Jesus’ life, isn’t it interesting, that His presentation in the temple as an infant, is preserved, while so many others are not?  To make an analogy, if you were writing an autobiography, how many would include a story about your baptism?  Sure, perhaps a passing reference, but what about a page or two?  Not only is Christ’s presentation in the temple preserved, but the Church thinks that it is more important than many other events of Christ’s life.  We do not have a set day to remember when Christ raised the widow’s son, or expelled demons, both of which certainly seem like a bigger deal, than Him being brought to the temple.  And yet, the Church raises this celebration, above many others, where it acts as the bookend to Christmas.

So, what makes today so important? To understand this, we need to remember history, and how we got to this moment.  Christ’s presentation in the temple is set within the context of fulfilling the promises, the covenants between God and Israel.  Two thousand years previously, Abraham was promised a multitude of descendants, land, and that the world would be blessed.  This promise, though, was not fulfilled in his lifetime, for he would have a single son late in life.

Across these thousands of years, the people wrestled with the promises made to them by God.  They waited in expectation as to how He would fulfil them.

As with Abraham, they were called to have faith, that is trust in the Lord, that He would fulfil His promises.  Just as the Lord acted “at the set time that [He] had stated,” in giving Abraham Isaac, so too would the Lord do again with His other promises.  And so, in faith, they waited for the arrival of the Messiah.

At long last, He arrived, He is born unto us, but in a manger, without notice and fanfare.  His arrival is not yet known to the people. And so, the Lord prepared His prophet Simeon for this day.  The Lord had promised to Simeon, that he would not die before seeing the Messiah, the Christ.  And so, the Spirit then led him into the temple this day, filled with expectation: this is the set moment, this is the time, prepared by the Lord, across centuries.  As he lays his eyes upon this child, this infant, he breaks out in praise, proclaiming publicly the good news, the gospel of the Messiah’s arrival.  The Glory of God has arrived in the temple, the salvation of the people, and wisdom to all.  And how we ought to rejoice in this, too, on this seventh day of the Christmas octave.

The prophetess Anna, in hearing the joy of Simeon, comes over, and she too rejoices in the fulfilment of God’s promises.  She then goes throughout the temple bringing the good news to all, just as Mary Magdalene will do at the resurrection.

In these two prophets, we find an elderly man and woman, who stand in for the whole Old Testament, and give witness to the arrival of the New Testament.

Let us each go forth as Anna did and proclaim the good news of Christ’s arrival in the world.  Just as His birth, some two thousand years ago is often overlooked and forgotten, so too is it today, in the commemoration of His nativity itself.  But today we celebrate the public proclamation of said birth, the royal announcement that our Lord has arrived.  The Old proclaims the New, and the New is glorified in the Old. 

As we enter the season of Advent, God calls us to embrace a sacred time of anticipation and reflection.  

Advent, derived from the Latin word meaning “coming,” is a time of special significance for Catholics.  It marks the beginning of the liturgical year, inviting us to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The symbolic lighting of the Advent candles, one by one each week, leads us closer to the celebration of Christ’s birth, and serves as a beacon of hope in a world that often feels dark and uncertain. The Advent wreath, adorned with evergreen branches, reminds us of the eternal life found in Christ, while the candles represent the increasing light that dispels the darkness — a tangible manifestation of our spiritual journey.

Moreover, Advent calls us to a profound examination of conscience and repentance. It is a time to acknowledge our shortcomings, seek reconciliation and make room in our hearts for the transformative power of Christ’s love. The Sacrament of Reconciliation becomes a pivotal aspect of our Advent journey, allowing us to approach the manger with hearts purified, and ready to receive the Prince of Peace.

Family traditions, such as the Advent calendar or the Jesse Tree, provide opportunities for shared prayer and reflection. These traditions deepen our understanding of salvation history, and foster a sense of unity, and faith, within our families. Advent becomes a time of building memories, forging bonds, and passing down the richness of our Catholic heritage, to the next generation.

Pope Francis explains that “Advent is thus a favourable time to pray, with greater intensity, to reserve to the spiritual life, the important place it deserves.” Time with God, intentionally responding to His invitation to share from the depths of our hearts, is the only thing strong enough to save us from the pre-Christmas chaos.

As we embark on this sacred journey of Advent, let us embrace the season with open hearts, and receptive spirits. Let the traditions, prayers, and reflections of this season, be a source of inspiration, drawing us closer to the heart of the Incarnation. By observing Advent with intentionality and devotion, we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth, and the ongoing transformation of our lives in His divine light.

I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to every one of you.  Your support, encouragement, and kindness have been the anchor of our journey together.  This special litany [with thanks to Gretchen R. Crowe  (Our Sunday Visitor)] reminds us of the importance of giving thanks to God, and recognizing the Blessings in our lives.  In his first letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul tells the community of new believers: 

“In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you, in Christ Jesus” (5:18).  

For the beauty of your creation, we thank you, O Lord.

For the gift of new life, we thank you, O Lord.

For creating us in your image and likeness, we thank you, O Lord.

For your Fatherly love, we thank you, O Lord.

For the gift of your only Son, we thank you, O Lord.

For the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we thank you, O Lord.

For revealing yourself to us, we thank you, O Lord.

For the sacraments that bring us closer to you, we thank you, O Lord.

For the Eucharist that sustains us, we thank you, O Lord.

For the love found in family, we thank you, O Lord.

For the friendships that nourish us, we thank you, O Lord.

For the Church that guides us, we thank you, O Lord.

For holy and wise clergy, we thank you, O Lord.

For the example of people of faith who inspire us, we thank you, O Lord.

For the peace that is found in you, we thank you, O Lord.

For the joy that comes from praising you, we thank you, O Lord.

For times of hardship, that help us to grow in virtue and holiness, we thank you, O Lord.

For the opportunity to work for good, we thank you, O Lord.

For the times we are inconvenienced, we thank you, O Lord.

For moments of sorrow, that helps us remember to turn to you, we thank you, O Lord.

For opportunities to do your will with joy, we thank you, O Lord. 

Our lives are not our own. This may be a unpleasant reality, but our difficulty in accepting it, makes it no less real.

Everything that we have has been given. In other words, everything we have — including our very lives — is a gift.

This is the logic the Lord invites us into, in the parable of the talents, the logic of the good things the Lord desires to share with us, and our response to His gifts.

The fact of our dependence, runs contrary to many of the cultural narratives of our day.  We are told that we should be independent, that we should live our truth, that we are the masters of our destiny.  Without diminishing the importance of free will, the evidence that much of our lives lies outside of our control - if we are willing to face it - at a certain point becomes overwhelming.

In the first place, I did not give myself life. I did not choose the family or the circumstances that I was born into.

I did not predetermine my various personality traits, or natural abilities.  What, then, are we to do with what has been given?

In the parable of the talents, we see that the three servants are given different amounts, “to each according to his ability” (Matthew 25:15).  Perhaps we may object to the fairness of the Master, but the rest of the parable makes sense of His logic.  The two servants who received more, didn’t cling to the talents possessively, but put them into work, in order to offer even more in return.  The servant who received less, on the other hand, buried what was given to him, as if he had received nothing at all.

It could be said that the two servants who received more, were generous to receive what had been given to them.

This generosity lies at the heart of what it means to be a Christian.  We are called to be open, to receive all that the Lord has given us, in order that it may bear fruit and multiply.  In this way, nothing is lost, but everything becomes a gift. 

Everything is grace — or a gift — as St. Thérèse would say, so long as we neither bury it, nor cling to it possessively.

Our life has been given to us, so that it may be shared.  This is what it means to live one’s life for Christ, for the work of Another, who makes me all that I am, and gives me all that I have.

The fact that our lives are not our own, that there are factors out of our control, is not a threat but a gift.  Like the servants who received the talents and put them into work, we are called to put our lives into play, all of the gifts that we have received — yes, even the challenging ones — so that our hearts would be open to receive even more.

Only in entering into this logic of gift, can we be given more, and grow rich (Matthew 25:29), and experience the hundredfold, for which we were made (Mark 10:30).

Read in light of last week’s parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids, this parable teaches that God’s judgment will be based on the service we render to God and to one another in accordance with the gifts that God has given to us. Our gifts, or talents, are given to us for the service of others. If we fail to use these gifts, God’s judgment on us will be severe. On the other hand, if we make use of these gifts in service to the Kingdom of Heaven, we will be rewarded and entrusted with even more responsibilities.

This Gospel reminds us that Christian spirituality is not passive or inactive. Our life of prayer helps us to discern the gifts that have been given to us by God. This prayer and discernment ought to lead us to use our gifts in the service of God and our neighbour. God’s grace allows us to share in the work of serving the Kingdom of Heaven.

In you, Lord, I have found my peace.

In the world in which we live, perhaps the search for peace can seem like a futile effort.  There is so much noise, so many distractions, so much chaos.  As hopeless as it may seem, however, we continue the search.  How much money is spent on self-help books, meditation apps, and therapy sessions?  Perhaps to some end, these tools may be helpful. But what happens when they fail?  How many people today, seek to numb themselves with alcohol and drugs, or even by throwing themselves into the alternate reality of social media?  In other words, our desire for peace cannot be extinguished.

In the readings the Church proposes to us today, we see an interesting contrast, one that can be summed up in St. John XXIII’s motto: obedience and peace.

This wise expression connects two concepts that perhaps, without the light of faith, would seem disconnected.  Obedience and peace.

When we understand the nature of our obedience to the Lord, we recognize the peace that can come from submitting ourselves to His will.

This is not an easy practice, though. It requires a great deal of humility.  “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).

In seeking to create our own peace, we run the risk of elevating ourselves beyond that which we are.  We pray that the Lord may give us the grace today to humble ourselves.  It is only then that we can experience that peace for which our hearts yearn without ceasing.

“O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty; I busy not myself with great things, nor with things too sublime for me.

Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me” (Psalm 131:1–2). In you, Lord, I have found my peace.

Prayer is not one of a long list of things we need to do in order for our ministry to bear fruit, rather prayer itself is the source of all fruitfulness.  Prayer, at its core, is relationship with Jesus, who is the wellspring and the true source.  Jesus is the source who communicates His Divine life, love, and light to us, and we in turn, are able to communicate this to others.  Our fruitfulness in ministry, flows directly from this place of relationship with Jesus.  Jesus wants to communicate His Divine life to all people, but to share something, we first need to have it. 

Prayer is not something we can ask just others to do for us.  No matter how gifted or talented you are, if you are not rooted in that intimate relationship with Jesus, His Divine life can’t flow through you.  Our fruitfulness in ministry, can only come from an intimate relationship with Jesus, and that relationship comes from a life of personal prayer.  It's that simple.  God is using us, to be instruments of His love, and His fruitfulness.  Most of your fruit you will never see, this side of eternity.  But that fruit is present, more and more, in the measure that you are able to abide in Jesus’ love.
We must remain in Him, to be an instrument of His Divine life to others. Jesus is always present to us, but we are not always present to Him. That is what abiding means, to be oriented to Him. When we begin to desire to abide in Him, that’s when God’s grace flows, and we are able to be transfigured.  In prayer, we will see the fruit in our ministry begin to grow, not through our own efforts, good strategy, and vision, but through God’s grace flowing into us, transforming us, and then affecting everyone we encounter.

We often feel crushed, under the weight of the anxieties of our lives, and of the world — anxieties that come from personal struggles, family struggles, work struggles.  We might worry about a loved one who is sick. We might worry about elderly parents.  We worry about children, or other family members, going down the wrong road. We worry about paying all the bills, and providing for everything the family needs.

If we did not have enough to be anxious about in our own lives, when we turn on the television, or grab our phones, we are bombarded with the bad news of the day. There is no doubt that a huge segment of the population, nowadays, is worried, anxious, and suffering from depression.  Yet, amid the worries and anxieties of our lives, and the world, we come to Mass today, and God’s Word gives us another way.

St. Paul was no stranger to worry and anxiety, yet, the same man who experienced all of this, says to us today in the second reading: “There is no need to worry.”   Well, it is not as if he just says, “don’t worry,” and leaves it at that. St. Paul offers us a two-part alternative.

First, he says: “if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it, with prayer and thanksgiving.”   St. Paul urges us to turn to prayer. Not only in good times and not only in bad times, but in everything.  St. Paul urges us not to hold anything back from God in prayer.  Whatever fear, whatever worry, whatever anxiety we experience, we must make the decision to pray always, and to pray without ceasing.

Pope Benedict XVI once said (4 March 2007): “Prayer is not an accessory or ‘optional’, but a question of life or death.   In fact, only those who pray, in other words, who entrust themselves to God, with filial love, can enter eternal life, which is God himself”.

Whether we are coming to God in a moment of joy, or suffering, we ought to do it with thanksgiving, because everything comes from God, or is permitted by God.  If we are rejoicing, we rejoice because the Lord has blessed us.  If we are suffering, we thank Him, because we have come to trust that God will transform that suffering for our good.  Jesus transformed the suffering of the cross. He can transform our sufferings and will indeed do so.  Then as St. Paul says: “the peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.”

The second part of St. Paul’s alternative, to living a life burdened by worry and anxiety is this: “Fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise.”

We are so quick to share all the dreadful things that go on, and that other people do.  Instead, St. Paul urges us, think, and talk, about whatever is worthy of praise. These are the things that should flood our minds, and hearts.  How much less worried and anxious we would be, if we spent just a few minutes more each day, focusing on the good things that are happening, and most importantly, focusing on the only One Who Is Good — God Himself.

As we approach the True Presence of the Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, we should follow St. Paul’s advice: “asking God for anything, with prayer and thanksgiving”.  Then, as we make our way out of this parish church and onto the streets, having been strengthened by the Lord’s own Body and Blood, we might be able to focus more intentionally on the true, the good, and the beautiful.  “Then the God of peace will be with us”.

A couple of weeks ago, CARA released a new study to better understand what Catholics believe, regarding the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist: 

Eucharistic Beliefs: A National Survey of Adult Catholics.  The study reports that 64% of respondents (all over 18) indicate that they believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, but only 17% go to Mass on a weekly basis. This is not good news.

Tim Glemkowski, Executive Director of the National Eucharistic Congress, said: “What the recent study shows is the deep need for a true Eucharistic Revival, one that pushes past mere notional assent and awareness of the Church’s teaching, but is about providing an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist, leading to a lived relationship of discipleship. I read in this study, echoes of the mandate Pope St. John Paul II gave to the Church in America just before the new millennium, ‘It is more necessary than ever, for all the faithful to move from a faith of habit, sustained perhaps by social context alone, to a faith which is conscious, and personally lived'. (Ecclesia in America, 73). An invitation to all, to the joy of this relationship, is at the heart of the missionary conversion, to which the Church is being invited by the Holy Father.”  

We literally need a cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1), to testify to the transformative power of a relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist.  When the going gets tough, the tough get on their knees before Jesus!  Are you going to Mass, and adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament?  

Today, let’s pray that flames ignite a flicker of desire for Jesus, in our brothers and sisters who are so far from our Eucharistic Lord: especially the 83% of adult Catholics who do not go to Mass each Sunday.

St. Teresa of Calcutta gifted the world with her witness, to Jesus Christ’s thirst for the salvation of souls. She wrote “We have these words in every chapel of the MCs, to remind us what an MC is here for: to quench the thirst of Jesus for souls, for love, for kindness, for compassion, for delicate love”. 

Co-founding the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, Fr. Joseph Langford, MC, was intimately familiar with Mother Teresa’s spirituality. In 1986, he wrote “I thirst for you”, a mediation on the thirst of Jesus, that is at the heart of the Missionaries of Charity.

The chaplet is an excellent prayer form to facilitate meditation. The repetition of parts of the prayer, allows the message to work its way from our head to our heart. 

Fr. Langford’s prayer challenges us to see ourselves through the eyes of Jesus Christ. In our woundedness, this is often difficult. By praying each decade, our Lord’s words become louder and louder, and it becomes more difficult to disregard His words. 

The contents of this chaplet are Fr. Lanford’s. Deacon Ryan has re-arranged them, grouping them into five decades, with only minor modifications to re-establish coherence in this new form. Written by Fr. Langford, inspired by Mother Teresa, arranged by Deacon Ryan Sales, one who prays this chaplet, will be certain the voice speaking is Jesus Himself.

00:00 Reflection by Dcn Ryan

05:22 Introduction

06:42 1st Half Decade

09:00 2nd Half Decade

12:49 3rd Half Decade

16:33 4th Half Decade

19:11 5th Half Decade

21:35 Conclusion 

As stated in the third Directory of Catechesis (2020), “At the center of every process of catechesis, is the living encounter with Christ." (#75)

The three generally accepted roles of the priest are to teach, to sanctify, and to govern. Deacons most certainly have a particular role to play, as ministers of the Word and Sacraments. In the Directory for Catechesis, we read, “Catechesis has the task of making the heart of every Christian resound, with the call to live a new life, in keeping with the dignity of children of God, received in Baptism, and with the life of the Risen One, that is communicated through the sacraments” (#83). 

Catechesis is not only an academic exercise, but also a formational one. Although knowing one’s faith is critical, a relationship with Christ, and his Church, cannot be considered any less important.  We need to both know the Faith, and relate to the Faith. While not ignoring the intellectual (academic) part of the formational process, we look to the three other foundations as well: human, spiritual, and pastoral. These four formational foundations, are part of every Ecclesial formation process, including the priestly and diaconal formation. They are essential in the formation of all people, no matter the age, or the circumstance. 

In early August 2023, Pope Francis arrived in Lisbon, Portugal to celebrate World Youth Day. Speaking to crowds, from throughout the world, Pope Francis encouraged the young, and not so young, to RISE UP, a new catechetical method, which challenges the youth to reflect on major themes such as the ecology, friendship, mercy, social concerns, and vocations.

How do we, as catechists, help young people discuss these issues, while making a connection to God, and His Church? For most of us, this is a new method of catechesis which might be foreign to us, but appealing to young people. It is fair to say, that things we have tried in the past, might have been useful in that time and place, and some catechetical methods used in the past can remain, but we must have courage, to try something that might appeal to our current audience.

(I was reminded that if things worked in the past, we would have very little to worry about now.)

A major challenge for the clergy, and laity, including the domestic or 'home' Church, is to make faith formation more relational, that is, attempting to reach not only the mind of those disciples in our classroom, whether they be in person or online, but also their heart. At World Youth Day, one could notice, even on the television accounts, that the young people responded well to all the experiences presented to them.  The music, venue, messages, liturgies, and community spirit, brought about a transformation, in the hearts and minds, of those who witnessed the gifts of the Holy Spirit, alive and well. 

At almost every level, from the universal Church to the family, and everyone in between, for most this has been a struggle. “One size does not fit all.” This is certainly the case when it comes to faith formation.  Again in the Directory for Catechesis, we gain greater insight, into the sense of belonging, and relationship. "Catechesis, in reference to preparation for community life, therefore has the task of developing the sense of belonging to the Church; teaching the sense of ecclesial communion, promoting the acceptance of the Magisterium, communion with pastors, fraternal dialogue; forming believers in the sense of ecclesial co-responsibility, contributing as active participants to building up the community and as missionary disciples to its growth” (#89). 

Evangelization, and catechesis, are often seen as things “to do,” activities, programs, processes, needed to achieve something. Perhaps we should ask, how does the work of evangelization and catechesis touch the heart of the faithful?

St. John Vianney is known as the patron of the parish priest. With his feast day quickly approaching (4 August) , it’s important to show the priests in our lives, that we appreciate their sacrifice and service to the Church.  

Money designated for specific needs – While Father has the power to forgive sins, and turn ordinary bread and wine into the Body and Blood of our Lord, he also has to worry about many of the things that laymen worry about, like saving for retirement, car payments, staying fit. So give your priest some money to put in his retirement account, pay down his car, or put it toward a gym membership. Father will appreciate your pragmatism.  A Gift Card to their favourite Bookstore – Priests often have more Catholic books than they know what to do with. So rather than giving your priest another copy, give them a gift card to the local bookstore. He’ll appreciate it all the same.  Invite him over for Dinner – Any meal that Father doesn’t have to make is a meal that he’ll love! Moreover, it’s a great way to introduce him to members of the family he hasn’t met yet.  Real food (not just sweets) – If Father can’t make it for dinner, drop some food off at the presbytery anyway; just try to go easy on the desserts. Priests are bombarded with sweets, especially during festive times of the year. As with everything, too much of a good thing can be bad. So the next time you want to treat your priest with a plate of cookies, consider the fact he might appreciate a nice pork chop instead.  Letters of Encouragement – As with any vocation, it’s nice to know you’re appreciated. The priesthood is no different. Take a few minutes to write Father a quick note, just to let them know that you appreciate his work and sacrifice. A few sincere words can go a long way.  Prayers – Above all, pray for your priest. The burdens borne by our priests are unique and specific to their vocation. As such, we must pray and fast for our priests. They need it. 

Cardinal Joseph Bernadin: “Priests are bridges to the very mystery of God, and healers of the soul … who also provide the Church, and our culture, with the sustenance we require”

Many challenges are emerging on our horizon, but, as we can count on the One who overcame the world, and assured us that He would be with us until the end of time (Mt 28:19-20), we have no reason to fear the unpredictable events of the future.  Rather, let us not be afraid of being the witness to Christ, that the times and circumstances require.  Jesus stands before us and asks, as He once did the Apostles: “Who do you say I am?!”  Today much confusion surrounds this question.  It is the fundamental question, because on its answer depends one’s entire vision of man, society, history, life, death and what lies beyond.  “You are the Christ, Son of the Living God!”  This is Christ’s identity, and this identity is behind our own.  You are ontologically configured to Christ the Priest, in this way, thanks to priests, Christ is always sacramentally present in His Church (Sacrosanctum Concilium 7).  You act ‘in the name and person of Christ’ (Lumen gentium 28).  You are the “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor 4:1).  Through Ordination, in and ontological sense, you are Christ’s witnesses in the service of the Word, and the Sacraments, you are likewise the real testimony of Christ, the Priest.  At the moment of ordination, you received a new mode of being.  You are marked by the priestly character, which is a real, indelible, spiritual sign.  This character does not separate you from humanity, on the contrary, it places you in its midst, so that you can devote yourselves to its service.  Indeed, the priestly character inserts you into the priesthood of Christ, who is the key, the centre, and the goal of all human history (Gaudium et spes 10), the ‘alpha and omega’ of visible and invisible realities.  The clarity and certainty of your identity, give rise to an awareness of your absolute indispensability, in the Church, and in the world.  Through you the Good Shepherd continues to teach, to sanctify, to guide, and to love all peoples of every culture, every continent, and every age.  If the world cannot do without Christ, it also cannot do without priests.  Proclaim to everyone who Jesus of Nazareth is, tell them that in Him we find total human fulfilment, in Him alone true progress, in Him alone the fullness of justice and peace, in Him alone joy without darkness.  Wherever priests are scarce, nothing can substitute for them, but rather the whole community should beg for them with greater insistence, by personal and community prayer.  Thank you for what you do and above all for what you are. Thank you for your toil, thank you for your efforts, thank you for your strength, thank you for your tears, thank you for your smile.  (Pope St John Paul II - ‘Take Holy Pride In Being ‘Other Christ’s’’ (2000)

As our world becomes more divisive and despairing, it also opens the door to share the reason for our hope, with those around us.  The incredible love story, that unfolds through the gospel of Jesus Christ, offering humanity a renewed sense of hope, purpose, and meaning.

The gospel reveals that God's love for humanity, is boundless and unconditional. It unveils a story of redemption, forgiveness, and ultimate reconciliation between God and humanity. It tells the story of Jesus Christ, who came to earth as God's Son, lived a perfect life, and willingly sacrificed Himself, on the cross, for our sins. Through His sacrifice, we can find forgiveness, and be reconciled with God. This redemption, offers hope for a fresh start, freeing us from the burdens of guilt and shame.

Simply put, it’s too good to keep to ourselves. So in these distressing times, let’s share the gospel, with a culture desperately seeking answers, to the meaning of life.

"In Him, we live, we move, and have our being", Saint Paul writes.  

If there's no God, not only is there no story worth rejoicing in, there is no story.  Because there is no author if there is no maker, there is no meaning if there's no God, and you have no soul, and your just matter, you don't matter.  By active reason, we can know there is a God, but it is only by the act of Faith, and we know who He is, because He revealed it.  He showed us, God is love.

Adapted from an article by Chris Stefanick, Founder and President, Real Life Catholic 

A beautiful, Sacred Heart of Jesus, picture hangs in my in-laws sitting room. A warm, smiling Jesus, lovingly pointing to His heart, pierced and crowned with thorns, in an gesture of invitation. Whenever I look at that picture, I feel loved by His peaceful embrace.

Each June, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The heart is a symbol of the human centre of our emotions, loves, passions, desires, and will.  In the Gospels, Jesus’ heart is moved with pity for the crowds (Mt 9:36), and He tells us that He is gentle and humble of heart (Mt 11:29).  In the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we experience the overwhelming mercy of God, and His infinite desire, to be in relationship with us.

Over the centuries, many Christians developed harsh images of God, as fearsome judge, distant from human affairs, ready to impose punishment. Jesus revealed His heart, to saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, burning with love for humanity, pierced and crucified, offering salvation and mercy. Jesus’ heart longs for us to offer our love, and devotion, in return.  If Jesus had seemed distant and unapproachable before, the Sacred Heart beckons us to enter into His mercy.

God is love (1 John 4), the One who empties Himself out for others, desiring our eternal salvation, seeking out the lost, and carrying the wandering sheep home.  Every word, action, gesture, and attitude of Jesus, manifests a perfect, pure, and selfless love, for each human person. If love means willing the good of the other, completely free of self-interest, we see the perfection of such charity, in the burning heart of Christ.

If we think that such a love is simplistic or easy, the Sacred Heart shines forth, crowned with thorns, pierced, and bleeding. The crucifixion of Jesus, shows that the unconditional, infinite, and divine love, of His heart, is the only force that can heal the world of its hatred, and rejection, of God. By taking upon Himself, the totality of human evil, committed by every person, of every time, Christ refracts this overwhelming darkness, into the light of the Resurrection.

In this radical act of redemption, the death and resurrection of Christ, is the gentle, yet powerful absorption, deflection, and transformation of violence into love, sin into grace, hatred into forgiveness, and death into life. The triumph of the Sacred Heart is the ultimate victory of love.

Formal consecration, a daily offering, celebration of the Eucharist, and reconciliation on consecutive First Fridays, displaying and honouring an image of the Sacred Heart, all comprise some of the specific practices linked to this profound devotion.  

Like any religious consecration, one made to the Sacred Heart is an extension of our baptismal commitment. We acknowledge Jesus’ presence, and protection, in our lives, pledging our love back to Him, who has so graciously loved us. That prayer inspired us to try to treat others, as we would treat Christ Himself. [If you have not already done so, consider consecrating your marriage, family, home, and life, to the Sacred Heart, in a formal way - It makes a big difference].  The daily offering, is a simple prayer, in which we give God our day: its prayer, work, joy, and sufferings. This oblation of the heart, renews our consecration, and reminds us to live in holy mindfulness, that what we do, say, value, and embrace, should be a worthy return to the Lord, who has done so much for us.

At a time when the faithful received the Eucharist infrequently, Jesus’ request that we confess our sins, and receive Communion every First Friday, points to the Eucharist, and the sacraments, as the fundamental way to encounter the love of the Lord. In the Eucharist, Jesus completely gives Himself to us, literally entering into our bodies, souls, and lives. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we experience the mercy, and forgiveness won for us on Calvary, and we receive the tender embrace, and healing power of the Lord. Through these sacraments, Jesus draws us into His heart, and allows us to experience, in this life, the love and joy of heaven.

In honouring and displaying images of the Sacred Heart, we invite others to experience Jesus’ love for themselves. We cannot contemplate such a holy, and merciful, image with indifference, or ingratitude. One look at Jesus’ heart, should melt us, convert us, and inspire us, to give our hearts in return.

Sacred Heart devotion is not some automatic ticket to heaven; it is a sacred way for us to encounter the fullness of the Gospel, the good news of God’s saving love, poured out for us in Jesus Christ. As we steadily progress in our knowledge, and communion with the Lord, we will fall ever more deeply in love with Jesus, and live out that transforming, and redemptive relationship, in every detail of our lives. This devotion unites our minds, hearts and wills, in one great act of oblation, a total gift of the self, to the One who has first offered Himself, completely to and for us.

The Church does not assign an essential difference between praying before the tabernacle, and praying before the Lord, when displayed in the monstrance in Eucharistic Adoration. A Vatican document on the Eucharist says: “Exposition of the blessed sacrament, either in a ciborium or a monstrance, draws the faithful to an awareness of the sublime presence of Christ, and invites them to inner communion with Him. Therefore, it is a strong encouragement toward the worship owed to Christ in spirit, and in truth” (Eucharisticum Mysterium, No. 60).

So, both forms, of Adoration, are commended. But while there is not an essential difference, there can be a subjectively different experience. In Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, exposed in a monstrance, there is a visual aspect, that helps many to stay more focused. In this sense one may argue that Eucharistic Adoration, before the monstrance is 'better'.  But, personal factors such as schedules, or a preference for quieter, briefer, or more solitary visits, can also influence what is 'better'.

The bottom line, is that the Church encourages devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Such devotion, through visits, Adoration, signs of respect, through kneeling, genuflection, and making the Sign of the Cross, as one passes a Catholic Church, all acknowledge, the sublime presence of the Lord, in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Among the prayers at Mass, the texts of the Collect are often the most ancient. This is our great gathering prayer at the beginning of every Mass. The priest invites us into this prayer, with the familiar words: “Let us pray.” Then he pauses: this is very important. 

In those moments of silence, we are invited to call to mind our own intentions, and unite them to the intention of the Mass along with the priest. The words of this prayer, help our hearts be open to the proclamation of the Word of God, that soon follows, which leads us into the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

This prayer helps us to pray the Mass, from the depths of our hearts. 

There are certain moments of the Church’s calendar, that stand out for their symbolism: the manger at Christmas, ashes on the forehead to start Lent, and the branches of Palm Sunday.  

The story, which begins on Palm Sunday, is basically a drama.  As Jesus enters into His final week, we are not just remembering an historical event, that happened over two thousand years ago.  We celebrating, and taking part in the life, death, and resurrection, of Jesus, as it happens today, to us, and for us.  His entry in to the city, begins on a huge wave of optimism, joy, and hope.  The people line the streets, they wave palms, they put their cloaks, and garments, on the ground, and they shout out His name.  This was an ancient Roman tradition, used to welcome armies and soldiers, after their success in battle.

The crowd welcome Jesus, in a similar way, as they shout out, “Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”.  Yet, how quickly the crowd changed, and turned on Jesus.  The same people, who were happy to welcome Him with shouts of joy, will soon begin to shout “Crucify Him, Crucify Him”.  Jesus is even betrayed, and denied, by His closet friends. He is left alone.

There is a real danger, that we can get lost, in getting the liturgy of Palm Sunday, and indeed the whole of Holy Week, just right.  If we are not careful, we can lose sight of what we remembering, celebrating, and taking part in.  As well as celebrating this great Holy Week, with dignity and reverence, we also need to ask ourselves, what it is all about, and what it means for each to us.  Where am I in the unfolding drama, that begins on Palm Sunday, plays out over Holy Week, and which culminates on Easter?

As we celebrate Palm Sunday, and begin our journey through Holy Week, we are called to ask ourselves, who, and where, we are in the crowd?  During this busy week of prayer, liturgies, and ceremonies, let us not lose sight of what we are remembering, celebrating, and talking part in.  As we begin, this most holy of weeks, may Jesus be our constant companion.  May we enter in the mystery of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, with faith and hope.

God is good.  In faith we know He gives us everything we need. With this sure hope, we begin this Lent pondering what we might learn from this Sunday’s Gospel (Matt 4:1-11).  There are two themes (among many) I would like to explore: the importance of Scripture, and what it means to enter a wilderness. 

In the wilderness, Jesus stands firm against the temptations of Satan, using scripture as a weapon. We too can arm ourselves with this living gift of scripture, to guide us every day to an encounter with Jesus Himself.  In this Sunday’s reading, we encounter the power of Jesus’ word – ‘man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God’ (Matt 4:4).

How, this Lent, will the words which come from God’s mouth, be the most essential part of your day, the thing from which you draw life, the place where you encounter Jesus Himself? 

When Jesus enters the wilderness, He does so to spend time in prayer with His Father – something He did repeatedly during His ministry.  As we enter our Lenten ‘wilderness’, I encourage you to do so, in order to seek an encounter with Jesus, the Word. What can we do, to still some of the busyness of our lives, in order to encounter the Lord every day?

Perhaps consider using this Lent, as a time of retreat into scripture – a time to build and nourish your inner spiritual life.  Although it is good and necessary to find time for quiet and solitude, it is important to remember that our faith is not a private journey.  It is meant for sharing with others. In doing so, those you encounter will help you become more aware of God’s endless, and generous, outpouring of grace into your life, to enable you to continue to answer His call.  We can all identify with moments in our lives where we enter a ‘wilderness’, a place where we lack spiritual consolation.

For because (CCC 164) ‘we walk by faith, not by sight’, we perceive God as ‘in a mirror, dimly’ and only ‘in part… our experiences of evil and suffering, injustice, and death, seem to contradict the Good News; they can shake our faith and become a temptation against it.’

When our faith is shaken, and we are vulnerable we can be tempted to begin to believe that we are alone, and that we are not loved.  As Christians, we know this can never be true, for we are never alone, and we are always loved.  When we are tempted in our ‘wilderness’, if we have developed a love for Scripture, we can be sure that we can turn to the word of God to be comforted, for (Psalm 119:105) ‘your word is a lamp for my feet, and a light for my path’. 

For we are an Easter people. As you ponder the image of Christ in the Wilderness, remind yourself of what comes next – baptism in the Jordan, with the appearance of the Holy Spirit, the calling of the disciples, many miracles and vast crowds, the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and then the ‘wilderness’ of the cross, followed by the glory of the Resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  Jesus, who is love, was never alone in the wilderness. In your Lenten ‘wilderness’ you are never alone, and you are always loved.  

This Lent, I encourage you to spend time increasing your familiarity with Scripture, through prayer.  Most often Lectio Divina is without fail, a source of joy, hope, inspiration, and a place of encounter with Jesus.  It prepares us for the work that we are called to do.  The Word sustains us, inspires us, humbles us, and helps us see more clearly, what I need to do.  Our encounter with scripture, helps us to pray for wisdom, and the ability to do our job right, to strip back our own personal preferences, and learn to trust, as we seek after the Lord.   

Your time with scripture is an essential part of your Christian journey, for we do ‘not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God’ (Matt 4:4)

It is the saying of holy men that, if we wish to be perfect, we have nothing more to do than to perform the ordinary duties of the day well.  A short road to perfection - short, not because easy, but because pertinent and intelligible.  There are no short ways to perfection, but there are sure ones.

I think this is an instruction which may be of great practical use to persons like ourselves.  It is easy to have vague ideas what perfection is, which serve well enough to talk about, when we do not intend to aim at it; but as soon as a person really desires and sets about seeking it himself, he is dissatisfied with anything but what is tangible and clear, and constitutes some sort of direction towards the practice of it.

We must bear in mind what is meant by perfection.  It does not mean any extraordinary service, anything out of the way, or especially heroic - not all have the opportunity of heroic acts, of sufferings - but it means what the word perfection ordinarily means.  By perfect we mean that which has no flaw in it, that which is complete, that which is consistent, that which is sound-we mean the opposite to imperfect.  As we know well what imperfection in religious service means, we know by the contrast what is meant by perfection.

He, then, is perfect who does the work of the day perfectly, and we need not go beyond this to seek for perfection.  You need not go out of the round of the day.  I insist on this, because I think it will simplify our views, and fix our exertions on a definite aim.  If you ask me what you are to do in order to be perfect, I say, first:

• Do not lie in bed beyond the due time of rising; 
• give your first thoughts to God;
• make a good visit to the Blessed Sacrament;
• say the Angelus devoutly;
• eat and drink to God's glory;
• say the Rosary well;
• be recollected; keep out bad thoughts;
• make your evening meditation well;
• examine yourself daily;
• go to bed in good time, and you are already perfect.

Ash Wednesday, the first day of the liturgical season of Lent. In this season, we prepare ourselves to celebrate the high point of our Christian life, Easter. Each year, the readings for Ash Wednesday are the same. They call us to a change of heart, and teach us about the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These disciplines are to be part of the Christian life during every season, but during the season of Lent, we renew our commitment to them.

The meaning behind tracing a cross on our foreheads with ashes (the liturgical sign of Ash Wednesday) is a summary of our Christian life. On one level, the ashes remind us of our origin and our death. (In the words of the prayer said when we receive ashes: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return”) The ashes are also the sign of our victory: the cross of Christ. In his death and resurrection, Christ conquered death. Our destiny as Christians is to receive the victory over death that Christ won for us. We acknowledge that victory when we “[t]urn away from sin and [are] faithful to the gospel,” words from the alternative prayer when we are signed with ashes.

Today’s reading is part of the Sermon on the Mount. In the sermon, Jesus warns his followers against acting for the sake of appearance. When Jesus’ disciples give alms, pray, and fast, they are to do so in such a way that only God, who sees the heart and knows what is hidden, will know. Although our Lectionary reading omits the Lord’s Prayer, we can recall that Matthew presents that prayer as a model for the disciples’ prayer (Matthew 6:9-15).

As I reflect on my gratitude for all of the experiences of this past year, I have also been thinking of the lessons I am continually learning in my diaconal ministry, and although I sometimes I fail at them, God never gives up on me!

• Pray, or none of it matters: How will I know what God wants, unless I pray about my ministry every day?

• Don’t get in the way of God: Focus on connecting people to the reality of God’s presence in their lives!

• Walk the talk: People will never trust someone who clearly doesn’t live the life he is preaching to others.

• Minister with, not to, people: Allow others to use their gifts and talents, to serve the kingdom.

• Remember that nothing is perfect: I have found God’s power really “is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

• Recognize God doesn’t call us to be successful; God calls us to be faithful: I remind myself that I am called to plant the seeds, but only God can make them grow.

• Celebrate everything: When I get a glimpse of the amazing movements of God, in my ministry, and in the lives of those around me, take time to praise God! 

• Don’t be a sourpuss: One of my favourite quotes is from Pope Francis’s admonishment not to be “sourpusses”, but to radiate the Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium, 85). It is so easy to become discouraged, and cynical, but no one is going to want what I have, if I radiate negativity.  

Adapted from an article by Darcy Osby, Director of Faith Formation at St. Aidan Parish in Pittsburgh, PA.

Know, dear brothers and sisters,  that, as we have rejoiced in the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by leave of God's mercy, we announce to you also the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Saviour.  

On the twenty-second (22) day of February will fall Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season.

On the ninth (9) day of April, you will celebrate with joy Easter Day, the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the eighteenth (18) day of May will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the twenty-eighth (28) day of May the feast of Pentecost.

On eleventh (11) day of June, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

On the third (3) day of December, the First Sunday of the Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, to who is honour and glory forever and ever.  Amen.

The opening antiphon for today’s liturgy, asks us to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice”.  On this Third ‘Gaudete’ Sunday, we take a short pause from the mostly penitential, somewhat sombre nature of Advent, and 'Rejoice', in the nearness of the celebration of Christmas.

The first words that Mary hears when she is told that she is going to be the mother of Jesus are, “Rejoice, most highly favoured”.  Mary is to be filled with joy, because God has called her by her name, and her Son is the long awaited Messiah.  

When she goes to see Elizabeth, her cousin, she sings out, “My souls proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savour”.  Mary does not keep her good news, or her joy, to herself, she freely shares them with Elizabeth, and the whole world.

When the angles appear to the shepherds, they heard this message, “Do not be afraid, I bring you news of great joy”.  The good news of Jesus’ birth, is meant not only for the shepherds, it continues to be good news for each of us today.

Rejoice and be glad, might seem to be a counter-cultural message.  Among the daily hustle and bustle, Christmas, is noisy, busy, and demanding.  Some might say it is naïve to 'Rejoice', when we look at the state of our world.  How can we be glad, when we see the violence, ignorance, racism, wars, poverty, divided families, addiction, abuses, the list goes on.

Don’t misunderstand this message, as an excuse to place our heads in the sand, pretending there is nothing we can do to help.  I am getting a little ‘grinchy’, but the invitation on this Sunday, is meant to perplex us a bit.  Christian joy goes beyond a mere emotion.

The joy we have in Christ, remains, regardless of what challenges we are facing in life, that is because we know God is in control of our circumstances.  As Scripture reminds us, He is “faithful”, therefore, we can “rejoice always”, and “in all circumstances give thanks”, because we have hope in God.

In order to experience the fullness of this joy, St. Paul suggests must listen to the Spirit of God, and “refrain from every kind of evil”.  We are called to be 'perfectly holy' - the true path to Joy is sanctity.  Following God’s Will, and allowing His grace to transform us, leads to true happiness.  Let us, therefore, seek Him, trust Him, and obey Him, to find the deep joy, that can only be found in God.

We are invited to remember this, to radiate joy, recalling God’s faithfulness.  We are called to wait for the birth of Jesus, and not to be afraid, anxious or worried.  Why? Because, as the opening antiphon tells us, “The Lord is very near”.

There are many people, some of whom we may even know, who have little reason to be joyful at this time of the year.  Today each of us is asked to be a person of joy, and following Mary’s example, share our joy with all those we meet during these last few days, and weeks of Advent.

“May we wait in joyful hope, for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ”.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour. With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given. Then she recalls God’s universal favours, bestowed unceasingly on the human race.

When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his saviour and delights in the mere recollection of his creator who gives him hope for eternal salvation.

These words are often for all God’s creations, but especially for the Mother of God. She alone was chosen, and she burned with spiritual love for the son she so joyously conceived. Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her saviour, for she knew that he who was the source of eternal salvation would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord.

For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of the one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for he fills with greatness and strength the small and the weak who believe in him.

She did well to add: and holy is his name, to warn those who heard, and indeed all who would receive his words, that they must believe and call upon his name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the name she spoke of earlier: and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.

Therefore it is an excellent and fruitful custom of holy Church that we should sing Mary’s hymn at the time of evening prayer. By meditating upon the incarnation, our devotion is kindled, and by remembering the example of God’s Mother, we are encouraged to lead a life of virtue. Such virtues are best achieved in the evening. We are weary after the day’s work and worn out by our distractions. The time for rest is near, and our minds are ready for contemplation.

From a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable

Forgiving someone who has hurt us, is a way of finding healing and peace, but does that mean that we have to forget the offence made against us? Does Jesus ask us to "forgive and forget"?

Because of original sin, we human beings make mistakes, fail, and love imperfectly.  In our imperfection, at times, we injure each other, leaving us wounded and in need of healing. Being wronged or hurt, gives rise to strong emotions of anger and disappointment which, if not acknowledged and addressed, can lead to depression and other mental health problems.

In the Gospels, forgiveness is a core teaching. Christians believe that, Jesus Christ was sent into the world by the Father to forgive sins, heal relationships and “bring everything together under Christ as head” (Ephesians 1:10). Throughout His ministry, Jesus reveals a merciful God, who desires to forgive sins, and reconcile relationships that have been damaged. With His Spirit, the Lord also empowers us to forgive ourselves, and each other, as we have been forgiven by God (cf. Matthew 18:21-35). We see this with the Apostles Peter and Paul, who both failed Christ, but who did not remain paralyzed by their failings. Rather they were transformed by Christ’s mercy, and by His renewed faith in them after they had fallen (cf. John 21:15-17; Galatians 1:11-24). This was the mercy and forgiveness that, they proclaimed to all as part of their preaching (cf. Acts [of the Apostles] 2:38; 13:38).

With this forgiveness that we receive from God, and extend to others, we are freed from anger, guilt, shame, bitterness, and other emotionally destructive feelings, such as hatred and revenge. Once the merciful love and power of Christ is invited into wounds of hurt, then the cycle is broken of inflicting hurt on those who have inflicted it on us. This is what Jesus did by his Passion and death – He filtered out hatred, violence, injustice, and cruelty by absorbing it into Himself, before giving back to the world the gifts of peace, blessing, and forgiveness. This is the cycle of violence He broke, and in doing so, He changed the course of history. By that same power at work in His disciples today, we too can break the cycle, by making sure we do not cause the same hurt to others, as we ourselves have endured.

In order to do this, we need to learn Jesus’ art of distinguishing between, the sin and the sinner. With His Spirit, we learn to forgive the wrong done to us, without denying the wrong that was committed. This is a crucially important distinction to make. Many think that the invitation to forgive another who wronged them, is beyond their ability, because to do so would mean to minimise or deny the hurt that was caused to them. This is not what Christian forgiveness asks of us. We often hear the catchphrase “forgive and forget” – a pithy phrase which we think, comes from the Gospel, or the lips of Jesus. This is not true. Jesus asks us to forgive as we ourselves have been forgiven, but He did not ask us to forget. What this means is that while we forgive, with the help of God’s grace, the process of healing is not about pretending that the hurt never happened. Rather it is about coming to the place where it no longer affects us.

Forgiveness of someone who has hurt us, does not come easy, and is one of the most challenging aspects of being a Christian. In the Gospels, Jesus asked us to forgive those who wrong us, and left us the supreme example of doing so Himself. As He was being crucified, He cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus forgave His killers, and after His Resurrection, He offered peace to those who had denied and failed Him. How can we begin to forgive like this?

Again, Jesus shows us the way. He assures us that God is merciful, and forgives us when we ask. Then He asks us to forgive others, as we have been forgiven ourselves. This is challenging because, the ability to extend forgiveness to others, depends on our being in touch with our own sinfulness, and shadow side. It requires us to know that, we have no right to withhold the gift of mercy, that we ourselves have received: “Should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (cf. Matthew 18:33). This requires that we enter deeply within ourselves, and humbly acknowledge our own brokenness, darkness, and need for forgiveness. It means allowing the light of God’s grace, to touch our inner wounds.

Christianity is good news, for those who have been hurt, and who carry emotional scars. It gives us a way of dealing with negative baggage that leaves us free. Because of Jesus, we know that God is merciful, and forgives us joyfully. He showed heroic forgiveness Himself, to those who killed Him. He asks us to forgive others, as we have been forgiven ourselves, and “to think of ourselves as an army of the forgiven”. Our faith shows us how to distinguish between, the harm caused and the one who caused it. At all times, the healing Spirit of Christ, that restores and touches our knotted spirits, is offered to us. His infinite mercy, is the antidote to every form of anger and hurt; it is balm for the scars, that sear the soul.

This blog is extracted from Finding God: Faith and Mental Health. [Talking Points, Faith, On 9th October 2020 by Fr Billy Swan]

1. Seraphim

The Seraphim is said to be the highest order of Angels who guard God’s throne. 

They are often depicted as ‘burning angles’ to represent them on fire with love for God.

In the Bible, Isaiah saw them as six-winged beings.

These heavenly creatures praise God.

2. Cherubim

The word Cherubim is said to mean ‘fullness of knowledge’.

The Cherubim have the honour of observing and keeping records of God’s creative powers.

Cherubim’s are said to have four wings and four faces.

The Cherubim’s also act as heavenly counsellors, and are seekers of eternal truth.

3. Thrones

Throne angels represent the divine majesty, and are associated with the power of judgement.

They carry out God’s justice according to spiritual and universal laws.

The Thrones also act as angels who are friends of all the planets.

It is the Thrones who will drive forward God’s chariot, often they are portrayed as angels who carry the scales of justice.

4. Dominions

The Dominions are angels of leadership, and are said to ensure that God’s will is carried out by the other angels.

They help balance the force of creation, and of the material and spiritual worlds.

The Dominions represent the superiority of wisdom over intellect, and govern the natural world, and the elements.

5. Virtues

Virtues are known as angels who watch over the heavenly bodies, and nature.

The Virtues are often associated with miracles performed on earth.

Shining bright, and often depicted with swords, shields or sceptres, these wonderful angels will assist you in your darkest hour.

6. Powers

Powers are warrior angels who maintain order around the planet Earth, and protect it from being overthrown by Satan, defending the cosmos, and human souls.

They fight against evil spirits who attempt to wreak chaos through human beings.

7. Principalities

The Principalities are a realm of angels who keep a watchful eye of the nations of planet earth, and its leaders.

They are protectors of religion, giving strength in times of hardship.

8. Archangels

Archangels are the most frequently mentioned throughout the Bible.

They are the leaders of the angelic armies, and are holy messengers of God.

There are only three archangels acknowledged by the Catholic faith: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

They also command God’s armies, and act as guardian angels to the leaders of world movements.

They may be of this or other hierarchies like St. Michael the Archangel.

9. Angels

These include guardian angels, who are assigned, by God, to every human being at the moment of conception.

Angels are closest to the material world, and human beings.

They deliver our prayers to God, and return with God’s answers.

Guardian angels have the capacity to access all the other angels at any time, their role is to watch over us during our lives.

They are also the most caring, and social of beings, who assist those who ask for help.

Pope Francis defines Lectio Divina as "reading God's Word in a moment of prayer and allowing it to enlighten and renew us" (Evangelii Gaudium, 2014). In other words, it is a means of reading the Scriptures in a way that changes our lives, because Scripture, being the Word of God, has that capability. Pope Francis, addressing a delegation from the American Bible Society in 2018, said that "praying with the Scriptures, you will be able to experience anew the effectiveness of that word: it does not return empty but accomplishes the purpose for which it was given (cf. Is 55:10-11)."

Pope St John Paul II wrote in his encyclical Novo Millenio Inneunte (2001) that it is "especially necessary that listening to the word of God should become a life-giving encounter, in the ancient and ever valid tradition of Lectio Divina, which draws from the biblical text the living word which questions, directs and shapes our lives." That same saintly Pope, in his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America (1999), described Lectio Divina as a "practice to be encouraged among all Christians", and that for priests it must be a "basic feature of the preparation of their homilies, especially the Sunday homily." 

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI argues that if effectively promoted "this practice will bring to the Church - I am convinced of it - a new spiritual springtime." No doubt this conviction was the reason why, speaking at the inaugural session of the 2007 Aperecida Conference, he urged the Bishops to "train people to read and meditate on the word of God." He stressed that this must become "their staple diet, so that, through their own experience, the faithful will see that the words of Jesus are spirit and life (cf. Jn 6:63)." 

Just in case these Papal endorsements of Lectio Divina are not enough to convince you, the Church has considered it to be so important to the spiritual life, that it has seen fit to grant a plenary indulgence, subject to the usual conditions, to those of the faithful who spend at least one half-hour engaged in the practice (Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, no. 50).

So now that we have defined Lectio Divina, and dwelt a little on the benefits of putting it into practice, let us move on to its methodology. The methodology is very simple and effectively consists of reading the passage, and then meditating upon it. To help us meditate, Pope Francis, in his encyclical Evangelii Gaudium (2014), suggests prayerfully asking some of the following questions upon reading our chosen passage:

• "Lord, what does this text say to me?"

• "What is it about my life that you want to change by this text?"

• "What troubles me about this text?"

• "Why am I not interested in this?"

• "What do I find pleasant in this text?"

• "What is it about this word that moves me?"

• "What attracts me? Why does it attract me?"

It will probably strike you how personal and intimate these questions are, and how far removed they are from the sorts of questions one might associate with usual Biblical study or discussion. But this is because our faith is ultimately built upon a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, whereby our heart communes with that of God. Remember the motto of St John Henry Newman: cor ad cor loquitor - heart speaks to heart. Lectio Divina is a means, along with the sacraments, by which we can foster that heart-to-heart relationship.

All that has been said by the Church Fathers, and the magisterium, on Lectio Divina has supposed the practice to be an individual one. However, it is now increasingly common for Lectio Divina to be practiced in a group setting, and in an age of increasing loneliness and isolation, there is much to be said for like-minded Catholics coming together to practice Lectio Divina communally. Indeed, great spiritual friendships have been created, and nurtured, from like-minded people coming together for communal prayer, centered around the Word of God, and then sharing with each other how the passage read has challenged, or consoled you (perhaps having considered the questions proposed by Pope Francis above). However, sharing personal insights in this way can also be daunting for some people, and it is by no means obligatory to share a reflection within a Lectio group, or indeed to practice Lectio Divina within a group setting at all.

There are a network of Lectio Divina groups, which are collectively known as the Weave of Manquehue. They have a Benedictine charism, and every year run workshops on how to practice , or start a Lectio group.  

Even if you eventually decide that Lectio Divina in a group setting is not for you, it is nevertheless a wonderful way to be introduced to the practice, in a supportive environment, and once learned, it can then be brought into one's own individual prayer life, with what I hope will be trans-formative effects.

Many are familiar with the struggle of trying to find catechists (or begging parishioners for help).  If catechists are the backbone of our faith formation programs, then recruiting, and retaining, catechists needs to be a top priority. Finding catechists who are evangelizers, and see themselves as such, is the key to a faith formation process that forms disciples.

[Deacon Joe Paprocki @ Catechist’s Journey] shares five aspects of the process, using the word GIFTS:

G—Genuine

I—Inspiring

F—Formational

T—Trusting

S—Supporting

Genuine

Pope Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi remarked that, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, or if he listens to teachers, he does so because they are witnesses.” 

Seek out catechists who are first disciples, and exhibit a genuine or authentic spirit about their faith.  A personal invitation to those who have gone through an evangelizing process would be a great place to begin looking for new catechists.

Inspiring

The 'who' of our faith (Jesus Christ) is the reason behind our faith formation classes. An evangelizing catechetical program inspires students to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ, and His body, the Church. 

“What we especially need in these times are credible witnesses, who make the Gospel visible by their lives, as well as by their words, and who reawaken the attraction for Jesus Christ, for the beauty of God,” remarked Pope Francis (Address to the Plenary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, October 14, 2013). 

There are a plethora of methodologies that can help us become better teachers, but catechists inspire, and form, their students through modelling, mentoring, and witness.

Formational

Forming catechists into disciples is tremendously important. Treat the team of catechists like a small Christian community, that helps them grow in faith together, so that they can pass along their faith to others. 

Formation can be both formal and informal; make a point of finding out the specific areas in which your catechists would like to grow, and tailor their formation accordingly. Compiling individualized resources for each catechist, in a specific area of the Church’s teaching, is a way to nurture, and encourage, each catechist, in their own gifts.

Trusting

There is an expression that all relationships move ‘at the speed of trust'.  Our efforts at forming disciples, will only be fruitful, if our catechists have trust and confidence in us, and in our approach. Build trust with catechists by listening attentively to them, (celebrate their birthdays, and joys and sorrows), seeking their input, and ensuring that they are a part of important conversations.  

Supporting

Provide ongoing support to catechists individually, and as a team. Be sure to show them your appreciation in word, and deed. Building relationships that last, is the key to catechists who are successful, and confident in the ‘classroom’. When catechists feel supported, they will model that support for their students.

History sweeps through cobbled streets,

as songs of old bellow amidst new life where past and present meet

Leaving behind trails of what once was,

The dawn of a new day brings about a season for change

And so begins the dismantling of broken systems, to turn away from the ills of oppression and injustice, homelessness and poverty, far too many to count

But we find ourselves in a position where we are able to cry out in action for the hope and liberty of this city

And yet more often than not, tension between the latter and former prove difficult to navigate beyond

And so we, grip firmly to what we’ve once known only to find it no longer corresponds with what there now is to know

But in order to see change, there must also be the practicality of setting new mindsets to widen perspective as we navigate forward with one objective

In partnering and coming together as one, we invest and sow into the future of Lincoln as a flourishing and thriving city

In unity, we create room for insight, deeper understanding, and in a call to action we find growth

You see to love a city, to deeply anticipate its growth and flourishing is to see the success of its inhabitants

It lies deeper than infrastructures and establishments

Because without the people, everything else ceases to be relevant

And it’s only when the city prospers, do the people also prosper

I believe this city is going to see change for the better, the question however, is not in the when but in how

And so when I close my eyes and think of the future

I might envision thoughts and plans beyond my wildest dreams

Or believe for goals beyond my abilities or current capacity

And sometimes, my hopes and fears it seems both fall directly into one category

Fear: an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger

And so I anticipate what may appear to be impossibilities or difficulty surrounding what I wish to achieve

Yet Hope springs up a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to take place

To embrace the ups and downs of the journey towards something better

And so when you close your eyes and envision the future of this city, what do you see

Is it dwelling in fear of what could be? To review current conditions, numbers and statistics and realising that maybe it all

just seems a little unrealistic

But I’ll be the first to speak life into this city as though it were

Together, we can seek and declare peace and prosperity over this city

Together, we can raise a new song

One that thrives in the awareness of safety, a city that presents opportunity, embraces diversity, celebrates equality, makes room

for innovative ideas and creativity and finds power in its unity

Our new song is found in building as one and Believing for greater to come

Lincoln, a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden

A city with a light that cannot be dimmed but carries light that extends into every home, space and the wider community

A city filled with people that aren’t simply moved by words but also by deed in serving and playing our parts to create a better

society

For the young and the old, the poor and the rich, for families and individuals, the vulnerable and the outcast

We sing a new song over Lincoln with long lasting words of a hope for the here and now but also for the future of generations to

come

Lincoln Civic Prayer Breakfast 2022 - Spoken Word by Eunice Walker

One of the most misunderstood concepts regarding the Church’s liturgical year is Ordinary Time. We tend to think of certain seasons of the Church year as special: Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. These seasons are indeed special. However, Ordinary Time is not referring to a season in which nothing special is happening.

In fact, the Scripture readings teach us that there is nothing ordinary about Ordinary Time. Aware of God’s presence and continuing love, the Church does not let a day go by, without counting it as belonging to God. Because we count our Sundays in this way, we call them Ordinary, as in the word ordinal, meaning 'numbered'.  Because we encounter, day by day and Sunday after Sunday, the deeds of the Lord proclaimed in Scripture, we are reminded regularly that this moment, and indeed every moment, belongs to God. In fact, at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, which is the centerpiece of the Church year, the priest prays these words as he blesses the Easter candle: “Christ yesterday and today, the beginning and the end, Alpha and Omega; all time belongs to Him, and all the ages; to Him be glory and power, through every age for ever.”

For Catholics, time takes on a unique sense in the context of liturgy and worship. When we enter liturgy, the time that we mark with clocks and watches, kronos, is suspended. At that point, kairos—eternal time or 'heaven’s time'—overshadows our time and invites us to enter God’s 'eternal now'. This eternal now is experienced by the Church, through the Church’s liturgical year. This means that, for Catholics, every day of the year has a connection to Jesus.

Because time is something that belongs to God, we are called to be stewards of God’s time. In fact, stewardship is the recognition of our responsibility to care for and share what God has entrusted to us: time, talent, and treasure. Ordinary Time reminds us that all time belongs to God, and we are stewards of this wonderfully generous gift.

The sacrament, which we now call 'Reconciliation', has undergone the most changes of all the sacraments over time. The different names for the sacraments in the Church's history, reflect something of the way our understanding has developed and evolved.

It was originally called the ‘sacrament of penance’, and was associated with severe public penances, imposed on people for public sins. Then, it was called ‘confession’ - after individual confession was introduced for private sins. It has also been called the ‘sacrament of conversion and forgiveness’. It is now called the ‘sacrament of reconciliation’. Together with the ‘sacrament of anointing’, it is now classified as one of two ‘sacraments of healing’.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains how this sacrament heals our relationship with the Christian community - wounded by our sins - and heals our relationship with God.

Though stated as one of the effects of the sacrament, healing is not mentioned in the ritual formula. It seems to focus exclusively on the forgiveness of sin. Often, when we speak about this sacrament, we too tend to focus on forgiveness and sin.

It is helpful to distinguish between the sinful actions we commit, and the disorder that gives rise to the actions that require healing.

Eric Jensen SJ suggests that sin cannot only be seen as a thought, word or deed that is morally disordered. It can also arise from a disorder - like toxic shame - that occurs out of a wounding experience. Many of our wounding experiences come from childhood and can be characterised perhaps by the phrase "the message I heard about myself vs the message I should have heard".

We need forgiveness for sin, but we also need healing for wounds. Sin can so often be cyclical (I do the same thing over and over and wonder why), because we have never dealt with the deeper genesis: the place where the wound is.

This means that, when preparing for the sacrament, we ask ourselves, with God's help, to look at what lies beneath the sin. 

Jesus knows the need for forgiveness and healing. He says, "You have been healed, go and sin no more" (John 5:14). 

When we undergo trials, we fight the battle of fear. Fear of the current situation, fear of the future, fear of what will happen to us, our loved ones, our family, marriage, relationships, job, children, friends. It has been particularly true during this time of pandemic.  At times, life seems overwhelming, even to those we perceive as holy.

We are not alone; nearly every saint has had doubts, fear and dark moments of despair. Mother Teresa, now St. Teresa of Calcutta, in letters written in confidence to her confessors, had times of doubt. She wrote about having no faith, and about thoughts that gave her untold agony. She described putting on a cloak that covered her despair with a smile.

Fear is crippling and immobilizing. Fear is our enemy. What conquers fear? God’s love.

When we are open to God’s love, we are open to hope. Transformed by God’s love, we trust in Him. As in the Divine Mercy devotion, we say with confidence, 

“Jesus, I Trust In You.  Jesus I Trust In You.  Jesus, I Trust In You.”

When we hope and trust, God’s love showers on us the peace that passes all understanding. We do not tremble and fear.

One of the most important Scriptures for us to have rooted in our hearts: Romans 8:28 “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”

When we believe God is real, and that He cares about us, and loves us more than we can ever imagine, everything changes. Our doubts, fears and anxieties melt away.

In the midst of trials, it is difficult to understand or accept that God has a purpose for everything in our lives. Many of us try to figure out His plan for us. We attempt to understand why things happen the way that they do.  

Do not try to figure out every aspect of what happens to you, or what may happen to you. We do not comprehend God’s ways.

Isaiah 55:9 “As high as the heavens are above the earth,  so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

We also see Jesus telling us not to worry or to try to figure out our lives.

Matthew 6:34 “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

Focusing on God’s goodness and love transforms us, leaving no room for fear in our lives! This is always true, but especially when we are in crisis.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols has issued an invitation to all faithful to resume a regular pattern of worship, by attending Sunday Mass in person once more.   

He asks for our assistance 'to encourage everyone to make coming to Church an important part of their pattern of life'.  He asks those of us who have resumed the regular pattern of Sunday Mass attendance 'to be ready to approach those whom you know, and who are not present here today, with a word of invitation for them to join us'.   Acknowledging that 'taking the step across the threshold of the church can be daunting for someone who has been away for a long time,' he suggests that parishioners 'offer to accompany them on this return journey'.  As Lent, 'the traditional and powerful season of our renewal in faith', approaches, we are invited to 'respond to the Lord's invitation, to come forward and meet Him afresh'

Extract from the Pastoral Letter for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 26/27 February 2022 

During these last two years there were times when our way of life was severely curtailed. We were in 'Lockdown'. At one time, for three months, even the doors of our churches were firmly closed. Being unable to enter the House of God, and to take part fully in the celebration of the Mass was, for many, an experience of real dismay and pain.

But that is no longer the case. We are again able to fashion the way of life that we choose. The doors of our churches can stay wide open. Yet, as you know, many have not resumed the pattern of coming to church, week by week. Other activities have filled that space. For some, the thirst for being at Mass, for celebrating life-giving sacraments, has diminished.

This is where I ask for your help. I would like you to be ready to approach those whom you know, and who are not present here today, with a word of invitation for them to join us. I know this is not easy. You may well feel it is an intrusive thing to do. Also, taking the step across the threshold of the church can be daunting for someone who has been away for a long time. So I ask you to exercise great deference and kindness when approaching them, perhaps offering to accompany them on this return journey.

I make this request now, not simply because fear and restrictions are eased, but because we are approaching Lent, the traditional and powerful season of our renewal in faith. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, we respond to the Lord's invitation, to come forward and meet Him afresh. He invites us to come through the doors of the church, to stand before Him, and receive His blessing, His mark of mercy.

Lent is the time to reset our patterns so that there is time for God in our hearts and in our weekly routines. You know well that the highest form of prayer is the celebration of the Eucharist. It is here, above all other places, that the Lord wishes to fill us with His gifts, so that we, in turn, can offer those gifts to others. And then, when we give that which we have received, we bring this precious light of Christ into our world. He is the best antidote to the darkness of the pandemic, to the loneliness it has brought, to the lack of clear hope for the future, to the deep weariness and unexpressed resentment that has entered into the souls of so many.

So, please, do what you can to invite those who are missing to come with you, to be part of this great family of faith at prayer. If each of you can give a word of encouragement to one other person, to one other family, then the reward will be great. Then we can journey together to Easter. There we proclaim again that Jesus alone has mastered death, that He alone is the Lord of life, that He is now among us, and calling us to come to meet Him here, in the House of God, in this Gate of Heaven.

'Keep on working at the Lord's work always, knowing that, in the Lord, you cannot be labouring in vain' (1Cor. 15:58).

“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God”.  (Matthew. 5:8)

 Although the sixth Beatitude promises us that, the pure of heart will have the privilege of seeing God, we might be surprised to learn that not everyone has found this idea attractive.

In the Old Testament, tradition held that to gaze on the face of the Lord was tantamount to a death sentence; despite his intimate friendship with God, Moses himself was forced to hide in the cleft of the rock, and see only the Lord’s back as He passed by.

In the Gospels, however, Jesus turns this fear on its head by offering Himself as a perfect and merciful mediator, a new means to see and know the Lord.  He promises the apostles, “Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father” (John 14:9).  To see the Son is to see the Father who dwells in Him, and to be friends with one is to be friends with the other.

Our own journey with the Lord comes with its share of moments of both fear and intimacy, beginning with the fundamental task of noticing how He’s even active in our lives in the first place.

Sin, the Catechism of the Catholic Church warns us, inevitably clouds our judgement, and distorts our ability to perceive the good.  Sin, more than any other outside influence, makes it difficult to ‘see’ God in our lives, to recognise His invitations to friendship, and to discern His will.

The particular details of our encounters may differ, but as Catholics, we all have the privilege of seeing God moving in out lives first hand.  Of all the places we could look for His presence nothing can compare to the power of Jesus Christ present in the sacraments of His Church.

Jesus speaks to our hearts in His Real Presence, in the celebration of the Mass, and in the silence of Eucharistic Adoration.  He speaks His words of forgiveness and absolution to open the eyes of our souls in the sacrament of reconciliation.  I am sure many of you have experienced these graces.

It is not uncommon for our spiritual lives to go through phases and periods of great enthusiasm, alternating with times of dryness, or temptation to indifference.

Among the most difficult to endure, however, can be those times when we realise we have drifted away from our relationship with God, and allowed sin to lead us far from the path on which He was leading us.

Turning our eyes back to Him really can be as simple, and as humbling, as turning back to these founts of grace, that the Church has given us in the sacraments.

Still, it can be all to tempting to give in to the fear that, if and when we return to stand before the Lord, we’ll be the ones struck dead, if not by His wrath, then by the monumental shame of our failure.

The reality is quite the opposite: When we allow Jesus to remove the clouds from our vision, and restore us to the purity of heart, the only thing we will see before our eyes, is the gaze of His mercy, waiting right where He has always been, right in front of us.

1 January         Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God

The Octave of Christmas ends on the first day of the New Year, which is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, venerated as the Mother of God.  The Gospel reminds us that she “kept all these things, pondering them in hear heart” (Luke 2:19).  So, she did in Bethlehem, on Golgotha at the foot of the cross, and on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Upper Room.  And so, she does today too.  The Mother of God, and of human beings keeps in her heart all of humanity’s problems, great and difficult, and meditates upon them.  The Alma Redemptoris Mater walks with us and guides us with the motherly tenderness towards the future.  Thus, she helps humanity cross all the ‘thresholds’ of the years, the centuries, the millenniums, by sustaining their hope in the One who is the Lord of history.  [Blessed Pope Saint John Paul II]

11 February    Our Lady of Lourdes

The message of Lourdes is a call to personal conversion, prayer, and charity.

13 May             Our Lady of Fatima

Mary brought a message of peace and reparation for sin, encouraging devotion to her Immaculate Heart, and the recitation of the Rosary.

31 May             the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Commemorates the meeting between Mary, and her cousin Elisabeth.  Following Elizabeth’s words of greeting, Our Lady proclaimed the Magnificat, a hymn praising the Lord for all that He had done for His handmaid and expressing her attitude of faith and humility.

6 June               Mary, Mother of the Church

25 June            the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, originated with Saint John Eudes, in the seventeenth century, and developed in parallel to the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Whereas the Sacred Heart shows the infinite love of God for mankind, Mary’s Immaculate Heart presents us with a model for how we should love God.  Honouring the Immaculate Heart not only rightly acknowledges her unique privileges, but also leads us to her Son.

16 July              Our Lady of Mount Carmel

This feast honours the Blessed Virgin as patroness of the Carmelite Order.  It later came to be associated with a supposed vision of Saint Simon Stock, said to have taken place on 16 July 1251.  Wearing the ‘Brown Scapular’, a symbol of the Carmelite habit, is a sign of trust in Mary’s maternal help, especially at the hour of death.

*26 July                            Ss. Joachim & Anne (Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

The grandparents of the Lord remind us that, the Word truly became flesh in a particular family.  Our devotion to them, is an extension of our love of Mary, and her Divine Son.

15 August        the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Solemnity of the Assumption is, in some ways, the paramount feast of Our Lady, since it commemorates her passing, body and soul, into the glory of heaven, where she stands beside her Son ‘in garments of gold’.  Though the dogma of the Assumption was only defined in 1950, it was widely believed by the earliest Christians.  The Blessed Virgin truly leads the way; she fulfilled her vocation in humility and, given her Immaculate Conception, the grave was no place for her body.  Where she is now, we one day hope to be.

22 August        the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mary, Mother & Queen)

Pope Pius XII instituted this Feats in 1954, to conclude what was then the Octave of the Assumption.  We remember the Blessed Virgin reigns in Heaven, together with her Son; she reigns not because she is equal to God, but because she is the mother of Christ the King.  All her privileges come from her Motherhood of God, and the unique role she played in our redemption.

8 September  the Nativity (Birthday) of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Nothing is known for sure about the details of the Blessed Virgin’s birth.  Even her parents, traditionally known as Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, are not mentioned in Sacred Scripture.  Today’s feast originated in the East, probably during the sixth century, and was later introduced to the West.  (A French legend tells of a man hearing angels singing on the night of 8 September and being told the Virgin Mary has been born on that night).  Her earthly birth is celebrated (like that of Saint John the Baptist) because it announced to the world the coming of Jesus, the beginning of the New Covenant.

12 September   the Most Holy Name of Mary

The name of Mary is regarded as holy because it is the name of the Mother of God, her who brought the Saviour into the world.  The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary was added to the Universal Calendar in 1684 by Blessed Innocent XI.

15 September   Our Lady of Sorrows

This feast originated as a memorial of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, most of which were linked to the events of Good Friday, when she stood at the foot of the cross.  We remember that the Blessed Virgin had to live through the personal tragedy of seeing her Son die.  She had a unique share in our redemption, offering her Son’s life to the Lord, trusting that it was part of His plan.

24 September   Our Lady of Walsingham

England’s premier Marian shrine dates back to 1061, when a wealth widow, Richeldis de Faverches, was inspired by a vision to build a replica of the Holy House of Nazareth in Walsingham, Norfolk.  This remained a vibrant pilgrimage centre until its destruction in 1538, although the shrine was later revived by both Catholics (1897) and Anglicans (1922).  Formerly, 24 September was kept as the Memorial of Our Lady of Ransom, when prayers were offered for the ‘ransom’ of England, ‘Our Lady’s Dowry’.

7 October        Our Lady of the Rosary

This Memorial (originally Our Lady of Victories) commemorates the battle of Lepanto (7 October 1571).  The victory was attributed by Pope Saint Pius V to the recitation of the Holy Rosary.  This great Marian prayer is sometimes traced back to Saint Dominic and his confreres, preaching against the Albigensian heresy in the thirteenth century, although it seems more likely to have taken its familiar form in the fifteenth century.  Since then, it has spread all over the world, and has produced marvellous fruits, bringing countless Christians ‘to Jesus through Mary’.

21 November    the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Presentation of Mary in the Temple as a young girl, is based not on the New Testament but an account in the apocryphal Gospel of James.  In being presented in this way, the Blessed Virgin dedicated herself to the service of God and kept herself open to God’s will.  The feast prepares us for Advent and Christmas, when we celebrate the coming of her Divine Sone into the world.

8 December   the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we celebrate the Blessed Virgin’s unique privilege of being preserved from the stain of sin at the very moment of conception.  This was fitting for she would one day carry the second person of the Trinity in her womb.  Blessed John Henry Newman wrote that ‘there is no difference n kind between her and us, though an inconceivable difference of degree.  She and we are both simply saved by the grace of Christ’.  But with Mary, the way she was saved was exceptional: from the moment of her existence, she was freed from the stain of Original Sin.  This dogma was solemnly defined by Blessed Pius IX on 8 December 1854 but had long been believed by Christians. 

10 December Our Lady of Loreto

12 December Our Lady of Guadalupe

On 9 December 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Juan Diego, and left an image of herself imprinted upon his cloak.  The image was placed in a magnificent shrine at Guadalupe where it became an object of great devotion and encouraged the devotion of the Mexican nation towards the Mother of God.  Many miracles were attributed to her intercession, and Our Lady of Guadalupe was named ‘Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas’.

*30 December                         the Holy Family, of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

If we aspire to a deeper understanding of Jesus’ life and mission, we must draw close to the mystery of the Holy Family of Nazareth to observe and listen.  Today’s liturgy offers us a providential opportunity to do so.  For every believer, and especially for Christian families, the humble dwelling place in Nazareth is an authentic school of the Gospel.  Here we admire, put in practice, the divine plan to make the family an intimate community of life and love; here we learn that every Christian family is called to be a small “domestic church” that must shine with the Gospel virtues.  Recollection and prayer, mutual understanding and respect, personal discipline and community asceticism and a spirit of sacrifice, work and solidarity are typical features that make the family of Nazareth a model for every home.   [Blessed Pope Saint John Paul II]

It is with great sadness that I must say farewell to the Parish of Our Lady of Lincoln. Unfortunately, my abrupt departure came just before I was to celebrate twenty-five years of ministry and renew my ordination promises to Bishop Patrick at our annual Deacons’ Mass. This year, for three of us older deacons, it was exceptionally moving as we reflected on our long ministry and all who inspired and helped us on our way to ordination.  It was a time to recall and compare just how we have spent these years.

In my case, I recalled with gratitude Mgr. Tom McGovern who served as a curate in St. Hugh’s Church in Lincoln ‘under’ Mgr. Hugh Atkinson before taking over as Parish Priest.  It was Fr. Tom who suggested I should become a Special Minister of the Eucharist and assist him taking Holy Communion into Lincoln Hospital.  He also introduced me to Churches Together in which he played a leading role.  I would later follow him in becoming Vice Chairman, Chairman, and then Treasurer with a strong ongoing commitment to ecumenism.  It was Fr. Tom, in 1993, who encouraged me to become a deacon and sent me to see Bishop McGuiness.  At the time, I was working for the Lincoln Archaeological Trust and was a part-time lecturer teaching Church History in Lincoln Theological College, our local ‘seminary’ for the Anglican diaconate and priesthood (male and latterly female).  Having access to the library I had all the books needed for my own studies until the College closed in late 1996.

At our 2022 Deacons’ Day the three remaining deacons of the ‘class of 1997’ still in ministry recalled with gratitude how Frs. Michael Tutcher and Philip O’Dowd had masterminded our studies, and how other clergy had shared their areas of expertise.  We remembered too, the Sisters at Rearsby Convent who offered us accommodation, library, refectory, chapel, and gardens.  And then there were five classmates who have died, Deacons Tony Brown, Raymond Faghy, Bernard Croft, Harry Tomkinson, and John Parker; plus, Paul Boshell who is still very alive (so he says) but now retired.  

After my ordination, my new diaconal ministry was in St Hugh’s parish, in its groups, activities and programmes, in the sanctuary, and in hospital chaplaincy.  However, in 1998 I was asked to assist Fr. James Kinane in the Catholic Chaplaincy in our new University in Lincoln. When the Bishop transferred him, in 1999, I was asked to take over in what was now a full-time job.  I had a large chaplaincy house with eight male and female residents to look after, regular chaplaincy meetings, talks and activities, a university office, and a growing ecumenical involvement in academic seminars and tutorials.  The essential requirement was my presence and availability on campus. My best strategy was to enrol as a mature post-graduate student myself.  I chose a part-time master’s thesis on the theology and works of Bishop Thomas Watson, the last Roman Catholic Bishop of Lincoln. It was ideal, providing full access to all University activities, lectures, seminars, and tutorials, and with some teaching.  While doing this, I also agreed to teach Church History to students in our own diocesan course for the diaconate, now moved to Ratcliffe College and later to Matlock. 

Unfortunately, this ministry was interrupted by my major heart surgery in 2002, and during my absence our residential chaplaincy had to be closed. After resuming my studies and a reduced part-time chaplaincy role on campus, I completed my master’s degree in 2009.  As it happened, Deacon Peter Allan in Our Lady’s Parish had died and a newly arrived Parish Priest, Fr. Colin Taylor, was seeking a replacement.  I offered to transfer from St Hugh’s to Our Lady’s, and he insisted we share in his induction ceremony.  We did, in a packed church on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on the 8th of December 2009.  Although my inclusion in the ceremony had no legal precedent or basis, we were jointly addressed, made our own respective responses, promises, and commitments, and were equally welcomed.  The ceremony was deeply moving, and its emotional impact on me personally was second only to my ordination twelve years earlier.  It marked a very new parish ministry.

My thirteen years in Our Lady’s, getting to know so many lovely families and friends and being involved in so many groups and activities has been a real joy.  Our daily, weekly, and seasonal gatherings for Mass, the Divine Office, devotions, and so many special celebrations for Feast days and during Advent and Christmas, and Lent and Easter, have been wonderfully nourishing, inspiring, uplifting and fulfilling.  We made great strides in ecumenical relationships in Churches Together, and in our ‘Uphill Fraternal’ with local clergy from all denominations meeting regularly and working together.  Likewise, relations with Lincoln’s two Jewish communities, nurtured by Fr. Colin, have proved an education for all in our mutual understanding. Notable for Our Lady’s (however limited) has been our sharing in Rosh Hashana and Hanukah celebrations with Jewish friends, school children, parents, and parishioners.

The sudden tragic death of Fr. Colin, followed by Covid, changed everything, but parish work was somehow kept going.  There were still funerals, contacts to be kept-up, and people to be cared for as best we could.  The return towards normality has been slow but our liturgical coming-back-together and reunions have been healing and renewing.  Our next great challenge in coming years is how we cope with fewer and fewer priests. We thank God for all our remaining hard-working priests but must now pray for a speedy, urgently needed, copious influx of new vocations.  Above all, we must pray that our Holy Father Pope Francis together with all our bishops will find a way to provide what we most need; a rapid and growing flood of ordained priests to keep our parishes open, evangelical, and vibrant.  

I am saying farewell to Our Lady’s parishioners, but I hope to be seeing most of you from time to time in St Hugh’s where my ministry continues, and perhaps in our future single Parish of Lincoln, as long as God spares me and I manage to remain active.  I wish you all every blessing and my thanks for your friendship and support.

Yours very sincerely and faithfully,

Deacon John

As many will know, meetings of the Lincoln Council for Christians and Jews have been held in our Church for many years.  (Watch the Bulletin).  What I find most revealing is all that Jews and Christians hold in common, and how our shared scriptures shape what we believe and profess.  One example brought this home to me when a speaker referred to the Prophet Zechariah describing a crisis in Jerusalem some 300 years before Christ.

Jerusalem, having been rebuilt after it’s destruction by the Babylonians, has fallen to Alexander the Great.  His occupation, and his sacrilegious treatment of the Temple, has prompted the question: where is our God?  How could our God allow this?  Far from reigning over heaven and earth from his Temple in Jerusalem, God seems to have abandoned his people.  But Zechariah looks to the future with unshaken faith, and he becomes as important in shaping the Jesus story in our Gospels as any other prophet.  In Zechariah the character and actions of the coming Messiah take shape.

For Zechariah, God is, and always was, the Good Shepherd of the Psalms.  He did not drive his flock.  He called it to follow him.  But his flock were no longer listening.  Some ignored him; some followed other shepherds; some ridiculed him.  No longer seeking his divine guidance, his flock was now distracted and indifferent, a prey to any prowling predators. But God, ever compassionate and concerned for his flock, far from abandoning it, is already preparing its change of heart and rescue. Zechariah has been called and commissioned to announce the coming of a Saviour; a Royal Messiah who will speak God’s word, gather, and unite his people, fill them with a spirit of remorse, shame, and love; and bring them back to their senses. When he comes, the Saviour will not arrive like Alexander the Great, at the head of a great army, but riding on ‘a donkey, a colt the foal of a donkey’ and everyone will be rejoicing and shouting for joy: ‘Hosanna’!  

In his chapter 10, Zechariah tells us that God, and his Messiah are one.  The humble Messiah will embody the presence of God amid his people.  In chapter 11, rogue shepherds oppose the Messiah and put a price on his head – 30 pieces of silver.  These bad shepherds do not care for the weak, lost or strayed in their flock, nor heal the injured and sickly.  And in chapter 12, Zechariah is specific about the lineage of the Saviour-Messiah.  He will be the ultimate Shepherd-Pastor and King, a royal son of David.

Again, and again Zechariah describes how the coming Messiah will embody God’s presence on earth; the two will be as one.  But just as God’s flock turned away and became indifferent to him, so too will it treat its Messiah.  Just as it pierced God to the heart, so too will it pierce its Saviour to the heart.  But their most terrible cruelty, putting their Messiah to death, will ultimately end in their good.  It will shame them, awaken sleeping consciences, and bring remorse.  An outpouring of the Holy Spirit will follow, with sorrow, lamentation and mourning as the horror sinks in.  Zechariah prophesies:  “Thus says the Lord: ‘Over the House of David and the citizens of Jerusalem I will pour out a spirit of kindness and prayer. They will look on the one whom they have pierced; they will mourn for him as for an only son, and weep for him as people weep for a first-born child. When that day comes, there will be great mourning in Judah, like the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. When that day comes, a fountain will be opened for the House of David and the citizens of Jerusalem, to wash away sin and impurity.”

Emphasis here is on the remorse that Zechariah foretells after the sacrifice of their Messiah.  He likens it to the legendry sacrifices of Hadad-rimmon, reminding everyone of human sacrifice on the altar of the Canaanite God Hadad.  Hadad was a horned god who was only appeased by the sacrifice of pure first-born sons of kings and nobles.  Hadad-rimmon had become a byword for grief, lamentations, remorse, and mourning for young innocent victims and their bereaved mothers and families.  For Zechariah, this great awakening of conscience, remorse, and mourning will be life-changing, making sin and impurity no longer palatable or bearable, but repulsive! 

When Jesus asks his disciples ‘who do the crowds say I am’, he is asking what sort of Messiah they are expecting; a Messiah who comes on a war-horse or a donkey? We cannot help but reflect on our own take on this.  Jesus is asking us what sort of Messiah we follow and try to emulate. There is no doubt that Zechariah greatly influenced Jesus and his story- tellers the evangelists.  Jesus will enter Jerusalem on a donkey, be sold for 30 pieces of silver, and sacrificed like the innocents who died at Hadad-rimmon.  Jesus will be the reality of the Messiah the Jewish Prophet describes.  Zechariah’s God is our God.  His humble Saviour-Messiah is Our Saviour-Messiah.  There is much we and our Jewish brothers and sisters can learn from each other, including just where we agree to differ.

Very best wishes to all, Deacon John.

In 2019, Pope Francis visited Greccio, the mountain village where Saint Francis of Assisi, in 1223, created the first crib scene to commemorate the birth of Jesus. 

Pope Francis signed an Apostolic Letter on the meaning and importance of the Nativity scene, entitled, ‘Admirabile signum’.

An enchanting image

The Latin title of the Letter refers to the “enchanting image” of the Christmas crèche, one that “never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder” … “The depiction of Jesus’ birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God.”

A living Gospel

“The nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture.”  Contemplating the Christmas story is like setting out on a spiritual journey, “drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman.” So great is His love for us, “that He became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with Him.”

A family tradition

The Pope hoped this Letter would encourage the family tradition of preparing the Nativity scene, “but also the custom of setting it up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares.” Praising the imagination and creativity that goes into these small masterpieces, Pope Francis hoped this custom will never be lost “and that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered and revived.”

The Gospel origin of the crèche

Pope Francis recalled the origin of the Christmas crèche as related in the Gospels. “Coming into this world, the Son of God was laid in the place where animals feed. Hay became the first bed of the One who would reveal Himself as ‘the bread come down from heaven.’ … The nativity scene “evokes a number of the mysteries of Jesus’ life,  and brings them close to our own daily lives.”

Saint Francis’ crèche in Greccio

Pope Francis took us back to the Italian town of Greccio, which Saint Francis visited in the year 1223. The caves he saw there reminded him of the countryside of Bethlehem. On 25 December, friars and local people came together, bringing flowers and torches. “When Francis arrived, he found a manger full of hay, an ox and a donkey.”

The start of the tradition

This is how our tradition began, “with everyone gathered in joy around the cave, with no distance between the original event and those sharing in its mystery.” With the simplicity of that sign, Saint Francis carried out a great work of evangelization.  His teaching continues today “to offer a simple yet authentic means of portraying the beauty of our faith.”

A sign of God’ tender love

Pope Francis explained that the Christmas crèche moves us so deeply because it shows God’s tender love. From the time of its Franciscan origins, “the nativity scene has invited us to ‘feel’ and ‘touch’ the poverty that God’s Son took upon Himself in the Incarnation” … “It asks us to meet Him and serve Him by showing mercy to those of our brothers and sisters in greatest need.”

The meaning of the crèche elements  

Pope Francis reflected on the meaning behind the elements that make up the Nativity scene. He begins with the background of “a starry sky wrapped in the darkness and silence of night.” We think of when we have experienced the darkness of night, yet even then, God does not abandon us. “His closeness brings light where there is darkness and shows the way to those dwelling in the shadow of suffering.”

The landscape

The Pope then wrote about the landscapes that often include ancient ruins or buildings. He explains how these ruins are “the visible sign of fallen humanity, of everything that inevitably falls into ruin, decays and disappoints.” This scenic setting tells us that Jesus has come “to heal and rebuild, to restore the world and our lives to their original splendour.”

The shepherds

Turning to the shepherds, Pope Francis wrote that, “unlike so many other people, busy about many things, the shepherds become the first to see the most essential thing of all: the gift of salvation. It is the humble and the poor who greet the event of the Incarnation.” The shepherds respond to God “who comes to meet us in the Infant Jesus by setting out to meet Him with love, gratitude and awe.”

The poor and the lowly

The presence of the poor and the lowly, is a reminder that “God became man for the sake of those who feel most in need of His love and who ask Him to draw near to them.” From the manger, “Jesus proclaims, in a meek yet powerful way, the need for sharing with the poor as the path to a more human and fraternal world in which no one is excluded or marginalized.”

Everyday holiness

Then there are the figures that have no apparent connection with the Gospel accounts. Yet, “from the shepherd to the blacksmith, from the baker to the musicians, from the women carrying jugs of water to the children at play: all this speaks of everyday holiness, the joy of doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way.”

Mary and Joseph

The Pope then focused on the figures of Mary and Joseph.

“Mary is a mother who contemplates her child and shows Him to every visitor” …“In her, we see the Mother of God who does not keep her Son only to herself but invites everyone to obey His word and to put it into practice. Saint Joseph stands by her side, “protecting the Child and His Mother.” Joseph is the guardian, the just man, who “entrusted himself always to God’s will.”

The Infant Jesus

But it is when we place the statue of the Infant Jesus in the manger, that the nativity scene comes alive. “It seems impossible, yet it is true: in Jesus, God was a child, and in this way, He wished to reveal the greatness of His love: by smiling and opening His arms to all.” The crèche allows us to see and touch this unique and unparalleled event that changed the course of history, “but it also makes us reflect on how our life is part of God’s own life.” 

The Three Kings

As the Feast of Epiphany approaches, we add the Three Kings to the Christmas crèche. Their presence reminds us of every Christian’s responsibility to spread the Gospel, “The Magi teach us that people can come to Christ by a very long route”, but returning home, they tell others of this amazing encounter with the Messiah, “thus initiating the spread of the Gospel among the nations.”

Transmitting the faith

The memories of standing before the Christmas crèche, when we were children, should remind us “of our duty to share this same experience with our children and our grandchildren.”   It does not matter how the nativity scene is arranged, “what matters is that it speaks to our lives.”

The Christmas crèche is part of the precious yet demanding process of passing on the faith, concluded Pope Francis. “Beginning in childhood, and at every stage of our lives, it teaches us to contemplate Jesus, to experience God’s love for us, to feel and believe that God is with us, and that we are with Him.”

The saints are undoubtedly an incredible gift. Perhaps you remember what drew you to them - or they to you!

Since then, you've probably had quite a time together. They've helped you become closer to God through their prayers, you've been inspired by the witness of their life, and maybe you talk to them like you would an earthly friend.  

Who will be your next new saint friend? 

An Announcement by Congregation for Causes of Saints that Pope Francis will canonize seven new saints, during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, on 15 May 2022.

Blessed Charles de Foucauld, born in 1858, was a French aristocrat and religious, whose work and writings led to the founding of the Congregation of the Little Brothers of Jesus.  During his adventurous life, he was a Cavalry Officer in the French Army, and then an explorer and geographer before becoming a Catholic priest, and hermit who lived among the Tuareg in Algeria’s Sahara Desert. He lived a life of prayer, meditation, and adoration, in the incessant desire to be, for each person, a “universal brother”, a living image of the love of Jesus.  Considered to be one of the pioneers of interreligious dialogue.  On the evening of December 1, 1916, he was killed by bandits.

Blessed Lazarus (Devasahayam Pillai). Known as Devasahayam, the Blessed Lazarus was a Brahmin of the Nair caste in India. Converted to Catholicism by a Jesuit priest in 1745, Devasahayam Pillai took the name Lazarus when he became a Christian. In his preaching, he particularly insisted on the equality of all peoples, despite caste differences. This aroused the hatred of the higher classes and he was arrested in 1749. After enduring increasing hardships, he received the crown of martyrdom when he was shot on 14 January 1749.

Blessed César de Bus, was ordained in 1582 in Avignon. He was profoundly affected by the life and writings of Saint Charles Borromeo whom he held up as a model, especially his devotion to the catechesis. In fact, he worked as a catechist in Aix-en-Provence during times of turmoil following the French Wars of Religion. He founded the orders of the Ursulines of Province and the Fathers of Christian Doctrine (Doctrinarians). The Fathers were disbanded during the French Revolution, but an Italian branch of the Doctrinarian Fathers continues today with houses in Italy, France, and Brazil.

Blessed Luigi Maria Palazzolo, a northern Italian parish priest, dedicated his life to abandoned, orphaned, and neglected children. Together with the Venerable Maria Teresa Gabrieli, he founded the Sisters of the Poor, an Order that continues to care for and educate girls in Brazil, Burkina Faso, Congo, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Peru, and Switzerland. He died of natural causes in 1886.

Blessed Giustino Maria Russolillo, a 20th-century Italian priest, is the founder of the Society of Divine Vocations (Vocationists) which encouraged and supported those discerning a call to the priesthood and religious life. They continue their work in many countries across the world.

Blessed Maria Francesca di Gesù entered a community of women religious at the beginning of the 20th century and became the superior and formation director of the group, giving life to the Institute of the Capuchin Sisters of Mother Rubatto. Together with some Sisters, she went as a missionary to Uruguay and to Argentina. During her work in Latin America, she was asked to begin a mission in the rain forest. She died in Uruguay in 1904.

Blessed Maria Domenica Mantovani is the co-founder and first Superior General of the order of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family who can be found in Italy, Switzerland, Albania as well as in African and Latin American nations. They are dedicated to serving children and youth, families, priests, the elderly, and the disabled in parishes.

"Come to me all you who labour, and are heavy-burdened, and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls".

In the Christian tradition, there are different kinds of meditation.  Some methods use imagery or Scripture, as a way of reflecting on our Redemption.

Contemplative meditation is about spending time with God, without using mental images or active prayer.  

We sit in silence, aware of the present, and conscious, that this is where we can meet God.

In other words, we are not thinking about God, and we are not talking to God.  It is about giving loving attention to God, and allowing Him space to work in us.

We open our hearts with a trusting attitude, and stay in the present.  

We let go of our thoughts, plans or daydreams, and focus our attention on the present, remaining alert and aware of our surroundings.

In meditation, we are committing ourselves to the present moment.  Life is in the present.  This is where we meet God.

Our lives are frequently busy, and our minds are generally full of thoughts and plans.  We can be distracted by the surface features of our life.

There is sometimes little time left for the God, who is waiting for us at the center of our being.

Even when we pray, we are often making this or that request, for our own needs, or in order to change other people.  

Sometimes we think we know just how the world should be! 

By sitting in silence for a short time, we can turn our attention gently to the fact of God's presence, and be open to His Spirit.

And in meditation we open ourselves to change as we sit quietly before God.

By meditating, we can become more connected with the reality of our daily lives, and our communities. 

We begin to feel a greater sense of belonging, and connectedness. 

We live more compassionately, understanding others better.  We begin to feel free.

As Christians, we are not isolated individuals, but part of the Body of Christ, a believing community.

What we do is not just for ourselves, but for the whole Church, and for the world, too. 

By meditating as a group, we support and encourage each other, and enrich our communities.

Jesus invited us to gather in His name, and promised to be with us when we do.

Before Pentecost, the disciples, and Mary the mother of Jesus, spent time in prayer, as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

By meditating, we continue in that spirit of prayer and openness to God.

We live in a goal-driven society.  What we do is measured and evaluated constantly.   So for a person who meditates, what is the outcome?  What do we achieve?

Meditation is not about achieving anything ourselves.  It is about being open to the work of God's Spirit in us. 

In the encounter with God, we bring ourselves, as we are, with all our contradictions and failings, to be touched by His unifying Love.

Through meditation, we become more connected with our daily lives, and with the people around us.

The fruits of meditation are peace and joy.  We learn to accept ourselves and others for who we are.  We learn to love.

Because God is love, and we are made in His image and likeness, our relationships should reflect Him in the world.

This, perhaps, is the greatest form of Evangelization: to make an invisible God - visible to the world, through our love. – Jason Evert

There's an ancient legend, that tells the story of a jeweler, who had a precious pearl he wanted to sell. In order to place this pearl in the proper setting, he conceived the idea of building a special box, of the finest woods, to contain the pearl. He sought these woods, and had them brought to him, and they were polished to a high brilliance. He then reinforced the corners of this box with elegant brass hinges, and added a red velvet interior. As a final step, he scented that red velvet with perfume, then put in that setting, the precious Pearl.

The pearl was then placed in the store window, of the jeweler, and after a short period of time, a rich man came by. He was attracted by what he saw, and sat down with the jeweler to negotiate a purchase. After a while, the jeweler realised that the man was negotiating for the box, rather than the pearl. You see, the man was so overcome by the beauty of the exterior, that he failed to see the item of greatest value at the center - the Pearl.

And we too can, and do, make the same mistake with our faith.

The box is the Church, in all it's visible forms. Some of us love it for its architectural heritage, the amazing churches and cathedrals the world over. Some of us for its music, Gregorian chant, or more simply the popular folk music we hear in our churches today.  Or maybe, it is the philosophy for life that our faith gives us, a good ethic by which to live, clear guidelines for right or wrong.  For others it is the Mass in English, or the vernacular of whichever country you are in, or the traditional Mass in Latin. We all have our preferences, and that is okay as far as they go. But they are only the box.  It is what is in the box that is most important.   We have to look and see what is at its center. The Pearl of great value is ….Jesus.

Too many Catholics today, have never moved beyond the box. They not only express their preferences, but sit in judgement, with a sense of superiority, and condemn those who don't agree with them. The precious Jewel is forgotten, while they squabble, and cause division in the church, about the trimmings, the box.

The precious Jewel for which the Church exists, is The Lord Jesus …..and if you do not posses Him, the rest is all chaff, hot air, and is useless for your salvation.

A few years ago, while spending a weekend at the National Shrine at Walsingham, it was a great joy to witness the mid-morning Mass, with a beautiful choir singing in Latin; the midday Pilgrim Mass in English; the afternoon Syro-Malabar Mass, with incense and formality; and then that same day, Youth 2000 singing praise and worship, at the evening Mass.  Whatever helps people to pray, and puts them in touch with God is what matters.  And those Masses, said with dignity and prayerfulness, whether in the great Basilica, or under a tent, in a field in Norfolk, they link me to the greatest treasure of all, our Lord Jesus.  That is what it is all's about.

The language, the music, the formality (or lack of it) is simply the box. The jewel contained there inside it is Jesus, and that is whom we seek. He invites us today, to find Him through our worship. "I am the Bread of Life", He tells us, "whoever comes to Me, will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Me, will never thirst".

So let us focus on Him, and His message of love.  Take Him into our heart, and especially at that solemn moment of the consecration at Mass, when His Body and Blood is held up to us.  Look at it, and say something from your heart like: 'My Lord and My God', or simply, 'Jesus I love you, have mercy on me a sinner'.

When you enter the church, genuflect mindfully to Him in the tabernacle, as a real act of adoration and worship. It is for Him we come to Mass, wherever it is, whatever language it is in, whether it is said or sung.  In the Mass, He is giving me the gift of Himself. He is the Pearl of great price. The precious jewel in the box.

For months now, people have been lamenting the restrictions we’ve faced because of Covid-19, and longing for them to come to an end. At times, we’ve all questioned the logic behind the restrictions, the seemingly haphazard or downright contradictory nature of some of them, and we’ve complained about choices being made for us, and enforced upon us.   But, come 19 July , many of the choices will be ours and, where we have been armchair politicians for so long, believing we could have made better choices… well, that’s going to be put to the test.   

Personal choice requires personal reasoning, and not everyone is going to agree with the decisions we make.  But personal choice is rarely ‘personal’ in the sense that it rarely affects only ourselves. Our choices have ramifications for others around us.  So it’s about to get messier. We’re all politicians now.  At least in the original sense of the word, where the Greek 'politeia' had to do with reflecting on how ‘the good’ should be worked out in society, our relationships, and communities. 

The question for our Bishop's,  is not just whether we should sing, it’s whether we should make mask-wearing optional or keep it mandatory, reduce social distancing or maintain it, receive communion with a shared Chalice… and so on. And with all of this, we have the challenge of knowing how much to speak about, justify, or enforce our decisions, so that people’s personal boundaries aren’t violated, and they don’t feel pressured into interactions with which they are not comfortable, or judged for avoiding them.  

As our Bishop's try to balance their own personal, theological and practical convictions with those of a diverse community, and a watching world, it’s not obvious what we should - or shouldn’t - do. Many parishioners  will complain that their priests are moving too fast, and creating an unsafe space that they are not comfortable being in. And their concerns may be valid and legitimate. Many others will complain that their priests are moving too slowly, and limiting the potential of what Church could, and should be.  And their concerns may be valid and legitimate.

These are difficult questions to which there are no easy answers but, because of the wisdom of Scripture, and the example of Christ, Christians should be better equipped to grapple with them than many. Our Bible tells us that the Church is a body, where the weaker parts are indispensable; if one part suffers, the whole suffers (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). It tells us that in a diverse community where people’s differing faith levels allow them to participate in different ways, we must not judge one another, and we must not put stumbling blocks before one another, but the stronger should restrain themselves for the good of the weaker (Romans 14). It tells us that for the sake of Mission, we might choose to adapt our approach in order to reach people unlike us, restricting our ‘freedom’ for the good of others – to the weak we become weak – becoming all things to all people, so that by all means we may save some (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). 

So, why would anyone do anything that they don’t have to do? Quite simply, out of love. Out of care for those around us, we should all, Christians especially, be willing to do things we don’t have to, and don’t even want to do. And we should also be willing to not do things we would like to, if self-imposed limitation will be best for the Kingdom. That is true freedom.

None of which answers the question of whether or not we should keep wearing masks beyond 19 July, or whether we should sing, or do many of the other things we long to do in Church. I don’t think there are universal answers to those questions.

But despite the trickiness, there is beauty in complex questions and grey areas, because it forces us to develop an ethical agility that observes, adapts and responds to the needs of others, and the prompts of the Spirit. We cannot treat these as hypothetical questions to be pondered in an abstract way. We have to look one another in the eyes, discover how people genuinely feel and learn to adapt our own preferences for the good of others.

David Foster Wallace wrote: “The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people, and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day.”

True freedom is harder work than being told what to do, and it wouldn’t surprise me if, some who had vocally longed for the days of restrictions to end, may look back to those days with wistfulness! True freedom, like love, is costly and complex, sometimes messy, but always worth the investment.

Adapted from an article which was first published on liamthatcher.com 

"Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art"

It’s ironic, isn’t it, that the hymns we listen to at church, often call upon us to sing our praises to God, but we can only sit in silence because of the latest government guidelines? It’s frustrating, because singing, in communion with others, is a form of prayer, and a much-valued part of the church service.

Churches have complied willingly with all the restrictions imposed throughout the covid-19 pandemic, and they have taken all the precautions necessary as they have tentatively re-opened their doors to worshippers again. It’s been the responsible thing to do.

We were right to be cautious about singing in front of others, because we couldn’t be fully sure of the risks. However, we now know more about the science than we did at the start of the pandemic. Singing poses no more risk than talking – especially when you consider that when we sing, we do so, mainly, in the same direction but when we talk, we are often facing each-other!

The Government is preparing to lift most of the remaining restrictions on movement and social distancing by 19th July. This is in large part because the NHS’s hugely successful vaccination programme has broken the link between the rate of infections and the rate of hospitalisation.

For many social and cultural activities, like big sport events and festivals, we will see some level of normality return. However, we can’t be sure yet that congregational singing will be allowed. So, while it could be fine for football fans to return to their terrace chants at Wembley – or even in small pubs around the country - we could still be banned from singing our favourite hymns in our own congregations. That can’t be right, can it?

We are calling for regulations to treat Christian church-goers fairly and equally, and for singing to be brought back into churches across the whole of the UK on 19th July at the very latest. 

UPDATE: Speaking in the House of Commons, Sajid Javid announced that people in England would be allowed to sing together in places of worship from the 19th July - news that has been welcomed by many across the Church - but will come with many challenges, as churches "navigate the next steps".