Reflections

Lent prepares us for Easter When I take a passage of scripture for reflection, I begin with my pencil to underline words that strike me.  For the First Sunday of Lent, we have Luke’s account of the temptations of Jesus (Luke 4:1-13).  First, I underlined Holy Spirit.  Luke is the evangelist of the Holy Spirit…

Your words flow out of what fills your heart On this Sunday we have the third extract from the great sermon on the plain where Jesus sets out the ideals of Christian life.  Last Sunday we reflected on the ideal of being forgiving and compassionate like our Father in heaven.  The ideal is beyond human…

Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate This Sunday our Gospel (Luke 6:27-38) picks up from last Sunday when we were introduced to the Sermon on the Mount which is the charter of Christian living.  This charter is inspired by a new revelation of God’s relationship with us.  God is revealed as our Father in…

Awareness of God and of sin The days are lengthening, daffodils are here and there is encouraging news about control of the Covid pandemic.  Is there any possibility that the virus of sin might be stamped out?  Sadly, following the news any night, the evidence is depressing. The Readings at Mass today are about two…

Gracious Words In today’s Gospel Reading (Luke 4: 21-30) we continue last Sunday’s story of Jesus returning to his home town, Nazareth, where he preached in the local synagogue.  After reading from Isaiah about the power of the Holy Spirit inaugurating a time of liberation and a new way of seeing life, he handed back…

Have we forgotten why we celebrate Christmas?  A friend told me she got a card wishing her a very merry Winter Festival?  Could you beat that!  People tell me they have to search in shops for cards that portray the Nativity but there is no shortage of fir trees, snow, red robins and Victorian carriages. …

The Joy of the Visitation Children are counting down the days.  After this Sunday, only six more days till Christmas.  Excitement is bubbling up.  I could feel it myself when watching the television commercial where a little boy keeps asking “Will he really come?”  Of course, we all think that he is waiting for Santa…

Someone is coming The entrance antiphon for Mass on the Third Sunday of Advent sets the tone for coming closer to Christmas.  “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.  Indeed, the Lord is near.”  Today is known as Gaudete Sunday, a day of special rejoicing. The Second Reading is worth repeating in full…

Prepare a way for the Lord “The word of God came to John son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.” I really love Advent.  Each season of the liturgical year has its own rich spirituality, but I think Advent has the message that is most relevant at the moment, at least in the state of the…