Reflections

New Names, New Missions In the bible a new name meant a new mission.  Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do people say I am?” Names of former heroes were recalled.  “But who do you say I am?”  Simon, son of Jonah spoke up.  “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  This was…

Today’s Gospel about the Apostles’ boat on a stormy sea (Matt 14:22-33) is timely.   The logo chosen by Pope Benedict XVI for the Year of Faith in 2013 pictured a boat tossed high on waves.  We all recognise that this is a difficult time for the Church.  Persecution of Christians is as bad now as…

Loneliness, Hunger of the Heart   Today’s Gospel (Matt 14:13-21) throws light on loneliness which is another name for the hunger of the heart.  A popular film years ago was called “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.” One form of loneliness is the grief experienced after the death of a loved one.   On hearing of…

Seeds of Wisdom   “The reason that I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding.”  Jesus knew that people would listen to stories and remember them.  Parable sounds like parallel.  A parable is a story that runs parallel to life, like a mirror that travels…

I will give you Rest “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and clever and revealing them to mere children.”  It’s easy to return thanks when things are going well and we are aware of God’s favours but it takes great faith to give thanks when…

Who are the Apostles today? “When Jesus saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” At this stage of his mission, Jesus had many followers and the time had come for disciples to become apostles (a word which means being sent out).  Twelve were…

The Real Presence is the Real Thing The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is a celebration of the presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Eucharist.  It is an astounding belief.  We would not dare to hold this belief except that it is based on the very words of Jesus himself.  “I…

A God of Relationships About sixty years ago, the famous theologian, Karl Rahner, remarked that if the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity was removed, it would make virtually no difference to the majority of Christians.  However, things have changed somewhat since then.  The Charismatic Renewal awakened awareness of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  The…

Enkindle within us the fire of your love   May I begin by wishing us all a joyful birthday. It is the birthday of the Church, the day when the coming of the Holy Spirit utterly transformed the apostles from being fearful and directionless into a community empowered to carry on the mission of Jesus….