A rule of life was given to the early Carmelites by St Albert Avogadro, Patriach of Jerusalem between the years 1206 - 1214. These cookies are necessary to let our website work. He comes from above, from heaven, and bears witness to what he has seen and heard there. Jesus seems to be saying that there is something about the wind which is beyond our control. God has given his Son to us; it falls to us to give ourselves to Gods Son. The story the stranger told the two travellers ended in the triumph of new life over death, Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory? This was the bigger story which the stranger told from the Scriptures and which complemented and completed the story of the two disciples. We hear that bigger story, Gods story, in the Scriptures. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. In a sense, Jesus is calling on them to get their priorities right, to put most energy into what is ultimately important. People began to see that this movement wasnt just a particular branch of Judaism. That is one way of understanding what is happening on the road to Emmaus in todays gospel reading. As the shepherd calls his sheep one by one, so the Lord calls his followers one by one; he calls us by name; he calls us in a way that respects our individuality and uniqueness. Reflections on Daily Readings 2022 Introduction We have compiled a comprehensive set of reflections on the readings, covering the entire year. This mornings first reading is set in Damascus and its vicinity. In the language of that responsorial psalm, he is there as a shepherd in every valley of darkness to give us comfort. He is an open gate, not a closed gate. We need to be in communion with the Lord if our presence in the world is to be truly life-giving in the way Jesus presence was. unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, It is to shape all of our lives. Something of a storm was brewing in this young church, which became the mother church, because it was from the church in Jerusalem that the other churches were founded. In Jesus, the earthly has become the revelation of the heavenly, and Jesus shows us how to see the deeper, heavenly, reality in and through the earthly reality. We are all being encouraged to see ourselves as belonging to that group. We each have to ask ourselves, What does it mean for me to live out my calling to be the Lords disciple?. While listed as an optional Memorial, today's liturgy honors the Blessed Mother in her role as patroness of the Carmelite tradition. He wanted to listen to their story in all its sadness and despondency. We spend our lives learning to receive like little children. An Infant Rejoices in the Presence of the Lord! He was sent because he was known to be a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. Gates create an opening through which people can pass in and out. We can sometimes find it difficult to believe in the ultimate triumph of life over death, of joy over sadness, when death and sadness remain very palpable realities for us. Catherine remained faithful to Urban, in spite of his faults, because he had been duly elected. In the Eucharist we consume Christ in a very personal way. While Jesus was alone, the disciples set out to cross the sea of Galilee without Jesus. What he did for Paul in a very dramatic way, he can do for all of us in smaller ways. The Black Death prowled the land; armies fought each other on behalf of their client-cities; the Pope had left Rome for Avignon. He was reconciling them to himself, displaying his faithfulness to them, in spite of how they had failed him. We gather to celebrate the Eucharist so that we can draw life from the Lord. In 1378, the Great Schism began, splitting the allegiance of Christendom between two, then three, popes. That is what Jesus conveys in todays gospel reading. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. The risen Jesus, therefore, has to be at the centre of our faith lives and at the centre of the life of the church. He calls us to lead us a place of pasture, to a place where our deepest hungers and thirsts are satisfied. As risen Lord he was present among them, just as he had been present with the disciples in the boat as the storm raged at sea. he who is born of the earth is earthly himself he cannot see the kingdom of God.. Paul portrays such a Spirit-filled life when he says in his letter to the Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Saint Paul seems to have a very strong sense of how the Lord can work powerfully in weakness. In response to their prayer, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to proclaim the word of God boldly. The suggestion is that Jesus needed to be in communion with God in prayer. Lectio Divina | The Society of the Little Flower He calls on us, as he called on Nicodemus, to allow ourselves to be born of the Spirit, to surrender more fully to the movement and working of the Spirit within us. So the other disciples said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe., Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. The sheepfold mentioned in the gospel reading was an enclosed area. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd These cookies are necessary to let our website work. People who are going through a similar grieving experience can give great strength to each other. He is the good shepherd who is prepared to put his life on the line for his flock. When something traumatic happens to us, we feel the need to talk about it to someone we trust, whom we know will listen to us with care and attention. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Subscribe | Prayer| Titus Brandsma, Site designed, developed and hosted by Matthew Price: Transformation by Design. In time, Mark came to be appreciated on its own terms, and not just as a poorer version of Matthew. Jesus uses many images of himself in Johns gospel. Yes, it is my Fathers will Today, we pray that we would listen more attentively to the call of the good shepherd, so that we may choose Jesus as our gate on our journey through life. Catholic Daily Mass Readings and Reflections A CATHOLIC MOMENT Saturday April 29, 2023: "This is hard!" John Ciribassi, DVM, Dipl. The city of Jerusalem had been a centre of pilgrimage for Jews for hundreds of years before the coming of Jesus. In other words, it is in giving that we receive; it is in giving life that we receive life. The risen Lord will always find a way for the gospel to be proclaimed, in spite of peoples best efforts to silence it. His question, How can that be possible? becomes our question. Any passage of Scripture can be used for this way of prayer but the passage should not be too long. God the Father draws all people to his Son and our coming to Jesus is in response to the drawing of the Father. It is as if Jesus is saying that he has such a strong grip on his followers that no one will ever take them from him against his will. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. When the Lord speaks about life to the full there, we might be inclined to think only in terms of eternal life, life beyond death. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Fathers hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him. However, many aspects of church life have not endured because they were not of God. In receiving the Lord in the Eucharist we give him the opportunity to shape us in the way he wants to. Charity Number CHY 5894 | Registered Charity Number RCN 20009656, Copyright 2021. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith. The church now had two rival Popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon, a situation that was to last for several decades. A person filled with the Holy Spirit was likely to discern whether or not this novelty was the work of the Spirit. If we really listen to the Lord with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Lord will work through us in ways that build up the church and enrich our world, just as he worked through Barnabas. A lot of our lives are lived in response to various calls that are made upon us. That beatitude embraces all of us gathered here this morning. He then goes on to speak of Jesus, in the opening line of our gospel reading, as the one who comes from above and who, therefore, is above all others. In todays first reading, Philip preaches the gospel in Samaria and the people there unite in welcoming the message Philip preached. John 6:35-40 The church now had two Popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon, a situation that was to last for several decades. In some mysterious way, Jesus worked with those few resources to feed the multitude. Yet, the Father draws us to his Son in and through each other, just as God drew the Ethiopian to Jesus in and through Philip. We struggle to believe that Jesus could want to be as close to us as he is to his heavenly Father. As the good shepherd, for example, Jesus lays down his life for us. He had fed the multitude in the wilderness; this had made a great impression on them. In todays gospel reading, the stranger is the risen Lord. It is very striking language, and it would have been scandalous to many people at the time. It has been said that to understand all is to forgive all. In this mornings gospel we are given words spoken by John the Baptist. Do not be afraid. LEARN MORE. In the world of Jesus, there were no sheepdogs to help the shepherd in his work with the sheep. Those who attempted to extinguish Gods light shining in Jesus only succeeded in making that light of love shine all the more brightly. We are all aware of our limitations, our weaknesses, and, yet, we are not always so aware of the many ways that the Lord can work through us, in spite of our weaknesses, if we trust him to do so. In the words of todays second reading, we can find ourselves being plagued by all sorts of trials in the season of Easter as much as in any other season. Andrew, Philip and the other disciples went on to discover that the Lord worked powerfully in and through the few resources that the small boy made available. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. Jesus identified himself, body and blood, flesh and blood, with the elements of bread and wine. The Lord is always working with us to confirm, strengthen and support us in our efforts to answer his call in todays world. In this mornings gospel reading, Jesus speaks of the wind that blows where it pleases. Thomas, like the other disciples, saw and believed. click to accept all cookiesAccept %CC% cookies. His teaching is demanding but not burdensome. We listen at the deepest level of our being to God who speaks within us with a still small voice. Most of us were baptized as infants; we were then introduced to Jesus through the stories in the gospels, perhaps through the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of Paul, and the great texts of the Jewish Scriptures, such as the prophet Isaiah. In his diary he wrote, It is not like a child that I believe in Christ and confess him. That is closer, perhaps, to how Jesus uses the image of the wind in this mornings gospel reading. Elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus says, Give and it will be given to you. Their Easter faith left him cold; he could not be shifted from his Good Friday mood. The evangelist declares that Jesus, Gods Son, reveals Gods love for the world and for each of us individually. God continued to draw the Ethiopian to Jesus through the ministry of Philip, who was able to engage with the Ethiopians questions in a helpful way. the usability. We can make that same discovery. The Eucharist was very much at the heart of the life of Sister Gonzaga. Todays first reading follows on from the rulers, elders and scribes ordering Peter and John in a threatening manner not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Jesus answered: I tell you most solemnly, A little later in that same gospel of John, Jesus declares that, after his death and resurrection, he will send us the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into all the truth. The Lords personal call to each of us will always be in harmony with that fundamental purpose of his coming among us. The Lords contribution to the relationship between us and him is much more significant than ours. The gate of the sheepfold provided access both into and out of the enclosure, enabling the sheep to pass out of the enclosure to green pasture and to come back into the enclosure again for safety and protection. Yet, the Lords part in our relationship with him is always so much greater than ours. In the words of todays psalm, we need to look towards the light so that we can be radiant. In the gospel reading Jesus declares that no one will steal his disciples from him. Because we do not yet see him face to face, our faith is always a faith that hopes. When the Ethiopian reflects on a passage from Isaiah, he begins to ask questions, Is the prophet referring to himself or someone else? He needed the help of a person of faith to answer this question, the help of the deacon Philip. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. When myself and my brothers were very small my parents used to tie a cloth around where the gate met the railings so that we could not open the gate. His own reasoning did not allow him to believe that life had triumphed over death, that the crucified Jesus was now the risen Lord. Each new day is a day of grace and opportunity to reflect. He was trying to protect Gods people from a very strange message that was being preached by some Jews about a crucified criminal being the long-awaited Messiah. The light of Jesus is a light of love, the light of God who so loved the world that he gave his only Son. We cannot manage the Holy Spirit. The Lord calls each of us in accordance with our own particular nature. Today, vocations Sunday, reminds us that we all have a vocation in that very fundamental sense. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? All others who have come Jesus invites us to imagine a shepherd who will stop at nothing to prevent any would-be thief from stealing even one sheep from his flock. In todays gospel reading two followers of Jesus are walking in the opposite direction to pilgrims, away from Jerusalem. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs. In these changing times for the church, we have to trust that what is of God will endure and what isnt will pass away. It is as a mystic that John is known as a 'Doctor of the Church'. He is always at work drawing us into his Easter people. This is the core of the gospel. It is now recognized for the wonderful literary and theological masterpiece it is. Barnabas was what we would call today, an enabler. In todays first reading it is was while the early church in Jerusalem was at prayer that they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and in the strength of that Spirit began to proclaim the word of God boldly. It is a city that no longer holds any attraction for them, because it is the city where their hopes have been dashed, where the perosn they have left everything to follow had been cruelly put to death. The story they told ended in death, but the full story ended in life. I am the gate. He is not a stranger to his flock nor are they strangers to him. This being born of the Spirit will take more than nine months, the period of human birth. This content is blocked. That is why a reading from the first letter of Peter is read on Marks feast day. We have no control over the direction of the wind; sometimes its direction will be a help to us, at other times it will be a hindrance to us. He was a leader of the church in Jerusalem and he approved very much of what he saw happening in the church of Antioch where the gospel was being preached not only to Jews but to pagans as well. Jesus is portrayed as a young beardless man with a sheep draped around his shoulders. The Lord will do all he can to hold onto us but we also have our part to play. Gates are just there to be passed through; they dont as a rule call out to us; if we pass through a gate it is because we have decided to do so. The photograph of the Pope with a lamb draped across his shoulders went around the world in seconds. When Andrew chimed in, he too spoke in a way that conveyed a kind of hopelessness. Whenever we take on some new enterprise, or go in a new direction of some kind, we will sometimes find ourselves battling with the equivalent of a strong wind and a rough sea, perhaps with a kind of darkness coming over us. When that happens we begin to remain in his love as he remains in his Fathers love. We have made some progress on the road of faith, but we remain searchers; we continue to feel a restlessness within us. and has no concern for the sheep. In this mornings gospel reading we are told that the disciples were preaching everywhere in response to the risen Lords call, and that the Lord was working with them. Such people can take heart form todays gospel reading. When a loved one dies, we try to come to terms with it by talking about it. not like the bread our ancestors ate: We need to pay attention, in some way, to the Lord. He eventually surrendered to the God who was drawing him. Although his time is always now, he is prepared to wait on our timing, just as he waited on the timing of Paul who, according to our first reading, at one time worked for the total destruction of the church, but went on to become the great apostle to the pagans in response to the Lords call. Today is Vocations Sunday. In the gospel reading this morning, Jesus makes reference to stealing. For God sent his Son into the world Some days we have a cold wind from the north or the east. They began to see that there was more to what had happened than they realized; this stranger was giving them a whole new understanding of what they had come to see as an awful tragedy. Mark has a special place among the evangelists because he was the first person to write a gospel. These cookies may track your personal data. When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. We try to listen to his voice, especially as it comes to us in the words of the gospels, of the New Testament as a whole, and, indeed, in all of the Scriptures. Just below Nazareth, about five kilometres away, while Jesus was a child, a new city was being built by Herod Antipas called Sephoris. In todays gospel reading, Jesus compares the Spirit to the wind. Certainly, the houses in the older suburbs of Dublin all have gates, some of them quite ornate. All we can do is to surrender to the breath of the Spirit within us and around us, to allow the Spirit to direct us and to lead us. Barnabas brought Paul from Tarsus to Antioch. If we become too attached to our way of telling the story, we can become blind to other ways of seeing and of understanding what has happened in our lives. Elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus says, Give and it will be given to you. Sometimes a conversation about a loved one who has just died can have laughter as well as sadness in it. He discerned that this unexpected development was from God and that the Lord was asking him to support what was happening in Antioch. Is he not the carpenters son? This two fold dynamic of prayerful communion with God and loving service of the broken and needy that shaped the life of Jesus also shaped the life of Catherine. The church has been grieving this past week since the death of the Pope. The hermits and desert fathers in the Holy Land influenced the formation of the Carmelites in the early 13th century. If we are to pass through the gate that is Jesus, we have to consciously choose this gate and exclude other gates. In Lukes gospel we find the following saying of Jesus: Give and it will be given to you. New book for 2021 'You Have the Words of Eternal Life' ~ Weekday Reflections for Liturgical Year 2020/21 at messenger.ie & @veritas.ie Fr. The phenomenon of theft is much more common than it used to be. But, as I have told you, The religious and political authorities who were responsible for Jesus crucifixion might come after them next. It is above all in the Eucharist that we recognize and celebrate that the crucified Jesus is also the risen Lord who is present to us on our life journey as our faithful companion. That is our fundamental calling, to come to the Lord in faith; all else follows from that. All that the Father gives me will come to me, After three years, she began the second great phase of her career. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. God sent his Son into the world so that through him the world might be saved. And indeed, everybody who does wrong Vocations Sunday reminds us that the most fundamental call that come to us in life is the call of the Lord. There is a striking statement in todays first reading, Saul then worked for the total destruction of the church. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. In the gospel reading, Jesus declares, whoever eats me will draw life from me. In response to that question Jesus goes on to speak not only of eating his flesh but of drinking his blood. We are being reminded that people come to faith in the Lord by different ways, at different paces. Paul will later declare in his first letter to the Corinthians, The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion in the blood of Christ? When we experience the Lord in this way, we will be moved to invite him to stay with us, as the two disciples did when they reached Emmaus. and there will be only one flock, and to hear the teaching of the Father, The story that we tell about some event often needs to be enriched by someone elses story about the same happening. Whenever we share our experience with someone else it often takes the form of a story of some kind. God the Father draws him to his Son firstly through the Scriptures, the Word of God. He was succeeded by Pope Urban VI who turned out to be a disastrous Pope. The opening up of the Scriptures for the two disciples led them to the recognition of the Lord in the breaking of bread, the Sacrament of the Eucharist. As a Pharisee, Paul could never have envisaged the way he would spend the last thirty years of his life, but the Lord was able to envisage it. The first reading this morning is Lukes dramatic account of the call of Paul. MONDAY 26 TUESDAY 27 WEDNESDAY 28 THURSDAY 29 FRIDAY 30 SATURDAY 31. We have had to live without the Eucharist and this has been a great loss for many Catholics. The door of the church here is open from about 9.00 in the morning to 6.00 or 7.00 in the evening every day of the week. It speaks of Gods love for the world, of Gods generous way of expressing his love by giving the world his Son and of Gods desire that all people would experience eternal life through receiving Gods Son in faith.
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