There is nothing but joy in today's readings. There is the prospective joy of the two mothers to be, the Messianic joy promised to Zion and our own joy as we share in the joy contained in the words of the OT and the new. The alternative reading from St Paul is a definition of Christian acts and interaction with one another.  I don't think that St Paul was present at the Sermon  on the Mount but his letter contains the basis of that which has become in time Catholic Social teaching expounded in millions of words in thousands upon thousands of books. There is nothing more beautiful in any writing  than the Holy Spirit inspired paean of joy to our Creator by the bearer of His Son, that is the Magnificat. 

In these modern times, Jesus, true God and true man, was  in an embryonic state that would be  approved for termination of pregnancy. Lord what have done to thee?

Dear Lord send us your Holy Spirit that we can have the power to truly withstand the evils that we condemn but still allow to happen. Many are condemned but few change their ways. Help us Jesus.

 Today our Church faces God directly and professes our total belief in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in persons three but one God collectively and individually. When clever people and non-Christians mock this seeming contradiction we can say that this is evidence of the revelation that has come to us. If we were trying to convince / evangelize the unbeliever such a proposition as "The Trinity" would not have been conceived.. The Risen Christ, a stumbling block for his people and a joke to the Greeks, was difficult  enough for St Paul to preach. I find that I can say yes to these articles of faith because that is the gift I have. I thank the Lord that the faith given to me is more important than the evidence of church failures of which each day brings more instances. God is one and three, Jesus who  was truly dead, an empty corpse, is living now and will protect His Church until the end of this universe. All is for, by and in God!

Dear God , help me to praise and know what it truly is to Love and Serve you in my life and at the End may your Mercy bring all of us into that blessing that can be ours if you so wish. 

 The wisdom sought is the Wisdom that comes from God . This wisdom is to know God. God is beyond  our wisdom to comprehend . His gift to us as humans is to be able to understand that no matter how delightful is  our pleasure in his creation,  the world, the universe, matter we are not seeing God . And when science can see the very ions that compose matter that is also not God. It is wisdom from God that reveals to us the everlasting glory of our Creator and the Holy Spirit that is his love for sinful man is brought to us by the Sacrifice of the Son. Human knowledge continues to increase like a virus it grows every hour, every second of every day but our knowledge of God is complete in the Church whose teaching is teaching essentially the same as in the first century. The Pharisees recognised that they were in a hard place but Jesus was not setting a problem for human logic to answer he wanted them to believe that in Him was all the Wisdom of God.

Dear Lord you know me for what I really am. Let me not this day tangle myself up in the thickets of my self love but continue to know that you are my Lord and my God, my Creator and my Protector my Saviour and my Sanctifier.

 The Old Testament is different from the New. The first reading seems to suggest that the rewards of  knowing God are to be found in this world. We are alive and praising the Lord because our fathers did so. There is no trace left in the world of the generations who did not live rightly but the righteous are blessed not in heaven but in the here and now. 

Jesus throughout his teaching insists that his kingdom is not of this world. The real, not in a parable, fig tree arouses some sympathy for it was not in season and so could not have been expected to have fruit. Here we see the humanity of our Lord as the poor tree gets blasted  because Jesus is hungry. After that we see the human nature again which in anger lashes out at the merchants who by making money are making a mockery of the holiness that should be there in the world's only place of true worship.

Jesus told the Pharisees that the only sign that they could expect was the "sign of Jonah" The withered fig tree seems to contradict this but Jesus uses it to reinforce his teachings about true belief; if we have faith we will move mountains. Not only faith but also forgiveness in our hearts so that Our Father in heaven, which is not some remote geographical location but a" being with God", can forgive us and welcome us into his domain which is not of this world.

Dear Lord you know what it is that I need. Please this day let me stay aware of your Glory and I hope that I can do something that makes you delight in me.

 Today's first readings proclaim the role of Priesthood in our religion while at the same time give us grounds to question it. "Then there will be no need for neighbour to teach neighbour etc". The letter to the Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus' one sacrifice is enough for it has redeemed the World . In the Gospel Jesus anticipates his passion. death and resurrection and offers up the first Eucharist. If we are to follow the teachings of the Church we have to reflect and do a lot. Our priests repeat "over and over again" as does Jesus the scene in Mark's gospel. The Love in the Father's creation can be in our hears if we open them to the Holy Spirit and seek the aid of Our Lady and of all the saints. It is we who must do this turning to the Lord in our freedom. Our wills must do the Will of the Father for there is nothing in this world without  our Triune God.

Dear Lord let me retain throughout the day the prayerfulness that I have started with. May I not forget that I and all your church are supported by the ceaseless prayers of Our Lady and all the saints.

 Today's first reading is a prayer. God is praised and acknowledged to be all powerful. The writer is convinced of God's greatness and asks for signs and portents of that greatness to inspire the rest of mankind. Later in the Gospels Jesus will answer that prayer. "The Sign of Jonah"

Today's gospel has the the disciples walking "in a daze" behind the Lord. They have had an overload of revelation and seem to have not yet understood the point of Jesus' mission. For James and John, Jesus is still going to restore the kingdom of Israel and they request places of honour. Jesus' answer is his awareness of what is to be but he is not explicit in his reply. Jesus is sometimes annoyed with his followers "get thee behind me Satan" and chastises them. Jesus is always conscious of his being "True God and true man". The disciples see the man and understand him as such. The Crucifixion and Resurrection are going to change all that. 

Dear Lord let me be aware of my sins and learn how to avoid them. Let me know that "amazed" is the right way to be when trying to approach you. Let seekers after office in your Church take note of Jesus' reply and learn to rely on the Holy Spirit.

 Today's feast of The Venerable St. Bede takes us into England many miles from where Jesus walked . However he lived the life of The Church as she had developed for the 600 years since her foundation. he followed the rule of St Benedict and grew to be renowned for his learning. The same resurrection faith that had taken St Pail on his missionary journeys had not changed and St Paul would have been at home with the liturgy and office of the monks of Jarrow. We today are 1500 years from St Bede and still strive to follow his example and the teaching brought from distant Palestine to these islands.

Dear Lord inspire with your Eucharist the followers of St Benedict whose commitment to their own founder and whose vows to you have, lamentably, been shown to  be lacking in these days. Inspire them to holiness so that we the laymen of your church may find in them  guidance to the Way, Truth and Life.

The salt has lost its savour. Was Jesus speaking to us directly about the situation that is present in St Bede's own land and the adjacent island. It is hard to believe that corrupted priests are truly able to continue to receive the Grace to confect with Jesus the blessed sacrament especially when they then distribute God's Body to those they know not to be in the state of Grace required to receive You. The salt has lost its savour. The Religious Orders in this land have vows of poverty but huge riches in buildings bank accounts and travel.

Dear Lord let your words refresh "the salt  of the earth" and let not your bishops hide corruption under their bushels; let them not pander to "modern" sensibilities but preach your Truth as revealed through the scriptures. Preserve me too in the salt of your grace and let not my anger blind me to my need of your mercy. May our end times still have the Faith to welcome You.

 The very first days after the Ascension were days of loss and fear as they had been after the Crucifixion. However, Jesus had confirmed that his kingdom was not of this world and that his was a spiritual kingdom where the important thing was to worship and know the Father. At this time the disciples were still Jewish by faith and the new Church was to them as wonderous  as the new life of the Resurrection. Jesus had told them that they would have to make judgements about others' sins but they knew that only God could forgive sins. We are not told what was Mary's reaction to these events which had resulted from her "Yes" to God's messenger but she was at the heart of the church that was formed of he group of women and St John who stood at the foot of the cross.

Dear Lord, when I try to think of what you do in creating the world and showing your love for the human race I know that it is hopeless for me to try to create a meaningful picture that connects the shattered kaleidoscope that is your revelation. I am confused but know that everything that is is dependent on You for you are the source of all being. Help me to do your will and to understand your Will for me.

 The Holy Spirit was manifested in the original  believers in no uncertain way. The follow-on to Luke's gospel leaves no room for quibbles. The foreigners did understand the preaching that they heard in their own languages and were amazed because they knew that those speaking were from Galilee. The Holy Spirit was seen as a fire which touched all present in that room including the women. I have never seen this even at my most receptive to the power of God, in the Holy Sepulchre at an Easter Vigil or in the peace of my own garden. I have been saved from sinfulness by the power of the Holy Spirit and although I try to accept this in true humility there is still a small voice in the back of my conscience that boasts that I did it myself forgetting the Creator Father the saving suffering of the Son and the continuity of the Holy Spirit. Forgive me most Holy Trinity.

Dear Lord may I not forget what I am typing here and truthfully open my deepest place to the directions of your Holy Spirit. Let me follow your first commandment completely and thus be protected from all temptation to break any of the rest.

The Gospels for today both confirm the Apostolic foundations of our Church. Christ breathed on them and The Holy Spirit filled their hearts. Sins are to be forgiven by these men. This is what is promised by the Christ who is Head and Body of the Church. We are part of this Body as are the Clergy. We, who do not have the authority which comes directly from God to forgive sins, need the clergy. We need the clergy and today I hope that all priests, bishops and pope take to heart what they read:

                                                       Bend the stubborn heart and will;
                                                       Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
                                                       Guide the steps that go astray.

Dear Lord came again to heal your body the church as you have done many times since you walked the earth. Our souls need thy Graces channelled through the actions of your priests. Lord send us sincere and holy priests.

 The straight-forward account of Paul's arrival in Rome is fleshed out by fragments from his letters to include hardships by land and sea. Paul himself tells how difficult it was for him to bear witness. In all his trials he was supported by the Holy Spirit and his personal understanding that he was doing work for God. He was an instrument that was part of and building up what is now called Christ's mystical body even to the extent of bearing the marks of Jesus' suffering in his own body. We are all to do the same. It is our flesh that will be raised from the dead when Jesus completes his work of Love for the creation of his Father with the sending of the Holy Spirit. That completion is what is called Heaven.

Dear Lord help me to keep myself free from sin this day. Let not my joy in the things of  things of this obscure my concentration on following you.

Peter got to the tomb first. He had to do something right after his failures both before and after the Crucifixion . "Get thee behind me Satan" .That time must have been a time of unbearable grief and self-condemnation for all of the Apostles. Somebody should have been watching Judas! Why didn't Peter keep on fighting. Where did you get to, Thomas/? Only John stayed with Mary and the other women to receive the corpse. The body was buried but today the resurrection confuses before it overjoys. They run Peter gets there first but it is John's account that we read today. Nobody can say that Jesus chose the sinless to lead his Church. He also said that he would support it the end of time.

Dear Lord fill all our souls with a fervent belief and love. Let our priests be truly holy so that the sacraments they administer will be filled with your real presence within our midst.

 Paul has demanded his citizen rights and shown us his complete break with the leaders of Israel, the people of the Lord. We are still the people of the Lord . These are the "Latter days", the time of the New Testament. The evangelists are busy remembering their days with Jesus and of understanding  the way taught by Him. The Evangelists are carrying God's message to the whole world as known by them. This New Testament, the record of the beginning of our new era is our guide for our journey through  life. Everything that has happened since then reinforces our belief or is dross to beware of. The anonymous disciples of those days hoped to see the "Second Coming". Are we even half ready yet?

Dear Lord it is only in moments that this human can withstand the immensity of even trying to know your Glory. Please help me to avoid sin and to strive to understand  how the Way, the Truth and the Life  is still in the Church that seems to be crumbling, Save us Lord Jesus.

We are somewhere iin first century Galilee. The resurrected Christ is spending time with his closest companions; the companions, who had deserted him during his agony, an agony that cannot be imagined as it was being undergone by both man and God. Their supposed  leader had completely denied his connections with the Lord and they were still not sure whether or not Jesus was to establish a kingdom of this world. It seems to be the height of perversity; but it  is what Jesus does. He appoints Peter, the thrice denier to continue to found and lead our Church the guide and guardian of all humanity from those days to to now. 

Dear Lord you founded your Church to be the conduit of your Sacraments; your Holy Eucharist.. May you and your Holy Mother still continue to guard us against the evil nonsense perpetrated by those who have no fear of man or God.

 All the readings for the day to be used at daily mass are repeated,  not often but sometimes. Today's is one of the sometimes. Thanks to modern technology it is possible for me to me to immediately check who was St Bernardino It is immediately obvious that he was no "anonymous Christian" being very well known in his place and time. Our Church teaches that as the Mystical Body all of us are connected by the Love that fuels the Trinity. So today our reading  has St Peter a fisherman filled with the Holy Spirit standing up and inspiring many in remembrance of a Franciscan who although not gifted with a beautiful voice was also able to inspire many to the extent that he is known as "The Apostle of Italy." Two thousand years after Jesus  walked the earth, I am able to see his Love connecting the Apostles, a monk of the fifteenth century and a sinner sitting at this machine. How can I say that I am not aware of the Holy Spirit?

Dear Lord show me your way to the Father, guide me with your Holy Spirit and let me have confidence in the Father's will for his Holy Church.

There is not much fudging in Jesus' words today. A total commitment is what is required if we are to follow him. Neither filial duty nor family fellowship can deter us from the road which is without  human comforts. Today we cannot meet Jesus on the open road but we do aspire to follow his teaching and example. Jesus tells us that we can find him in the homeless and deprived and it is to these poor that we must show the Love that Jesus has lavished on us all.

Dear Lord let my prayers be one with those of countless generations, known only to you, as  I pray that today I will follow your plough without turning back.

 The Church at Ephesus bade farewell to Paul well warned of the troubles that would be theirs. Problems that would come to pass because of the preaching of false doctrine by false prophets. Paul had expended three years in preparing them to be on their own. The church of the early centuries believes in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit but has to work out what is the huge Truth that small sentence contains . The apostles are still living and the Evangelists are in the process of completing their remembrances of  being with the Lord, witnessing his acts and listening to his words. St Paul's warnings however, do come to pass and they are only too evident today. One of the amazing things about our Catholic Church is that in spite of all the wranglings, disputes, persecutions internal wars etc St. Paul would still be able to recognise in her the teaching he fought so hard to instil into the Ephesians.

Dear Lord your Holy Spirit fortified your Apostles, Evangelists and the first congregations, let us too be guarded against divisions and let the teaching of Your Church withstand the blasting that is turned on her from every angle by today's world.

There are no two ways about it, the World is not a good thing, God-given human freedom can understand and  control matter even to the centre of the atom and this machine I am using can communicate in a fraction of a second with anywhere in the world. Our World is much more attractive than the World of the first century but it too must pass away. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life; the Word  that will stand. We must use our human freedom be in the World but reject its values, The kingdom of the Lord is not of this world but is the eternal joy promised us by the Resurrections. This is the good thing that we must choose..

Dear Lord, let me not be seduced by the Modern World which has progressed so much since your days on earth. Let me grow in devotion to you so that I can avoid sin and live outside of the World which surrounds me. Send us holy priests as was St Paul  to guide us on our way to you.

 St Paul is confident that his conscience is clear. He is sure that he has known the Lord. He has completed his mission and the Churches are witness to that. He does not claim that he has never sinned but in regards to his mission from the Lord he has done all that the Lord required even in the face of all hardships and opposition. It does seem close to boasting but Paul is aware of this and speaks in all humility. He is not wasting words but proclaiming that God's purpose for us is to live holy lives as taught by Jesus with a conscience and supported by the Holy Spirit .

Dear Lord may my conscience become clear and let me avoid my daily sinfulness so that I too can become a temple for the Holy Spirit with all the love that comes from you and the Father,

St John's Gospel makes it clear that the primary purpose of the incarnation is not social justice but recognition that the Father is God . He does not want us to form "Friendly Societies" but to become a people united by our worship of the glory of God. The first Commandment is "Love God". When we do this all the rest become the light yoke that Jesus promised to us. Our neighbour is to be loved as ourselves so support of the poor of this world should be based on what we want for ourselves ; to know God and to love and  serve him in this world and to be happy with him in the nest. This is our daily mission It  never changes so we have The  Holy Spirit our support in living the Life of the Father directly taught by the Son.

Dear Lord, let what I have received this morning stay with me throughout this day so that my conscience may  not be stifled but speak in a clear and forthright way that I can follow.

 Is it because I don't believe properly that I don't see the manifestations of the Holy Spirit which must have been one of the reasons for the rapid rate of conversions experienced by the early church. When I hear of groups undergoing a Charismatic Revival I am sceptical  and prefer not to think about the gifts that I have not experienced in my life. I think that this turning off is probably wrong as I do believe that the Charisms described in the Acts were there then and that they thrust the Church forward like a ram-jet. I have criticized many for their "pick and  mix" attitude to religion but I must accept that here I am guilty of the same fault.

Dear Lord you know everything about me let not my preference for an interior witness of the Holy Spirit knowing that He is the Love that proceeds from You and Jesus, keep me from experiencing the Charisms of Your Holy Spirit. Thy will be done as it is in heaven.

It is certain that Jesus' mission was to the individuals that are collectively humanity. It is sure that he didn't preach just to  the rulers, to the celebrities, to the rich and powerful. He didn't want to organise a perfect human society but wanted to tell us that the most important thing for our lives is to devote ourselves to doing the will of God as he does with his own life. Jesus has conquered the World he tells us that each soul is more important than all the attractions and works of Man and his ally the Devil.

Dear Lord let your Holy Spirit strengthen our devotion to the Way, the Truth and the Life. Let us not be seduced in our Faith by clever quibbles, in our Hope by sinful leaders, and in our Love by self centered arrogance.

 Today is celebrated by many as the Ascension, the day that the  human form of the Son of God left this world and placed all in the hands of his Apostles. From this day on we have to rely on ourselves to  recognise the Truth and love one another in what we call the Church, Christ's Mystical Body where we have the guaranteed presence of Jesus to the end of time

Why do I read the mass readings for the day and write here what I think about them. It is not because I think that I have something worth saying but that if I don't write I am not sure how I am bearing witness to the truth of the Scriptures as transmitted by the Church.. I mean the Catholic Church which, even with all its faults and failings, is the result of those events and teachings recorded in the New Testament.

I know that Jesus is the Son of God born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is also human and was made thus in the womb of Mary where he was an unborn child for nine months exactly in the same way that I was carried by my mother. So Mary is truly Theotokos, the Mother of God. This is the teaching I have received from the Church and confirmed by reading and prayer throughout my lifetime. I am certainly closer to death than I was yesterday and so I record myself.

At the moment I am dissatisfied with the Church both local and universal. There is only one fault with her but many abuses, much backsliding, false teaching, sacrilege and rejection of God are the result.

                                            The Church does not follow her own rules. 

Dear Lord, let your clergy, your bishops and your Vicar on Earth lose their egos in the wonder of your Glory so that they teach what you reveal and do what they teach. As for me, You know I am a weak sinner desperately clinging to the promise revealed by your presence in the Holy Land 2000 years ago.

 He had only received the baptism of John. His name was Apollos and he came from Alexandria. he was important enough to be named in the Acts and mentioned in Paul's letters. Martin Luther attributed the letter to the Hebrews to him. There is little we know about him other than he had acquired John's baptism. There are many of these earliest Christians whose names have not come down to us who were active in the early church. Just as today there are many worthy pastors who are holy and dedicated to their missions. Their names are known to their flocks and to the Lord. The modern media know the corrupt abusers.

Dear Lord let not the signs of corruption blind me to the holiness that is still to be found in your church. let us all pray that "The Holy Spirit will fill our hearts with the Love that comes from you and the Father.

Even though Jesus speaks to us in plain words we still find it difficult to apply them to our lives in this modern age. And not just in m this modern age for I know that I am not the first one who has asked but not received. The whole Church throughout the ages has prayed for holiness and we are still doing so. Peace for Jerusalem is an  appeal that has rung out continuously since the First Century. 

Dear Lord let your Love bring peace to your beloved city and its lands. Let your Holy Spirit return to the land where Jesus paid the supreme sacrifice to bring us Your forgiveness and love.

 The Apostles faced up to the problem of Judas/ They seem to have been convinced that their number should be twelve and so selected Matthias by lot. He had been one of the many who had literally followed Jesus when he tramped around teaching in Synagogues and curing the sick in body and in mind. It was from these people that the initial conversions were made. Being one of the Twelve was also seen to be an office holder and recipient of a special grace from Jesus. This grace specifically given to the original twelve, even to Judas, became in  time the priesthood as specifically witnessed in the  Apostolic Foundations of the Middle-East and Rome. 

Dear Lord may your Grace again fill the hearts of your faithful and their ministers so that we may be guarded against all temptations and be secure in the knowledge that our Apostolic Foundation is indeed  directly from you.

Jesus passes  on to us the Love that fills the Trinity of God ; he is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, This teaching is certainly no human thinking but a Truth that Jesus has been willed by the Father to reveal. His witness of this Truth takes place in Jerusalem and  where today the fighting continues is the place that the  words of God " What I command you is to love one another" were spoken by Our Lord who was there Crucified and Risen to Glory. 

Dear Lord you assure us that what we ask for in your name will be given by the Father, let the people who today are preparing to kill one another just stop and remember the holiness of their native land. 

 Jesus after his resurrection had appeared to the Apostles. His body was now still human but Glorified by his life , his works and most of all by his Crucifixion/Resurrection . Maybe it was not for " forty " days but he  had been with them and teaching for some time However,  it was not long enough for the Apostles to fully understand "My kingdom is not of this world" as they still looked for a political outcome of all the momentous events  that they had witnessed,

We are still struggling to understand the Father's revelation coming through you and the Holy Spirit  Let us have true hope for our futures and let not our Christian Hope become a wishful thinking. Thy will be done!

Jesus lived his whole life subverting his human will to that of the Father. His life is one of service to the Poor in Spirit, to the broken in body and mind, to those possessed and obsessed with the devilish delights of this world. When Jesus walked the  paths of tortured Palestine and taught in today's war-torn Temple. His mission and his message was "Love another as I and the  Father love one another ." . Not only the Apostles but we too have been entrusted with the same message/mission. Jesus is with us we must not be afraid.

Dear Lord let me this day accept your mission joyfully and let the mess that is your own homeland come to be solved even though your name is singularly missing from the diatribes of either party. Help all your people.

 In the  first century A.D. St Paul addresses the cream of Athenian cultural life. St Paul's native language must have been Greek maybe it was even the Greek of the educated classes. The listeners were well aware of their own Mathematics, Literature,  Philosophy and History  which were hundreds of years in existence and available for all to read. St Paul too had imbibed some of this amazing knowledge produced by one people without the direct  revelation of  God which had directed the culture of Israel. The result of this address was a lot more favourable than it could have been. Converts are named but there is none of the mass conversions that had taken place in Jerusalem and various  synagogues.

Dear Lord, let the example of St Paul's taking your words of life to the Gentiles inspire the behaviour of your believers in these modern unbelieving times. Let the Holy Spirit fill our being so that our every living moment is praise for  your Glory which comes to us through the resurrection of your Son  

The complete Truth that the Holy Spirit reveals to us is recorded in Scripture and in the teaching of our Holy Church. Our sins and the sins of the world are offences against the Truth. It is them that have had to be atoned for by the Crucifixion. It was for us that Jesus died so that we too can be witnesses to the Truth. Not the truth as revealed in the media and not the secret  truths  as are the sins of clergy covered up by Bishops and yet still revealed. The Truth is that the Creator, our God has made us in his image and likeness so that we can live in this world as he intended for us to and at the end of life come to know him as he really is in the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Dear Lord save us from the deceptions claiming to be "Truth" Most of  our modern culture involves untruth and lies. Let your Holy Spirit be a Spirit of discernment entering our lives so that nothing may separate us from the Love of Christ.

 Another miraculous happening, a freeing from  chains and another complete conversion of a pagan family. The times of the Acts were filled with the presence of the Lord . Instant belief seems to have been the norm. The Apostles must have had a great aura of sanctity that so many people were drawn to believe their message. And what was that teaching ? Nothing more or less than that the Crucified Jesus was raised from the dead to be the Way to a new life for all mankind. Its possible to write the entire teaching of the  Apostles in two or three sentences and yet hundreds of people came to faith in God through these words. What was the other something that was at work in those days?

Dear Lord you inspired so many to believe in your early Church that the mustard seed grew to be a shrub to shelter all the world, please let your Holy Spirit fill our beings so that we to can come to sincere belief in the Father and make  His Church  a witness to His Glory.

There is nothing ambivalent about Jesus' teaching in John's Gospel. It is direct but by no means simple. That I have to leave you will make you despondent.  I am going to the Father who sent me. I will send you an Advocate. Where have we gone wrong? The Advocate will show the world that it was wrong and sinful. Who is taking up that role iin these times? We are a desolate people without the Lord and yet he promised that he would be with us even to the end of time. His presence is certainly not shining out of the heart of His Church as it did in the Gospels and in the Acts.

Lord let us live our lives in your presence secure in the promises you have made and fervent in our commitment to  the guidance of the Holy Spirit who is Your Father's Love for You  and for his creation.

 What we read today is another story of successful evangelisation. Was God closer to humanity in those days or was humanity more in need of finding meaning in life? The conversion of Jews can be understood for they had for centuries been schooled and chastised by God. They had even ben expecting a promised Messiah whom the disciples had identified as Jesus. But the Macedonians had only known the cults and philosophy of the Greeks with the emphasis on human form and deeds , success or fame being the only thing that could quieten their dissatisfaction with transient life. Today our people live lives that are more in line with Ancient Greek culture than with the  Christianity our  fore bearers were converted to.by St Paul.

Dear Lord we are in your hands; we are a sinful people; we are living lives that are completely submerged in man's mastery of your physical universe. Lord send us teachers who can show us the way to a true understanding of your creation and of our place in it  as did your disciples so long ago.

We can begin to understand that the doctrine of the Trinity is not some manmade theory as is the teachings of Ancient Philosophy. It is part of our attempt to be sure that we have understood the revelation of God's own self that is mysteriously contained in the Scriptures. Today we hear that Jesus will return to the Father but he will send another witness who is the Spirit that issues from the Father. So here we have the foundation of endless hours of contemplation, theories and  prayer. Prayerful contemplation goes a long way to fulfilling the command to always pray but it carries with it the potential of becoming attached to the Theology and not to its object. God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are present in the hearts and minds of millions of us even though we are discouraged by the actions of those who know better..

Dear Lord,  let us always answer your call to do your will by following  the teaching of Jesus as transmitted by a Holy Church and let Your Holy Spirit  so fill us and that Church so that our world become more like your intention for it.

 The Holy Spirit filled the early Church. Even pagans who had not been baptised seem to have been filled with Him. I hate to have to say this but  I have only ever been aware of the Third Person of our Triune God by reflecting on the words of Jesus and the witness in the Acts and letters of Paul. In fact I have always been suspicious of "Charisma" as its signs also seem to be able to be produced at rock concerts. We have always been advised to avoid "enthusiasm". As I write this, however, my past is always present in my mind and although I have had no experience of  "tongues" or "snake bites" in my life, and I have fallen away from the "Way the Truth and the Life" on numerous occasions I have always,( "Deo gratias") been drawn back to the Father through the Son by the still quiet call of the Holy Spirit in my heart.

Dear Lord let my faith be founded on the solid rock of Peter the Fisherman whom the Pagans wanted to stay with them as their experience of the  Holy Spirit had filled their hearts with love for Peter's Crucified Rabbi.

The love that God has shown for his creation Man is beyond understanding but its effects  can be celebrated both positively and negatively. Recently I read on the web an appalling statement. The man writing it claims to be a servant of God and yet he wrote that Homosexual acts were pleasing to God because they are an expression of Love. Many sins are excused as acts of "love" but that is only using the  the disembowelled word "love" and not God's Love for us. He has rescued us from Sin by the Sacrifice and by the presence of the identical Spirit which is the Love of the Father and the Son.

Dear Lord in whose arms of Mercy all can find Love and rest forgive those clergy and ex-clergy who disseminate so much stupidity and falsehood. Let us lose our selves in love of You and our neighbour and let us know that in Jesus' name we find the Father and the Holy Spirit whose gifts I have largely ignored . Forgive me.

 The Acts tell us that although there is a rapid growth in belief as taught by Jesus through the Apostles, growth was not instantaneous . Paul circumcised Timothy. The reason being that the local Jews knew that Timothy's father was a non-believing Greek and Paul did not want to give scandal to weaken the Faith of the newly- converted. It  seems to me that our priests who continue to give communion to those worshippers who are publicly living in a state of mortal sin should pay attention to what they read this morning. "Do what the Pharisees say not what they do". Our  Catholic congregations have enough to put up with from their pastors. This reduction in awareness of the sanctity of the Eucharist is probably the most important reason for the weakening of Faith in the Church and in its Sacraments. ".Be holy as I am holy".

Dear Lord' let the Holy Spirit enter into those ordained by Your Son  and show them that the reality of Jesus' death and resurrection are much more important than remaining "friends" with those who by their way of life show their lack of respect for God, the Priesthood and their fellow worshippers.

We must be in the world for that is the reality God created for humanity to grow in and by the beauty of this reality to be able to know that there is waiting for us a much greater glory in that we will see God as he really is,. It is in the world that we show that we are not part of this world and that we truly know Him and Serve him. This is what is missing in much of our Church  in these desolate times.

Come Holy Spirit renew the face of your Church. Father, let our pastors inspire us into true faith and let them lose the wishy-washiness that comes from putting a worldly self before Christ.

 I don't think that we are told anywhere what those who didn't agree did after the decision to drop dietary restrictions from their faith in the God of the Old Testament. The Law of God's covenant with Israel his favoured nation, was not to be totally ignored however and the 10 commandments delivered to Moses are  still applicable to all humans here on earth. The Pharisees were mentioned as being totally up in arms at the lifting of their restrictions which put them apart from other believers and they still are to this day..

Dear Lord let not my joy in avoiding sin become my main goal .Let me learn to pray as Jesus taught us with a prayer of the heart rather than the superficialities of words. 

He calls us friends and and performs his supreme sacrifice to show us the way to his friendship. John never stops emphasising the supremacy of love. We are all capable of loving; even soulless creatures seem to love. How do we prove our love? Do we have a cross to be nailed to. Jesus went this far in his Divine Love. Millions of us cannot follow him to a personal Calvary ; although a few have achieved martyrdom: Jesus' yoke for us  is light. We need to keep his commandments and  maintain a love of God knowing that the Father has accepted the sacrifice of his Son and together with the Holy Spirit brings us to  full and faultless humanity in the Glory that has no end.

Dear Lord let my soul be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit  and love all that you command and have created out of your infinite uncreated being. Let me and all your children follow Jesus to the centre of your loving heart where our knowledge of you means the end of time.

 The dissension in these first days comes about because the Jews who had lived their lives according to the "Law "couldn't understand how Pagans could be considered worthy to receive the Good News without first  conforming to the Law. This opinion arose very soon after the Resurrection; there were those amongst them who had seen the Risen Lord but their lives were formed by "Law" .and they must have felt that they were entitled to the New Life preached by the Apostles. I am sure that these discussions must have been a complete mess as both sides felt that they were doing  the work of God. Avoid  fornication is one of the rules to be obeyed.

Dear Lord you know that "Fornication" is the main interest of many of your servants. Let your Holy Spirit guide those among your flock who seek to convince themselves by accusing the Father of creating them differently than "Man" and "Woman".

We can remain in Christ by keeping his commandments. No matter how cleverly we argue, there are still basic rules for being human. Manipulating Life by preventing conception, aborting foetuses  or by changing sex is against God's law and a challenge thrown into his face. Man has freedom but a freedom to be exercised only within the Freedom of the Creator who has revealed himself to us by the procreation of his Son and his gift of the Holy Spirit. No matter how wondrous a being is Man we are not free to avoid death.

Dear Lord for us to prosper in our lives we need your support to strengthen our commitment to you. Let your Holy Spirit come again into the Church founded by your Son so that it  become a beacon showing us the Way to your Glory.. 

 The Church founded by Jesus on Peter the Rock soon had to withstand dissension The disciples were still   human and individual and had much work to do, aided by the Holy Spirit and guided by their knowledge of the Risen Lord,, before  they could unify themselves into Christ's Mystical Body as willed by the Father. Paul and Barnabas had had a very long walk to face a huge disruption of passionate adversaries. There were no "airport bishops" or " monks" then.

Dear Lord  in these days of decline let us be fed by the Eucharist and strengthened by the Holy Spirit to know that we are together with all the world your children and nothing can come to pass that is not willed by you the source of all good.

Is it possible to be a grape on the vine without being in the Church? Can it be that everything that we know to be bad about the Catholic Church is part of God's plan for the Last Days.? Can I come to the Father alone but still be part of the Mystical Body? I know much about wrongs that were hidden but are now revealed although still unacknowledged openly.

Dear Lord send your Holy Spirit to enlighten your Church and let the scandals and sacrileges be sincerely atoned for; let your priests pray and thus come to Holiness that you demand. Let "we are all sinners" not be for our confessors a way of vocation; and let them teach that your Mercy follows sincere repentance and not because you are "nice".

 As I try to remember the great hardships suffered by men and women of this small country England for the sake of the Church of God I am always amazed how little it means to us here and now. I also remember the others those who did not stay true to the teachings of Church and followed the new  preaching; both groups were undoubtedly sincere. Today the Church of England would certainly be condemned by the leaders of the Reformation but we Catholics have accepted no changes to the belief preached by the Apostles. I am afraid that this continuity of belief and worship is no better than the "Lord, Lord" Jesus warned us of and the corruption that so rightly appalled Luther and many many others is still rampant and unchecked. 

Dear Lord listen to the prayers of your Mother as she intercedes for the children of her dowry. Let your will dominate the minds of your clergy that they act as true shepherds of your flock here in the UK.

The Lord promised his disciples that when they were harried by the authorities the Holy Spirit would speak through them. St Thomas More is renowned for his facing up to the king. The words of very few other English Martyrs are celebrated. Another aspect of the reformation is that it happened so quickly and easily. Some northerners rose in revolt but lacked the leadership to persevere. The leadership that could have been effective was appeased by the lands of the monasteries; it is ironic that many of present day aristocratic Catholic families are living on lands that came to them by  the shrewd apostacy of their ancestors.

Dear Lord all is known to you even me, tinier than the smallest virus, let your love come and fill my being so that I know that it is the only thing important in life; all the rest is dross.

 The Good News that Paul brought needs to be adhered to without any shifting away from its straight forward message. Today he is reinforcing the Corinthian Church and lists the witnesses who saw the living Lord. There is no weakening of his message nor deviation. All his foundations receive the same message that the Risen Lord will through the Holy Spirit guide us to the Father. we only have to believe and act faithfully on our believe. This is his message. We have to use our freedom to ask continually for the Grace that is Jesus' promise to his Church.

Dear Lord help me to overcome the moments when I stray away from the narrow path that leads to you and our heavenly Father.

Philip asks even as had Thomas and the following teaching is without an "if" or a "but". Jesus is not only the Way the Truth and the Life; he is also the goal of  our lives for he is also the Father. I work hard in an attempt to strengthen the faith which is in my mind. I do not know whether that known faith is entirely in my being so that I can automatically ask the Father and know that it will be mine. The truth is that I do not truly believe "If you ask for anything in my name I will do it."

Dear Lord help me to strengthen my belief and let my deeds this day bear witness to my following of you . Let me not put the Lord our God to the test.

 St Paul seems to have  repeated Jesus experience of his "own"; the Hellenists "knew him not " and  wanted to kill him. As a Roman Citizen of Tarsus St Paul's native tongue was undoubtedly Greek, but St Paul knew himself to be a Jew who had been steeped in the Scriptures; a Pharisee pupil of Gamaliel. We are not told what it was that caused his people to want him dead; it cannot have been a suspicion of his motives as Barnabas was quick in his defence but the threat must have been really serious as he was sent back to Tarsus. All these events of the first days are continued on an ever increasing scale until our times hence we can test our consciences by trying to understand Scriptures.

Dear God you are greater than my conscience send your Holy Spirit so that I may welcome your Word by following His teaching.

The vine is a favourite image of the God and His Church who saves us. We need to remember that our consciences must be formed by God and are not just a wishful thinking on our part. There are rules that must be followed by the whole earth. These rules were confirmed by Jesus and sealed by his  Death and Resurrection. Nobody can mock God and live. Clergy who ignore the sins of their sheep are mocking God . Are they not afraid? The fate of the dead branches is pretty graphic.

Dear Lord let me this day not prune myself from the living vine . Let me be able to grow the life you have given to me to be worthy of your love.

 The creation of the world was faultless until mankind chose to forget the rules of God who had made it and them. The World and Mankind cannot be recreated  in the image of Mankind. There cannot be an age of the perfect society. The devil is here with us in everything we do except for when we give God the Father ,the Son and Holy spirit their rightful place in our hearts. St Joseph knew this and was the perfect guardian of Mary and the Son of God.

Dear Lord let us all understand the greatness of St Joseph who was asked to put aside his human prejudices  and accept Mary who was with child he knew not to be his own. His "yes" complemented Mary's. May we too accept your will. 

Making use of the work of Your hands is a requirement for all living this present life on earth. We need to give praise to you for the wonders of the world and of life. We must not treat Jesus only as the "carpenters son". His life shares our humanity and so he knows our tendency to sin but leaves us covered with his Love to turn to in our human weakness. He is The Son of God.

Dear Lord let all the unholiness of man the manipulator be condemned by the Church. Let your vicar on earth be aware that he is truly the servant of the servants of God. Let him drive out the corruption of  mammon and of sin from his Vatican.