31/01/2022

David is in a bad way as it seems that Absalom will be the victor in this most bitter of civil wars. He has to abandon Jerusalem and is met with curses. He knows that his sin deserves misfortunes in this world but does not forget God. He is not a Christian and is certainly a king of this world. He probably does not think of eternal reward and damnation and expects to receive the favour or punishment of the Lord here and now. Accepting good or evil from the Lord he forbids the Benjamanite to be killed.

The evil controlling the man who lived in the tombs seems to decide its own fate and takes over the herd of pigs driving them to death by drowning. Jesus often comes face to face with Evil during his time on earth; most notably during the 40 days 40 nights.

 I know evil when all my good intentons come to nothing and I return to sin again. Outside of myself I am aware of great evil in our worldly normality. ButJesus protects us from coming face to face with the "Father of Lies"  for he has defeated Satan in our Baptism.

All of my sins come about through my cooperation with the temptations that afflict us all on a daily basis and the weaknes of my cooperation with the Lord.

Dear Lord lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.

 30/01.2022

We are assured that the Lord knows us and that it is in this knowledge of us that we are loved. We are here to do our best, not to become prominent in any worldly sense but by knowing the Lord and loving his ways. Jesus' first sermon in his home town was somewhat of a disaster. But his time was not to be until another three years had passed. His words in that synagogue were unpalatable to the "Chosen People" and they have not been accepted until this day.

We too have  similar hard questions to face up today.  We know so much more about the workings of our Church and it seems to be  no more than an earthly institutions beset by all the problems that worry the managers of any organisation.

Jesus promised to be with us until the end of time and it has often been said that there is no salvation outside of the Church. The Western Church is as corrupt as any other multi- natiional and its international property dealings are a scandal to the faithful.

Could it be that there is only salvation outside the corporate body of Catholicism that the Church which is the Love in St Paul; the Love of those who did not flee from the Cross but remained with the dead body that was the ruler and life of all the Universe. I can be responsible for my own sins but the sins of the Church are beyond me just as living without sin is impossible for me. My hope is in "nothing is impossible for God".

Dear Lord may renewal come to us all and even though St Paul put away childish things let us be reminded that Jesus encourages us to call God "daddy" and to know that the simplicity and guilelessness of a child's heart is what he requires not gaudiness and rich vestments.

 29/01/2022

The Lords's words about the sign of Jonah are again put into question as the calming of the storm is immediately taken by the Jews in the boat with him as a sign to be wondered at. The sin of David is  shocking as it is so much against his previous fervour and deeds.

It is very human and all those with a power over others have to avoid the temptation to manipulate situations to benefit themselves. Our Church is not immune from these temptations which are not limited to the hierarchy only.

Simple Parish Priests can be captivated by the bright of a child's eyes and have to fight against the temptations this can bring. Collection money can easily be used to feed an illicit habit. Wrongdoing can be masked and countered by flattering a coitery of supporters.

As a parishioner I must never join those who warn "Don't let your boys on the altar".I must  report suspected criminal behaviour by a priest to the civil authorities for investigation. Covering up ill doing by clergy is a yeast that spreads throughout the whole dough. What can we do when we see incorrect cannonical behaviour that  is not criminal. Our Lord tells us that before we bring our gift to the altar we must reproach our sinful brother and then follow God's example by forgiving as he did with David.

Dear Lord may you be with me always and let the love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with me so that  I might live this day without sin and let me not be weakened by concern about your sinfull priests but let them know the protection of your blessed mother and all the saints.

 28/01/2022

The praise of wisdom does mean that anyone who has it mut not forget that it is the Lord's gift that any one may have. The world that I live in is full of technological marvels. I am using one right now. All of these marvels seemingly made by man are in fact nothing compared to the Creation in which they are found. Everything known to man and built by him is built on knowledge of creation and not a creation out of nothing.

Famous scientists and engineers were not born  with the understanding that they use to develop ideas and techniques to manipulate matter. All human knowledge is an accumultion of the thinking and experience of our forefathers.

Jesus is different in his humanity than any other. For he knows that the real purpose of the creation that is so manipulated today is to return the love with which it was created for he is the Word who is in the beginning. We can admire the works of man and their deeds but we must not venerate their work more than God. Preventing birth or changing sex is a marvel but  one that leads to sinfulness that is in opposition to love. Understanding the make up of creatures we cannot even see is beyond wonderment but we can go too far and in our arrogance damage the very matteer of life. 

The mistakes made by man in his politcal development will be as nothing if Wisdom does not stop the meddling of manknd with God's creation. God asks us to hold back willingly for "anyone who exhalts himself will be humbled and anyone who humbles himself will be exhalted."

Dear Lord how your creation has been built is a sources of wonder to all who look at the night sky. We can know it but not use that knowledge for illicit purposes. Dear Lord protect all of us from the natural and unatural viruses that are capable of destroting all human life and guard us against the sinful arrogance that ignores Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You are the only God.

 27/01/2022

The teaching in  St Mark seems to be paradoxical when compared to the Sermon on the Mount. It is also true of the world economy during this pandemic. It has  also been taken to heart by some Christians who consider their own riches to be a sign of their favour before God. In their minds, the problems involved in getting a camel through the narrrow gate does not realy mean what it says about them.

David's people will enjoy the favour of God in this world. The comfortable way in which I live my own life here on earth without the riches that I see all around me would be a mark of wealth in the the first century. My longevity would also be a visible mark of God's favour.

My life is a gift of God but I must live it for God. My freedom is not curtailed in any way but I must chose to serve God. The Incarnation brought the Eternal Father, Son and Holy Spirit to teach all the world the will of God and we the descendants of the Apostles must continue their worship and love of Jesus.

"From the man who has not, even the little that he has will be taken away" is one of Jesus' hard sayings that we must ask the holy Spirit to interpret for us in our hearts.

Dear Lord what it is that is best for me and the whole world is known only to you. Hear the prayer of your Holy Mother and the Saints and share their graces with us the Church that we may remain sinless throughout the struggles of our daily lives.

 26/01/2022

Mark who certainly has been told about Jesus' teaching by the Apostles even if he did not witness it himself, reveals that the parables were told to the people and sometimes explained to the Apostles and very close disciples. This is not done with the intent of creating an inner core of devotees in possession of a hidden knowledge. Jesus guides all of us for it is his intent not to lose any of us given to him by the Father. 

Imperial Rome was full of mystery cults so much so that the river of Antioch, the Orontes, was flowing into the Tiber according to one of the Classical Roman authors. Rome, where Paul was held under house arrest was a huge building site with the still extant ruins visible to this day, was also a centre of learning along with Antioch and Alexandria. 

Paul's teaching of  Jesus was already with a form of structure and meetings of the Apostles recorded by Luke had established among other things questions of dietary laws and even basic liturgy before the Church had moved on from the Synagogue. Prayer was guided by the the Psalms of David and by the reenactment of the "Last Supper" which had confirmed the priesthood of the Apostles explained by the teaching of John.

All of our Bishops who read or hear today's Scriptures can be assured that Paul is still supporting and encouraging them as he did Timothy and Titus.  They must not lose sight of their only purpose, guiding the flocks along the right paths behind the Good Shephed, and they must avoid the lure of power and riches of this world which choke out the Grace that comes from God and allow them to produce nothing, Zero Zilch!

Dear Lord I too need to keep in mind your words especially "otherwise they may be forgiven" which is beyond my understanding of the Love which is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Let me live this day in peace let your Holy Motther and all your Saints support us in this world as they share your Glory  in Eternity.

 25/01/2022

The strength of St Paul is a spiritual strength reinforced by visions and direct communication with the Lord. The story of his complete conversion in the Acts is one of God / Father, Son and Holy Spirit/eternity touching our world directly to reinforce the teaching/ example of the Son and to found the organisation that is the Church.

It is not easy to believe that God put so much trust in one man. Paul had the whole Roman Empire to convert and each day he must have been aware of the Holy Spirit supporting him in his mission first to the Synagogues and then directly to the Pagans. Of course the other Apostles were doing the same but their preaching is largly unrecorded as in preserving the Scriptures the four evangelists had precedence with the letters written by Paul preserved for his teaching and the strength of his encouragement.

The people who heard the Good News must have had many different reactions to it. Basically these Jews from Palestine were telling them that the Son of their God had been living as a man and teaching a new form of their traditional belief and this had caused the priests of their only Temple to instigate a case against him. After his Crucifixion the dead and buried Son had resurrected in a new form of body, (it was definitely a body but not controlled by the laws of our physical universe) and continued to teach and inspire them to pray to his Father and live according to his example. To give them the spiritual strength to live his way he had left his body in the form of bread and wine to be created and consumed during a ceremony that was a meeting of believers with love for another.

Paul's teaching is still an inspiration but where are the signs and wonders promised? There are some Evangelical groups who claim that these signs are still with them but I have never seen them. St Thomas did not believe until he saw and touched.

Dear Lord in my mind I can think thoughts of you in Palestine, walking and teaching the crowds who flocked to see the miracles you performed but in this moment you seem to be far away and my soul an insignificant blob of chemicals in the vastness of a universe. I believe that you the creator made not only the universe but also all atoms that make up my body. And I believe that the unseen world of spirit is also in your care. Thank God for the wonder of my being and for the Love that I have done nothing to deserve. Protect us all this day and inspire me to the Faith that can sincerely Hope in your Love. 

 24/01/2022

David becomes a great king because God is with him and he is with God. God is with all mankind for he is our loving Creator. The Resurrection is the new creation not just for the people who honoured the original covenants but for all nations who were to receive the Good News brought by the Son to all the peoples of the world.

We are here 2000 years later than the time God walked in human flesh in the world that he created for man. In the synagogue he warned the learned scribes that a kingdom divided against itself could not survive. We seem to contradict that statement as unity is the one thing we are sure not to find among us who profess to follow the teaching promulgated by the Son during his three years of active ministry.

We have to face this fact squarely without fudging. The unity of mankind is an asperation rather than an achievable goal. I have to live in the world with the Faith in which I was brought up. For many years I was impressed by the liturgy and by the learning and teaching of our Clergy. I dismissed those who disagreed with the Catholic Church without a second thought but now in my 80s even in God's Church I can see only dissension and downright evil.

I have to ask whether or not it is God's will that the "strong man be bound" and the house burgled. Jesus makes it clear that only the sin against the Holy Spirit remains unforgiven into eternity. From this blasphemy I have to protect myself and although facing up to real problems look to the Lord for the strength that makes me grow even in old age to be the "strong man"who guards his home successfully against the snares of Satan. God is with me and I can be with God.

Dear Lord this day I turn to you with the confidence that you are always with me; may my human weaknesses be overcome and with the  holy unity of Mary and the Saints in Heaven let my prayers for safety in this life for me and my family and your Church be pleasing to you by their heartfelt sincerity. I make this petition to Father Son and Holy Spirit.

 23/01/2022

The people listened attentively as Ezra read the Law. The congregation was able to see him as he read for he was standing on a dias. He also explained the significance of the language he was reading for the original language of the scrolls had developed and changed as all languages do. The Hebrew of Moses is not given Canonical Status neither was the Greek, Aramaic or Latin of the original converts. It is not the words but their meaning and spirit of their meaning that instruct us in God's revelation. 

There are some who demand that Latin be the language of our Liturgy but God tells us clearly that obedience to the spirit of the words is what he wills for us. God knows everything always and completely so how could he need us to use one of our many human languages in preference to all the others. The Sabbath was made for man and man has many different tongues, but God's revelation is one, Father Son and Holy Spirit.

St Paul develops a classical image of the political state to quell the dissent that was arising in his flock because of human jealousy. Christians are not millions of  Popes and priests. The Church was given authority by Jesus and there are clearly defined roles enumerated by St Paul. The Church was given authority not a power to be wielded against its flock. Great is his gift to our clergy but they too must  constantly be aware that their trappings of office are only the same dust to which we shall all return.

Jesus is invited to read and preach in the Synagogue. He must have been recognised in the first thirty years of his life for the qualities which were to bring him to the Resurrection. Even this supreme witness was not enough evidence for many both then and now.

Dear Lord your priests are beset on all sides by their own weaknesses and the antagonism of the secular state even by the backsliding of their overseer Bishops; increase their fortitude and protect them from becoming stumbling blocks rather than guides to the Way, the Truth and the Life. May Mary and the heavenly host of Saints and Angels protect your church and her priests in the struggles that we all face here on earth.

 22/01/2022

It cannot be possible that Mary was among the "relatives" who sought to restrain Jesus on the grounds that he was mad. People of different generations have latched on to the existence of "relatives" of the Lord to deny the virginity of Mary and to search for a historical "bloodline" culminating with still living "descendants" of Jesus.

The Gospels recall and recount Jesus' life on earth which is God accepting the limits of our human freedom even to accepting death.

The death he accepts is not our simple end of human life but the complete humiliation of nakedness in public, totally under the control of his torturers. Nothing that has ever happened is remotely approachig the imensity of this historical event.

We are his "mother and his siblings" if we know him the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is easy to say "Lord, Lord"but we must from the depths of our beings follow his example, doing what is right in this world until our end of life when he can call us to the eternity that he relinquished to show his love for his creation.

Dear Lord I have not the eloquence of David to express my grief at my sinfulness. There is still part of me that resists your will. Let me truly know that you are Father and care for us thy children especially those like me who go astray. May Mary and all my heavenly siblings help me to avoid the sinfulness that hammered you to the cross.

 21/01/2022

At the basilica dedicated to St Agnes in Rome there is a curious painting of a Pope and Cardinals falling through the floor into the the catacombs which are under that floor. The painting remains in my mind as does the incident but I cannot remember the name of the Pope.

Our recent Popes are certainly memorable for they are the leaders who have remained in office while it has been the Church that has tumbled.

We have Our Lord's asssertion that he will be with us always so we are not afraid no matter how saintly or otherwise have been the Popes of my lifetime. Pope Pius 12th was a remote unwordly figure in the Vatican; a prisoner of Fascism, of whom we knew very little. Today Pope Francis is, as are so many public figures, a prisoner of the Media of whom we know too much.

Francis has been chosen by God, as was St Peter, to be the Shepherd of the Church on Earth. He is  old  and yet he is as active as a much younger man. His often thoughtless replies to journalists' loaded questions are the cause of much upset to the flock he is supposed to guide but when his letters are studied calmly he is within the teachings of Our Lord and Master.

Dear Lord you know the errors we are all making in our lives in this age of mass media. We know too much and yet are full of mistakes. Let our minds be cleared of human concerns so that the way is open for You who are the Way, the Truth and the Life.

 20/01/2022

The Old Testament is the recorded history of the Jewish nation and its Covenant. This is a revelation of God's will for mankind for the Jewish nation is  composed of the people chosen by the Lord. Thus it is that when the story of the first kings is told, God is an intricate part of it. Our relationship with God is concerned with our personal behaviour for we have the Son as our teacher and as our example and His kingdom is certainly not of this world. The Old Testament is of this world guided directly by the Creator.

The eternal will of God knows the Word and the Spirit and is totally aware of everything that can happen in all of our time. He is not controlling us but has given us the freedom to live and to choose how we are to be. Saul and David are chosen by God but bring strife into their relationship. The psalm is praise for the light of living and we can read it in the light of the New Testament as praise for the new way of lving that is the Resurrection.

Jesus is known for what he is by the devils that he casts out but he orders them to be silent. What about the people, the humans, were there none of them, who were also in awe of the miracles, able to recognise the Son of God? The  New Testament is full of incidents such as this. For three years Jesus walked and taught and even after the Resurrection there were more who refused to believe than those who did.

I believe, but my own life only bears halting witness to the Lord. I want to be aware of Father, Son and Holy Spirit every moment of consciousness; to know, love and serve to ready myself for the Eternity towards which God is pointing.

Dear Lord you know that the confusion which I make when trying to listen to the words of scripture can be cleared up by following guidance given by you to your saints. May Mary and all the saints help me by the prayers they make directly to you bathed in the Glory of your eternity, Heaven.

 19/01/2022

The victory of  David over the much stronger Philistine is part of the history of Israel and is a familiar story of the weak overcoming the strong. The theme is that the apparantly weak are in the Lord's care and so infinitely stronger than it seems for no-one can resist the power of God.

The Church of the New Testament was totally without strength in the beginning. Jesus was dead and so all hopes were dashed and the followers of Jesus must have been in despair. Some had literally given up their everything to follow him. Many of these had certainly expected him to oust the Hellenized, the Herodians and return to the Lord worshipped by their forefathers as rulers of their promised land. John does not tell us what he and Mary had expected from the Jesus they knew and loved.

The third day was still an unclear mystery to them. There was the empty tomb.No-one immediately remembered Jesus hints of what would happen to him. Many had left Jerusalem. Even the Apostles had dispersed. Some of them had wasted three years in attendance on Jesus. Their hearts were broken. They were weak and alone.

When they recognised the risen Lord, what a change must have overtaken them and they began to understand the meaning of the teaching and events they had been witnessing. The Church was weaker than it has ever been since then but the Lord was with this "David". 

Our Church today has all the trappings of power but needs to remember that it is in weakness that we find the Lord's truth and strength.

Dear Lord let us avoid the triumphalism of your Old Testament and find you in the teaching of the beatitudes and the example of your Son. Let the Holy Spirit be with us that we can recognise truth and become weak in the eyes of the world but filled with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  

 17/01/2020

The traditional sacrifices of the Temple were known by God but it was revealed to Samuel it is not them  that God wants; he  wants us to freely limit our freedom within the boundaries set by him. We have to be obedient to his will. Saul reaped the rewards of his wordly victory as did his people but sinned in not completing the task set by the Lord.

I have to face up to the disturbing truth that that task was the annhilation of the Amalekites. This reminds me that the Jews of my own time have had to face up to the evil of an attempted Final Solution. Saul stepped back from the slaughter that God seems to have ordered. In Europe the Gas Chambers continued their deadly tasks until stopped by force of arms.

I say I have to face up to this problem of evil in the midst of our created world but I cannot find a simple answer. Jesus came to rid our world of sin and yet we know how "sin" is flourishing in our world today and not only in our world but also within my being. Evil has the power to attract all of us as witnessed by St Anthony in his desert retreat. 

Am I to avoid evil only by isolating myself from the world or should I continue to do as I am doing at this moment and try to be permantly aware of my Maker and his Love for his creation as witnessed by his Son.

Dear Lord I know that you are all Goodness and Love for me. Let the prayers of your Church unite with those of Our Lady and all the saints of heaven to overcome the Evil that wants nothing but to disobey Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 16/01/2022

The Wedding Feast at Cana is the scene of Jesus first miracle according to John. It is not recorded at all in the other Gospels. John it is who was bequeathed the care of Mary; who stood at the foot of the Cross when all the other disciples had fled responding to horror of the Death. The wedding image of Isiah leads us into Mary's request for help in this human situation.

Before Jesus there was the Temple, Zion, Jerusalem a fixed location on earth where to approach God in all our humility. St Paul belongs to the Church that he preaches to all nations; the Church of Love that can be found in sorrow at the foot of the Cross.

The Resurrection draws back those who could not face the despair of calvary. The Father Son and Holy Spirit ensure that the salvation of all can be assured by the teaching of the Apostles and that teaching will be preserved by the Gifts enumerated by Paul given to each of us.

The immensity of this Gift, Salvation through the Church, makes it incredidible that there should be such lack of Faith anywhere on earth least of all among the clergy who are the ministers of the Sacraments and the leaders of their charges. None of the gifts listed by Paul lead to wealth or personal prestige but these are the dominant forces in our world and seemingly also in the worldly institute the Church of Love has become. God help us!

Dear Lord you know that there are times that I feel empty and useless; sinful and afraid. Let me never forget that I am your creation and recipient of your gifts which I need to share with all my family and all the bit of the world that I know. I make this prayer to you Father Son and Holy Spirit in the full knowledge that it is supported by Mary and all the saints in heaven.

 15/01/2022

Was Saul chosen to be king because he looked like one? His appearance is important enough for it to be recorded. Jesus' looks are never commented on although all the subsequent potrayals show him as a strikingly good looking young man.

Does it matter? Well, human beauty has to be a pale reflection of the glory of God. Our first impressions of a person are always of his/her face and body. The women of the middle-east both Jew and Gentile rarely appeared unveiled.

Our modern attitude to this veiling of women is that it is a form of subjugation forced upon females by the males of society. Those who accept the practice see it as a reservation of a woman's beauty for the eyes of her family only, as all men are easily tempted into sexual desire.

Sexual desire is the great tempter. This is still known and made use of by the entertainment industry and by advertisers in all cultures. Many of our clergy have been destroyed by desire which has been slaked by abuse of the innocent and covered up by their power as priests. Sexual desire can be mutual but even in marriage the desire is in the person of the  one feeling it for we are all an entire single person created by God.

Jesus is here to fill us with the Holy Spirit for it is the will of the Father that sinners have to be saved from the great temptions of wealth power and desire.

Dear Lord save us from the occasion of sin and let us not be captivated by the hedonistic values of our sinful world So many of our leaders and priests gifted by you have lost their calling to the power of lust. May Our Lady and the saints plead that we may be protected from human desire so that we may know ourselves and ultimately look at you without shame.

 14/01/2022

We read in the OT today of how the people of Israel were yet again dissatisfied with the way of the Lord . God's revelations to his prophets were not enough for them and they demanded to become a kingdom of this world. Even when the negative results of such a political system were pointed out to them thay still insisted they follow the way of the world. God listened to them.

The peoples surrounding Israel all organised their societies in some form of monarchy according to which everything in their territories belonged to the King who guarded his lands or expanded them by war. And it is to this form of absolute monarchy that the people demanded they must be subject.

It was hard for the Jews for the Law of Moses did not make known any life except the here and now to be lived by following the Law; after death only the shadowy sort of half life offered by Sheol awaited them.

Jesus' teaching and most of all his Resurrection have made it clear that our real lives are what we will know after our deaths. The Scribes complain that Jesus forgives sin. This time Jesus responds with more than the "Sign of  Jonah" and proves his authority by having the paralytic stand, pick up his bed and walk away.

Dear Lord you who know the billions of souls you have created to fill our world and be with you in your kingdom, also know me and my family. May we all this day live in the way your grace teaches us to. Father Son and Holy Spirit we worship three in one and ask for the help of all who have after this life have joined you in the eternal reality we call heaven.

 13/01/2022

The psalm today  gives yoice to the despair that is ours if we abandon God. God never abandons us but even when the Ark is lost and many slaughtered God is still with his people Israel.

Since those days our world has increased in numbers and in the capabilities of mankind. Through all the changes to our environment and growth of  our cultures God stays the same. Samuel had to face up to the despair felt after the defeat and loss of the Ark. The joy felt by the disciples was turned to despair at the Death on the Cross. Today and on all days human beings are facing disasters and the emptiness of loss.

God is with us always and he never stops his loving care even when we sink beneath the waves with only panic in us as our bodies scream for oxygen, God is still with us and survival or not are in his hands.

Jesus tells the cured man to follow the instructions of the Law and present himself in Jerusalem for his cure to be ratified by the Temple. The Temple is soon to instigate the death of Jesus but he still follows its rules as it is the truth revealed to Moses.

Our Church has for some centuries now been more about wealth, authority and power in this world than the Truth revealed and taught by the Son in unison with the Father and the Holy Spirit. I have to recognise Her Authority but avoid supporting a structure whose self-centeredness  has been revealed by Her Bishops covering up the crimes against children perpretrated by too many of the clergy.

Dear Lord even today you are with me and the billions of your children alive in your creation. I can make the effort to turn to you for your grace has opened my heart. Let the same grace with support of Our Lady and all the saints defeat the ill will of men, showing us the Way the Truth and the Light.

 12/01/2022

The reality of our world is conveyed to us by God our creator. What has been seen and done in the past is recorded for us in the writings of the ancient world which have grown on each other until they are the mass of preserved knowledge that can only be completely accessed by machines. 

Only the scriptures retain the truth as revealed by God. Samuel did not at first recognise the Lord's calling of him but guided by his master he was able to open himself to the word entrusted to him."Here I am Lord I come to do your will " is the response that will keep us all safe and in touch with Truth and Reality. Everything that is only of this world will fade and be destroyed in the fullness of human time.

Jesus' visit to Capernaum can be seen as an assembly of those who would become the nucleus of our Church. Jesus our High Priest disturbs no-one but quietly leaves the house to pray to the Father. this is not his total wish for the Church. When he returns it is to tell his newly found disciples that their mission is to preach the Kingdom of God and together they go throughout Galilee preaching and casting out devils; saving souls from their false beliefs and immorality.

Dear Lord, may I be pleasing to you this day in my thoughts, words and deeds. May all created humanity know that it is only by turning to you that holiness and peace can be found. Only you are real without support, our reality depends on your will and our response to it. May your Kingdom come  soon to enlighten in Love all our world.

 11/01/2022

The readings today confirm that God has concern for the lowly. His love is shown in the story of Hannah and the birth of Samuel. Why did God choose to favour Hannah and not some other barren woman? I suppose that the answer to that is that he did but we only know of her for the son was Samuel a prophet of the Lord.

God cares for all the men and women living in our world and with equal love for all; we feel that some of us have better lives in terms of riches, health and human respect and this is true. We must always know that not everyone can be a King or a President; an alogarithim creator or an influencer. All our talents as humans come from God. From those given most, most will be required. 

Wherever we start our awareness from, we are all living towards our deaths and it is then that we will see that the purposes of our lives are all one. God favours Hannah for she shows that she knows he is Love and will answer her prayers. Prayers are always answered even in unanticipated ways. It is hard to understand but the unanticipated answer is always better than our request for that is God's answer

Jesus' charisma gives him authority and even the unclean spirits obey him. On that day in the synagoue at Capernaum not all the witnesses to  this miracle of presence and deed continued to follow Jesus but were even among those who condemned him three years later.

 10/01/2022

We know that the Scriptures are the revelation by God of his nature and his will for the peoples of the world. But God wants his creation to be free to find him in both the creation and in the Word.  God has placed us in our own freedom to willingingly, to joyfully choose to follow him not as a single unit, mankind,  but as an individual, as a person responding to his knowledge and love of each of us; Father knows every hair of our heads even the cells of the virus causing mankind so much trouble at this moment.

The disciples were called as individuals and lived as we do with others but essentially an "I"  responding to our place in time and space in order to fulfill God's Love for us. So the Evangelists have different recollections of the first call to mission.  The synoptics resemble each other and John as usual considers the event more in the spirit of its place in God's plan rather than as a narrative of historical events.

Hannah is crying because she is without child and is being bullied by those who should support her Her husband misses the point and tries to comfort her by presenting himself as the total necessity for her life. Hannah knows that there is a "Greater than him" to call upon for true comfort. The Apostles are called by the "Ever Greater" to proclaim the Kingdom of God to the whole world in the time that God has allotted to each of us.

 Father, Son and Holy Spirit knows each of us; we have to accept and return that love as each "I" of creation.

Dear Lord I can only know you as a person created by you but you have created even your mother and all the saints of heaven to support us in the ever growing mess that we men are making of your Church and your world. May Mary the Immaculate Conception continue to save us from the total destructon that awaits a universe that abandons and defies you.

 09/01/2022

When I finished reading the scriptures for today's mass I had to ask yet again do I really believe?The image of the dove/Spirit and the thunderous voice of the Father surrounding the Son who has accepted the baptism which he cerrtainly did not require is certainly the Trinity.This is a revelation of the World that is "above the clouds"; it is the being, the existence of God in his unfathomable esssence. the Ever Greater; the Creator, the Saviour and the Support of all mankind.

Issiah brings us the image much loved by Jesus of the shepherd loving and guarding his flock. St Paul is yet again direct without qualms. We have to lead lives devoted to God, worshipping his Glory without attachment to this world and all its riches.

How many of us have strived to do this and in our consciences know that we have failed? I know that I do believe and still strive even though the exemplars of a life devoted to God have much to be desired I know that God has given me the freedom to reject false prophets and to seek the Holy Spirit, the dove which is God and was there at my baptism and in all the subsequent sacraments flowing out from Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Dear Lord let me be open to your grace and loving kindness. Let all of mine be protected by you and let us learn and profess that you are the Way, the Truth and the Light.

 08/01/2022

Jesus told them to sit on the green grass and the disciples would feed them. It must be late winter or early spring as the grass is green and not parched as is the usual condition on the shores of Lake Galilee. Jesus is recorded as pitying the people for they were without a shepherd and his first thought is to teach them with the spiritual food they need.

He teaches us to pray in the same way; first we must honour the Father and know that he is in heaven. Jesus' teaching is solely concerned with the Kingdom of Heaven, the reality of God must be first in our minds and then we ask for food to sustain our bodies.

John's letter is concerned with God and we are to know that God is Love. A reality that is seen in the nature of Jesus the Son who is The Father in the Love of the Holy Spirit. The Love that is poured out on Calvary sustains our souls as the bread and fishes fed the five thousand. We are God's children and have to live as such in this world until we see God as he really is and his Eternity becomes our all in all.

Dear Lord keep me from the desire to sin and let my family come to know you as you really are to be found only in the Scriptures and in the "True" teaching of the Church. Let me avoid the evil of false prophets and pastors. May your Mother and all the saints support all of us in this world so that we may always acknowledge your love for us.

 07/01/2022

The Collect of today prays that we keep our faith in our minds. I have always been confused between mind and soul. I vaguely remember being taught that my soul contained my memory and understanding. We all know how these two abilities vary from person to person as do our physical bodies. In our brains doctors have been able to demonstrate the location of the memory, colour perception and other mental processes.

Damage to the physical brain results in the impairment of our mental abilities. How can we care for our souls if our minds are not working properly. Jesus cast out devils. St John tells us that we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us but that we are assailed by other spirits who are fighting against God.

God's work for us is recorded in the Scriptures and today's Gospel tells us how Jesus walked and taught all over Galilee even in the Decapolis where the populations were non-semitic and had Greek for their first language. Here it was that Jesus drove out the spirits that ultimately caused the herd of pigs to suicide.

So many events occur in the Gospels and are recorded with very few words that we do have to use our imaginations. As we use the power of our minds and imaginations about the Gospels, we must let the Spirit of God guard our minds against the spirits that would mislead us ; chief of which is the spirit of pride.

Dear Lord during your time on earth you met so many people in so many places. What would I have done if alive then and greeted by you? May Our Lady and all your sainted disciples share their graces with me and all your people here on earth and still suffering in Purgatory.

 06/01/2022

Today is recorded  the revelation of God to us the gentiles, the pagans to all humanity. Isaiah shows us how to praise the Lord who brings the whole world to worship in Jerusalem the beloved city of his beloved people

Their King by the grace of the power of Rome is afraid, for in subjecting himself to the rule of the pagans he has taken on their superstitions and forgotten the God of Abraham. He tries to reverse what he sees as a danger to himself and his house by seeking out the boy to destroy him.

We know that this was a forelorn attempt as Jesus' kingdom is not of this world. Paul addresses the first converts of Ephesus making it clear that salvation is not limited to Jews but is now shared by all humanity. We all belong to the Church, Christ's Body on Earth. We can all guarantee each others holiness by the secure grace of the sacraments.

Dear Lord, let the words read today by all the Church enter into the hearts of all the faithful and especially the hearts of your priests that they become what Father, Son and Holy Spirit intended them to be. May your Mother and all the Church in Heaven continue their loving support for me and my family. Save me from sin.

 05/01/2022

John's letter contains all that we need to live holy lives as God has created us to do. We must always wish the best of everything for all peoples. This is Love. Not a word. Not a thought. Not an emotion that comes and goes according to our perception of our brother's behaviour but a permanent state of our being which treats all humans as we treat ourselves. Who would hand a stone to his son when he asked for bread?

John is "The Theologian" for everything he witnessed during his time with Jesus has been pondered for more than 20 years after the Resurrection and not just pondered in the same way as Mary pondered in her  heart the message of the angel, the growth the birth, the life of her Son, the horror of his death and Wonder of his Resurrection

John writes for all to read and ponder and warns to take care of our consciences to make sure that we are true judges of ouselves not according to ourselves but guided by the revelations of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and witnessed by Mary, Joseph and all the Apostles; witnessed too by all the unknown who followed then and susequently to become God's saints in the eternal joy of heaven.

Dear Lord I can be sure that you know these seconds that I try to devote to you; may my prayers be truly sincere worship of you and not of my own ego. I ask that your care be lavished on all who are desperately in need of Love and whose consciences have been subsumed into their pride and  love of self.

 03/01/2021

I always find it difficult when I am told that Jesus came to abolish sin. I know that the world in which I live and the Church in which I want to believe is full of sinful men and has been ever since Adam and the Church's foundation  by Jesus.

I know that I too am full of sin and the rememberance of sin.

We must purify ourselves to be the adopted children; purify ourselves from sin. What can it mean when John says that Jesus came to abolish sin and at the same time wants us to purify ourselves from sin?

It seems to me that it must mean that Jesus came to destroy the power of sin and that we now have a world and Church in which to be without sin is not only possible but incumbent upon us. We have the abundance that is God's Mercy to turn to when we are attacked by the Evil which is now powerless before God but still tries to draw our freedom into his emptiness.

Dear Lord may I be without sin this day. May I know true thankfulness for your great mercies and may your Mother and all your saints support me, my family and all mankind.

 02/01/2020

The Church makes much use of the Gospel of St John during this Christmas season for although we do not know the exact dates of his writings,  St John is totally concerned with the meaning, the spiritual significance,  of the events that he experienced during his lifetime. His Gospel as we know it was fixed in its now canonical form in the fourth century after Christ's resurrection and men had had a long time to ponder the words of the evangelist.

John tells us of God who is the Creator of everything and who is eternal so he is not subject to the rules of time. God knows everything that has and will come to be in his created time and yet he gives us freedom to seek him during our lives.

St Paul too knows God as outside of our time but all-knowing of what we are and how we use the freedom that he has given us. The freedom that is inherent in our beings and the Freedom brough to us by the Birth, Death and Resurrection.

Our Church knows this more than I do and teaches it well. Jesus told his disciples to listen to the Pharisees but not do as they did.

Dear Lord may I continue to avoid sin and to offer up my prayers to you each day. May your wisdom guide my thoughts in the freedom you have given to me and to all mankind.

 01/01/2022

We all live in this natural world. We all know that we live in this natural world. We all know that we are certain to die. After my death the natural world will still continue but I hope that I too will still live in a different mode of existence.

God's revelation of himself to the Israelites concluded with the Incarnation and today we hear his words to Moses and see the shepherds rushing to find the Angels' Message, God's Word incarnate in an animal shelter.

God had now a natural presence in our world as he had done from the moment of Mary's acceptance of her Mission. He shared in our flesh was subject to our needs and could be tempted in the  same way that we are. Mary fed him until weaning and the child loved his mother in the same way that we all loved our own mothers.

All of his human life reflects our own. He experienced the total disaster of human death and then brought the Supernatural to our world for he resurrected from the dead with a new form of being bestowed on all mankind.

How can it be that with such a glorious beginning and support in heaven the Church of God on this earth can be crumbling into sin and insignificance?

Dear Lord today your Church formally remembers and praises your Mother given to us by you on the cross; grant that we may be shaken up into true Faith and fulfill Hope with Love for all worshiping Father, Son and Holy Spirit in true sincerity.