21/10/2021

Jesus brings division because his message is complete Truth and cannot be fudged to make it easier for us to follow; the  baptism which he is to face is salvation bringing torture and death on the cross. We are still weak from the sinful lives we have led and so sometimes are the playthings of evil. But evil is not Truth although it may be a reality of our experience.

St Paul makes clear Jesus' teaching that we have to leave sin behind us and train ourselves, our bodies, to practise virtue in all that we do. God is merciful but we should not presume on that mercy and continue to sin

There is only one Way, Truth and Life and when we do not act accordingly we are the division, the fire from heaven the disruption to family life. It can be avoided but it is up to us to accept the salvation freely offered to us who are "created freedom". The choice is stark Life or Death. Which do I want?

Dear Lord , let my actons live up to my words and help me to seek out your foregiveness which your human suffering has brought to the wotld.

 20/10/2021

The words of St Paul are clear messages to those  who have argued and still argue that the law of Love frees us to ignore the Mosaic 10 Commandments. We have to use Love to clense our bodies of all sin and strengthen them by the Law of Righteousness. We have to have a singleness of purpose about our lives. We live by Grace for we do not want to receive the wages of sin. In sin we are dead but Jesus has bought for us by his acceptance of death a Life that is Eternal.

Jesus does not answer Peter's question directly. As usual he illustrates his answer by a parable. We are to be stewards of grace and all that we have for nothing is ours except the mission that is life. Jesus is speaking to us all and there are varying degrees of response to his gift of Life in Grace. There is a clear condemnation of perpertrating acts of power over the weak and of doing nothing. 

Many of the original disciples and converts became more and more disappointed as the Lord whom they witnessed ascending upto Heaven, did not return. We are still waiting and that is our mission supported by Grace.

                    "Blessed are those who have not seen but still believe" 

Dear Lord, I ask that this day I will remain in your Love and that all of us accept your will for us, knowing that your providence never wishes us ill.

 19/10/2021

St Paul tels us that sin entered the World with one man and that we have inherited that sin. The Incarnation of the Word is so much greater that we can all receive of his abundance and avoid the permanent death that we have inherited. St Paul does not answer the question that we all ask as to why God does not use his all powerful freedom to eradicate Evil in its totality. My generation knows of huge evils perpertrated by men on men and also of their own petty sins.

Jesus tells us that we must all be ready when the master returns and elsewhere that be must be ready for the wedding feast  We have to face the problems that our freedom brings to us. Our freedom is part of the created human soul and each one is known to the Father . The souls of the Haulocaust and of  Unit 731 must have been saved by the Love that is the Creator. The Innocents of abortion must be with God.

St Paul of the Cross sought to be able to be with Jesus in the Garden and on the Hill. The Passion of The Son has redeemed the World but not explained the continuation of evil amongst men.

Dear Lord you know that I can accept your Will for our Church and World but as a lowly creature I cannot come to an understanding of my sin and the sin of the whole world. If this lack of understanding be sinful may it be taken awy from me.

 18/19/2021

This morning's readings are all about mission. Jesus gives strict instructions to the 72. I have always wondered how or what was the "peace" that could return without being/becoming part of the receiver.72 is also a large number of appointed messengers. What was it that they were supposed to teach.?

St Paul, however,was filled with the Holy Spirit and had seen the Risen Lord, All the first teachers of our Faith knew that God's plan for humanity had been revealed, for Jesus had been crucified and in the Risen Lord they had witnessed Eternity here on Earth.

Even though they were so close to the Source there were however those who chose to argue rather than accept the teachings of Jesus as remembered by the Apostles. Some are named here and that handful becomes a multitude as we journey through time in Human History. Millions of souls have tried to be part of God's plan and millions more have rejected it in favour of their own version of the Good News. We know that Jesus will be with us until the end of time and that what he has prepared for us is beyond our wildest imaginings.

This life would be so much easier if we could all live as children knowing that our missiion is  "to know God, love and serve him in this life and be happy with him in the next".

Dear Lord thank you for your teaching recorded in the Scriptures and for the Church that was first brought to us by St Luke and all the Apostles.

 17/10/2021

We must never let go of our Faith which has been given to us as a free gift but a gift that has been won for us by suffering. Not our suffering but that which was freely accepted by God Himself. The man Jesus walked the earth and took on the pains predicted in Isaiah. 

This is the Great Event of which I can but glimpse a passing shadow of its reality for it is God's own choice to complete the task broken by Adam for which the unknowable Love had  created time and  the whole of our Universe. God in his Perfection chose to share the joy of his being with all of creation and especially with the least of us.

The least of us must be the Greatest. We must not seek to bolster our own beings for doing that means trampling on the least. We are not pagans and must be the servants of the least. Our High Priest and God suffered not only the pangs of death but also the dissatisfaction achieved in our souls by the temptations of the devil. Our Church founded by Jesus out of his body and blood given up in sacrifice on the cross has always been beset by the weaknesses of the humanity it is to redeem. Another commandment from the lips of Jesus is this warning; "This is not to happen among you".

Dear Lord you who know all my secrets let the fire of the Holy Spirit burn out all my waywardness and let that same fire from the Scriptures of today be received by all your Church on earth as it is in Heaven.

        

 16/10/2021

Jesus tells us that whenever we have to declare our faith in him the words will be provided. For the last few centuries not many of us have had to face the secular authorities in the form listed by Jesus. The Inquisition is not mentioned but that reversal of roles by our Church to become the accuser instead of accused is a regretable use of power by Chruch and State.

Our present day Church has been so weakened by the moral failures of its clergy that the words of any Bishop to defend a truth beeing trampled on by secular society and state is laughed at without thinking. Men cannot marry men. Sin cannot be blessed. Sin is always Satanic. Sexual "love" for the same sex is a complete delusion. Our bishops should look to themselves and denounce the great delusion that is homosexuality. They have to care for our souls and not pander to the nonsenses of our modern world.

I saw on television the reaction to the questioning about criminal coverups in their dioceses of 3 bishops and 1 Cardinal. Not one of them declared himself  for Christ. I am sure that the Holy Spirit was not with those men. How could he be there to support those men whose shame was palable and whose full guilt is known only to God.

Dear Lord help me to live in this sinful world without becoming more contaminated than I already am. Let faith bear fruit so that your supreme sacrifice is not rejected by sinful man and help us to avoid the sin that cannot be forgiven.

 15/10/2021

The image from the psalms that opens this Mass has alwys captured me by its intensity; how much more must it have inspired those living in the deserts of the Middle-East. I know "yearning" as an unidentified dissatisfaction within myself which is not at all specific. If it is true that it is God that I am missing I have to make an effort of will to direct myself entirely towards God the evergreater. St Paul tells us that it  is Faith that justifies Abraham. Forgiveness comes directly from God and is a free gift regardless of me.

The idea that we have to do nothing to be saved has been taken up by many throughout the Chrisitian centuries. But latching on to one idea and pursuing that is not the way to read the scripture or follow the way of Jesus. Jesus  is so much Love  that even the hairs of our head are known to the Father and the pardon seen by the Disciples in the Resurrection is brought to us by the Holy Spirit. 

Maybe my unidentified yearning is truly to know God and thus become fearless as I live a life in accordance to the teaching of the Gospels.

St Theresa sorted out her Order. How much more is she needed in today's mess of a Church.

Dear Lord, I who am so little are greater than I can understand for you know me in my sinfulness and are ready to pardon me. Let me truly open myself to your foregiveness.