"Peace Be With You"

Pentecost Sunday Year A - 31st May 2020

Gospel John 20: 19–23

In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again,
‘Peace be with you.
As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’

After saying this he breathed on them and said:
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’

Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

As I settle into my place of prayer, I take time to notice how I am feeling, both mentally and physically. I acknowledge that God is present with me.

When I am ready, I slowly read and re-read the Gospel. I stay with any word or phrase that touches me.

I may sense the fear and loneliness of the disciples locked in the house. Perhaps this resonates with recent weeks when I may have had to self-isolate, or felt afraid of going out due to the ongoing pandemic.

If it helps, I may like to place myself in the scene...

How do I feel as I see Jesus come into the room and I hear him say to me, ‘Peace be with you’?
I sense his closeness as he breathes the gift of the Holy Spirit into my heart.

What difference does his presence make? Maybe I have a sense of hope ... or joy ... or comfort? How might I like to respond?

Hearing Jesus speak about forgiveness may bring to mind a time when I have forgiven someone, or someone has forgiven me. How do I feel now? Maybe there are areas in my own life where I haven’t felt at peace, whether now or in the past?

Whatever is stirring within my heart, I talk to Jesus about it now.

I listen to whatever he is saying to me, drawing comfort from his presence.
I close my prayer slowly, asking for any grace that I feel I myself or others may need at this difficult time. Our Father ...

All I have is yours and all you have is mine

Seventh Sunday of Easter Year A - 24th May 2020

Gospel John 17: 1–11

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: ‘Father, the hour has come: glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify you; and, through the power over all mankind that you have given him, let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him.

And eternal life is this: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me to do. Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me with the glory I had with you before ever the world was.

I have made your name known to the men you took from the world to give me. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now at last they know that all you have given me comes indeed from you; for I have given them the teaching you gave to me, and they have truly accepted this, that I came from you, and have believed that it was you who sent me.

I pray for them; I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they belong to you: all I have is yours and all you have is mine and in them I am glorified. I am not in the world any longer, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.’

Reflection - from St Beuno's Outreach

I prepare for my prayer time slowly, becoming aware of my body, mind, heart; bringing whatever arises to the Lord. I ask the Holy Spirit to help me pray with a listening, humble heart.

When ready, I savour and linger over these profound words of Jesus, relishing their divine wisdom, letting them resonate within my being. I may not want to read the whole passage at once; I can return to it later.

Perhaps I find myself conversing with God; being drawn into a deeper relationship with the Father and the Son as revealed to me through Scripture.

Perhaps I become aware that God desires to share his life and the wonder of his glory with me now, especially in these difficult days.

Once again, I speak with the Lord, either in words from my heart, or silently, allowing spontaneous feelings to arise from within.

When I am ready, I mark the end of my time with the Lord with a gesture (such as the sign of the cross) or my own prayer. Maybe I note what has been significant during this time, and can later share this with a friend.

The Spirit of Truth

Sixth Sunday of Easter Year A - 17th May 2020

Gospel John 14: 15 - 21

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever, that Spirit of truth whom the world can never receive since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come back to you. In a short time the world will no longer see me; but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will understand that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you. Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them will be one who loves me; and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and show myself to him.’

Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach 

I make myself comfortable and try to become still. I may wish to focus on my breathing as I slow down.

Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon the Early Church.

As I breathe in, I invite the Spirit to live in me.

As I breathe out, I imagine getting rid of any fears, doubts, self-reliance, lack of trust.

When ready, I slowly read the Gospel. Where do I find myself pausing? Perhaps I notice what it means to me ... to be so close to the Lord that I am in him and the Lord is in me?

... that I was loved first, and the commandment is simply to respond to that love ...?

... that I will not be left orphaned?

I stay with whatever is drawing my attention, noticing how I feel.
What might the Lord be saying to me through these words?

Do I wish to say something in response? Again, I pause, moving on only when ready.

The Gospel message is that Jesus wishes to give me the Advocate, the Spirit of truth. I may like to end by asking the Spirit, now, to help me receive the Lord’s commandment to love and to keep it in my heart.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart and enkindle in me the fire of your divine love. Spirit, at work in me, renew the face of the world. Amen.

And here is a One-Minute-Homily on LAST Sunday's gospel, from the Jesuit Post.

The Way, the Truth and the Life

Fifth Sunday of Easter Year A - 10th May 2020

Before we turn our attention to this coming Sunday's gospel, have a look at the "pages" tabs above. I've put a couple of new ones there, to celebrate Our Lady's month of May. There's The Rosary - A Letter from Pope Francis and an invitation to May Magnificat - A Day with Mary.

Gospel John 14: 1–12

"I Am the Way..."

Jesus said to his disciples; ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; if there were not, I should have told you. I am now going to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too. You know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No-one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.’


Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’ ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me? To have seen me is to have seen the Father, so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; believe it on evidence of this work, if for no other reason. I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself; will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father.’

Reflection: from St Beuno's Outreach

As I come to pray with this Gospel text, Jesus says to me, as to the disciples, ‘Do not let your heart be troubled – trust in me’.

I notice how I am feeling. Do I, like the disciples, come with a troubled heart, anxious about current events, concerned for family and friends? I take  me to become still, at peace in God’s presence.

After a time, I read the rest of the text slowly. Perhaps, like Thomas and Philip, I have questions? What do I want to say to Jesus?

I look again at the text; where am I most drawn to ponder at this point in my life? I speak to Jesus, remembering his words, ‘Trust in God now, and trust in me’.

I end my prayer slowly, asking for what ever grace I need.

...even when it's hard to see what lies ahead!