Take up your cross and follow me

 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - 30th August 2020

Gospel Matthew 16: 21–27

Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord,’ he said. ‘This must not happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let them renounce themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save their life will lose it; but anyone who loses their life for my sake will find it. What, then, will someone gain if they win the whole world and ruin their life? Or what has someone to offer in exchange for their life?

‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to their behaviour.’

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

As always I come gently to my prayer, taking the time to relax my body and mind so that I can be fully present to my God.

What grace do I wish for today?

When I am ready, I take up the Gospel text, reading it slowly a couple of times.

Perhaps I can be present to Jesus, who having faced opposition, is now contemplating his journey to Jerusalem. As he shares this with his disciples, do I consider how he feels ... ? Or am I a disciple in denial?

Perhaps, like Peter, I rush to remonstrate rather than reflect upon Jesus’s words? In what way do I want to please rather than ponder more demanding truths?

In my own life, what things have I lost by holding onto them too tightly?

I turn to the Lord, asking him to enable me – with him alongside – to look clearly and peacefully at my life.

I end with gratitude for the human example Jesus has set in accepting his cross.

Click here to read or listen to a one-minute homily!

Who do you say I am?

 Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - 23rd August 2020

Gospel Matthew 16: 13–20

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said, ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’ Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

In the Gospel today, Jesus is putting some questions to his disciples. During these times, I may be coming to prayer with some questions of my own. I ask the Spirit to give me peace.

I may like to read and pray this Gospel imaginatively. By using my senses to place myself in the scene, I might be better able to encounter the Son of the living God. As I read the text, pondering the interactions between Jesus and the disciples, I note what is going on within me.

Peter is the first to acknowledge openly that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Perhaps I am touched by his honesty, his risk.

I might now imagine Jesus posing the same question to me.

How do I respond? How would I like to respond? I take my time.

I ponder who Jesus is for me ...

then, maybe I consider: who am I for him? Perhaps I can ask him directly. I wait for his response ...

Do I trust his choice of me; do I know him well enough to trust his promises?

Finally, I might feel drawn to recognise that Jesus is not someone I have to work out, but is one given by the Father. It is through revelation, God’s gift to me, that my happiness comes. I end with a slow sign of the cross.

Click here to read or listen to a one-minute homily on the Gospel!

"On this Rock" - Caesarea Philippi

"Let your wish be granted"

 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - 16th August 2020

(NB According to the Calendar this Sunday is the celebration of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Principal Patron of our Diocese. The Gospel reading for that is Luke 1:39-56. However, St Joseph's Newsletter for this Sunday refers to the Gospel for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, so I'm using the Prego material for that. You can find the Prego material for the Assumption by clicking here)

Gospel Matthew 15: 21–28

Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said, ‘because she is shouting after us.’

He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said, ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted,

‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

Click here to read or listen to a one-minute homily on the Gospel!

(I couldn't resist using this picture of my friend Archie the Lakeland Terrier. You can see more lovely photos and follow Archie's adventures on Twitter @ArchieLakeland)

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

In preparation for my prayer, I may like to look back over the last week, reflecting on the times when I have been aware of the presence of God in my life, and the moments when I have felt far from God.

Placing these before the Lord, I take a few long, deep breaths. I then allow my breath to find its own soothing rhythm.

I slowly read the passage several times, until it becomes familiar to me.

Imagining the sights and sounds surrounding this unexpected meeting, I now try to picture the dialogue between the woman, Jesus and his disciples.

Perhaps I place myself as a bystander ... or as one of the key figures.

What do I notice about the emotions and actions of each person?

I may spend time wondering what it felt like for the desperate mother. Who seems to demonstrate most compassion by their actions?

I ponder what this scene teaches me about the mystery of God’s message of love. How is this love found and expressed amongst people of very different faith and belief from my own?

Within my imagination, I sit down with Jesus and share my thoughts and feelings with him as I would with a dear friend.

I close my prayer by saying, together with Jesus, Our Father ...

Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid

 

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - 9th August 2020

Gospel Matthew 14: 22–33

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’

It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come,’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God’.

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

As I prepare to pray, I entrust any distractions to the Lord, asking for his help in directing my full attention towards him. I may find it helpful to focus on my breathing as I slow down.

When ready, I read this familiar Gospel, mulling over any image or word that touches me today. Perhaps I identify with Jesus’s desire to seek a peaceful place to pray to the Father.

I may like to place myself in the scene if this is helpful, pondering how this might be speaking to me now.

What fears are there as I battle the wind and waves? How do I feel as I see the  figure walking towards me: reassured ... bewildered ... still more fearful ...? Perhaps this changes as I hear Jesus’s familiar voice saying, ‘It is I!’

How do I respond to Jesus’s invitation to step out of the boat and go to him?

Perhaps I now focus on watching and hearing Jesus and Peter ... and notice how I feel as Jesus gets into the boat.

I speak to Jesus about all of this and share with him any anxieties I have at the moment. I listen to what Jesus may have to say to me.

As I express my thanks for this time spent with the Lord, I end with an Our Father...

Click here to read or listen to a one-minute homily on the first reading

They all ate as much as they wanted

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - 2nd August 2020

Gospel Matthew 14: 13–21

When Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.

When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they answered, ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish.’ ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said. He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves he handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps remaining, twelve baskets full. Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

Mosaic from Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes
near Capernaum

Like Jesus before me, I try to withdraw into a quiet place of solitude to pray, perhaps out in nature or on a prayer walk. I ask the Holy Spirit to help still my inner being; to help me be present to the Lord’s love and power.

When ready, I read the Gospel slowly several times. I probably recognise the story ... but there may be aspects of it which haven’t struck me before.

I spend as much  me as I can with these.

Jesus is grieving for the violent death of his dear cousin. Maybe this brings to mind some sadness and loss in my own life ... or maybe in the life of my sisters and brothers across the world. I share the depths of my emotions and yearnings with my compassionate Lord, who truly understands.

I take time to be in the scene in whatever way I can. Perhaps I sense the disciples’ mood ... their concerns about limited supplies ... how they share their resources with Jesus. I remain with them as the story unfolds.

What do I notice about Jesus and his cooperative relationship with the disciples? How might Jesus be asking me to labour with him?

I share whatever arises with the Lord.

When I am ready, I beg the Lord to nourish my deepest yearnings for myself and for this interconnected world. Glory be ...