Gaudete - Rejoice!

Third Sunday of Advent, ‘Gaudete’ Sunday, Year A - 11th December 2022

Gospel Matthew 11: 2–11

John in his prison had heard what Christ was doing and he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is come, or have we got to wait for someone else?’ Jesus answered, ‘Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor; and happy is the one who does not lose faith in me.’

As the messengers were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the people about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? Someone wearing fine clothes? Oh no, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom scripture says: Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way before you.

I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.’

Today is Gaudete (Rejoice!) Sunday, sometimes called Rose Sunday

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

It may help me to prepare to pray by focusing on some image that speaks to me of Advent: perhaps an Advent wreath, or a candle. Or I may like to find an Advent carol or some other music that brings me a spirit of watching ... of longing ... of waiting ... of light shining in darkness.

I take time to settle my mind and body in whichever way suits me best. I gently notice any distractions that come to mind, and with compassion place them before God and guide my attention back to my prayer focus.

I wait ... in silence ... and in stillness.

When I feel ready, I slowly read the Gospel as many times as I need. I may like to use my imagination to enter into the scene.

Maybe I am a disciple of John who has been sent to meet Jesus?

Or perhaps I see events unfolding as a bystander, and listen to Jesus as he teaches the people.

Where does this meeting take place?

What do I see, and what do I notice about the followers of John and the people who have come to hear Jesus? What are they seeking?

What am I seeking?

How do I feel as I listen to Jesus’s response to the disciples?

The prophets, the psalmist, and the actions and words of Jesus are all teaching and preparing me ... but for what?

I share with Jesus my thoughts and feelings about all that has arisen for me during my time of prayer, as I would to a dear friend ... and I listen to him. When I am ready, I close my prayer with my own words of gratitude.

Click here to read or listen to a One-Minute Homily on today's Gospel from the Jesuit Post

Prepare a way for the Lord

 Second Sunday of Advent, Year A - 4th December 2022

Gospel Matthew 3: 1–11 (abridged)

In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the wilderness of Judaea and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said: 'A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’

This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the River Jordan they confessed their sins. But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But if you repent, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father,” because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire.

I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’

The axe is laid to the roots of the trees

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

As I prepare to celebrate the Lord’s coming, I am grateful to find a few moments to spend with him. Wherever I am, I acknowledge his presence, and tell him about my mood and why I feel the need to be with him today.

After spending some time coming to inner quiet, I read the text several times to become really familiar with it so I can put it aside.

What are you going to show me today, Lord?

I may want to imagine myself by the River Jordan, with John the Baptist’s followers. I look at him, listen to him, and reflect.

John calls me to repentance – that is to a radical change of path. In what ways do I need to change within myself, in my dealings with my family, my colleagues, my community?

Perhaps I find myself among the Pharisees and Sadducees. How do I feel when John addresses us? Maybe I see in myself some of the complacency John objects to. I ponder ... and then tell the Lord what is in my heart.

He knows, he understands. I listen to him.

As I wait for the coming of the One who follows John, I look ahead. What can I tell him of my desire to be of service to others, to help bring about a better world?

When I am ready, I close my prayer with my own words of thanks.

Click here to read or listen to a One-Minute Homily on today's readings from the Jesuit Post.

Stay awake!

 First Sunday of Advent, Year A - 27th November 2022

Gospel: Matthew 24: 37–44

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing until the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two people in the fields, one is taken, one left; of two at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left.

So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, they would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of their house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

'...At an hour you do not expect.’

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

I come to my place of prayer. Perhaps I light a candle; maybe I have an Advent wreath, a sign of the Lord’s coming.

I relax into God’s loving presence, and ask the Lord to be with me as I settle to pray.

I read the text slowly and carefully.

The Lord will come unexpectedly and indiscriminately.

What does this mean to me as I go about my daily routine?

Jesus encourages us to ‘stay awake’ and to ‘stand ready’.

How can I be more alert and attentive to the present moment ...

to people and to events happening around me? ...

to the movement of the Spirit in my heart?

How am I conscious of the Lord, present in my daily life?

I speak to him about some of this.

As Christmas preparations are set in motion, maybe I can ask the Lord to show me how I can retain inner stillness at this time. What do I need to ask him for as I prepare to welcome Christ this Christmas?

I wait silently in his presence.

I end my prayer with a Glory be ...

Click here to read or listen to a One-Minute Homily on today's Gospel from the Jesuit Post

Today you will be with me in paradise

 Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year C - 20th November 2022

Gospel Luke 23: 35–43

The people stayed there before the cross watching Jesus. As for the leaders, they jeered at him. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers mocked him too, and when they approached to offer him vinegar, they said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ Above him there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

One of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,’ he said, ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ‘Indeed, I promise you,’ Jesus replied, ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

I take time to come to stillness in the way that is best for me, conscious of moving into this holy space before the Lord. I ask the Holy Spirit to help me respond today with openness and generosity.

I read these words from St Luke slowly, taking time to savour them, to notice the words or phrases that draw my attention.

Maybe it helps my prayer to place myself close to Jesus, watching as the scene unfolds. Perhaps I hear him talking to me, too. I sit quietly and listen.

I may like to stay with the differing reactions of the people before the cross of Jesus; the hostility, mockery, anger, rebuke or humble request.

I notice how these words touch me. I ponder; how do they relate to my life today? What does humility mean for me?

I share my deepest thoughts and feelings with the Lord as I would with a trusted friend, asking for whatever help or grace I need.

I spend a little time in silence before the mystery of the love of Christ crucified.

In time, I slowly end my prayer, perhaps with the words ‘Glory be to the Father ...’, as I ask the Lord to deepen his life within me.

Click here to read or listen to a One-Minute Homily on today's Gospel from the Jesuit Post.

He is God, not of the dead, but of the living

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C - 6th November 2022

Gospel Luke 20: 27–38 (shorter form)

Some Sadducees – those who say that there is no resurrection – approached Jesus and put this question to him.

Jesus replied, ‘The children of this world take wives and husbands, but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons and daughters of God. And Moses himself implies that the dead rise again, in the passage about the bush where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all people are in fact alive.’

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

I consciously slow down, in preparation for my prayer time with the risen Christ. I become more aware of my life-giving breath, inviting Christ to breathe upon me ... to fill me with the Holy Spirit.

When ready, I read this profound passage slowly. It may help me connect to the meaning if I read Jesus’s words aloud.

I may ask again for the grace and inspiration of the Spirit, as I ponder Jesus’s teaching on the resurrection.

What does resurrec on mean for me ... whether Christ’s resurrection ... or my own resurrection? How does it feel to be a child of the resurrection?

What speaks now to my heart?

As I continue to meditate on the Gospel, I may be drawn to Jesus’ s wisdom and insight about God our Father: the God of the living ... the giver of life. I allow these words to sink into my whole being.

With the gentle and compassionate support of Jesus, I reflect on my own life. What is life-giving for me at the moment?

What drains me of life and hope, and of the sense of being a child of the Living God?

I share with the Lord whatever is in my heart, as with a dear and trusted friend.

I ask for the grace to yield to the Lord, to surrender my whole being to his presence and ac on in my life.

I close my prayer with a slow sign of the cross.

Click here to read or listen to a One-Minute Homily on today's Gospel from the Jesuit Post

Today salvation has come to this house

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C - 30th October 2022 

Gospel Luke 19: 1–10

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town, when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance; he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost’.

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

I let my mind and body settle gently, and without hurry. I become aware of God’s loving gaze on me, and ask the Holy Spirit to be beside me in my prayer, helping me to open my heart to whatever God wants me to hear today.

I may like to enter into this familiar story in my imagination. Perhaps I put myself in Zacchaeus’s shoes, desperately trying to get a better look at Jesus. Frustrated by the depth of the crowd, I scramble up into the branches of a tree to get a better view. I’ve been so longing to know more about this man, Jesus. How does it feel to hear him call me, as he notices me clinging to the branch? What joy fills my heart as Jesus says he must stay at my house?

Leaving Zacchaeus clambering down from the tree, I reflect on how it feels to know that Jesus sees me too, and desires to be with me in my house today and every day, regardless of how unworthy I might think I am.

Zacchaeus’s stature and the depth of the crowd prevent him from seeing Jesus. I reflect on this. What stands in the way of my relationship with Jesus? What can I do to get past that? Taking as long as I need, I talk to Jesus about this as one friend to another.

I draw my prayer to a close, thanking the Lord for his presence in whatever words feel right.

Click here to read or listen to a One-Minute Homily on today's Gospel from the Jesuit Post

God be merciful to me, a sinner

 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C - 23rd October 2022

Gospel Luke 18: 9–14

Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else. ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

As I prepare to pray, I place myself in God’s loving care by relaxing my body and mind. I gently breathe in his love and goodness.

When I’m ready, I read the text slowly, a couple of times.

Aware that I, too, can at times embody the attitudes of both men in the parable, I may choose to consider the characters separately.

As I look at the Pharisee, I can ask myself on whether I focus on God, or on myself when I pray. In what way do I do this?

I ponder, too, on how I view others, and how they are part of my prayer.

Without judgement, I ask the Lord to help me look honestly at my attitude. I may wish to remain silent so that he can open my eyes.

I then consider the tax collector. Although a sinner, he confidently comes into God’s presence. Maybe I can spend time offering God my brokenness and relying on his mercy.

I speak to the Lord, allowing him to see my whole truth.

I may wish to give thanks for the witness of many humble people who may or may not be recognised in this world.

I remember those burdened by guilt, and place them in the hands of Jesus, friend of sinners. Perhaps I also wish to pray that I may not add to division between people.

I humbly end my prayer: ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’