tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19945208739835793782024-02-07T02:15:56.524+00:00My Way God's WayPeter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.comBlogger353125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-72505819291755021442018-12-01T10:30:00.001+00:002018-12-01T10:30:09.633+00:001st SUNDAY of ADVENT, YEAR C
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Come, Lord Jesus,
come.’</i> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Vn6qCRNSLaU58LwOKQQFKXTZT3xOH-j1S1a5wBJCIKCsg_AZU5noYhAzBN2xIeLAyshlpVeBi2cQZHYpzGsIay0Q3SkY_2GY0EC1NRhWuMx14iCSX6Gu28tgl6fDXVuaRhRNDlT2hdE/s1600/come-lord-jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Vn6qCRNSLaU58LwOKQQFKXTZT3xOH-j1S1a5wBJCIKCsg_AZU5noYhAzBN2xIeLAyshlpVeBi2cQZHYpzGsIay0Q3SkY_2GY0EC1NRhWuMx14iCSX6Gu28tgl6fDXVuaRhRNDlT2hdE/s320/come-lord-jesus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter">
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0">
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1">
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1">
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0">
</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f>
<v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f">
<o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit">
</o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 186.6pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 278.4pt;" type="#_x0000_t75">
<v:imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:/Users/Isidore/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg">
</v:imagedata></v:shape></span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">‘Come, Lord Jesus,
come.’</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"> </span> </span></span></i></b><span style="margin: 0px;">That popular hymn title, taken
from the concluding words of the whole Bible, (Rev.22. 20), proclaims the
meaning of this holy season of Advent.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It
is meant to remind us of our constant and desperate need for God to come to our
aid.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The holy season of
Advent is meant to shake us out of taking pride in our self-sufficiency. We can
so easily push God into the background.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We
do not allow Him to ‘intrude’ into our daily lives, into the way we think and
act.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When the psalmist condemns the fool
for saying <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘there is no God’</i></b> he is not accusing him of denying the very
existence of God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No, the fool’s folly
is to think he can manage his life very well without God being involved.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But if God were ever to cease sustaining
our very existence we would collapse in nothingness.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>God is with us, in all that we are and do
-except for our sinning.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">But during Advent
we focus on several special ways in which God comes into our lives and with His
help we try to make Him welcome.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Firstly, Advent
helps us recall with gratitude that God chose a people and made a covenant of
love with them.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He gave them laws which
would protect their relationship with Him and with each other.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Like a good shepherd, He was always with
them, guiding and protecting them.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>His
spokesmen were the prophets.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Not only
did they keep God’s people on the right path, but they prophesied that God
would come into their midst as the saviour-messiah of the whole world, not just
a small chosen people.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That Messiah, of
course, was Jesus Christ, whose birthday we will celebrate at Christmas.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>During Advent we will be preparing ourselves
to make Him especially welcome on that day.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>We will try to appreciate the wonder of the Son of God Himself sharing
our human life, simply because He loves us people so much that He was prepared
to do all in His power to make it possible for us to share His divine life and
happiness.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Next, during
Advent we remember the different ways the Holy Spirit enables us to meet Jesus
in our daily lives -through prayer, the sacraments and each other.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As we become more aware of Christ identifying
with the needy we should be moved to come to their aid in what are known as the
‘Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.’<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>In so many different ways Jesus knocks at the door of our lives, hoping
we will open up to Him and let Him in.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">They prepare us
for the most decisive moment when Jesus comes to us in our lives -the moment of
our deaths.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we have welcomed Him
during our earthly lives, He will come to welcome us into His eternal life and
happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We won’t be strangers.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Death is a taboo
subject.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We don’t want to talk or think
about it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Especially when we are fit,
active and so full of life death doesn’t enter our way of thinking.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But like it or not none of us can avoid it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Nor do I want to! <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>At 86 years old and with serious heart and lung
problems, I could die at any moment. That doesn’t frighten me.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Why? Our faith
gives us hope in a far better life beyond the grave.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Then we hope to share the very life and
happiness of God Himself.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We should look
forward to that; we should long for that.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="margin: 0px;">Not that any of us
is fit to enter the presence of the All-Holy God. In Himself He so transcends
us, His creatures, that He is unapproachable.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>And we are all sinners, unfit to enter His presence.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But, thank God, we do not trust in what we deserve
but in His infinite love and mercy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>My
faith is sustained by two key texts.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Firstly, <span style="color: red;">"<b><i>For God so loved the world tat He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believed in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not </i></b></span></span><b><i><span style="color: red;">send His Son into the
world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.…”</span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></i></b>(Jn. 3. 16-17).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Next, I make St. Paul’s confession of faith
my own, <span style="color: red;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me,” </span></i></b></span><span style="color: #001320; margin: 0px;">(Gal. 2. 20).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>His sacrificial love and mercy for each of
us is the only hope I need. That gives me the confidence to pray each day and
night, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">“Come, Lord Jesus,</span> <span style="color: red;">come.”</span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></i></b>Now
I’m impatient for Jesus to welcome me into His Kingdom at the hour of my death.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Finally, Jesus
will come in glory at the end of time. Then He will establish His sovereignty
over heaven and earth. Every form of evil will be wiped away.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That will be the climax, the completion, of
God’s plan of salvation. We should all long for that ‘Day of the Lord,’ as we join
the first Christians in praying, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">“Come, Lord Jesus, come!”</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"> </span> </span></i></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></i></b>Isidore O.P.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-29944389622975366772018-09-16T15:43:00.000+01:002018-09-16T15:43:27.084+01:0024th SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">A QUESTION OF IDENTITY</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEosEDCxtMHsisZlc8VFVOB-ESOmSKAv9LDXq0gIyI9EON30GhACmw1gf9tEtB9XhVzchx_02tkQdolFNvVdvPiQZmPXxDjb6O46yoE9GLwsQPivWvH4k2yx4pEtIWM-mhbe7Te7Tc80/s1600/GET+BEHIND+ME+SATAN+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="220" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEosEDCxtMHsisZlc8VFVOB-ESOmSKAv9LDXq0gIyI9EON30GhACmw1gf9tEtB9XhVzchx_02tkQdolFNvVdvPiQZmPXxDjb6O46yoE9GLwsQPivWvH4k2yx4pEtIWM-mhbe7Te7Tc80/s320/GET+BEHIND+ME+SATAN+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In last Sunday’s Gospel Jesus instructed the deaf mute, whom He’d just
cured, not to tell anyone about this miracle.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Although
this was a sign of the dawning of the Messianic again Jesus realised that this
news would lead to the nature of His mission being completely misunderstood.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Already people had begun to speculate about His
identity as they heard Him preach with authority and saw Him cure the sick.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Some thought He was a threat to the
established religion, others considered Him to be an upstart, while others were
filled with wonder.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">So, with all this speculation, it’s not surprising that Jesus should ask His
disciples what people made of Him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Some, they said,
thought He was John the Baptist or Elijah or one of the prophets, returned from
the dead.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But then Jesus asked the
disciples who they thought He was.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This
question sought much more than a name or label, which even His enemies could
have given.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus wanted to know what He
meant to them. What does He mean to you and me?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Peter replied that Jesus was the Christ –the Messiah.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That was a wonderful insight, which according
to Matthew’s Gospel, must have been divinely revealed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">S<span style="margin: 0px;">urprisingly, Jesus instructed Peter to keep
this insight to himself.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span>Why?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Well, Jesus was about to explain to His
disciples what being the Christ really meant. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He was to fulfil the role of Isaiah’s Servant
of the Lord who would achieve God’s salvation through His suffering.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>More precisely, Jesus told them that He would
be rejected and executed, but would then rise from the dead.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That was not the kind of Messiah Peter
wanted. So, out of misguided love for Jesus he tried to protect Him from the
fate He had prophesied for Himself.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Peter
had used the right title of ‘Christ’ with which Mark introduced his Gospel, but
Peter completely misunderstood its true meaning, which would only become clear
in the light of the resurrection.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In
trying to protect Jesus from Himself He had become a real temptation,
threatening His mission.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus’
intimate friend, who had just rightly identified Him as the ‘Christ’ now became
His most insidious enemy from within.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s
why Jesus rebuke Peter with the harshest words in the Gospel: </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">'Get
behind me Satan! (or 'tempter'). Because the way you think is not God’s but man’s.’</span></i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jesus then told the people and the disciples that if they wanted to be His
followers they must renounce themselves, take up their crosses and follow Him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, today’s
Gospel starts by removing misunderstandings about Christ’s identity and
mission, and concludes by defining our identity in relation to Jesus.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He asks each one of us, <span style="color: red;"><b><i>"Who do you think I
am; what do I mean to you?”</i></b></span> For each of us there’s the temptation to cast Him,
and our relationship with Him, in a mould of our own designing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It would be so much more comfortable for us
to have a cosy undemanding relationship with Jesus, one which didn’t challenge
our sense of values and the way we live.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>But, like Peter, we must learn to accept and welcome Jesus on <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>His own terms.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Like Peter, we must allow Jesus to lead us to the glory of the
resurrection, by way of the cross.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For
Jesus, Peter and for us there’s no gain without pain. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Isidore O.P.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-8931663741124737782018-09-04T12:29:00.002+01:002018-09-04T13:39:10.354+01:0023rd SUNDAY <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><b><span style="color: red;"><u>Jesus Cures D</u></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"><u>eaf and Dumb Man</u></span> </span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><b></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4MBhbTx1QepZFXmYxuFfqR1poA6Yu9zN2FUoYzs013sihnURlw-P5BWctJqTgaEt4YjVqXAdoDxCcHqUdhY_NqYqBWWyUKSvoG2HbfYTKUOsY54AWPI5sB2WgHp7kOWXBZymjF5Xcl0/s1600/JURES+DAF+AND+DUMB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="229" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4MBhbTx1QepZFXmYxuFfqR1poA6Yu9zN2FUoYzs013sihnURlw-P5BWctJqTgaEt4YjVqXAdoDxCcHqUdhY_NqYqBWWyUKSvoG2HbfYTKUOsY54AWPI5sB2WgHp7kOWXBZymjF5Xcl0/s320/JURES+DAF+AND+DUMB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">My niece, Clare, was born profoundly deaf.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Her inability to hear meant that she
couldn’t pick up the sound of people speaking to her.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She couldn’t imitate their speech and, so,
learn to talk.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Her deafness resulted in
her being dumb. Until the problem was diagnoses she was thought to be mentally
retarded –mentally dumb.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And her
deafness meant that she couldn’t enjoy the pleasures which we take for granted
–music, the sound of birds.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Nor could
she hear danger signals –smoke alarms, the sound of traffic, warning
shouts.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That made her especially
vulnerable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Anyone who is going deaf
finds it difficult to follow and join in conversations.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Deafness can easily result in feeling
isolated.</span></span></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">All this was true of the deaf man in today’s Gospel,
who had a serious speech impediment.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Though
he was unable to hear Jesus and ask for help, he was fortunate in having
friends who brought him to the Lord and sought His help.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus responded with great compassion.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Taking the man aside where he wouldn’t be
embarrassed, He used the physical gestures of touching his ears and
tongue.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>These the man could appreciate.</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the command, ‘Be open’ the deaf and dumb man was
able to hear and speak fluently.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now
that he could listen and talk the whole quality of his life improved.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This damaged, isolated, man had been made
whole.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He could enjoy a conversation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No wonder people exclaimed of Jesus, ‘He
does all things well.’<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If that echoes
God’s comment on his work of creation we can see here Jesus beginning to repair
that creation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">But Christ’s work of re-creation goes much further
than making us physically whole.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
healing miracles point to how Jesus restores us spiritually.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And so, today’s Gospel cures tell us that
Jesus heals our deafness to God’s word.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He
opens our minds and hearts so that we can hear God’s word, listen to it and
follow it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we are prepared to heed
God we will find that he enriches our lives.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Jesus has come to give us the fullness of life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">And hearing the word of God enables us to communicate
it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Firstly, with God himself in the
dialogue of prayer.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And then with each
other as we share our faith.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We will
find that explaining our faith and listening to others will deepen our
understanding and commitment.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our lives will be enriched by this dialogue of
faith.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jesus has come to heal our damaged lives –to make us physically and
spiritually whole.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>By healing the deaf
and dumb He fulfils the prophecy of Isaiah and proclaims that the messianic age
has dawned.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That work of healing will
only be completed when we are raised to the glory of the resurrection.</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Isidore O.P.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-size: large;"></span>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-43106195180774892018-08-29T20:47:00.000+01:002018-08-29T20:51:08.675+01:0022nd SUNDAY <div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">INNER AND OUTER CLEANLINESS</span></u></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVozHVXaSCCoW6C6S5yBztExRwv9WKTTCKU3ezYlSEHkYlJFAVvznNYNTVFUfPdA79lncvDVmB9527gFd1uBtIo6oMJ54Sm8DQhwPfm7z-avYoJXlcaQS8aZOJoEk52KzGNjwWQBUtC2I/s1600/WASHING+HANDS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVozHVXaSCCoW6C6S5yBztExRwv9WKTTCKU3ezYlSEHkYlJFAVvznNYNTVFUfPdA79lncvDVmB9527gFd1uBtIo6oMJ54Sm8DQhwPfm7z-avYoJXlcaQS8aZOJoEk52KzGNjwWQBUtC2I/s1600/WASHING+HANDS.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">‘Cleanliness is
next to godliness,’ as the saying goes.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>And as a matter of hygiene we were all taught to wash our hands before
meals.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But the problem Jesus faced was
that certain Pharisees equated ritual cleanliness with godliness.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Unless a person performed the detailed
washings required by tradition he was considered ritually impure, and
consequently displeasing to God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">For them, it was
impossible for a Jew to have a good relationship while eating with ritually
unwashed hands.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For Jesus, it was
ridiculous to make eternal salvation depend on the ritualised cleansing of our
hands and the pots and pans in which people cooked their food.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Such man-made traditions trivialised true
religion and became so numerous that only religious experts could know and
observe them.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As for ignorant non-observers,
they were written off as unclean sinners, unfit for God’s presence.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So, it’s not surprising that certain Pharisees,
who were seeking to catch Jesus out, protested when He failed to insist that
His disciples washed their fingers before eating.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After all, Jesus was considered to be a man
of God, even a prophet.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As such, He
should have taught His disciples to observe the traditions relating to ritual
washing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Let’s see what
tradition demanded in washing before meals.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The water used had to be poured from special purification jars,
otherwise it would be unclean.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
amount used must be sufficient to fill 1½ eggs, and this must first be poured
over the finger tips and run up to the wrists. The palm was cleansed by rubbing
the other fist into it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Finally, water
must be poured over the wrists and run down to the finger tips.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>To omit the slightest detail in this
elaborate procedure would render someone unclean in the sight of God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No wonder Jesus was exasperated at such
scrupulosity!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXsbhmZ8d_Y1NmE6o5FMaUEKjovtNg0WGAHtIG6n1lAQxvVJsf0OudTFbaLoEDQDnkd7_3PvMFd0KnSMJW-_3L_DWXxASOdDWbaaaO0LKkXkpI-pQ2i4knAjcidrB_DCCDVJ8mZPvneY/s1600/HOW+TO+WASH+HANDS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXsbhmZ8d_Y1NmE6o5FMaUEKjovtNg0WGAHtIG6n1lAQxvVJsf0OudTFbaLoEDQDnkd7_3PvMFd0KnSMJW-_3L_DWXxASOdDWbaaaO0LKkXkpI-pQ2i4knAjcidrB_DCCDVJ8mZPvneY/s400/HOW+TO+WASH+HANDS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Pharisees
had got their priorities all wrong.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Instead
of being obsessed by external ritual cleanliness they should concentrate on
inner cleanliness of heart.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That was
what was pleasing to God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>By this Jesus
meant much more than not having a dirty mind.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>We must be single minded in our commitment to God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We can’t serve two masters.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We must not only do what is right, but must
want only what is good and wholesome.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Our minds and
hearts must be set on God, and that must be expressed in the way we behave.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>All this is summed up in the Beatitude, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Blessed are the pure in heart; they shall
see God.’</i> <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This has nothing to do
with ritual cleanliness.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Certainly, we don’t share the Pharisees’
obsession with ritual cleanliness.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But
we can become pre-occupied with the externals of religion, which in themselves
may be good. Some of us may be obsessed with rubrical precision in the
celebration of the liturgy. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But that
doesn’t necessarily lead to devout worship. And it’s certainly not sufficient
for us to be practising Catholics, who go through the motions of religion.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In spite of this, we may be filled with anger,
bitterness and resentment. We may be unforgiving and lack compassion.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We may be more materialistic and self-centred
than many people who profess no religion.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">If so, these
faults contradict the life we profess.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>People
who respect us as practising Catholics would be shocked if they knew what we
were really like –how we behave outside church, what we were thinking, and some
of our desires.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This certainly doesn’t
mean we should abandon our religious practices, but with God’s help, we must
try to ensure that our lives are consistent with the faith we profess. Jesus is
here urging purity of thought and desire, which will give rise to innocent
Godly behaviour. Then, indeed, we will be pure in heart and will see God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Fr. Mark Brocklehurst O.P. likened this inner
purification to cleaning a window and so being able to see the beauty outside
ourselves –God himself. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Isidore O.P.</span></div>
</div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-9976678290641466742018-08-20T12:27:00.002+01:002018-08-20T12:30:49.030+01:0021st SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> '</span>A Hard Saying'</span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpntsDM9V9vszm2PNk5n7hCyyrzPHFrvktUQ8ir5IY9iX8YsPS1qlSjRZbk_vLMN6MHuzIVtmzEECpNYswIITFhHJgNpdodlQQDD17QNcBonyIdjpqDexgN9GCHEJUIaYxMip9A2OQO4/s1600/MANY+LEFT+JESUS+-PICTURE%252CTEXT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="366" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpntsDM9V9vszm2PNk5n7hCyyrzPHFrvktUQ8ir5IY9iX8YsPS1qlSjRZbk_vLMN6MHuzIVtmzEECpNYswIITFhHJgNpdodlQQDD17QNcBonyIdjpqDexgN9GCHEJUIaYxMip9A2OQO4/s400/MANY+LEFT+JESUS+-PICTURE%252CTEXT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Let’s face it –faith can be
difficult!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We are asked to believe what
the eye can’t, what is way beyond our wildest imagination.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In our scientific age most people want the
solid proof of sound reason before they are prepared to accept something as
being true.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>To most people our Christian
faith seems at best to be a beautiful and comforting fantasy, at worst a cruel
deception, giving hope where there is no hope.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">But it’s unreasonable to
accept only what we can prove or have personally experienced.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In our daily lives we rely on others to tell
us what they have been able to prove or what they have experienced.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We depend on their superior knowledge to
extend our own limited knowledge and to deepen our understanding.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">If we only accepted what we
personally could prove our horizons would be very limited.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Faith does not depend on
proof, but on our trusting someone we are convinced is reliable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We believe he or she knows what he is
talking about and won’t deceive us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Because
we trust that person we accept what he tells us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The certainly of our belief depends on the
reliability of the person who informs us.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Today we’ve become very sceptical about those who practise the devious
arts of the spin-doctor and, more recently, ‘fake news’.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Today’s Gospel gives us a
good example of what faith is all about.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Many people, who found Christ’s teaching impossible to accept, left him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When Jesus asked the disciples whether
they, too, would leave him, Peter replied,<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘<span style="color: red;"><b>Lord, to whom shall we go?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You have the message of eternal life, and we
believe.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We know that you are the
Christ, the Son of God’</b></span></i> <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Though
Peter didn’t really understand Jesus he trusted him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That trust enabled him to accept what he
taught:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That he had come from above and
therefore spoke with divine authority.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Jesus knew what he was talking about and was utterly trustworthy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Peter further realised that if he abandoned
Jesus he would be lost, he would have nowhere to go.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The same is true for us.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 37.79px; text-align: justify; text-indent: -36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We, too, believe Jesus
has the message of eternal life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He has
revealed the depth of God’s love for us, opening up new possibilities, way
beyond our wildest dreams.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We have been
called to share God’s own life and happiness, which reaches beyond the grave.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>To the rationalist sceptic this seems utter
folly, a pipe dream.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 37.79px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">But the extravagant folly of
God’s love for us confounds the so-called wisdom of the hard headed
rationalists of this world.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 37.79px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Having said this, don’t be
surprised if you have doubts and questions.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>What we are called to believe does go beyond the limits of reason,
without contracting it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we are
troubled by doubts, rather than give up, let us renew our trust in Jesus, who
has shown us the way to eternal life and happiness.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>With Peter, let us be convinced that without
Jesus we would be lost.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We would have
nowhere to go.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">Isidore O.P.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-76184977945881225222018-07-17T17:34:00.002+01:002018-07-17T18:26:47.320+01:0016th SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">RECREATE - RE-CREATE</span></div>
<u></u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><u></u><u></u><span style="color: purple;"></span><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlenRJmqfjFYIIe27bhN_Pzi_qi92wgSml10du7xBLXDeGhrb3l5M1BoTPIpsWsdrNd0LorxO1VUnnTNafBbAKki149RLpzGjauiNrG9_3V1AukfsjOW1dLpAga1ZS1lZVADBqFsjtzJQ/s1600/JESUSS+RESTS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlenRJmqfjFYIIe27bhN_Pzi_qi92wgSml10du7xBLXDeGhrb3l5M1BoTPIpsWsdrNd0LorxO1VUnnTNafBbAKki149RLpzGjauiNrG9_3V1AukfsjOW1dLpAga1ZS1lZVADBqFsjtzJQ/s400/JESUSS+RESTS.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Today’s is Gospel
especially appropriate for the holiday season.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>As Jesus urges His disciples to come to a lonely place and relax when
they returned from a preaching mission,<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This incident reminds us that rest is a part of the rhythm of life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We can’t be working all the time.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We need to recharge our batteries so that we
have the mental and physical energy for our more serious activities. Recreation
should be re-creation, which renews us.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>So, taking a break is not a waste time.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We’re frequently told of Jesus
seeking the peace, quiet and solitude of night to pray.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He, too, needed to recharge His batteries.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And there’s
another side to our need to relax.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We
need the opportunity to be with our loved ones, to listen and talk and simply
to enjoy each other’s company.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What we
call making ‘quality time’ for each other.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>If we’re so busy doing things for each other that we have no time to be
with each other there’s the danger love will grow cold and we will drift apart.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The same is true for our love for God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We need to strike the balance between doing His
work and relaxing in His company.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Here’s a
challenge for you -can you, as a family, relax or have a meal together without
one of you having an unnecessary chat on your mobile with someone outside the
room, or your simply idly surfing your mobile?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>How about a prize for anyone who succeeds, a forfeit for failure?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’m shocked by the appalling bad manners of
those who show no interest in the people with whom they were physically
present, but give their undivided attention to their mobiles.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Obviously, sometimes that is necessary;
intrusions into the peace we would seek can’t always be avoided.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Like Jesus in
today’s Gospel, we find that life doesn’t always work as we’d planned.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When He sought the restful solitude His
disciples required the crowd tracked Him down and demanded His attention. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The same kind of thing happened when my
brother, Dave, came to watch a cricket match with Pete and me.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Being a doctor, Dave had to leave the
cricket and respond to a medical emergency.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The crowd
recognised its need for Jesus, and so did He.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>He realised they were like sheep without a shepherd.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They were vulnerable to attack and didn’t
know where to find the nourishment of green pastures.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They needed the guidance and protection of
the Good Shepherd.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And so do we.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Without Jesus we are lost, our lives lack
direction and purpose.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We need His
protection as we face the onslaught of temptation. We need Him to nourish us
with His own Body and Blood and with His teaching.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The greatest mistake any of us can make is to
think we can cope with life without Jesus.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>In John’s Gospel we are told that the crowd deserted Jesus when they
found His teaching too hard to take.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When
Jesus asked Peter whether he, too, would go, he replied,<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘To whom shall we go. You, Lord, have the
word of eternal life.’ </i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></i>Peter realised he would be lost without
Jesus.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And so would we.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">That includes both the times of work and
of rest.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Never are we without the need
of His<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>love and protection.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>May the season of relaxation renew us in body
mind and soul.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That includes
strengthening our love for our family and friends, and for God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Have a good holiday!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Isidore O.P.</span><br />
<div align="justify">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-35054241005424528072018-06-26T16:44:00.000+01:002018-06-26T16:46:54.971+01:0013th SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Christ’s Response to Two Desperate People</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUgxeVVwA9OLoQ6JRQEI2Lnil5WyfKc20rhz21KpAtxImrdgiHqpl3K2j7CSJM2vWKZs3E7rOV33p5hDLsBQKZ4Bl_Ziismuffh1O4gvRXESzANfYlxwMJ89oUyOIZ1K6IHnVCn-1Hsc/s1600/JARUS+PRAYS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUgxeVVwA9OLoQ6JRQEI2Lnil5WyfKc20rhz21KpAtxImrdgiHqpl3K2j7CSJM2vWKZs3E7rOV33p5hDLsBQKZ4Bl_Ziismuffh1O4gvRXESzANfYlxwMJ89oUyOIZ1K6IHnVCn-1Hsc/s320/JARUS+PRAYS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">In today’s
Gospel 2 incidents are inter-twined.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>These
involve an official and a woman, both in need of Christ’s help.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>While on the way to assist one, He’s
interrupted by the other.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s very
typical of life!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We start to carry out
our plans and get diverted by someone making unexpected demands on us –the
phone rings, your child has a fall and hurts himself.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We can either resent and ignore the
interruption, or we can follow Christ’s example and use it as an opportunity
for doing further good.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He made time to
speak to the sick woman, rather than dismiss her, because he was too busy to
attend to her needs.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Today’s Gospel is about 2 people in
desperate need.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Both appeal to Jesus
for help.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Their faith in him is
remarkable, especially the official’s.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Even though his young daughter was on the point of death he believed
Jesus could save her.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He showed amazing
trust in Christ’s power over life and death!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tHHBhRScLYqAvujwRRd2NTBjXADU0pKUitpGVLVHwIiZFGdH21Pp8hNEDSdBBbjXsKF46DfXSWQpsop3czsU_bvppqC19-OoDB5RTx1xr5buTZDO_Fjuuny_CYuQ2EbL6nNO8Bsw9Ik/s1600/WOMAN+ISSUE+OF+BLOOD+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="320" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tHHBhRScLYqAvujwRRd2NTBjXADU0pKUitpGVLVHwIiZFGdH21Pp8hNEDSdBBbjXsKF46DfXSWQpsop3czsU_bvppqC19-OoDB5RTx1xr5buTZDO_Fjuuny_CYuQ2EbL6nNO8Bsw9Ik/s200/WOMAN+ISSUE+OF+BLOOD+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Next there’s the woman who had been suffered
from bleeding for 12 years.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Her ailment
would have rendered her ritually unclean and excluded her from the
community.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But so great was her faith in
Jesus she believed that she would be cured simply by touching His garments,
without her even having to ask Him to cure her.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Even though she was cured by touching His
garments Jesus had time to stop and speak to her, and address her as
‘daughter.’<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He always has time for
each one of us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He recognised the
greatness of her faith in Him, which had led to His healing her.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">We now come to
the climax of this drama.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When Jesus
reached the home of Jairus’ dying girl he was told that He was too late.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She had already died; the official mourners
were already playing their instruments.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Dismissing them, He said that the girl slept and was not dead.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Naturally, that caused great derision because
the girl was certainly dead, and Jesus seemed to be very insensitive to their
grief.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But since Jesus intended to
restore her life, after she’d been dead for only a short while, her condition
was more like sleep than death.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In
John’s Gospel Jesus uses the same language of Lazarus, who was already dead and
buried.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But, knowing that He would soon
restore both the girl and Lazarus to life, their deaths seemed more like
sleep.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Taking the girl’s hand, He
commanded her to get up, saying, “Little girl arise.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In that simple gesture Jesus, the source of
life, grasped death and was triumphant. That foreshadowed His own victory over
death, through His crucifixion and resurrection.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As she walked about Jesus told her parents to
give her something to eat.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That was the
gesture Jesus would use to show He had truly risen from the dead. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Today’s Gospel shows us, firstly, that
by curing the sick woman Jesus had come to heal us damaged people and give us
the fullness of life, which would finally be achieved when we are raised to
glory in the resurrection of the body.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This particular miraculous cure shows that He has come to break down the
barriers which isolate people and enable them to join the community.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">But in today’s Gospel Jesus proved that
not only did He have power to cure the sick, but could even raise the girl to
life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He is master of life and death and
will raise us bodily from the grave to share in the glory of His resurrection.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">But we must share in the wonderful faith
of the two people in today’s Gospel.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Against human logic they believed in Jesus and turned to Him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>One of them, Jairus, gives us a great example
of the power of prayer for ourselves and for others, while the sick woman shows
the importance of reaching out to Jesus, even when we can’t put our thoughts
and longing into words.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus will
reward such faith with the fullness of life. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKRr6z3U_iyIxS-EqkqT60EbCrq-e8t9yLq9D7Fs3EZWtdgT3wIPPDIQ8MapO2w5poVlB_XbwxtNlrTA7UzcRVAiOMbRRkVPNfi2PAHl_7cJZj4iPaGee7CoE5qFxi149711kEYLm6ts/s1600/JARUS+PRAYS+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="271" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKRr6z3U_iyIxS-EqkqT60EbCrq-e8t9yLq9D7Fs3EZWtdgT3wIPPDIQ8MapO2w5poVlB_XbwxtNlrTA7UzcRVAiOMbRRkVPNfi2PAHl_7cJZj4iPaGee7CoE5qFxi149711kEYLm6ts/s400/JARUS+PRAYS+a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Isidore O.P.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-34451719986374463122018-06-20T11:27:00.001+01:002018-06-20T11:30:20.842+01:003rd LUMINOUS MYSTERY<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>PROCLAMATION
OF THE KINGDOM </b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>AND REPENTANCE</b></span></span></div>
<span style="color: red;"></span><b></b><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6_Nj9zMswrnXAbgeMMwC9c919Sb4PsaSMFjQM0ODkAt4XZ8VkhRiOtLUO7YpdE3dq-qxDHlG17ww1-suuSjkdvw41hLzN1uA2gZacCoDlyIqFulKZq5cdbV6TL1Sv1rAqha77C_sFN4/s1600/JESUS+COMMISSONS+DISCIPLES.jpgA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6_Nj9zMswrnXAbgeMMwC9c919Sb4PsaSMFjQM0ODkAt4XZ8VkhRiOtLUO7YpdE3dq-qxDHlG17ww1-suuSjkdvw41hLzN1uA2gZacCoDlyIqFulKZq5cdbV6TL1Sv1rAqha77C_sFN4/s400/JESUS+COMMISSONS+DISCIPLES.jpgA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The third Luminous Mystery of the
Holy Rosary is the only one which doesn’t invite us to reflect on a particular event.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Instead, this Mystery embraces the whole of
Jesus’ mission to Proclaim the Kingdom of God and Repentance.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That is the mission the risen Lord gave to
the Church, just before He ascended to heaven.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>That is the mission each of us Christians received at our baptisms.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">I <span style="font-size: xx-small;">must confess that this Mystery has
a special appeal to me as a member of the Order of Preachers.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We Dominicans have been called to follow
Jesus, the wandering preacher.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mobility is an essential aspect of our life
style. That means we can be moved from one house or country or another,
according to where we are needed to preach the Gospel.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">It strikes me that there’s a danger
of the second part of this mystery, ‘Repent,’ being either over looked or under-played.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If so, the whole point of Christ’s preaching
mission would be lost.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He proclaimed the
Kingdom precisely so that it would touch our hearts and transform our
lives.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This change in direction is what
we mean by ‘Repentance’ or ‘Conversion.’<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>It’s not a-once-in-a-lifetime response to the Good News, but involves our
constant renewal and rebirth.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s as
necessary for the preacher as for those who hear him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Without our response of repentance Christ’s
preaching would not have changed anyone’s life </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’m now 86 and confined to my room,
when not to my bed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For me the question
is, ‘How can I continue to live this third Luminous Mystery of Proclaiming the
Kingdom and Repentance?’<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Certainly, I
can and must meditate on Christ’s Gospel teaching and allow it to transform my
life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So, must every <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Christian.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>But my Dominican motto challenges me to go further –‘To hand on to
others the fruits of contemplation.’<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Thanks to modern technology I can still post sermons and meditations on
Facebook.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I used to be able to record
sermons in my room and email them to the W. Indies, where they were
broadcast.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But thanks to the ravages of
time I sound more and more like a corncrake or croaking bull frog and would not
meet the required standards.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>‘Better to
jump before I was pushed,’ thought I.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Now that I can no longer be actively
involved in public preaching I need to concentrate on a different way in which I
could play an essential part in that apostolate, which fulfilled my vocation,<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>as a
member of the Order of Preachers. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I must
concentrate on getting <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>the ‘Divine Communicator,’
the Holy Spirit, involved both in the giving and receiving of the Good
News.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After all, that is the example the New
Testament gives us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>According to Luke’s
Gospel that’s what Jesus did when He quoted the prophet Isaiah in His Mission
Manifesto, </span><span style="color: red; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><i><b>"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,</b></i></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="background: rgb(255 , 244 , 236); line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><b> </b></span><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><b>t<i>o proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour</i>,”</b><span style="margin: 0px;"><b> </b> </span></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">(Lk4. 18-19).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Again, before Pentecost, the infant Church prayed for the gift of the
Holy Spirit, who would enable it to proclaim the Good News with courage, zeal
and eloquence.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That is still the Church’s
mission, and always will be -until Jesus finally returns in glory to<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>claim His Kingdom.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Church
will always need our prayerful support, asking the Spirit of Truth to assist both
those who proclaim the Kingdom, and <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>those hear its call to repentance.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">That is still the Church’s mission, and always
will be -until Jesus finally returns in glory to claim His Kingdom.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Church
will always need our prayerful support, asking the Spirit of Truth to assist
both those who proclaim the Kingdom, and<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>those hear its call to repentance.</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I
was working in the W. Indies I was very aware of my need of our Dominican
enclosed nuns back in England to pray for me as I tried to share the Good News;
my parishioners needed their prayers to help them to be open to the Holy Spirit and
allow him to transform their lives. But before we presume to tell anyone else how to live the Gospel each of us must begin with ourselves, by
first hearing the word of God and doing it.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<span style="margin: 0px;"></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">No matter what our age, strength or weakness or walk of life, each of us
has a vital role in living the Third Luminous Mystery –‘THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM AND REPENTANCE.’ </span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Isidore
O.P.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7q8tAV8GKPoI8nP3UhdlKAVd2qM9c-3kf6j_-n9seySkRq28F-6ZBrbuE7LFi_oqSGtkhJrw6v-mLSyO-COl2a91iE69ZqXM6Ilu3XvJu7DXif_CbUMm_vBAjG1s1EWrxon_eon6Viw/s1600/JESUS+COMMISSONS+DISCIPLES.jpg+B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="213" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7q8tAV8GKPoI8nP3UhdlKAVd2qM9c-3kf6j_-n9seySkRq28F-6ZBrbuE7LFi_oqSGtkhJrw6v-mLSyO-COl2a91iE69ZqXM6Ilu3XvJu7DXif_CbUMm_vBAjG1s1EWrxon_eon6Viw/s400/JESUS+COMMISSONS+DISCIPLES.jpg+B.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-48519250965307151142018-06-13T15:03:00.001+01:002018-06-13T15:05:14.535+01:0011th SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">2 Growth<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Parables</span></u></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHaH3K3LQyoXhR7GbpxFjYEPBLolRhbGw21qeBOOPqpJnWugucft0pL3XXwoAExE5JpcXQFXTt_CHV2DGrRBOKBzlMXqF5zeiKDHTYohqm01LhA0ZF8SlomjNLYFGv46BZbh_pXTSEFs/s1600/SLEEPING+FORMER+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="204" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHaH3K3LQyoXhR7GbpxFjYEPBLolRhbGw21qeBOOPqpJnWugucft0pL3XXwoAExE5JpcXQFXTt_CHV2DGrRBOKBzlMXqF5zeiKDHTYohqm01LhA0ZF8SlomjNLYFGv46BZbh_pXTSEFs/s320/SLEEPING+FORMER+2.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">In the
parables Jesus takes situations from daily life to tell us what the Kingdom of
God is like.<span style="margin: 0px;"> Today's two parables should appeal to all farmers and gardeners. </span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">Usually the parables don’t give us
clear answers, but set us puzzles.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They’re meant to get us thinking; we have
to tease out their meaning.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Some of the
parables are meant to be warnings, others to give us encouragement.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Today’s
Gospel gives us two of a number of parables about the growth of seed. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>These are meant to encourage us when we get
depressed about the state of the Church and the seemingly overwhelming
opposition it has to face.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">Firstly, there’s the parable about
the very nature of growth.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mark is the
only evangelist to record this parable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus
reminds us that the seed has an inner vitality and grows even while the farmer
sleeps, and independently of his efforts. He is powerlessness to create life,
and cause seeds to grow. At best he can assist or hinder growth.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Life is a mystery which none of us
understands. But God is the author of life and causes the seed to grow, even
when we are asleep.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So, while this
parable stresses that ultimately God is responsible for the life and growth of
the kingdom, we, like the farmer, have our part to play in sowing and
cultivating the seed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">But we must always remember that it
is God, not us, who gives it life and enables it to grow to maturity.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This growth parable is very reassuring in
reminding us that ultimately the life and growth of the kingdom depends on God,
not us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Because he works in hidden ways, which we
don’t notice, we could easily become discouraged, by thinking that the success
or failure of the kingdom depended on us alone.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We can easily forget that God is secretly
working for the growth of his Kingdom.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMORWVWUXvZGOJ-etwnH-pIKZOcvG5RhItlYpod-lzfTu-kqrAkiuPi_tdFKVz7qn6SEmV8SksJGHRtK2OHXz1H7dpbfl2pQUN-Oo_fdTfnuMuy_lXYBR2-QIPhwp99cGSWiB-GC6EIA/s1600/MUSTARD+SEED+C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="370" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMORWVWUXvZGOJ-etwnH-pIKZOcvG5RhItlYpod-lzfTu-kqrAkiuPi_tdFKVz7qn6SEmV8SksJGHRtK2OHXz1H7dpbfl2pQUN-Oo_fdTfnuMuy_lXYBR2-QIPhwp99cGSWiB-GC6EIA/s200/MUSTARD+SEED+C.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">The parable of the mustard seed is
yet another variation on the theme of growth, and again is intended to give us
further encouragement.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">If a tiny mustard seed can grow into the largest of
shrubs, the kingdom can develop from the tiny beginning of Christ and his
handful of followers.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now the Gospel is
preached throughout the world and people from every race and class find a home
in the kingdom.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s the point of the
variety of birds nesting in its branches.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Today we would say that a large oak tree grows from a small acorn, and
the mature tree provides a home for countless birds and insects. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">We need to reflect on these
encouraging parables when we get despondent about the church.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Too often we forget that in the end God is
responsible for the growth of the Kingdom and that he guarantees its success.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This applies not only to the life of the
Church as a whole, but also to our own personal spiritual growth.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Certainly we, like the farmer or gardener,
have our part to play.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But the greatest
mistake we could make would be for us to think we could do God’s work without
his help. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We must place our trust in
him, rather than ourselves </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">alone.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">Isidore Clarke O.P.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><u></u><u></u>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-35357623666201695872018-06-06T13:47:00.003+01:002018-06-06T14:18:18.271+01:0010th SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME <br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"><i>“</i></span><b><span style="color: red;"><i>F</i></span><span style="color: red;"><i>or the foolishness of God is wiser than man's than man's wisdom' and the weakness of God i</i>s <i>stronger than man's strength," </i></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">(1 Cor. 2. 25)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVBgf7jo_2Cjr_-SSmSWJF0nuiRUXS8IFL-UINoiZ50Shm8NsAjE1ANah1rnXsI53tVeO3hZapzMMBKT7KunyxASEZ_RUPic3ugEXDieKBX7yenRm-yn-Gvi41Rd6L0k0CaDy1beZZis/s1600/christ+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVBgf7jo_2Cjr_-SSmSWJF0nuiRUXS8IFL-UINoiZ50Shm8NsAjE1ANah1rnXsI53tVeO3hZapzMMBKT7KunyxASEZ_RUPic3ugEXDieKBX7yenRm-yn-Gvi41Rd6L0k0CaDy1beZZis/s1600/christ+family.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">CHRIST'S NEW FAMILY</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Today’s
Gospel is all about variations on the theme of identity. Firstly, that of Jesus
and His family; secondly, His being the Son of God, doing His Father’s will,
not Beelzebub’s assistant working for him.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Finally, the nature of the sin against the Holy Spirit.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I will try to show how all this affects our
daily lives.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">‘He’s
out of His mind!’<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That was how Jesus’
relatives reacted to Him when His home was so crowded they could not even have
a meal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But much worse, He had abandoned
Joseph’s carpenter’s business, which provided security for Himself and His
widowed mother.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He had become a
wandering preacher, who had persuaded an assorted group of people to be as
irresponsible as Him, to follow Him -God knows where!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">As
for His teaching, Jesus seemed to go out of His way to antagonise the Jewish
religious leaders.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He presumed to argue that
only He, not those religious scholars, knew the real meaning of God’s Law. Only
He had the right to interpret it with authority.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Not surprisingly, that angered the Jewish
religious authorities; not surprisingly they accused Jesus of working with Beelzebub,
the prince of evil, rather than being the Son of the All-Holy God, doing His
will. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So, to catch Jesus out and destroy
His credibility as a man of God, they accused Him of being Beelzebub’s
accomplice.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That was a stupid
accusation! <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If Jesus were working for
Beelzebub He certainly wouldn’t strive to undermine him by casting out demons.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Today’s
Gospel is about conflicts over Jesus’ identity. Firstly, His relatives didn’t appreciate
who He was and what He was doing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No
wonder they wanted to talk some down-to-earth common sense into Him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Rightly, they knew, that unless Jesus changed,
the Jews would take violent steps to silence Him. Of course, Jesus knew that
and would use His crucifixion to defeat evil, not be conquered by it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of
working in the name of Beelzebub, rather than the name of God they committed
the ‘sin against the Holy Spirit.’ If they didn’t repent, that would cut them
off from the salvation which Jesus has won for us in His Father’s name.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But of course, no sin can be so great that
the Holy Spirit can’t open the sinner’s mind and touch his heart, so that he
repents and seeks Christ’s salvation,<span style="margin: 0px;"> as happened with St.
Paul on the Road to Damascus.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">As
for Jesus’ relatives, He says He’s got a new family, which was not based on physical
blood ties.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Instead, membership depends
on our hearing God’s word and doing it – on our being true followers, disciples,
of Christ.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Far from belittling Mary’s physical
motherhood, even more important than that, she was His greatest disciple.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She was the handmaid of the Lord.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Throughout her life that was her guiding
principle, which would take her to the foot of the cross.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There she followed her Son. Though we can’t
imitate Mary in her motherhood she does show us how to follow her Son.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He has established a New People of God -of
those who are His loyal followers -rather than being the physical descendants
of the Patriarch, Abraham, as were the Jews.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">In
these incidents Jesus has established not only His identity as man of God, not
an agent of the devil, but also our identities, as members of His family of
followers.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>His new family He has broken the barriers
which separate people, as St. Paul tells us, </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>"Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcision uncircumcision, barbarian. Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all," </b></i></span><span style="color: black;">(Col. 3. 11). </span><span style="color: red;"> </span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">Now what about our life as
members of this family?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus disowns
those who claim only a nodding acquaintance with Him. </span></span><b><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0px;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0px;">Not everyone who says to me, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0px;">“Lord,
Lord”,</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0px;"> <span style="margin: 0px;">will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but only t</span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">he </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0px;">one who does the will of my Father in h</span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0px;">eaven.”</span></i></b><span style="color: #010000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">
(Matthew 7.21).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">Jesus, who came to do the will of
His heavenly Father, and Mary, the handmaid of the Lord, show u</span><span style="font-size: medium;">s </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">what it means to hear God’s word
and do it! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px;">P.S.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Don’t be surprised if people think we
Christians are mad. Even His relatives thought that of Jesus.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But He, and we, are following God’s wisdom,
which challenges and transcends secular reason.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin: 0px;">Isidore O.P.</span></span></div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-10596108527661133712018-05-28T14:45:00.004+01:002018-05-28T14:45:40.432+01:00BODY and BLOOD of CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI)<div class="separator" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: both; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlFzAOH8j4ebruhTOdNZBf585NgKtkGzp_0Dcktt3hDJPnGMA8SAesCEKpO4j1yQW-vclZYXq0tgajAsOr5G0rJaadj1_fbcj5UlY8kKZs5n75nT7x6oG1Il7d6SynKI_y1jdwfFGdNA/s1600/AQUNAAS+WITH+BL.+SACRAMENT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlFzAOH8j4ebruhTOdNZBf585NgKtkGzp_0Dcktt3hDJPnGMA8SAesCEKpO4j1yQW-vclZYXq0tgajAsOr5G0rJaadj1_fbcj5UlY8kKZs5n75nT7x6oG1Il7d6SynKI_y1jdwfFGdNA/s1600/AQUNAAS+WITH+BL.+SACRAMENT.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">C<span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">orpus Christi processions! Great occasions for us
to proclaim our faith to the world at large. As people see us processing
through the streets they may well wonder what’s going on. Why are we
demonstrating? And what is the priest carrying? Whatever it is, it’s the focus
of our attention. Why is it so important to us Catholics? What answers would
you give, if you were asked these questions? </span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Ask them of yourselves; searching for answers will
help to deepen your faith. But don't be surprised if you are lost for words and
explanations. We are using our feeble human minds to try to penetrate what the
great Dominican theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas, called the ‘great mystery’ –the
‘magnum mysterium.’ He is said to have composed the liturgy for the feast of
Corpus Christi, including the Benediction hymns, ‘O Salutaris Hostia’ and
‘Tantum Ergo.’ Our picture shows him holding the monstrance, containing the
Blessed Sacrament. </span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</span>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</span>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So, what is the celebration of the Feast of Corpus
Christi all about, and why do we make such a fuss about it? Well, the title
‘Corpus Christ’ means, ‘Body of Christi.’ The feast is now call the ‘Body and
Blood of Christ.’ Amazingly, crazily, we believe a piece of bread has been
changed into the crucified and risen body of the creator of heaven and earth,
the saviour of the world. If we stop and think, this is mind blowing! If, as we
believe, this is true, its no wonder we show what we call the ‘Blessed
Sacrament’ so much honour. Under the appearance of bread the creator of heaven
and earth, the redeemer of the world is present in our midst, in the remotest
corners of the world. This is staggering! It demands enormous faith. And that
is what we proclaim to the world in every Corpus Christ –or Blessed Sacrament
–procession.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Why do we believe this? How do we know this is
true? Well, St Paul writing years before the Gospels were composed tells us,</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
In a few words St. Paul tells us that at the Last Supper Jesus celebrated what
we now </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 25.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSYJfq83EUU_E-uWm47SM3QJhaoEAzxV6iaYFXxZSZjeHc6NfBD_4sf3iJOET1sS8TwMgvHnsnwq9FbMxZZeODNta8Lb3R5F10zPZMzfSRmHlPleCtdzcMYl6BpjUpK8WMqCf7dsXIiQ/s1600/LAST+SUPPER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="126" data-original-width="125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSYJfq83EUU_E-uWm47SM3QJhaoEAzxV6iaYFXxZSZjeHc6NfBD_4sf3iJOET1sS8TwMgvHnsnwq9FbMxZZeODNta8Lb3R5F10zPZMzfSRmHlPleCtdzcMYl6BpjUpK8WMqCf7dsXIiQ/s320/LAST+SUPPER.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="317" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 25.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
know as the first Mass. In this He changed the bread and wine into His
own Body and Blood. In obedience to Christ’s command the Church continues to
celebrate that sacred meal. As we do so we proclaim the death of the Lord until
He comes. Each Mass makes present for us Christ’s sacrifice of the cross. Under
the form of bread and wine He nourishes us with His own crucified and risen
Body and Blood -the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation. With this
sustenance we can grow into the saving power of Christ’s death and
resurrection. </div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: transparent; clear: both; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoRVMrjHl2Q1Kji0GbgO-j_f5r66GjAiPKrWDSkA0z0jmX-hPCM5aYsF5eeRkUJq_aHjmV6bBpmumNVuMcX7GPg5-SzXQlimwC_sTgayBY3aaWglUjHRLf3HTXqZGDZWYAvwO8r23VLg/s1600/LAST+SUPPER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px;"><span style="color: #001000;"></span><br /></a></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">That is the wonder we celebrate at every Mass.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 25.6px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhLs3ef-E44V95RRyaL6vpdFsR8tStp0m0n0_bzPsm_mFtciI-LeJEar0kzEto3_gz3EJxueSIc0A-d3NF9vKP3c1abCAjv6Kor7Bl1GXLChpBpselZxnwWYZjfbrxqN9dPaUjvbYAds/s1600/3.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">On the feast of Corpus Christi we stress the
mystery of Jesus remaining with us under the form of bread. He is reserved
in what we call the 'tabernacle' -named after the 'Tent of Meeting,'
the focus of God's presence as He led His people across the desert to the
Promised Land. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv97fC77fQK85CYtCTVH3AqFhKG8sJusbEsHzWAS9pDGxSua4RUvryrpx1RZODH59Aex33N9is0Y0MyM6NdaWPedCkmZFoeAxqNYoASYsI-ETZlo3N87WtSbEFiPrtsGC6arQsolGU0kg/s1600/H.+COMMUNION.jpg+A.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv97fC77fQK85CYtCTVH3AqFhKG8sJusbEsHzWAS9pDGxSua4RUvryrpx1RZODH59Aex33N9is0Y0MyM6NdaWPedCkmZFoeAxqNYoASYsI-ETZlo3N87WtSbEFiPrtsGC6arQsolGU0kg/s1600/H.+COMMUNION.jpg+A.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Why does our saviour remain with us in this special
way? Firstly, so that He can be taken to the sick and house-bound,
who can’t get to Mass. Jesus comes to nourish them in a special way when they
receive Him in Holy Communion. He supports them in their frailty and suffering
as, in a unique way, they identify with Him in His Passion. When Jesus is taken
to them from the sacrifice of the Mass He makes Himself the sacred bond between
those able to go to Mass and those who can’t. This should give the lonely a sense
of belonging to the worshipping community, and that community a sense of loving
responsibility for those who are no longer able to come to church.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Blessed Sacrament is also reserved in the
tabernacle so that we can drop into the church, to worship Jesus, who is
present amongst us in a very special way. As we pray before the Blessed
Sacrament we have time to prolong and deepen our understanding and devotion for
Masses we have already attended. This, in turn, should prepare us to take part
in future Masses with greater reverence. In other words, Eucharistic devotion
outside Mass should always be linked to the Mass itself. It’s not meant to be a
devotion independent of the Mass. That’s very true of Benediction and Blessed
Sacrament processions.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Corpus Christi is a wonderful, joyful feast. We
celebrate Christ’s gift of Himself in the Mass, His becoming present in a very
special way, when bread and wine are changed into His own Body and Blood. As He
offers Himself to His heavenly Father and gives Himself to us in the form of a
meal He strengthens our unity with God and with each other, as His people.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It’s not surprising the Mass should be called the
‘Eucharist,’ which means, ‘Thanksgiving.’ Today, above all others, we should be
filled with gratitude for the gift of the Mass!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Isidore Clarke O.P.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQtt_fY40j_ltLyJNFRmB59KloDurSNunN4RXHN3878l0Y4dhQRc7kAId2wkcUUezsYS9ZouS3ScXtrL2uRY896haWrbPbeCv9Ih7fIMYMxXQkBfrQBG5kzToPDG9oZciiKRYdcOidFI/s1600/BL.++SACRAMENT+PROCESSION.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="350" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQtt_fY40j_ltLyJNFRmB59KloDurSNunN4RXHN3878l0Y4dhQRc7kAId2wkcUUezsYS9ZouS3ScXtrL2uRY896haWrbPbeCv9Ih7fIMYMxXQkBfrQBG5kzToPDG9oZciiKRYdcOidFI/s400/BL.++SACRAMENT+PROCESSION.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></span></div>
</span>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-49905098491049035472018-05-28T13:09:00.002+01:002018-05-28T14:01:06.814+01:00BODY of BLOODY of CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI)<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlFzAOH8j4ebruhTOdNZBf585NgKtkGzp_0Dcktt3hDJPnGMA8SAesCEKpO4j1yQW-vclZYXq0tgajAsOr5G0rJaadj1_fbcj5UlY8kKZs5n75nT7x6oG1Il7d6SynKI_y1jdwfFGdNA/s1600/AQUNAAS+WITH+BL.+SACRAMENT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlFzAOH8j4ebruhTOdNZBf585NgKtkGzp_0Dcktt3hDJPnGMA8SAesCEKpO4j1yQW-vclZYXq0tgajAsOr5G0rJaadj1_fbcj5UlY8kKZs5n75nT7x6oG1Il7d6SynKI_y1jdwfFGdNA/s1600/AQUNAAS+WITH+BL.+SACRAMENT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #001000; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
</div>
</span><div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VQdAu97vWKZ4UzOlYIUaQZ6LFtbpur0xmHq3xiprjVjCreEodb3T2FHeXXY1171CeDhOCHnekVxwJUNyPeymkw0GczsKcNm04EE3C5i4o2jg7uyRxcq9vZyoPZb1Tjc-9uOxcc4EwZg/s1600/AQUNAAS+WITH+BL.+SACRAMENT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VQdAu97vWKZ4UzOlYIUaQZ6LFtbpur0xmHq3xiprjVjCreEodb3T2FHeXXY1171CeDhOCHnekVxwJUNyPeymkw0GczsKcNm04EE3C5i4o2jg7uyRxcq9vZyoPZb1Tjc-9uOxcc4EwZg/s1600/AQUNAAS+WITH+BL.+SACRAMENT.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; margin: 0px;">C<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">orpus Christi processions! Great occasions for us
to proclaim our faith to the world at large. As people see us processing
through the streets they may well wonder what’s going on. Why are we
demonstrating? And what is the priest carrying? Whatever it is, it’s the focus
of our attention. Why is it so important to us Catholics? What answers would
you give, if you were asked these questions? </span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Ask them of yourselves; searching for answers will
help to deepen your faith. But don't be surprised if you are lost for words and
explanations. We are using our feeble human minds to try to penetrate what the
great Dominican theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas, called the ‘great mystery’ –the
‘magnum mysterium.’ He is said to have composed the liturgy for the feast of
Corpus Christi, including the Benediction hymns, ‘O Salutaris Hostia’ and
‘Tantum Ergo.’ Our picture shows him holding the monstrance, containing the
Blessed Sacrament. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px;">
</div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
</span>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">So, what is the celebration of the Feast of Corpus
Christi all about, and why do we make such a fuss about it? Well, the title
‘Corpus Christ’ means, ‘Body of Christi.’ The feast is now call the ‘Body and
Blood of Christ.’ Amazingly, crazily, we believe a piece of bread has been
changed into the crucified and risen body of the creator of heaven and earth,
the saviour of the world. If we stop and think, this is mind blowing! If, as we
believe, this is true, its no wonder we show what we call the ‘Blessed
Sacrament’ so much honour. Under the appearance of bread the creator of heaven
and earth, the redeemer of the world is present in our midst, in the remotest
corners of the world. This is staggering! It demands enormous faith. And that
is what we proclaim to the world in every Corpus Christ –or Blessed Sacrament
–procession.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
Why do we believe this? How do we know this is
true? Well, St Paul writing years before the Gospels were composed tells us,</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
In a few words St. Paul tells us that at the Last Supper Jesus celebrated what
we now <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSYJfq83EUU_E-uWm47SM3QJhaoEAzxV6iaYFXxZSZjeHc6NfBD_4sf3iJOET1sS8TwMgvHnsnwq9FbMxZZeODNta8Lb3R5F10zPZMzfSRmHlPleCtdzcMYl6BpjUpK8WMqCf7dsXIiQ/s1600/LAST+SUPPER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="126" data-original-width="125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSYJfq83EUU_E-uWm47SM3QJhaoEAzxV6iaYFXxZSZjeHc6NfBD_4sf3iJOET1sS8TwMgvHnsnwq9FbMxZZeODNta8Lb3R5F10zPZMzfSRmHlPleCtdzcMYl6BpjUpK8WMqCf7dsXIiQ/s320/LAST+SUPPER.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
know as the first Mass. In this He changed the bread and wine into His
own Body and Blood. In obedience to Christ’s command the Church continues to
celebrate that sacred meal. As we do so we proclaim the death of the Lord until
He comes. Each Mass makes present for us Christ’s sacrifice of the cross. Under
the form of bread and wine He nourishes us with His own crucified and risen
Body and Blood -the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation. With this
sustenance we can grow into the saving power of Christ’s death and
resurrection. </div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: transparent; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia",serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoRVMrjHl2Q1Kji0GbgO-j_f5r66GjAiPKrWDSkA0z0jmX-hPCM5aYsF5eeRkUJq_aHjmV6bBpmumNVuMcX7GPg5-SzXQlimwC_sTgayBY3aaWglUjHRLf3HTXqZGDZWYAvwO8r23VLg/s1600/LAST+SUPPER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px;"></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
That is the wonder we celebrate at every Mass.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</span><div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhLs3ef-E44V95RRyaL6vpdFsR8tStp0m0n0_bzPsm_mFtciI-LeJEar0kzEto3_gz3EJxueSIc0A-d3NF9vKP3c1abCAjv6Kor7Bl1GXLChpBpselZxnwWYZjfbrxqN9dPaUjvbYAds/s1600/3.jpg"><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="margin: 0px;"></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">On the feast of Corpus Christi we stress the
mystery of Jesus remaining with us under the form of bread. He is reserved
in what we call the 'tabernacle' -named after the 'Tent of Meeting,'
the focus of God's presence as He led His people across the desert to the
Promised Land. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Why does our saviour remain with us in this special
way? Firstly, so that He can be taken to the sick and house-bound,
who can’t get to Mass. Jesus comes to nourish them in a special way when they
receive Him in Holy Communion. He supports them in their frailty and suffering
as, in a unique way, they identify with Him in His Passion. When Jesus is taken
to them from the sacrifice of the Mass He makes Himself the sacred bond between
those able to go to Mass and those who can’t. This should give the lonely a sense
of belonging to the worshipping community, and that community a sense of loving
responsibility for those who are no longer able to come to church.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Blessed Sacrament is also reserved in the
tabernacle so that we can drop into the church, to worship Jesus, who is
present amongst us in a very special way. As we pray before the Blessed
Sacrament we have time to prolong and deepen our understanding and devotion for
Masses we have already attended. This, in turn, should prepare us to take part
in future Masses with greater reverence. In other words, Eucharistic devotion
outside Mass should always be linked to the Mass itself. It’s not meant to be a
devotion independent of the Mass. That’s very true of Benediction and Blessed
Sacrament processions.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Corpus Christi is a wonderful, joyful feast. We
celebrate Christ’s gift of Himself in the Mass, His becoming present in a very
special way, when bread and wine are changed into His own Body and Blood. As He
offers Himself to His heavenly Father and gives Himself to us in the form of a
meal He strengthens our unity with God and with each other, as His people.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">It’s not surprising the Mass should be called the
‘Eucharist,’ which means, ‘Thanksgiving.’ Today, above all others, we should be
filled with gratitude for the gift of the Mass!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Isidore Clarke O.P.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQtt_fY40j_ltLyJNFRmB59KloDurSNunN4RXHN3878l0Y4dhQRc7kAId2wkcUUezsYS9ZouS3ScXtrL2uRY896haWrbPbeCv9Ih7fIMYMxXQkBfrQBG5kzToPDG9oZciiKRYdcOidFI/s1600/BL.++SACRAMENT+PROCESSION.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="350" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQtt_fY40j_ltLyJNFRmB59KloDurSNunN4RXHN3878l0Y4dhQRc7kAId2wkcUUezsYS9ZouS3ScXtrL2uRY896haWrbPbeCv9Ih7fIMYMxXQkBfrQBG5kzToPDG9oZciiKRYdcOidFI/s400/BL.++SACRAMENT+PROCESSION.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
</div>
</span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"></span><span style="color: #001000;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-13376923810429995352018-05-25T11:13:00.001+01:002018-05-25T11:15:37.644+01:00BLESSED TRINITY SUNDAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1GqoDzcLJCU_fJ3PnXQeB0JFMwaOWUZrBD8A27s37cyNeAA8lud1f4J0K4XaXxbYmI1xtCbWUtSquPbHOb5_F-ppqycIX-cyKoloD41EyqrLiSwlWRxwmT5aI0MCsenWFReJa5Z8Q5o/s1600/TRINITY+A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1GqoDzcLJCU_fJ3PnXQeB0JFMwaOWUZrBD8A27s37cyNeAA8lud1f4J0K4XaXxbYmI1xtCbWUtSquPbHOb5_F-ppqycIX-cyKoloD41EyqrLiSwlWRxwmT5aI0MCsenWFReJa5Z8Q5o/s1600/TRINITY+A.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Bishops have
been known to provide a pastoral letter for Trinity Sunday.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They wanted to spare us priests the task of
having to talk about the Trinity, which could get us bogged down in abstract
philosophy and could be a real turn-off for the congregation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So,
they provided us with the escape root of a pastoral letter, usually about the feast
of Corpus Christi. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> But some years ago, as a community, we decided that the feast of the
Blessed Trinity was far too important to pass over.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Hence this back-page comment. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I will try not to be abstract, and to show
that the Blessed Trinity is at the heart of our Christian daily lives.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Why is the
Blessed Trinity so important to us?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Well, we
were made in God’s own Trinitarian image and likeness.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When we were baptised in the name of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we began to share in God’s own life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The Blessed Trinity gives us our identity as
God’s children.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our perfection consists
in becoming ever more like the Blessed Trinity. Our happiness lies in knowing
and loving God as He really is.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That
means as one God, who is three equal persons, each being fully God, not a part
of God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We express our faith in the
Blessed Trinity by beginning our prayers by saying, ‘In name of the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit,’ and are blessed in the name of the Blessed Trinity, which is
involved at every moment of Our Christian lives.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">When we try to know and love the Blessed Trinity, let alone explain it, w</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">e’d be right to
think that’s taking us out of our depth, as we realise we’re confronted with a
mystery –the greatest of all mysteries.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But
let’s not panic!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We’re used to living
with mysteries in our daily lives.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We
don’t fully understand ourselves, let alone anyone else. We’re constantly being
taken by surprise.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">But that doesn’t prevent us loving each other. In fact, the mystery makes
us much more interesting to know and love.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>We can destroy love by too much analysis –by trying to define and
categorise people.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So, we shouldn’t be
put off by God being the greatest of all mysteries.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Instead, we should welcome and love the mystery of the Trinity, which is
God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we try to force God to fit into
our limited understanding we will end up with a deity of our own fashioning.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That would be idolatry.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we can’t force people into pigeon holes
and then think we understand them that’s much truer of the Blessed Trinity.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For people to love a fantasy of us would be
an insult. The same would be<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>truer if we
treated God that way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He, we, want to be
loved for ourselves, not for what people want us to be.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">God has revealed
something of Himself by telling us the different ways in which each member of
the Trinity is involved in our salvation.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In
John’s Gospel we’re told that God loved the world so much that he sent His only
Son, not to condemn the world, but to save it.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The Son expressed God’s love for us by becoming one of us and sacrificed
His human life so that we could share His divine life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No one could show us greater love than that.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And before ascending to heaven Jesus sent
God’s Spirit into the world to enable us to share the divine happiness which Jesus
had won for us on the cross.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Without the activity of each member of the
Blessed Trinity our life as Christians would be meaningless.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Obviously
there’s much more that could be said about the Blessed Trinity.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;">But
in the end, we don’t get to know someone by putting him or her on psychiatrist’s
couch or anatomist’s dissecting table. That’s no way to get develop a loving
relationship.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Instead. We welcome them
for who they are.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We welcome the
wonder, the mystery of their being.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We
delight in being with them, and have the confidence to share our joys and
sorrows, hopes fears.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s how human
relationships grow, not through cold analysis.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The same is true for us getting to know and love ths Blessed Trinity.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">So, let us not be put off by God being so mysterious, but welcome him for
what He really is –the Blessed Trinity.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Today, above all others, let be reduced to
silent adoration before the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We will know, love and praise God much, much
better in heaven.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That will be our
eternal happiness.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">Isidore Clarke O.P.</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-21277596117859033442018-05-19T15:48:00.000+01:002018-05-19T15:48:13.186+01:00THE FEAST OF PENTECOST<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqc1O3I1VPn_EgKW5d7An1ZKPE8irAkj5lGicjV6foh1ZB5BSIoI3tLFGh5uSyZFdwo5LauQnfbPvqSd28o6MuBYDDk8P4Kf-0SriUIca-oiNeXM5PFOMdSEu2LARDwfHrSCRH9mOZWSA/s1600/PENTECOST+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="287" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqc1O3I1VPn_EgKW5d7An1ZKPE8irAkj5lGicjV6foh1ZB5BSIoI3tLFGh5uSyZFdwo5LauQnfbPvqSd28o6MuBYDDk8P4Kf-0SriUIca-oiNeXM5PFOMdSEu2LARDwfHrSCRH9mOZWSA/s320/PENTECOST+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">In the 1950’s I<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u> </u></b><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>read a wonderful
encyclical on the Holy Spirit, written by Pope Leo XIII.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>When I suggested it should be published, to
my surprise and horror, I was told there was no I demand for a pamphlet on the
Holy Spirit!<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>Thank God that has all changed.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>The Holy Spirit is no longer the forgotten
person of the Blessed Trinity!</span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Church has
re-discovered the Holy Spirit.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span></u></b>I say ‘re-discovered’ because from
the earliest days the Church has realised the vital role the Holy Spirit plays
in her life.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>St. John’s Gospel, the
Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul’s letters and the Book of Revelation tell us so
much about the Holy Spirit.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>The
Scriptures proclaim that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Blessed
Trinity, who plays a vital role in God’s plan of salvation.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The role of the Holy
Spirit is<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>be the great communicator.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</span></u></b>The word ‘Spirit’ suggests the breath of life.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>As God breathes his Spirit into us we come
alive as God’s children.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>Through the
Spirit we are born from above to share God’s<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</span>own life.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>From the same Spirit
each of us receives different gifts.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</span>That could easily cause divisions among the Christian community. But the
Spirit who is responsible for our diversity is also responsible for uniting us
in the one Body of Christ. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Holy Spirit not
only communicates God’s life, but also his saving truth..<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>Before his Passion Jesus promised to send the
Spirit of Truth.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>He would remind the
community of Christ’s teaching after he had ascended to heaven.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>The Spirit of Truth would guarantee that the
Christian community would always remain faithful to Christ’s teaching.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>The Church as a whole can’t go wrong in the
essentials of what we should believe and how we should behave.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The rushing
wind at Pentecost suggests the Spirit’s hidden power, giving the disciples the
courage and strength to start preaching the Good News in a hostile
world. The title ‘Holy Spirit’ also
suggests God’s breath of life. Through the Holy Spirit we become
alive in Christ, and share in the saving power of His death and
resurrection.
</span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The nature
of the Spirit’s activity was not only revealed in the rushing wind, but also in
the tongues of fire, which rested over the heads of the disciples.
These obviously suggest
the gift of eloquence, which would be necessary to preach the Good News to the
whole world. The fire also suggests a source of light, which would
illumine the way to salvation. In the power of the Spirit the
disciples would burn with zeal as they carried out the mission Christ had given
them just before He ascended to heaven.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It was most
appropriate that the Holy Spirit should have been given on the Jewish feast of
Pentecost. Originally this was a harvest festival, which
later developed into the celebration of God’s giving the Law on Mt. Sinai, 50
days after he had freed His people from slavery in Egypt. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6U5zhd5NvxakLCnt9ARGz_p2O5mkbQF98ocisRW9RLYr8VNTjWbA44Sg4UXgDm0ucEGFmUnJYayTJRhSFSFshNVy3VsH8JsIK51fcOmYieAfpPGdPtHW52pzEAZnHKkmhTI_7uj4Tus/s1600/images8E2XHULK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="170" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6U5zhd5NvxakLCnt9ARGz_p2O5mkbQF98ocisRW9RLYr8VNTjWbA44Sg4UXgDm0ucEGFmUnJYayTJRhSFSFshNVy3VsH8JsIK51fcOmYieAfpPGdPtHW52pzEAZnHKkmhTI_7uj4Tus/s200/images8E2XHULK.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="114" /></a><span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Through
that Law God defined His covenant relationship with His people. Jews from eastern
Mediterranean lands and speaking a variety of languages made a pilgrimage to
celebrate the feast of Pentecost.
This provided the apostles with the
perfect opportunity to start preaching the Good News to the whole
world. People from foreign
lands were already there in Jerusalem. God’s harvest was ready to be gathered
in. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfV5Um4ZasWzQ0dIYj1FJ8FV8YCRRaaBNYVMN9Pluqjw86MgTFwyUNdvN0eiHOO1zABdA0ka7PujQmsAOurnpNNd6cLSjgEUHXOshTUbn-oXQfFyymDbzQXSvcDyuSdHRtnngryxNOU0M/s1600/HARVESTINGGGGGG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-right: 16px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="261" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfV5Um4ZasWzQ0dIYj1FJ8FV8YCRRaaBNYVMN9Pluqjw86MgTFwyUNdvN0eiHOO1zABdA0ka7PujQmsAOurnpNNd6cLSjgEUHXOshTUbn-oXQfFyymDbzQXSvcDyuSdHRtnngryxNOU0M/s200/HARVESTINGGGGGG.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And the
Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to overcome the language barrier.
Strangers not only understood what the apostles preached, but also welcomed the
salvation which the Good News offered them. The Holy
Spirit was effective in both the preachers and their audience. When they
returned home they would have told their people about the faith they’d just
received. They would have been the first overseas
missionaries. The Holy Spirit certainly enabled the infant Church to get
off to a flying start! The gathering in of God’s harvest
into His Kingdom made a dramatic start at the first Pentecost.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6U5zhd5NvxakLCnt9ARGz_p2O5mkbQF98ocisRW9RLYr8VNTjWbA44Sg4UXgDm0ucEGFmUnJYayTJRhSFSFshNVy3VsH8JsIK51fcOmYieAfpPGdPtHW52pzEAZnHKkmhTI_7uj4Tus/s1600/images8E2XHULK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px;"></a><span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But the
Holy Spirit, who descended on the apostles in such a dramatic way at Pentecost,
is still with the Church, and always will be. The Spirit of Truth,
promised by Christ, guarantees that the Church would always be faithful to his
teaching. The Good News is now preached throughout the world in
many different languages. And the Spirit has inspired
millions of people to welcome Christ and follow Him.
The old covenant proclaimed at Sinai and
celebrated at Pentecost is now fulfilled and proclaimed in the New Covenant of
Jesus Christ.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> On
the feast of Pentecost we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit as the
great communicator. Through the gift of the
Spirit God shares his life with us. Through the Spirit the Good News
preached by Christ is handed on to the Church. And the Spirit empowers
the Christian community to hand on to the world the faith we have
received. Breathing in and out sums up how the Spirits helps us to
spread the Good News. First, He helps us to breath in and understand our
faith. Then the Spirit enables us to breath out –to share the faith we have
received. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">May we
always be grateful for Christ sending his Spirit into the world to help us
carry out the missionary task he has given us. And let us rejoice on
this, the birthday of the Church.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Peter and Isidore O.P.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</span>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 37.79px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></span><br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-33788849654615514042018-05-17T11:45:00.001+01:002018-05-17T11:45:38.994+01:00A VARIETY OF GIFTS <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHqsfYVlw_CNE1LdZKsYpKOlasm1KLRHnPsEa42u0fJSF1q5LWcmmnxTEQNEJMy48xqEFy9l238FJdNYa4nR63qzmRXQZPYY2JO5ZkRxbRdkMXZtc-9CT4EgUN5-kX_yE7WV1kRjkacY/s1600/ARTIST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHqsfYVlw_CNE1LdZKsYpKOlasm1KLRHnPsEa42u0fJSF1q5LWcmmnxTEQNEJMy48xqEFy9l238FJdNYa4nR63qzmRXQZPYY2JO5ZkRxbRdkMXZtc-9CT4EgUN5-kX_yE7WV1kRjkacY/s1600/ARTIST.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We've just completed our reflections on the classical list of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which we all received at baptism. But Paul reminds us that God endows us with a wide variety of gifs or skills, which we can too easily take for granted. That can lead to ingratitude and conceit. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I hope this meditation will help us to have the generosity to appreciate other people's talents, together with the gifts we have received. With the psalmist may we say, <span style="color: red;"><b><i>"Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory," </i></b></span>( Ps.115. 1). God expects us to develop and use each of these gift for the benefit of the whole community.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"> St. Paul tells us,</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">"Now there are
varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services,
but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same
God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation
of the Spirit for the common good,"</span></i></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"> (1 Cor. 12. 4-7).</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">Some
gifts, such as speaking in tongues, were more spectacular than others. Not
surprise this led to rivalries and jealousies! Paul had to reprove the
Corinthians and remind them that the one Spirit was the source of their unity
amidst their diversity. Whatever the gift, it was for the common good. No
matter how spectacular the gift, the greatest of all had to be charity. Without
love, the other gifts were worthless.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">That
insight was a great comfort to St. Terese of Liseaux. She felt so depressed at
having no special talents with which she could serve God – until she read St.
Paul emphasizing that love was the greatest of all gifts. Loving would be her
vocation, as it is ours. It’s vital that all of us should realize this!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But sadly, in our materialist world,
success tends to be measured by our earning capacity and the status
symbols it can buy. But that’s not the only measure. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51JxkDAmgk2BsfWlkUAhu-Ibl2WtAm-mJ312p63aNPTJeZIaxlPiyH66s-sfg6Pa3pa9c6ifsbJLNNYGXrcWr2JS5LRDsd8kuE1Qm0zAE0GNbFBibth6_7WAmWi0qHTXi9-gLj-zNKa0/s1600/NURSE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51JxkDAmgk2BsfWlkUAhu-Ibl2WtAm-mJ312p63aNPTJeZIaxlPiyH66s-sfg6Pa3pa9c6ifsbJLNNYGXrcWr2JS5LRDsd8kuE1Qm0zAE0GNbFBibth6_7WAmWi0qHTXi9-gLj-zNKa0/s1600/NURSE.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">What
a wonderful gift it is to be warm-hearted, loving and caring! So, too, is being
a peacemaker. In fact, one of the Beatitudes tells us that such people are
called the children of God –precisely because they are sharing in the work of
the Son of God Himself.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">A
few years ago a university degree was thought to be an essential mark of
success and the passport to prosperity. Without a degree you were considered
second-rate. That has proved an illusion. Some degrees are worthless. But now
we’re shifting our focus to appreciating the value of technical skills and
other accomplishments –such as making people laugh or cooking a tasty meal. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Rightly,
we say that those with practical skills are gifted.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">The Bible says God had
specially gifted those who constructed the Tabernacle and Ark of the
Covenant,<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">"He has filled them with skill to perform
every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and
in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as
performers of every work and makers of designs</span></i></b><span lang="EN" style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">," </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">(<b>Exod. 35. 3</b>5).</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">Being
able to serve the community in any way should be welcomed as a gift from God.
All travelers should be grateful to whoever was inspired to put wheels on a
suitcase! It’s so important for us to appreciate whatever others have to offer
and to give them encouragement.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0a3O1PoBVfvZWtqjJ5MRx0SIAHVRI2nTPhqJZe7IwkiWyxS3x5JHarBgDcFVTqg2HgoqYckkmN2JEo1E1kAHFwSENeMcl9QkcvAJSeqCHONfWIR8NuCNmE7Lm383pCWID3x8rXqRV0OU/s1600/COOK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0a3O1PoBVfvZWtqjJ5MRx0SIAHVRI2nTPhqJZe7IwkiWyxS3x5JHarBgDcFVTqg2HgoqYckkmN2JEo1E1kAHFwSENeMcl9QkcvAJSeqCHONfWIR8NuCNmE7Lm383pCWID3x8rXqRV0OU/s1600/COOK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">It
can be so destructive and demoralizing to despise some and envy others. As a
counter-blast to this negative approach Pope Francis wrote, "We rejoice at
the good of others when we see their dignity and value their abilities and good
works. This is impossible for those who must always be comparing and competing,
even with their spouse, so that they secretly rejoice in their failures.
(Amoris Laetitia, 109).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">So
let us rejoice in God</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">’</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">s gift of the Holy Spirit
Himself, and the rich variety of gifts, which He has bestowed on different
individuals for the good of the whole community. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">P.S. The best way to show our gratitude for a gift or talent is for us to say, 'Thank you,' to use and develop it -not hide and forget it.</span></div>
<div align="right" style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #001000; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #001000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XDdVq2EwHRCEXNu7TjI8IgYDFxi5w6_WNrACxq6J-bhylUOlmyBDh4hmVTewr7y_VbUV7V4c_4NoKRLf7A_pKu6udmDgBxtcPIaU0aVnQ-z2Nal4M26BiMQlnx_o-hcz28C1v5Lb6Uk/s1600/COOK+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XDdVq2EwHRCEXNu7TjI8IgYDFxi5w6_WNrACxq6J-bhylUOlmyBDh4hmVTewr7y_VbUV7V4c_4NoKRLf7A_pKu6udmDgBxtcPIaU0aVnQ-z2Nal4M26BiMQlnx_o-hcz28C1v5Lb6Uk/s1600/COOK+2.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #001000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Peter and Isidore O.P.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>This reflection concludes our series on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit -Peter and Isidore's final joint project -I.C.</i></b></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b></b><i></i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="color: red;"></span>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-4762678907469823782018-05-14T12:00:00.001+01:002018-05-14T12:00:26.456+01:007 FEAR OF THE LORD<br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93zLf0mCafhLcoiiVLOVbZssYMCDKJwFiPxAVOZgFi2x5NYghOZc9HzemhxdwtU9iMDdvUsSPMjP1_rUYITdWJtjQKtK2lyzkPlo_NXNO8wySh30JcBK6iGXr8nKQ0c77RGhfcPMDTpg/s1600/secritrit+camera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93zLf0mCafhLcoiiVLOVbZssYMCDKJwFiPxAVOZgFi2x5NYghOZc9HzemhxdwtU9iMDdvUsSPMjP1_rUYITdWJtjQKtK2lyzkPlo_NXNO8wySh30JcBK6iGXr8nKQ0c77RGhfcPMDTpg/s1600/secritrit+camera.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A friend told me that as a little
girl she had a picture of a large eye hung on her bedroom wall. God was seen as being like a security camera, used to catch thieves. That was to
remind her that God was always watching to see and punish her every fault. So,
behave! And so she did. She obeyed Him, because she was terrified of Him. Such
an ogre could inspire submission, but never love. Her whole relationship with
God had been warped by that terrifying impression.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;">But that certainly is not the image
Jesus wants us to have of God. He wants us to respond to Him as a loving,
caring, merciful Father -like the Father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;">’</span><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;">s full of love mercy and compassion. He wants only
what is best for us. He watches us because He loves us and wants to protect us.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;">The God who is love would not have
provided us with a special gift to terrorise us into submission. Instead, St.
John</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;">’</span><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;">s 1<sup>st</sup> Letter tells us<b><i>, </i></b></span><b><i><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;">"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for
fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in
love,"</span></i></b><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">(I
Jn. 4.18)</span></span></span><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So, how are we to understand the Holy
Spirit’s Gift of Fear? It’s certainly not meant to terrify us. So let’s take an
image different from the watchful eye, eager to catch us out, condemn and
punish us.</span></span><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Let’s think of a couple who are so
close they feel secure in each other’s love. They certainly are not terrified
of each other. They are filled with hope that their present happiness together
will last and increase. Their only fear is that they will do something that
would weaken or, worse still, destroy their love for each. It’s not fear of
each other that makes them spontaneously do what they know will please the one
they love. Rather it’s fear of themselves and their doing anything, which would
undermine their loving relationship. They don’t want to do anything that would
offend the one they love. They do recognise that sometimes they will fail, but
confident in their love for each other, they trust they will be forgiven.</span></span><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Pope</span></span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> Francis makes the point that
loving fear of offending God provides an instinctive protection against
sinning. It’s inspired by love, rather than terror of punishment.</span></span><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The gift of fear protects our love for
God and enables us to rest secure in His love. That transcends fear of
punishment. This gift provides stability to our love for God and is a great
source of hope. Terror of His punishment would drive us to despair, and has
nothing to do with the Holy Spirit’s gift of fear.</span></span><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxo_6lHIvsjvfCWXTBJiY2eIV2Fj2vUsB7SloSdkF7wjv7FNv3VgKd-EvKtewDn-clt95kkk6RusZukNdlMiIgRl1_CGO6SI3cuxmKSIIq-Omewsk5twa7cxfvf7DyzqGSlGbyI75Foho/s1600/imagesYK84ZUGK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxo_6lHIvsjvfCWXTBJiY2eIV2Fj2vUsB7SloSdkF7wjv7FNv3VgKd-EvKtewDn-clt95kkk6RusZukNdlMiIgRl1_CGO6SI3cuxmKSIIq-Omewsk5twa7cxfvf7DyzqGSlGbyI75Foho/s1600/imagesYK84ZUGK.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">God is not like Orwell’s ‘Big
Brother,’ or a security camera, forever watching to catch us out and punish
us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No, He is like<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>loving parents watching to make sure their
beloved child comes to no harm.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #001000; font-family: "times"; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Peter and Isidore Clarke O.P.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-57576721641682165262018-05-12T10:15:00.002+01:002018-05-12T10:16:17.663+01:007 SUN. of EASTERTIDE -MARKING TIME<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFky0JDCdguf_feBgLbZvBnrnSfY_O831foaP_zOBJ9D-JXfJlAbAFGWoTtAyayOSMw5ndkq90J4NZidIYdW0xAbFerl52H4NYs4DM4VuNcqer5KQu-qS1FDqtxqZZTEUs7EVANN6aBbg/s1600/WAITING+FOR+HS.jpg+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="239" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFky0JDCdguf_feBgLbZvBnrnSfY_O831foaP_zOBJ9D-JXfJlAbAFGWoTtAyayOSMw5ndkq90J4NZidIYdW0xAbFerl52H4NYs4DM4VuNcqer5KQu-qS1FDqtxqZZTEUs7EVANN6aBbg/s320/WAITING+FOR+HS.jpg+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1d2129; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">This 7th Week of Eastertide falls between the Ascension and Pentecost. It provides an interlude, a time of waiting, which is far from empty. This is a time for prayer. The 1st Reading tells us that the disciples prayed that the Holy Spirit would guide them in choosing a replacement for Judas Iscariot. This disciple, Matthias, would make up the twelve leaders in the new Israel. Their special mission would be to witness to Christ’s</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: transparent; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> resurrection. During this interlude Mary, the Mother of the Church, prayed with the apostles for the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who would enable them to preach the Good News to the whole world. <br style="display: inline; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;" /> The Gospel reading also reflects a time of waiting, as Jesus prepared for His Passion. As in the first reading this interlude is prayerful. First, Jesus prays for Himself, that He would be glorified in His death. That it may be a triumphant victory over evil, not a tragic defeat. <br style="display: inline; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;" /> Jesus then prays for us, His followers, in our mission to continue His work. He realise that the world is a dangerous place for His disciples. People would resent Christ’s way of life and would persecute those who preach it. The pagan values which surround us can so easily undermine our commitment to Christ. We can become worldly. Jesus tells us He’s not going to take us out of a hostile world. He has work for us to do there. But we do need the support of His prayers if we are not to become worldly. <br style="display: inline; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;" /> Not that the world is evil. It certainly isn’t. After all, God has created it, and has seen that it is good. And earlier in John’s Gospel we’re told that God loved the world so much that He sent his only Son, not to condemn the world, but to save it. From what? Quite simply, from shutting God out. Jesus lived among us and died for us, to bring God back into our world, to make it a holy place, where God would be welcome. Our task is to share the Good News of God’s love for us -to be His witnesses, consecrated in the Truth. Christ realised we couldn’t do this by ourselves. So, He prayed that the Father would send the Spirit of Truth. This He did at Pentecost.<br style="display: inline; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;" /> Today’s readings remind us that we can’t do God’s work without His help. That’s why the disciples prayed for guidance in choosing someone to replace Judas. That’s why they prayed before Pentecost, for the gift of the Spirit. That’s why Jesus prayed for us, who are to continue His work. And we need interludes of prayer, asking God to help us in doing His work. Time spent in prayer is certainly not wasted, especially today when life is so hectic and we expect instant results.<br style="display: inline; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;" /> Isidore O.P.</span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-17308528503215326702018-05-09T13:19:00.000+01:002018-05-09T13:44:09.814+01:00FEAST OF THE ASCENSION<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBIsG5ucoKgM1t2NBhcjPAYlILC4-JU07o036KC6gHSnTsxaXnIysUpDah2Wjz_ybXhGuWuxgZFKJFt0ZZbIXG8Ys6pWSD1z1cTo7BcCUBXS7plFBFecWiMHpztWbNH6xRkW74ofzeoc/s1600/tASCENSION.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="468" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBIsG5ucoKgM1t2NBhcjPAYlILC4-JU07o036KC6gHSnTsxaXnIysUpDah2Wjz_ybXhGuWuxgZFKJFt0ZZbIXG8Ys6pWSD1z1cTo7BcCUBXS7plFBFecWiMHpztWbNH6xRkW74ofzeoc/s320/tASCENSION.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">“God has ascended with a shout, the Lord, with the sound of a<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises
to our King, sing praises.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For God is
the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skilful psalm…God reigns over
the nations, God sits on His holy throne,”</span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">(Ps. 47. 5-6)<span style="color: red; margin: 0px;">.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></b></span></span></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today’s feast
marks the conclusion of Christ’s<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>visible
presence among us, the climax of his work of salvation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It means much more than Christ disappearing
into the clouds 40 days after his resurrection.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That is but a symbol of his
ascent to glory with His heavenly Father.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>His ascension is not so much a question of physically rising in space
but the enhancement of the quality of his life.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>That is the real meaning of the Ascension.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Both St. John’s
Gospel and St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, ch. 2, present the whole of
Christ life and work of salvation in terms of a circular movement.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="margin: 0px;">The Son of God
became man precisely to raise us from the depths of sin and lift us to heights
beyond our wildest dreams.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;">To make this possible He first came down to
our level.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;">He
put aside his divine power and glory and became a<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>human being, as weak and<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>vulnerable as the rest of us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;">Paul tells us Jesus went so far in his
descent as to become a slave, obedient to the death of the cross. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">He
reversed our rebellious pride by become the obedient servant of the Lord.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He plumbed the very depths when he allowed
himself to be unjustly executed as a criminal. The God of glory was despised
and rejected.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">But
Jesus was not defeated by the apparent degradation of the cross.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">By dying on the cross his love defeated the malice of
sin.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">The crucified Christ was
the triumphant conqueror of sin and death.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0px;">On the
cross he was lifted up in glory, not humiliated.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This was the first act in the single drama
of salvation, and of Christ’s ascent to glory with his heavenly Father.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Next, after his death and burial, Jesus rose
to a new and glorious life, while remaining the same person.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He was no longer weak and vulnerable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Through the resurrection Jesus, the God-man,
has ascended to a state of glory, which transcends our natural human condition.</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Far from being a
slave, He is now triumphant Lord of heaven and earth.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now Jesus, our saviour, has ascended to glory
one of us, a fellow human being, is seated in majesty at the right of His
heavenly Father, as Lord of heaven and earth. What is so staggering is that one
of us, the Son of God made man, should be a member of the Blessed Trinity,
fully enjoying its life and happiness.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>That is the climax of His circular journey of descent and ascent. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="margin: 0px;">But the feast of
the Ascension does not just celebrate Jesus’ triumphant return to glory with
His heavenly Father.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We believe that the glorified Christ has
gone ahead to<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>prepare a place for
us,<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>and that we will share in the glory
of His ascension, if we follow Him.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jesus
promised that when He was lifted up, exalted, on the cross He would draw us up
with Him, to Him. </span><span style="margin: 0px;">When we’ve
fallen into sin His mercy heals us and lifts us up back onto our feet.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He raises us beyond our human limitations to
share the very life and happiness of the Blessed Trinity.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When Jesus returns in glory He will raise us
to share, bodily as complete human beings, in His ascent to His heavenly
Father.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This ascent has already been
achieved in Christ Himself, and has begun in us, when, at baptism, we started
to share God’s own life.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;">In the meantime, Paul reminds us that we have
been raised with Christ, and should to set our sights on the things that are
above, where Christ is, not on things that are on earth.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(cf. Col. 3. 1-4).</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s no wonder
the disciples were not saddened by Christ’s ascension, even though they could
no longer see Him. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They knew he would remain with them in
a different way through love.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They believed He would return to gather his
followers to share in His heavenly glory.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The feast of the Ascension not
only honours Christ, but gives us hope. Today we have good reason to rejoice!</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u></u></b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpkPeBYtF2rRp_0ooY4b0N35_tybmxXMk2j8fZwaR_AKlAvRKiGpAFlE6nHk_X7Ueg4BW4FaEmirE70EwUdBz8wFBqzsYYspKW8go9m3Fu8Bvj4hc9Qe1YIRwrbJqWGaUUDNHNUCJ9Ec/s1600/Ascension.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1254" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpkPeBYtF2rRp_0ooY4b0N35_tybmxXMk2j8fZwaR_AKlAvRKiGpAFlE6nHk_X7Ueg4BW4FaEmirE70EwUdBz8wFBqzsYYspKW8go9m3Fu8Bvj4hc9Qe1YIRwrbJqWGaUUDNHNUCJ9Ec/s320/Ascension.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There's an upward moement in the composition of this picture -</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
the hands suggest the Father drawing up, glorifying, His crucified Son,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
the Son's raised hands suggest His raising us up to share His glory</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Our raise hands suggest our "yes" to Christ.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Isidore O.P.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-73906362531601474682018-05-07T15:55:00.001+01:002018-05-07T15:55:41.623+01:006 THE GIFT OF PIETY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuTh4NhdjASkM_WG1wyP89h3Nk7WXXrMP_WMc98nqiCX6kO6cbOepPcnBpaaq7RbnqeIFOcNXG0XOUOOUSQt8cUx8oxT6IufappQdduMiwsnastOZI9jrAUDdG6UjE5X3VrO5K-QB2L0/s1600/Eucharisic+adratton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuTh4NhdjASkM_WG1wyP89h3Nk7WXXrMP_WMc98nqiCX6kO6cbOepPcnBpaaq7RbnqeIFOcNXG0XOUOOUSQt8cUx8oxT6IufappQdduMiwsnastOZI9jrAUDdG6UjE5X3VrO5K-QB2L0/s1600/Eucharisic+adratton.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Worship, Adoration, Gratitude – as a matter of justice we owe God that supreme
act of justice. Why? -because all that we are, all that we have comes
from Him. What is more, God wants us to accept Him as
the most loving, the most caring of parents. This combination of RESPECT for
One who is greater than ourselves and LOVE for One who </span></span><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">has chosen to see us as
His beloved children is known as ‘PIETY.’ </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">On Mt. Sinai the Lord God revealed to Moses that His Chosen People were
duty bound to show Him a level of respect that belong to Him alone,<i><span style="color: red;"><b> </b></span><b><span style="color: red;">“I am the Lord your God… You shall have no other Gods to rival me,” to
which He immediately adds, “I act with faithful love towards thousands of those
who love me and keep my commandments.”</span> </b></i><span style="margin: 0px;"> (Exodus 20.2,6). To God alone do we owe the supreme act of worship; Him alone must we adore. Such reverence is inspired by the gift o piety. The closer we are to God the more we will appreciate His awesome majesty and in comparison, our nothingness. In wonder we will exclaim with the psalmist, "</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"><b><i>What is man that you take thought of him, and the son of man that you care for him.</i></b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> .</span></span> <b>"</b></i><span style="color: black;">(Ps.8. 4-5)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;">It is our glory that we are in such a
beautiful, intimate relationship with our Creator. To Him we owe
respectful, obedient love – that is, Piety. Something of the sort must surely
filter down to the most basic of human relationships – those within the
family…the nursery of humanity. For better or for worse the level of
this Domestic Piety will impact upon the stability and contentment of the
home, and ultimately on society itself.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span><span style="margin: 0px;">Knowing this the Creator decreed , <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">“Honour
your father and mother so that you may live long in the land that the Lord God
is giving you,”</span></i></b>(Exodus 20.12).</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We are entitled to infer that the orderliness and decency of
Domestic Piety should be woven into those situations that
require leadership and co-operation - a reasonable exercise of authority,
a willing compliance and, most certainly, mutual respect. This surely is basic
common sense. Would that it were common practice!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This bed-rock justice in human
affairs becomes a dimension of religion when inter-action between humans is
determined by what God intends and requires of us. Our Piety, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">or loving respect,</span> towards God
then leads to Piety towards each other. It is in this context that the
Holy Spirit breathes His Gift of PIETY, into individuals and into
society itself. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Jesus – the Son of God, the Son of Mary, lived Piety from the Nazareth
childhood within the family, (Lk.2.51), to the Calvary
obedience even unto death. (Phil. 2.8).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;">St. Paul described how a
culture of Piety is meant to Christianize family life, </span><span style="color: red; margin: 0px;"><b><i>“Whatever you say or do, let it be in the name of the Lord Jesus, in
thanksgiving to God the Father through him. Wives, be subject to your husbands,
as you should in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be sharp
with them. Children, be obedient to your parents always, because that is what
will please the Lord. Parents, do not irritate your children or they will
lose heart,"</i></b> <span style="color: black;">(Col. 3).</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Speaking globally, our relating to
God is scarcely flourishing; to a large extent traditional family relationships
are floundering. There is an urgent need for us to
re-discover and strongly promote the Gift of the Holy Spirit known as ‘Piety’. Through this we welcome each other, first, as being made in God's own image and likeness, and, then through baptism, as being His children -our brothers and sisters -sharing His divine life. This gift of piety should give us a divine sensitivity to each other's dignity and inspire us to treat each other with loving respect.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Peter and Isidore Clarke, O.P.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-78871539227638748902018-05-06T10:43:00.001+01:002018-05-06T11:56:33.128+01:005 GIFT OF FORTIUDE<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">"I
can do all things through Him who strengthens me,"</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">(Philip. 4. 13)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhitNUc5uqct-PmPzjPJDF1SuzJh04ZrDiEeZV9p64yKFgOmc0cw74q3dfVaYH3-9c7d2zW8kwU3vCrT1hHYUPeiI9sX9iyAdpxRMks4hsq6zXprfuhDrVaoe_FLvezUnoxxa236wkNI/s1600/SPIRIT+BLOWS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="160" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhitNUc5uqct-PmPzjPJDF1SuzJh04ZrDiEeZV9p64yKFgOmc0cw74q3dfVaYH3-9c7d2zW8kwU3vCrT1hHYUPeiI9sX9iyAdpxRMks4hsq6zXprfuhDrVaoe_FLvezUnoxxa236wkNI/s320/SPIRIT+BLOWS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">St. Paul’s confident words sum up
what the Holy Spirit’s Gift of Fortitude is all about. Surprisingly, he wrote
this while he was imprisoned in Rome, waiting possible execution. And
throughout his ministry he was certain that absolutely nothing could destroy
God’s love for him, his love for God. He had to cope with opposition from
within and from outside the Christian community -persecution, stoning, flogging
and shipwreck. And yet he did not give up. Resolutely he pressed on to the goal
of eternal life and happiness in Christ Jesus.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"> Paul would have been the first
to admit that in himself he was weak and that he was utterly dependent upon a
God-given strength, which we would call the gift of fortitude. With this we
cease to depend upon our feeble human efforts but place our trust in God. As we
draw on His infinite power we can, as Jesus promised, move mountains.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>St. Paul tell us that when he persistently
prayed that God would remove some unspecified trial, which he called ‘the sting
in the flesh’ the Lord replied,</span><i><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"> ‘</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is
perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may rest on me... For when I am weak, then I am strong." </span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: small; margin: 0px;">(2
Cor. 12. 9-10).</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">Through the gift of fortitude we
receive a confidence that with God’s help we can attain the eternal happiness
to which He has called us. We are not daunted by the difficulties and
temptations that may threaten our eternal salvation. The gift of fortitude
prevents us from sinking into a spiritual lethargy or becoming quitters. It
gives back-bone, stamina and resilience to all the virtues. It gives us a
divine momentum, a dynamism towards the Kingdom of heaven. It gives us a
special Christ-like courage and inner strength to resist retaliating when
attacked and provoked. We’re prepared to risk being thought a coward and
weakling.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">Like all the other gifts of the Holy
Spirit, it flows from our</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTx1pE0szDDnIuGhIo_Jq9xAPcrun4OQZ6mjEGZ-o22eX-1FZ6302r_6PJSuVqejzq-G-ruUCaRMYAdJApZ566Kl7xaGNGSTP49r6-86eoLs6WY_ICXY1Ahj3Kfkw28KT9uBvLTh0VoQ/s1600/SCHOONER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTx1pE0szDDnIuGhIo_Jq9xAPcrun4OQZ6mjEGZ-o22eX-1FZ6302r_6PJSuVqejzq-G-ruUCaRMYAdJApZ566Kl7xaGNGSTP49r6-86eoLs6WY_ICXY1Ahj3Kfkw28KT9uBvLTh0VoQ/s200/SCHOONER.jpg" width="168" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;"> receiving a share in God’s own life at baptism. It
raises us beyond our creaturely limitation so that we can instinctively draw
upon God’s own strength. The closer we are to Him, the more in tune are we with
God and the more powerful are His gifts. Like all the other gifts of the Holy
Spirit, that of fortitude is essential to our eternal salvation. We all need
God to help us not to be intimidated by the crosses we have to carry, the
strength to overcome the difficulties and temptations, the stamina to keep
moving on our journey to the Kingdom of Heaven. We certainly need the Spirit of
Fortitude.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">As we receive this gift our
spontaneous reaction must be that of the psalmist, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">"Not to us, LORD, not to us
but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness," </span></i></b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">(Ps. 115. 1).</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Peter and I<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span>sidore O.P.</span></div>
<br />Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-65928123736189399182018-05-03T13:28:00.000+01:002018-05-03T13:30:43.049+01:004 GIFT OF COUNSEL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hsSKjimVI7tcuc-XVHVeJLe_aO_j67DVoS-JYDVukJs_qKFLluTDoENvIcpW5AkP6tEO5mYw0Hlfoj_0B2Guru8CFYNb9QAg7o-jLIheb5jkSkxxKQ7IgKJVc8CrAsOuAsAPIeqqRUE/s1600/SPIRIT+BLOWS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="160" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hsSKjimVI7tcuc-XVHVeJLe_aO_j67DVoS-JYDVukJs_qKFLluTDoENvIcpW5AkP6tEO5mYw0Hlfoj_0B2Guru8CFYNb9QAg7o-jLIheb5jkSkxxKQ7IgKJVc8CrAsOuAsAPIeqqRUE/s200/SPIRIT+BLOWS.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">We have already seen how God, through
the Gifts of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding, INFLUENCES OUR CONSCIOUSNESS
about the things of this earth and of supernatural realities. We thereby share
in God’s perspective and appreciation. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">It is through the Gift of Counsel
that the Holy Spirit MOVES OUR CONSCIENCES so we make godly, prudent, decisions
about what God wants us to do or avoid doing. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Thus we are more than SPECTATORS on
the boundaries who know everything but don’t have to do anything. We are
PLAYERS on the field, who have to make decisions and take the consequences.
Through the Gift of Counsel the Spirit enables us to discern what God expects
of us and to act accordingly. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTx1pE0szDDnIuGhIo_Jq9xAPcrun4OQZ6mjEGZ-o22eX-1FZ6302r_6PJSuVqejzq-G-ruUCaRMYAdJApZ566Kl7xaGNGSTP49r6-86eoLs6WY_ICXY1Ahj3Kfkw28KT9uBvLTh0VoQ/s1600/SCHOONER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTx1pE0szDDnIuGhIo_Jq9xAPcrun4OQZ6mjEGZ-o22eX-1FZ6302r_6PJSuVqejzq-G-ruUCaRMYAdJApZ566Kl7xaGNGSTP49r6-86eoLs6WY_ICXY1Ahj3Kfkw28KT9uBvLTh0VoQ/s320/SCHOONER.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">The schooner with its sails hoisted
is our metaphor for our being responsive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. From
this it follows that if the sails are in tatters, though hoisted, they will be
useless. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">FOR THE MOST PART WE ARE ONLY OPEN TO
THESE GIFTS WHEN WE ARE IN A STATE OF GRACE.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Even so, thank God, the Holy Spirit can
touch the minds and hearts of even the worst of sinners and move them to
repentance!</span></span><span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Prompted by the Spirit the Prodigal Son came
to his senses and resolved, </span><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><b><i>"I will leave
this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven
and against you;" </i></b><span style="color: black;">(Lk.15.18</span>).<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Even so, thank God the Holy Spirit can touch the minds and hearts of
even the worst of sinners and move them to repentance!</span></span><span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">The Holy Spirit gave him the courage
(Gift of Fortitude) to journey back home – no matter how his father might
receive him. You see how several of the Gifts come into play at the same time
according to the circumstances. Think of our schooner hoisting sails of various
shapes and sizes according to the waves and the wind.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">When speaking of the Gift of Counsel
the Church refers to that occasion when Jesus said to His disciples,<i><b> </b></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><b><i>" You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as
evidence to them and to the gentiles. But when you are handed over, do not
worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to
you when the time comes, because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit
of your Father will be speaking in you,"</i> (Mtt.10.18).</b></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">On such occasions the Holy Spirit enables us to draw upon a deeply imbedded
awareness that has become second-nature to us through our habitual closeness to
God. He finds for us the appropriate words and the courage to voice them.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">To shift our attention from crisis
situations to the everyday living of you and me I quote Paul writing to the
Colossians,<b> </b></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><i><b>"We ask God to fill you with the
knowledge of His will, with all wisdom and understanding that His Spirit gives.
Then you will be able to live as the L</b></i></span><span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><i><b>ord wants and always do what pleases
Him,"</b> </i><span style="color: black;">( Col.1.9)</span>.</span><span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #005500; font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">Peter and Isidore O.P.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-60241313998197707292018-05-01T12:30:00.000+01:002018-05-01T12:30:48.684+01:003 GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE<br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">‘He knows the price of everything and
the value of nothing!’ Something’s only precious to him if it’s costly</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">. It’s impossible for him to appreciate beauty,
love and unselfishness because no-one can put a price tag on them. He values a
work of art because it cost a fortune, not because it’s beautiful.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Success is measured by his wealth and the
costly status symbols he can amass. Something is worthwhile in so far as it’s
profitable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Such people have got their priorities very
wrong.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></u><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">The
Holy Spirit’s </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Gift of Knowledge enables us to get
them right.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If the gift of
understanding enables us to penetrate the Mysteries of Faith and gives us an
instinctive insight into the divine, the Gift of Knowledge helps us to identify
with God’s approach to His creation. Quite simply He <span style="color: red;"><b><i>‘saw that it was good,
very good.’</i></b></span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He delighted in His
handiwork –and so should we. Even the smallest and most obnoxious of pests such as rats and cock-roaches are expressions of God's creative love.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">Any prayer urging us ‘to despise the
things of this world’ is an insult to the Creator of Heaven Earth.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Instead, we should see them as reflecting the
glory of God. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCnIaZUlJRntEMgYXskO-KCHHn_3QNfM6BKsPgyBWk04FvHHf2hUuS2iIT6Erul1_Y4K2l8KajKIbUDM9MKV5Q5OyTWU59B6gs0rL_EUN3c1nYU3bx6Dpy0PSJQ2-MPZWpejFj3w4LC8/s1600/pearl.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCnIaZUlJRntEMgYXskO-KCHHn_3QNfM6BKsPgyBWk04FvHHf2hUuS2iIT6Erul1_Y4K2l8KajKIbUDM9MKV5Q5OyTWU59B6gs0rL_EUN3c1nYU3bx6Dpy0PSJQ2-MPZWpejFj3w4LC8/s1600/pearl.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Through the </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Gift of Knowledge we instinctively share God’s
perspective on His creation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> Like the wise merchant we're satisfied only with the priceless pearl -the Kingdom of Heaven. We have the God-given sensitivity to recognise it and the wisdom to sacrifice everything to obtain it. </span>On the one
hand we mustn’t so glorify created things that they become what is most
important in our lives. Instead of leading us to their creator we would remain
satisfied with what His creatures have to offer.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s idolatry.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The Gift of Knowledge helps us to avoid that
pitfall. And so St. Paul urges us,</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"><b><i> '<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,
</span><sup class="ww" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">3</sup><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
</span><sup class="ww" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">4</sup><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">When Christ who is your</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><sup class="fnote" style="text-decoration: none;">*</sup></a></i></b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; float: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><i> life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.</i></b><span style="color: black;"><b><i> </i></b>(Col. 3. 1-4 ).</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It also keeps us aware of the dignity
of the created world, brought into existence out of God’s exuberant love.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He has made us its custodians, responsible
for treating it with respect, protecting it, developing it and sharing its
fruits, which belong to the whole of humanity.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The gift of knowledge should make us sensitive to the dignity of the
whole of creation and prevent us<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>exploiting and damaging it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Above all, through this gift we
instinctively share God’s love for our fellow human beings.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They are His children, our brothers and
sisters, made in His image and likeness.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The Gift of Knowledge helps us to treat people with God’s love, respect
and compassion. It causes us to recognize their dignity as persons, and not to
regard them as sex objects to be exploited.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">This gift enables us to value and
protect even the most insignificant part of God’s creation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That is very much the theme of Pope
Francis’s encyclical. ‘Laudato Si.’ </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;"> Peter and Isidore O.P. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-32320353285584441012018-04-29T19:46:00.003+01:002018-04-29T19:52:22.376+01:002 GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsa6mgLzAv4jOemce67_qcaHS4NcnkY1ktraKK3BZ6uuqkBOR4lzu3YGTB4aTW5vvzt49YcFQesx-n4ApaXBOUo3FnJGjjwBog879YqqUp35_tqNz4Vu83UGXNflfquI0ltoxVGB6jW9c/s1600/Spirit+blowing+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="143" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsa6mgLzAv4jOemce67_qcaHS4NcnkY1ktraKK3BZ6uuqkBOR4lzu3YGTB4aTW5vvzt49YcFQesx-n4ApaXBOUo3FnJGjjwBog879YqqUp35_tqNz4Vu83UGXNflfquI0ltoxVGB6jW9c/s200/Spirit+blowing+1.jpg" width="190" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">“Do not be afraid, for
I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you
and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand,”</span></i></b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(Is. 41.
10).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">The prophet Isaiah’s comforting words
floated into my mind as I lay semi-conscious in a hospital bed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Although as a Dominican I’d spent years
reflecting on the sacred Scriptures it was only in this moment of personal
crisis that God’s words spoke directly to me, reassured me and comforted me in
my need. What was so familiar suddenly came alive for me, took on a new depth
of meaning. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">What I experienced was wonderful, but
not extraordinary for a Christian.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>At
baptism we become God’s children and share His own divine life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
These give us a divine instinct to think and behave like God.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The closer we are to God, the more we become
like Him.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">The gift of understanding
enables us to penetrate ever more deeply into the mystery of God and of His
work of salvation. Certainly we believe in these mysteries.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But through the gift of understanding they touch
not just our minds but our hearts.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That
can transform our lives.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">That happened on the road to Emmaus,
as the risen Lord walked and talked with two disciples.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As they told Him of their distress at Jesus’
crucifixion He explained to them how the Scriptures had foretold His death and
resurrection. Although they knew the Scriptures they hadn’t made the connection
with His Passion.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But on reflection
everything fell into place.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thanks to
the gift of understanding they exclaimed, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked
to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(Lk. 24.32).</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">As a priest I’ve often marvelled at the way the gift
of understanding enables devout young children and unlettered adults to go to
the heart of the deepest of mysteries. Without being learned theologians they
can recognise and love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament; they can talk freely
with Him in their prayers. With a God-given instinct they can tell if something
is against the faith, without their being able to explain how.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And the great reassurance for the preacher is
that the gift of understanding can enable his listener to get something helpful
out of even the worst of sermons!</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Peter and Isidore O.P.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-90902656317004463152018-04-26T17:27:00.001+01:002018-04-26T17:36:17.811+01:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; margin: 0px;"> THE
SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; margin: 0px;">1
WISDOM</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Finding Jesus in the Temple is counted
as one of the Mary’s joys; losing Him as one of her sorrows, as it would have
been for any parent. Who would blame Mary for affectionately chiding Him,
</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><b><i>"Son, why have you treated us so? Your father and I have been looking for
you anxiously."</i></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">Astonishing that He replied,
<span style="color: red;"><b><i>"Did you not know I must be in my Father's house?" </i></b></span>Jesus, being not
only the Son of Mary but also Son of God, thought the time had come to
introduce them to the bewildering idea that He had this lofty relationship with
His Heavenly Father. With His feet firmly grounded, Jesus, through the Gift of
the Holy Spirit, Wisdom, was here setting His life priorities from God's
perspective rather than from a very down-to- earth 'Nazareth- Carpenter-shop'
perspective. (Lk. 2).</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">God wants His Gift of Wisdom to give
all of us, both young and old, an instinctive, powerful intuition of what He
intends for us and expects of us.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">Through Wisdom we come to value
properly those things we believe through Faith. The truths of the Christian
Faith are more important than the things of this world. Wisdom helps us to
order our relationship to the created world properly by loving creation for the
sake of God, rather than for its own sake.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin: 0px;">St Paul in his First Letter to the
Corinthians raises our understanding of the Gift of Wisdom to a much higher
level – one that enables believing Christians to accept and make sense of the
Crucifixion of Jesus. To Jews it was the weakness of being a failure; to the
gentiles it was meaningless nonsense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><b><i>"We are preaching a crucified
Christ, to the Jew an obstacle they cannot get over, to the gentiles
foolishness, but those who have been called, a Christ who is both the power of
God and the wisdom of God."</i></b></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">(1 Cor 24 ).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; margin: 0px;">Surely, only this Gift of Wisdom
could have inspired Paul to write to the Philippians, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><b><i>"Because of the supreme
advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, I count everything else as loss. For
Him I have accepted the loss of all other things, and look on them all as filth
if only I can gain Christ,"</i></b></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">(Phil. 3.8).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETsk8iw-vafHHX1UR5z0OI0exEe060dApRhU9M_aCOsyBvAD7dta3ypeopnSQGrFHZ8lTdGU1Es833ZBiGAhL1-NkJwePF6JFlqihS_MQtVuSqDGGJ4X_WJBmMvyjiHrzs0Bsy2GoLHU/s1600/SPIRIT+BLOWS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETsk8iw-vafHHX1UR5z0OI0exEe060dApRhU9M_aCOsyBvAD7dta3ypeopnSQGrFHZ8lTdGU1Es833ZBiGAhL1-NkJwePF6JFlqihS_MQtVuSqDGGJ4X_WJBmMvyjiHrzs0Bsy2GoLHU/s1600/SPIRIT+BLOWS.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">The Gift of Wisdom enables us to
recognize, appreciate and live according to God's priorities. It gives us a
sense of wonder at the mystery of God, which St. Paul expresses most powerfully
when he exclaims, <span style="color: black;">“<b><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">“</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/5599.htm" title="5599: o (I) -- O, an exclamation, used in addressing someone."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">O,</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/899.htm" title="899: bathos (N-NNS) -- Depth; deep water; fullness, immensity; an extreme degree; profundities, deep-laid plans."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">the depth</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/4149.htm" title="4149: ploutou (N-GMS) -- Riches, wealth, abundance, materially or spiritually."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">of the riches</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/4678.htm" title="4678: sophias (N-GFS) -- Wisdom, insight, skill (human or divine), intelligence."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">of the wisdom</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/2532.htm" title="2532: kai (Conj) -- And, even, also, namely."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">and</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/1108.htm" title="1108: gnoseos (N-GFS) -- Knowledge, doctrine, wisdom."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">knowledge</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/2316.htm" title="2316: Theou (N-GMS) -- (a) God, (b) a god, generally."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">of God!</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/5613.htm" title="5613: hos (Adv) -- As, like as, about, as it were, according as, how, when, while, as soon as, so that."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">How</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/419.htm" title="419: anexerauneta (Adj-NNP) -- That cannot be searched into, inscrutable, unfathomable."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">unsearchable</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/846.htm" title="846: autou (PPro-GM3S) -- He, she, it, they, them, same."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">His</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/2917.htm" title="2917: krimata (N-NNP) -- (a) a judgment, a verdict; sometimes implying an adverse verdict, a condemnation, (b) a case at law, a lawsuit."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">judgments,</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/2532.htm" title="2532: kai (Conj) -- And, even, also, namely."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">and</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/421.htm" title="421: anexichniastoi (Adj-NFP) -- That cannot be explored, incomprehensible."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">untraceable</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/846.htm" title="846: autou (PPro-GM3S) -- He, she, it, they, them, same."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">His</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/3598.htm" title="3598: hodoi (N-NFP) -- A way, road, journey, path."><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">ways!</span></i></a></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> </span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has
been His counsellor?”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></i></b> </span></span><span style="color: red;"><b><i><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></i></b></span><span style="font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">(Romans </span>11. 33-34).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">This
will all happen if we keep our sails hoisted, so that we are propelled by the breath of the Holy Spirit. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 16pt; margin: 0px;">Peter</span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"> and Isidore O.P.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETsk8iw-vafHHX1UR5z0OI0exEe060dApRhU9M_aCOsyBvAD7dta3ypeopnSQGrFHZ8lTdGU1Es833ZBiGAhL1-NkJwePF6JFlqihS_MQtVuSqDGGJ4X_WJBmMvyjiHrzs0Bsy2GoLHU/s1600/SPIRIT+BLOWS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="clear: right; color: #b00000; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.2pt; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span><span style="color: #001000;"></span>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1994520873983579378.post-44221716846327070552018-04-22T19:04:00.002+01:002018-04-23T16:50:08.166+01:00PREPARING for PENTECOST<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETsk8iw-vafHHX1UR5z0OI0exEe060dApRhU9M_aCOsyBvAD7dta3ypeopnSQGrFHZ8lTdGU1Es833ZBiGAhL1-NkJwePF6JFlqihS_MQtVuSqDGGJ4X_WJBmMvyjiHrzs0Bsy2GoLHU/s1600/SPIRIT+BLOWS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="160" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETsk8iw-vafHHX1UR5z0OI0exEe060dApRhU9M_aCOsyBvAD7dta3ypeopnSQGrFHZ8lTdGU1Es833ZBiGAhL1-NkJwePF6JFlqihS_MQtVuSqDGGJ4X_WJBmMvyjiHrzs0Bsy2GoLHU/s200/SPIRIT+BLOWS.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTx1pE0szDDnIuGhIo_Jq9xAPcrun4OQZ6mjEGZ-o22eX-1FZ6302r_6PJSuVqejzq-G-ruUCaRMYAdJApZ566Kl7xaGNGSTP49r6-86eoLs6WY_ICXY1Ahj3Kfkw28KT9uBvLTh0VoQ/s1600/SCHOONER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTx1pE0szDDnIuGhIo_Jq9xAPcrun4OQZ6mjEGZ-o22eX-1FZ6302r_6PJSuVqejzq-G-ruUCaRMYAdJApZ566Kl7xaGNGSTP49r6-86eoLs6WY_ICXY1Ahj3Kfkw28KT9uBvLTh0VoQ/s320/SCHOONER.jpg" width="270" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">In preparation for the feast of Pentecost I will post a series of meditions on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, composed by my recently deceased brother , Peter, and me. I dedicate these postings to Peter's memory and the joy of working with him.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">I shall never forget that glorious day when<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>my twin brother, Peter, a fellow Dominican,
were<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>standing<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>on the deck of a schooner<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>sailing<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>between the W. Indian islands<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>of
Grenada and<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Carriacou.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There, at the foot of the mast we gazed up at
the sails embracing the strong breeze<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>that enabled<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>our boat to<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>carve<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>its way through the waves towards our destination.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">St John tells us that <b><i><span style="color: red;">“the wind blows where it pleases,” </span></i></b>and
that <b><i><span style="color: red;">“so it is with everyone that is born of the Spirit,”</span></i></b> (Jn. 3.8).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now it has been said the Seven Gifts of the
Holy Spirit may be compared to the sails of a boat eagerly awaiting the breeze
that would be its driving force.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">In this scenario we can see ourselves as being<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>like the crew of the schooner with the choice
of hoisting the sails<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>so that<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>their boat might<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>carve its way through the waves or leaving
the furled on deck while their anchored boat anchored, rocking gently in<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>port. The obvious parallel is laid-back,
lack-lustre Christians or<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>ones eager to
be empowered by the Holy Spirit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">Our<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Heavenly<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Father want us to be activated by the Gifts
of<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>the Holy Spirit which we received at
our Baptism. It was then we became<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Temples of the Holy Spirit – dynamic people who would lead lives that
gave great<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>glory to God.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches): “ By the
Sacrament of Confirmation the baptized are more perfectly bound to the Church
and are enriched with a special strength<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more
strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed,” (1285).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">The Catechism also tells us:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;">“The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom,
understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They
belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David.</span><a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P67.HTM#$210"><sup><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #668844;">109</span></span></sup></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"> They complete and perfect the
virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily
obeying divine inspirations,” (1831).</span></span><br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Now
we are going to attempt to deepen our understanding and appreciation of their
role in our lives. At Baptism we received these gifts. When we were Confirmed
these gifts perfected and activated so as to enable us to lead fully
Christian lives. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
idea of being endowed with spiritual gifts is to be found in the writings of
the Prophecy of Isaiah. The recipient of these gifts would be the One Almighty
God promised sent to His Chosen People. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> <b><i><span style="color: red;">“A shoot will </span></i></b></span><b><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">spring
from the stock of Jesse, a new shoot will</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> grow
from his roots.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2"></a> On him will</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> rest
the Spirit of the Lord, the spirit</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> of wisdom</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> and insight, the spirit</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> of
counsel and power, the spirit </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">of knowledge</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> and
fear of the Lord:<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="3"></a> his </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">lie
in fearing the Lord. His judgement will</span></span></i></b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"> not be by appearances. his verdict not given on hearsay,</span></i></b> (Isaiah 11).</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Elsewhere Isaiah tells us this person
would claim to be anointed by the Spirit of God: <span style="color: red;"><b><i>“The spirit</i></b></span></span><span style="color: red;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> of the Lord</span></i></b></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"><b><i> is
on me for the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the news
to the afflicted, to soothe the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to
captives, release to those in prison… to comfort all who mourn,”</i></b></span> (Is.61).</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">These prophesies become
exciting as we realize that according to the Hebrew text of the Old Testament
“Messiah” was the word used of one anointed as king, priest or
prophet. The equivalent word in Greek of the New Testament is “Christ.”</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Of all the passages from
Sacred Scripture Jesus could have chosen to read in the Synagogue in
Capernaum He selected, <span style="color: red;"><i><b>“The spirit</b></i></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> of
the Lord</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"> is
on me, for he has anointed me to bring the good</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: red;"> news
to the affli</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><i><b>c</b></i></span><i><b>ted...”</b></i></span> Dramatically He exclaimed,<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="19"></a> ‘This text
is being fulfilled today even while you are listening.(Lk.4).
Through and through His humanity was briskly alert to the impulses of the
Holy Spirit in the service of His Heavenly Father. </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The Church would have us know that we
ourselves are caught up in this Messianic thrust of energy – like the schooner
opening its sails to the wind. After the water of Baptism had flowed over our
brows we were anointed with Chrism, ‘As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet,
King, so may you live always as a member of his body, sharing everlasting
life.’ </span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Loaded with such spiritual Gifts it
is up to us to let God do great things in us and through us!</span><br />
<span style="color: #001000; font-family: "times";">Isidore and Peter O.P.</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Peter Clarke O.P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10041856997279291487noreply@blogger.com0