Behold I stand at the door and knock...: Recent Episodes
Fr Paul Chandler
"Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him..." (Revelation 3:20) A collection of my Sunday homilies for Holy Mass as well as some occasional talks and reflections. May my words enable you to hear the voice of Christ, who asks that you open the door to Him. Please share this podcast with others and you can always contact me with questions or comments at frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au
St Peter knew what it was like to reach out to Christ in the midst of difficulty and to receive His help. No doubt, he did his more than once in his life. We too have to do this so that we remain close to Him, who has suffered for us. St Mary of the Cross (Mackillop), our first Australian saint, is an outstanding example of this too.
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The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 is a teaching moment, wherein Jesus foreshadows the miracle of the Eucharist. This gospel episode can lead us to contemplate the Holy Eucharist and the effects and fruits of Holy Communion.
The image is the Feeding of the Five Thousand by Murillo
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Once more, Our Lord teaches us about our life in Christ or the Kingdom of God. To be in Christ and His kingdom is a great treasure and “the pearl of great price”. But being there demands much of us as well as being on the way towards the end times, when the great dragnet of history will be emptied and the sorting begins. In all things, says St Paul, God cooperates with those who love Him.
Image: “The Pearl of Great Price” by John Everett Millais
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God has not revealed to us everything. He has not told us every answer to every question or every problem. Perhaps He is protecting us?
Adam and Eve did want to know everything but then that was their pride and their desire to be like God, at their own pace and timing.
When we do not understand something, like the question of good and evil existing alongside each other, this is another opportunity to trust God and commend ourselves to His loving plan for the world and our salvation.
The artwork is by Ellen Gould Harmon White, c.1900. (in the public domain)
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We're so familiar with the parables of Jesus but we must be careful that being familiar with them does not dull our senses, make our hearing faulty and our spiritual vision clouded. This is precisely what was happening as Jesus told the parable of the sower. Throughout the centuries, right to this very day, the sharp point of this parable resounds and it is a call to action!
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Jesus describes Himself as “meek and humble of heart”. What does this mean? How can we be meek? What does being humble look like?
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This weekend the major relic of St Carlo Acutis will be visiting my parish here in Armidale. I would like to tell you about him because I didn't have to prepare a homily for this Sunday. Each Mass will have the homily about St Carlo presented by Monsignor Figieuredo, who is the custodian of the relic and is travelling with the relic on its Mission throughout Australia. Here's some websites you may access.
https://www.stcarloaustralia.com/
https://www.carloacutis.com/en/association
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How kind God is! He never leaves us alone in our sufferings, whether that is interior or inflicted upon us from outside because we remain faithful to the Faith and to Truth. The story of the martyrs demonstrates this clearly.
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The readings for this 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time caused me to reflect upon the compassionate and sacred Heart of Christ, who was moved for the people, who needed a shepherd to care for them, a priest to offer an effective sacrifice and an abiding presence. Thanks be to God because we have received all of these, not for our merits but because of the immensity of Divine Love.
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The sacred liturgy for this Sunday is directed towards the very nature of God, who has revealed Himself to be a communion of divine persons, each sharing the same divine nature and yet distinct as persons. Every sacred liturgical action is directed towards the Most Holy Trinity and so nothing is different this Sunday except giving us the opportunity to deepen our appreciation and give thanks for such a revelation, which is foundational to our Christian faith.
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The solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is an annual opportunity to be reminded, and give God thanks, for the great mystery of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Once again, we should be in awe of what has been given to us; in a manner which is far beyond our means to invent, larger than what our minds can understand, and deeper than our hearts can hold.
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The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was an unprecedented event in human history in which the divine gift is given freely, powerfully and abundantly to those who believe and are baptised. Thanks be to the most Blessed and Undivided Trinity!
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The Ascension of the Lord marks the physical departure of the Risen Lord and His entry into exalted glory. He does not rest after His labours but continues His intercession for us in the heavenly liturgy and through the earthly liturgy associates us with Him. Surely, a day of rejoicing and triumph!
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Since the beginning, the Church has been given an identity and a mission. Its identity is as a communion (not a community) of faith. Communion is deeper than friendship and courtesy; it means that Christ is the bond between us. The mission is to bring others into this communion so that they may share the faith and the life of grace.
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The Collect of this Sunday’s Holy Mass and the Gospel present to us the saving power of Christ’s Paschal Mystery, which transcends time and also enters into it, and the deep longing that Jesus desires to be in our hearts for the future fulfilment of our salvation.
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The image of Jesus as shepherd is one that has been with the Church from the words of the Lord himself. It has been loved and revered in the Church since the beginning. But let us not forget that the corollary is the we are the sheep of the flock, who depend upon and trust our Good Shepherd.
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The mysterious stranger who joins the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is, as we know, Jesus. But the inner reality of His resurrection is not made visible on the outside. Gradually though, He reveals this to the disciples; and what a difference it makes to them! They run back to tell the others that the Lord is risen indeed.
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We Catholics use the term feast in both a spiritual meaning and a physical meaning. The spiritual takes precedence. So, on this 2nd Sunday of Easter, which ends the Octave of Easter, we rejoice and revel in Divine Mercy, just like we would at a banquet; but of course we do that feasting as well!
Divine Mercy is not separate from Easter but part of it because how else would Our Lord go through with His passion and death, which culminates in resurrection, unless He had boundless and abundant mercy towards us.
Please be sure to make a reverent and worthy Holy Communion so you may receive the promise attached to this day: that the floodgates of Divine Mercy be poured out upon you.
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The wonders of the Resurrection are real and that is the reason for our hope and our joy.
God bless all my listeners on this glorious and happy day.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia
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Who is this man? Many asked this question in the narrative of the Passion that we listen to this Sunday. Some asked it quietly and answered it to themselves. Some asked it out loud and found different answers.
During Holy Week, perhaps we can ask ourselves this question, "Who do I say that he is?"
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The return of Lazarus to the life of this earth by Christ's divine power over death, like the last two Sundays, has a reference to Holy Baptism. Also, it foreshadows the resurrection of the body and life everlasting; which will be made possible by the resurrection of Jesus in the dawn of Easter Sunday.
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The gospel episode of the Man Born Blind has much to teach us. As we noted last Sunday, one of the key lessons is about Baptism, and, in this case the light of faith that is given to us.
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The interaction between Our Lord Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well is one of the most beautiful and intriguing events in the gospels. It is marked by the divine charity in the heart of Jesus and the human quest for happiness in a woman who is perhaps scarred by life.
This Sunday's gospel is one of those worthy of many reflections.
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The Transfiguration is a breaking into time of the eternal now. The glory of Christ's body reflects the glory of heaven; and the presence of Moses and Elijah reminds us that Christ seals the Old Testament. This is a defining moment in the grand scheme of our salvation.
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The first Sunday of Lent reminds us of the temptations Our Lord faced in the desert as well the reason for our forty days of preparation for Easter. It’s more than recalling. It is also witnessing again the beginnings of the reversal of disobedience which would lead to the ultimate defeat of sin and its consequence, namely death.
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Continuing on from where we left off in St Matthew's gospel last Sunday, Our Lord teaches us that one aspect of the Jewish Law remains, and is elevated to a higher level, while the other two aspects of the Law have been fulfilled and perfected. This is an important teaching for us as Christians.
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We know this bible verse well, don't we? But putting it in context, following right on from the Beatitudes, and then who says these words, gives us a different perspective.
The image used is by William Brassey Hole
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This Sunday's gospel reading is the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, as it is sometimes called.
The Beatitudes are more than being happy, but rather the charter (along with the Ten Commandments) of the Christian life.
In this episode, I tell the story of a saint who has been called the Man of the Beatitudes, St Pier Giorgio Frassati.
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The calling of the first four apostles is not just a nice story, though it is. It is Jesus beginning His church, calling the first of twelve for whom He desired the role of leadership in His church; twelve just like the twelve tribes of Israel because the Church is the new Israel. This role of apostle continues today in every bishop around the world because this was Christ's intention. He did not start something and then let it get by on its own. Rather, the divine plan was there from the very beginning.
The image is by Caravaggio depicting the call of Peter and Andrew.
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The title of today's podcast may lead you to believe that it will be a long one. Not necessarily! Though volumes have been written on prayer, on faith and on the nature of God, I take a simpler approach, seeking to find what does the sacred liturgy lead us to understand and appreciate on this Sunday. I hope you find it helpful.
The image is of St John the Baptist by Annibale Caracci, held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
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The Baptism of the Lord reveals Christ to the nations as the Beloved of the Father, the One on whom the Holy Spirit rests, and the Saviour who is in solidarity with fallen human nature, and with sinners. This is a wondrous feast, not just an event.
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The Epiphany of the Lord is the story of our life of faith. It was also an historical event whereby the divine entered into time, space and history. Can we be like the Magi who looked for, saw and adored the Son of God? Can we do this more than once in our life?
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In the sacred liturgy and in our beliefs, we do not pass over the obvious reality that Jesus was born into a family. Rather, we spend this Sunday within the Octave of Christmas giving our attention to this perfect and holy family. We do this not to wonder at the ideal but draw from it inspiration and grace; for us and for our families.
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The birth of Christ is always seen, because of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, as light entering a world in the grip of darkness. Even the circumstances of His show us this. There is really too much to say about the Nativity of the Saviour. Perhaps that is why the Church brings us to celebrate it each year so that we deepen our understanding of and appreciation for God coming to meet us.
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This podcast attempts to offer a way in which we as Catholics can pray when 15 people were killed last Sunday on Bondi Beach. Echoing the words of Archbishop Fisher of Sydney, a great evil has visited our nation. Our faith does not explain why it happened apart from recognising that evil exists and will be active until Christ comes again. However, the holy scripture of today's Mass offers how we can pray and even what we can pray for.
Eternal rest give to all those who were killed, O Lord, and let perpetual life shine upon them. Amen.
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The Collect of this Sunday's Mass places together "solemn worship" and "glad rejoicing". What is this kind of joy that is compatible with solemn worship?
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Two important aspects of this podcast: an idea that is theological and important to understand our salvation, and another which is a timely message for our day.
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This First Sunday of Advent reminds us of the final coming of Christ, when He will come to judge the living and the dead. The Lord Jesus calls us to vigilance, which is being in a state of readiness by living in truth and virtue and by faith.
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus.
The image used is Ercole Ramazzani, “The Last Judgment,” 1597 (public domain)
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Pope Pius XI instituted this Feast of Christ the King* in 1925. Of course, the Pope wasn't inventing anything new; that's not the way Popes operate, or shouldn't. The Pope is the guardian of the deposit of faith but at times in history a Pope has had to, for various reasons, make explicit what has always been believed.
Often the best way to do that, is to enter the dogma into the sacred liturgy through a feast day.
Christ said Himself that He was a king, and for this He entered the world, when He was being interrogated by Pontius Pilate. So it was not invented by any member of the Church at any time in history.
Today's feast calls us to honour our King, give Him our homage, and to be faithful to His rule.
As the Cristeros of Mexico shouted when they were fighting against a godless and masonic government, in the same decade of the 1920's
VIVA CRISTO REY!
- I made an error in the podcast by naming Pope Benedict XV as doing this. My apologies.
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The basilica that we honour today has an interesting history as well as being of high significance for us all around the world. I hope you will enjoy learning about its history and, perhaps, being reminded of the spiritual significance of our holy buildings, of which this one has a unique place.
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These two important and great days that herald the beginning of the month of November, the month of the Holy Souls, are worthy of our attention together this year because one falls on a Saturday and one on a Sunday. Not just for that reason though, together they tells us about who we are and where we are going. They remind us also of the doctrine of the Communion of the Saints on earth, in heaven and in purgatory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9scqFrX-zc&list=RDL9scqFrX-zc&start_radio=1
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The parable of the pharisee and the tax collector (or publican) is again a parable about prayer but also a parable about the sin of pride and the virtue of humility. Pride leads to be being happy about oneself and the humility leads to being at rights with God. The latter is what we should be striving towards.
The image used in this podcast is "The Pharisee and the Publican" by James Tissot painted somewhere between 1886 and 1894. It is the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, New York.
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The title of this podcast might have you wondering, particularly if you have looked at the readings for this Sunday's Holy Mass. If you listen you will see how the necessary reverence shown to the Blessed Sacrament fits within the question that Our Lord poses at the end of this Sunday's gospel.
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Amazing Grace is the title and first words of a well-known hymn, composed by John Newton. Its appeal goes wide among Christians. I have called this podcast after the hymn, not because I want to talk about it, or its composer, but rather because the Collect of today's Mass prays to God for grace to accompany us. So, I thought a teaching about grace would be in order. I find many Catholics do not fully understand the splendour, the power nor the amazing nature of grace.
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What a beautiful prayer that the disciples make to Jesus! Their request is one that we can make our own too. But as the Lord often does, He wishes to teach more than the disciples expect.
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This Sunday's parable of Lazarus, the poor man, and Dives, the rich man, is a lesson in charity towards the poor but also a lesson in the end-of-life result of living separated from God, namely Hell.
It's not popular to talk about Hell since the prevailing notion is that Hell does not exist, or that it is empty, or that as long as I am nice, I won't go there. But that is not what Our Lord teaches us in this parable and at many other times.
The drawing, "The Rich Man and Lazarus" is from Harvard Art Museums and is by John Everett Millais.
The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on their website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes.
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The parable of the steward in this Sunday's gospel is a masterful teaching story given to us by Our Lord Jesus. The steward is referred to as dishonest, unrighteous, cunning but also astute. What and how can he be all these at once? There are so many aspects to this parable, that deserve our attention, but too many, I think, to address all at once. But, I hope what I do focus on is helpful.
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Today's important Feast Day supplants the Sunday in Ordinary Time and gives us another opportunity to reflect upon and appreciate the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, its immense and perfect power and its effect upon all of Creation.
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Today in Rome, Pope Leo XIV will declare that the Church has two new saints - St Pier Giorgio and St Carlo Acutis. It's been a long wait for those who love Pier Giorgio - 100 years!! Somewhat less for Carlo - 19 years. But, these two young men have much in common, more than just being young and Italian.
Both these two young saints show us holiness to an extraordinary degree but, because of who they were and the lives they led, they inspire us to greatness.
St Pier Giorgio's favourite saying "Verso L'Alto", which is English means "To the Heights" is what both of them want to do for us, namely, to lead us to the heights of heaven.
St Pier Giorgio and St Carlo, pray for us.
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This podcast, first of all, has some comments upon the school shooting during the past week in Minneapolis, continuing to address the reality of evil and human free will, which was mentioned in the previous podcast.
Then attention is turned to Holy Communion as it is First Holy Communion Day in the parish. I explore many things and use some insights from the-soon-to-be-saint, Carlo Acutis. He called Holy Communion his highway to heaven. It worked for him. It can work for us too!
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Once more, Jesus speaks of difficult realities. Those who think that Jesus never makes demands upon us have never read the gospels.
Today Our Lord and Saviour speaks of how we must strive to enter heaven. It should not surprise us because we follow Him who suffered and died that we might just do that, join the saints and angels in heaven.
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To follow Christ faithfully and truly is not easy. He demands of us a surrender of our will and that we love Him with all our heart, and soul and mind. Some will not understand this. They may even be members of our family; some may be our friends. The world will not understand and may reject us because they have already rejected Him.
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Please accept my apologies, I should have remembered to say this is the podcast.
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The parable of the Good Samaritan is so well known. Let us not, though, be too familiar with it so as to miss whatever the Divine Teacher reveals to us each time we hear or read it.
The image used for this podcast is The Good Samaritan by William Henry Margetson
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The word "abasement" is used in the Collect of this Sunday's Mass. What does it mean? And what is Christ's abasement? What does it have to do with us?
Good questions deserve good answers. I hope this episode helps to answer those questions.
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Well, a special occasion! The feast day of two saints bumps aside the Sunday liturgy in Ordinary Time. We shouldn't be surprised because these two saints are both extraordinary and immensely significant for the Church.
We know a deal about them in terms of their accomplishments and their endeavours. Also we know their words and their mind from the pages of the New Testament. But let us not forget that it is their love for Jesus and their holiness that brings us to celebrate their feast day.
May these great saints and apostles, Peter and Paul, pray for us.
And a shout out to all those who bear their names (like me...). Have a happy feast day and rejoice!
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What a great feast and solemnity! We honour the abiding presence of Christ in the tabernacle, the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus promised to be with His Church until the end of time and He fulfils that promise perfectly and constantly by His eucharistic presence.
With thankful hearts and lively faith, let us keep this marvellous holy day.
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Our yearly contemplation of the profound mystery of the Holy Trinity brings us to the central doctrine of our faith. It is a mystery beyond our comprehension but one that God has allowed us to have access to, indeed, even one that shapes and directs our life.
Praised be the most Blessed Trinity, one God in Three divine persons!
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The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost in an unmistakable way. Even those who did not have faith in Christ or did not know him could not miss the signs and wonders that accompanied the arrival of the Holy Spirit.
But coming to faith in Christ needs someone to speak the message; and that is what St Peter did. His words were the first evangelisation undertaken by the Church. It has continued since until this very day.
The Holy Spirit assists the Church today to be the evangeliser of the world. The Holy Spirit assists each one of us also by the seven wonderful gifts given to us at our Confirmation.
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The Ascension of the Lord, celebrated in Australia on this Sunday (though biblically it really occurred last Thursday 40 days after Easter Sunday) is another major event in the Pachal Mystery. The Lord has physically left this earth leaving His Church to be His presence in the world and given to her an important and ongoing mission.
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What a marvellous reality does Jesus tells us in today's gospel reading: that God wants to dwell within our soul through the working of sanctifying grace!
We don't deserve this. We don't merit it in any way. But this is God's gracious gift to us obtained for us by the Paschal Mystery, the life, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We must then be truly grateful and truly faithful.
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The command to love and the expectation that we love as Christ has loved us is at the very centre of our Christian faith. It could be said to define who we are as well as how we should act.
St Thérèse of Lisieux is a teacher of love in her "little way" that she taught to the whole Church. May she pray for us that we may be faithful to the way of love.
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Good Shepherd Sunday is always the Fourth in Eastertide because we hear each year the Lord's own words about Himself and us; as flock and shepherd.
It is true that our shepherd leads us to green pastures but also that His abiding presence makes us confident in times of trial and difficulty. Because He is beside us, there is nothing we shall want, nothing that we need that He will not supply.
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The Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff is days away. In God's awesome providence, the divine Scriptures read at Mass this Sunday give us a powerful statement about the role of the Pope.
Let us pray for a good and holy Pope, who is zealous for the faith.
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Each year, this Sunday of Divine Mercy reminds us and compels us to enter more deeply into the Divine Heart of Christ, wherein is a limitless ocean of mercy, waiting to be poured out upon those who dispose themselves to receive it.
This feast day is intimately connected to the Paschal Mystery of Christ's death and resurrection and so it finds its place correctly and properly on the Second Sunday of Easter, when our Risen Lord gave to His Church the power and authority from Him to forgive sins.
Jesus, I trust in you.
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We have reached the goal of our Lenten fast, abstinence and penitential practices, that is, the Day of the Resurrection of the Lord. Alleluia! He is risen as He said.
With joy and thanksgiving, let us deepen our faith and our love for our Risen Lord. Let us tell Him how much we love Him and how grateful we are that He has conquered death, and its origin, which is sin.
Let us spend the next 40 days of the Easter Season deepening our understanding and our appreciation for all He has done for us.
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As we seek to follow Jesus on His path of suffering and death this day, and desire to unite ourselves with His heart and mind, there is no other person better to help us than the Blessed Virgin Mary, His mother. Through her eyes and through her heart we can unite ourselves more closely to Him.
O Jesus crucified, for us You suffered; for us You died on the Cross!
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As we enter into the Sacred Paschal Triduum, let us endeavour, through careful reflection, to know something of the mind and heart of Our Lord on this most tragic and momentous evening.
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Palm Sunday begins Holy Week, that most moving and mournful week of the year. We are meant to enter more deeply into the sufferings and death of Christ and to go with Him on His way of the Passion. As He gives Himself fully for our salvation, our hearts can yearn even more for what is to come on Easter Day while at the same time being filled with thanksgiving and awe.
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The woman caught in adultery and brought before Jesus is almost as well known as the prodigal son of last Sunday.
However, the masterful writing of St John and the divine wisdom of Jesus create for us a multi-layered story that is capable of misunderstanding, as I will show.
But it is also a parable that teaches us, with real people, the justice of God and His abundance of mercy and compassion.
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The Year C readings this Sunday include the well-known parable of the Prodigal Son. This is a story of many threads and themes. The one I want to highlight is that of conversion and to link that with the great, and much-underused Sacrament of Confession. Make sure you go to Confession before Easter.
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"The Lord is kind and merciful", we say in the Responsorial Psalm at Holy Mass on this Sunday of Lent. This holy season is appropriate to approach the sacrament of forgiveness and healing, Confession or Penance or Reconciliation. In this podcast I want to answer some questions about this beautiful and much under-rated sacrament.
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The Transfiguration of the Lord led me to ponder upon the human soul and the mission of the Church for the salvation of souls. I hope you find some helpful and encouraging, as well as enlightening, aspects to this podcast.
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Lent is a hard road. It is paved with self-denial, almsgiving, fasting, abstinence from meat, more deliberate and careful prayer. We can't change that but we can joyfully accept it out of love for Jesus and our desire for solidarity with Him.
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This podcast looks at the Holy Mass.
Holy Mass will be and should be an important part of our life, as I hope this podcast will demonstrate. Especially, during Lent it should be the ignition for an intense life of prayer.
Quite often the sacrificial nature of the Mass is overlooked or not known about. But the communion aspect of Mass cannot exist except when joined to the sacrifice.
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Indulgences are somewhat misunderstood, even by Catholics. But they form a key part of every Jubilee Year and they do so also in 2025. Understanding indulgences and using them is part of the great spiritual treasury that Christ has left to His Church. Let's find out more about them AND use these effective means of grace.
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I'm exploring over the coming weeks, before Lent begins, some topics from our beautiful Catholic faith that are worthy of our attention before we enter into Lent. I am hoping that the catechesis (teaching) contained in these podcasts will help you to make Lent more fruitful.
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This beautiful and multi-faceted Feast provides us not only with a glimpse into the life of the Holy Family but also into the studied and careful way that God implemented our salvation..
This day is also Candlemas, as it is 40 days since Christmas.
Enjoy this beautiful feast day!
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This podcast concludes the discussion of important and helpful matters for us as the Season of Lent begins.
I make a particular call for all of us to go to Holy Mass more during Lent because of its centrality to our Catholic faith; because of its power to impart divine grace; and its power to make our parishes into "powerhouses of prayer".
May the holy penitential season of Lent begin well for you!
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January 26th is the national day of Australia.It is the day on which Catholics, through the holy sacrifice of the Mass, pray for our nation and its peoples, and entrust our past, present and future into God's merciful and loving providence.
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In our "woke" culture, where every difference is celebrated (and enforced) it may seem a counter-cultural claim that Jesus, born in Bethlehem, is the Saviour of every person.But that is not a claim we as Christians invented. On the contrary, it is the plan and will of God that has been revealed to us through Christ. The Epiphany of the Lord is a day when we can give thanks to God that we have heard the Gospel, been baptised and made children of God. May the ends of the earth hear and heed the saving plan and power of God!
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This beautiful and ancient title given to Mary has weathered many objections over the centuries. It is a title beloved of Catholics and one we use regularly with great love. But to those outside the Catholic faith it is either misunderstood or rejected. We as Catholics should know how to defend this title, and so defend our heavenly mother, and give reasons for the faith we hold; the faith that is ancient and goes back to the apostles.
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Between the Nativity of our Saviour and the Solemnity of the Mother of God, our attention turns to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This was a singular grace for Nazareth to have the perfect family, free from sin, living in its midst. This can be a cause for fruitful contemplation and devout speculation, which can lead us deeper into understanding the virtues of family life.
May the Holy Family be the model for our families as well as powerful intercessors in heaven for us.
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The title of this podcast may seem somewhat strange.But I meant it to sound that way. Follow along with me and you will see what I mean that Christmas opens our eyes and our hearts as well as touching our humanity in a profound way.
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The fourth Sunday of Advent brings us not to the birth of Christ but to those nine months after his conception.
Mary, the living tabernacle of the Lord, went on the first Eucharistic procession. She carried the Saviour to the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth.
John the Baptist leaps for joy in his mother’s womb and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and recognises the mother of her Lord.
Also, we are reminded that the perfect obedience of the incarnate Son of God is the cause of our joy, our praise to God, and our thanksgiving.
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The beautiful and uplifting tones and sights of Gaudete Sunday lift our hearts and summon our minds to the nearness of Christ's nativity. We begin to experience the joy of all those who surrounded the birth of Jesus: His holy Mother and His earthly father, the shepherds and the Magi, and the angels who rejoiced in heaven. Although we have to contain our joy, for the day has not yet arrived, it is right and fitting that we rejoice with all our heart.
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On the Second Sunday of Advent, we are reminded of the vigilance that we need to be ready to receive our King; both in remembrance of His first coming at Bethlehem; in His regular coming in mystery and sacrament into our hearts and souls; and His Second Coming in glory. Are we ready? Do we keep ourselves in a state of readiness?
Come, Lord Jesus.
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A new liturgical year begins!We find our attention being thrust forwards and backwards as we enter into this holy season of preparation and waiting. As our attention moves quickly back and forth, Our Lord demands of us vigilance and holy expectation for His coming again in glory. There is so much going on during Advent that it really becomes an exciting and constantly moving few weeks.
Come, Lord Jesus.
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The liturgical year draws to a close with this Feast of Christ our King.This was instituted in 1925, at a time when the world needed to hear loudly and clearly that the way to peace, harmony, and the fulfillment of peoples rests in and with Christ. All forms of government and all forms of headship of states must find their model in Christ. All nations must allow Christ to be King. Only then is real peace and genuine harmony achievable. Is this unrealisable? No, everything is possible for God but He waits patiently for every human heart to claim Christ as the King of the whole world and the whole created order.
The image is Christ the King by C.B. Chambers, circa between the 1920 and 1950 (used on the website of the Archdiocese of Sydney)
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As we come towards the end of the liturgical year, and the beginning of Advent, the Church always reminds us of the last things of our own life and the cosmic event that is the Second Coming of Christ. While awesome and of immense significance, these will be times of hope for all who have remained faithful and in friendship with Christ.
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There are many lessons for us always in Holy Scripture. The two widows presented to us in this Sunday's readings demonstrate genuine and real kindness; not being nice; not being polite; but exactly what kindness is and should be. As Jesus teaches the apostles and disciples what this means, He reveals to us that real kindness makes demands upon us.
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Music by Samuel F. Johannson and by Tomomi Kato from Pixabay
The Scripture readings are centred upon love this Sunday. Charity is the virtue infused into our souls at Holy Baptism that enables us to love God for His own sake and to love others out of love for Him.The Sacred Heart of Jesus shows us this charity perfectly because He has divine love within a human heart. By divine grace, although not perfectly in this life, that is also possible for us.
The Australian composer whose name I couldn't recall is James McCauley and he worked with Richard Connolly. Together they have left to the Catholic Church in Australia some worthy and memorable hymns. Look them up!
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Music by Samuel F. Johannson and by Tomomi Kato from Pixabay
Bartimaeus, the blind man, is healed of his blindness by Jesus in this Sunday's gospel reading.The joyful and trusting faith of Bartimaeus is both an example for us and an encouragement to us. It is a reminder that faith saves us, liberates us, and draws us deeper into the mystery of our redemption, which is presented to us at every Holy Mass.
The statue in the photograph is Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus, by Johann Heinrich Stöver, 1861
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Music by Samuel F. Johannson and by Tomomi Kato from Pixabay
We continue to witness the apostles being taught and formed by Jesus in this Sunday's gospel reading. As we do this, we too are formed, taught and instructed. This Sunday we are called to examine the connection between suffering and humility, but also obedience in following Jesus. Then also, once more the wider question of who will be saved?
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Music by Samuel F. Johannson and by Tomomi Kato from Pixabay
This is the question that the apostles ask Jesus after they witnessed the conversation between Him and the rich young man.A reasonable question in the circumstances it is. But Jesus leads them to understand both what it means to be saved as well as the role of money and wealth in the life of His followers.
The image is by Heinrich Hofmann, "Christ and the Rich Young Ruler", 1889
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Music by Samuel F. Johannson and by Tomomi Kato from Pixabay
No longer does our society understand marriage as God does. It's part of the spiritual decline of the West.It is harder for us to remain faithful to what Christ taught us about marriage, which we also call Matrimony since it has been raised by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. But it's not impossible because, as in all things. God makes the demand and gives the grace to obey the command.
The image is the marriage of Mary and Joseph by Raphael
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There is a teaching of the Catholic Church, repeated at Vatican II, and contained in the Catechism, that the fullness of truth and salvation is found in the Church through Christ alone.This is a nuanced doctrine because at the same time we acknowledge that the Holy Spirit can act outside the Church, as the first reading and gospel reading of this Sunday's Mass indicate.
There is not space in one podcast to examine every aspect of this but I hope you find what I say helpful and enlightening.
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It is First Holy Communion in my parish this Sunday. So, I would like to share with you the story of two children, a brave boy and a devoted girl, who both loved Jesus present in Holy Communion. May they inspire the children who will receive Our Lord for the first time tomorrow at Holy Mass.
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If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:
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Being Fathers Day today, I want to speak about the role and value of fathers in our family and in society. Apart from this day, I think fatherhood is generally undervalued.
Then, since my parish is beginning the Alpha program I also want to reflect upon what is evangelisation and the context in which we find ourselves today.
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The third instalment of the 6th chapter of St John's gospel, finds us watching the Jews, who clearly understand what Jesus is saying, go further into their disbelief and rejection of what He means. It is saddening to witness this, in much the same way as we witness many, even Christians and Catholics, who do not take Jesus seriously and literally.
The website I mention in the podcast is: https://www.clergy.asn.au/
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In the gospel of this Sunday, Jesus maintains His teaching that He is the Bread of Life, despite the rejection He begins to experience from the Jews. We are also reminded that Holy Mass is both a memorial and a sacrifice.
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So says Our Lord Jesus in the gospel reading of this Sunday, which begins a four week reading of the 6th chapter of St John's Gospel.The Church invites us to listen and to ponder anew the teachings given directly to us by the Son of God about the Eucharist and His presence therein. To match the opening scenes of this conversation, I offer two interpretative lenses by which to follow and understand the unfolding exposition of Christ's teaching, and its rejection by many.
The image used is "Master of the Gathering of the Manna", Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was not just a good man and a great teacher! He was and is God. His divinity we acknowledge every time we bow our head at His holy name and genuflect before Him present in the tabernacles of our churches. We must be vigilant not to water down the supernatural aspect of His miracles, like the one in the gospel for this Sunday.
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Our task as disciples of Christ and members of His holy Church is to be ever watchful in keeping His commandments and, through grace, to grow in faith, hope and charity. Yet, we know that sin seems to abound in the Church; that there are bad shepherds and wicked sheep. Yet, we do not give up. We do not despair. It is not our Church but Christ's.
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The Devil and his fallen angels (the demons) are our enemies and they hate us and they loathe what God has given us. But they hate God above all.Their pride and their envy of what Christ has done, and has done for us, knows no bounds. But they have not won and will not win. Christ has given us the pledge of eternal life that overcomes and defeats all that Satan does.
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The percentage of Australian Catholics who attend Holy Mass regularly continues to decline.
This is an existential problem for the Church. How can we remedy this? What can we do?
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To please God is key to the holiness of a Catholic life.This task is mentioned both in the 2nd reading and the Collect of this Sunday's Mass. But what might hinder us as we seek to please God?
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This podcast is about the Sacred Heart of Jesus because my parish is dedicated to His most sacred Heart. So, as is permitted, we replace the Sunday in Ordinary Time with an external solemnity for our patronal feast.
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The solemnity of Corpus Christi turns our attention to the abiding presence of Christ with His Church, namely, the Blessed Sacrament.Christ is truly and really present in the consecrated species of bread and wine, in a way that is an intersection of the natural and the supernatural. It is a presence that is complete and full. The whole matter of the bread and wine is transformed into Christ's body and blood, in a supernatural way that does not eliminate the appearances of bread and wine but changes the substance into Christ's Body and Blood. This is truly amazing! How much we should be grateful as Catholics that we have this great gift from our Lord and Saviour!
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The life of God is a mystery that is far beyond us. Yet, at the same time, it is one of the key Christian dogmas.But we have been drawn into this life of God through the Sacraments and so we can have access points into this mystery.
The full mystery will be revealed in the glory of heaven.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit....
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The Holy Spirit broke into the world on that first Pentecost Sunday with an amazing manifestation of sight and sound.Only those who receive the Holy Spirit may know the full beauty and richness and power of the gifts that the Holy Spirit brings. The world cannot and does not know of these because the world is in opposition to Christ. Yet, we do know and the Holy Spirit enables us to show forth the wonderful fruits of His presence.
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The Paschal Mystery did not end with the empty tomb, or with Jesus’ appearances to the Apostles over the course of forty days.Rather, our salvation is embraced also by the Passion and Death of the Lord as well as His Ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. God has achieved our salvation in a remarkable and wondrous way!
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Jesus commands us to love one another in the Gospel reading of today's Mass.What sort of love is He talking about? It is charity. But, how is charity to be understood, and if it is love, what sort of love is it?
The image used today is by Francesco Trevisani and is St Peter baptising Cornelius.
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Eastertide is the time above all times and seasons when we turn our attention to the Paschal Mystery.So, what is the Paschal Mystery and what has it to do with our life and happiness?
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There is no salvation outside the Church is a doctrine held to since the time of the apostles, as we hear St Peter say in the first reading of this Sunday's Holy Mass.
But how are we to understand this? And what does this mean for us and for those who are outside the Church, by their own choice or by the circumstances of their lives?
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How do we know Christ rather than know about Him?Well, it is He who gives us the way to do this. Most clearly, as we hear in today's readings from Holy Scripture, through His real presence in Holy Communion and through following His commandments.
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God's mercy endures for ever!This is the theme of today's Sacred Liturgy. It is not new. It is as old as the first revelation of salvation made to Adam, to Abel, to Abraham and down the generations until the coming of Divine Mercy incarnated in Jesus, Our Lord.
Today is a day to continue to deeply rejoice that Divine Mercy is greater than any sin; even greater than the sin of the whole world.
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Easter Sunday of the Resurrection is the high point of our Christian year.Christmas is beautiful and so appealing, but we do well to remember that Jesus was born so that He might die for our sins and rise to life for our eternal life. "For this I was born; for this I came into the world," he said to Pilate, as we heard on Good Friday.
On this day, no matter what the world might say or believe, we profess our sure faith that there is only one Saviour, Jesus Christ, and He is the way, the truth and the life.
The image used today is "Resurrection", a tempera on panel painting by Andrea Mantegna dating from 1457–59, now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Tours
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We are at the beginning of Holy Week.The cries of welcome and jubilation will turn to condemnation and calls for crucifixion. In all the movements of this week, the kenosis, or the self-emptying of Christ holds our attention. Let us keep close to Him and empty ourselves for Him so that we may worthily participate in His resurrection.
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Covenant is a word we hear often in both the Old and New Testament. What Christ has done through His life, death and resurrection is to establish a permanent and everlasting covenant which was sealed in His blood; not the blood of animal sacrifices but in the blood of the only Son of God. After you listen to this podcast you might like to delve into the Letter to the Hebrews.
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The fourth Sunday of Lent is Laetare Sunday. The rose coloured vestments signal a brief respite from the penitential practices of Lent.God is all mercy and love. We know that and we reverence the images of Christ crucified because that is the pre-eminent sign of Divine Mercy and Love. Today I speak about the Sacrament of Penance/Confession/Reconciliation because it is the best way by which we prepare for the Paschal feasts and it is the ordinary way that we have access to God's mercy and love.
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The Decalogue, or the ten words from God, or as we usually know them, the Ten Commandments is the First Reading at Holy Mass this Sunday.This revelation from God became the foundation of the Mosaic Law that governed the life of the Jewish people. It was not a burden but something that enabled them to remain close to God and He to them.
Today I explore further from the Ten Commandments what the Church teaches us about law in general and how it affects our lives.
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God is all goodness, all truth, and all beauty. Living a virtuous life is how we participate in God's own life, which is another description of grace.
The virtue of obedience motivated Abraham to be faithful to God. But what does it mean to live a virtuous life? In this podcast, as well as delving into the Scripture readings, I also describe the 7 major virtues. I hope this is helpful and that it will give you something to guide your spiritual life.
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We hear about the temptations of Jesus in the desert on this first Sunday of Lent. Temptation is most regularly connected in some way with sin. So, since I find many Catholics do not clearly understand what sin is, I though I would offer a short catechesis on this topic. I hope you find it helpful.
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The very moving scene of the leper kneeling before Jesus is one of great pathos. It also provides us with a neat and appropriate entry into Lent on this Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. May the great trust of the leper be ours during this coming season of Lent.
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The reading from the Book of Job reminds me of those women and men (mostly women, which is an interesting point to ponder) whom Our Lord Jesus or His holy mother, Mary, have asked (and are probably still asking) to be victim souls, that is, those who accept suffering for the good of others and for the salvation of the world. I speak of St Gemma Galgani but there are other victim souls. Another very well known one is St Pio of Pieltricina (Padre Pio).
This might be of interest to you:
https://www.simplycatholic.com/what-is-a-victim-soul/
https://holyredeemervan.org/pastor-columns/victim-souls
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The growing recognition of the divine authority of Christ forms one part of this Sunday's gospel reading but also does the reality of evil as a person, and Christ's dominion over the devils.Once again there are lessons for us about evil and, by extension, about authority in the Church and how Christ wished authority to be exercised for the good of all. This is a topical subject, given the state of the Church at the moment.
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At this beginning of our reading of the Gospel of St Mark, we hear of the early events as Our Lord, Jesus Christ, began His Church.His appearance out of the hidden years at Nazareth and His calling of the first four apostles signals the beginning of a battle against the Devil, who is the enemy of God and of the human race.
Each of us is part of this battle and we are each one of the combatants. Thanks be to God, who protects us, most notably through our Guardian Angel, we don't constantly feel the effects of this battle; but we do experience difficulties and temptations, and the battle is nevertheless very real.
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The Catholic faith has always been, and if it remains true to its traditions, will always engage our reason, our thinking.Much of what passes for informed opinion, even academic comment, these days does not rely on logic, careful reasoning, nor philosophy that has stood the test of time. The endless search for novelty and pleasure, and popular opinion found on social media, has clouded many minds from the rigours and rewards of actual thinking. It is as if our brains have been overriden by our passions. But this is not the Catholic way. As St John Paul the Great demonstrated in his encyclical Fides et Ratio, faith and reason are easy partners.
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The arrival of the Magi shows forth a never-before-known part of God's plan of salvation. It is something that was kept hidden until the time of its revealing. It is something beautiful for us, who are Gentiles. It means that we too are heirs to the promise made so long ago.
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The Feast of the Holy Family falls, in this year, on the last day of the year. This is the day when the Church encourages us to recite the Te Deum, an ancient and revered prayer of thanksgiving and praise for all God's graces, gifts, and protection. So, I explain not only how to gain the plenary indulgence on 31st December, but also what indulgences are in general. Of course, the Holy Family is mentioned as well.
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Who is this child who brings us to the church, to Holy Mass and to many celebratory moments today and over the coming Octave?The answer may be obvious. But asking the question enables us to ponder again and anew the meaning of Christmas.
May you have a blessed, joyful, and peaceful Christmas Day and Season!
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At this closing point of Advent, St Paul draws our attention to the "obedience of faith".This is an interesting phrase and, among many others, is a true and fitting term to describe the way we are called to live our lives in harmony with the teachings of Christ and in fidelity to Him.
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As Christmas approaches, the Church leads us into the Christmas Novena.During these days the joy that our Saviour's birth brought to the world takes a prominent place. It is a holy joy because it is joy for a holy reason, not for any earthly purpose. It is joy because we have been saved from the double punishment that the original or first sin of Eve and Adam brought to our human nature and to the world. We are not on our own any longer. God comes to be with us!
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St Peter speaks of the Second Coming of Christ in today's second reading.The Parousia is a reality though we do not know when or exactly how it will happen and what might the experience of those who are alive and witness it. Though there will be fearful things happening, it is a glorious event that brings about the final and complete victory of Christ over sin and evil. It will be the time of our fulfillment and our joy.
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The Season of Advent begins with an exhortation. We are to be alert, on the watch during our lives as we must live in constant expectation of the coming of Christ, as well as to rejoice once more at His birth.
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The solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe, not only makes a bold but true claim about Christ, it ends the liturgical year, and gives us an opportunity to give homage to our King.
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The parables that Our Lord told and have been passed on to us in the Gospels, are teaching stories. Their purpose is to jar us, provoke in us a different perspective so that we may learn. What the Parable of the Talents teaches has become part of our beautiful and treasured Catholic faith.
The art work for this episode is obtained from WikiCommons and is The Parable of the Talents by Willem de Poorter
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The parable of the ten bridesmaids (or virgins) sets our sights upon the readiness that is needed for all of us to welcome the bridegroom, who is Christ, when He comes; most particularly when He comes to call us from this earthly life. We need the perspective on this earthly life and our life in heaven that divine Wisdom gives us and also, as St Paul tells us, that our faith provides for us.
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The image of the vineyard, which makes a prominent appearance in today's Scripture readings can lead us to examine the nature of the Church herself.
The photo used in this podcast is acknowledged to © Jebulon; Edit by Norbert Nagel (Modifications: Light, colours, crop), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29853716
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Once more we are asked to consider the unfathomable ways of God. According to human reckoning, God can appear to be unfair. Humility teaches us to see past this and begin to glimpse the wonders of God's justice and mercy.
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The parable that Our Lord tells in this Sunday's gospel about the workers in the vineyard is meant to arouse our response. We feel the unfairness of the way those who have worked all day seem to have been treated, don't we? But God's ways are not our ways and God is not bound to human expectations or by human thinking. After all, we know from experience that sometimes we can get things wrong but God never does.
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Such an unforgiving and hard heart does the servant have in today's gospel reading. There is more here than just being nice to each other. It is more about how our hearts may be closed to the marvellous grace that Christ offers us through His passion and death. This is a grace that opens our understanding to realise that we also have a debt that we can never fully repay.
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The Lord Jesus intentionally began a Church. It wasn't a human concept nor an earthly desire. We see this divine intention in many ways in the gospels. Today we hear how Jesus wished to organise his Church both internally to maintain harmony but also that the Church may be defended from division and that the members of the Church assist each other to grow in holiness.
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When St Peter rebukes Christ for speaking about suffering and taking up one's cross,he receives a rebuke in return. But Christ goes on to teach him, the other apostles, and us about the value of suffering. This is a unique aspect of Christianity. We, who follow, Christ believe that suffering has value, and brings grace; all because of Christ Himself and what He did.
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The office of the papacy is central to the identity of the Catholic Church, as Christ intended it to be.It is helpful to explore the interaction between the office and the office-holder, as we look briefly at some history and what the Church teaches. Let us pray for the Pope that he may be protected from error and the forces of evil.
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Christ died and rose for the salvation of all, but it would seem that not all accept it. While we do not know the interior dispositions of any human heart or soul, exterior manner of living would suggest that many do not care for what Christ has done; some forget about it amidst the pleasures of the world; some reject it; some ignore it.
What about us? Do we live each day so as to actively accept what Christ has offered to us?
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Jesus walking on the water to save his apostles is what He promised to do for His Church in every age until the end of time. We find ourselves in troubled times in the Church especially internally as disagreements about doctrine and practice exist at every level. Christ has not abandoned us. He is faithful to His promise to be with His Church until the end of time.
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Bringing people to know and love Jesus Christ has been the mission of the Church since Our Lord gave the Great Commission to the Apostles before His Ascension into Heaven. There is a narrative around in the Church, even coming from the Pope, that to proclaim Christ is to proselytise. This is a word which has, until this time, meant forcing someone to convert. While this may have be done somewhere in the past, it is not the task of evangelisation and never has been. Proclaiming the gospel and bringing people to Christ must remain the central mission of the Church.
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The third parable in the gospel of this Sunday Mass turns our attention to the reality of Hell. Our Lord means what He says and says what He means. When being faithful to the gospel there is no way it could be said that Hell does not exist. Then in logical thinking, if a place exists there must be someone there. The Catholic Church has always taught that Hell exists, though who is there, has never been defined, since that is known only to God. Let us live our lives in readiness for Heaven.
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The parable of the darnel and the wheat allows us to contemplate the immense mercy of God that allows time for all to repent and come to believe. However, contrary to what is thought and even preached today, mercy demands repentance.
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Knowing God's holy will, that is, what God wants of us, is the gold standard for living the Catholic faith.
It comes to us in many ways: through the Commandments; through the Church; through the movements of an informed conscience; through the words and inspiration of the Saints. The image of the seed falling into good soil and producing an abundant harvest is how Our Lord Jesus expresses it in the Parable of the Sower. The prevailing culture with its standards and ideas seeks to keep us away from God's will and to be caught up in the mindless progressivism of the abuse of freedom.
We have much to ponder on and pray about.
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Our Lord invites us to come close to Him, who is meek and humble of heart.Humility is a Christian virtue that disposes and assists us to act, think and speak towards others because they are our equal in dignity. It also moves us to the right attitude of reverence towards God.
May the Sacred Heart of our Saviour draw us to Him; and as He does may we grow to be more humble.
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Our life in Christ is so rich a reality and so deep a mystery that we need many expressions of what it means.
One which arises from the Collect of this Sunday's Mass is to stand in the bright light of truth. I explore in this podcast two ways in which we can place ourselves, through the grace of God, into this bright light.
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"Do not be afraid..." says Our Lord Jesus in the gospel of this Sunday.There are many, many things that can make us afraid, disconcerted, downhearted and despondent about the world and the Church in this age. Some say that the springtime promised by Vatican II has not eventuated, but rather, a dire winter. Yet, we trust in Christ, who has conquered the world and Satan. We must remain faithful and prefer nothing to the love of Christ.
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The Australian Catholic hymn composer, James P. McAuley, has left us a beautiful hymn:Jesus, in your heart we find
love of the Father and mankind;
these two loves to us impart
divine love in a human heart.The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a human heart in which resides the divine love. This Sacred Heart burns with love and desire for us, and brings our heart into union with it through Holy Communion. What love! What privilege! What undeserved mercy!
To the depths within your heart
Draw us with divine desire,
Hide us, heal us, and impart
Your own love's transforming fire
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Corpus Christi brings us to celebrate the marvel and miracle of what Christ our Lord has done for us. He has left his bodily presence among us in the Blessed Sacrament of His Body and Blood so that He might remain with us, abide with us, draw us to His Sacred Heart and incorporate us into Him. What love! What splendour! How much we have been given! Let us treasure and protect the Blessed Sacrament. This is truly the centre of our Catholic faith.
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The Most Holy Trinity is foundational to our Christian belief. It is a sublime mystery that our intellect cannot comprehend and could never have invented. Yet God chose to reveal His inner life so that we may come to know who God is, and that we may come to share, both in this life partially and in the next fully, the life of the Most Holy Trinity.
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Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit mark the completion of the Paschal Mystery accomplished in fifty days.
Who is the Holy Spirit? Without preempting next Sunday, Trinity Sunday, the person and action of the Holy Spirit is intimately linked to the Father and the Son. However today gives us the opportunity to focus upon the Third Person of the Holy Trinity so that we may come to understand and appreciate this divine person more deeply.
The art used today is by Anthony Van Dyck
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The Ascension of the Lord is the "tail end" of the Easter season.But in the tradition of the Church, not discernible in the modern form of the Holy Mass, it is its own season called Ascensiontide. While very short, only 10 days if Ascension is on Thursday or 7 days if Ascension is on Sunday, it is significant because it is like a bridge between the post-Resurrection appearances and the descent of the Holy Spirit. It also ensures that the whole Eastertide plus Ascensiontide is longer than Lent. It's like the Church is saying to us that the joy of the Resurrection outdoes the sorrow of the Passion. Anyway, where Christ the Head has gone we are able to follow. He has paved the way for us!
The artwork is The Ascension of Christ, historiated initial ‘C’, Italy, 15C (State Library of Victoria, RARES 096 IL I)
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We have many questions in life. Some are about where my life is going. Others are about the ultimate meaning in life. While others are mundane but sometimes pressing, like how to pay the bills. Others who do not have our faith may look at us and think we are perfect and have everything sorted. But that's not true, is it? However, what we do have is hope and the reason for our hope is Christ and the abiding guarantee of our hope is the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus has sent to us from the heart of the Father. So, we can give the reason for our hope when we are asked.
The image today is of St Paul preaching in Athens, from the collection of the Royal Academy of Arts
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The reassuring and comforting words of Christ our Lord in the gospel of this Sunday remind us that the Paschal Mystery, by which we are saved, also results in a home, a house that we belong to, both in this life and for eternity in the next. We have much reason for joy and for hope!
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The Good Shepherd is an endearing image given to us by Christ of Himself. It is uniquely Christian. No other religion or creed expresses the love and tenderness of its god in such a way. If it had been human invention, it would be both arrogant and presumptive. But it is part of divine revelation and so is trustworthy. May we be humble enough to be the sheep and allow Jesus to be our shepherd.
The image is The Good Shepherd by Philippe de Champaigne
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Christ our risen Lord goes in search of two despondent disciples on the road to Emmaus.This is a favourite Easter story because of its heart-warming outcome but it has also has much to teach us, as Jesus intended. There are lessons to be learned about our discipleship and how we give worship and glory to God.
The image used this Sunday is by James Tissot (French, 1836-1902). The Pilgrims of Emmaus on the Road (Les pèlerins d'Emmaüs en chemin), 1886-1894. The original is held at the Brooklyn Museum
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The message of Divine Mercy entrusted to the Church by the Lord Himself on the eighth day after the Resurrection, and strengthened through the revelations to St Faustina Kowalska in the 20th century, is sorely needed in our world. Humanity needs to hear that Divine Mercy is endless and heals all the troubles of the world.
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The Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ truly is a turning point in human history!Only with the eyes of faith are we able to see how the treachery of Satan and the gullibility and over-reaching of humanity are reversed.
But it is also the ancient faith of the Church that the Death and Resurrection of Christ are so powerful that the order of sin and death is reversed and humanity is offered a higher plane of existence, that is, being sons and daughters of God whose homeland is now the blessedness of heaven.
The image used is that of Piero Della Francesco c. 1463 Museo Civico, Sansepolcro, Tuscany, Italy
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Such a day! Unlike any in the history of the world!The Creator of the entire universe, not only comes down to earth, but enters into the darkest experience of human life, namely death. For only one reason does He do this; for love, an immense and self-emptying love.O Cross of Christ, immortal tree on whom was hung our victory!
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The beginning of the Sacred Triduum turns our attention to the Upper Room of the Last Supper, but also to Calvary, and the abiding presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
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Today we hear the words of Pope Benedict XVI in the homily he gave on his last Palm Sunday before his abdication and retirement. They are stunning and arousing words as well words that cause us to ponder and enter tenderly into Holy Week.
- Artwork by Pietro Lorenzetti - Source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3944840
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The raising of Lazarus from the tomb prefigures and points towards Christ's own Resurrection from the tomb on Easter Sunday morning. Having received Holy Baptism, this resurrection of the body is promised also to us, and this gives us joy and much consolation as we face the certainty of dying.
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Once more, with the healing of the man born blind, we reflect upon Holy Baptism, in preparation for the Sunday of the Resurrection, Easter Sunday.The grace of Baptism gave us faith, hope and charity to reside in our soul, unless we reject such grace through mortal sin. Faith is a light for our lives and gives us direction and meaning. The man born blind came to faith in Jesus through his miracle of healing. So do we come to faith in Jesus through the miracle of spiritual regeneration, that is Holy Baptism.
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Francis Thompson wrote a poem called "The Hound of Heaven", in which he described the immense love of God as like a hound that never gives up chasing the hare. God pursues us relentlessly because He loves us and desires us to be in love with Him now, and in eternal life in heaven. What Jesus did at the well in Samaria was to pursue this poor woman whose life was an utter mess. He always does the same for us, whether we are in a mess or all is going well. God always and unrelentingly loves us.
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Having compunction for our sins means being acutely aware of the wrong we have done, which offends God; and a contrition for our sins follows.The marvellous event of the Transfiguration inspires fear of God and awe before Him. But, at the same time, an awareness of the immense kindness of God.
The image for this podcast is the depiction of the Transfiguration by Raphael. It is worth having a look at it because what appears in the thumbnail image is only the top half of it.
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How we view ourselves and the world is informed by our Catholic faith.The Christian understanding of our humanity, how the world came to be (and why the world is as it is now) have all been revealed to us by God.
This first Sunday of Lent takes us back to the beginning, to the pervasive reality of sin, as well as allowing us to view the trials and temptations of our Saviour in the desert.
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God abides in hearts that are true and just.To be disciples of Our Lord and members of His Mystical Body we constantly strive to make our hearts true, just, clean and pure. This is the constant struggle of the Christian life and victory is obtained by our good efforts and divine grace.
Here is a link to the hymn/song that I mention in today's podcast.
Calon Lân
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyUYSCzkcec
The image of this podcast is the flag of Wales, the dragon. I hope some Welsh people are listening!
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Our Saviour does not need us to help Him to save the world. He can (and has) done that all by Himself.But He wants us to participate actively in not only our own salvation but also that of the whole world. So He does make some demands of us, namely, to be salt and light for the world. We must not be afraid. He will assist us. He only needs our good intentions and good deeds.
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Christ delivered His Sermon on the Mount and brought the Law given to Moses to a fulfillment and a perfection. Rather than sounding like legal provisions, it is more a description of the qualities and virtues of those who will be His in this world. But it is not as this world would have thought it to be.
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On our national day, we give God thanks for our beloved nation and homeland.
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We believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.So, we profess in the Symbol of Faith, the Nicene Creed on every Sunday and Solemnity. These are, of course, not mere words because all words have meaning. Neither are these our ideas about the Church. Christ is the Head of the Church, its Founder and Cornerstone. These qualities of the Church are His desire and His gift to the Church, so that she may be the light of the nations.
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The words of St John the Baptistin the gospel reading for this Sunday's Holy Mass provides us with an opportunity to ponder upon the heritage of our sacred rites; a heritage that stretches over thousands of years. We are also given the chance to deepen our reverence and devotion to Our Lord, who is truly and really present in the sacrament of the altar.
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The Epiphany of the Lord, on January 6th, marks the twelfth day of Christmas and is traditionally the time both to give gifts (like the Magi) and to dismantle the Christmas tree and other decorations.I think it loses something when it is celebrated on the next Sunday. If the Epiphany was marked liturgically on January 6th, no matter what day of the week that was, wouldn't it communicate that this event, in the grand scheme of the unfolding of human salvation, is worth going to Mass for even if it occurred on a weekday?
In this podcast, I ponder upon how Christian service is connected with the coming of the Three Wise Men.
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The new year begins with turning our eyes towards Mary, the lowly maiden from Nazareth, who from the earliest days of the Church has been called the Mother of God.This is not to give her divine status, she is still a creature. But God raised her above all other creatures to be the Mother of His Son. She is the mother of the whole person, Jesus, not just His human nature. Otherwise we are splitting the person of Christ, and, as happened, either making his human nature or His divine nature not totally real.
May Mary, the Holy Mother of God, intercede for us before the Throne of God.
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Christmas attracts us, for many reasons and on many levels.This miraculous and long-awaited birth began the final act in God's careful and deliberate act to bring the world back to friendship with Him. God the Son becoming man and being born brought this loving plan of salvation into the open.
Quite right it is therefore that we celebrate heartily both in the church and at home!
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St Joseph has our attention this fourth and last Sunday of Advent, as we move closer to the Nativity of our Saviour.While not eclipsing Mary, Joseph provides for us a glimpse into the complex reality of the coming of our Saviour in our human nature. Joseph's just, merciful and honourable treatment of his betrothed is most worthy of our reflection and our gratitude.
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Rejoice in the Lord!Gaudete in Domino!The Entrance Antiphon gives the name to this, the 3rd Sunday of Advent. The colour rose temporarily replaces the violet of Advent, so as to anticipate the joy of Christmas.
Yet, there is what seems a puzzling dialogue between Christ our Lord and St John the Baptist in the gospel reading. But with a closer and a deeper look, it is simple: God is coming to save us!
The Catholic blog of Fr John Zuhlsdorf can be found at
https://wdtprs.com/
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We hear repentance once more!This is not so as to make us feel bad but rather to call us to change our ways and be free from sin so that we might come into the presence of God, who is present both in Holy Communion at every Mass, and whose first appearance at Bethlehem we will celebrate on Christmas Day.
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The message of the First Sunday of Advent is stark! Remain vigilant! Do not slacken! Be not complacent!It could be stated in many different ways, with many various words, but Our Lord does not allow us to glide easily into Christmas. The event of Christ's incarnation and birth is a world-shaterring event and, as such, it requires a total response of our selves.
If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:
frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au
What a glorious Feast Day! It is for our spiritual good that we acknowledge Christ as our King.He rules over us by right as our God. He demands our fidelity as our Saviour. He gives us His powerful protection as our Lord.
Let us dedicate this day to His honour and pray, as He taught us, that His kingdom come in all its glory!
If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:
frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au
Our Lord and Saviour, in His great kindness, has told us that there will be a definitive end to this world.When He comes in glory at His last coming, He will bring everything to a definitive end and evil will be completely and eternally conquered.
He knows that we cannot experience this on our own and so He promises to be with us as well as telling us about it.
If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:
frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au
The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection and life after death but, as Our Lord tells them, they were in error.Our belief in the resurrection and the life of Heaven is given to us by the Son of God Himself to be our consolation in this life and to arouse in us both a hope for and a longing for Heaven. May that hope and longing be increased within us!
If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:
frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au
Zacchaeus in the tree and Jesus inviting Himself to his house! This is an attractive, slightly humorous, and genuinely warm episode in St Luke's gospel. It is probably one of the best known from the gospels. The conversion of Zacchaeus and its unconventional beginning and conclusion must remind us of our own conversion, which is a lifelong task.
If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:
frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au
The parable of today's Gospel is the tax collector and the the Phariseewho both went to the Temple to pray. Our Lord teaches us not only about prayer but also about humility, trust and obedience.
If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:
frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au
Peseverance is a virtue needed for our human life and also our spiritual life. Our Lord exhorts us in the Gospel reading for today to persevere in prayer. The Holy Spirit, who abides in us, bears the fruit of stability and perseverance in us when we willing cooperate with divine grace.
If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:
frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au
The Battle of Lepanto in 1571 is a decisive point in the history of Europe and the history of the Church. It is also a critical point in the story of the Holy Rosary. All Catholics should know of this important event.
The gratitude displayed in the First Reading and the Gospel are examples for us of how we must show gratitude towards God in a due and fitting way. The Holy Rosary helps us to be grateful.
Today's readings from Holy Scripture and the prayers of the Sacred Liturgyprovide us with reflection upon and insights into the mystery of suffering and difficulty in human life. It is a lesson we all need, and sometimes need to learn again and again.
The question of why we pray and how we pray has been in the human mind since the beginning. So, it is an ancient question, but it is ever new as each of us approaches prayer and as each of us confronts difficulties and suffering in our lives. Indeed, prayer is both a puzzle and a necessity.
Hard words from our Saviour today!
Discipleship, that is following Christ, is costly. It will bring suffering to us and we do this in imitation of the Lord Jesus Himself. But, as we also know, it brings us the path of life.
Humility and reverence go together in a marvellous synergy both in our human relationships but, even more so, in our attitude to God.We received in the Sacrament of Confirmation the gift of the Holy Spirit which is Fear of the Lord. This holy fear is not being frightened by someone who will harm us but rather the reverential humility that distinguishes a child who loves his/her father. May we grow deeper in this holy fear!
"Strive to enter by the narrow gate," says Our Lord in today's gospel.The entry to heaven is not a foregone conclusion nor is it easy to attain. We shouldn't be surprised by this because our salvation was won for us by suffering and agony, by a bitter passion and a gruesome death that Jesus Christ endured for us; and we are called to follow Him. We are not called to follow some ideology of pleasure or an easy life.
The saints in heaven are our brothers and sisters in the Faith who have run the race and achieved the crown of victory.From their place around the throne of God, they urge us on to be victors, like them, in the race and in the battle. Their prayers lend us sure support and protection.
Let us honour them and thank them; but also rely upon them for their guidance and intercession.
The faithful servant whom the master finds awake and at his duty, when he comes, is praised by Our Lord is today's Gospel reading.The faithful servants of God in the past are praised in the other two readings.
Faith is not a static or immoveable object. It must be living and be evident in the our lives. Those who were obedient in faith are praised and their example is placed before us so that we may imitate them.
The Gospel reading of this Sunday's Mass is often referred to as the parable of the Rich Fool.This is an interesting and evocative image, isn't it? Wealth and power often go together, so in the eyes of the world those who are wealthy have great influence. But Our Lord teaches us that wealth can bring many problems with it. When these problems cross into the moral sphere we see greed and envy and jealousy.
Praying the Our Father is uniquely Christian.Perhaps because we do it so often, we forget that marvellous revelation that Christ gives us in the Gospel reading of today's Holy Mass. But there's more! Through the two parables about prayer, He shows also how to pray and why we should pray.
This concludes the three-part podcast on the way of receiving Holy Communion.Here I propose the advantages of the more traditional way of receiving Holy Communion for your consideration.
Our Christian faith has at its foundation the profession of the Blessed and Eternal Trinity.This is singular to Christianity but it is so profound and awesome a mystery that it is nothing that the human mind could have invented. It is only what God has revealed. On this Sunday we proclaim our faith in the nature and operation of God and we give worship to the Three in One and the One in Three.
Pentecost Sundaymarks the end of the Easter Season because we honour the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Our Lady and the Apostles, which is the culmination of the Paschal Mystery, our salvation. May the Holy Spirit be renewed within us on this great and wonderful feast day. Happy Pentecost!
The Ascension of the Lord marks a significant and important moment in the Paschal Mystery, that is, how Christ saved and redeemed us. His entry to Heaven in a glorified human body has immense implications for us. It's not just a neat and tidy ending to His stay upon this earth. Let us keep this day joyfully and well for it truly is a holy day!
Each time we profess our faith by using the Nicene Creed, we declare that the Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic.Today's readings from holy scripture give us both a reminder of and a source, in the inspired word of God, for what we profess.
Today’s reading from the Gospel of St John contains a poignant moment of betrayal alongside tender instruction. The evil of the deed of Judas is in contrast to the impending glory of the Passion. We are also presented with the impending glory of the Second Coming of Christ.
Taking up the discussion once more about the recent practice of receiving Holy Communion in the Hand, this episode looks at some of the evidence we have about what was done in the early centuries of the Church and asks the question as to whether this is a convincing argument in favour of Communion in the Hand.
The Fourth Sunday of Easter focuses upon the instructions of Jesus about His being the Good Shepherd.It is also World Day of Prayer for Vocations since we pray for more young men and women to follow the Good Shepherd in those states of life that show to the whole Church, and to the world, the very essence of the vocation given to all of us through Holy Baptism. We pray particularly for generous young men to answer the call of the Good Shepherd to be shepherds in His name for the People of God.
Also, Happy Mothers Day to all mothers!
The reading from the Apocalypse (Revelation) turns our attention to the liturgy in heaven;that eternal act of praise and worship that is the everlasting bliss of life with God in heaven. Through divine institution, the sacred liturgy here on earth derives its existence, its purpose , and its structure from this heavenly liturgy. Surely, this is something which we must consider each time we go to Holy Mass. All of heaven is watching us when we are at Mass!
ANZAC Day is a day of patriotism as well as praying for the souls of those Australians who have died in war, whether military or civilian. We pray also for peace in our world, which is once more troubled by war and the threat of war.
Divine Mercy Sundaybrings to our attention the wounded side of our Saviour from which blood and water flowed as well as His Risen Body, which He shows dramatically to the Apostles in today's Gospel. The message of Divine Mercy is profound yet simple, timely and everlasting.
There is a link between the Cenacle, the place of the institution of the Eucharist, and Calvary. It is a connection not accidental but deliberate by Our Lord. Once we see the connection our appreciation of Holy Mass is deepened.
Maundy or Holy Thursday begins the Sacred Paschal Triduum through which we enter into the great Paschal Mystery of Christ's passion, death and resurrection. Today also concludes the Season of Lent. The sacred liturgy of this evening has many wondrous aspects worthy of our attention.
Passion/Palm Sundaybegins Holy Week which leads us by gradual and solemn steps, which are somewhat difficult and painful, towards the commemoration of Our Lord's Paschal Mystery, His passion, death and resurrection.
May Holy Week be for you a time of entering into the sufferings of our Saviour, consoling Him and accompanying Him because He has done everything for us.
The woman caught in adultery is a poignant story.There is injustice, revenge, and point-scoring mixed also with forgiveness, contrition and conversion. What a fruitful gospel episode for reflection and meditation in these last two weeks of Lent, which traditionally are called Passiontide.
The famous and beautiful story of the prodigal son is the Gospel reading of today's Holy Mass on this 4th Sunday of Lent,Laetare Sunday.Laetareis Latin for rejoice and this Sunday has that name because the word laetare appears in the Entrance Antiphon of Mass. But isn't it also right that we should rejoice that God the Father through Christ has shown us such love and mercy, and does so time and time again to forgive our sins in the Sacrament of Confession?
Have you wondered how the practice of receiving Holy Communion in the hand came about?Well, let me give you a brief overview of how this came about during those tumultuous and troubled years of the 1960's. You can make up your own mind from the evidence.
Repentance is a key word and message from Our Lord in today's gospel.Repentance can be sudden and it is called conversion, like on the death bed. But far better is the conversion, or reversion to lost faith, that is lived out in good and holy living in this life and thereby honouring God who gives the gift of Faith and who, in Christ, has gained for us eternal salvation.
The Transfiguration of the Lord is a marvellous and moving incident in the life of Christ. We must be grateful that it was remembered and written down for our consolation and our instruction. There is so much to be considered and reflected upon but it has something to say about why we stay in the Church and why many walk away.
The First Sunday of Lent presents to us once more the temptations of Christ by the Devil in the desert, towards the end of the forty long days that Our Lord spent in the wilderness. His forty days gives us the model for our forty days of Lent, with its trials and testing, its penance, prayer and almsgiving. Also, His victory over Satan gives us confidence for every temptation and trial that comes our way.
Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday.The Scripture readings of this Sunday's Mass, particularly the Epistle, help to turn our minds to the inner dispositions that must be present as we live our lives in such a way that we will die well.
The command to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek that we find in Luke 6:27-38 is hard, some would say impossibly hard.But as we examine Our Lord's words, and consider the example of David from the first book of Samuel, we begin to see not only is it possible but that this form of love elevates and completes our own humanity.
Each of us is engaged in spiritual warfare!It's not only the inner battle that we face every day to resist temptation and not to sin. It is also the struggle against the world and its ways, that are directed away from or against God. We are not alone in this battle. We have on our side our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother and St Joseph, our holy guardian angel, and all the saints of Heaven. We are part of a powerful spiritual force. We are on the winning side!
"Leave me Lord, I am a sinful man."The words of St Peter are such an honest declaration of unworthiness. They are met, not by agreement from Christ, but by a commission to be an apostle, and the first of the apostles, at that. Weakness, declared to our Lord and Saviour, can be an opening towards conversion and mission.
Christ our Lord experiences one of the many occasions of rejection and violence during His public ministry as we continue to read from St Luke's Gospel.This is not exceptional because we know that there were many other such occasions, culminating in His Passion and Death. What is unique about this episode is that it is from those who knew Him better than most, the people of Nazareth where He grew up.
That He would be rejected in his home town moves our human emotions but we must also look further into the significance of this event and how it fits into the humanly tragic and divinely redemptive story of salvation.
Catholics revere the Old Testament as the inspired word of God along with the New Testament.Since Christ is God the Old Testament not only prepares for the New, but is fulfilled in the New Testament, and we read the Old Testament through the lens of the New.
The first reading and the Gospel reading are an example of this intimate interplay between both testaments of Holy Scripture. But to see this we need a history lesson about both the Temple and the synagogue.
The miracle that Jesus performed at the wedding in Cana is a multi-layered and instructive episode from the Gospel of St John. We can benefit from sincere reflection upon this seemingly ordinary but profoundly extraordinary event.
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lordprovides an annual reminder and reflection upon the Sacrament of Baptism, why it exists, what it does and why it is so important.
Let us give thanks for such a great gift. It is truly a wondrous renovation.
The Epiphany of the Lord highlights the arrival of the Three Kings or Wise Men or Magi.
We are allowed to enter into the wonder and awe of those who saw with their own eyes the infant Saviour and King. We are called to adore Him as they did and to go on our way to proclaim Him and to bring Him to the world, which is in so much need of Him.
May God grant to us all many graces and blessings in this new year of 2022.
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Josephhas always been much revered, loved and honoured in the Catholic Church. We need the example of the Holy Family even more than ever before because the place and mission of the family is either under-appreciated or is attacked and redefined in our secular and neo-pagan society. It is not old-fashioned or desiring to 'go back' to value the family. It is to follow the example of the Son of God Himself who willingly chose to be a member of a human family.
Christmas Day! The Nativity of the Lord!There are many reasons to rejoice. There are many reasons to be thankful. There are many ways to show our love and devotion to our Saviour.
A blessed and happy Christmas Day and Season to you all.
On this 4th Sunday of Adventour attention turns towards the wonderful prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the birth of the Messiah and also to the person of Mary, "she who is to give birth " to the promised Saviour.
May Our Lady accompany us in these last days of Advent.
The theological virtue of JOY is prominent on this Third Sunday of Advent.Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit's abiding presence in the soul and has practical and observable manifestations and consequences. It is greater and more lasting than happiness, and certainly superior to contentment. Repentance and good works are joy's precursors and forerunners, just as St John the Baptist was to Christ Our Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
The Second Sunday of Adventpresents much for our consideration and prayer.
What is hope and how is it different from optimism? What is needed to prepare properly for the Nativity of Our Saviour? Is my life completely on the right course?
During Advent, as St John the Baptist and the prophet Baruch tell us, there must be some serious re-arrangement. It's all possible with the grace of God.
The Season of Advent, and the new liturgical year, begin today.We embark on a journey of preparation for the Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour on December 25th. It is a journey marked by penance and prayer, expectation and anticipation, but also looking backwards to retrace the wonderful and mysterious intervention of God into human history.
Come, Lord Jesus!
The last Sunday of the liturgical yearis when we rejoice in Christ who is our King and King of everything that is, both seen and unseen.
Is Christ really King of your life, of your heart or do you keep some part for yourself? Only in surrender to Christ do we find real peace, true happiness and hope for the future.
The close of the liturgical year is close; next Sunday, with the Solemnity of Christ the King.Today we are reminded of the General or Last Judgement and the role of St Michael and the heavenly armies. We are also encouraged to have hope. The victory is Christ's and the Devil will never be victorious.
Let us continue on the way to our heavenly homeland, seeking virtue and growing in holiness.
Viva Cristo Rey!
This Pope was truly deserving of his name.His was the heart of a lion as he defended the City of Rome from invasion, as he defended the primacy of the See of Rome, and strengthened the faith of his people in Rome and further afield.
His sermons and letters are still with us and because of the clarity and power of his teaching, he was declared Doctor of the Church.
How do we win our salvation?It is through faith and good works that we merit the undeserved gift of salvation won, once and for all, by Christ by His death and resurrection.
Each one of us will be judged by Christ, after death, on the way we live our lives.
Let us make our lives resplendent in faith, hope and charity, and let these virtues, and many others, be evident in our lives.
November 2nd is All Souls Day.This is a day on which we can gain a plenary indulgence for a soul in Purgatory and, through the mercy of God, obtain that soul's entry into the blessedness and glory of Heaven. It is also possible to do this between Nov 1st and 8th, and because of Covid, this year the Church has extended that for the whole of the month of November.
Pray for the Holy Souls. One day we may need the prayers of the Church Militant for our entry into heaven.
The great solemnity and feast of all the saints in heavenmeans much to us who are still on our pilgrimage to heaven. Let us invoke the help and intercession of all the saints as we strive to join them one day in heaven.
This podcast is a reading from the collected works "Theology of the Liturgy" by Cardinal Josef Ratzinger.It is a follow up to the podcast "Love and Worship" because it gives a wider and deeper understanding of what it means to participate in the sacred liturgy, the Holy Mass. Although he writes theologically, I have always found our Pope Emeritus to be singularly clear in his thought and in his expression.
Some Latin words that he uses might be helpful to see:
actio is the origin of our English action
oratiois the origin of our English orationbut sometimes it is translated as prayer,though there is another Latin word prexwhich means prayer or intercession.
When we love God we are compelled towards two things.Firstly, we must love our neighbour out of love for God, who is Creator of us both. Then we must worship God and give Him due honour.
This podcast is about the Catholic act of worship, the Holy Mass. But also about much more, what worship means and why it is important and how we engage in it.
The gospel episode of Bartimaeusis a touching and heartening story. It is a story of persistence and faith on the part of the blind man and it is a reminder of the kindness, mercy and power of Christ. We can take personally the question Our Lord poses to Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?"
Although the title of a much loved and well known hymn, in the life of a Christian grace is truly amazing.Through Holy Baptism, sanctifying grace is infused into the soul and the human person becomes reborn, regenerated to a human existence that has been elevated, not out of nature but within nature, and with a supernatural quality. Divine charity is placed into the soul through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the possibility of eternal and intimate union with God forever in heaven is bestowed.
We should ponder these profound realities often so that we come to understand them more and to appreciate them deeply. After all, grace is amazing!
The rich young manis a fascinating character in the gospels. His sincere desire to do what is right in endearing. In this desire and his inability to follow Christ he has much to teach us.
Hard teaching for the ears of the 21st century in today's Gospel reading!
But it was hard teaching for the ears of the Pharisees as well in the 1st century.
Our human nature is wounded by sin and so we can find ourselves not receptive to God's reasoning and plans. There can be a response to question it and even to ignore it, and some may reject it.
Thankfully, we also have the effects of grace which turns our minds, and also our hearts, towards what God speaks to us, because we sense in it not only what is true, but also what truly satisfies the human heart.
Marriage, sexuality and human relationships lived according to God's plan will only bring peace and human flourishing.
Who's in? Who's out? Who belongs and who doesn't?These are not only questions from the school playground but are significant human questions; questions that are made all the harder by our human nature wounded by sin. The Lord teaches us an important lesson around this topic today in the Holy Gospel. He calls us to an elevated vision of humanity; a vision that approaches the viewpoint of God, who is abundant in mercy and complete in justice.
If you line up all the dictators and tyrants of history, you find them boring because they are so much the same. But, if you look at the saints, you find an amazing and endearing variety of virtue and holiness.I heard something like this recently in a podcast I was listening to and I marvelled at the truth contained in it. Goodness is like a beautiful diamond that sparkles and shines from every which way you look at it. Evil is just blackness and darkness.
Doesn't Our Lord call us, by His example and also by His words, to pursue goodness, holiness and truth; to pursue Him who is all those things. In following Him, there is not personal glory but the glory of God; not power but selfless surrender.
September 12th is the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary.In this podcast I recount the event in history that led to the creation of this feast day. It is worth knowing, as are many things in history.
I am indebted to the Catholic website One Peter Five for the text of this podcast. You can read it yourself and view the interesting links within the article as well as keep up to date with quality Catholic news and commentary by regularly checking in at onepeterfive.com
Their mission is “Rebuilding Catholic Culture. Restoring Catholic Tradition.”
Christ calls us to renounce ourselves and take up the Cross and follow Him. He does not promise us an easy life, worldly pleasures, fame or fortune, as many others do. Instead, He promises us eternal life. However, the pathway to eternal life is through suffering and death, as He Himself has demonstrated. Taking up the Cross will cost us. What cost will it have in your life?
On this 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, we are given by St Mark the touching and engaging event wherein Jesus cures a deaf-mute man. In doing this, we are reminded that God has come among His people, as Isaiah and all the prophets foretold that He would. But let us remember that this is not just history, the same happens every time the Sacraments occur in our lives.
As we begin the month of September I wanted to remind you of the devotion attached to this month, namely, to Our Lady and her Seven Sorrows.
Tradition is most important to us as Catholics.But, as we know, there are many forms of tradition. Many people today have a suspicion, an aversion, or even a rejection of tradition. The post-modern age seems to have an endless desire for novelty, and an insatiable thirst for destruction of what has gone before. Some even say that Christ Himself was like this. But was He? As we reflect upon the Gospel reading from today's sacred liturgy we probe questions like these.
Free will is an awesome gift and a frightening responsibility.Many disciples of Christ walked away from Him over His teaching on His presence in the Eucharist; and it didn't happen only then in history. It has occurred time and time again. Even today some research indicates that 70% of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament today.
Just because Christ's teaching is hard, goes against the ideals of the world, or we cannot understand it, does not make it false.
To follow Christ means to accept hardship and to share in His own sufferings and His Cross.
What a feast day! What a Solemnity!
"The Virgin Mother of God was assumed into heaven as the beginning and image of your Church's coming to perfection and a sign of sure hope and comfort to your pilgrim people."(from the Preface for today's Holy Mass)
Make sure you celebrate in many ways today. Make it a real feast as best you can.
To those who are in lockdown, take hope and place yourself under Our Lady's motherly care.
Secondary patron saint of Australia after Our Lady, Help of Christians, St Mary of the Cross, or Mary MacKillop as she is affectionately known, can inspire all Australians as well as all Australian Catholics.
St Mary is not just a tireless social worker, not just an Australian innovator, nor even just a good woman. She is certainly all of those but she is first and foremost a person in whom the grace of God raised her to heroic virtue and to profound holiness.
May St Mary of the Cross, intercede for us and especially for our beloved homeland, Australia.
The Sunday gospel reading continues the sixth chapter of St John. This is one of the most profound teachings of Christ and it concerns a central doctrine of the Faith, namely, His real and substantial and complete presence in the Eucharist, in the Blessed Sacrament, in the tabernacle.
Let us not grow cold or indifferent to the real presence of Christ but let every reception of Holy Communion advance our love for and devotion to Him.
Christ our Lord has power over death and over sin.We see this in the gospel of this Sunday's sacred liturgy. He is able to heal a woman from debilitating sickness and to raise a girl from death. This same power of Christ is operative in our lives through sanctifying grace. Let us give Him praise and thanksgiving!
Christ goes to sleep in the boat and his apostles become afraid. This gospel episode is a stark analogy for our lives. Often we struggle, we are frightened, we feel God has gone to sleep, and left us alone. To deal with and live through such times we need faith, which is shown in trusting God. A beautiful and effective prayer of faith, of trust, is to say often to Our Lord, "Jesus, I trust in your merciful love!"
The 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time marks our re-entry into Sundays of the yearly cycle outside of the Seasons of the liturgical year. We now have a semi-continuous reading of Holy Scripture in the second reading and the gospel reading. I suggest that St Paul gives us a profound motto for our Christian life in an ever-increasing secular society: "We walk by faith and not by sight". Our hearts and our eyes must be fixed not on this passing world but upon the glorious reality of eternal life in heaven because only this gives us a sure path to tread and prevents us from being pre-occupied with the passing things of this world.
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How blessed are we to have been given by Christ the great gift of the Holy Mass and the awesome mystery of His body, blood, soul and divinity in Holy Communion!Let us honour our Saviour always with deep devotion and reverence towards the Blessed Sacrament.
O Sacrament most holy,
O Sacrament divine,
All praise and all thanksgiving
Be every moment Thine.
The second of three Great Feasts to cap the Easter Season,Trinity Sunday focuses our attention not only on the doctrine of the divine nature and community, but also upon our experience of the mystery as we live our lives as faithful followers of Christ, sons and daughters of the Father, and temples of the Holy Spirit.
Let us always give praise and honour to the thrice-holy God. Amen.
Pentecost Sunday and the Holy Spirit go "hand in glove' and, as and old song said, "Your can't have one without the other." Triviality aside, this is the completion of the Paschal Mystery with the sending of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles and Our Lady. The Holy Spirit breathes life into the Church as God did into the flesh of Adam to bring him to life way back at the beginning.
This Sunday I spend some time speaking about the Sacrament of Confirmation, which is our own experience of the reality of Pentecost and through which the Holy Spirit equips us for the work of the Church, each in our own manner.
At the end of the podcast I read the Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Here it is for you:
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul the work of Your grace and Your love.
Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal; the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth / the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints; the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable; the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him.
Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.
(source: iPieta App)
The Ascension of the Lord is the definitive end of our Saviour's physical presence on earth but not his departure so as to abandon His flock. He will remain in the Holy Spirit and His sacramental presence in the Blessed Sacrament. In this way He will continue to be in the world until He comes again in His physical presence to bring everything to a completion and an end at the Second Coming.
The 6th Sunday of Easterpresents to us the reading from the fifteenth chapter of St John's Gospel, verses 9-17 wherein Jesus calls us servants no longer but His friends. What amazing news! We who are mortal and affected by sin are being called friends by God who is immortal and infinitely good and pure. What a privilege and what a gift! How much we should treasure this friendship and, on our part, seek to maintain it and strengthen it.
Happy Mothers Day to all your mothers and to all mothers who may be listening to this!
Christ is the vine and we are the branches.Our whole life is to be connected to Christ the true vine. Without Him our lives have shallow and passing meaning. It is only through Christ, the shepherd of our souls, that we can navigate the perils and difficulties of this life and reach our eternal home.
This week also I speak briefly about vocations to the priesthood since we did not have the opportunity to speak about this, nor to pray for it, last Sunday, which was ANZAC Day.
Good Shepherd Sunday.What wonderful images and glorious consolation this Sunday always brings us! Our Good Shepherd has gone before us into glory and we, his faithful flock, long to go where He has promised. Let us praise Him and thank Him now and always.
Today is St Fidelis' feast day. I wanted to share a little about him. May he intercede for us as we live our faith in this time and place!
The Third Sunday of Easter, with its gospel reading of the appearance of the Risen Jesus to the Apostles in the Upper Room, provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon what the resurrection of the body is. St John Paul II in his great work, "The Theology of the Body", has provided us with magnificent insights into this as he reflects upon both Scripture and the tradition of teaching that the Church has. I share with you some of these magnificent insights with you in this episode.
The great feast of Divine Mercy is upon us!With what great devotion and love, we should approach our Risen Lord whose death on the Cross opened for the whole world an "ocean of mercy". Let us approach the Holy Mass with humility and contrition, as there is the sacrifice of Christ which gained for us access to the treasury of Divine Mercy.
Easter Sunday, or to give it the formal liturgical title, The Sunday of the Resurrection ushers in for us a day and a season of great rejoicing as we celebrate in sacred liturgy and in many festive ways in our homes, the reality and fact that Christ is risen from the dead.
I offer two simple reflections upon the Resurrection that I hope are helpful. I came upon them in my reading during recent weeks.
The first comes from a portion of an article written by George Weigel called "The Easter Explosion" and the second from "What Jesus Saw From the Cross", a lovely spiritual classic, by Fr Sertillanges.
The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!
The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord and The Stations of the Cross mark the way that we as Catholics commemorate the day of Our Lord's death for our sins on the Cross. We remember with gratitude. We follow Him to Calvary with love and sorrow, sharing in the profound sorrow of His holy mother, Mary, who is our sweet mother also.
May the graces of this solemn celebration be with you all, whether you participate in person or online.
The Mass of the Lord's Supperprovides rich teaching for us in the Scripture readings that we listen to. I offer some reflections upon some key points from these readings.
Holy Week begins today.What we have been preparing for through penance, prayer and fasting is close, that is, the solemn commemoration of the Lord's Passion and Death and His glorious resurrection. May your Holy Week be fruitful through keeping the Lord company in prayer, in silence, and, most of all through the Sacred Liturgies of the Holy Triduum.
In the older calendar, still followed in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, this Sunday begins Passiontide.There are overtones of this in the Ordinary Form with the Preface of the Passion being used as well as the covering of statues and crucifixes in some churches.
Let us prepare well over the next two weeks for the Easter festivities.
Happy Solemnity of St Joseph in this Year of St Joseph!!This is a reflection upon St Joseph and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament given at a neighbouring parish for a Holy Hour on March 19th 2021.
Laetare Sunday is marked by the lovely rose coloured vestments and a real sense of joy, which proclaims through the Sacred Liturgy that the Paschal feasts are edging ever closer to us. So, we much remain faithful in persevering in our Lenten disciplines of prayer, penance, fasting and almsgiving.
This Fourth Sunday of Lent presents to us not only the joy that the mercy of God brings us but also the warnings that it is possible to reject that merciful love and be separated from God for all eternity. While dire are the consequences of rejecting God, there is always mercy for those who turn to God with sorrow for their sins.
The Cleansing of the Temple and the Ten Commandments provide an opportunity to examine, even if only briefly, the relationship between the Old Covenant of Moses and the New Covenant that perfected and replaced it.
Abraham is commanded to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.Today's Holy Scripture plunges us deep into a consideration of the saving obedience of Christ but, because of the Gospel reading, also the powerful reality of the glory of Christ as God.
There is much to reflect upon today but I offer some thoughts about the Transfiguration as well as obedience.
"Since God did not spare His own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that He will not refuse anything He can give." (Romans 8:31)
The holy season of Lent has begun.Are you starting with vigour and determination the spiritual discipline of Lent? Or are you yet to begin? May the words of Our Lord in the gospel for this Sunday's Mass give you confidence to begin and remain faithful throughout the 40 days. Remember the goal is the glory and hope of the Resurrection of our Saviour.
I mention in the podcast the Consecration to St Joseph. The book I quote from is "Consecration to St Joseph: the wonders of our spiritual father" by Fr Donald Calloway, published by Marian Press, Stockbridge, Minnesota. It is available here in Australia from Parousia in Sydney https://parousiamedia.comOR you might like to explore further fathercalloway.com OR consecrationtostjoseph.org
St Valentine's Day! Ah, what mixed messages and fuzzy ideas abound on this day!It's good that this day occurs on a Sunday because it provides the opportunity to speak about the 'real' St Valentine and also the Catholic understanding of marriage. You won't be surprised to know that there is a huge difference between the vocation of marriage and what our society says marriage is.
May all couples who have entered into the holy vocation of marriage have a wonderful day together! Let us not forget also those couples who are on their way towards Christian marriage. May their excitement and holy anticipation build as they approach the day of the wedding.
May Our Lady Mary, who was present at the wedding at Cana, intercede for you all.
This Sunday is designated in Australia as "Sunday of the Word" of God.
This is a recent addition to our annual liturgical calendar that seeks to highlight the importance of the holy Scriptures in the life and liturgy of the Church. It is a little delayed here in Australia because the earlier date of the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time occurs during our summer holiday time. So, today we consider the power and presence of the Word of God.
I also speak about the difference between optimism and hope so that we might understand the theological virtue of hope given to us at Holy Baptism.
There are always surprises and wonders when we read from the holy Gospels!After last week's somewhat stern command to repent and convert from Our Lord, in today's gospel reading He exercises his divine and messianic power to cast out an evil or unclean spirit. St Paul teaches us about the value of virginity and being unmarried. There is much for thought, reflection and prayer - as always.
Laudetur Jesus Christus!
The Word of God makes demands upon us.Andrew & Simon, James & John responded to both the demand and the invitation to answer the call of Christ to follow Him and become fishers of men. Jonah too, though not as eagerly as the first four apostles, follows the call of God to preach conversion and repentance. We too must be prepared to undergo the requirements of conversion and repentance. One way to do this is, as St Paul advises, that of living in this world but not belonging to it. In other words of putting first what Christ requires of us.
Doing God's holy will leads us to sanctification.When we do what God wants of us, not what we want ourselves, we grow closer to God. Being closer to God means that we become holy. And this is what God wants for us: that we live this life as a time of demonstrating our love for Him; rehearsing, if you like, to be with Him forever in the unending happiness of heaven.
Our great Australian saint, Mary Mackillop, was like all the saints who made it to heaven. She did God's will. She wrote to the Sisters of her religious order that the will of God was like a dear book that she never tired of reading.
May we be the same as her; the same as the boy Samuel, St Andrew and the other disciple, who wanted to do what God wanted of them.
There's a further message today from St Paul about the impact on us of doing God's will.
Email me with any questions or comments - frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.au
Ordinary Time begins this Sunday as we reflect upon Our Lord's baptism by St John the Baptist. This event contains one of the other major epiphanies in Christ's life and gives us much to consider about our own baptism. Happy Feast Day!
The Holy Family of Nazarethis the tender and heart-warming focus of this first Sunday within the Octave of Christmas. We are reminded not only about the immense love of God who became a member of a human family but we are taught once more about the true and lasting nature of the family.
May Jesus, Mary and Joseph bless your families on this Family Sunday!
May all of you, my listeners, have a truly joyful Christmas celebration at Mass and with your families. I will remember you all at Christmas Mass! God bless you all!
Rejoice in the Lord always!The Third Sunday of Advent calls us to joy; the joy that comes only from God and the joy that is the fruit of a life lived according to real happiness. There is much for fruitful reflection in the Scripture readings of the sacred liturgy. So take some time to read them carefully and even use them as springboards for prayer.
Happy Gaudete Sunday!
Advent focuses our attention on the coming of Christ.But there is more than one coming of Christ, in fact, there are three. Well, three major ones anyway. St Peter readies our hearts for the coming of Christ that will herald the new heaven and the new earth.
Search online for the lyrics and music of two wonderful traditional Advent hymns:"On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry" and
"Come, thou long-expected Jesus"As well, perhaps you could find the much-loved but not so well-known hymn (now at least) "O Come. O Come, Emmanuel".
Come, Lord Jesus
The contrast between dutiful and lazy servantsis placed before us this Sunday to remind us of the serious duty to remain faithful to the end, when the Lord will come. As well, we have the example of a perfect wife and a blessed man from the other readings to inspire us to virtue.
On this 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (getting close to the end of the year!) we hear Our Lord's parable on the five foolish and five wise virgins (or bridesmaids) waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. It is one of His parables about the end-times and the Last Judgement, but also about our own death. Are we prepared? Have we been diligent? Thanks be to God that we have holy wisdom to assist us!
The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed or All Souls Dayfollows on from All Saints Day. It is November 2nd but the whole month of November is dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
Here I outline how the Catholic faithful may gain either a plenary or partial indulgence for a soul in Purgatory on All Souls Day, during the first week of November, and this year only, throughout the whole month of November.
The Solemnity of All Saintsoccurs this year on a Sunday. Isn't it wonderful that all Catholics who go to Mass are able to honour all the saints in heaven this year! There are many more saints in heaven than any one of us knows but we are known to them and they assist us from heaven with their prayers. The prayers of the saints rise like incense before the Throne of God. (Revelation 8:3-4)
The Feast of Christ the King occurs in the traditional calendar on the last Sunday in October.
It is familiarly called Christus Rex. The gospel for this feast comes from St John's Gospel 18:33-37, where Christ is before Pontius Pilate. You probably know it well, but if not and also to enrich your understanding of the podcast, you might like to read from your Bible before listening. The Epistle of the Mass is Colossians 1:12-20. This would also be fruitful for reading and reflection.
Praised be Jesus Christ, King of the Universe!
"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind...You must love your neighbour as yourself."Christ our Saviour summarises the whole of the Mosaic Law contained in the Old Testament into two commandments, which are intimately linked.
His words are both a reminder of our obligation to God and to neighbour and a clarion call to continue to grow in this love, which is caritas in Latin; charity in English
The 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time presents us with Christ's words, "Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God". A perennial and complex question isn't it? What does belong to God and what does belong to Caesar? The Church has wrestled with this throughout the millennia. She has much to teach us and many ways to help us.
The 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year Apresents to us the parable of the wedding feast, to which many are invited but few want to come; at least among the original invitees! Through the kindness of the king the wedding hall is filled but there is a stranger who doesn't belong.
I explain what divine grace is in this podcast and how it enters into our lives as well as give a description of the artwork that is the podcast's image.
Remember heaven is the best party ever! So that is our destination.
This Saturday a 15 year old boy will be beatified in Assisi.I share with you some of the inspiring details of Carlo's life. If you want to find out more put his name into any search engine and you'll find so many hits. But if you like you might like to try these:
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/amp/news/who-was-carlo-acutis-a-cna-explainer-19684
https://www.ncregister.com/blog/17-things-every-catholic-should-know-about-carlo-acutis
The Church is the vineyard of God.This Sunday I offer some reflections about the nature and constitution of the Church and her relationship with Christ.
I hope you enjoy. God bless.
God is not fair! How often might we think that and certainly hear that from people of our time.It is only with faith that we come to know who God is and that He is entirely trustworthy. Then we can entrust ourselves to Him and desire to do His holy will.
I share with you the homily I gave for the funeral of a 19 year old who died of bone cancer.
It's the time of First Holy Communion in our Parish but we use the Mass of the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
The Parable of the workers in the vineyard teaches us of God's unbounded and undeserved generosity towards us; something that is enfleshed in Holy Communion.
As I share some of what I say to the children with you, I hope and pray that you will grow deeper in love and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.
Mercy and forgiveness are presented to us today through the parable in the gospel.Divine Mercy is an unmerited and gratuitous gift from God to us. Our response must be not only gratitude but also merciful and forgiving attitude and action towards others.
St Peter Claver is one of those many saints of the Counter-Reformation.There were so many of them, martyrs and confessors, founders and foundresses of religious orders, monks and lay people who kept the flame of the Catholic faith alive as many parts of Europe became Protestant.
The life and work of St Peter Claver has relevance to our current times. I hope you gain an appreciation of him by listening.
St Peter Claver, pray for us.
Being a watchman or sentry is a crucial task;
not only in the walled cities of Europe in more troubled times but also now metaphorically speaking. Lest we retreat into privatism, that is a harmful self-sufficiency, Christ our Lord reminds us that we are "our brother's keeper". As well though, the Church has watchmen placed on its towers to safeguard the whole flock.
The Lord Jesus issues His high standards to us and His divine grace helps us to achieve them.
It is a chastened and rebuked St Peter in this Sunday's gospel reading.
What a difference a week makes! The rock on which the Church will be built makes a error as he tries to protect his friend from suffering. But Christ Our Lord, through a stern reproach and persistent teaching, shows St Peter and the other apostles, disciples and us, that suffering is in the "DNA" of the Christian faith.
God bless you and thank you for listening!
Today's gospel reading is a hot-button issue for some non-Catholic Christians. But it is central to the identity and mission of the Catholic Church. The conversation of Christ with St Peter at Caesarea Philippi is the moment when Our Lord reveals His divine plan for the structure of the Church. It is to be led by Peter (and his successors) who will be the Vicar of Christ, acting in His name and with His authority. This is powerful and important stuff; and something every Catholic needs to know and needs to know how to explain.
The Canaanite womanand her interaction with Christ, which is the gospel reading for Holy Mass this Sunday, provides us with a clear and detailed instruction on who Christ is as Saviour of all mankind. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved," said St Peter, with boldness, before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:12
Just deviating slightly from my normal program,here is a talk I gave recently on the theological virtue of hope and the natural virtue of perseverance in the midst of crisis. This is, of course, relevant to the crisis of the pandemic that we are experiencing, but it is always relevant to our lives, where we regularly experience suffering and crises, both small and large.
Laudetur Jesus Christus - Praised be Jesus Christ!
The miraculous feeding of the huge crowd provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon the effects of receiving Holy Communion since this miracle by Christ prefigures (points towards) the Eucharist.
The pearl of great price; the treasure hidden in a field; the dragnet that captures all type of fish: these are the image of this Sunday's gospel reading.The task for us is to examine our lives against the mirror of these parables so that we may follow Christ our Lord more faithfully and more fervently.
Laudetur Jesus Christus!
The parables of Our Lord continue this Sunday with the parable of the wheat mixed with the darnel, and what that means for the farmer and the harvest. This parable gives us an opportunity to be reminded about what the Church teaches us about the presence of evil in the world and in our own actions.
The Parable of the Sower and the Seed takes a prominent place in Holy Scripture at this Sunday's Holy Mass. While a well known parable, it always has much to say to us, particularly as Our Lord's words invite us to examine how we are responding to Him, who is the Word that has issued forth from the Father's heart.
"Take my yoke and learn from me for I am meek and humble in heart,"says Our Lord in today's Gospel reading. He certainly is meek and humble, perfectly so, because He is God. But He is not a wimpy push-over either. His heart, His Sacred Heart, is fiery with love, a love so bright and terrible that it will do anything, even die, for the salvation of the world. That's not the heart of a coward but the heart of a hero, and the heart of a real man. Christ is indeed the perfect man and His mother, Mary, is the perfect woman; He by divinity and she by grace.
The Lord continues to make demands of us if we are to be His disciples. Being a Catholic, being a Christian is not easy and not for the faint-hearted! The example of St Gianna Molla can inspire us and her intercession from Heaven can help us in living as disciples of Christ in this world and to be loyal and obedient to Him.
Today we return to Sundays of Ordinary Time.Our Catholic faith is a great treasure but it is not a museum piece. It is meant to be alive and lived as well as to be shared with others. This is for their good as well as for our own salvation.
What a wonderful solemnity!Today we honour and worship Our Lord, Jesus Christ, whose abiding presence for His Church is the Most Blessed Sacrament. This is the greatest treasure we have and it is the gift of our Saviour to us. How much we should be grateful! How much we should show this most wonderful Sacrament all the reverence and honour that we can. We must never tire of doing this.
I wish you a happy and blessed Feast Day.
One of the key Christian dogmas, that sets us apart from Judaism and Islam, and of course, from another other supernatural, spiritual or natural belief system. That God has one nature and three Divine Persons is a mystery but not a contradiction. Our own human capacity to know and reason, as well as our human experience, helps us to penetrate the mystery but not to understand it fully. We believe because God Himself has revealed His own intimate and inner life to us.
Glory and praise, honour and thanksgiving be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Pentecost Sunday - what a wonderful Solemnity and feast day, which concludes the Easter Season!
This podcast is a little longer than usual. I suppose I got carried away, but there is so much to say about the Holy Spirit. Of course, I haven't said it all, but I hope you find what I have said both uplifting and interesting. And, may it deepen your appreciation of and love for the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for listening and this marks the 11th episode. God bless!
This Sunday in some parts of the Catholic world, we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
It's part of the untidiness of the Church's calendar that in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass as well as in some regions, the Ascension is still celebrated on the Thursday, ten days before Pentecost; as it has been for centuries. But where I am it is moved to Sunday. So, there we are.
Wherever you are listening and whenever your calendar celebrates the Ascension, may I wish you a happy and joyful Feast!
The Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost draw closer as we come towards the end of the Easter Season. We begin to hear this Sunday Our Lord speak to the Apostles of the new and revolutionary coming of the Holy Spirit into the world. As we listen to the Scripture readings this Sunday, we can be moved by the enormity and wonder of our Christian vocation.
The hymn for today is the same as last Sunday: Thine Be the Glory, Risen conquering Son!
The priesthood of Christ is the theme of this Sunday's podcast. I explore the common priesthood of all the baptised and the ordained ministry of the New Testament priesthood. I hope you find it beneficial.
The hymn comes from the Choir of Kings College, Cambridge, under the direction of Sir Stephen Cleobury. They sing the marvellous "Thine Be The Glory", the music of which was written by George Friederic Handel. It is available on the CD "Hymns from King's".
If you want to follow the hymn in its entirety at the end of the podcast, here are the words.
Thine be the glory,
Risen, conqu'ring Son;
Endless is the victory,
Thou o'er death hast won;
Angels in bright raiment
Rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave clothes
Where Thy body lay.
Thine be the glory,
Risen conquering Son,
Endless is the victory,
Thou o'er death hast won.
Lo! Jesus meets us,
Risen from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us,
Scatters fear and gloom;
Let the church with gladness,
Hymns of triumph sing;
For her Lord now liveth,
Death hath lost its sting.
Thine be the glory,
Risen conquering Son,
Endless is the victory,
Thou o'er death hast won.
No more we doubt Thee,
Glorious Prince of life;
Life is naught without Thee;
Aid us in our strife;
Make us more than conquerors,
Through Thy deathless love:
Bring us safe through Jordan
To Thy home above.
Thine is the glory,
Risen conquering Son,
Endless is the victory,
Thou o'er death hast won.
Good Shepherd Sunday & World Day of Prayer for VocationsToday has a triple focus: the 4th Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life.That's quite a lot! I hope I help you today to bring those three foci into some focus; excuse the pun!
For many the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd is an enduringly appealing image. More so I suppose, because Jesus Himself gave us this image and aspect of His relationship with us. I hope you benefit from what I have to say.
The music for today comes from one of my favourite English composers, John Rutter. "The Lord is My Shepherd", which he composed, is sung by the Cambridge Singers and accompanied by the City of London Sinfonia. It is one of the tracks on "The John Rutter Collection". I heartily recommend this album to you, particularly, another track, which stirs my heart every time I hear it: "The Lord Bless You and Keep You".
The Road to Emmausis one of the best-known appearances of the Risen Lord. It has relevance at all times to our lives but, in this time of pandemic, I suggest that it has a more defined and refined application to our situation.
Christus vincit. Christus regnat. Christus imperat.
Today's podcast begins with a moving and beautiful Catholic hymn, which I remember fondly from my childhood: "Jesus in Your Heart We Find". It is the human heart of Jesus, in which is human love and divine love, that is the fullest expression of Divine Mercy. The hymn is sung superbly by Prima Luce from their album "A Collection of Catholic Hymns and Chants." Please support them and tell others about them.
primalucemusic.com
Remember Christ stands at the door of your soul, seeking to enter with the light of His divine mercy.
A bonus podcast!
I was not intending to post another podcast until next Sunday (Divine Mercy Sunday) but I offer you this reflection upon Holy Baptism drawing upon a single sentence in one of the Epistle readings from the Mass of Easter Day.
Baptism is crucial to us because this is the way that we belong to Christ so I thought that during the Octave of Easter, which is like Easter Day every day, it might be helpful to spend a few minutes reflecting upon this marvellous sacrament which comes to us from the pierced side of the Lord after he died upon the Cross. There is also a small reflection upon St Paul, who gives us such profound imagery of Holy Baptism in his epistles.
The music is the same as for Easter Sunday - Christus vinci, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
After the solemn liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil in the Holy Night, I offer my homily and reflections for Easter Day; particularly in the circumstances that surround us this Easter, with all the restrictions and impositions that curtail our movement and our lives because of the pandemic.
The wonderful Easter antiphon Christus Vincit is sung by a Spanish choir, Cantos y Coros. Their album contains hymns particularly loved and honoured for Holy Mass. The full album 'Eucharistia' is available on the iTunes store.
Happy and holy Easter!
This Sunday we begin Holy Week.
It is a very different experience this year with the Coronavirus restrictions. Most of you will not participate in the commemoration of the Lord's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, except maybe via a livestream Mass. If you do participate in Mass, by some means, you will hear the proclamation of the Lord's Passion and Death from the Gospel according to St Matthew.
I offer my reflections in this homily, which I will preach at the Mass I offer this Sunday, praying that my words may assist you to enter not only into the sacred liturgy of this Sunday but also of this coming holiest of weeks of the year.
"Glory be to Jesus" is sung by the Australian group Prima Luce, who specialise in beautiful sacred music. https://www.primalucemusic.com
Where has the COVID19 or Wuhan virus come from? Can we say that it is a chastisement from God for idolatry and sin? These and other questions I explore in the first episode of my podcast.