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Showing posts from January, 2011
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Third Sunday of Ordinary Time How many times have you had a conversation with another person and neither of you can remember their name. And so what happens is that you go round the houses describing the person until at last you can remember their name. As soon as this happens the whole person becomes clear. We can see this person in our minds eyes.   So a person’s name is very important it gives us an identity. This is why the first question that our parents are asked at the Baptism is “What Name do you give your child?” In today’s Gospel Jesus calls his followers by name and they followed him.   It says that “At Once they followed him.”   God also calls us by name he knows and loves us so much that he knows us by name. As it says in Johns Gospel I do not call you servants anymore but I call you friends. So if he knows us by name then we can also strive through prayer and study to get to know Jesus by name as well. This may sound a bit strange but let us look deeper at this. We m

Second sunday

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time In today’s Gospel we continue our reflections on Baptism. We are called today to be witnesses of Jesus for the world. We are given the courage to do this by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are asked to point the way for others to Jesus. Also in the readings today we have the psalm which states “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will” So how can I witness to the message of the Gospel? We live in a society that can be relativity hostile to organized religion. The numbers coming to Church are dropping generally and the number of young people in our parishes seems to be at a new time low. I don’t mean to paint a bleak picture but this is what sometimes in many communities the reality is. But this is not the whole story or the whole picture. I believe that there is a deep thirst for spirituality but not necessarily for organised religion. There are so many people who ask for prayers and even come into the Church to light a candle and say a prayer. But, there

The Baptism of our Lord

The Baptism of the Lord Year Today we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. This was an important step in the journey of Jesus that we have followed since his birth a few weeks ago. We now come to the end of the Christmas story this Sunday. We are now fully aware of who this man is with the voice that came from heaven “This is my beloved my favour rests on him.” This is interesting because usually when we have these miracles happening we are told that there was wonderment among the people. But, this time there is no reaction from the crowd. This suggests that it is meant for the reader. It is a direct link with the prophetic vision in the first reading “here is my servant whom I uphold my chosen one in whom my soul delights” Jesus in the baptism shows himself to be the Messiah the chosen one and so is making quite a statement and that’s why we get this message for the reader it is showing us who Jesus really is. It also shows us who Jesus is for us that God has called us. I have often wond
LONDON, JAN. 11, 2011  ( Zenit.org ).- On Saturday in Westminster Cathedral, three former Anglican bishops will enter the Catholic priesthood, becoming the first members of a new ordinariate as stipulated in "Anglicanorum Coetibus." Archbishop Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, released a statement noting that "on or before this date, I expect the Holy See to announce the establishment of the first ordinariate for groups of former Anglicans and their clergy who seek full communion in the Catholic Church." He pointed out that "this is a unique moment and the Catholic community in England and Wales is privileged to be playing its part in this historic development in the life of the universal Church." The prelate offered a "warm welcome" to John Broadhurst, Andrew Burnham and Keith Newton, who will be ordained on Saturday. He also extended a welcome to those who wish to join these clergy "in