This blog is for the use of the whole parish; please let me know if you'd like to contribute.
Chris (email link at the bottom of each page)
(Feast) St Mary Magdalene
22-07-2020, 07:14equality, faith, grace, love, womenPermalinkToday we celebrate the feast-day of one of the greatest women in the whole of the Bible. Clearly, Mary, Mother of God, has pride of place because she is our mother in faith. Mary Magdalene, however, can be seen as our sister in faith.
Of course, Mary Magdalene is often identified as being a woman of ill-repute, a prostitute no less, but there is no record of this in the Scriptures. We are simply told that seven demons were cast out of her (Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9). Quite why the reputation of this magnificent woman and example of the Christian life should have been imputed with this slur is hard to figure out. Was it hearsay? What we do know for sure is that the Lord delivered her from whatever bound her. Some suggest that it could have been a complex illness of some kind or maybe even some mental suffering or anguish. From that time on she dedicated her life to following Christ.
The Evangelists are especially sensitive to Mary’s closeness to the Lord during his last days on earth. She remained with him at the foot of the cross, staying when all the disciples except John had fled.
She was at his burial and, most striking and significant of all, she was a witness of the Risen Lord. God confounded the wisdom of an age in which women were regarded as second-class citizens and were not considered to be reliable witnesses in court. Ancient societies were misogynist and patriarchal, but God showed that this way of thinking to be a nonsense in the kingdom of God. Consider that God chose Mary to be the first person to witness the greatest event in human history — the resurrection — before Peter and the other disciples. We venerate her for this.
Mary can be seen to represent all women since the beginning of time who have witnessed Christ’s resurrection in their lives. In a way, in the kingdom of God, whether we are male or female is not an issue: we are equal before God, but we have different roles, different charisms and different strengths. Mary’s role was to support the Lord — it was a role of love and service, and this is the legacy she has left us. Today we cherish her memory, celebrate her life and strive to emulate her courageous witness.
Lord God, help as to follow the example of Mary Magdalene and live a life of humble service, sincere repentance and courageous witness for Christ.
The Holy Spirit opens our hearts
20-07-2020, 07:42forgiveness, mercy, repentance, sinPermalinkIn the bright constellation of Old Testament prophets Jonah shines (or not) as the most reluctant prophet. He disobediently ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish by boat. The Lord then sent a severe storm that caused the crew of the ship to fear for their lives. Jonah was soon thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish, in whose belly he remained for ‘three days and three nights’ (Jon. 1:15-17). After the three-day period, the Lord caused the great fish to vomit Jonah out onto dry land on. 2‘10).
Chastened and humbled, Jonah delivered his message of repentance and conversion, and the Nineties responded favourably. In similar vein the Gentile Queen of Sheba went to great lengths (and miles) to hear the wisdom of Solomon and was very impressed (1 Kgs. 10-1—13).
Jesus pointed to these examples to highlight how the Spirit had opened the hearts of Gentiles to God’s message, but now, when one greater than Jonah or Moses — greater because they pointed to him — was among them, the religious authorities had hardened their hearts.
The message of repentance and conversion is foundational to our faith. The Spirit always leads us towards the grace of repentance because it brings us into a human-divine reality: God is holy and we are sinners. We tend to think of this admission or confession as a sign of weakness but it is the very opposite: when we confess our sins, admit our fault and throw ourselves on God’s mercy, we receive every spiritual grace and blessing.
Lord have mercy upon me a sinner; wash away my iniquity and cleanse me of my sin.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened . . .
16-07-2020, 07:08burden, Jesus, yokePermalinkPeople can be like pieces of elastic: stretched to their utmost. limits one day, in a state of. collapse the next. Jesus" ‘yoke’ is a whole way of life, discipleship and relationship with him. He demands of us willing service to the gospel, but rewards us with friendship and love. Our part of the bargain is a twofold pledge: to model our lives on his, and to enter wholeheartedly into a relationship with him.
The image of the yoke calls to mind two oxen pulling along side by side, in step with one another. Jesus walks beside us if we invite him into the rhythm of our lives. Sharing our burden, he befriends us on the journey and invites us to rest with him at close of day. Discipleship and trust are key qualities needed. Enthusiasm for the Lord can see us through the ups and downs of life, focusing us and filling us with the light of his grace.
The conviction that Jesus is beside us can calm our fears and encourage us to take the spiritual rest that we all need for a healthy and balanced life on this frenetically active planet.
Lord may I always be aware of you beside me, not lifting but sharing my burdens and helping me to bear with joy the yoke of discipleship
The Father Knows the Son
15-07-2020, 07:00Holy Spirit, knowing, lovePermalinkHave Mercy on me, O God
10-07-2020, 07:24faithfulness, forgiveness, repentance, sinPermalinkPreaching the Gospel
09-07-2020, 07:27evangelise, gospel, sent, truth, vineyard, WitnessPermalinkGod's Delight
05-07-2020, 08:12delight, knowledge, love, revelationPermalinkfrom Bible Alive
Only God can Forgive Sins
02-07-2020, 07:52brokenness, chances, forgiveness, healing, love, Rolheiser, sinPermalink“. . .if the Catholicism that I was raised in had a fault, and it did, it was precisely that it did not allow for mistkes. If you made a mistake, you lived with it and, like the rich young man, were doomed to be sad, at least for the rest of your life. A serious mistake was a permanent stigmatization. We need a theolgy of brokenness. We need a theology which teaches us that even though we can’t unscramble an egg, God’s grace lets us live happily and with renewed innocence beyond any egg we may have scrambled. Every time we close a door, He opens another one for us . . .
"We need a theology that teaches us that God does not just give us one chance, but that every time we close a door, God opens another one for us. We need a theology that challenges us not to make mistakes, that takes sin seriously, but which tells us that when we do sin, when we do make mistakes, we are given the chance to take our place among the broken, among those whose lives are not perfect, the loved sinners, those for whom Christ came. We need a theology which tells us that a second, third, fourth, and fifth chance are just as valid as the first one. We need a theology that tells us that mistakes are not forever, that they are not even for a lifetime, that time and grace wash clean, that nothing is irrevocable. Finally, we need a theology which teaches us that God loves us as sinners and that the task of Christianity is not to teach us how to live, but to teach us how to live again, and again, and again."
Chris
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