Fifteenth and Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) 10 and 17 July
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 10:25-37)
One of the extraordinary features of the Gospel according to Luke is the presence of parables of Jesus only found in this gospel. The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of these. The parable is provoked by the question of the ‘lawyer’, an expert on the Jewish Law. The summary of the Law that he offers Jesus is the same as the reply Jesus himself gives in other gospels. There is a profound agreement between Jesus and the experts on the Law.
To the lawyer’s further question ‘And who is my neighbour?’, Jesus replies not by entering into a dialogue about who and who is not a neighbour. For Jesus all people are to be treated as neighbours. Instead, Jesus tells a parable to illustrate how to behave as a neighbour to others. The painstaking compassion of the Samaritan for an unknown victim of violence in a hostile environment provides an example for all followers of Jesus.
In this story Jesus sets up as an example a Samaritan, one who belongs to a despised and hated race, considered heretical by the Jews, and contrasts him with two heartless religious professionals.
The Samaritan, with his Christ-like behaviour, challenges every Christian.
Am I willing to learn from the example of those who are despised?
What do the words ‘Go and do the same yourself’ ask of me today?
Pray for those involved in bringing assistance to the victims of violence, terrorism and war.
Pray for harmony among people of different religious beliefs.
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 10:38-42)
Once more in this Sunday’s gospel we have material only found in the Gospel according to Luke. Jesus began his journey to Jerusalem to face his death in the previous chapter. He now reaches a village where he will receive generous hospitality. Luke has placed this story at an early stage of the journey. This raises a question for we know from the Gospel of John that Martha and Mary lived in the village of Bethany quite close to Jerusalem. This does not of course undermine the accuracy and the validity of the story itself. Luke underlines the presence of women in the ministry of Jesus. In chapter 8 he listed some of the women disciples of Jesus who accompanied Jesus together with the Twelve. In chapter 7 Jesus was the recipient of the tender attention of the woman who had been a sinner. In our passage Jesus comes to the house of the two women. The heart of the story lies in the contrast between the attitudes and actions of Mary and Martha. Mary somehow understands how precious the words of Jesus are. Everything else is of little importance. She has fathomed one of the most important teachings of this gospel, the need to hear the word of the Lord. They are blessed who hear the word of God and practice it (11:28). Martha on the other hand is intent on the practical concerns of providing hospitality for her guest. In the very first verse the evangelist tells us that it is Martha who welcomes Jesus into the house. Martha takes charge, but she prefers action to quiet listening. Jesus is a guest to be served, rather than a teacher whose every word is to be learned and treasured. The mild rebuke of Jesus is for those who do not make the time for what is of the utmost importance, listening to his words. From the very start of his gospel, with the Annunciation to Mary, Luke has stressed that our primary concern should be to hear the words of the Lord.
Do I treasure the word of God and take steps to hear and practice it?
Do I have the priorities of a genuine disciple of Jesus?
We pray for those whose vocation is to listen.
We pray that our service may always be inspired by love Fr Adrian Graffy
Body and Blood of Christ (19 June) Thirteenth Sunday (28 June) Fourteenth Sunday (3 July) 2022
Corpus Christi (Luke 9:11-17)
Today we are given an opportunity to revisit the events of Holy Thursday and for deeper reflection on the mystery of the Eucharist instituted by Christ on the night before he died. St Paul reminds us that Jesus gave us not an earthly bread, but the bread which is the gift of himself that we might live.
How can we conform our lives to the self-giving of Christ in the Eucharist?
What might Jesus’ words to ‘give them something to eat yourselves’ suggest to us today?
Pray for true reverence for the gift of Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist.
Pray for a deeper understanding that it is the Eucharist which makes the Church.
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 9:51-62)
It is the beginning of the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem, the place of his Passion and death, and of his resurrection. The evangelist curiously speaks of the time for him to be ‘taken up to heaven’. The journey is not simply the journey to death on the cross, but the journey to resurrection, which will culminate in the return of Jesus toto the presence of the father, from whom he came. Jesus faces the challenges of fidelity and hardship as do his disciples.
Am I prepared to make my journey to Jerusalem?
Is fidelity to the gospel the first priority in my life?
Pray for perseverance amid trials and hardships.
Pray for those who have no time for the good news.
SS Peter and Paul (Matthew 16:13-19)
Peter was with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry and accompanied him until the end. The life of Paul was dramatically changed by an encounter with the Risen Jesus. From persecuting Christians he became a preacher of the faith. Christ’s disciples today have come to know the good news because people like Peter and Paul were brave enough to give their lives for it and to proclaim it to the whole world.
What does the faith of Peter in the gospel reading teach me?
How does the faithful witness of Paul inspire me to spread the good news?
We thank God for all the martyrs who gave, and still give, their lives for the gospel.
We pray for those who have lost sight of Jesus amid the problems and distractions of life.
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 10:1-9)
Only the Gospel of Luke gives this report of a sending out by Jesus of seventy-two disciples. They are given instructions in how to behave. They are taught to provide little for themselves and to be single-minded. The announcement of ‘peace’, the peace of God, lies at the heart of the gospel. They are called and sent by Jesus to bring the peace of God by proclaiming what Jesus proclaims, that the kingdom of God is near, and they are to confirm their message as Jesus did by acts of healing.
Am I single-minded in living the gospel?
How do I make the peace of the kingdom a reality for others?
Pray for an increase in labourers in the Lord’s vineyard.
Thank God for the fidelity shown by so many in the work of the gospel.
Fr Adrian Graffy
Pentecost 5 June Holy Trinity 12 June
Pentecost (John 20:19-23)
In these verses Jesus brings the gift of peace and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The account of the day of Pentecost is found in our first reading, from the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Fifty days after the resurrection there was a spectacular manifestation of the power of the Spirit. Jews and proselytes, gathered from the nations for the Jewish feast of Pentecost, witness the power of the Spirit and hear the preaching of the apostles each in his own tongue. This event launches the mission to the whole world.
Our gospel teaches that the Holy Spirit was also given by the risen Christ before the events of Pentecost. This is a quieter and more intimate demonstration of the power of the Spirit. It is related to the preaching of forgiveness and the possibility of new life for those who ask for it. The disciples are empowered to bring the forgiveness of Christ, but it is possible for people to reject this forgiveness. This seems to be the sense of the final verse, that some have their sins retained.
This is the final day of the Easter period. The Lord who died on the cross has shown himself in his risen body. He has taken our humanity into the presence of the Father. He is no longer visibly present, but his Spirit is with us to remind us of Jesus and to lead us into all truth. That Spirit, as St Paul; writes to the Corinthi8ans, bestows gifts in abundance for the benefit of the whole Church.
Do I allow the Holy Spirit to transform my life?
Do I seek the peace and forgiveness offered to me through prayer and the sacraments?
Pray for the whole church, that Christians everywhere will be enlivened by the Holy Spirit.
Pray that the Easter gifts of Christ will always be with us.
Holy Trinity (John 16:12-15)
Even though we came to an end of the Easter season with the feast of Pentecost, the atmosphere of celebration continues this Sunday with Trinity Sunday. After the long seasons of Lent and Easter it is as if we pause to contemplate the mystery of God, thy mystery of the Three in One, the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
The gospel reading allows us to reflect on this mystery, for Father, Son and Spirit are clearly present in it. The passage is taken from the farewell speeches in the Gospel of John, from which we have read during the Easter season. Jesus is about to leave his disciples to return to the Father.
The Spirit of truth, referred to earlier in John’s gospel as the ‘advocate’, the one ‘called to be alongside’, will lead us to discover new things, new depths which are implicit in the good news of Jesus, but which only with time become clear to us. The Spirit is the guarantor that the Church remains in the truth.
The unity of Father, Son and Spirit is underlined when Jesus says that all that the Spirit speaks will be from him, and all that is from him is from the Father. We are confronted with the beauty of the God who reaches out to us, and the deep mystery of God, which is beyond our capacity to explain.
As St Paul makes clear in the passage from Romans, it is through the reaching out of Jesus Christ that we are at peace with God, and through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that we know our hope in God is sound.
Consider how each of the persons of the Holy Trinity reaches out to us.
What do I need to do to allow the Spirit to lead me ‘to the complete truth’?
Pray for reverence and humility when faced with the mystery of the one, true God.
Pray for those who seek the truth but cannot open their hearts to it. Fr Adrian Graffy
Sixth and Seventh Sundays of Easter 22 and 29 May 2022
Sixth Sunday (John 14:23-29)
The theme of ‘love’ emerges again, not the love of one disciple for another, but the disciple’s love for Jesus. Love for Jesus brings down the love of the Father. This love is shown by ‘keeping the word’ of Jesus and keeping the word of Jesus is keeping the word of the Father who sent him. Jesus draws us into an intimacy with the Father. What was stated in the very first chapter of the gospel is explained, that the only-begotten Son has made the unseen God known.
Fidelity to the word of Christ is not easy. Aware that the disciples will need assistance to recall and practise his word, Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit ‘will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said’. To live as Christians requires this remembering of all that Jesus said and did, but also openness to the new insights provided by the Spirit, who is constantly active In the Church. The Spirit is given the name ‘Advocate’, in Greek parakletos, which means one who is ‘called alongside’, one who is called to assist. John alone uses this term for the action of the Spirit.
The final verses speak of ‘peace’, the peace that the world cannot give. The departure of Jesus to the Father ‘who is greater than I’ should not undermine the peace of the disciples, for they already know the Father’s closeness through Jesus.
What does it mean to keep the word of Christ?
How do we know the closeness of the Father?
We pray for those who preach Christ’s word.
We pray that we may be receptive to the work of the Spirit, called to assist us by Jesus..
Seventh Sunday (John 17:20-26)
On this Sunday before Pentecost we complete our readings from the words of Jesus in John’s gospel set in the context of the Last Supper, on the night before Jesus died. This is the final section of a prayer Jesus directs to the Father. He raises his eyes to heaven and prays to the father for unity.
Jesus prays not only for those who have followed him up to this point. He prays too for the people to whom they will bring the gospel message. Our awareness of the history of the early Church confirms that from the very start there were divisions and differences in attitudes which could be very strongly held.
Jesus prays for a pervasive unity among the disciples, that all may be one in a unity which reflects the relationship of Jesus with the Father, and the Trinitarian nature of God which is gradually being understood by the early Christians. Through this unity others will come to believe.
Jesus speaks of the glory given him by the Father which he in turn makes known to believers. Jesus has made the name of God, another word pointing to God’s very essence, known to the disciples, so that they should be one in love. The ultimate gift of the Risen Jesus is love.
How can these final words of Christ’s prayer inspire our daily lives?
What can we do to protect the unity of those who believe and to avoid division and discord?
We pray that we may be faithful to the truth we have come to know from Jesus.
We pray that generous love may always be a feature of Christian life.
Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Easter (Year C) 8 and 15 May 2022
Fourth Sunday (John 10:27-30)
Having listened to the accounts of the appearances of the risen Jesus in the Gospel of John we now consider some of the words of Jesus from earlier in the gospel, which richly illustrate his mission and identity. We read from the Gospel of John throughout the easter period due to its profound insights into the person and work of Jesus. It is most appropriate to reflect on these deep truths and rich images as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the gift of his new life to us.
Today’s passage is renowned for Jesus’ words: ‘I am the good shepherd’. In fact, the chapter includes various sayings of Jesus relating to the image of the shepherd and his sheep. The use of this image, or parable, takes us back into the books of the Old Testament, where God is on several occasions described as a shepherd who has care for the sheep. The most famous instance of this is of course Psalm 22 (23), which begins with the words ‘The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I shall want’.
Despite the brevity of today’s passage from John’s gospel, several important themes of the gospel occur. ‘Belonging to Christ’ as sheep to a shepherd presupposes hearing and accepting the word. In John’s gospel we know Christ himself as ‘the Word’.
Finally, Jesus speaks of his relationship with the Father. ‘The Father and I are one’ is a statement of enormous importance in helping us to understand the person of Jesus and the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
How do I respond to the call to follow Christ as my shepherd?
What conclusion does this gospel passage provide?
We pray for a deeper sense of belonging to the world-wide ‘flock of Christ’.
We pray for reverence and love for the mystery of God, who is Three in One.
Fifth Sunday (John 13:31-35)
One of the particular features of the Gospel of John is the discourse given by Jesus at the Last Supper. It is remarkable that five whole chapters of the gospel are dedicated to these words of Jesus, which are often referred to as the ‘farewell discourse’. These speeches provide rich material for Christian reflection throughout the Easter period.
This passage is in two parts. Verses 31 and 32 follow on from the departure of Judas from the company of the disciples and of Jesus. John had written in verse 30: ‘As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen’. Judas departs into the night, where evil is plotted. By contrast, Jesus speaks of his glorification.
The word for ‘glory’, doxa in Greek, appears in the Prologue to John’s gospel. Contemplating the whole mystery of the coming of the Son of God, the evangelist writes that ‘we have seen his glory’. The ‘glory’ of Christ is the whole mystery by which he reveals the true nature of the Father, the true nature of God. This ‘glory’ is not fully revealed until the ‘hour’ of Jesus, the time of his cross and resurrection. In his death and resurrection the ‘glory’ of God, the self-giving, loving-kindness of God, is indeed revealed. The glory of the Son shows the glory of the Father.
Since we have been reborn in the death and resurrection of Christ, since we too have somehow ‘seen his glory’, then our lives are changed. We live according to the ‘new commandment’ Jesus speaks about. The love we practise imitates the love of Christ, the love seen in his glory and resurrection, a self-giving love which is lived out in daily commitment. Through this love, ‘everyone will know that you are my disciples’.
What does the death and resurrection of Christ mean to me?
How can I imitate the love of Christ more fully?
We pray for a true understanding of the glory of Christ.
We pray that our example will draw others to Christ. Fr Adrian Graffy
Easter Sunday 17 April, Second Sunday of Easter 24 April, Third Sunday of Easter 1 May
Easter Sunday (John 20:1-9)
The God of love is more powerful than death and sin, and God has shown this in raising Jesus, who became a victim of sin, to the life of the resurrection.
The world is in dire need of news that is true, amid so many messages which are false, undermining and deceptive. True hope lies in the God who raised Jesus from the dead.
Do I appreciate the fundamental significance of the resurrection of Jesus?
Do I have the vision to see the wonders God works in each human life?
We pray for those baptised and those received into the Catholic Church this Easter.
We pray for Christians for whom the cross is a daily and painful reality, that they will know that the risen Christ is at their side.
Second Sunday (John 20:19-31)
Jesus brings the gift of peace and the gift of the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins.
The reluctance of Thomas provokes Jesus’ praise for those who believe without seeing. But Thomas should also be remembered as the one who gives the fullest declaration of faith in Christ found anywhere In the gospels: ‘My Lord and my God!’
Do I treasure the gospel as showing the way to faith and life?
How does the experience of Thomas provide encouragement for believers?
We pray for a deeper appreciation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
We pray for all those plagued by hesitation and doubt.
Third Sunday of Easter (John 21:1-19)
The risen Christ retains his full humanity, including his concern for people in their day-to-day situations, however menial. The offering of bread and fish reminds us of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, which pointed to the Eucharist, the memorial of his cross and resurrection to new life.
Do I realise that in his resurrection Christ retains our humanity in all its ordinariness?
What does this appearance of Jesus teach us?
We pray for an appreciation of God’s involvement in each present moment.
We pray for the courage to let the gospel live through our daily lives.
Fr Adrian Graffy
A Blessed and Peaceful Easter to you and your families. Once again, we can shout out, “Christ is Risen! Alleluia!! Alleluia!!”
May Easter bring the blessings of God’s love to you all. Fr Joseph.