How can I do my part? Let us make a concrete commitment, even if small, that is adapted to our situation in life, and let us continue to do it to prepare ourselves for this Christmas. For example: I can call a person who is alone, visit that elderly person or that person who is ill, do something to serve a poor person, someone in need. Even still: maybe I need to ask forgive-ness, grant forgiveness, clarify a situation, pay a debt. Perhaps I have neglected prayer and after a long time, it is time to draw near to the Lord’s forgiveness. Brothers and sisters, let us find something concrete and do it!

St James the Great - Peckham Rye

Fr Jack’s mobile: 07909 140867 (text)        Mon 26^th February to Sun 3^rd March 2024

Mass Intentions

Monday          10:00am  Intention of Jessica

Tuesday         10:00am  Peace in the World

Wednesday   10:00am  Medical Staff  -  No evening Mass

Thursday        10:00am  Displaced people of the World- No benediction

Friday             10:00am   World Leaders

 Stations of the Cross after 10:00am Mass

Saturday        06:00pm Peggy McAdams

Sunday           08:30am  People of the Parish

10:00am   Personal Intention

12:00noon Mary Ryan RIP

12 Steps

The 12 steps from Alcoholic Anonymous are a well tried, tested and proven method of changing one's life.  I think they are a fantastic help for any one trying to find Christ also.  Like today's gospel they can transform your life/spirituality.

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We're entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carrythat out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

A Place at my table

A BIG THANK YOU to ASKI for giving us a terrific day last Wednesday.  There was plenty chat, dieting consultation and a beautiful lunch.  All those (20) who came thoroughly enjoyed it.  The next one is on Wednesday 20^th March 10am to 2pm.  Please book in with Fr Jack.

Saint Vincent de Paul

JUMBLE & Bric-a-Brac sale (No rubbish please)

Saturday 16^th March 12:00 noon till 4pm.  All donations welcome for the work of the SVP.

Lent

A great time for going to confession with Fr Jack or Westminster Cathedral

St James the Great - Peckham Rye

Fr Jack’s mobile: 07909 140867 (text)

Mass Intentions

Monday          10:00am  Peace in the Holy Land

Tuesday         10:00am  FM Harry & Teresa Logan

Wednesday   10:00am  Ukraine & Russia

Thursday        10:00am  Holy Souls

04:00pm Benediction

Friday             10:00am   The Needy and the Hungry of the World

 Stations of the Cross after 10:00am Mass

Saturday        06:00pm Personal Intention

Sunday                       08:30am  Joseph & Maria

10:00am         People of the Parish

12:00noon     Michael Gleeson RIP

WALK 200 KM IN 40 DAYS TO HELP FIGHT GLOBAL POVERTY

Challenge yourself and take on The Big Lent Walk! Walk when and where you choose over 40 days, alone or with friends. Raise money to help people as they overcome poverty. 

Go on  Google and sign up for CAFOD  200 mile walk.

Only five miles a day, in your own time and at your own place and space.

Get sponsorship and raise money for Cafod or a charity of your own liking. 

And why not  pray and/or fast on your walk. 

What a wonderful Lent PRAYER, FASTING, HELPING OTHERS.

And guaranteed to feel better by Easter Sunday for a personal resurrection.

Change is the law of life.  And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

KARAOKE -An afternoon of fun socialising and enjoyment

Sunday the 25th February.  2pm to 5pm in the afternoon

There will be some food available.  But could I ask people to bring a picnic type lunch for themselves and a bit too share.  This is not being mean but an attempt to spread the workload.  And if it works well, we could have a karaoke afternoon every month, be a great parish builder.

The PLACE AT MY TABLE

Weds 21st Feb 10:30am to 2:30pm

Exercise, chat, meal.

Places still available let Fr Jack know on

Tarmac

I hope you enjoy the new car park, thank you very much £27,000 including VAT

A beautiful story of healing in today's gospel, But please note two things:-

1.  Jesus healed him.
2.  The man wanted to be healed.  ("of course I want to.")

I would like to give up my drinking problem, I would like the end of war and violence, I would like a better environment, I would like a better relationship with Jesus, I would like a better relationship with my partner.    But what am I willing to do to achieve anything?  Just vaguely wishing just hoping God or someone else will do it.  It does not work like that.  God gave us a brain, would I upset you if I said he gave some of us a brain?  Sorry!

I am sure many people will read the first reading today from the book of Job and feel how true it is.  Sadly that is the state of many peoples' lives drudgery, monotony and boredom.  You have my sympathy. Wishing it was all over.  Life has nothing to offer. First port of call, talk to someone,

come and talk to me.  It is always good to talk.  People do not have magic solutions 

but we all need a "shoulder to lean on."  Job talked to three of his friends and they upset him and he threw them out in anger.  Read the book. He even cursed God.   But he kept on talking to others and to God.  And eventually he came up with an answer.  Do you want an answer?  Read Job.

The last few weeks I have been challenging you as to whether your faith is making the world a better place or not.  Is it making you/me a better person? Today I have another challenge.Is Jesus just another voice among many for you.   Is He the way, the truth and the life for you?  A great mistake is to make Him into another voice among many and it is up to me to take my pick.  Sounds like a lotto, and as we know, in that, there are many losers.   "Jesus spoke with authority."  He did not have to refer to anyone else.  As at times I may refer to the Pope or somebody else. 

Even to Pilate, He said, “I am He."

In today's Gospel we see Satan recognising Jesus and he trembles in his boots.   I hope you recognise him and He IS YOUR LIFE.

"An unexamined life is a life not worth living."  So says Socrates, and this is what Jesus is calling us to do.  "Repent." 

Look at your life.  Is your life worth living?

"To live is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often."  Who said that?  A fiver for the first correct answer.   As Christians we need always to be reflecting on our life.  

Am I a passenger or a driver in the world?  Do I make things happen in other people's lives or in my own? In the second reading Paul was reviewing his life and he said what he said because he believed the end of the world was near.  Again get your priorities right.

God, others and me. In that order..

Evangelization is a big word but simply means spreading the Gospel or telling other people about Jesus.  How do I do it?  There are as many ways as there are people willing to do it.  Just look at what the Master Himself did in today's Gospel.  "Come and see."  Invite somebody to church.  Have you ever done so?  Don't just land them in.  Explain a little to them as to what it is all about and be the star host.  I hope many "strangers" come among us now and again.  Would meeting you make them want to come back again?

Please every baptised Christian has a duty to spread the Gospel.

Today after 12 mass there will be a meeting to look at this very issue. Consider yourself invited.  You have something to offer.

Fr Jack

A few  very simple things about today's reading.

1. The magi studied the start.  That was their job.  They noticed something different and they followed their instinct using nature/their job.  They read the signs of the times.
2. 2. It led them to a small village and to a dirty stable where they saw a baby who was also a king. God appears in very strange places.  We need to have eyes to see.

3.  Having discovered the child/God their lives were never the same again.

From Archbishop Wilson

It was faith in God, and fidelity to God’s word, that enabled Abraham and Sarah to believe God’s promise. It was faith in God, and fidelity to God’s word, that made Our Lady and St Joseph capable of cooperating so uniquely and beautifully with God’s purpose for their lives and our salvation. It is our Catholic faith that gives identity and meaning to the Sacrament of Marriage and to family life as the domestic church. The family, in the closer and wider senses, remains the most important building block of the Church and of society. When the family flourishes, the Church flourishes. When the family flourishes, society flourishes. Catholic faith is intrinsic to our understanding of marriage and family life, supported by our parishes and schools.

I have been privileged over the past year to witness so many inspiring examples of husbands and wives, with their children and extended families, living and celebrating their Catholic faith, passing it on, and making it central to their day-to-day life. We know that every family has its difficulties. Sometimes, sadly, we also know there is breakdown, both in marriage and in family life. To anyone who is wounded by damaged or broken relationships, please know that the Church is your home, a compassionate ‘hospital’ of healing and mercy. I want to say a very sincere ‘thank you’ to every family which forms part of our Archdiocese. Thank you for your commitment to your faith and for making your homes holy places where the values and virtues of the Holy Family of Nazareth are put into practice.

FR JACK

"Make A Straight Way For The Lord."

Then you will be in the light. This is the call of Christmas. Make a straight way for the Lord. 

How do I make the way straight?

What kind of person am I? 

Is my life straight? 

Am I gravitating towards Christ?

Am I helpful, kind, generous, forgiving, understanding? Then when I straighten my life, I am making the way straight for the Lord.  When I straighten my life, and you straighten your life and everyone else straightens their life.  The kingdom will truly reign in our midst.  We are not talking about mountains and valleys.  But about you and I.

"O come, O come Emmanuel,"  this hymn is a great Christian prayer.  It is a call on God to come and save, rescue me.  In the fifth century there was a heresy which was condemned by the council of Ephesus. This was the heresy known as Pelagianism which says I can save myself and don't need Christ. Sadly there are people today who still think they can save themselves. To the point whereby I say,  "some people do not need Christ or his saving work."   They believe they are getting to heaven by their own efforts. The AA (alcoholic anonymous) talk about the need of a greater power outside

themselves.  They have got it right.

For us it is Christ.

First Sunday of advent and our thoughts turn to Christmas.  Is that Christ, our shopping, or pressure, or embarrassment

or lack of money, or eating or drinking or Santa or........A thought...

"When God becomes absolute in our lives, consumer goods become relative."

This Tuesday we start with confession with a number of priests.

1. If it is over a year since I have been then I need to go.

2, Do I have a concern for the hungry, poor, homeless, housebound, or strangers.

3. Am I serious about my relationship with God, others, mass or is it all a bit hit and miss.
4. If I am married, am I married in the church?
5. As a parent, do I pray with my children every day?  Lead by example.
6. Work... do I work honestly and treat others fairly.  Employers or employees.
7. As a child of the universe do I have concern for the environment.
8. Am I a good member of the family of St. James. Do I pull my weight.
9. Do I respect my parents, children,

 teachers?

10.How about pride, anger, laziness, drunkenness, obesity, drugs, porn, jealousy?

From a baby to a king but not only a King but King of the Universe. Sounds awesome but the more important part of it is that He wants to be King of our Hearts. It is here that the King truly wants to reign. We may have very mixed and confused images of kings. They exist outside of us, but this king wants to live within us.  When I live for others, for my husband or for my wife, for my children or my parents, for my parishioners or for each other, for the poor or the stranger, then I am not far from the Kingdom and the King reigns within me. When I am a person of integrity and honesty, generosity and cooperation then the King reigns within my heart.  When I cooperate with the word of God that is called grace and I swim in a sea of grace.  Now that is an awesome thought. I hope you have had a very fruitful liturgical year as a member of the family of St James and that you also found fulfilment in your own contribution.

I hope many of you have found the perfect wife.  But I also hope many of you ladies have found the perfect husband.  If we live for the others

either as a wife, husband, single person or priest, then I believe we will not be far from the Kingdom. The story of the talents is very much about using our gifts, again for others.  The central tenet of our faith is the incarnation,  that God became man, flesh and blood.  This is revolutionary stuff.   God walking among us, what worries me as a priest is that we are trying to find him in words.  Talking, preaching, words, words, words.  texting, emails even praying.

Do I have a love of the truth? Do I try to find out the truth about my faith or do I just go along with the news and attitudes of the day?  The first reading tells us about people who have a love for the truth, always seeking it out through reading or talking to someone who is in a position to guide them. Jesus does not spare his words in the gospel and we need to understand them. He talks about the virgins.....five were wise and five were foolish. And that could be any man, woman or child.  Wise ones and foolish ones.  So, make an effort to check things out.  Don't build your world around yourself.

A few weeks ago Paul told us that when the word came among us it came,"as power, the Holy Spirit and utter conviction." Today Paul tells us that "God's message is God's message and not some human thinking; and it is still a living power among us who believe it. When we hear the word on Sunday and the reader ends, "This is the word of the Lord."  We should shout out, "Thanks be to God" with power and utter conviction. That God has truly spoken to us.  God Himself, it is an awesome thought and we really need to get into it and feel it, Yes God has spoken to us. The word of God is alive and active. The key answer to all of this is humility.

Amazing to think that the Book of Exodus written 27 centuries ago, could still be so relevant and important today.  And we still need to talk/preach about it.

So simple we could miss it:-

Do not molest or oppress the stranger.

Do not use harsh words with the widow or the orphan.

Do not demand interest.

If you borrow someone's cloak, give it back before sundown.

We do not have an eternal home, we are all passing through, getting off at the next stop.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE US TO LEARN?

Which do you prefer?

The power of love or the love of power.

On my phone profile I have written

Love Changes Everything"

And I truly believe this. Start from a loving point and end on a loving note.

It has all kinds of benefits. Lower blood pressure, nicer person, less hassle. more accommodating and the list goes on.

Why did Jesus advocate it so much?  He knew the way forward, He knew what was good for us.

Paul even nails it in today's second reading.  "the Good News came to you not only as mere words , but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction."

Take the power of love to your heart  and do not be emotionally numb  but emotionally alive.  (Last week’s homily.)

Today Isaiah talks about the great banquet in heaven.  It is a usual reading for a funeral.  Sadly people usually forget the reading before it, which we had last week, about the beautiful vineyard (the world) that the land owner leased out to tenants.  They failed to produce fruit and so they were thrown out of the vineyard.  The vineyard was leased to others.  The vineyard is the church/world and everything was provided.  But they did not cooperate with the generosity of God.  We have got to cooperate with the graces (church, sacraments, prayer, love of all etc.)  God has given us.  When we cooperate with these graces we flourish.  When we don’t we turn in on ourselves.  In hope we pray for the salvation of all but we can’t be presumptuous..

"Those to whom much is given, much will be expected." We have been given the best of everything.  The truth of the Gospel given to us by God Himself.

Used properly we certainly should get to heaven. The labourers in the vineyard were given everything to produce a great harvest.  But sadly they failed.  Don't be like them.  Paul as ever spells out a receipt for happiness in life.  "Finally brothers and sisters fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, everything that can be thought virtuous 

or worthy of praise. Then the God of peace will be with you."  The power of positive thinking.

Good to go away and have a break and The Gospel today is so obvious that we almost ignore it.  Our life as Christians is about what we do and not what we say.  This is why Jesus is promoting the tax collectors and sinners.  They may not profess much by the way of faith but often by their actions they may be streets ahead of us.  Any wonder then that Jesus had so much time for tax collectors and sinners.  Not the Pharisees who always felt superior by their attitude but their actions do not confer.  Paul gives us a great guide and tells us be united....in your love, in your common purpose and in your mind.  Just like Jesus' prayer...."May they be one as we are one."   so that the world may believe.

Good to go away and have a break and The Gospel today is so obvious that we almost ignore it.  Our life as Christians is about what we do and not what we say.  This is why Jesus is promoting the tax collectors and sinners.  They may not profess much by the way of faith but often by their actions they may be streets ahead of us.  Any wonder then that Jesus had so much time for tax collectors and sinners.  Not the Pharisees who always felt superior by their attitude but their actions do not confer.  Paul gives us a great guide and tells us be united....in your love, in your common purpose and in your mind.  Just like Jesus' prayer...."May they be one as we are one."   so that the world may believe.

Let's be clear .... many of us find today's gospel hard to stomach.  Probably downright disagree with it.  We often do not find such generosity and when we see it we consider it downright reck-lessness. Why should we help all those immigrants, other brothers and sisters by another name? You can't see a doctor, the NHS is clogged up, can't get an appointment. Yes, "Our thoughts are not your thoughts. Your ways not our ways.  (Isaiah)  All very difficult to take.

But thank God, you are reckless.  Here in the UK, a beautiful country, great climate, (we complain), plenty of food, security, we live in peace, sadly some people do not appreciate it.  So putting it simply, as Paul does:

"Is God glorified in you."

or

are you a miserable selfish complaining

_____?______ ?

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

We may say the above prayer many times a day but still think we can go on not forgiving.  "Well, it is only one person," I hear you say.  Thank God you are not fighting with the whole world. But that is the one person you are meant to forgive.  Jesus did not say forgive most people. He meant everyone and that is a recipe for heaven.  But also very important, if I don't forgive, I may get a heart attack, probably shorten my life with the weight of the burden or guilt.

 Forgive and let go.

Enjoy the freedom of God's children

Forgiveness seems to be paramount in the ministry of Jesus.  In the Our Father when he teaches us to pray he tells us to forgive others if we want to be forgiven.

So forgiveness is a must.

I don't understand why people fall out in the first place.  Often when I am in a difficult situation, I find a great help is to say:-”I feel upset by what you said."

At least that gives the other person an opening.  But if I attack and say, "Why did you say that...."    Well then communication has broken down.

Of course this communication works both ways. If you have a quick/sharp temper pray hard.

Fr Jack

Good to go away and have a break and meet many friends.  A change, a rest, time for prayer and to view things from another angle.  always refreshing.  I hope you also got an opportunity to rest and be with loved ones.

Now good to be back with the familiar and with my family of St James again.  No deaths while I was away, Thank God.

Thanks to Fr Boniface for his work and you for taking care of him. He seems to have put on weight!!

Now back to all the usual.

If anyone would like a visit, or to come and discuss anything, you know where I am.

Today's Gospel challenges us to make decisions.  "If you want to be a follower................"

Not making, or not being able to make decisions in life can be very frustrating.  Because quicker than you expect things begin to  mount up and you can feel overwhelmed. This can be very frustrating, debilitating and annoying.  As I get older I find I am slowing down a bit.  But then the holiday gave me time to recharge.

Also with the Gospel.   We can drift on saying our prayers being good and never heading anywhere in our Christian life.  Make decisions about your faith and you will find it much more empowering.  As we start back the new academic year, find time every day, if only for 10 minutes to be quiet in the presence of God.

Fr Boniface

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today Jesus reveals to His disciples His mission, which entails suffering grievously, dying and rising after the third day, something that Peter could not stomach. He calls Jesus aside and remonstrate with Him, telling him "God forbid, this cannot happen to you ". Peter completely misunderstands the mission of Christ, as perhaps could some of us. He cannot  accept a saviour who is weak, who will be humiliated and die, rather he expects the Messiah to be as powerful as the Roman rulers of that time, and he would be among the powerful ones since he is within the inner cycle. This expectation of Peter is the human way of thinking, not God's, who sacrificed His only Son Jesus Christ to suffer and die for us on the cross, a shameful death, and because of that human way of thinking Jesus called him satan.  Dear friends,  God has chosen a different path to save us and we can only share in carrying His cross in order to share in His glory, as the saying goes "there is no resurrection without good Friday". We have not to avoid the cross but rather to embrace and  carry it here on earth, losing our earthly selves in order to gain our true lives in heaven. So when suffering comes to us in different forms: sickness; death; loss of jobs, homelessness, wars and others,  let us accept them in faith aware that our master underwent the same. Endured in faith, the end shall be Joy in ChristJesus who endured a lot of suffering for our sake. May Christ Jesus continue to  strengthen us in carrying our daily crosses.  Secondly let us strive to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God and do before Him what is good, what is pleasing and what is perfect, total self giving to Him, that He welcomes us in His heavenly kingdom, Amen.

Fr Boniface

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

in the Gospel reading of today, Jesus asks his disciples who people know him to be, and the disciples mentioned the names of three very popular personalities at that time: John the Baptist, Elijah and Jeremiah. These are all mistaken identities based on their popularity. He then went on to ask the disciples themselves, who they know him to be, and Peter gave the true identity of Jesus, "you are the Christ, the son of the Living God", an answer for which Jesus was very happy and called Peter blessed because of this divine revelation. And because his strong faith has led him to know Jesus as the Saviour, Jesus would then leave in his hands the keys to the gate of heaven. True faith becomes the bed rock, the foundation on which the Church of Jesus Christ is built, a pathway to heaven.

Dear friends in Christ, our true identity of Jesus as the Messiah shall lead us to enter into heaven, for this divine revelation strengthens our faith and makes us live according to the Will of God. Jesus is indeed asking each one of us today the very same question "who do you say I am"?  The answer is deep in your heart! To me, Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. He is a friend with whom I want to be at all times, He is a perfect example for me to follow, a bridge between me and God the Father, Jesus is my whole.

Let us strive in faith and prayer to discover who Jesus really is in our lives: the Christ, the son of the living God, so that discovering this divine truth leads us to be with Our Father in heaven. Amen.

Fr Boniface

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

The gospel reading of today encourages us not to get discouraged when our prayers are not instantly answered, but rather to continue seeking help from God, till our prayer’s intentions are met. The Canaanite woman in the gospel of today has little in common with the Jews, and yet she knows Jesus as the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. She knows through faith in Him, Jesus shall heal her daughter who was sick.

Jesus, to test the depth of faith in her, first seems not to pay attention to her plea to heal her sick daughter. Secondly, he categorically tells her he was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel, referring to the Israelites, but the woman, determined to get what she wants from Jesus, challenges him "even dogs eat the scraps of food that fall from the master's table", and because of this strong faith she showed, Jesus granted her, her heart's desire.

Have you been praying for something and have not received it yet - a job, a stable family, justice to be done to you, immigration challenges, a brighter future and so on, continue. With faith in God, you shall get the answers to your prayers at the appropriate time, do not be discouraged by those who don't believe in the goodness of God.

POPE FRANCIS

ON THE TRANSFIGURATION.

Brothers and sisters, this Gospel traces a path for us too. … In fact, it is by staying with [Jesus] that we learn to recognize on his face the luminous beauty of love he gives us, even when it bears the marks of the cross. And it is in his school that we learn to glimpse the same beauty on the faces of the people who walk beside us every day — family, friends, colleagues who take care of us in the most varied ways. How many bright faces, how many smiles, how many wrinkles, how many tears and scars reveal love around us! Let us learn to recognize them and to fill our hearts with them. And then let us set out in order to bring the light we have received to others as well, through concrete acts of love (cf1 Jn 3:18), diving into our daily affairs more generously, loving, serving, and forgiving with greater earnestness and willingness. The contemplation of God’s wonders, the contemplation of God’s face, of the Lord’s face, must move us to the service of others. 

POPE FRANCIS

The Kingdom of Heaven is the opposite of the superfluous things that the world offers; it is the opposite of a dull life: it is a treasure that renews life every day and leads it to expand towards wider horizons. Indeed, those who have found this treasure have a creative and inquisitive heart which does not repeat but rather invents, tracing and setting out on new paths which lead us to love God, to love others, and to truly love ourselves. The sign of those who walk this path of the Kingdom is creativity, always seeking more. And creativity is what takes life and gives life, and gives, and gives, and gives. ... It always looks for many different ways to give life.
Jesus, who is the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value, cannot but inspire joy, all the joy of the world: the joy of discovering a meaning for one’s life, the joy of feeling committed to the adventure of holiness.

Jesus spoke to the people in parables because they are timeless.  Whether in the time of Christ or today, the parables are always fresh and always new.  We reflect and every generation will find something relevant.  Today is no different but in the three parables there are some eternal truths.  Evil is a fact of life and there are people who work hard at being evil.  Maybe not me, but do I contribute my bit even if little? Because God is tolerant, he lets good and bad travel side by side.  Obviously, we need to try to eradicate the bad.  The church had small beginnings but it should be growing. We are all called to do our bit.  Again, for many of us, do you seriously teach your children and those you meet?  Finally, the church should be making a difference in society, being the leaven and helping people to rise up and have a better quality of life.

As a farmer's son, today's parable speaks volumes to me. In November you ploughed the land, spread fertilizer, later on ploughed again, harrowed, rotavated and then you were ready to plant six months later. Beautiful soil well broken and land fertilised to receive the golden grain.  My father would lift it up and let it flow through his hand like dry sand blowing in the wind. Beautiful. In Ireland with rain and sun you could look forward to a good harvest.  Still more work to be done with spraying and keeping the birds away with scarecrows. Most of the work was done in preparing the land.  No preparation and the planting was a waste of time and certainly no harvest.  Do you understand me?  Are you hearing me?  If we do not prepare for our mass/readings then even the greatest of preachers are wasting their time.  Yes, many people will say great sermon, Fr Jack, but by the time they get home the cares of the world take over.

Read the readings again and make them their own.

NO PREPARATION, NO RESULTS

Fr Jack

Paul in the second reading makes what I think is a massive assumption.  "Our interests are only in spiritual things."  May be true for some people but not all.  If we were all interested in the spiritual things only we would be living in a different world.  Yes I believe it is possible.  "Jesus says his yoke is light."  Yes, anything we grasp with both hands and put our heart into is light and easy and very possible. But for many their faith is routine, tired and boring and I agree, because our heart is not in it.  We need to appreciate what God has done for us and is still doing.  The times he has protected and brought us through.  I remember several times when God positively intervened in my life. And yes I believe he has even greater things in store for me and all of us.  Make sure you enjoy the journey by sorting out your priorities.

Those of us who are baptised should consider ourselves dead to sin and alive with the life of Christ.  Jesus talks about giving a person a cup of water. Seems simple enough in our western world where water is available at the turn of a tap.  But for three quarters of the world's population water is like gold.  As Pope Francis says:- "Access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights. Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity. This debt can be paid partly by an increase in funding to provide clean water and sanitary services among the poor.

We are worth more than many sparrows. Might seem like an insult at first but when we read the whole thing in context it is clear that Jesus, God is crazy about us.  But Jesus wants us to respond to him, in that way we become more responsive to him.   And in becoming more responsive we become more aware.  Our whole problem is the limitation of our mind and heart.  We lack a God language to help us appreciate.  We fail to look around our world and appreciate the beauty of what God is doing for us.  People say they want signs, open your eyes and there are signs everywhere.  All the bad signs and things you see or hear are man-made.  And sadly, often we blame God.

Today's Gospel is a very touching story about Jesus. "He felt sorry for them."  He passionately cares for each one of us.  An awesome thought.  God caring for me. They were harassed and dejected.  A man came to see me as I am writing this.  He's got food and he has got a house, a job, a family but he was harassed and dejected. Life is tough, he said.  And yes, it is tough for many people.  Increased prices and bills, fraught relationships, lack of appreciation by partner, employer, family and friends.  Boredom and routine, no light at the end of the tunnel.  I was/am in total sympathy. Then Jesus goes on to talk about a few labourers.  And a great harvest.   For far too long I think many people have seen this to refer to priests. I would like to reduce today's gospel to one sentence.  "TALK TO AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER."

"God loved the world so much that "Do this in memory of me."  How often did I hear at a funeral,  "we will never forget them."   Yet within a few days Granny is totally forgotten. "At the going down of the sun, we will remember them." and as we are saying it we are bombing the hell out of people in another corner of the world. We surely have a short memory.  So Jesus, totally aware of our inability to remember, told us to;- "Do this in memory of me." Keep the memory alive, Jesus says, never forget how good I have been to you and how much I love you.  Thank God billions of people and priests have gathered together around the world to keep the Memory alive.   Here in St James we do it nine times a week and the same world-wide. The memory of Jesus still lives on. Long may it continue.  But for the above to be real and true we must keep loving people as much as he did. Visiting the sick. Visiting those in prison. Feeding the hungry. Giving drink to the thirsty.  YES, AND WELCOMING THE STRANGER.  

"God loved the world so much that He gave us his only son." What a beautiful statement from the mouth of Jesus himself. May all of us, but especially parents be faithful to receiving that great gift every week in the sacrament of Holy Communion and helping their children to appreciate it. It is frightening how callous we can sometimes be in the face of Jesus. Please receive often and never become casual. We are talking about God himself.

We may think the coming of the Holy Spirit on the apostles was like a bit of magic but they worked hard at it 

Two very important things 

1. They stayed together
2. They were discussing the scriptures.

Staying together is so important.   That is the church.  We stay together and the more we support each other the more powerful we/the church will be. Remembering we are the church. People often ask me will I retire. Living without the church/my family/YOU I think I could lose my faith. We need each other. Thanks for being there for me and each another. Long may it last. The better it is, the greater the presence of the spirit among us. Our own Pentecost.

How is your prayer life doing?  I am sure we all worry about our ability to pray from time to time and we worry about our own sincerity, I know I do.  Chapter 14,15,16,17 of John's Gospel is known as the Priestly Prayer of Jesus. Jesus’s prayer for the world before He goes to the Father.  Looks very straight forward, factual and is Jesus sharing with his Father what He wants. He is more or less telling God that he came and did what He requested. So now you keep your side of the bargain and take me back to heaven. I love it. Read it again and let it help you in your prayer life.

Do you enjoy mass every week, some weeks or never.  Why do you come?  A dangerous question but one worth reflecting on. Challenge yourself.  What does your faith mean to you?  If you were accused of being a Christian. Would you have enough evidence to prove, yes, I am a Christian.  Jesus gives us fairly simple answers.  "If you love me, keep my commandments."  Keeping the commandments can seem very boring, but they are all an attempt to get to know Christ better. Boring, OK but positive. Good for our health, wellbeing and peace of mind.  It proves I love Christ and that is far from boring.  You are not an orphan.  I am truly a son/daughter of the Father all wrapped up in a divine love. What a claim. I now await the coming of the Holy Spirit. to convince me more of who I truly am.

I love the first reading from Acts. The apostles were faced with a very real problem of taking care of everything. So they called a meeting of all the elders and agreed to elect seven people to take care of other jobs.

A great sign of the church in action.

Thank God here in our own parish we have a great band of people taking care of so much,

Readers,

choirs/band/singers

Eucharistic ministers/sick/housebound

servers

cleaners

flowers

finance

health and safety

hospitality

safeguarding

catechetical work of many kinds

Liturgy groups

SVP/poor

Legion/lonely

School/s

Secretarial

The one I forgot - We have got our own parish co-ordinating council who decides what we need to do here in our own parish. Why don't you write to them with suggestions of what you may feel we need to do here in our own parish. Would like to offer your services to any of the above groups for an hour or two a week?

YOUR PARISH NEEDS YOU.

Today's gospel shows Jesus as an absolutely caring shepherd.  No hint of cheating or callousness.  But the true shepherd who cares for all his sheep. Minding the sheep as they come and go and always leading them to pastures new. This is Jesus and also our Heavenly Father, continually watching over each one of us with a fatherly affection.  We in turn should express that love in our care for each other.  I hope in some small way my own love shines through as a reflection of the love of God.  As individuals and as parish we need to be continually showing forth the love of God. This is where vocation comes in, going beyond the call of duty, giving without counting the cost. loving as we have been loved.  Would I do it all over again?  An impossible question to answer, but what I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed my 50 years and am very happy with my decision.  I would encourage any young person with a big heart to check it out.

I love this story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  Let us assume for now that they are husband and wife.  Having a good chat about all the goings on in Jerusalem over the last few days. In their discussion I like to think they enlightened each other.   Wherever two or three are gathered in my name I am there in their midst.   The Gospel puts it very graphically and says Jesus walked with them.   Nothing surprising there.  So whenever two or three of you gather in your house to prepare the Sunday reading, Jesus is there with you.  This sort of preparation can make Christ very real for you and your children who have a great imagination, it is a fantastic faith builder and form of prayer.  God is in his word and it is only when we break the word that we find Christ. "I live now, not I but Christ lives in me."

When Jesus rose from the dead, he met Mary Magdalene who clung to his feet.

She is obviously delighted to see Jesus again and it seems a reasonable thing to do, however, Jesus seems very abrupt and tells her not to cling to him but to go back to Jerusalem and tell the brothers.

Here Jesus is being adamant that He has opened the gates of heaven and we should not cling to him but get on with preaching the Good News.

Same idea on the Mount of Trans-figuration  when Peter wants to build three tents and stay on the mountain.  

Jesus is adamant that they must go down and preach the Good News.

Today we see Jesus breathing on the apostles and telling them to receive the Holy Spirit, your sins are forgiven, we are free so get on with telling others what Jesus has done for you. As you read this you can reflect on what Jesus has done/means  for you?  Is it worth telling others?

When Jesus rose from the dead, he met Mary Magdalene who clung to his feet.

She is obviously delighted to see Jesus again and it seems a reasonable thing to do, however, Jesus seems very abrupt and tells her not to cling to him but to go back to Jerusalem and tell the brothers.

Here Jesus is being adamant that He has opened the gates of heaven and we should not cling to him but get on with preaching the Good News.

Same idea on the Mount of Trans-figuration  when Peter wants to build three tents and stay on the mountain.  

Jesus is adamant that they must go down and preach the Good News.

Today we see Jesus breathing on the apostles and telling them to receive the Holy Spirit, your sins are forgiven, we are free so get on with telling others what Jesus has done for you. As you read this you can reflect on what Jesus has done/means  for you?  Is it worth telling others?

Today has changed the course of history forever, and you and I are the proud knowers of this mystery. Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. The cross is empty and the tomb is empty.  We are free. Not even death to worry about. Christ has been there before us. This is the news that has impacted billions of lives.  Do I feel truly free, do I experience the real freedom that Christ brought by his resurrection? Because the cross where Jesus died is empty and the tomb where He was buried is vacant, you really can experience true freedom. His resurrection is really good news. It's news that has impacted billions of lives across millennia in some incredible ways. And it's relevant to you, here and now.If we look around the world and see the suffering, the hunger, the oppression by corrupt governments, we must truly look and see how blessed we truly are.  As some would say we should never get off our knees from thanking God. 

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

It is not the suffering of Christ that pleases the father but his willingness.  

Fr Jack

The cross is our great Christian symbol.  Many people wear it as an item of jewellery, a symbol of what they believe and proud of it. Sadly, others wear it as a fashion item which is rather strange.  Can you imagine wearing an electric chair or a guillotine around your neck?   Because that is what it is a symbol of capital punishment.  And yet it is the sign by which we conquer this world and its enticements.  On the cross Jesus is saying "THE NONSENSE STOPS HERE." The nonsense.......our own ugliness, our own dysfunction, our own lack of forgiveness. our scapegoating, our own hurtfulness. our own self-righteousness. The world's dysfunction is displayed on the cross.  Jesus is saying leave it all here at the foot of the cross and unburden yourself, or in the language of last week's gospel unbind yourself and let yourself go free. This is why it is Good Friday, Jesus unbound the world from all its dysfunction. Why don't you accept it?

Again, a very familiar gospel about the raising of Lazarus. Hopefully when our time comes, we will also rise. But in the meantime, we can do a great job in preparation for experiencing the joy of heaven and get a taste of it here and now.

"The dead man. Lazarus came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth around his face."  Jesus says,"unbind him and let him go free."   I believe we are all bound to many things, either through attachment or inadequacy. Remember last week's newsletter, "Spiritual maturity is gained when we stop attaching happiness to material things."

ATTACHMENT:

to anger

to jealousy

to not forgiving

to my phone

to any possession

to spitefulness

to self-righteousness

to judging

INADEQUACIES:

feeling inferior

not good enough

comparing to others

not being at peace with myself.

Unbind yourself and be free this side of the grave.

To be blind must be a great physical disability. Yet some blind people I know are very positive. They often say "I see." meaning.........I understand!!!  Probably more important.  Why do we often say never discuss religion or politics? because you can discuss them forever.  Sadly, sometimes it is not a discussion, it is an exchange of opinions.  Your opinion----my opinion, is one as good as another?  That is an exchange of opinions. Self-referential? often not very enlightening.  This would be fine in a world without Jesus but Jesus came into the world because he loves us.

My favourite Gospel. I've got a beautiful carving, from Jerusalem,  of this scene. Here you have got a terrific encounter between two people.  Remember this took place two thousand years ago. look at the contrast:-

JESUS           THE WOMAN

a man              a woman

a Jew               a Samaritan

a rabbi             a sinner

God                 a human

And Jesus is at home in this scene. Shattering all our prejudices and isms -sexism, racism, sectarianism, nationalism, superiorism.  He sees his sister and he loves her, does not judge her.  How often am I guilty of judging and condemning rather than seeing the potential of another human being and a friend.  As Jesus says our worship needs to be in SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH, or as the Pope says, "For it is in togetherness that we follow Jesus. Together too, as a pilgrim Church in time, we experience the liturgical year and Lent within it, walking alongside those whom the Lord has placed among us as fellow travellers,"  The woman having met Jesus goes on to talk about him.

Jesus did not come to start another religion but to reveal God in us. Here today on the mountain we see this happening in an extraordinary way. There is this great event and all these people are appearing.  Words are spoken, clouds come down and there is a marvellous manifestation. Then all is quiet and the apostles see no one but Jesus.  The message has come true, they have received it, "They see no one but Jesus."  He is our point of reference, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  Peter, impetus as ever, wants to build three tents and stay with the experience.  But Jesus is very clear, no, you have seen, now go down the mountain and strengthen the brothers. Just our job, we know Christ so that we may share him with others.

The Garden of Eden.  What a beautiful place it was.  The clear message here is that God creates.  Six days or six million years.  Who knows?  No one and no one cares.  1. But what is important is that God did create. What the writer (probably Moses) is really trying to tell us is that God is crazy about us.  He gave us a wonderful, beautiful world to enjoy.  In short God creates.  2.  He created us to be happy.  That's why he gave us a beautiful place.  3, Adam (men) and Eve (women) they/we did something to upset the plan. They/we did not LISTEN  to God, in other words they did their own thing.  Every time we sin we ratify what they did.  So don't blame them.  We are all guilty.  4. God plans to restore the relationship. He is going to send his son Jesus Christ to undo what was done.  So let us now LISTEN to him and not continue to wreck each other and the universe.

We continue with chapter five of Matthew.  The new and higher law, that is the LAW OF LOVE.  We follow Jesus Christ out of love and not the fear of hell or punishment.  This, I believe, is where many of us Christian fall short....."What must I do."  What is the bare minimum I will get away with and scrape my way into heaven.  Have a heart of welcome and forgiveness.  A heart as big as the God who gave it to you.  A heart like his. Paul says be ambitious for the higher things.  In this kind of behaviour, we find our own identity, we find God, we find happiness now and we find eternal life eventually. In short, get a life.

Matthew 5 seems to be a very little quoted, or known gospel in relation to our faith.
Jesus makes it very clear the way things were and what was the right thing to do. As he says that was the way it was, and that was ok e.g. "an eye for an eye."  You killed my son now you will have to be killed.  Yes, we agreed with capital punishment for a long time.  You kicked me so now I can kick you back,"an eye for an eye. "BUT then… I (JESUS) SAY. "If you call your brother “Fool” you will answer for it in hell's fire." This is the thing, Jesus came and turned everything upside down.!  Third commandment says, "Go to Mass every Sunday."  So you have to. But Jesus says, "You love me so much that you want to come to Mass every Sunday, to meet me in your fellow brothers and sisters and to be fed by me at the altar. What a wonderful opportunity to meet God and be with Him.  I would not miss it for the world.