An invitation to relationship with God
“Whoever believes this message rejects the lie that our life is ours to do as we will”.
Pope Francis says that during this season of Lent, he wants to invite the faithful to fix their eyes on the crucified Lord, and allow ourselves “to be saved over and over again”.
Jesus’ Pasch is not a past event; rather, through the power of the Holy Spirit it is ever present, enabling us to see and touch with faith the flesh of Christ in those who suffer”.
The importance of prayer
The Holy Father emphasises the importance of prayer during Lent, as a means of responding to God’s love, “which always precedes and sustains us”. We are also called to hear and respond to the Word of Jesus, in order to experience “the mercy He freely gives us”.
A commitment to building a better world
“Putting the paschal mystery at the centre of our lives means feeling compassion towards the wounds of the crucified Christ present in the many innocent victims of wars, in attacks on life, from that of the unborn to that of the elderly, and various forms of violence”. This means being personally committed to and involved in “the building of a better world”, Pope Francis concludes his message with a prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary “that our Lenten celebration will open our hearts to hear God’s call to be reconciled to Himself, to fix our gaze on the paschal mystery, and to be converted to an open and sincere dialogue with Him”.

Jesus says, "No one is good except God alone." Today He tells us, "Be you perfect." A tall order.
By now I believe we all know the meaning of perfect, translated as be you TOLERANT. We often get intolerant with people who don't see things our way. People who are different. People we do not understand. People who do not understand us.
And at times we may even think they are silly. We may want to throw them into prison and throw away the keys.
We even wonder why God does not reign down fire and brimstone on all nasty people. But no.
He is tolerant. And I thank God that he is tolerant with me.
He goes to the other extreme and forgives and loves me.

 

Chapter five of Matthew is a great chapter to help us understand the make-up of the Bible.
Revelation (understanding of God) is something that must be going on all the time in the life of the Church as a whole and in our individual lives, otherwise we are stagnant/dead.
We must continue to read, pray and grow.
Jesus says, "You were told," ("thousands of years ago") "But I say to you." The fulfilment of the Law is the icing on the cake, moving on and growing.
The third commandment says, "Keep holy the Sabbath day."
But I say to, "Come to mass on Sunday because you love me, not only because you have to."
Because you want to grow in your relationship with me, you want to know me as your Lord and saviour, as a friend and you want to build my Church here in Peckham, "so that the community may believe." This is adult faith.

Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
“Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumours!
Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.

Known originally as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a relatively ancient celebration.
The Church at Jerusalem observed the feast as early as the first half of the fourth century, and likely earlier. The feast celebrates the presentation of Christ in the temple at Jerusalem on the 40th day after His birth.
The first male child belonged to God so the parents had now to buy him back,so they presented the offering of the poor, two turtle doves.
It was also the purification of the mother, but since Mary was a virgin that was not necessary.
Here also we get the great prayer of Simeon, a holy man who spent his time waiting for the Messiah. He gives us that great prayer: - ”Now Lord you may dismiss your servant because my eyes have seen........."
What a great prayer to be able to say on our death bed. "I have completed the job the Lord gave me to do." Or like Jesus himself: - "It is accomplished."

"The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light." I hope you are one of those people who have seen a great light; not lost but knowing where we are going and knowing what we will receive. Surely this is the Good news. Then Jesus goes on to call the first four disciples. And from there he has been continually calling more and more, including us. Jesus calls us to build up the unity of the church, his body. Paul makes it a passionate plea. "I appeal to you brothers and sisters, for the sake of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to make up the differences between you and instead of disagreement among yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice." And the dying prayer of Jesus was:- "That all may be one."

I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. Joyce Kilmer (1913)

This is my Son the beloved, listen to Him. The above is the result of parents taking their children's baptism seriously. Praying with their children every day and letting them see that God is important to mum and dad. Many parents do the above and you can see it in their children for whom church and God and praying is second nature. Thank you very much. Good families make good parishes like we have here in St James, a joy and pleasure to work with. They also make for a good country, filled with joy peace and love. With God all things are possible.

Yes we all know about the Magi, the three kings from the East. They came to see Jesus, making it clear that Jesus came for all people and not just the Jews. It is an Epiphany, a sudden realisation. Now every Christian should be having epiphanies, realising new truths about their self, the gospel and Jesus Christ. We need to be continually growing in our faith, growing in our understanding and our relationship with Jesus. This present year is to be known as THE YEAR OF THE WORD. Let our word be our integrity; be men and women of our word: Reading the Word of God and preparing our mass during the week and coming to mass every Sunday on time, prepared . Then going away refreshed in the Lord.

Pope Francis on the Family Dear families, you know very well that the true joy which we experience in the family is not superficial; it does not come from material objects, from the fact that everything seems to be going well… True joy comes from a profound harmony between persons, something which we all feel in our hearts and which makes us experience the beauty of togetherness, of mutual support along life’s journey. But the basis of this feeling of deep joy is the presence of God, the presence of God in the family and his love, which is welcoming, merciful, and respectful towards all. And above all, a love which is patient: patience is a virtue of God and he teaches us how to cultivate it in family life, how to be patient, and lovingly so, with each other. To be patient among ourselves. A patient love. God alone knows how to create harmony from differences. But if God’s love is lacking, the family loses its harmony, self-centredness prevails and joy fades. But the family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally. That family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world, it is the leaven of society as a whole. Dear families, always live in faith and simplicity, like the Holy Family of Nazareth! The joy and peace of the Lord be always with you!

Today is a wonderful day to celebrate St. Joseph, the transformation of a humble carpenter into one of the greatest saints the world has ever known. It appears that Joseph was not a man of wealth. When Jesus was taken up to the temple to be circumcised, Joseph only presented the poor man’s offering of two turtle doves to be sacrificed and not the specified lamb. However, when Mary and he were looking for lodgings in Bethlehem, he went to the hotels and hostels looking for a place to stay, and we have to assume he had the money to pay for them, so they were not destitute either. When he discovered Mary pregnant he was kind and compassionate. Another man would have thrown her out for having committed adultery and thus she would have been stoned to death. When told in a dream (the Annunciation to Joseph) what was going on, he really responded with all the vigour of a good father. He fed, clothed, educated and housed Jesus. At Bethlehem he stayed with Mary (having forgotten to book a room) to get a place for her child to be born. He moved to Egypt to get away from Herod. He is the patron saint of FATHERS AND WORKERS. A good role model for all men. Do you live to work, or do you work to live???????? Joseph would have prayed with Jesus and Mary, taught him carpentry and given him a good future. But then his Father intervened and had a different plan.

Today’s Gospel frightens me. And it must challenge any church goer. Jesus reply to John’s disciples had to be in such a way that John would have no doubt about the genuineness of his messianic activity, and the message he sent back to John was about the blind receiving their sight, the lame walking, the lepers being cleansed, the deaf hearing, the dead being raised, and the poor having good news brought to them. He did not say a word about people praying more or going to the synagogue or making God the centre of their lives: the age of the messiah, as expressed in this report, does not concern “religion” in the traditional sense of the word. One knows that the messiah has come because a real change has taken place in society, a change that involves the liberation of those who have always been cut off from the “main branch” of society. We can turn the statement around to say that if the marginalised of society do not experience liberation, then Jesus is not the messiah. But Jesus is the messiah, and so the dead have come to life: those who have been unable to ‘live’ in a society that has written them off, are now alive with hope. The Gospel has truly been a leaven of liberty and progress in human history, even in its temporal sphere, and always proves itself a leaven of brotherhood, of unity, and of peace. Therefore, not without cause is Christ hailed by the faithful as ‘the expected of the nations, and their Saviour. Vatican II, Decree on Missionary Activity. Your comments and suggestions on the above would be appreciated.

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. We prepare for exams. We prepare meals. I prepare homilies. Without preparation things can’t work. And so we prepare for Christmas. ----------------------------------------- There is nothing like a common enemy to bring people together. We see the Pharisees and Sadducee who are normally arch enemies. Now come together against their common enemy, Jesus. John the Baptist has very harsh words for them...you brood of vipers. But again John is very fair and says if you are willing to repent and changes your ways, you too can be saved.

Last Sunday I talked about Jesus raising humanity to a new level: Being faithful to his calling/commitment. Paul today gives us a similar idea: "Throw off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us walk becomingly as in the day." Allow God's vision of peace to inspire you: Positivity, honesty and integrity. Be vigilant, be prepared, be attentive and invite Christ into your life. This is as much about here as hereafter. At the time of Noah people were immersed in the things of life. They did not notice, they did not listen to what was going on around them. The Flood came.. A Thought --------Are environmentalists teaching us a lesson today?

What a noble day. Jesus Christ King of the Universe. Adam and Eve did not follow through. Don't eat the fruit they were told. And they did. Jesus in the desert was tempted three times and he did not give in. Today on the cross He is tempted again three times and he did not give in. 1. The leaders jeered Him. 2. The soldiers mocked Him. 3. One of the criminals abused Him. Jesus stood firm and did not retaliate. In the desert and on the cross, Jesus follows through. HE TAKES HUMANITY TO A NEW LEVEL. Equally when we do not give in to our weaker self, we take not only humanity to a higher level, but we actually take ourselves to a higher level. Follow the King and be strong. Children away from home, visit and call your parents.

There is no biblical basis for a hope in inevitable progress. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that things will gradually get better until at last the kingdom is present, and in fact it is closer to the biblical truth to say that things will get worse before they get better. Consider, for example, the matter of deaths caused by war: in the 18th century, about 4 million people died in wars; in the 19th century, about 8 million people died in wars; in the 20th century, nearly 100 million people died in wars. We know that the Lord comes to rule the earth with justice. The scales will be balanced in the end, and in the meantime we must live out our faith that God’s plans for us are peace and not disaster. In today’s world, including the world of economics, the prevailing picture is one destined to lead us more quickly toward death rather than one of concern for true development which would lead all toward a more human life. God speaks through the events of life but he does not cause them. OUR JOB IS TO SEE WHERE THE FINGER OF GOD IS WORKING IN ALL THESE EVENTS.

Today's gospel is pretty difficult. Suffice it to say the Pharisees believe all the old law, oral and written. The Sadducees on the other hand, believe only the written law. So from the beginning they are on different footing. And by and large, Jesus, in being dragged into their argument ignores them and the question, and just goes on to say it is a futile argument because things will be so different: as it is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love him." So live your life as someone who loves God and then your reward will be great.

1. God has created me to do him some definite service; he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission; I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I have a part in a great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling. 2. Fear not that life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning. 3. I sought to hear the voice of God and climbed the topmost steeple, but God declared: “Go down again – I dwell among the people.” 4. A cloud of incense was rising on high; the people suddenly all bowed low; what could it mean? The truth flashed on him, fearfully yet sweetly; it was the Blessed Sacrament – it was the Lord Incarnate who was on the altar, who had come to visit and bless his people. It was the Great Presence, which makes a Catholic Church different from every other place in the world; which makes it, as no other place can be - holy. John Henry Newman could “advocate without accusation, could disagree without disrespect and could see differences as a place of encounter, not exclusion.”

We are very familiar with today's Gospel. But pride comes in many shapes. Not trusting in God. I want to do it my way. The opposite is also a problem, presumption. It does not make any difference what I do, it is all planned out anyway. God is in charge. Fact. But I plan my life and God has given me the freedom to do as I wish. He has also given me a brain and the Gospels to show how to live. Trust in Him, follow his advice and life will be yours.

We will ever be grateful to Paul for his legacy. And he "never saw Jesus." But since his conversion he truly has empowered billions of people. Today talking to Timothy he says how THE WORD OF GOD can be used:- - to inspire - to teach wisdom - to teach - refuting error - guiding - teaching Thus equipping the person of God, not only to get to heaven, but also how to live a fruitful, happy life and help make the world a better place. Read the word every day.