Sunday. I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. His first tentative step was to come to Jesus by night. In the words of todays second reading, we can find ourselves being plagued by all sorts of trials in the season of Easter as much as in any other season. In the world of Jesus, there were no sheepdogs to do the shepherds work for him. Even though we may turn from the Lord at times, he never turns from us. New upmarket housing blocks tend to be gated affairs. The movement did come from God, which is why it is still here two thousand years later, in spite of great persecution from without and great failings from within. God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. Our website places social media cookies to show you 3rd party content like YouTube and FaceBook. She exemplifies our own calling to be contemplatives in action, to bring the light of the Lord into the darkness of our world. Jesus takes seriously food that cannot last. AdvertisingOur website places advertising cookies to show you 3rd party advertisements based on your interests. He sent them out to continue his mission, as the Father sent me, so am I sending you. and these I have to lead as well. What is the Lords call to me in the particular circumstances of my life here and now? Given my very particular circumstances, the particular relationships I have at this time, the particular set of gifts and limitations that I have, what is the Lord asking of me? There is no longer a strong current flowing in the direction of Jesus and his gospel that will carry us along, whether we really want that or not. In this mornings gospel reading Jesus speaks to Nicodemus of a different kind of birth. As is said at the end of todays gospel reading, the disciples, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them. I firmly believe that churches should be open as often and for as long as possible. It all seems too much for us. If Jesus is the gate that leads to abundant life, we have to pass through that gate. When the two disciples told their story of the recent events in Jerusalem, the stranger who had joined them and who had listened carefully to their story told another story about those same events. After three years, she began the second great phase of her career. They want more of the bread that he multiplied in the wilderness. We cannot ignore our physical hunger; when we are hungry, we eat. The same risen Lord who stood among his disciples on that first Easter morning stands among us on in this Easter time, with all its anxiety and uncertainty. Yet, there is always something we can do, no matter how small. This mornings first reading is set in Damascus and its vicinity. He wants to be with us, to journey with us, to dwell within our hearts through the Holy Spirit. In the language in which the gospels were written, and the language Jesus spoke, the same word could refer to both the physical wind and the Spirit of God. Join us on Zoom or organize your own book club with our free resources! The question that the Jews ask at the beginning of todays gospel reading must have been a question that was on the lips of very many people in the time of Jesus and of the early church. God will stop at nothing to ensure that the world of humanity hears the gospel of Gods saving love for all. It includes access to the writings of and about some of our most influential saints, videos, quizes to test your knowledge of Carmel and the faith, prayers, newsletters and links to websites for further study. They were in the throes of deep grief. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. Jesus speaks of himself in this gospel as the light of the world. According to the gospel reading, Jesus came and stood among them, without knocking on the door, without waiting to be let in. Our spirits can droop for all kinds of reasons. EASTER SUNDAY: April 9th Day 47 (Easter Sunday): From Exodus to Ecstasy When Philip, one of the deacons of the church joins him, he invites Philip to join him in his search and to throw light on what he is reading. Thomas journey to Easter faith was different to that of the other disciples. It was as if Paul had to become like a little child, needing to be led, before the Lord could work through him with great power. This is one of the ways that friendships are formed and relationships take shape and deepen. and learn from it, In that respect, he may be like many other disciples today. In one of the most memorable statements of the New Testament the gospel reading declares that the light that has come into the world in the person of Jesus is the light of Gods love, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. He said to them, Peace be with you, and showed them his hands and his side. All advertisements on this site are served by CatholicAdNet.com, consider using them for your advertising needs. When those disciples abandoned their locked room and went to Thomas with their wonderful news, We have seen the Lord, he refused to believe them. His wounds were not just the marks of human cruelty but signs of his enduring love. Our going through the gate is always in response to the call of the shepherd. Being a member of the community of those who believe in Jesus can be a source of bemusement to many, or even derision. Yet, the Lords part in our relationship with him is always so much greater than ours. And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. He remains faithful to us, even when we are less than faithful to him. It was while the first disciples were at prayer in the upper room on the Jewish feast of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit came down upon them in the form of tongues of fire. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon. Social mediaOur website places social media cookies to show you 3rd party content like YouTube and FaceBook. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, Peace be with you. Dostoevsky, the great Russian novelist, was in almost continual religious conflict. In that sense we are always seeking after God, striving to know God more fully and to love God more deeply. for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal., Then they said to him, What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants? Jesus gave them this answer, This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.. He had touched their hearts and they didnt want to let him go. He respected where they were on their journey. No one can do that for us. The College of Cardinals elected Urban VI who turned out disastrously. And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it. In this mornings first reading we have a striking example of faith seeking understanding. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. Just click on the month of interest and scroll to the day required. He was still searching, and, so he came to Jesus by night, under cover of darkness, afraid perhaps to show his interest in Jesus publicly. The first reading tells one of the great stories that we find in the New Testament, the story of the conversion of Saint Paul. As a result, they invited the members of the church to choose people of wisdom and of the Spirit who could attend to this important work of providing for the most vulnerable. For some centuries reading the Bible in one's own language was rather frowned upon and this led to a lessening of the practice of Lectio Divina. His first words to him were, Peace be with you. A prophet is only despised in his own country. But the one who comes from heaven is above all. For 4 weeks, the Carmelite Sisters will be guiding you through each section of the treatise. There is no other city that is such a significant a pilgrim destination for three major world religions. It is not that the Spirit is lawless, but the Spirit takes us beyond where law can take us. He did not send them out in the strength of their own resources alone. Putting words on the events that have caused us such grief can help us to find some meaning in what has transpired. Todays gospel reading encourages us to trust that if we are generous with the resources we have, small as they seem to us, the Lord will work powerfully through them in ways that will surprise us. After a profound mystical experience she had a sense of Christ calling her to serve the wider world and universal church. In the gospel reading, Jesus declares that no one knows the Son except the Father. We are all called to be mystics in action, people who are called into an intimate relationship with God and his Son and then sent to live out of that relationship by bringing Gods rest and loving presence to all who are in need of it. The words of Jesus to Nicodemus in this mornings gospel reading are one of the strongest and most positive statements in the New Testament about God. We gather to celebrate the Eucharist so that we can draw life from the Lord. A locked door was no obstacle to him. The risen Lord is with his disciples, working with them and confirming them. We are to take Jesus as our gate, going freely in and out through him, as the gospel reading puts it. The fourth evangelist is also clear that Gods initiative needs our response if it is to be effective. He had been devastated once by the crucifixion of Jesus; he wasnt going to have his hopes dashed again by wishful thinking. God the Father has entrusted everything to his Son. She travelled to Avignon to Pope Gregory XI insisting that he return to Rome. Social mediaOur website places social media cookies to show you 3rd party content like YouTube and FaceBook. We had some March snow this year and all the daffodils in my garden began to droop under the weight of the snow on its leaves and flower. She spent the last two years of her life in Rome in prayer, pleading on behalf of the cause of Pope Urban VI and the unity of the Church. We listen to him, we follow him, in the confidence that his devotion to us and to our ultimate well-being is unconditional. There is a sense in which we are always trying to get to the other side, like the disciples in the boat who were trying to reach the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He is calling on those who have gone looking for him to attend to the deeper hunger in their lives, their spiritual hunger. All others who have come myself draw life from the Father, Jesus said: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. The spiritual person is the person whose life is shaped and directed by the Spirit. On the one hand, he felt the strong desire to be in union with God; on the other hand, he felt an almost violent tugging away from any contact with God. On January 6 last, the Pope went to a parish on the outskirts of Rome and he visited a live nativity scene, which had various animals including sheep and lambs. There is always another step that the Lord is calling us to take. Our communion with the Lord in the Eucharist calls us to this ongoing form of communion. Friday. A little later in that same chapter of Johns gospel it is said of Jesus that he gives the Spirit without measure. The very personal call that the Lord addresses to each one of us will always be a call to give of ourselves in some way to others, to give life to others by our loving service. There are other places which have been the destination of pilgrims for a much longer period of time, such as Santiago de Compostella. In both of our readings this morning we have an example of such resistance. Amen. The source of our courage is the same Holy Spirit who is given to us within the community of faith, when we join with other believers in prayerful petition. Was it not ordained, he asked, that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory? As the stranger told his story, something happened within the two disciples. Jesus has entered fully into our human condition. Indeed, according to the gospel reading, Jesus goes on to satisfy the hunger of the crowd with the five loaves and two fish of this small boy. Today is Vocations Sunday. In the gospel reading, Jesus declares that he came to do his Fathers will, which is that all who see the Son and believe in him shall have eternal life. As a sailing boat needs the wind, we need the Spirit at our back if we are to make our way towards the Lord. The language Jesus had used about eating his flesh was shocking. All rights reserved. We hear and experience that bigger story, above all, in the Eucharist. What we want from him does not always correspond to what he wants for us. The response of Peter and John was to go the community of believers and in their presence to pray, asking God for help to proclaim the gospel with all boldness. Thomas could not bring himself to believe that Jesus had risen, just on the basis of what the other disciples told him. The Lord is always calling on us to grow in our relationship with him, to deepen our relationship with him. Yet, we are not just passive sheep. The power of the Lords faithful love to recreate people, to transform them with new life, is at the heart of the Easter message. However, he also wants to bring us life here and now. With great wisdom he suggests that they should leave the apostles alone and just wait and see. The Ethiopian was full of questions as he listened to Gods word. The Lord will do the rest. Rather, the more Jesus increases in us, the more we become our true selves, our Christ selves, the person God is calling us to be. One of the great verses of Johns gospel is to be found at the beginning of our gospel reading this morning, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. In the gospel reading, the Lord worked powerfully through the small amount of food that a young boy made available to him. It is the Spirit in us who does the praying. We are always trying to listen to the Lords voice so as to discern where he is leading us, the new directions that he is taking us in. [After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.] The Lord continues to call us to himself, drawing us into an ever deeper relationship with him. Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them. I know them and they follow me. In his diary he wrote, It is not like a child that I believe in Christ and confess him. When the gospel reading says that the light has come into the world, the reference is clearly to Jesus. Perhaps we can never know what exactly happened on that day, but the gospel reading is suggesting that the Lord can work powerfully through what are apparently very insignificant resources, a small boy and his few loaves and fish. NEW: Catholic Daily Reflections Series Two, Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Sorrowful Heart of Our Blessed Mother. A person filled with the Holy Spirit was likely to discern whether or not this novelty was the work of the Spirit. The Lord will be calling us to give of ourselves in love to others, so as to experience something of that fullness of life he wants for us. The way the Lord relates to Nicodemus in this passage is perhaps not all that different to how he relates to all of us. The word nourishes our faith, and it is out of that nourished faith that we come to the Eucharist. Healing Mass card. We all need something of the vision of Barnabas to see how the Lord is working in such unexpected and unplanned developments. That is one of the purposes gates can serve. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. It is strange that we often use the image of battling against the wind, as if the wind were something of an enemy. so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.. The reflections and insights of the sisters flow out from their own life of prayer and experiences. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him. He has been travelling his own very personal way of the cross. He had been prompted by the Spirit to go to the pagan home of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. He immediately went off to Tarsus to look for Saul, or Paul, who had recently come to faith in Christ and Barnabas encouraged him to go to Antioch and support this new development there. He had a reputation for encouraging people. This can happen all too easily as we know. It has been said that to understand all is to forgive all. Born in 1347, Catherine entered the Dominican Third Order at the age of eighteen and spent the next three years in seclusion, prayer, and austerity. When they find him, Jesus reveals to them what it is that motivates their seeking. In calling us to himself he also sends us into the world afire with the flame of his love. In coming to us there he directs us to take the path he wants us to take, just as he directed Paul. There were two other reactions in the story. If we were walking along with a friend, we would tend to be suspicious of any stranger who joined us and asked us what we were discussing as we walked along. In raising his Son from the dead, God gave his Son back to the world that had rejected him. The Lords invitation, Come to me, all who labour and are overburdened, is addressed to all of us. The church now had two rival Popes. As they prayed, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and in the strength of that Spirit they proclaimed the word of God courageously. Yet, the church will never disappear because, although very human, it is from God, and the risen Lord is always among us. Jesus speaks both as a mystic and as one who serves those who are overburdened. Barnabas was what we would call today, an enabler. The Father and I are one., The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. Charity Number CHY 5894 | Registered Charity Number RCN 20009656, Copyright 2021. In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. The opening up of the Scriptures for the two disciples led them to the recognition of the Lord in the breaking of bread, the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It has been said that Easter is the feast of Gods faithful love, the feast of Gods mercy. The story is a reminder to us that we need each other on the journey of faith. That is why a reading from the first letter of Peter is read on Marks feast day. Sunday, October 30 Monday, October 31 Tuesday, November 1 Wednesday, November 2 Thursday, November 3 Friday, November 4 Saturday, November 5 In todays first reading, Gamaliel, a leading Pharisee, spoke wisely when he said with regard to the early church, If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find yourselves fighting against God. Jesus words to Nicodemus in this mornings gospel reading remind us, however, that our growing towards the Lord is not just our own doing; it is ultimately the work of the Spirit in our lives. It was at that moment when they were battling with the elements in the darkness that the disciples saw Jesus coming towards the boat, saying to them, It is I. Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. Therein lies the gospel, the good news of Gods loving and life-giving initiative towards us. that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, He declares that no one will ever steal his followers from him. They were supporting each other. Light exposes wrong doing. that though the light has come into the world When Jesus says of himself, I am the gate, he is claiming to be the gateway to life for all of us. Carmelite Provincial Centre 75 Wright Street, Middle Park Victoria 3206 Australia.+61 3 9699 1922provincialoffice@carmelites.org.au, Carmelite CommunicationsCommunications Director: Fr David Hofman, O.Carm+61 3 9699 2950communications@carmelites.org.au. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. Indeed he has already done so, laying down his life so that we may have life and have it to the full. In our own lives, the sequence is not so much word, baptism, eucharist as baptism, word, eucharist. He had been through the darkness of Good Friday, with all its pain, confusion and disillusionment. He understands of what we are made, why we do what we do and fail to do what we fail to do. The question the Jews ask in this mornings gospel reading - How can this man give us his flesh to eat?- is an understandable one. Yet, because the boy was generous with his few resources, the Lord worked powerfully through his meagre resources for the feeding of the crowd, so that there was more than enough food for all. They feared that what was done to Jesus could be done to them. What is he saying to me? This is the action of discernment. In response, Nicodemus asks How can that be possible? Nicodemus is an example of someone who struggled to come to faith; he struggle to become a disciple of Jesus. Afterwards, both the two disciples and the Ethiopian went on their way rejoicing. The Spirit comes from God and goes to God and God is always beyond us, beyond our understanding and our control. Gates have become more of a feature of our urban landscape than they used to be. In the gospel of Luke, Zacchaeus goes looking for Jesus in broad daylight, even climbing a sycamore tree to see him. The Lord took Paul by surprise, and he can take any of us by surprise. The prayer of Jesus created a space for him to be present to his disciples in a very troubling moment. According to the verse before our gospel reading (Jn 6:15), Jesus had withdrawn to the mountain by himself, in response to the crowd wanting to make his king. If you did not receive an email please check your spam and other folders. In this life our seeing the Lord with the eyes of faith will always be a seeing dimly. This two-fold movement of coming to Jesus and going forth in his strength expresses well the contemplative and active dimension of the Christian life. Sundays and Weekdays in Ordinary Time | Weeks 9-16. We need the Lords help. She offered herself as a victim for the Church in its agony. The church now had two rival Popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon, a situation that was to last for several decades. The Lord relates to us in a personal way and he invites us to relate to him in a personal way. He went on to show that he continued to trust them. Some days we have a cold wind from the north or the east. Yet, when the Lord came to them, he offered them his peace, the gift of reconciliation. Our website places social media cookies to show you 3rd party content like YouTube and FaceBook. The story the two disciples told to Jesus ended in death and confusion, as they said, they had him crucified some women from our group have astounded us; they went to the tomb early in the morning and did not find the body. He calls us into a personal relationship with himself. His last appearance in Johns gospel is much less tentative; along with Joseph of Arimathea, he sees to it that Jesus is given a dignified burial. We can often find ourselves initially resisting a request that someone makes of us or some declaration that they make to us. In this mornings gospel reading Jesus invites each of us into that same communion of love with himself that Paul enjoyed. There are many voices competing for our attention today, but in the midst of them all we need to be attentive to the voice of the Lord so that we can follow him each day. Read More Unfortunately, we know very little. The Eucharist is a privileged moment when we come before the Lord as the Bread of Life and open our hearts to all he can offer us. At the end of yesterdays gospel reading, we heard that Jesus, having fed the multitude in the wilderness, withdrew to the mountain by himself. Far from rebuking Thomas for his refusal to believe, the Lord accommodated himself to Thomas demands and, as a result, out of the mouth of the sceptic came one of the greatest confessions of faith in the gospels, My Lord and my God. The church is the community of those who believe in and love the Lord, without having seen the Lord. No one can take them out of my hand. Even when we have turned against the Lord, he continues to call us to draw life from him. We live our lives in response to calls of all sorts. Saturday. He certainly helped to create, with Mary, the religious environment in the home which allowed Jesus to grow in his relationship with God. what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Catherine stood out as a beacon of light in a dark time. Andrew recognized that one of the crowd had a small amount of food but he dismissed this small resource as of no value. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles shows some tension in the church of Jerusalem. Josephs faithfulness to his task created the space for Jesus to be faithful to his calling. When he spoke, it was to place their sad, hopeless, story in a whole new light. We thank God for all those who are responding to that call in these days. but work for food that endures to eternal life, Nicodemus was a Pharisee; he lived by the Jewish Law. Our point of view, like that of the two disciples, can be limited. Most of us were baptized as infants; we were then introduced to Jesus through the stories in the gospels, perhaps through the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of Paul, and the great texts of the Jewish Scriptures, such as the prophet Isaiah. So where did the man get it all? And they would not accept him. We all know from our own experience that liturgical time doesnt always correspond to where we are on our own lifes journey. I am sure many of you who have lost loved ones will have been supported in your loss by the supportive presence of family and friends. We begin to have hope again. One by one, according to the gospel reading, the shepherd calls his own and leads them out. The Lord is very attentive to us, but we need to attend to him as well. All the Lord asks is that we are generous with what we have, little as that may be, and he will work through us in ways that will surprise us. Our heart sinks a bit when we realize that the days have begun to get shorter. Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News. One of the tasks of life for each of us as disciples of the Lord is to try and listen to the particular call that the Lord is addressing to me here and now. In the gospel reading, Jesus, speaking as the good shepherd, says the sheep that belong to me listen to my voice. However, he was just as concerned, if not more concerned, with peoples spiritual hungers. In the passage of Johns gospel that follows our gospel reading, Jesus identifies himself as the good shepherd. He is described as a Pharisee and a leading Jew. The Lords concern is not just with the general, but with the particular, not just with the flock as a whole but with the individuals who make it up. As Saint Paul came to realize, the Lords power is often made perfect in weakness. That may have been the experience of many during these Covid times. He looks to us not to stand in his way but to allow him to work with us and through us to bring about this great gathering of people from north, south, east and west, around the risen Lord, the good shepherd who laid down his life for all of humanity. Just click on the month of interest and scroll to the day required. God will seek to draw us to his Son in a variety of ways. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. If the wind is mysterious and beyond our control, the Spirit of God is even more mysterious and beyond our control. Jesus knew that something could be done and he involved his disciples in doing what could be done, calling on them to make the people sit down and then asking them to collect the pieces that were left over when everyone had eaten. How could anyone accept it? Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, Does this disturb you? We can certainly notice a stretch in the evenings these days. In the words of todays responsorial psalm, we are invited to taste and see that the Lord is good.

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