Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Catholic 736: Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C - Sunday, May 26, 2019

Homily Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C - Sunday, May 26, 2019

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: Acts 15:1-2. 22-29
Psalm: Ps 66:2-3. 5-6. 8. "
O God let all the nations praise you"
Second Reading: Revelation 21:10-14. 22-23
Gospel Acclamation: John 14:23
Gospel: John 14:23-29

Image:  Shutterstock Licensed: Photo: By piosi, photo ID: 417676585 SLUPSK, POLAND - 21 MARCH 2016 stained glass window depicting Pentecost -

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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers, and reflections for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C - Sunday, May 26, 2019, by clicking this link here:   https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/easter-6c-faith-hope-and-love/s-QjhL5  (EPISODE: 159)
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The readings this weekend all speak of the Holy Spirit. The theme of the readings is all about the Spirit, as our Easter Season fast approaches Pentecost.

We cannot underestimate the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the life of the church. Without the Holy Spirit, the church would be ineffective and we, the disciples of Jesus, need the action and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to be effective in what we seek to achieve.

There is a line in the first reading that I really love; the words: "It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by us"…… or as another translation puts it: "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us that……" This shows that the early church and its disciples when faced with new questions for new situations and new times, gathered together in prayer and actively discerned what the Holy Spirit wanted… and then they made a decision which was an authentic act of the Holy Spirit and with active cooperation from the disciples. We can see how the Holy Spirit becomes part of our lives, hearts and minds AND the major decisions of the church.  Christian life for us disciples becomes a beautiful, cooperative and unified action both of our own will and intellect and also of God's Holy Spirit. It is interesting, that this phrase has been put to practical effect in the history of the church even now. I believe that some religious orders when their Superior (their leader) is deciding to send a religious person to a new appointment or mission, they would write in the official letter of appointment this beautiful formal phrase….. "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us that you be appointed to such and such…….." Thus there is a recognition of not only the decision-making process and wisdom of the leader but also the absolutely necessary prayerful discernment,  grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit in everything we do. 


We are invited by Christ to be "so connected to Christ" that our decisions, our actions, and our priorities will be guided by and connected to Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, without any loss of free will. I love that!

I absolutely love the Gospel today… It is mysterious, but also very profound. It is so beautiful and so important to our understanding. Jesus says that he and the Father, (through the Holy Spirit), will come and "make their home in our hearts, and make their home in us"….and that we will be connected to Christ,….. united to Christ in the very life of the Holy Trinity….…. We will be "in communion" with Christ in a very real way, through our obedience and love.

I love all the passages where Jesus, quite clearly, deliberately and explicitly speaks of the union he shares with the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit, and how they "abide in each-other," (they live in and within each other)…  (they make a home in each other's being). .. This union/ this communion, is inviting us to share and abide in God's life….  This is his unique gift to us who become his disciples. There can be nothing more wonderful.

Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to us so that we will always be connected to Jesus (abide in Him and him in us, and Him in the Father and the Father in the Spirit)…..   we will abide in his teachings … live in his love….  and this Spirit living within us,,, will constantly remind us of his teachings and his truths……. God will truly live with his people.. and abide in and within us. God will walk with us, his people, always. And God will be the light to show us the way through our journeys through life, so we have nothing to fear even when life is far from easy or simple.

Finally, and most importantly, Jesus promises us the gift of peace. This is a gift we all long for, and for which the world longs to receive. Jesus promises us the gift of his peace… a peace the world cannot give and cannot achieve of itself…. God's peace is all we need through all the tragedies and the joys of life…  as well as the failures and successes of life….

Jesus has, with the gift of the Holy Spirit, gifted us with God's divine peace and unity and connection to God that can hardly be imagined//…. and also the very real authority to cooperate in and participate in real decisions for Christian living…..  So, in union with Christ, we participate in and discern with the Spirit for the issues and questions that come up anew in our lives…. // This authority to discern the Spirit's guidance in new questions is done by God in a way that engages us and all our talents and gifts, and uses all our faculties, - our knowledge and intellect, our understanding of the Scriptures as interpreted by the Church, which itself has been constantly inspired by the Holy Spirit down through the many ages…. This freedom to decide is also a deep and challenging responsibility, that does not give us license, but rather discretion and which frees us to be open to God's ways and values, always with the prayerful guidance and prudence of God's grace.

We can trust that God is there to guide us and direct us and inspire us as we contemplate the issue and questions of our present age. (we see this profound discernment and cooperation and love in Pope Francis's exercise of his Papal ministry, which is inspiring to Christian and non-christian people alike, throughout the world.,,,
We must trust in the power and authority and discernment that God has given us, as a body of Christ, so that we may continue to apply the gospel in each and every new situation and circumstance of daily life….. for God is with us… God abides with and in us. God guides, leads and inspires us. God's Holy Spirit shows us the way and gives us the direction.

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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

Image:  Shutterstock Licensed: Photo: By piosi, photo ID: 417676585 SLUPSK, POLAND - 21 MARCH 2016 stained glass window depicting Pentecost -
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First Holy Communion Mass - Homily 2019

First Holy Communion

Congratulations to these, our young ones, who today, are receiving for the first time, The Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Sometimes we mistakenly called this “Making your first Eucharist”  but it is not your first Eucharist…   every time you attended mass and participated in the Mass, you were celebrating in the Eucharist…   you would even come forward in the communion line, and receiving a blessing…    since you were very young…  you were coming forward with your arms like this   (X)   as a sign that you wanted to be part of the Eucharist, but not yet receiving communion…

Today, and from now on, you no longer do THIS   (X)  but now come forward like this:    (hands out)   and You receive Holy Communion.,

Thank you so much to the young ones who have prepared so well for this special day…..  and thanks to your families for your support and participation in this preparation…  you are now very much ready…   (thanks too to our sacramental team…  Cathy Anderson,  Trish Fearnley,  Denise Sullivan,  Bernadette Burns,  and so many who have been of such help in making this a very special day.

The Eucharist that you are now fully participating members in, goes right back to the Last Supper when our Lord instructed his followers to take the Bread and drink from the cup…   in memory of him….   This is my Body… this is my Blood….   For over two thousand years his disciples have been faithful to this instruction.  and today, you fully join in …    Jesus gives himself to us to strengthen us to live good lives and treat others kindly…   help those in need… and stand up for the values that matter in God’s eyes….   By receiving communion, God, (Jesus)  comes and lives in your heart and in your lives and guides and strengthens you to build up the Kingdom as Jesus wants it.   What a wonderful gift.

There is one thing better than FIRST HOLY COMMUNION, and that is second holy communion…  and there is one thing better than second holy communion and that is third holy communion…     this is not your first and last time receiving communion and participating in Eucharist…  this becomes a pattern of our lives as we frequently gather as a community of Jesus’ friends and listen to God’s Word and receive Jesus so that we can have the strength to live as Jesus asks us to be. 

May God who has begun this very good work in you, bring it to perfection.


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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: 
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Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope, and Love,  A time of Christian worship and reflection"  - Led by Rev Paul W. Kelly
Texts used in this programme are for the purposes of worship and prayer for listeners wherever you are.
Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy.
Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989,  by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same.
 [{selected psalms } - ***Psalm verses are (also) taken from "The Psalms: A New Translation" ©1963, The Grail (England), published by Collins.. **]

Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg's 1993 book " Together we pray". Published in Sydney Australia By  E.J. Dwyer. (out of print).

{ "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -published 2011,  Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski 
Featuring the….Gloria, The Creed, The Kyrie, The Mass parts, Psalms:  
http://www.ccwatershed.org/chabanel/  ]]] ] COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/  

"Faith, Hope and Love" theme Hymn:   Words, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, set to original music © 1996 by Paul W. Kelly.

For more details please visit http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au/
Contact us at
paulwkelly68@gmail.com
Production by Kelly Enterprises Resources. 

May God bless and keep you.


Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C
(
Sunday, May 26, 2019)

(EPISODE: 159 )

The Lord be with you.
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my brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life: Lord, have mercy//Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins: Christ, have mercy//Lord Jesus, you feed us with your body and blood: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation

When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.

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Easter V

Euch Prayer II

Communion side.  pwk: 
RH
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Go in peace. (glorifying the Lord by your life)


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