Fourth Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, March 14, 2021 (EPISODE:283)

Fourth Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, March 14, 2021

(EPISODE:283)

Readings for Fourth Sunday of Lent. Year B
FIRST READING: 2 Chr 36: 14-16, 19-23 (diff)
Ps 137: 1-2, 3, 4-5, 6. "Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you! "
SECOND READING: Eph 2: 4-10
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 3: 16). Glory and Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. God loved the world so much, he gave his only Son. That all who believe in him might have eternal life.
GOSPEL: John 3: 14-21

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. stock photo ID: 1191951055. hiding in the dark. By ozrimoz

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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Fourth Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, March 14, 2021 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-282-lent-4-b-2021/s-LwHNGU47WJF  
(EPISODE: 283)
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* (Prologue:  Fr Paul Kelly)
We are now at the three-quarter mark of Lent…..   our Lenten journey does not have long to go, before Holy Week is upon us……

So, during this week, it is a good time to take stock and see how we have been going in the area of  "Prayer, Penance and acts of kindness and works of loving and practical charity…."

The gospel this weekend gives us a very helpful test to assist us in our taking stock of ourselves… ……. "The daylight test"…. How do our actions, our behaviours, and our priorities stand up to the bright light of day; -  to the searching light of clarity…..  

To see how closely we are really adhering to the values of the gospel….   Just let us ask ourselves… how would it really appear, if my secret words, actions and behaviours were revealed in plain sight…  In other words, would we be peaceful if our words, actions and priorities ended up on the front page of the Gold Coast Bulletin this weekend? 

In the clear glare of the bright light of day…  would I be at peace with what I have done..?? 

As I said last week…   take a look at any difference between how we drive when people can recognize us, and how we might drive if we believe we are anonymous, in the dark…   unrecognized. or when no one seems to be looking… How do we act when no one can see us…? Are we consistent?  
I was visiting the hospital the other day, and I was parking my car and walking up to the hospital, humming a little tune.  I noticed a pedestrian just in front of me, walking quietly and calmly back to his car and getting into it..  perfectly sedately, but then I was surprised;  because as soon as he got into it. It is like he turned into something else… he reversed quickly…  revved the car loudly and sped out of the 40km carpark area at a really fast rate…   it is as if merely getting into that car turned him into a completely different (and a lot crazier) person….//   I could not believe the difference or the transformation!!  Is it possible that most of those revving, impatient, impulsive, aggressive, angry drivers we see on the road… get out of their cars and turn back from crazy Mr Hyde… into mild-mannered and friendly Dr Jekyll ??…  I think, sometimes YES. 

 

The thing about that is, even if being a crazy and impulsive driver is not who we are 99 % of the time; it is still, according to the scriptures today, a really important test of how integrated we are, as a whole person…    and those acts of craziness when we are not identified or fairly anonymous"  say more about the true state of our inner hearts and dispositions than we might care to admit.   But lent is a time for seeing admitting and submitting these contradictions, to our merciful, loving God.

 

It's the same in those situations where we all gather for a beautiful mass and we sing and we pray and we greet each other, as brothers and sisters in Christ….  And then we go back to our cars and the next minute we hear beeping and yelling and abuse…   whoops??  What's happened there…   peace be with you indeed!!   These are the contradictions we must lay before the Lord, and ask him to pour his healing love upon…  to make us more and more consistent and loving and compassionate inside and out…  in public and private..   a holy person is a whole person, who is consistent inside and out…   this is what Our Lord is calling us towards…  and we need his mercy and love to attain it. Slowly but surely.   

God invites us to be always and everywhere strive to be people of the light..  whose behaviour and choices are wrought in the light…  and not in the shadows of darkness, concealment or double-standards.

All we have to do is respond in faith, humility and trust to Jesus invitation… how we respond to Jesus is decisive… 
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Homily – Fr Peter Dillon.   4th Sunday Lent Year B 2021

 

T.S. Eliot in the third of his 'Four Quartets' writes, 'We had the experience but missed the meaning'. He was referring to the struggle we have to grasp the significance of what happens in life, particularly its important moments. He admits that even for the poet, whose task it is to be a wordsmith and elicit such meaning, 'words strain, crack, and sometimes break asunder under the burden'. Profound experiences leave us speechless, or reduced to banalities, or even frustrated and angry by our ineffective attempts to put such happenings into language.

 

 By the time John was writing his gospel, he was well aware of the difficulties which lay in the paths of early Christians in the following of Christ. The new communities faced persecution and misunderstanding from the outside. They also faced internal conflict as they came up with different interpretations of the story of Jesus and his message. John's response was to try to focus the eye of the believer on the person of Jesus as the unique cause of salvation, He tries to raise Jesus up so that we can see him clearly.

 

The initial image of the bronze serpent today comes from the Book of Exodus and from a story of healing. Moses erects a bronze serpent, and all who have been bitten by the plague of serpents may look on it and be healed. John relates this image to Jesus on the Cross. Once again the seeming source of destruction becomes the fount of healing and life. The difference is that we are asked to look on Jesus with the eyes of faith. John is well aware that his readers are no longer in the situation of the first disciples, who saw Jesus in the flesh. In John's vision of things, when we look at Jesus on the cross with the eyes of faith, we are not just healed, we receive the gift of eternal life. We enter into a different way of being, for Jesus brings us the life that is his with the Father.

 

If we refuse to believe, if we refuse to receive this gift, then we place ourselves outside the beam of his light, and our actions reflect this. The sun still shines, but we have placed ourselves in the darkness and behave accordingly. It is as though, because of the narrowness of our vision, we resist, and even reject, both the experience and the meaning. But John wants us to give ourselves up to the moment of vision and allow ourselves to see clearly - to have both the moment and the meaning.

 

Most of us have areas of concern that have not been brought fully into the vision of new life described by John. We have our doubts, our downtimes, broken relationships, misunderstandings, prejudices, blind spots. Sins. We sometimes feel that God does not want to know us because of such blocks on our part.

 

God's love, however, is not conditional. His love is always there. The question is how we bring our sins into the sphere of his influence so that they may be healed, resolved and transformed. Our sacramental life offers us the ever-flowing fount of Christ's love. We might even say that the sacraments make God's love too liberally available to us. We think it cannot be that easy, and so, resistant to change, we fail to allow the contact to be made between our brokenness and the healing brokenness of Christ on the Cross. It is the risk of faith that frees us to try out the alternative approach. Once we raise our eyes to Christ on the Cross, it is his magnetism that persuades us to hand over all that we hang on to of our evil and despair. It is the risk of faith we allow ourselves to be seduced by his love.

 

Emerging from the darkness into light does take some adjustment and brings with it a certain amount of risk and fear. Perhaps we would come into the light more readily if we believed the light we are entering is not the light of condemnation or judgment.  What we now know is that the purpose of Christ's light is to enlighten, not blind us. God wants to see us in the light, clearly and honestly, since "we are God's work of art, created in Christ to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live".

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References:

HOMILY – FR PETER DILLON 

PROLOGUE - Fr Paul W. Kelly

**Barclay, W. (1975). The Gospel of John. Part I. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: St. Andrew Press.

DeBona, G. (2014). Between the Ambo and the altar. Year B. 1st ed. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press.

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. stock photo ID: stock photo ID: 1191951055. hiding in the dark. By ozrimoz

Fourth Sunday of Lent. Year B  (Sunday, March 14, 2021)  (EPISODE: 283 )
The Lord be with you.
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{{Kindness and grace  to you all}} welcome everyone, we gather -  To take time to reflect upon the meaning of God's word for our everyday lives

Coming together as brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pause and reflect upon our sins, in order to celebrate the Holy Eucharist.
Lord Jesus, you were lifted up to draw all people to yourself: Lord, have mercy//You shouldered the cross, to bear our suffering and sinfulness: Christ, have mercy// You open for your people the way from death into life: 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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Ps 137: 1-2, 3, 4-5, 6. "Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you! "

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 3: 16). Glory and Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. God loved the world so much, he gave his only Son. That all who believe in him might have eternal life.

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Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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PREFACE: Lent I

EP II   or reco

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{I pray this week brings you an ever-deeper experience of Our Lord's compassion and love}

Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).

"Quiet Time."  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

Lenten Hymn: "Have Mercy"  inspired by Psalm 50(51). Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2020.

[ Production -  KER -  2021]

May God bless and keep you.
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Third Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, March 7, 2021 (EPISODE: 282)

Third Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, March 7, 2021
(EPISODE: 282)

Readings for Third Sunday of Lent. Year B
FIRST READING: Exod 20: 1-17
Ps 19: 8, 9, 10, 11. "Lord, you have the words of everlasting life."
SECOND READING: 1 Cor 1: 22-25
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 3: 16). Glory and Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. God loved the world so much, he gave his only Son. That all who believe in him might have eternal life.
GOSPEL: John 2: 13-25

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. image: stock vector ID: 1212390121 Biblical vector. illustration series, Jesus cleanses the temple. By rudall30
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for The Third Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, March 7, 2021, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-282-lent-3b-2021/s-AAQ5VvwfEOk  
(EPISODE: 282)

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* (Prologue: Fr Paul Kelly)

The lines of the First reading, today set the scene for everything that follows. That first sentence is the key to the understanding of the ten commandments that follow.

God gives the Law to Moses saying, "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of slavery in Egypt." The "Words" from God that follow, which we know as the commandments are given to God's people in order to free them, to protect them and keep them in a good relationship with the Lord. (God is declaring to us that he is the God of liberation; God gives us this law to make us free).

God's law is not an onerous duty or a burden. it frees us to be everything we are created to be.

The Psalm sums it up so well: God's law is perfect. It is a real JOY. it gives wisdom. We are created not to be slaves, wearily doing the Lord's will as if it is a dreadful imposition and a burden. God's law is life and light. 

From the outset, God names two things that imprison and enslave us;
      - Putting other earthly things before God. and
      - Creating false idols, (making passing "things" into our 'god'),

These things lead to disaster. Our Lord wants to free us from this. Our Lord sets us on the path of God's ways being first and respecting and showing reverence to ourselves, our communities and our neighbours.

To truly understand the real meaning and purpose of the law, it can be very helpful to understand the lawmaker. and then one sees what the purpose of the law is. God is love, God has unfathomable depts. Of compassion. God is just, true and loving. To keep God's law is a delight; because it is created by our loving and compassionate God.

And Our Lord, Jesus, who embodied and perfected the law, shows us God's loving, compassionate heart.

This is why Jesus knew the purpose and meaning of the law and how to apply it in Spirit and Truth. And, it is why he occasionally seemed to bend the letter of the law, in order to keep the spirit and meaning of the Law. Only Christ (who is the Law and the compassion of God), could understand the meaning of the Law so well as to complete it.

A good symbol of this issue in a modern example would be on our roads, As you drive along the highway. how many people do you see who look like or act like the road laws are a delight; a pure joy to keep. How many do you see driving around filled with delight and peace as they observe faithfully the laws of the road?

As they cut in or tailgate or sail past others doing four times the signed limit.

Like many laws, rules or regulations: - we know that the laws of the land, are for the purpose of protecting safety, regulating competing rights and ensuring the protection of life, liberty and property. but, in this one example, I am mentioning, many seem to go through life flouting laws and treating them as a bore and a burden; a silly restriction on their "freedom," as they drive at excessive speeds, cut people off, turn and brake dangerously tailgate, abuse, and so on. Too many people seem to have taken this view on the road rules and so many other aspects of life as well.

"This law is silly and it limits me. It doesn't apply to me. I am above all that; so I ignore it." But if everyone flouted laws when they felt it was unimportant who would obey any? And what would become of it?

Too many find out by accident that they were not such a master of the situation that they believed. 

Actually, as I am sure most would agree; following the road rules can actually be a joy and a delight, because it frees us to be thoughtful and respectful to others and peaceful as we drive. Gone is the desperate effort to speed, rush, tail-gate and to rage over people who happen to be "in the way". The person who impatiently tailgates one car finally gets past them only to be pathetically stuck behind the next car. and all the while they never noticed that these cars aren't driving too slow; but rather, THEY keep getting stuck because they are going too fast!!!! Some people are slow learners. Especially when they get to their destination (not having saved any time), and with a speeding camera fine, coming in the mail. All riled up. and of course, it is always someone else's fault;

As necessary as human laws can be; God's law is so much better than this. It is true that, the more we understand the reason for laws and the purpose of a rule, the more likely we will be to follow it. Of course, as the second reading reminds us if God's ways are not like human ways, we have to obey God's wisdom even if we find it unusual. We can be more and more open to God's ways. and get deeper inside the heart of the one who makes the laws not to hold us back but for life, and life to the full.

The key to the gospel today is the first sentence too!!
            - "Just before the Jewish Passover. " -

There is nothing wrong with people coming into the temple and offering up goats or pigeons or spotless lambs in reparation for sin and for offering up one's prayer and dedication to God. In fact, it was the law of the time to do this. The temple was the house of God's presence amongst his people.

The money changers would have claimed that they were there to simply assist with the people's religious duties. There are major problems here, though. At one time, "living animals" were not permitted to be brought into the temple grounds for sale. But that had changed. The area of the temple that was supposed to be reserved for Gentiles to worship God was now a marketplace where no one could possibly hope to pray or worship amidst all the noise, and the rabble of haggling. Our Lord saw that the Gentiles were being treated with contempt, as well as everything else wrong with this scene. The fees charged for the temple services had also gotten out of hand, costing poor visitors three or more days wages to be able to perform their religious duty there The attitude with which the money changers were robotically, mechanically and business-like performing these operations was making a mockery of the sacredness of the action. This was a place of mystery and awe and not a place to turn into a circus with markets and cold-businesslike precision. It is also never meant to be a case of "put in a penny and out comes a blessing". So, Our Lord was restoring the proper awe and reverence to God.

And, since it was indeed "just before the Passover, we cannot help but notice that Jesus is the TRUE Passover lamb. He is doing away with the need for lambs, goats and pigeons. he will be the one offering once and for all the perfect sacrifice which will now be the means of forgiveness and grace and redemption. He is restoring in himself right worship and effective sacrifice in which businesslike marketplaces will not be needed.

Also, Jesus will BE THE NEW TEMPLE. Our Lord will be for us always, the presence of God and the abiding promise of God's presence amongst us always.

In and through Christ, church and the Eucharist.

Jesus, (who not only knows the lawmaker but us actually ONE WITH him), restores, completes and renews the ancient sacrifices and makes them effective by his own life, his teaching, his death and resurrection. And he warns us, just as he did the moneychangers, never take this for granted. Do not go through rituals with the mechanical presumption of a slot machine. Always, let us do this in awe and reverence for the saving law and sacrifice found in the temple that is the body of Christ.
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Homily: Fr Peter Dillon:

For the Jewish people, the Temple was the most sacred of places. The Temple is God among his people. The theme of the Temple is essentially that of Presence. "I shall be with you…." This was their unique relationship with God. He was their God and they were his people. God's desire to be with his people is central to all of the Scriptures. He was with them in their Exodus from Egypt. He showed them the way with a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. He was present to them in the Commandments, the Ark of the covenant and the Meeting Tent.

 

 Yes, God does want to be present to humanity, but we also have the need for localizing God in time and place. With King David and Solomon's construction of the Temple, the people of Israel found security in that Yahweh was with them. He had a place to reside among them.

But years passed and the Temple lost it's meaning as God's presence among his people. It was destroyed and the people exiled. But it was rebuilt again. And again it degenerated into a mere sign of guarantee and security. It had become now a place of business and God, through the prophets of old, had told his people to move away from the practices they had become accustomed to and to live his Word, his message of peace, integrity, holiness, justice, love. But society had moved to false worship, social injustice and insecurity.

 

Jesus witnesses what has happened to the Temple. Jesus is the new Temple of the Lord. He is the new Meeting Tent. He is the life of God among the people. And he shares that life, that presence with us. The question for us today is where do we see God's presence among us? Where is the Meeting Tent for us? Where is God's life among us? Jesus says that his Spirit lives among us and that our bodies become the Temple of the Spirit. We can meet God now in and through one another because the Spirit of God lives among us, lives within us.

Lent is a time for us to ponder how we live this presence of the Lord. How do I worship the Lord? Is it through Jesus, his teachings, his example, his commandments? How do I share with others God's life in me? Do others experience God's compassion, his love, his understanding in me and through my life's actions? Do others witness his forgiveness, his peace, his charity in me and through me? Or have I let the Temple of the Lord in me become a den of thieves and hawkers, profiteers and abusers? Have I moved to false worship; giving more of my self, time and resources to gods I create: money, status, power, control, work, sex and alcohol? Is there cleansing that is needed in me? Do I treat my body as a temple of God's spirit? Or do I abuse it by not taking care of my health, not respecting the parts of my body?

 

I need to ask also how I relate to others with and through this body. What do I need to do so that others experience God's life in me? Where do my children, my family, my friends, my co-workers see that God does live in me? How do I respect them, their dignity, their uniqueness? How do I demonstrate that I meet God through them? God has become flesh in Jesus and to love God is to love my neighbour.

 

Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to greet people in the traditional Indian style, her hands together as if in prayer. These hands are then extended in a gesture to those she would meet, and with a slight bow of the head this greeting said: "The divine in me greets the divine in you." Can others see that divine in me? Can I truly witness to others all that I have received from God so that they always receive from me, respect for their dignity as God's creation?

 

Jesus cleansed the Temple when he saw what it had become and to remind us all that it is through him, with him and in him that we meet the Father and to him give all honour and glory.

 

Let us look to the remainder of this Lent and clean whatever in us needs cleansing. Let us move into the next weeks of Lent acknowledging our need for the Messiah; for the one that is the way, the truth and the life. Let us worship him, his presence among us, by loving one another. Let us not allow our worship to become shallow, compromised or self-serving.

 

God makes his promise once again to his people, to you and to me: "I shall be with you." May we acknowledge always his presence with humility and gratitude. 

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References:
Homily – Fr Peter Dillon

 

Prologue- Fr Paul W. Kelly

D'ARCY, T., JOHNSTON, J. AND COPLEY, B. (2015). BREAK OPEN THE WORD. BRISBANE. QLD.: THE LITURGICAL COMMISSION/ LITURGY BRISBANE.

DEBONA, G. (2014). BETWEEN THE AMBO AND THE ALTAR. YEAR B. 1ST ED. COLLEGEVILLE, MINNESOTA: LITURGICAL PRESS.

JOHN J PILCH . THE CULTURAL WORLD OF JESUS/ THE APOSTLES/ THE PROPHETS SUNDAY BY SUNDAY, CYCLE B. COLLEGEVILLE, MINN. LITURGICAL PRESS .1996, 2002.

BARCLAY, W. (1975). THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. VOLUME I. 2ND ED. EDINBURGH: ST. ANDREW PRESS

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. image: stock vector ID: 1212390121 Biblical vector. illustration series, Jesus cleanses the temple. By rudall30

Third Sunday of Lent. Year B (Sunday, March 7, 2021) (EPISODE: 282 )
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{Peace and Patience to you all}} welcome everyone, we gather - To offer or praise, prayers and intercessions to our loving God

my brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you call your people to turn away from sin: Lord, have mercy//You teach us wisdom, and write your truth in our inmost heart: Christ, have mercy//You forgive sins through the ministry of reconciliation: 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
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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PREFACE: Lent II

EP III

(theme variation: 3 )

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{Thank you for giving generously of your time and prayer.}

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).

"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

Lenten Hymn: "Have Mercy" inspired by Psalm 50(51). Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2020.

[ Production - KER - 2021]

May God bless and keep you.
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Second Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, February 28, 2021 (EPISODE: 281)

 

Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish Homily and Mass -    For Sundays and Special Feasts ______________________________

Second Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, February 28, 2021 (EPISODE: 281) Readings for Second Sunday of Lent. Year B FIRST READING: Gen 22: 1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 Ps 116: 10+15, 16-17, 18-19. “I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.” SECOND READING: Rom 8: 31b-34 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (cf. Matt 17: 5). Glory and Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! from the shining cloud the Father's voice was heard. This is my beloved Son, hear him. GOSPEL: Mark 9: 2-10 - Transfiguration Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. ID: 1344423617. Tiberias, Israel - 4/7/2015: Mount Tabor in the Lower Galilee region of Northern Israel, Jezreel Valley, Afula, Tiberias, Israel. The Church of the Transfiguration and the Franciscan Monastery By Tomanovic Violeta ++++ Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Second Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, February 28, 2021 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-281-lent-2b-2021/s-zxVc5MOPLBP   (EPISODE: 281) +++++ * (Prologue:  Fr Paul Kelly)  ABRAHAM AND HIS FAITH JOURNEY The story of Abraham being asked to deliberately sacrifice someone he loved, (more than his own life), is really horrifying. It is vital to keep in mind that it is, after all, God who is the one stopping the hand of Abraham. In fact, this incident is a foretaste of what God alone proposes to do to save humanity -   For out of astounding love and faithfulness to us who were not worthy, God the father did not even spare his only son (Jesus) –in order to save everyone… Because God’s love is so profound that he is willing to sacrifice himself in love, in order to save us all. (And it is the Father and the Son united who willingly sacrifice so much for us. God spares nothing and goes to the ultimate length to share complete solidarity with us. In life and death, in joy and devastation, God gives us everything he has. God holds nothing back. It is impossible to truly understand the depths of this unmerited love and commitment that God has given to us. This Sunday we hear of Abraham and of the Transfiguration story. Despite its vividness, the drama and even the horror of Isaac’s near-sacrifice -  the main point of this passage…   shown in such stark, unavoidable clarity…… - is that Abraham’s faith in God is utterly complete. Abraham, in his journey of faith, has learnt utter trust in God’s promises. Abraham and Isaac’s unswerving obedience to God, and trust in God’s faithfulness… (and particularly trust that God will provide), is a foreshadowing of the absolute generosity, faithfulness, sacrifice and love that God the Father, and the Son show for the world…    Abraham and his sacrifice is a proto-type for Christ’s death for us on the cross..   the comparisons are deep.   Abrahams beloved son even carries the wood of his own sacrifice..  Jesus carries the wood of his own cross for his sacrifice.  A Ram is found caught in thorns, and replaced Isaac as the sacrifice…  Jesus is crowned with thorns.. ….Abraham goes to mount Moriah for the sacrifice……  this place would later be known as the city of Jerusalem…   Our Lord offers his life in Jerusalem. and so on..   Only God would give up so much out of love, to save us. Peter, James, and John also find deeper faith on the mountain: They see Jesus as he truly is, in his full glory. These scenes give us a taste of Easter glory to come and challenge us to believe that Jesus is truly and completely everything he says he is. Even the disciples didn’t always or fully see Jesus clearly, and this is so, even though they had the singular benefit of being with him all the time. (Did they become so familiar with them, that they occasionally stopped seeing him…   stopped learning from him….    and took him for granted, or projected onto him their expectations (or even lack of expectations at times), instead of being open to what he truly was offering. Abraham, too, misunderstood the God he followed for such a long time. In lent, let us take some time to try and see Jesus more clearly. Let us not allow familiarity to obscure his glory and his challenging message. We all need a transfiguration of our image of God once in a while to ensure we see God more clearly. May this season of Lent ensure that we are not fashioning God according to our convenience, or according to our own image and likeness…..but rather encountering God in Jesus in the fullness of his radical message. Can we, like Abraham, put our complete and utter trust in God. Trust God even when we don’t understand the meaning of what might be happening to us at any different moment of our lives.  Will we trust utterly in Christ and be humble and completely obedient to his vision. Lent is about removing obstacles to our faith but also about choosing to let Jesus be the meaning of our lives.  Let us walk in the light of the Lord.  And, (Just as Jesus is transfigured), may we be changed. ++++++++ Homily:  Fr Peter Dillon:    2nd Sunday Lent – Year B  -2021 When Father Richard Leonard S.J., who is leading our parish Mission in March, wrote his famous book, “Where the Hell is God?” he begins by telling us the tragic story of his sister Tracey becoming a paraplegic, following a vehicle accident. In an attempt to comfort him, some person suggested that God might be testing his faith during this difficult time. Richard then tells us, that he realised he couldn’t believe in a God who would send pain and suffering as a test of his love and faithfulness. But his question was, “why is God in the middle of all this chaos?” While he acknowledged that this was a very testing time, it was more about keeping God close amid all the stress and confusion. In times of uncertainty and upheaval, we often get flooded with questions that don’t always have an easy answer, or perhaps we are in such a state of mind that no explanation makes sense at the time. When we are looking for causes and solutions, we sometimes look to apportion blame and sometimes God is in the firing line. Why would God do this? Want does God want from me? Have we made God responsible for all that is good, and therefore all that is bad in the world? What happens to us if we don’t pass the test? How can we proclaim God as loving and kind and yet would make us go through agony just to see if we really loved God? There are so many questions that arise in our minds if we accept that God imposes suffering in our lives. But what if God is not the cause but the consolation, the comforter in time of suffering? When we hear the story of Abraham and Isaac in today’s first reading we are understandably shocked. What we find most disturbing is the image of God that comes across. What God appears to be asking of Abraham is so cruel and unjust. We are revolted by the idea that the elderly Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his Son Isaac. The aim of the story is supposed to evoke horror at the very idea that God would demand human sacrifice. It is the very opposite of our first impression. Abraham lived among the Canaanites who practised human sacrifice, so Abraham somehow got the idea that this is what God wanted. But God intervened and showed him otherwise. This story was meant to put an end to seeking pain and suffering as proof of our love for God. What Jesus made very clear was that God does not mete out hurt for hurt, pain for pain, life for life, but this was not really understood by those who lived in Old Testament times. One thing the story clearly tells us is the depth of Abraham’s faith. He was prepared to sacrifice that which was dearest to him. His extraordinary faith was rewarded in an extraordinary way. No wonder we call Abraham “our father in faith”. The story condemns the idea of honouring God by taking a life. But Jesus introduced something that is much more challenging; the idea of honouring God by giving our lives in the service of God and others. He set the example himself. God didn’t demand his life from him. He gave it freely in the service of his brothers and sisters. It is this very point that Paul is making to the Romans when he says, that with God on our side we can face anything. Even as Jesus must have sensed that in going to Jerusalem a violent death awaited him, he must have reflected on what he heard on Mt Tabor ‘You are my Son, the beloved: I am pleased with you’. This assurance would have given him the strength to face the future, whatever it held. To know that nothing can separate us from the love of God, revealed in Jesus, is our strength in time of weakness and our hope in time of trouble. +++++ References: Fr Paul W. Kelly Pitre, Brant/ Bergsma, John. (2018). A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament: Vol 1. San Francisco, California. Ignatius Press. Life Application Study Bible Large Print. 2007. Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers. also, Abbot’s Homily, Monastery of Christ in the Desert; Prepare the Word resources. Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. ID: 1344423617. Tiberias, Israel - 4/7/2015: Mount Tabor in the Lower Galilee region of Northern Israel, Jezreel Valley, Afula, Tiberias, Israel. The Church of the Transfiguration and the Franciscan Monastery By Tomanovic Violeta Second Sunday of Lent. Year B  (Sunday, February 28, 2021)  (EPISODE: 281 ) The Lord be with you. +++++++++++++ {{Joy and peace to everyone}} welcome everyone, we gather -  Reflect upon the Holy Scriptures and the values of the Lord.  Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries. Lord Jesus, you came to reconcile us to the Father and to one another: Lord, have mercy//You heal the wounds of our sin and division: Christ, have mercy// You intercede for us with the Father: Lord, have mercy// May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen. +++++++++++++++++++++ Memorial Acclamation 2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PREFACE: Sunday Lent II EP II ++++ {May God's grace strengthen your faith hope and love, and may the Lord' love surprise you, even in the trials and challenges of this week. } Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord. ++++++++ Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog: "Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL) Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA) "The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers. Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia). “Quiet Time.”  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020. Lenten Hymn: "Have Mercy"  inspired by Psalm 50(51). Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2020. [ Production -  KER -  2021] May God bless and keep you. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++   Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia Parish Office: 50 FAIRWAY DRIVE CLEAR ISLAND WATERS QUEENSLAND 4226  Australia Parish Office: (07) 5572 5433 (9am – 12pm Mon-Fri) Copyright © 2021 Catholic Church, All rights reserved.

First Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, February 21, 2021 (EPISODE: 280)

First Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, February 21, 2021
(EPISODE: 280)

Readings for First Sunday of Lent. Year B
FIRST READING: Gen 9: 8-15
Ps 25: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9. "Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant."
SECOND READING: 1 Pet 3: 18-22
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Matt 4: 4b). Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory. No one lives on bread alone. But on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
GOSPEL: Mark 1: 12-15 - Temptation

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. ID: 150965762. Our Lord in the Wilderness. By Motortion Films.
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for First Sunday of Lent. Year B - Sunday, February 21, 2021 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-280-lent-1-b-2021/s-aaUjsvbAVg9

(EPISODE: 280)

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* (Prologue:  Fr Paul Kelly)
"The Spirit impelled Jesus into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: 'This is the time of fulfilment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:12-15).

"As Lent begins, the Church enters a period of spiritual renewal leading to Easter. Lent is a time of retreat. We journey inward to places of solitude and silence to rediscover God's love for us. To refocus and re-connect to God's priorities, and allow God to re-order our habits and choices according to God's values.

In the passage prior to this Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent, Mark writes that Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan and heard the voice confirming that his future mission was blessed by his heavenly Father.

Then, we read that Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to prepare for his public mission.

The words are very powerful.  They are strong words:   Jesus was driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. He was impelled, obliged, pushed with a sense of urgency and necessity!

"He lived among wild beasts,"  - We may all have heard the saying: "humans are just animals, so it's only natural to respond to our base inclinations" But Jesus shows us that we might be surrounded by wild animals, but it doesn't mean we have to act like one.

We humans have been given the rare gift of discernment; the ability to tell right from wrong. We have freedom and choice, so we are unique in being able to adapt our lives, our choices and our priorities so that we are not merely stuck in reacting only on instinct or inclinations, to any of life's events.  We have been given the human grace (by God) to rise above might otherwise have us responding at the same level of response as animals.   Having said that, I do acknowledge that some commentators on human behaviour have rather ruefully observed that many animals can act better than the way some humans treat one another.

Our lives are filled with temptation, and Jesus' life was also filled with temptation, since he was not only God, but also fully human:

The temptation to take an easier but not best path;   temptation to lose hope in difficult situations,  temptation to put ourselves and our needs,  (legitimate or not), before others,  tempted to respond to our desires rather than our duties.  And so on.  In so many ways we are assailed by temptations to take a less loving, more selfish and less compassionate path. A path that denies that God is the centre of our lives and existence.

But "angels ministered to him" as he fasted and prayed during those forty days.

Do we accept the strength of the sacraments, the support of parishioners, family and friends, and the encouragement along the difficult path that is offered at different times? Hope is one of the best defences against the temptations that weigh us down. Hope need not be over-idealistic, but can exist even under the full weight of the reality of how bad things can be for many people.  Hope is never losing sight of God's faithfulness and love, and hope is continuing to love and show the values of the gospel of Jesus even when everything around us may be going wrong.

For most of us, there is no physical desert. Our deserts and 'wildernesses" are often real, but symbolic. They are moments of dryness in our lives that come from tensions in family life, arguments with significant others, anxiety about economic distress, world conflict, and many other sources.

This Gospel passage invites us to recognize those times when we experience our own "temptations" and "temptation to despair," not taking desolation, and fear as times that reveal the face of God to us in a very close way. These are the times in which we discover our utter reliance on God. And this opens up the path to new and greater life.

Perhaps patience should be seen as one of the most powerful of the virtues… Forbearance, restraint, pause,  and "waiting in silence for God to save" are surely remedies to what would, otherwise, be a huge list of possible mistakes and dead-end pathways.

What have been "desert" moments in our lives that have caused us tension, stress, or despair? How has God been a part of these moments?  Can we let Jesus, who lived in the wilderness for forty days, (and who was assailed by the temptations that would later surface in other ways during his ministry and knowing that he faced suffering and eventually the cross; because he was taking the path of love and forgiveness. Can we let Jesus lead us in this journey as we face so many different aspects of spiritual wilderness in our lives and allow His Spirit to fill us up with all the virtues that crowd-out sin…

That is:  Love, faith and hope, and also patience, goodness, and  chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness, and humility.

Jesus is ably suited to leading and guiding us through this and all other experiences of wilderness.


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Homily:  Fr Peter Dillon:   1st Sunday-Lent-Year B-2021

Have you ever been tempted to do something wickedly outrageously good? It is unfortunate that temptation only seems to lure us into doing things that are bad or wrong or unhealthy. As the journey of Lent begins again we are asked to have a serious look at how we are travelling on the road to a good moral life. A spiritual audit that might give a clear direction as to where we need to make adjustments in our thoughts, words and actions.

As children, we used to call this "the giving up time" without any real understanding of why we needed to make any sacrifices. Why do we give up or take on things specifically for these forty days? What's the point? Put simply, it's to remind us of our humanity, as if we needed reminding. It's meant to highlight both the giftedness and the fragility of our daily existence, with its choices and struggles, its celebrations and its burdens.

Today as we hear of Mark's very brief account of the temptations of Jesus, it is somewhat consoling to think that he might at least be lured by a promise of a better, more attractive life. Here again, we find Mark reminding us that the mind of Christ is not so removed from our own, such that if Jesus can resist these substantial temptations, then we too have a similar power to resist much less demanding ones.

Like Jesus, we sometimes feel as though we are living among those wild beasts that we feel are too powerful to fight off or resist. They are subtle and disguised and very alluring. They get inside our minds and convince us that we will be happier, more successful, and more popular and generally more liked. They appeal to our basic human needs for comfort and power and it doesn't take much convincing to get us to follow them or give in to them.

When you struggle over time, you start to believe that you cannot resist or change or be stronger. We accept our weakness and call it "just being human", as though that was synonymous with being powerless. It is at this point that Jesus suggests that rather than simply believing in the Good News, we become Good News.

By that I mean, that Lent is an excellent time to regain some of that strength that we have surrendered. Starting simply we should begin to do the noble and generous thing, no matter how small. Don't question its effectiveness, because it is not up to us to ensure the outcomes, but rather to do the better, kinder action. It's about making the first approach, welcoming the stranger, sitting next to a complaining co-worker, chatting with the shy neighbour, sending a kind note to a grieving parishioner, giving a compliment, visiting an aged relative. Doing the noble deed. Giving to a charity like Project Compassion, but not making a big deal about it, unless it really is a big deal – no matter what the deed, it will be noticed by you and by God and your relationship will deepen, which is the real purpose of all of this activity. In doing so you will keep the presence of God alive in the world and you will emerge stronger to tame the wild beast.

Allow yourself to see the imperfect parts of your nature and learn what needs to change, where you need to get stronger. So instead of fearing the temptations see them as meeting points of our humanity with Christ. A time of learning.
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References:

Homily by Fr Peter Dillon

Prologue - Fr Paul W. Kelly

Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International


Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. ID: 150965762. Our Lord in the Wilderness. By Motortion Films.

First Sunday of Lent. Year B  (Sunday, February 21, 2021)  (EPISODE: 280 )
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{Love and joy be with everyone}}. Welcome. everyone, we gather -  Listen to God's Word and contemplate the sacraments.

Brothers and sisters, the Lord is full of love and mercy. And so, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us acknowledge our sins. 
Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of Peace. Lord have mercy// You are Son of God and the Son of Mary. Christ have mercy// You are Word made flesh, the splendour of the Father. 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
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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PREFACE: Sunday Lent I
Ep II
(theme variation: have Mercy  )

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{Cheers and thanks everyone for this time of prayer and reflection - I hope you have a blessed week. }

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection"  - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants  — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989,  and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009,  The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful -   " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'.   E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).


"Quiet Time."  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

Lenten Hymn: "Have Mercy," inspired by Psalm 50(51). Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2020. https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk

[ Production -  KER -  2021]

May God bless and keep you.
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