The ANNUNCIATION of the LORD - 25th March 2021 - (episode 287)- (weekday Feast)

The ANNUNCIATION of the LORD - 25th March 2021 (weekday Feast)

(episode 287)

Readings

FIRST READING: Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10;

PSALM 39:7-11. "Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will."

SECOND READING: Hebrews 10:4-10.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 1:14). Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! The word of God became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory. Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

GOSPEL: Luke 1:26-38

Shutterstock Licensed Image stock photo ID: 341782814 ATHENS, GREECE - OCTOBER 8, 2015: The fresco of Annunciation on the facade of Metropolitan Cathedaral by B. Antoniasis (1895). By Renata Sedmakova
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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the ANNUNCIATION of the LORD - 25th March 2021 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-287-the-annunciation-25th-march-2021-weekday-solemnity/s-nw0MwfgZFoO    (EPISODE:287 )   
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Today's feast of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated, in a timely fashion exactly nine months to the day of Christmas. and three months before the feast of the birth of JOHN the Baptist. It is a feast of the Lord, commemorating the announcement to the Virgin Mary of the Word made flesh, Mary's acceptance of God's will, and the conception of Christ nine months before Christmas. This feast originated in the East during the sixth century and gained universal observance in the West during the eighth century.  Its occurrence close to Easter links the incarnation with the whole mystery of human redemption in Christ.
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Mary was of the house of David and was engaged to be married to Joseph, of the same royal family. She had, however, not yet entered the household of her spouse, but was still in her mother's house, perhaps working, over her dowry. (Bardenhewer, Maria Verk., 69).

And the angel having taken the figure and the form of a man came into the house and said to her: "Greetings, full of grace … the Lord is with you."

Mary having heard the greeting words did not speak; she was troubled in spirit since she knew not the angel, nor the cause of his coming, nor the meaning of the greeting. And the angel continued and said: "Fear not, Mary, for have found favour with God. Behold you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most-High, and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of David his father, and he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom, there shall be no end."

The Virgin understood that there was a question of the coming Redeemer. But, why should she be elected from amongst women for the splendid dignity of being the mother of the Messiah, having vowed her virginity to God? (St. Augustine). Therefore, not doubting the word of God like Zachary, but filled with fear and astonishment, she said: "How shall this be done, because I know not a man?" – this was not merely a present tense...  This was akin to "I have made a perpetual vow of virginity to God, even as I plan to be married, so how can this be?"   (Her question and confusion make no sense unless this is the clarification she seeks).

The angel, to remove Mary's anxiety and to reassure her resolve, answered: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon you and the power of the Most-High shall overshadow you. And therefore also the Holy One which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God."

Mary, very likely, would not have yet fully understood the full meaning of the heavenly message and how the maternity might be reconciled with her vow of virginity, but clinging to the first words of the angel and trusting to the all-powerful faithfulness of God she said: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word."

Many holy fathers (Sts. Jerome, Cyril, Ephrem, Augustine) say that the consent of Mary was essential to the redemption. It was the will of God, St. Thomas says (Summa III:30), that the redemption of mankind should depend upon the consent of the Virgin Mary. This does not mean that God in His plans was bound by the will of a creature, and that man would not have been redeemed if Mary had not consented. It only means that the consent of Mary was foreseen from all eternity, and therefore was received as essential into the design of God.

https://sarahclarkson.com/thoroughly-alive/2017/11/17/annunciation-a-poem-and-a-holy-provocation

Annunciation      by Denise Levertov

We know the scene:

……Arrived on solemn grandeur of great wings, the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering, whom she acknowledges, a guest.

But we are told of meek obedience.
No one mentions courage.      
The engendering Spirit did not enter her without consent.
         God waited.
She was free to accept or to refuse, choice integral to humanness.

Aren't there annunciations of one sort or another in most lives?
Some unwillingly undertake great destinies, enact them in sullen pride, uncomprehending.

More often those moments when roads of light and storm open from darkness in a man or woman, are turned away from in dread, in a wave of weakness, in despair and with relief.

Ordinary lives continue.                          

God does not smite them. But the gates close, the pathway vanishes.

She had been a child who played, ate, slept like any other child–but unlike others,
wept only for pity, laughed in joy, not triumph.
Compassion and intelligence fused in her, indivisible.
Called to a destiny more momentous than any in all of Time, she did not quail,
only asked a simple, 'How can this be?' and gravely, courteously, took to heart the angel's reply, the astounding ministry she was offered:
To bear in her womb Infinite weight and lightness; to carry in hidden, finite inwardness, nine months of Eternity; to contain in slender vase of being, the sum of power–in narrow flesh, the sum of light.  Then bring to the birth, ……. a child needing, like any other, milk and love– but who was God!

This was the moment no one speaks of when she could still refuse.
A breath un-breathed,
          Spirit,
              suspended,
                              waiting ....
She did object: 'I cannot. I am not worthy,'
Nor did she cry out: 'I have not the strength.'
She did not submit with gritted teeth, raging, coerced.
Bravest of all humans, consent illumined her.
The room filled with its light,
the lily glowed in it,
and the iridescent wings.

Consent,
courage unparalleled,
opened her utterly.
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

https://sarahclarkson.com/thoroughly-alive/2017/11/17/annunciation-a-poem-and-a-holy-provocation

Holweck, Frederick. "The Annunciation." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 7 Feb. 2020 http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01541c.htm

Shutterstock Licensed Image stock photo ID: 341782814 ATHENS, GREECE - OCTOBER 8, 2015: The fresco of Annunciation on the facade of Metropolitan Cathedaral by B. Antoniasis (1895). By Renata Sedmakova
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  (EPISODE: 215)
The ANNUNCIATION of the LORD - (25th March 2020)

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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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 of Annunciation //
EUCH II //.

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Go, and Announce the gospel of the Lord.
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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).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -  by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The ….Gloria,  copyright 2011 ccwatershed.org}

Hymn – "Rainfall – Hail Holy Queen." Music by Paul W. Kelly. 1994, 2021. Words by Paul kelly, based on the Traditional Salve Regina Hymn. Arranged & with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2021. https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk

Marian Hymn -   "Salve Regina Mater Misericordiae." (Traditional 11th Century). Melody: Mainz (1712), Hymn #783 - Brébeuf Hymnal. From https://www.ccwatershed.org/hymn/

Marian Hymn – "Whom Earth and Sea and Sky Proclaim." Traditional 6th Century Hymn. Melody: Bartholomaus Gesius (d.1613). #376 - Brébeuf Hymnal. From https://www.ccwatershed.org/hymn/

[ Production -  KER -  2021]

May God bless and keep you.

A LENTEN PENITENTIAL SERVICE - (For you at home) 2021

A LENTEN PENITENTIAL SERVICE - (For you at home)

Image:  Shutterstock licensed image ID: 1662774463. Vienna, Austria. 2019/10/23. "The Return of the Prodigal Son" (1773) by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708-1787). Museum (Art History Museum) in Vienna, Austria.  By Adam Jan Figel

 

A LENTEN PENITENTIAL SERVICE - In preparation for Holy Week and Easter.

(For you at home)  2021

Readings:
FIRST READING: James 2:14-26
PSALM: 106:6-10, 13-14, 19-22. "Lord, remember us, for the love you bear your people."
GOSPEL: LUKE 15:4-7.


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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for A LENTEN PENITENTIAL SERVICE - In preparation for Holy Week and Easter. (For you at home), by clicking this link here:       https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-lenten-penitential-service-in-preparation-for-holy-week-2021
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In preparation for Holy Week and Easter …
We have been doing acts of penance, prayer and good works so that we may celebrate the joy Christ's victory at Easter, with minds and hearts made pure…

Since the pandemic has seriously restricted our ability to gather together physically, we unite in mind, spirit and heart instead, (in union with Christ)…  and given that the sacrament of penance is no available to the people… we celebrate this special penitential service…   which is an act of perfect contrition for all our sins..    Christ hears the voice of the repentant sinner…  and so we trust in his abundant mercy,… 
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In the name of the Father, (+) and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Greetings.
Coming together as brothers and sisters in Christ, let us prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries by recalling our sins and remembering Christs greater mercy.

I confess to Almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault,* .......

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
Lord Have Mercy
Christ Have Mercy
Lord Have Mercy

My brothers and sisters, we have, at times, neglected the gifts of our baptism and fallen into sin. Let us ask God to renew his grace within us as we turn to him in repentance.
Let us Bow our heads before God.
All pray in silence for a brief period.
 
Lord Jesus,
you redeemed us by your passion
and raised us to new life in baptism.
Protect us with your unchanging love
and share with us the joy of your resurrection,
for you live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
 
First Reading
A reading from the Letter of saint James 2:14-26  
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill', and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
 
But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.  
Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith without works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works.  
Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness', and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.  
Likewise, was not Rahab also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.
The word of the Lord.  
Thanks be to God.
 
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 106:6-10, 13-14, 19-22
R. Lord, remember us, for the love you bear your people.
Then they cried to the Lord in their need
and he rescued them from their distress
and he led them along the right way,
to reach a city they could dwell in. 
 
Let them thank the Lord for his love,
for the wonders he does for men:
for he satisfies the thirsty soul;
he fills the hungry with good things. 
 
Then they cried to the Lord in their need
and he rescued them from their distress.
He led them forth from darkness and gloom
and broke their chains to pieces. 
Then they cried to the Lord in their need
and he rescued them from their distress.
He sent forth his word to heal them
and saved their life from the grave. 

Let them thank the Lord for his love,
for the wonders he does for men.
Let them offer a sacrifice of thanks
and tell of his deeds with rejoicing.

Lord, remember us, for the love you bear your people.
 
Gospel
Luke 15:4-7
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Jesus spoke this parable to them: 'What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it? And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours? 'Rejoice with me,' he would say, 'I have found my sheep that was lost.' In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous men who have no need of repentance.'
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Homily
When we were baptised…God made a solemn promise to us.  As the waters of baptism poured over us, God said…  this day I make you my son/  my daughter….   – God truly loves us as a loving parent loved their child….     It is our delight and our duty to fulfil this wonderful gift and grace of baptism by living faithfully the Gospel of Christ.   God's promise of eternal parenthood to us, and his promise of complete faithfulness with us through our whole life journey and into the eternal life of the Heavenly banquet, was no mere words…   it was not an empty show….   God means what God does and God fulfils what God promises.  Without doubt.  So too, the promises made at our own baptism by our parents and godparents. or by ourselves and our sponsors for those baptised in adulthood…  these promises are real and solid…. 

The first reading reminds us that we are children of God in fact, as well as name.  And that our membership of God's family needs to show itself in actions and consistent attitudes and values.  and not merely words or hollow rituals…   The Sacraments are alive with the power of God's Spirit. and the source of all the sacraments is from the power and effectiveness of the Holy Spirit given over-flowingly in Baptism… we become grafted onto Christ.  joined to him forever…  what an absolute joy. What a priceless treasure…  

We have to be so careful of two extremes. Both are very bad and harmful to us in so many ways.

The first extreme is to take for granted our membership as a daughter or son of God.  We are not part-time members of Christ…  occasional friends of Jesus…  we are friends, heirs and servants of the living God…   We, therefore, take very seriously God's direction to us that we must take our gifts and make use of them for the good of God's Kingdom.  As we heard in James' letter…   faith without good works is entirely dead.   Discipleship of Christ and membership of God's family is utterly hollow if it doesn't show itself in attitudes, actions and decisions consistent with Our Father's Kingdom. Practical actions of kindness, love, mercy and charity…  Our actions are united with the loving heart of Our Lord Jesus.

Whenever we fail and sin (when we fall). and at times when we make very poor choices or actions, the other extreme, (to be carefully avoided), is to be so "down on ourselves"..  That we cannot forgive ourselves … or we effectively refuse to allow God to give us the forgiveness that God can and does want to give us.      It is serious and false humility to not accept God's forgiveness and mercy when it is offered.   IF God has forgiven us, we are truly forgiven indeed!   Who are we to say that God cannot or will not forgive us for our sins?   Are we greater than the God of all creation?  If I say to God, I have sinned and then say, Lord, you are unable to forgive me for this, I do not deserve to be forgiven …  then I can add pride and arrogance to my sins…  The constant message of the bible and Christ's Good News is that he is the loving parent of the prodigal child who looks out for the return of his errant child day and night.. and runs to meet him when he finally and sheepishly (and possibly half-heartedly) returns..  /  like the Gospel…   Our loving God is NOT content with 99% of the sheep safe and sound…  but will not be satisfied until he searches for and finds that lost 1% and brings them home safe too.    

Today we praise the unlimited mercy of our God and Father who continually welcomes those who turn back to him after having sinned (see Luke 15);
The upcoming season of Easter (even as celebrated in these extraordinary and difficult times) remains the feast when the Church rejoices over the newness of life, and eternal life, in Christ, won for us by the death and Resurrection of Jesus.

 
Examination of Conscience
The Lord says: 'Love one another as I have loved you.'

Have I a genuine love for my neighbours? Or do I sometimes use my neighbour for my own ends, or do to them what I would not want to be done to myself? Have I given a poor example or scandal by my words or actions?

In my family life, have I contributed to the well-being and happiness of the rest of the family by patience, kindness and genuine love? Have I been obedient to parents, showing them proper respect and giving them help in their spiritual and material needs? Have I been careful to give a Christian upbringing to those in my care, and to help them by good example and by exercising authority as a parent or carer or mentor? Have I been faithful in my heart and in my relations with others?

Do I share my possessions with the less fortunate? Do I do my best to help the victims of oppression, misfortune, and poverty? Re there times I have looked down on my neighbour, especially the poor, the sick, the elderly, strangers, and people of other races?

Does my life reflect the mission I received in confirmation? Do I share in the missionary and charitable works of the Church and in the life of the parish? Have I helped to meet the needs of the Church and of the world and prayed for them: for unity in the Church, for the spread of the Gospel among the nations, for peace and justice…..?

Am I concerned for the good and prosperity of the human community in which I live, or do I spend much of my time focusing only on myself? Do I share to the best of my ability in the work of promoting justice, morality, harmony, and love in human relations? Have I done my duty as a citizen? In times of ability, have I paid what is my due to the society I live in?

In my work or profession am I just, hard-working, honest, serving society out of love for others? Have I been faithful to my promises and contracts?

Have I obeyed legitimate authority and given due respect to its laws for the good of the community?

In any position of responsibility or authority, do I use this for the good of others, in a spirit of service, or for my own purposes?

Have I been truthful and fair, or have I injured others by deceit, calumny, detraction, rash judgment, or violation of a secret?

Have I stolen the property of others? Have I desired material things unjustly and inordinately? Have I damaged things of others or failed to show care to property I am responsible for? Have I made restitution of other people's property and made good their loss?

If I have been injured, have I been ready to make peace for the love of Christ and to forgive, or do I harbour hatred and the desire for revenge?

Where is my life really leading me? Is the hope of eternal life my inspiration? Have I tried to grow in the life of the Spirit through prayer, reading the word of God and meditating on it, receiving the sacraments, self-denial? Have I been anxious to control my vices, my bad inclinations and passions, e.g. envy, love of food and drink? Have I been proud and boastful, thinking myself better in the sight of God and despising others as less important than myself? Have I imposed my own will on others, without respecting their freedom and rights?

What use have I made of time, of health and strength, of the gifts God has given me to be used like the talents in the Gospel?  Or have I been slack and too much given to leisure?

Have I been patient in accepting the sorrows and disappointments of life?

Have I always tried to act in the true freedom of the sons of God according to the law of the Spirit, or am I the slave of forces within me?

Act of Repentance
My brothers and sisters, the hour of God's favour draws near, the day of his mercy and of our salvation when death was destroyed and eternal life began. This is the season for planting new vines in God's vineyard, the time for pruning the vines to ensure a richer harvest.
We all acknowledge that we are sinners. We are moved to penance, encouraged by the example and prayers of our brothers and sisters. We admit our guilt and say: 'Lord, I acknowledge my sins; my offences are always before me. Turn away your face, Lord, from my sins, and blot out all my wrong-doing. Give me back the joy of your salvation and give me a new and steadfast spirit.'
We are sorry for having offended God by our sins. May he be merciful and hear us as we ask to be restored to his friendship and numbered among the living who share the joy of Christ's risen life.
 
Cleanse us, Lord, from all our sins;
Wash us, and we shall be whiter than snow.
 
Lord,
your sons and daughters stand before you
in humility and trust.
Look with compassion on us as we confess our sins.
Heal our wounds;
stretch out a hand of pity to save us and raise us up.
Keep us free from harm
as members of Christ's body, as sheep of your flock,
as children of your family.
Hear, Lord, the prayers we offer from contrite hearts.
Have pity on us as we acknowledge our sins.
Lead us back to the way of holiness.
Protect us now and always
from the wounds of sin.
May we ever keep safe in all its fullness
the gift your love once gave us
and your mercy now restores.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever.
R. Amen.
 
 LORD'S PRAYER
HAIL MARY

The Lord be with you….
 
SOLEMN BLESSING //

May God, the Father of mercies,

who has given you an example of love

in the Passion of his Only Begotten Son,

grant that, by serving God and your neighbour,

you may lay hold of the wondrous gift of his blessing.

 

R. Amen.

 

So that you may receive the reward of everlasting life from him,

through whose earthly Death

you believe that you escape eternal death.

 

R. Amen.

 

And by following the example of his self-abasement,

may you possess a share in his Resurrection.

 

R. Amen.

 

 

And may the blessing of almighty God,

the Father, and the Son, (+), and the Holy Spirit,

come down on you and remain with you forever.

 

R. Amen.
 
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord BY your life! 
 
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References:


Fr Paul W. Kelly

Liturgy Adapted from texts in the Rite of Penance Book Appendix II Sample Penitential Services.  PENITENTIAL CELEBRATIONS DURING LENT. First Example. –adapted- "Penance leads to a strengthening of baptismal grace."). App. Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship. Trans. ICEL. Australian Episcopal Conference. 1975.

Image:  Shutterstock licensed image ID: 1662774463. Vienna, Austria. 2019/10/23. "The Return of the Prodigal Son" (1773) by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708-1787). Museum (Art History Museum) in Vienna, Austria.  By Adam Jan Figel
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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.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead:  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
Liturgy Adapted from texts in the Rite of Penance Book Appendix II Sample Penitential Services.  PENITENTIAL CELEBRATIONS DURING LENT. First Example. –adapted- "Penance leads to a strengthening of baptismal grace."). App. Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship. Trans. ICEL. Australian Episcopal Conference. 1975
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989,  and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963 The Grail - Collins publishers. 
Have Mercy – Song based on Psalm 50. Music by Paul Kelly. Added lyrics and arrangement and sung by Stefan Kelk. 2020.

Production  - KER  2021

 

May God bless and keep you.   

 

Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B. - Sunday, March 21, 2021 (EPISODE: 286)

Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B.  - Sunday, March 21, 2021
(EPISODE: 286)

Readings for Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B.
FIRST READING: Jer 31: 31-34
Ps 51: 3-4, 12-13, 14-15. "Create a clean heart in me, O God. "
SECOND READING: Heb 5: 7-9
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 12: 26). Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ. If you serve me, follow me, says the Lord. And where I am, my servant will also be.
GOSPEL: John 12: 20-33

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. image:  photo ID:1901084980-  Jesus teaches from a boat on the sea of Galilee, in front of a large crowd- By Annalisa Jones
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B.  - Sunday, March 21, 2021, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-286-lent-5-b-2021  
(EPISODE: 286)
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* (Prologue:  Fr Paul Kelly)
The Greeks, in today's gospel, ask to 'see Jesus'. They were foreigners, and had heard about Jesus and were curious to meet him…. but the reply they get is unexpected….. do you want to see Jesus??? well, unless a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it remains a single grain….but if it dies… it produces a rich harvest…
 
We are asking the same thing….. let us see Jesus…. and Jesus gives us a cryptic reply too….. if you want to see me…. I am to be found in the suffering…. in the broken….. in the act of self-sacrificing service…..in self-emptying love……
 
Also, why do some Greeks, (foreigners, Gentiles most likely), asking to see Jesus signal that the hour has come and that the Son of Man will be handed over and lifted up?  Probably because the message of Jesus has now reached the ears of foreigners and people outside of the Jewish community...   do, it is now inevitable that all nations have begun to hear of his message and that this kind of attention will most certainly lead to his arrest and crucifixion.  The hour has come.   

The opening prayer for this weekend is revealing.. it picks up on the theme of loving, sacrificing, service. today…
may we walk eagerly in that same charity (THAT SAME LOVE) with which, out of love for the world, your Son handed himself over to death.
 
WE ARE ASKING THE LORD TO Change our selfishness into self-giving. //
Help us, Lord,  to embrace the world you have given us, that we may transform the darkness of its pain into life and joy of Easter.
 
How difficult it can be to die to one's selfishness so that others might benefit..... to make the difficult step... to sacrifice oneself for one's own self-interests for the good of others... it can be the hardest thing in the world...... but it is the way of Christ.. the way of the Cross, but also the way of the fullness of life and grace...
 One of the greatest gifts that can be given to this tired world we live in…. if the gift of unselfishness…. or self-giving…… or generosity and love…. where so many others keep asking 'what's in it for me' what's it worth???
 
Our following of Jesus has a cost, but it is not suffering for the sake of suffering. Rather, it is suffering because of what we believe in. It is suffering because we are living the values of Jesus. Jesus gives us an example of how we can react when faced with the cost of our values: 'Father… should I say, save me from this hour….but no…. for this is why I came……'
 
To live a life of service, love, self-forgetting and self-giving; This is why Jesus came, and this is why we follow him.
 
In these dying days of Lent… let us ask God to kindle in us all a deeper charity, a deeper, unselfish love…… to live the values of "service, self-emptying and compassion no matter what the cost"…. knowing the cost… and trusting that Jesus went before us in this and all things….

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Homily:  Fr Peter Dillon: 
5th Sunday of Lent Year B 2021

Life begins in loss. In the act of birth we were pushed out from the warm womb of our mother, then dragged helplessly into the big world of watching adults. Disconnected from our mother, we screamed and protested as we were held upside down in the hands of a stranger who slapped us. Some welcome! Our new separateness was frightening. Even though we were returned to our mother, we inhabited a space that was different from her's. To gain a place in the new world, we first had to lose our place in the old one. The act of birth is inseparable from the pain of letting go. That was our first education.

When we think of loss we usually have in mind the loss of some loved one in death. But the experience of loss plays a larger part in our lives than we might think: we lose not only by someone's death but by leaving and being left, by letting go and moving on, by relinquishing our false dreams. Throughout our lives, we have to face a whole series of necessary losses, people and relationships and attachments we have to give up if we are to grow. Our gradual development is marked by renunciation, for it is only through losses that we learn to change and adapt and make new gains. No pain, no gain.

As we grow older we have to let go of our youthful good health, our perfect vision, our waistlines, our earnestness to save the world, our unreal expectations of others, our naive belief in the progress of the earth. The time comes when we have to let go of life itself, and that final act can be as painful a leave-taking as the act of birth. But in the midst of this litany of loss, there can be new growth and new life. As Jesus says in today's Gospel: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

The way of the cross Jesus' death is ahead of him. The hour has come. The pilgrims are arriving in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, including some Greek converts who want to see Jesus. At this Passover feast, the sacrificial lamb will be Jesus himself. Now the time has come for Jesus when there is no more time. He must face the loss of freedom, the loss of friends, the loss of support, and the loss of his own life. Not surprisingly, all this loss troubles him.

The other three Gospels speak of Jesus' agony on the Mount of Olives, how Jesus anguished over his approaching death, hoping and praying that it might be the Father's will to avoid the violent consequences of the mission. In John's Gospel there is no agony scene. Jesus is troubled, but he rejects the temptation to ask the Father to save him from what is to come: "What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? But it was for this very reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." In this portrayal, Jesus is aware that the pain and the loss cannot be avoided if the Father's name is to be glorified. There is going to be gain from the pain; there is going to be glory from the way of the cross. For Jesus to imagine that his suffering is avoidable is a false hope that has to be relinquished. The losing of his life is a necessary loss. The way of the cross, which appeared as a possibility at the beginning of the ministry, now presents itself as inevitable. The hour has come. His decision is to go through the humiliation and agony of the cross and be put to death. This, as John admits, does not mean that Jesus is untroubled about what is ahead. The pain will still be acute; the loss will still be crushing. But the Father's solidarity with his Son will keep Jesus going to the end. Only that gives a point to it all.

Jesus' loss is our gain. His radical act of self-forgetfulness stands at the centre of the Christian story. He is the grain of wheat that died in order to bear much fruit. That is why the cross has such a position of prominence wherever Christians gather. The great loss of Jesus' life — and the loss was great — has become in time the ground of our hope. It points us beyond the reality of suffering to the reality of Easter.

 In the midst of our own loss, however, it is difficult to imagine what good can emerge from the pain. Sometimes the pain can reduce us to silence so that we become dumb witnesses preoccupied with our own affliction. Few of us can see any point to pain at the time — often the pain is the fact that it all seems pointless. The Christian community needed time to make sense of the death of Jesus, they needed help to see that their immense loss was more than a terrible accident. We too need time and help. Only then can we look back, like the Gospel does, and cherish what good has been achieved.
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References:

Homily – Fr Peter Dillon
Prologue - Fr Paul W. Kelly

PREACHING TO THE CONVERTED. BY FR. RICHARD LEONARD.S.J.,
SUNDAYS AND HOLY DAY LITURGIES. YEAR B. FLOR MCCARTHY S.D.B.,  · SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ}.
 
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. image:  photo ID:1901084980-  Jesus teaches from a boat on the sea of Galilee, in front of a large crowd- By Annalisa Jones }


Fifth Sunday of Lent. Year B.   (Sunday, March 21, 2021)  (EPISODE: 286 )
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)
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{{Goodness and kindness  to you all}} welcome everyone, we gather -  To Pray, listen and reflect upon God and God's Kingdom.

As one family in Christ, let us prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries by calling to mind our sins. 
Lord Jesus, you have revealed yourself as the way to the Father: Lord, have mercy//You have poured out on your people the Spirit of truth: Christ, have mercy//You are the Good Shepherd, leading us to eternal 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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Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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Ps 51: 3-4, 12-13, 14-15. "Create a clean heart in me, O God. "

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 12: 26). Glory to you, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ. If you serve me, follow me, says the Lord. And where I am, my servant will also be.
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PREFACE: Lent I  (Or Lazarus, which may still be suitable even when the gospel of raising Lazarus is not proclaimed this year)

EP III or Reco I

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{Thanks everyone, and have a grace-filled and compassion-filled week. }

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

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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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