28th August, 2011 Twenty - second Sunday of the Year - A
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Just a reminder that we are now using ALL of the new translation responses for all SPOKEN responses in all parts of the mass. Please bring along your supplemental missals or make use of the pew cards around the church.
It is really helpful to “watch the texts carefully”.
Some texts that seem similar have minor changes to them that can trip the unwary. If in doubt and you are not sure of the new responses and you aren’t close to a card, it might be advisable to say the responses quietly. If you make a mistake and say the old one, don’t worry.. it take a while to get used to something we have been saying for forty years… if possible, don’t start again and say the new one, just catch up, or else “go inaudible” - or else it will trip those around you too…
We are all doing very well, I think. It is just a learning curve….
Anyone who is attending our nursing home masses, it’s too difficult to expect many residents there to change to the new mass, so let’s allow the residents to set the pace there.. we can say our new responses inaudibly.. to save confusion…
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The gospel this weekend is very challenging.
St Peter has just declared that Jesus is the Messiah, the chosen one, and the Son of God. Jesus has rewarded this inspired declaration with the statement that he will build his church on Peter’s rock-solid profession of faith and upon Peter’s leadership.
But now, only moments later, Jesus is rebuking Peter. Calling him a stumbling block.
This is very, very important.
How easy it is to go from being someone who is supporting the vision, to being an unwitting barrier or obstacle to the project!! Very sobering stuff!!
It reminds me of something. I often joke around that when it is time for me to meet my maker, I want them to put on my headstone these words: “HE MEANT WELL !”
That tickles me for some reason! And isn’t it so true. So often, people do the things they do with the best of intentions. People rarely do actions to be deliberately mean and spiteful nd destructive. They often do things for a good motive, but sometimes that is misguided. If someone had an epitaph “he meant well’ it kind of makes one raise the eyebrows and say… ‘oh dear, I wonder what went wrong.”
Poor St Peter. HE MEANT WELL. He pulled Jesus Aside and said to him he MUST not go and be executed in Jerusalem. This MUST NOT HAPPEN. Peter meant well. He loved and respected his master and wanted to protect him and preserve his life. He was trying to be a good friend, but he unwittingly was becoming an obstacle to Jesus because Peter did not understand that Jesus’ whole mission was to sacrifice his life for the salvation of all. HE MUST go to Jerusalem and be handed over and sacrificed. Peter MUSt NOT get in his way or try to stop him, or he will be nothing but a stumbling block to be gotten over.
I find it very helpful to always keep in mind that good intentions are not the be all and end all. Sometimes meaning well can end up defeating the purpose of what we are here for.
I think as Christians, inspired by the situation Peter found himself in today, we have to prayerfully and carefully always contemplate..
What kind of disciple are we?
I think that there are two types of disciple…..… the “helpful” disciple… and the (for want of a better word) “overly helpful” disciple.
The helpful disciple watches and listens and learns from our Lord and does anything to serve our master in his mission of building up the Kingdom.
Whereas, the ‘overly helpful’ disciple falls into St Peter’s trap of thinking they are helping but aren’t really watching and listening…. And don’t comprehend the mission….. and so, end up doing the exact opposite of what God is actually trying to achieve.
Today’s gospel demands of us deep and regular prayer, contemplation and reflection, so that we can be a rock, and not a block… and that we can not only “mean well” but also “achieve well” when we act according to the Lord’s vision.
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REFERENCES:
FR. PAUL W. KELLY
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