Weekday Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist 24th June 2021 (episode: 306)

Weekday Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist 24th June 2021 (episode: 306)

Readings

First Reading Isaiah 49:1-6

Responsorial Psalm. Ps 138:1-3, 13-15. "I praise you for I am wonderfully made."
 
Second Reading. Acts 13:22-26
 
Gospel Acclamation. cf Luke 1:76. Alleluia, alleluia! You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways. Alleluia!
 
Gospel. Luke 1:57-66, 80
 
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed stock photo ID: 56813196. Brussels, Belgium. 2017/10/27. Icon of Saint John the Forerunner (the Baptist, "Angel of the Desert"). Orthodox Chapel at the Brussels Zaventem Airport.
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To listen to the audio recording of the readings, prayers and reflections for this weekday feast of the Birth of John the Baptist 24^th June 2021, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-nativity-of-john-the-baptist-episode-306/s-Y19x0PoLVTY   (episode: 306)
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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, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
{{May Our Lord's Mercy renew you.}}

On this special (feast of) Nativity Of John Baptist
Brothers and sisters, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the Lord,s supper, let us recall our sins and acknowledge them in silence.
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.

Or
Coming together as brothers and sisters, with confidence let us ask the Fathers forgiveness, for he is full of gentleness and compassion

Lord jesus, john the Baptist came to prepare the way before you. Lord have mercy.

You granted john humility, to decrease, so the lord would increase. Christ have mercy.

Lord jesus, you are the light, to which john gave witness. 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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PREFACE: PREFACE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Euch.Prayer: 2
(PROPOSED THEME OPENING 3)
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Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
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The solemnity of the birth of John the Baptist was observed on this date in the fourth century. It celebrates the holy birth of "the greatest of all the prophets," the one who leapt for joy in his mother's womb, who prepared the way for Christ, announced his presence, and baptised him in the Jordan River.
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HOMILY:
 
Thanks be to God for wonderful, faithful and obedient servants such as John the Baptist and his parents... 
 
Elizabeth and Zechariah were faithful..  they obeyed God, they hoped and trusted in the promises God has long ago made to his people.. and they obeyed God in cooperating in bringing God's will to fulfilment in their lives...  
 
John the Baptist Quotes
 
From his own lips...  John's words, recorded for the inspiration of countless generations include these:
 
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
(He prepared the world for the imminent coming of the saviour and pointed him out when he arrived)
                    
Anyone with two tunics should share with him who has none.
(In the anticipation of the wonderful and consistent values of the Kingdom from the beginning and revealed fully in Christ, he taught the ethics of concern and charity and justice to all our brothers and sisters in need).
 
Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.
(He taught and practiced the change of heart and mind, the turning back to God and the rightness of trusting in God's mercy).
 
He must increase, but I must decrease.
(such an abiding example of humility... for all us disciples.. this is about Christ.. this not about us....   Christ must increase, we must step back and be servants of Christ's mission...  we are her to usher in the Kingdom of God, not the kingdom of ME!)
 
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The father's of the early church spoke rightly and highly of Saint John the Baptist.....
The Great speaker, John Chrysostom said this of John the Baptist:
 
 
"Such a one was John, who regarded not the crowds, nor opinion, nor anything else belonging to people, but trod all this beneath his feet, and proclaimed to all with becoming freedom the things respecting Christ. And therefore the Evangelist marks the very place, to show the boldness of the loud-voiced herald. For it was not in a house, not in a corner, not in the wilderness, but in the midst of the multitude, after that he had occupied Jordan, when all that were baptized by him were present, (for the Jewish people came upon him as he was baptizing,) there it was that he proclaimed aloud that wonderful confession concerning Christ, full of those sublime and great and mysterious doctrines, and that he was not worthy to unloose the strap of His shoe. Wherefore he says, These things were done in Bethany, or, as all the more correct copies have it, in Bethabara. For Bethany was not beyond Jordan, nor bordering on the wilderness, but somewhere near to Jerusalem." 
 
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The best quote is reserved of course to Our Lord himself who summed up Saint John so extraordinarily:
"Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matt 11:11)
 
 
William Barlcay explains this great compliment by Christ and also the meaning of this mysterious line at the end....
 
 
"Such was the tremendous tribute of Jesus to John, spoken with the accent of admiration. There had never been a greater figure in all history; and then comes the startling sentence: "But he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he."
 
Here there is one quite general truth. With Jesus there came into the world something absolutely new. The prophets were great; their message was precious; but with Jesus there emerged something still greater, and a message still more wonderful. C. G. Montefiore, himself a Jew and not a Christian, writes: "Christianity does mark a new era in religious history and in human civilization. What the world owes to Jesus and to Paul is immense; things can never be, and men can never think, the same as things were, and as men thought, before these two great men lived." Even a non-Christian freely admits that things could never be the same now that Jesus had come.
 
But what was it that John lacked? What is it that the Christian has that John could never have? The answer is simple and fundamental. John had never seen the Cross. Therefore one thing John could never know--the full revelation of the love of God. The holiness of God he might know; the justice of God he might declare; but the love of God in all its fulness he could never know. We have only to listen to the message of John and the message of Jesus. No one could call John's message a gospel, good news; it was basically a threat of destruction. It took Jesus and his Cross to show to men the length, breadth, depth and height of the love of God. It is a most amazing thing that it is possible for the humblest Christian to know more about God than the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. The man who has seen the Cross has seen the heart of God in a way that no man who lived before the Cross could ever see it. Indeed the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than any man who went before.
 
So John had the destiny which sometimes falls to people; he had the task of pointing all the world to greatness into which he himself did not enter. It is given to some people in History, to be the signposts of God. They point to a new ideal and new greatness which others will enter into, but into which they will not come. It is very seldom that any great person of moment in history is the first one to toil for the reform with which their name is connected. Many who went before them glimpsed the glory, often laboured for it, and sometimes died for it, yet did not live to see it fulfilled completely.
 
There is a legend told of a person who, from the windows of his house every evening, used to watch the lamp-lighter go along the streets lighting the lamps--and the lamp-lighter was himself a blind man. He was bringing to others the light which he himself would never see. Let a person never be discouraged in the Church or in any other walk of life, if the dream they have dreamed and for which they have toiled is never worked out before the end of their days. God needed John; God needs his signposts who can point people on the way, although they themselves decreased before that goal is achieved."   Great is the reward they laboured for in God's vineyard…..  
 
Saint John the Baptist, and Saints Elizabeth and Zechariah…  pray for us…  
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
Barclay, W. (1975). The Gospel of Matthew. Part II. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: St. Andrew Press.
 
https://www.azquotes.com/author/39145-John_the_Baptist
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed stock photo ID: 56813196. Brussels, Belgium. 2017/10/27. Icon of Saint John the Forerunner (the Baptist, "Angel of the Desert"). Orthodox Chapel at the Brussels Zaventem Airport.
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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 our 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.

- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John (Bill) Kelly (1942-2017) -  Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

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

- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

[ Production -  KER -  2021]

May God bless and keep you.

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, June 20, 2021 (EPISODE: 305)

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, June 20, 2021

(EPISODE:305)

Readings for Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B
FIRST READING: Job 38: 1, 8-11
Ps 107: 23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31. "Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting."
SECOND READING: 2 Cor 5: 14-17
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 7: 16). Alleluia, alleluia! A great prophet has appeared among us. God has visited his people.
GOSPEL: Mark 4: 35-41

Image Credit: Shutterstock licensed image ID: 235857250. PRCANJ, MONTENEGRO - JUNE, 08: Jesus Calms a Storm on the Sea, the Catholic Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, on June 08, 2012, in Prcanj, Montenegro. By Zvonimir Atletic
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, June 20, 2021 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ordinary-12b-episode-305  
(EPISODE:305)
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* (Prologue:  Fr Paul Kelly)
"Jesus was asleep in the boat; how few souls there are that let him have his sleep out! He can't always be doing all the work, responding to all the calls made upon him; so for my own part I am content to leave him undisturbed. I dare say he won't make his presence felt till I start out on the great retreat of eternity; I don't complain of that, I want it to happen… our Lord doesn't supply me with provisions for my journey – he just gives me food unexpectedly when and as I need it." [St Thérèse Lisieux (1873-1897)]
 
I have never had much luck with boats.
 
One time, whilst on Lake Cootharaba, (A lake on the Noosa River), in a tin boat we were coming close to the pier and the pilot of the boat yelled out to me, "quickly, jump out and moor the boat!"
 
I had always been taught that the captain must be obeyed in all things, so I immediately leapt out of the boat. Sadly, the captain had meant, 'when the boat gets close enough to the pier, please jump out and help moor it.' The boat was not anywhere near close enough to the pier, when I automatically leapt out and promptly disappeared into the lake, but not before hitting my chin on the pier as I fell into the water. The whole thing could have been terribly disastrous (even fatal), so I was very much relieved to discover that my head must be made of concrete, because I leapt up out of the water, which was thankfully only three feet deep at the pier, and emerged sheepishly, but fairly well, even if a little sore and sorry.
 
Later, I was lying in the back of the boat, half-dazed and injured, as they took me back to the other side of the lake, and I thought about how Jesus had lain in the back of a boat as it crossed another river. I was in such a dazed state, I began musing on ponderous topics…..  such as this…."I reckon Jesus would have been calm even if the storm had not quietened, and even if the boat had sunk." This is because Jesus was totally and utterly at one with his Heavenly Father, and had surrendered his will and his trust totally in his Father's will. So, come what may in his life and ministry, he was content to be calm and rest in God's will."
 
For my part, I vowed to be very hesitant to leap into or out of a boat anytime soon!
 
Not many of us would be fast asleep in a small boat as it is being tossed around like a cork on a stormy sea! Jesus must have been extremely exhausted, needing rest, and also fearless. We may think the disciples should have had strong faith after the miracles they had witnessed. When we are going through difficult times, we too can quickly forget that Jesus is always there with us.
 
Jesus calms even what seems like the most unconquerable disturbances, just like the storm at sea. 
 
How many times have we experienced storms in our lives and thought that the Lord was asleep, that God was not concerned, that God was simply ignoring us? The Gospel today lets us know that God is always aware of what is happening in our lives, even when He seems asleep, unconcerned and uncaring. The Gospel invites us to a deep level of trust in our God. God loves us and cares for us always and will not let us perish. We don't always understand the ways of God—and that should never surprise us. God sees all and knows all and our vision and knowledge is so restricted!
 
The first reading today, from the Book of Job, is part of our learning about the divine also. Job finally realizes that God is God—and Job understands so little of all reality. We also must learn that lesson. We can easily think that we know what is best in any situation. So we don't pray and we don't even ask God to give us wisdom and understanding. We also need to repent, as Job does at the end of the Book of Job. We stand in the presence of the Almighty and think that we have more wisdom and knowledge than does the Almighty! Again, we can reflect on our personal image of God and of the power of God."
 
What "storms" assail my faith? How do I look to Jesus to quiet my fears?  The disciples wonder, "Who then is this whom even wind and the sea obey?"; How can I go beyond the "signs" of faith and grasp who Jesus is in my daily life?
 
Life is a challenge. Couples sometimes struggle with their relationships. Parents have to deal with their children growing up in a world that is sometimes hostile to the values we hold sacred. Kids sometimes live with parents who don't necessarily understand the distant horizons that call to a new generation. Every life has its storms that come up and threaten to sink our boats. Doesn't God care that we feel tossed about and lost? Can we believe that Jesus is with us, in our boat, snoozing on a cushion? We are confident and trusting that he will awaken to our calls and calm the storms that frighten us so?
 
"Why therefore be disturbed? Your heart is agitated by the tribulations of the world, as the boat in which Jesus Christ was asleep... This boat in which Jesus Christ is sleeping, is your heart in which faith is slumbering. What news do you hear, O Christian, what news do you hear?" —AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO (354-430)
 
"When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit so that the waters might not transgress his command when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him." —PROVERBS 8:27-30
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(Homily:  Fr Peter Dillon).
12th Sunday Ordinary Time Year B 2021

In the scriptures, the sea, the wind and the storm are often seen as forces of evil and chaos which only God can control. From the story of Jonah and the whale to today's Gospel, the power of the sea appears as something to be feared because it cannot be harnessed and controlled. But the storm at sea can also stand for the trials and tribulations which the righteous suffer, and from which only God can save them.

For most of us, it's easy to delude ourselves into thinking we have a strong faith when everything in the world is calm and smooth. It's only when the storm strikes that we discover what type of faith we have, or if we have any faith at all. Faith here means not so much a belief in God as a trust in God. In times of adversity, our strong faith may give way to fear and lack of safety.

Some people think that if God was with them, and if he really cared about them, then no storm would ever hit them. Life would be all plain sailing. So, when a storm does come, they immediately think that God has abandoned them. The Gospel today is a clear example that the storm can hit even when you have Jesus in the boat with you. People of faith are not immune to life's losses and burdens.

For some people, they only turn to God in times of danger and uncertainty, begging God to rescue them, making promises to change their lives in exchange for rescue. However, once the crisis is passed, they proceed to live as before. For such people, God is like a lifebelt. In the darkness, God is their guarantor, but in the light they put God away, only to reconnect when fear or disaster strikes.

What real faith does is assure us that God is with us in the midst of the storm, and it is this conviction, that we are not alone, that enables us to get through the storm.

It's hard to imagine that the disciples who had spent so much time with Jesus, who had listened to his teaching and had seen him healing and bringing people back from rejection by the community, would be terrified in his presence. Their faith failed them when they were overcome with fear such that they cried out," Master, do you not care? We are going down!" They had now lost control. The outcome was out of their hands and as we know, not being in control, is an unpleasant experience. In the case of serious illness or an accident, we feel as if everything is falling apart. We are confused and powerless. These situations are both humbling and terrifying since they confront us with questions about our faith and our concern about whether God has abandoned us.

For the early Christians, this calming of the sea was a very relevant event. The boat represented the Church and the storm the persecutions unleashed by the evil powers that wanted to wreck it. Even though Jesus was in the boat with the apostles, the storm still struck.

Life can be compared to a voyage. Though each of us has to pilot our own craft, the life of the Christian is not meant to be a solo voyage. Nor is it guaranteed to be a comfortable ride. We travel with our fellow Christians and so should be there to support one another when the going gets rough. But even with our fellow travellers, we know that when we are guided by faith there is no need to be in control, the master of the ship will always take control.  
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References:

Homily – fr peter Dillon

Prologue - Fr Paul W. Kelly

Image Credit: Shutterstock licensed image ID: 235857250. PRCANJ, MONTENEGRO - JUNE, 08: Jesus Calms a Storm on the Sea, the Catholic Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, on June 08, 2012, in Prcanj, Montenegro. By Zvonimir Atletic


Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B  (Sunday, June 20, 2021)  (EPISODE: 305)
The Lord be with you.
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{{May Our Lord's grace and love abide in you}} welcome everyone, we gather -  Ponder with reverence, God's word and sacrament. 

Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

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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Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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Ps 107: 23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31. "Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting."

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 7: 16). Alleluia, alleluia! A great prophet has appeared among us. God has visited his people.
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PREFACE: Sundays VII
EP II
(theme variation: 2 )

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

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 our 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.

- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John (Bill) Kelly (1942-2017) -  Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

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

- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

[ Production -  KER -  2021]

May God bless and keep you.
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Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, June 13, 2021 (EPISODE: 304)

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, June 13, 2021

(EPISODE: 304)

Readings for Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B
FIRST READING: Ezek 17:22-24
Ps 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16. ""
SECOND READING: 2 Cor 5:6-10
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION ((no bibl. ref.)). Alleluia, alleluia! The seed is the Word of God, Christ is the sower. All who come to him will live forever.
GOSPEL: Mark 4:26-34

Image Credit: Shutterstock licensed image ID: 1117234178 -Spring Time Blooming Yellow Mustard Flower - By VivL
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, June 13, 2021, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-eleventh-sunday-ordinary-time-b-2021-episode-304   (EPISODE: 304)
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*Prologue-
I love the wonderful practicality of the prayers for this weekend's liturgy…   the opening prayer,  or the "collect" as it is called,  gathers our many prayers and thoughts and distils them in these wonderful thoughts:  "Grant us the help of your grace always,  so that we may please you with our resolve and our DEEDS…"
 
In other words, may your help and guidance Lord, lead us to pleasing attitudes and practical action.
 
The first reading this weekend and the Psalm refer to the image of the majestic and awe-inspiring sight of the towering cedar trees of Lebanon.  This was a familiar and powerful image representing God's Kingdom, and God's people. It was a strong, powerful, impressive and providential image.
 
But then we move to the gospel. Jesus asks himself:  "What image can I give you for the Kingdom of God?" 
 
The people would have expected him to refer to the traditional image of the royal, strong, immovable Cedar tree, which towers over everything else and can be seen far and wide.  
 
So, it is extremely surprising when Our Lord uses quite a different image. Christ tells us the Kingdom of God starts out like a mustard seed, a tiny, almost imperceptible seed, virtually inconsequential to the casual observer. And yet this tiny seed grows up to become the largest shrub.  Here again, Our Lord deeply surprises his listeners. He does not say that the tiny seed grows to become the largest tree of all. No, it becomes the largest SHRUB!!!  
 
His point is both surprising and beautiful!  Our Lord is telling us all that God's Kingdom is not only to be seen in the obvious and towering grandeur of a mighty Cedar tree, but it is much more subtle and widespread. God's Kingdom is still sturdy and productive, and more down-to-earth. The Kingdom is more widespread. At times it can be patchy and certainly looking less "royal"  and "majestic" and more suburban. It is more practical and "every day,"  but it is better adapted to producing many fruits and is also adapted for survival in many different harsh environments.
 
But, just like the image of the cedar, this large shrub, which has grown up from a surprisingly tiny mustard seed, still provides adequate shelter and welcoming protection for all that gather under its leaves. Again, not so high-class, but every bit as effective and much more involved in the lives of those around it. God's Kingdom doesn't tower loftily over everything else. Rather, it is in-and-amongst everything and involved directly in its surroundings.
 
This image is a good one that gives us hope and courage.   Our human efforts can be spasmodic and of varying consistency. However, God is constantly and quietly at work, in obvious as well as invisible ways.
 
We can help or hinder God's work. We can cooperate in it or frustrate it.  But whether we cooperate or block God's work, God keeps working and will succeed in the end. No matter what setbacks or frustrations, God is willing us to keep working away with his grace and our hopes will be richly rewarded.
 
Sometimes the smallest seeds of action for good, lead to the greatest transformations. We ought never to underestimate what God is working on in our lives. For example, the extraordinary Rosa Parks, an African-American lady in 1955 during the time of segregation in the USA>  She sat on a bus seat at a time when the law insisted that African Americans had to vacate their seats for white people, irrespective of their age.   Rosa refused to move and was arrested.  This seed of resistance sparked a whole human rights spotlight that transformed that nation and inspired the world.  When I first heard the story of Rosa, I was moved by the wonderful integrity and bravery of this action which led to enormous results.
 
God is at work all the time in big and small ways and we, his disciples, are called to respond to what God is doing and jump in and cooperate with it.
 
It is good for us to keep in mind the purpose of the sowing of the seed and its harvesting… the seed is to produce fruits. God's word is a powerful seed that is planted and nurtured to produce fruits…  We must not fall into the trap that the Pharisees and scribes did in Christ's day. They turned the seed of God's word and Kingdom into an academic novelty and an exercise in endless rules and regulations. The Faith became almost a thing in itself, separated from its purpose to produce the fruits of God's kingdom..  love, compassion, kindness, mercy and faithfulness…. And so much more…
 
To use a rather bold image from an ancient writer….   "sheep do not 'spit-up' the grass they have eaten, in order to show the shepherd how much they have consumed. No, they digest the grass and process it and it turns into something tangible to produce wool and milk…."  
 
So, we too plant the seed of God's word and nurture it by God's word and sacrament and by constant prayer and thanksgiving to the Lord… and God's grace sets to work in us to produce real and practical fruits for the building up of God's kingdom. Never just for itself but for the greater glory of God and God's Kingdom. 
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Fr Peter Dillon – Homily   

This Sunday's gospel is for gardeners who appreciate botanical metaphors as it refers to the slow, inevitable growth of the kingdom. Plants grow with no complex planning. The seed is scattered with no discernible pattern. After water and sunshine weave their magic, a green shoot cracking out of a shell, creeping through the soil, pushing up, tiny but unstoppable: A perfect example of the Reign of God - slow, determined growth at times haphazard, but when harvested, it nourishes the world.

  This was a parable for his disciples who were slow to understand, dispirited, scared, and divided. Are you saying the kingdom of God is about us? Are you saying the reign of God looks like our parish, the mess we are in?

The reign of God is slow to reveal itself, unending, unbeatable and growing right here and now.

  The Kingdom of God is like a seed planted by the sower, it has a life of its own which carries on regardless of what the sower thinks or does - of its own the land produces - so with God, no matter how much we worry, feel depressed, inadequate, the work of God will go on. With this faith then we should have confidence in the power of God that God will bring to completion the work begun.

  Every couple committing to marriage will eventually come to appreciate is that their relationship is like the sower planting a crop.

   A farmer plants for a future which cannot be seen, a harvest that does not yet exist, they hope to feed people yet people may choose not to buy their crop. The farmer relies on weather which is risky & unpredictable, yet he still prepares the earth and plants the crops.

 The Marriage rite speaks of the hopes and disappointments, successes and failures, pleasures and pains, joys and sorrows are hidden from your eyes. You know that these elements are mingled in every life and are to be expected in your own, not knowing what is before you, but trusting in God's companionship, you take each other through the best and worst of what lies ahead until death.

Sometimes we feel that the Church, which once seemed like a mighty cedar with spreading branches, is withering. We should then remember Ezekiel: he was a prophet in a foreign land and he looked to the future when Israel would be restored by God. We must never forget that God can make the withered tree green and the tiny sapling grow.

  The Lord is the planter of the small shoot which becomes the mighty tree. The tree is not an end in itself. It provides branches for the birds of the world to nest in & fruit for them to feed on. it can offer rest & sustenance.

  The mustard seed is the smallest of seeds. We need not fear if our community is small, unequal to the task. It will be the yeast in the dough.

   St Paul speaks directly: we will all get what we deserve whether good or bad. Let us face our failures and their results, but again let us remember Ezekiel. We are God's people and we can never be abandoned. We only have to turn to Jesus and throw the seed on the land knowing that it will be nurtured. The seeds are love, unselfishness, humility, patience - root out the weeds of pride, selfishness, exclusivity & elitism.

   Paul opens his heart in confidence, like a Father to his children. 'Your father has something to tell you.' His heart's longing. Hope. Make our home with the Lord. Let us be like the psalmist and give thanks to the Lord looking forward, with God's help, to flourishing like the palm tree and growing like a cedar of Lebanon.

The seed of the Kingdom of God has been implanted within me and you, within your spouse, your children, your sisters and brothers, your friends and neighbours, in strangers and even in your enemies. But the seed will sprout and grow according to God's intentions, only to the extent that we recognise it happening in each other. If we listen to today's readings and to the centuries-old teaching of the Church, we hear that God brings forth our growth through grace, not through our own efforts and direction. We cannot control but we can co-operate. Prepare the soil with patience & gentleness for nurturing.

Christ gives us his assurance, the seeds of love and faith in us will grow a thousandfold to become the very foundation of God's kingdom here on earth. So never forget the adage that says: early in life we die if we do not receive love: later in life we die if we do not give love.
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References:

Homily by Fr Peter Dillon

Prologue - Fr Paul W. Kelly

Barclay, W. (1975). The Gospel of Mark. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: St. Andrew Press, (Including a quote from the Greek Philosopher Epictetus; Link, M. (2000).

Mission. Praying Scripture in a Contemporary Way. Year B. Allen, Tex.: Resources for Christian Living"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks}

{Image Credit: Shutterstock licensed image ID: 1117234178 -Spring Time Blooming Yellow Mustard Flower - By VivL }

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B  (Sunday, June 13, 2021)  (EPISODE: 304 )
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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{{May Our Lord's gift of hope encourage you.}}

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

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{May God's love, strength, mercy and kindness guide you all this 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).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -  By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria,  Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of  William John Kelly (1942-2017)--     Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

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

- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

[ Production -  KER -  2021]

May God bless and keep you.
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(weekday) - (Solemnity of the Most SACRED HEART OF JESUS - (episode: 303)

 

The Solemnity of the Most SACRED HEART OF JESUS  - (episode: 303) 

Friday 11th June, 2021. 

First Reading -  Hosea 11:1 3-4, 8-9
Psalm: - Isaiah 12:2-6, rv3. "You will draw water joyfully from the spings of salvation."
Second Reading -  Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19
Gospel Acclamation - Alleluia, alleluia! God first loved us
and sent his Son to take away our sins. Alleluia!
Gospel -  John 19:31-37

Image: Shutterstock licensed image. stock photo ID: 71906230. Vienna - The painting of the heart of Jesus Christ from church St. Gertrude Pfarrkirche. By Renata Sedmakova

Please listen to the audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for The Solemnity of the Most SACRED HEART OF JESUS by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-sacred-heart-b-2021-episode-303/s-4Q3QS4VyOHT  (episode: 303)

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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, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

{{May Our Lord's gift of hope encourage you. On this special (Solemnity of) Sacred Heart, Who can fathom the endless depths of God's love for us...    Our Lord's heart burns with compassion and mercy for the world.
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, YOUR SACRED HEART DESIRES TO RESCUE OUR SOULS FROM DEATH AND KEEP US ALIVE IN FAMINE. LORD HAVE MERCY.

YOUR SACRED HEART, WOUNDED FOR OUR SINS, OVERFLOWS WITH COMPASSION FOR US. CHRIST HAVE MERCY.

THE DESIGNS OF YOUR HEART ARE FROM AGE TO AGE.  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:  Of the Most sacred heart
Euch.Prayer: I

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{Thanks everyone for this time of prayer and reflection}
Dismissal:
Go in peace. 
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Prologue: The devotion to the Sacred Heart is one of the most widely practised and well known Catholic devotions, taking Jesus Christ's physical heart as the representation of his divine love for humanity, a love that flows out from an endless source...  and which suffered for us, to save us... 
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HOMILY:
Devotion to the sacred heart was part of the spirituality of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in the twelfth century and of Saint Bonaventure and St. Gertrude the Great in the thirteenth. The beginnings of a devotion toward the love of God as symbolized by the heart of Jesus is found even in the fathers of the Church, including Origen, Saint Ambrose, Saint Jerome, Saint Augustine of Hippo, Saint Hippolytus of Rome, Saint Irenaeus, Saint Justin Martyr and Saint Cyprian.
And the devotion of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.
This feast is also a time of prayer for the sanctification of Priests, to more closely follow after the heart of Jesus
 
devotion to the Sacred Heart  went a long way in breaking down the resistance of the Jansenists, who saw God as a vindictive judge and were reluctant to receive Communion more than once a year.
 
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"The Sacred Heart is an inexhaustible fountain and its sole desire is to pour itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to his good pleasure." In other words, the purpose of devotion to the Sacred Heart is to renew the effects of redemption in our souls,
 
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St. Margaret Mary in the Office of Readings: "This divine heart is an immeasurable depth of all blessings, and into it the poor should submerge all their needs.
 
It is a bottomless extent of joy in which all of us can immerse our sorrows. It is an endless depth of lowliness to counteract our foolishness, an eternal wellspring of love to meet our every need."
 
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Second Reading
 
A letter by St Margaret Mary Alacoque
 
We must know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge
 
From this divine heart, three streams flow endlessly. The first is the stream of mercy for sinners; it pours into their hearts sentiments of contrition and repentance. The second is the stream of charity which helps all in need and especially aids those seeking perfection to find the means of surmounting their difficulties. From the third stream flow love and light for the benefit of his friends who have attained perfection; these he wishes to unite to himself so that they may share his knowledge and commandments and, in their individual ways, devote themselves wholly to advancing his glory.
 
But above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure. In order to preserve it, there is nothing more useful than renouncing your own will and substituting for it the will of the divine heart. In this way, his will can carry out for us whatever contributes to his glory, and we will be happy to be his subjects and to trust entirely in him.
 
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St Bonaventure
 
With you is the source of life
 
 the soldiers  opened his sacred side with a spear, so that blood with water might flow out to pay the price of our salvation. This blood, which flowed from its source in the secret recesses of his heart, gave the sacraments of the Church power to confer the life of grace, and for those who already live in Christ was a draught of living water welling up to eternal life.
 
Arise, then, Bride of Christ, .......... place your lips there to draw water from the wells of your Saviour. For this is the spring flowing from the middle of paradise; it divides and becomes four rivers, then spreads through all devout hearts, and waters the whole world and makes it fruitful.
 
O soul devoted to God, whoever you may be, run to this source of life and light with eager longing. And with the power of your inmost heart cry out to him: 'O indescribable beauty of God most high! O pure radiance of everlasting light! O life that gives life to all life! O light that illuminates every light, ......   ..........
 
'O water eternal and inaccessible, clear and sweet, flowing from the spring that is hidden from the eyes of all mortal men; the spring whose depths cannot be plumbed, whose height cannot be measured, whose shores cannot be charted, whose purity cannot be muddied.'
 
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
 
Wikipedia  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Sacred_Heart
 
Image: Photo. Shutterstock licensed image. stock photo ID: 71906230 . Vienna - The painting of heart of Jesus Christ from church St. Gertrude Pfarrkirche. By Renata Sedmakova
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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.

- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of  William John Kelly -     Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

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

- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

[ Production -  KER -  2021]

May God bless and keep you.