Monday 26th February 2018
This is the Second Week of Lent. The Gospel today is Luke Chapter 6 Verses 36-68 with its theme, Grant pardon and you will be pardoned. Last month, a local priest had had a very busy Sunday morning. He celebrated two Masses and baptised five children. He spoke to lots of parishioners, signed Mass cards, helped to tidy-up the church after the Masses and so on. He warmed up a bowl of soup and looked forward to having a quiet afternoon. It was not to be. A phone call summoned him to drive through the snow to the hospital to see, Mary, an elderly patient.
On the way, he grumbled a little to the Lord wondering why he had spoiled his afternoon. The lady’s daughter and her husband were at the bedside as the priest anointed the patient and made a Spiritual Communion since Mary was not able to consume the Sacred Host. As the priest blessed her, the old lady turned an looked at the priest. The daughter delightedly remarked that it was the first sign of recognition she had shown in days. But the priest said, “I think she is going. I’m going to pray the commendation of the dying.” As he said the Words, “Go forth Christian soul” she gave a little gasp and slipped away from this life.
The daughter was amazed. She had never seen anyone die before. But she was calm and content.
Her mother had just died but she was calm and content. Why do you think that was so? Do you think the priest grumbled a little to the Lord on his way home? If not, why not?
Pray: Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in Peace. Amen.
Let us ask Mary our Mother to help us know the forgiveness and love of God. Hail Mary….
Tuesday, 27th February 2018
Prayers this week have been prepared by Monsignor Monaghan.
This is the Second Week of Lent. The Gospel today is Mt 23:1-12 with its theme, They do not practise what they preach. When I was a young boy, a certain aunt would give my cousins a row if they were naughty. She would raise her voice and say, “Little boys should be seen and not heard!” At other times she would say, “Don’t do as I do, do as I say.” I sometimes wondered why my aunt would shout at them…and sometimes at me… when she was telling us to be quiet.
At that age, of course, I didn’t compare her to the Pharisees who did not practice what they preached. My mum, however, was more gentle and loving. When I couldn’t sleep I would tip-toe into the hall at night, even though I was supposed to be wrapped up in bed. Sometimes I saw my mum kneeling and saying her night prayers in front of a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I am now grown up. I don’t think I have ever said to any child the things my aunt said to my cousins. I now have my mum’s picture of the Sacred Heart.
Why do I remember my aunt’s words? Do you think I say my night prayers in front of the same picture my mother had?
We ask Mary Our Mother to pray with us that we will always be sincere in our actions and in our words.
Hail Mary…
Wednesday 28th February 2018.
This is the Second Week of Lent. The Gospel today is Matthew Chapter 20 Verses 17-28 with its theme, They will condemn him to death. How easy it is to find fault and blame this or that person for things that go wrong, even when it is I who am the cause of things going badly. The chief priests and the scribes very quickly and very easily, blamed Jesus for disrupting their comfortable lives and decided he had to go. Their anger, strangely, showed that they were aware of Jesus.
Worse than the Pharisees were the people who took no notice of Jesus. They were indifferent. They were apathetic. They lacked of concern or emotion. Given that you can put your case against your enemies, sometimes, indifference is almost worse than hostility.
The poet, G. A. Studdert-Kennedy wrote a poem about indifference and compared the people of Jerusalem to the modern-day city of Birmingham.
“When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree,
They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary;
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.
When Jesus came to Birmingham, they simply passed Him by.
They would not hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;
For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain,
They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.
Still Jesus cried, ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do, ‘
And still it rained the winter rain that drenched Him through and through;
The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against a wall, and cried for Calvary.
Are we so busy that we seem indifferent to the sufferings of Jesus? Do we see Jesus in the refugees, the homeless, the lonesome pupil, the one who seems to be friendless? Do we pray for deceased relatives, friends and those who have no one to pray for them?
We pray that we will always be open to the needs of others.
Hail Mary…
Thursday 1st March 2018.
This is the Second Week of Lent. The Gospel today is Luke Chapter 16 Verses 19-31 with its theme Good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony.
Did you ever hear about Pedro Ballaster? Pedrito, as he was known, was a young Anglo-Spanish boy who contracted a serious form of cancer when he was about eighteen years of age. For some years, the Children’s Rosary group at St Cadoc’s prayed earnestly for his recovery. The children were delighted when Pedro came to visit them and thank them for his prayers. On the early hours of Saturday 20th January, just hours after the Children’s Rosary Group had prayed Pedro died after a 3-year battle with cancer. He was 21 years old. He left us a great example of how to face such an illness in a Christian way. We are now praying for his soul, but feel sure that he is already in heaven.
Pedrito lived a very chaste and holy life. Knowing that he was soon to die and having been blessed by the Holy Oils of the Church, he told one of his pals, “I have never been happier in my life.”
Have you ever felt terribly sad? Have you ever felt extremely happy? Have you ever felt sad and happy at the same time?
We pray that with our Mother Mary, we will always have the faith to look to the future with confidence in God our Father.
Hail Mary….
Friday 2 March 2018.
This is the Second Week of Lent. The Gospel today is Matthew Chapter 21 Verses 33-43. 45-46 with its theme This is the heir, let us kill him.
In any school there are always things to be done. That’s what “agenda” means….things to be done. Some people always seem to be willing to lend a helping hand. Maybe I think some people are chosen more than others for special tasks or are given more prominence than others. Maybe some pupils seem clever or musical or popular or talented. Maybe more than I am! It’s easy to become jealous. It might even be tempting to wish them some ill. That’s what the German word ‘Schadenfreude’ means… the experience of pleasure or joy that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, or humiliation of another. Jealousy is a dangerous and unpleasant fault. If we wish to destroy another, we end up destroying ourselves. Much better to be happy at another’s success or ability. They might be chosen today for a special task, but maybe tomorrow it will be my turn.
When I examine my conscience, do I ever own up to feelings of jealousy or schadenfreude? Do I ever thank God for the gifts and talents he has given to others? Do I ever think of praying for those I didn’t really like who have gone to their reward?
Hail Mary…..
