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Online sermons
Topic Started: Thursday, 28. September 2006, 10:11 (1,255 Views)
Rose of York
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I must not be smug, Emee, about beating you to the post. You'll just have to come up with alternative words of wisdom, won't yer! I'm sure you have some.
Keep the Faith!

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Angus Toanimo
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Fr Tastard - Independent Catholic News
 
14 January 2007

Father Terry writes:

There is something profligate about God's love. It is not rationed out, carefully apportioned. It is there for everybody. You have simply to turn to God, and God's love is present, there and then. It is not reserved for saints: the less-than-perfect people are equally loved by God. God's love is rather like the water turned into wine at the marriage feast at Cana in Galilee: there more than enough, and it is given generously and readily.

It is the same with God's spirit give to the Church. The Spirit is poured out without stinting. 'There are a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit'(1 Cor. 12.4). Do you realise that in writing these words, St Paul was writing about you? The whole of today's second reading (1 Cor. 12.4-11) is a description of a living Christian community - of ourselves, in fact. Often we listen to Scripture and it tends to wash over us. We think that it refers to the special people: the holy ones, those people the newspapers today love to call 'devout' (always a bit of a put-down). I suspect that at the back of most people's minds is the thought, 'I'm just a Christian who plods along, nothing special.'

Think again. There are two reasons why we should accept, with joy, the beautiful description of the work of the Spirit as applying to ourselves. The first reason is that God, being a loving God, would not leave his people without their spiritual necessities. The whole meaning of Christ's coming among us is to show the closeness between God and his people. Because we know that God loves us, we know that he will give us what we need for our spiritual flourishing.

The second reason comes rather closer to home. Who can he give his gifts through, except you and me? Who will minister to us if we do not minister to one another? Look around you and within you, and you will see gifts for the good of others. Unless we use them - unless you use them - then God's people will go without. Wise rabbis sometimes teach that faced with a situation of need, we should ask: 'if not me, who? If not now, when?'

As a priest and pastor I am constantly humbled by the generosity with which the people of this and other parishes share their gifts. Hospitality, administration, teaching, encouragement, counselling, music, visiting the sick and the confused, and many more gifts: As we read today: 'All these the work of one and the same Spirit.'


Father Terry Tastard is Parish Priest of Holy Trinity, Brook Green, London W6
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Rose of York
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Here goes, Rose is not about to mess about.

Quote:
 
Do you realise that in writing these words, St Paul was writing about you? The whole of today's second reading (1 Cor. 12.4-11) is a description of a living Christian community - of ourselves, in fact. Often we listen to Scripture and it tends to wash over us. We think that it refers to the special people: the holy ones, those people the newspapers today love to call 'devout' (always a bit of a put-down). I suspect that at the back of most people's minds is the thought, 'I'm just a Christian who plods along, nothing special.'


Gifts are indeed given to all. I can be devout and visit the sick, as a Lenten Penance. How patronising! I can phone "the sick" and say "I'm fed up to the teeth, its chucking it down, I take the dog out and there's nobody around, do me a favour, can I come round, I want your company". That's me telling you all how holy I am, I give "the housebound" their dignity, I need THEM.


Fr Tastard - Independent Catholic News
 
As a priest and pastor I am constantly humbled by the generosity with which the people of this and other parishes share their gifts. Hospitality, administration, teaching, encouragement, counselling, music, visiting the sick and the confused, and many more gifts: As we read today: 'All these the work of one and the same Spirit.


Whats all this? Is Father Terry suggesting that the nice couple who walked my dog three times a day for two weeks, and did all our shopping, and put the black bags out, two years ago, when I had an accident within one minute of my husband coming home after surgery, are every bit as good as that woman who sent me a prayer card? Father Terry is a priest, for goodness sake. How dare he say people who give hospitality and help the parish (or their neighbours) with administration have been gifted by the Spirit.

Rose

ps please take my posting with a pinch of salt. ;)



Keep the Faith!

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maklavan

jesus said to Mary," Why are you asking me? I haven't even clocked on yet. The Union will be on my neck just now!"
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Deacon Robert
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Ay, then there is the Vintners co-op, transport, and the servers union.


The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne

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Gerard

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(And) Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”


Here, for what its worth, is what I take from that verse

Woman - a formal address. A reference to "The Woman" in Genesis (I will put enmity between you and the Woman).

So, Jesus moves into formality, He knows this is an important moment (He knows his hour may have come - He may have had feelings similar to those we hear in the garden of Gethsemeny). He does not refuse but asks what has it to do with him. His hour has not yet come. His "hour" is his passion. He is telling Mary that if he does this the clock has started ticking. Mary understands this (cf "a sword will pierce your heart). She could have said "well lets wait then" instead she said "do what He tells you". This is still leaving the decision to Jesus but Mary is (again) saing yes.

Mary recognised the plight of the Groom and interceded. The Holy Spirit inspired her to prompt Jesus. Jesus recognised the prompt and the intercesion and acted.
mary's last words in the Gospel are "Do whatever he tells you".

Gerry
"The institutional and charismatic aspects are quasi coessential to the Church's constitution" (Pope John Paul II, 1998).
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Derekap
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A wonderful interpretation!
Derekap
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Eve
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http://torch.op.org/preaching/sermon/1144]LINK[/URL]]

Blessedness, happiness or something else?
Benjamin Earl O.P.


11 February 2007
Sixth Sunday of the Year ©

fr. Benjamin Earl looks at what the calling to be "happy" or "blessed" really means.

Today's account of the beatitudes from St Luke's Gospel is rather more "down to earth" than St Matthew's version: and not just because in St Luke's gospel this episode take place "on a level place" while St Matthew has it as part of the "sermon on the mount". St Luke talks of the poor, those who actually have nothing; the hungry, those who actually have nothing to eat; those who weep, those actually shedding tears; and those who are actually excluded by the community. St Matthew's beatitudes are rather more spiritualised, talking instead about the poor in spirit; those who hunger for righteousness; those who mourn, but aren't necessarily crying; and those reviled and slandered but not necessarily cast out of their communities.

St Luke also passes over the other four of St Matthew's beatitudes (the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart and the peacemakers) preferring instead to report four "anti-beatitudes", four proclamation of woe to those who are not poor, hungry, weeping and outcast.

It is a matter of continuing controversy whether the beatitudes should be translated into English using the word "happy" or the word "blessèd". In fact, though, neither word quite fits the bill. It is conceivable that someone who is "poor in spirit" could be happy and contented and even consider himself fortunate to have this spiritual gift. The "poor in spirit" could also be considered blessed, receiving God's consecration and worthy of reverence. But in St Luke's account, Jesus doesn't talk about the "poor in spirit": he talks about those who are actually poor, hungry, weeping and outcast. Poverty, hunger, tears and exile may not be absolute barriers to happiness, but in no sense can they be regarded as causes of happiness; on the contrary, they are causes of suffering and distress. And if poverty, hunger, weeping and exile are signs of blessedness, then God has very strange and seemingly unjust ways of showing his favour.

We can't simply say that the beatitudes promise future happiness to the suffering; certainly they do promise future reward for the poor, hungry, weeping and outcast, but these people are told that they are happy or blessed now, not just in the future.

Why are these suffering people called blessed? We need to recognise that it is not the fact of suffering itself which implies blessedness; as is made clear in the fourth beatitude, it is those who suffer "on account of the Son of man" who are happy, and this qualification applies by implication to all the beatitudes. It is the purpose and end which we pursue that leads to happiness or blessedness, not in itself the suffering we may endure on the way. This is made clear also by our first reading from the prophet Jeremiah: blessing or curse depends on where we place our trust, whether in man or in the Lord.

So blessedness or happiness is a result of our purpose or aim; but the question still remains of what the beatitudes mean when they say that people are "happy" or "blessed". Curiously, the Greek word we translate "blessed" or "happy" is one with connotations of divinity. It is used as an attribute of God in the New Testament (1 Timothy 1:11), and the Ancient Greek poets Homer and Hesiod both use it of their Greek gods. It is the calling of each one of us to be "divinised", to be made a participant in the divinity of God.

In this sense we are quite accustomed to use the term "blessed" as a title for the saints: the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of course all those saints who have not been canonised. The happiness and blessedness of the saints goes far beyond simple contentment or consecration, extending to sharing in the divine life of God.

St Luke's "anti-beatitudes" give a stark warning: if you enjoy the comforts of this world for their own sake, you are not a saint, and you will know the desolation of separation from the divine. But this is a warning alongside a greater promise. The message of the beatitudes then is this: if you do everything for the sake of the Son of Man, even to the point of suffering worldly pains, you are already a saint. And that is a cause for leaping and rejoicing.



fr. Benjamin Earl is bursar and lector in Canon Law at Blackfriars Hall and Studium, Oxford and assistant bursar of the English Dominican Province. He is a member of the Priory of the Holy Spirit, Oxford.

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Derekap
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"if you do everything for the sake of the Son of Man, even to the point of suffering worldly pains, you are already a saint. And that is a cause for leaping and rejoicing." I somehow I don't think we would be leaping and rejoicing if we were suffering worldly pains.
Derekap
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Rose of York
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Derekap
Feb 8 2007, 05:28 PM
"if you do everything for the sake of the Son of Man, even to the point of suffering worldly pains, you are already a saint. And that is a cause for leaping and rejoicing."  I somehow I don't think we would be leaping and rejoicing if we were suffering worldly pains.

I have never met anybody who does. Saints are few and far between. We can but try.

Benjamin Earl O.P.
 
The message of the beatitudes then is this: if you do everything for the sake of the Son of Man, even to the point of suffering worldly pains, you are already a saint. And that is a cause for leaping and rejoicing.

The leaping and rejoicing will not be on account of the suffering. It will be on account of how we accept or reject adversity.
Keep the Faith!

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Gerry2
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Rose of York
Feb 8 2007, 06:09 PM

Benjamin Earl O.P.
 
leaping and rejoicing


A fellow spirit!

Is he bipolar as well?

:tc:

Gerry2
Love is as strong as death (Songs 8:6)
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Rose of York
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My feeling about suffering is, that those who have suffered in the past, tend to be thankful for the simple things in life, and they are likely to have compassion for others in difficulty. Those who have apparently lived charmed lives are the ones who say things like "there is no reason why any person in this country should go without a meal every day, or not have a roof over their head", "people who are ill should have looked after themselves" or "those old people on benefits should have made provision for themselves."

When I lived in Devon, I knew two people whose lifestyles differed significantly. One had little in the way of money or luxuries, due to his earning power having been reduced by ill health. He could laugh, smile and be friendly. The other was a rather well off young woman. She had a prestigious job, with the glamorous image, and she owned a very expensive old cottage with lots of land. The woman told me the man had done her a great service. By his example of cheerfulness and acceptance she had come to realise that position, money and property are not the most important things in life.

Yes, those who suffer can indeed be blessed with wisdom. Mind you, I wouldn't say that to them at a time when they feel they have hit rock bottom. T'would be cold comfort.
Keep the Faith!

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Eve
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Father Tasard's sermon fits nicely with the one from The Dominicans.

Independent Catholic News
 


Sunday Reflection



Father Terry writes:



Like many older people, I grew up on a version of the Beatitudes which used the word 'blessed' rather than 'happy' and I have to say that it was the better by far. Happiness is often a transitory thing. It comes and it goes. To be blessed, on the other hand, is to have within you a source of joy, consolation, encouragement and strength which is always there, in good times and in bad. In fact, it is often in difficult times that we are more likely to realise our blessings. In easy times we take them for granted. In difficult times we discover that we are strong because we know God and God knows us: as the psalmist puts it, God is 'an ever-present help in time of trouble' (Ps. 46.1).

Biblical scholars when they look at the Beatitudes (Luke 6.17, 20-26) are struck by the similarity between Jesus and Moses.

Moses, we remember, assembled the Hebrew people and delivered the Law, summarised in what we now call the Ten Commandments. Jesus, too summons his flock around them, not 12 tribes this time but simply twelve disciples who will, nonetheless, become the nucleus of a new people, the Church. And he gives them a code to be their way of life.

In many ways the Beatitudes turn our expectations upside-down. It is the poor, for example, who are rich. Rich, perhaps, because of the fellowship and sense of shared vision which unites those who follow God in Christ. By contrast the materially wealthy may become isolated and fearful in their wealth, and miss out on this shared adventure we call the Kingdom. Another paradox: it is the hungry who are to be envied, because they shall be filled with good things. Whether it means the literally hungry, or those who metaphorically hunger for a fairer, more just world, it challenges us, nonetheless, and provokes us to meditation. Indeed, we know from experience that to be sated can dull our senses and make us less aware of our world. Literally and metaphorically, our arteries harden.

Perhaps the parallel form of the Beatitudes in Matthew (5.3-12) is easier to grasp, but ultimately both versions aim at the same thing: to subvert our ordinary way of thinking, and invite us to see the world again, through different eyes. It gives us a picture of the people that Jesus wishes to call into being. It gives us, in fact, a glimpse of the promised land to which he is leading us a world in which we no longer live for ourselves, but instead, with open hearts and generous hands truly care for one another. A world we make real through the faith we share with others and our openness to God.


Fr Terry Tastard is Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Brook Green, London W6.
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Rose of York
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Eve
Feb 9 2007, 09:22 PM
Independent Catholic News
 


Father Terry writes:

In many ways the Beatitudes turn our expectations upside-down. It is the poor, for example, who are rich. Rich, perhaps, because of the fellowship and sense of shared vision which unites those who follow God in Christ. By contrast the materially wealthy may become isolated and fearful in their wealth, and miss out on this shared adventure we call the Kingdom. Another paradox: it is the hungry who are to be envied, because they shall be filled with good things. Whether it means the literally hungry, or those who metaphorically hunger for a fairer, more just world, it challenges us, nonetheless, and provokes us to meditation. Indeed, we know from experience that to be sated can dull our senses and make us less aware of our world. Literally and metaphorically, our arteries harden.
Fr Terry Tastard is Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Brook Green, London W6.



What a load of waffle.
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Derekap
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I can't think where this contribution should go so I dared to choose Sermons on Line. Rose/Alan/Patrick are free to do what they like.

This morning the sun was shining beautifully (it still is). Although most of the trees are still bare and apart from a bank of snowdrops there are no flowers, even the residential avenues with their houses and gardens and the main road looked beautiful on our drive to church. A short view of the countryside and then back to older property on the verge of a medieval town centre, passed two supermarkets and we were there. It is a simple brick built church simply-furnished and decorated. As usual it was well-attended and the congregation joined in the singing and responded well.

The Entrance Hymn was: "O Lord my God in whom I awesome wonder" with that great chorus: "How Great Thou art". Sadly my cold prevented me joining in as well as I wanted to. Every line, word or phrase was wonderfully expressive. On looking back to the journey I thought, yes, God is everywhere. I also thought what a great pity we didn't sing this prior to V2. Non-Catholics may be "in error" but my goodness what depth of Faith some of them had or have - they can put us to shame!

The Celebrant made the Sign of the Cross said "The Lord be with you!" and we responded accordingly. Then he said "Good Morning" and we responded "Good Morning Father". Immediately I felt a bond, as a large family he and we were for the next hour or so going to offer The Holy Sacrifice of Mass together. Obviously the Priest is the essential Celebrant but we matter too. As an aside I thought how can anyone criticise this opening. Then into the Penitential Rite, The Gloria and so on. The Celebrant asking us to pray that this Sacrifice may be worthy, To Lift up our hearts, ... and we heartily sang a Holy Holy Holy. He related the main event at The Last Supper and said the Important Words of Consecration.

Meanwhile the sun was shining on the large crucifix high up on the back wall of the Sanctuary. I thought of Holy Mass being offered in town churches, baroque bascilicas, St Peter's Rome and a little chapel in New Zealand I saw on Television many years ago. The back wall of the Sanctuary was a completely glass ...looking onto beautiful countryside. I thought how could anyone criticise this experience! Holy Communion was distributed under both kinds with the help of a Deacon and two EMsHC. It was all as reverend as it was practical to be. I don't think kneeling at Altar Rails would have made it more reverend, in fact there would have been more movement. Then the final prayer, Blessing and Dismissal and final hymn: "Make me a Channel of your Peace".

The back portion of the church can be screened off to form a meeting room. This morning Teas, Coffee and biscuits were available by two lady volunteers. Free but contributions requested. As I sat there I observed the friendly greetings, banter, hasty business-like discussions etc. in which the Priest and Deacon partipated. Not a general meeting but small casual and changing groups.

Then the drive home with Almighty God everywhere. I still think, how can anyone criticise and, sadly, even attack The New Rite of Holy Mass and its present English.

I would pray and wish everyone to enjoy and benefit from the same experience.
Derekap
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