SOCL, Sunday31B

Sunday November 03, 2024

When Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

See

There is a story told about an elderly Cistercian, who on being asked what he believed at that point in his life replied, “I believe more and more in less and less”! It is not as paradoxical as it seems. As we go on, the core dimension of the faith should stand out for us. As Erasmus wrote, the essentials are few but essential.

Listen

Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalm 18 (17); Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34

Reflect

(Mark 12:28-34)

-Today’s gospel brings us right to the heart of what a Christian life involves: love of God and of neighbour. Jesus tells us that having life both now and in the future is the fruit of living in a spirit of love. How have you experienced the power of love given, and received, as a source of life and vitality?

-If you were asked what is most important in life, what would your answer be? Recall the experiences and relationships you have had. Which are the ones that you treasure most? What has particularly enriched your life? How would you encourage another person who asked you how s/he could live a full life?

-Jesus praises the questioner as one who had answered wisely. Recall some of the wise people you have known, people who in their words and actions impressed you with their capacity to see and treasure what is important in life.

Pray

Lord our God, you are the one God and there is no other. Give us grace to hear and heed the great commandment of your kingdom, that we may love you with all our heart and our neighbour as ourselves. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

References

I Love You, Lord, My Strength

SOCL, All Saints

November 1, 2024

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

And I will give you rest, says the Lord.

See

Today we celebrate the community of faith, being in communion with all the saints, a day of both thanksgiving and vision. Thanksgiving because of the example and inspiration of the saints, who have come to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. (Eph 4:13). Vision because our Gospel today describes the path we must take to make the same journey home to God. If we wish to join the saints both now and into eternity, we must make our own the “mission statement” of Jesus, which is the Sermon on the Mount and especially the opening invitation to true happiness.

Listen

Apocalypse 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24 (23); 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-2

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Reflect

(Matthew 5:1-2)

The blessings in the Beatitudes are primarily future blessings, but there can be an anticipation of the blessings in the present. At first reading some Beatitudes may seem to describe circumstances that you would like to avoid at all costs. Read them slowly. Stay with each one for a while.

Let yourself get a sense of the paradox involved in each one. Perhaps you have had an experience of a deeper and more authentic life, a blessing, when… 

1. You were poor - you knew your need of God.

2. You mourned – could feel for others.

3. You were meek – not emotionally out of control.

4. You hungered and thirsted for some cause.

5. You were merciful rather than vengeful.

6. You were pure in heart – a person of integrity, whose actions and intentions correspond.

7. You were a peacemaker.

8. You were persecuted because you stood for something.

Pray

Jesus you are our teacher within and today we ask your help. Just as you have brought our brothers and sisters to full maturity in you, so also guide us and be with us as we walk your Way. By your grace, may we too be counted among saints in the present moment and in the life to come. Amen.

References

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

SOCL, Sunday30B

Sunday October 27, 2024

Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

See

The journey towards faith has many dimensions. Firstly, there is our need (expressed in the Gospel as blindness). Secondly, the courage to name our need, even in the face of opposition. Next comes our encounter with Jesus and our cry for help, guidance, healing. Naming our need is insisted upon by Jesus as an essential step, because faith is so much more than believing lots of doctrines. More fundamentally, it is an act of trust, a putting of myself in relationship and being able to receive from God whatever it is we need. This is the faith which makes us well.

Listen

Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 126 (125); Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52

Reflect

(Mark 10:46-52)

-In this story Jesus cures the blind man, Bartimaeus. Recovery of sight in the Bible is often a metaphor for coming to faith. Perhaps during your life you have had moments of insight, of deeper understanding, of appreciating who Jesus is for you. What was it that helped you to see more clearly?

-Who was the ‘Jesus person’ who helped you to see more clearly? Perhaps, as a parent, a teacher or a friend, you have also been a ‘Jesus person’ for another and helped her or him to a clearer understanding of the meaning of life, love and faith.

-To get to Jesus, Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak so that he would not be impeded. What have you had to discard in order to be able to see more clearly (e.g., an assumption, a prejudice, a rigid opinion)?

-“Your faith has saved you” Jesus said to Bartimaeus. Recall situations in which you have been grateful for the faith that is yours because in some way it saved you.

Pray

Have pity on us, God our savior. Grant us grace and courage to cast off our sins and turn to you for healing. Show us in Christ the sure path of salvation and strengthen us to follow gladly in the Way of the Gospel. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

References

The Lord Has Done Great Things For Us