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The Fourth Sunday of Lent | Thinking about Heaven

Prodigal Son

The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1667-1670, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Thoughts of my dear mother, who passed away during the week, are filling my mind as I reflect on this Sunday’s readings.  And the readings are particularly fitting, for they give us an inkling of what Heaven is like for those who seek the mercy of God.

The first reading tracks the Israelites, finally entering the Promised Land.  They have been a stubborn lot, and it’s taken them years in the wilderness to get there.  Not so different from our life journeys, maybe.  As John Bergsma says, “the land of Canaan is a symbol and type of heaven, the new life in God’s presence.”

The manna in the wilderness is a type of the Eucharist, the bread from heaven which sustains us through our journey in the “desert” of this present life.  Yet the Eucharist will not remain forever; when we enter into God’s presence in the life to come, the Eucharist will pass away as we feed on the direct vision of God.  So, in today’s Reading, we see that the manna ceases when the people enter into the promised inheritance and begin to eat the fruit of the land itself.  The sacrament passes away as the direct reality is experienced.  It will be “a whole new world.”

The Gospel reading, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, shows us how much we will need to change our mindset to be fit for heaven – hence Purgatory, that final bit of ‘burning away the straw’ (1 Cor. 3:15) before joining the happy company of angels and saints.  John Bergsma again:

On another level, this Parable shows us two ways of living: the “new world” or “new creation” of the Father (into which the younger son enters), and the “old world”/”old creation” of the older son.

The older son operates by a “tit for tat” or “quid pro quo” mentality, focused on earned material reward for one’s own self-centered enjoyment.  He serves his Father because he expects to benefit from the service one day.  He is not animated by love, either for his Father or for his brother.  When the younger son returns, he is not “my brother,” but “this son of yours!”

The Father, on the other hand, operates in a whole new world.  There is not some ledger book for accounting past rights and wrongs, so that each son gets exactly the punishment or reward that pertains precisely to his performance.  The Father’s attitude is marked by love, by free sharing, and a desire for familial communion.  The younger son insults him by demanding his inheritance while the Father is still alive, which is as much as saying, “To me, you are as good as dead.”  He shames the family name by living a profligate lifestyle and ultimately descending into poverty and degradation, working for Gentiles (Jews did not raise pigs) feeding unclean animals (pigs.).  All this is overlooked out of love, and the Father runs to meet the son (a breach of social custom) and hardly lets him recite his pre-planned speech before ordering the preparations of a feast.

The Father shows love to the older son, too, coming out of the feast to “plead” with him to come in and share the joy.  He also does not withhold generosity from him: “son, all that I have is yours.”  He does not make some mental or material division between his goods and those of his sons.  They are family.  They share a common home. 

Living in the “new creation” of Christ means operating by the Father’s “logic” of love, forgiveness, and familial communion, both in our relationship to God and our relationships with others, both with those who seek reconciliation with us (the younger son) and with those who do not want reconciliation (the older son).

As long as we operate by a “quid pro quo” logic with God and with others, we are living in the old world.  Because he wants us to live in the new world, Jesus commands us to pray daily, “forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven all our debtors.” Freely accepting forgiveness from God, and freely dispensing forgiveness to all around, is the lifestyle of the new creation.

How wonderful it will be to be part of God’s heavenly family.  And that we can already start living in it now by giving and receiving forgiveness.

How beautiful it was to be able to pray the Divine Mercy prayer together with my mother before she died – and that she died in the Year of Mercy.  How beautiful it was that my mother, though she was suffering, waited for me to arrive from Australia and spend time with her before she went to join the Lord. How beautiful it has been to experience so much kindness from our friends and relations during the last few days.  How beautiful it was to hear the Nazareth House nurses singing to us on the night my mother died.  How beautiful it has been to think about the joy we children shared through our childhood as a result of our dear mother’s faith.  That’s a foretaste of heaven.

Today’s readings:

Word format: Year C Lent 4th Sunday 2016

Pdf format: Year C Lent 4th Sunday 2016


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The Third Sunday of Lent, Year C |The Ineffable God

Vine Dresser and Fig Tree James Tissot

The Vine Dresser and the Fig Tree, James Tissot (1836-1902), The Brooklyn Museum, New York.

We have three very interesting readings today which deal with different aspects of God.

The first reading shows us God’s revelation of himself to the Jews as a God who is utterly different from the pagan idea of God (or, for that matter, the Buddhist or Hindu idea of God).  Bishop Barron explains this eloquently in his commentary on Why the Burning Bush is Such Good News.

The Gospel reading presents one of the ‘hard sayings’ of Jesus and discusses the question of whether the evils that befall men are punishments for sin.  Jesus is telling us that we all need a metanoia (change of heart) as – get this –none of us is worthy to stand in the presence of God.  Brant Pitre discusses this here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLzxi3FXhG8

And the second reading continues the theme of non-complacency: “the man who thinks he is safe must be careful that he does not fall.”  How different from our usual thinking: “I’m all right, you’re all right.”  If only we had a greater consciousness of the absolute goodness, otherness and power of God, we would have more holy fear or fear of the Lord, something that is regarded by many as weakness, when it is actually wisdom.  My old school motto (St Cyprian’s, Cape Town) was Sapientiae Timor Domini Initium or The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom.  Who are we to tell God that he has no right to judge us?

Today’s readings:

Word format: Year C Lent 2nd Sunday 2016

Pdf format:Year C Lent 3rd Sunday 2016


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2nd Sunday of Lent, Year C | The Transfiguration: Giving hope to those experiencing hard times

The-Transfiguration-1480-xx-Giovanni-Bellini

The Transfiguration, Giovanni Bellini, c.1480, Oil on panel, Museo di Capodimonti, Naples.

Do you know anyone who is depressed or without hope?  We all experience hard times – disappointment in others, the death of a loved one, failure in our career, a difficult childhood – but God can help us to be resilient through these times and see past them.  In today’s Gospel, we see how those disciples who are closest to the Lord experience a foretaste of the glory of Heaven.   They don’t fully understand the event they have just witnessed until after Jesus’ death and resurrection, but by witnessing Jesus’ glory, they are strengthened for the hard times ahead.  If I have one piece of advice for those who struggle with depression, I would say, “Get close to the Lord.”  Read the Gospels, talk to God as if he is present with you every moment – and He will strengthen you for your journey, often in unpredictable ways – and quite possibly remove those trials which are too great for you to bear.  Just ask him!

If you’re looking for an uplifting commentary on our mystical consciousness and how we are helped by having a sense of God’s purpose for our lives, listen to Bishop Robert Barron’s homily for today on The Glorified Body.

If you’re more interested in a Bible Study perspective on these readings, try these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdRWYVodW4w

Readings for today:

Word format: Year C Lent 2nd Sunday 2016

Pdf format:  Year C Lent 2nd Sunday 2016

 


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First Sunday of Lent, Year C |Christ in the Desert

Temptation in the Desert Maitre Francois

Two of the Temptations of Jesus in the Desert by Satan and Jesus served by the Angels, Maitre François, 1475, miniature, from St Augustine’s “La Cité de Dieu”; manuscript MMW 10 A 11; Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague.

The First Sunday of Lent focuses us on one of the key features of our Lenten journey: finding self-knowledge and working out how to make God the centre of your life.  Try these:

Bishop Robert Barron on “Three Questions from the Desert“.

Bible Scholar, Dr John Bergsma, on “The Temptations of Jesus“.

Bible Scholar, Dr Brant Pitre, on the readings for the First Sunday of Lent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg1rDbm4Kfw

In other news, on Friday, 12 February, Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Russia met in Cuba. This is the first time the head of the Catholic Church has met the head of the Russian Orthodox Church since the Great Schism of 1054!  Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill have issued a Joint Declaration. Read and observe how the Holy Spirit is working in the Church today.

Today’s readings:

Word format: Year C 5th Sunday 2016

Pdf format: Year C Lent 1st Sunday 2016


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Ash Wednesday Masses for Perth Northern suburbs

Catholic Guide to AshesNeed to get to Ash Wednesday Mass?  Here is a shortlist of venues for those in the far northern suburbs:

Yanchep to Lancelin: Sorry, Fr Augustine is away in India.

St Andrew’s Clarkson: 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Our Lady of the Mission, Whitfords: 6:45 a.m., 9 a.m. and 7.30 p.m.

St Anthony’s Wanneroo: 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

St Simon Peter, Whitfords: 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Holy Spirit Chapel, Joondalup: 12:10 p.m.

Apologies for my tardiness in uploading the newsletter for last Sunday.  Here it is:

Word format: Year C 5th Sunday 2016

Pdf format: Year C 5th Sunday 2016


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4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C | Righteousness without Self-righteousness: how do you do that?

Jesus and crowd who want to throw him off cliff

Male accipitur Jesus in patria (Jesus is rejected in his hometown), Jerome Nadal, S.J., first published in Evangeliae Historiae Imagines (1593), woodcut.

Nobody loves a preacher.  Especially in Australia.  We are a practical nation who prefer those who actually do good to those who talk about it.  That’s why this year’s Australia Day awards stirred up much controversy in the newspapers and online forums.

This week’s readings offer much practical advice for anyone who considers himself a preacher.

If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.

Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.

To avoid hypocrisy, I am now going to shut up and go out and see if I can do something constructive.  It will probably be something small, because I am a lazy person.   And I have to avoid talking about anything positive I might do, because of the injunction not to be ‘boastful or conceited’.  In fact I’ve already become a hypocrite, because I’ve showed off about my intention to do good.  You just can’t win!

But if you’re after more, Bishop Robert Barron’s comments on the primacy of love are essential listening.  And for a scripture study on the readings, I would recommend Dr. John Bergsma at The Sacred Page.

Today’s readings:

Word format: Year C 4th Sunday 2016

Pdf format: Year C 4th Sunday 2016


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3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C |Repent! What me? How dare you.

Christ in Synagogue

Christ preaching in the synagogue, fresco, ca 1350, Visoki Decani Monastery, Kosovo, Serbia.

Funny how the world seems to divide itself into two camps: those who are open to repentance and those who are closed.  Pope Francis talks about this in his new book, The Name of God is Mercy, which he has published to coincide with the Jubilee Year of Mercy.  In our Gospel Reading today, Jesus is also proclaiming a Jubilee Year: “He has sent me … to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.”

On the one hand we have Jeffrey Tayler in Salon Magazine excoriating the Pope for – oh no!  – having the audacity to write a book.   I add my comments in red:

Not two weeks into the new year, the frocked and beanied capo dei capi of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, chose to impose upon humanity this a book of his own authorship, “The Name of God Is Mercy.” [That’s just stupid.  You might as well say that anyone who writes anything is imposing it on humanity.  The Pope isn’t forcing anyone to read it.  Are you suggesting that anything the Pope writes should be put on the List of Forbidden Books?]  The title alone should have given reviewers cause to dispatch the tome, unopened, straight into the waste bin. “Mercy?” From a purportedly omnipotent Lord who chose to sire a kid whom He subjected to ghastly tortures culminating in execution? [1.  God didn’t “choose to sire a kid” as if God (the Father) preceded Jesus.  Jesus co-exists eternally as the ‘Son’ of God.  Son just happens to be the best word we have to describe the relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Trinity.  If you’re going to criticise the Bible, at least criticise an intelligent interpretation of it.  2.  God the Father did not subject the Son to anything.  Read the Gospels and you will see that it was humans who killed Jesus.  And it was out of love for us that Jesus paid the debt that we owed God for our sins.]  Who battered and abused poor Job on a whim? [Hello-o, read the text!  It was Satan who abused Job, not God.]  Who ordered a patriarch to knife his own long-awaited son? [You’re missing the point.  The story of Abraham and Isaac is about Trust and Obedience. If you bothered to read the whole story, God actually tells Abraham not to sacrifice his son.]  The name of God, were God to exist, would be anything but mercy.  [Sigh.  Can this writer not hear his own vitriolic tone?  He could be describing himself when he talks about ‘lack of mercy.’  But then that’s hypocrisy for you.]

On the other hand, what does Pope Francis actually say?

The Church condemns sin because it has to relay the truth: ‘this is a sin’. But at the same time, it embraces the sinner who recognises himself as such, it welcomes him, it speaks to him of the infinite mercy of God. Jesus forgave even those who crucified and scorned him.  To follow the way of the Lord, the Church is called on to dispense its mercy over all those who recognise themselves as sinners, who assume responsibility for the evil they have committed, and who feel in need of forgiveness. The Church does not exist to condemn people, but to bring about an encounter with the visceral love of God’s mercy.  I often say that in order for this to happen, it is necessary to go out: to go out from the churches and the parishes, to go outside and look for people where they live, where they suffer, and where they hope. I like to use the image of a field hospital to describe this “Church that goes forth”. It exists where there is combat. It is not a solid structure with all the equipment where people go to receive treatment for both small and large infirmities. It is a mobile structure that offers first aid and immediate care, so that its soldiers do not die.  It is a place for urgent care, not a place to see a specialist. I hope that the Jubilee [The Holy Year of Mercy] will serve to reveal the Church’s deeply maternal and merciful side, a Church that goes forth toward those who are “wounded,” who are in need of an attentive ear, understanding, forgiveness, and love.

But to receive mercy, one has to realise that one is a sinner in the first place.  Pope Francis continues:

Corruption is the sin which, rather than being recognised as such and rendering us humble, is elevated to a system; it becomes a mental habit, a way of living. We no longer feel the need for forgiveness and mercy, but we justify ourselves and our behaviours. Jesus says to his disciples: even if your brother offends you seven times a day, and seven times a day he returns to you to ask for forgiveness, forgive him. The repentant sinner, who sins again and again because of his weakness, will find forgiveness if he acknowledges his need for mercy. The corrupt man is the one who sins but does not repent, who sins and pretends to be Christian, and it is this double life that is scandalous. The corrupt man does not know humility, he does not consider himself in need of help, he leads a double life. We must not accept the state of corruption as if it were just another sin. Even though corruption is often identified with sin, in fact they are two distinct realities, albeit interconnected.  Sin, especially if repeated, can lead to corruption, not quantitatively — in the sense that a certain number of sins makes a person corrupt — but rather qualitatively: habits are formed that limit one’s capacity for love and create a false sense of self-sufficiency.  The corrupt man tires of asking for forgiveness and ends up believing that he doesn’t need to ask for it any more. We don’t become corrupt people overnight. It is a long, slippery slope that cannot be identified simply as a series of sins. One may be a great sinner and never fall into corruption if hearts feel their own weakness. That small opening allows the strength of God to enter.  When a sinner recognises himself as such, he admits in some way that what he was attached to, or clings to, is false. The corrupt man hides what he considers his true treasure, but which really makes him a slave and masks his vice with good manners, always managing to keep up appearances.

In the reading for today from Nehemiah, the people of Israel are overcome with repentance.

For the people were all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law.

They realise how far from the Lord they have been, and are overwhelmed with sorrow when this knowledge comes upon them.  But Ezra tells them, “Do not be sad: the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.”  It is only after we experience that metanoia, that we can participate in the Jubilee that flows out of it.

Prayer: Father God, help us to avoid the pride that makes us justify our self-sufficiency.  Help us to develop habits of humility and self-examination.  Help us to turn towards you daily and find peace and communion with you.

For a scripture study on today’s readings – including the historical background – read Dr John Bergsma’s commentary at The Sacred Page.

Bishop Barron takes this from a different angle – the importance of building our religious identity – in Walls and Bridges.

Also watch scripture scholar, Dr Brant Pitre’s Youtube video on this Sunday’s readings:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv3Pqfyxp1A

Today’s readings:

Word format: Year C 3rd Sunday 2016

Pdf format: Year C 3rd Sunday 2016

 


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The Baptism of the Lord, Year C | The Christian Age of Enlightenment

Baptism-of-Christ-Joachim Patinir

The Baptism of Christ, Joachim Patinir, 1510-20, oil on oak, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Fooled you with the title!  No I’m not going to talk about the 18th Century Age of (so-called) Enlightenment which was a reaction against the excesses of Monarchical power, the Thirty Years War and its ilk.  But I am going to talk about the meaning of Baptism and the history of the feast we celebrate today: The Baptism of the Lord.  It was as late as 1969 that this celebration was allocated to the First Sunday after Epiphany by Pope Paul VI, but its history dates back much further and provides an important milestone in linking the celebrations of the Eastern Orthodox and the Catholic Church.

In the Western Church, the focus of Epiphany on 6th January (or the Sunday after 1st January) is on the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi.  But in the Early Church, Epiphany marked the revelation of God to mankind as Trinity.  At his Baptism, we see all three persons of the triune God in action: Christ being affirmed by his Father as the Beloved Son and the Holy Spirit descending on him in the form of a dove.  In the Early Church, Epiphany was also known as the Feast of Holy Lights.  The Holy Lights refer to the many candles which illuminated the celebration of the Baptism of Catechumens (new converts) which occurred on the same day. But the deeper meaning is that of the illumination or enlightenment which Baptism brings.  There is a wonderful homily on Baptism given by St Gregory of Nazianzus, Archbishop of Constantinople, on 6th January in the year AD 381 (sorry, I refuse to give the politically correct CE).  St Gregory keeps us spellbound by his mystical description of Baptism.  Baptism is God’s gift to those of us who have been chosen to share heaven with him (he would like to choose us all, but out of respect for us gives us the freedom to reject his offer).  Over to Gregory:

I.  Yesterday we kept high Festival on the illustrious Day of the Holy Lights; for it was fitting that rejoicings should be kept for our Salvation, and that far more than for weddings and birthdays, and namedays, and house-warmings, and registrations of children, and anniversaries, and all the other festivities that men observe for their earthly friends. And now today let us discourse briefly concerning Baptism, and the benefits which accrue to us therefrom, even though our discourse yesterday spoke of it cursorily; partly because the time pressed us hard, and partly because the sermon had to avoid tediousness. For too great length in a sermon is as much an enemy to people’s ears, as too much food is to their bodies….[priests take note!]  It will be worth your while to apply your minds to what we say, and to receive our discourse on so important a subject not perfunctorily, but with ready mind, since to know the power of this Sacrament is itself Enlightenment.

II.  The Word recognizes three Births for us; namely, the natural birth, that of Baptism, and that of the Resurrection …

III. Concerning two of these births, the first and the last, we have not to speak on the present occasion. Let us discourse upon the second, which is now necessary for us, and which gives its name to the Feast of the Lights.  Illumination [He’s talking about Baptism] is the splendour of souls, the conversion of the life, the question put to the Godward conscience. It is the aid to our weakness, the renunciation of the flesh, the following of the Spirit, the fellowship of the Word, the improvement of the creature, the overwhelming of sin, the participation of light, the dissolution of darkness. It is the carriage to God, the dying with Christ, the perfecting of the mind, the bulwark of Faith, the key of the Kingdom of heaven, the change of life, the removal of slavery, the loosing of chains, the remodelling of the whole man. Why should I go into further detail? Illumination is the greatest and most magnificent of the Gifts of God. For just as we speak of the Holy of Holies, and the Song of Songs, as more comprehensive and more excellent than others, so is this called Illumination, as being more holy than any other illumination which we possess.

IV.  And as Christ the Giver of it is called by many various names, so too is this Gift, whether it is from the exceeding gladness of its nature (as those who are very fond of a thing take pleasure in using its name), or that the great variety of its benefits has reacted for us upon its names. We call it, the Gift, the Grace, Baptism, Unction, Illumination, the Clothing of Immortality, the Laver of Regeneration, the Seal, and everything that is honourable. We call it the Gift, because it is given to us in return for nothing on our part; Grace, because it is conferred even on debtors; Baptism, because sin is buried with it in the water; Unction, as Priestly and Royal, for such were they who were anointed; Illumination, because of its splendour; Clothing, because it hides our shame; the Laver, because it washes us; the Seal because it preserves us, and is moreover the indication of Dominion. In it the heavens rejoice; it is glorified by Angels, because of its kindred splendour. It is the image of the heavenly bliss. We long indeed to sing out its praises, but we cannot worthily do so.

V.  God is Light: the highest, the unapproachable, the ineffable, That can neither be conceived in the mind nor uttered with the lips,  That gives life to every reasoning creature. He is in the world of thought, what the sun is in the world of sense; presenting Himself to our minds in proportion as we are cleansed; and loved in proportion as He is presented to our mind; and again, conceived in proportion as we love Him; Himself contemplating and comprehending Himself, and pouring Himself out upon what is external to Him. That Light, I mean, which is contemplated in the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, Whose riches is Their unity of nature, and the one outleaping of Their brightness.  

(You can read the rest here: Gregory Nazianzen, Oration 40, The Oration on Holy Baptism)

You have to give the Greek Fathers credit for their emphasis on mysticism and beauty.  Now that is true Enlightenment!

And if you want a great contemporary talk about Baptism as the Door of the Spiritual Life, look no further than this one by Bishop Barron.

Today’s readings:

Word format – Baptism of the Lord Year C 2015

Pdf format –  Baptism of the Lord Year C 2015

by Deirdre Fleming


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The Epiphany | How God gives clues to the wise

The_Adoration_of_the_Magi_-_Google_Art_Project_(6821891)

Adoration of the Magi, c. 1240, Illustrator unknown, tempera and gold leaf on parchment, Wurzburg, Germany, currently in J. Paul Getty Museum, California.

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, with today’s Gospel recounting the story of the Magi following the star to arrive at the particular location of the King of Kings.

As we look back over the centuries, we can see how God has been moving through time, making it easier for The Wise to find him, even though oftentimes it may appear to the contrary.  But if we look at the course of human history, we have now arrived at a situation where we have this distribution of religions throughout the world:

Religion Percentage
Christians 31.50
Muslims 22.32
Judaism 0.20
TOTAL 54.02

If God is truly guiding the unfolding of world events, it appears that he is guiding the majority of people at least towards an understanding that there is One God.  For, of all belief systems, the Abrahamic Religions (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) have now arrived at a point where they make up 54% of the global population.

Hinduism and Buddhism make up only 13.95% and 5.25% of global religions respectively, so we’ll leave them to one side for now.

It is not that statistics ever prove that the most commonly held belief is the one likely to be true, but if God is in charge, he would be wanting most people to have a reasonable opportunity of coming to the belief that One God is much more likely than many Gods or no gods at all.  He is a loving Father, after all, and he doesn’t want us to be lost or without guidance.

Secondly, out of all the Christians in the world, approximately 50% are Catholic.  So again, God is guiding at least half of all the Christians in the world to the understanding that it is reasonable to expect that there should be a human steward (i.e. the Pope) appointed to act as an umpire for the Church in every era – as explained by Jesus in Matthew 16:18. Jesus did this so that the Church would be able to speak with a unified voice.  The problems of not having a duly appointed leader are evident in Islam today, where there is no clear and authoritative direction to the Islamic faithful on how to approach the concept of jihad in the modern world.

So even if it seems as if there is a multiplicity of different ideas and religions in our postmodern world such that it is impossible to choose truth in the face of chaos, God is clearly providing some pointers which the wise might take note of.

Thirdly, if God is in charge of your life, he will guide and direct you personally towards him.  I’m not joking.  All he wants is for you to say, like the Magi, “We have come seeking the King.  Where do I find him?”

You can be sure that anyone with an open heart filled with a desire for truth and goodness will be led in the right direction.

For a clearer explanation of this spiritual journey, listen here.

Today’s readings:

Word format: Epiphany Year C

Pdf format: Epiphany Year C

written by Deirdre Fleming


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4th Sunday of Advent, Year C | Loving Our Mother

Visitation Clyde Monastery

The Visitation, mosaic, nave of Clyde Monastery, Missouri, USA.

No time for writing much today, as I’ve had to do my Christmas shopping! Others have done a much better job so I will point you in their direction:

  1. John Bergsma explains why the Catholic veneration of Mary is completely scriptural, based on today’s readings.
  2. Bishop Barron has a homily for today which asks us to look at our part in God’s theo-drama.  (Didn’t you know you are an actor in a great play and that it’s not all about you?  Best to get in touch with the Director, so that you can understand your part!)
  3. And even National Geographic realises that Mary is the world’s most powerful woman!

The readings for today are here:

Word format: Year C 4th Sunday of Advent 2015

Pdf format: Year C 4th Sunday of Advent 2015

For Christmas Mass times, go here.

And a very happy 21st birthday to Alistair Mungo Fleming (16th December) who may well be the first person in the Yanchep to Lancelin Pastoral Area to have been baptised here as a baby and still be an active member of our Pastoral Area at the age of 21.  Well done, Alistair!