tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12487364944582153712024-03-17T22:59:43.001-04:00VoicesVoices is a resource for personal prayer and devotion from a Catholic perspective - especially for those beginning the practice of meditative prayer.James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.comBlogger771125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-55044718481362101992024-03-16T09:28:00.000-04:002024-03-16T09:28:28.856-04:00Fifth Sunday of Lent - 2024
Jesus' HOUR As we prepare to enter Holy Week there are two important words that will focus our attention: HOUR and GLORIFY. Sometimes the word "hour" refers simply and literally to a short period of chronological time (a 60-minute period during the day). But in John's gospel, "Jesus' hour" refers more broadly and metaphorically to the climactic event of Jesus' James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-55393909038472697572024-03-08T19:50:00.000-05:002024-03-08T19:50:22.099-05:00Fourth Sunday of Lent - 2024
But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.The media platforms and devices we have today are quite brilliant, not only in their technological make up but in the literal light they display. People actually use cellphones as flashlights some times. But more importantly is the message they beam out at us about James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-49434532667418666582024-03-02T09:55:00.001-05:002024-03-03T09:57:26.648-05:00Third Sunday of Lent - 2024
The image of
Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple is indeed quite striking,
and on the surface, it could well be misunderstood. Let us have a deeper look.
The temple of
Jesus’ time is the second temple, built by Herod the Great. The first temple
built by Solomon in 957 BC. was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. In
Matt. 24:2, Jesus predicts the destruction of James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-3690716662951546042024-02-24T08:24:00.000-05:002024-02-24T08:24:06.754-05:00Second Sunday of Lent - 2024
We know that people in ancient times, in their religious worship of their gods, practiced human sacrifice – sometime of their enemies – sometime of their very own, even their children. These sacrifices were meant to appease the gods, so the gods would act favorably toward the worshipers. Israel was familiar with these religious practices – and could be susceptible to these erroneousJames Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-41527709394640186512024-02-15T14:27:00.022-05:002024-02-17T19:59:35.863-05:00First Sunday of Lent - 2024
This is a special series of posts follows a journey in prayer through the days of Lent and Holy Week using the Ignatian Approach to ContemplationPart OnePart TwoPart ThreePart FourPart FivePart SixPart SevenPart EightPart NinePart TenPart ElevenHolyWeek 1HolyWeek 2HolyWeek 3HolyWeek 4HolyWeek 5HOMESuggested Reading / Reflection Schedule Feb14 through18 Prt 1,2,3&James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-53179006671609824482024-02-13T10:11:00.004-05:002024-02-13T10:45:22.281-05:00Ash Wednesday - 2024
ReflectionLent begins with the liturgy of Ash Wednesday. The ashes are made from the palm branches used in the previous year’s celebration of Palm Sunday, recalling that triumphant day when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem with great jubilation. Jesus' followers, his disciples and apostles, waving palm branches like banners of praise, singing and proclaiming their undying faith in him, James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-54463918474776580882024-02-10T09:16:00.000-05:002024-02-10T09:16:13.377-05:00Sixth Sunday - 2024Today, the World Day of the Sick, highlights the healing ministry of the Church. It reminds us that service to the sick and suffering cannot be neglected. It recognizes the great efforts of doctors, nurses, healthcare institutions and pastoral care givers to restore health to those afflicted with illness and disease.Appropriately, today’s gospel gives us account of Jesus healing the manJames Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-72236927125665641182024-02-03T09:59:00.005-05:002024-02-03T10:17:54.077-05:00The Subject of Conscience
Bishop Barron has an excellent talk on the subject of Conscience. What exactly is our conscience - how does it work in us - why is it so important to the spiritual life? > > > LINK < < <
James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-23292015373062076192024-01-27T09:49:00.001-05:002024-01-27T19:45:15.251-05:00Fourth Sunday - 2024 Dr. Brant PitreCommentary on theGospel Text. . . LINK . . ..
James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-60902666320198785152024-01-20T08:37:00.000-05:002024-01-20T08:37:19.001-05:00Third Sunday of the Year - 2024
Sunday of the Word of GodBy Papal
decree, this third Sunday in Ordinary Time, is to be observed as a
special day devoted to “the celebration, study and dissemination of the word of
God.” Its formal title is “Sunday of the Word of God” and is an invitation to
Catholics across the world to deepen their appreciation, love and faithful
witness to God and his word. Pope Francis describes James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-4523734517955880822024-01-12T20:18:00.000-05:002024-01-12T20:18:36.461-05:00Second Sunday of the Year - 2024
Who Are You?
The liturgy now takes us to the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. As we take up these gospel stories we notice that some of the people we see encountering Jesus have heard about him and are curious about meeting him. Others have no idea who he is until they encounter him - speaking first to them or doing something dramatic like healing someone. These first encountersJames Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-48266723279298841062024-01-09T09:25:00.000-05:002024-01-09T09:25:43.183-05:00Ordinary Time - 2024Some Thoughts On Ordinary Time and the Liturgical YearFirst, the word ordinary as it is used here, does not mean plain, unimportant. The name comes from the Latin word, “ordinalis” meaning "showing order, denoting an order of succession.” It is used in this sense to refer to the order of the counted weeks. That is to say, it is a season of counted weeks in the Liturgical Year; WeekJames Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-18977581179679148132024-01-06T08:40:00.003-05:002024-01-07T10:00:21.534-05:00Feast of the Epiphany - 2024When we speak of the coming of Christ we think of Christmas. However, in a wider sense we can say there are Three Comings of Christ. The 1st being His Incarnation, His 2nd is the Day of Judgement and His 3rd is present, each time a person is baptised into the life of Christ.As it was for Christmas, we commonly think of the Epiphany as that one event in Christ's life where the Magi, led by a James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-6537841542250715372023-12-30T16:24:00.001-05:002023-12-30T16:24:27.908-05:00Holy Family - 2023
Which One of These Two Are You?In the gospel for this Feast of the Holy Family we have Mary and Joseph with the newborn baby Jesus going to the Temple in Jerusalem
forty days after His birth to complete Mary's ritual purification
after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn son, in
obedience to the Torah (Leviticus 12)InJames Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-85160407461611504242023-12-27T08:36:00.001-05:002023-12-27T09:01:40.022-05:00Christmas Week - 2023
“Someone has moved into
our neighborhood”?
Continuing
with the theme we began in the previous post let us explore further the notion
of intimacy and Christmas. We noted that the word intimacy is derived from the
Latin "intimus", meaning inner or inmost. To be intimate with another
is to have access to, and to comprehend, his/her inmost character. We noted
that Jesus chose James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-26456255718418597582023-12-24T09:25:00.000-05:002023-12-24T09:25:58.807-05:00Christmas 2023
INTIMACYThe word intimacy is derived from the Latin "intimus", meaning inner or inmost. To be intimate with another is to have access
to, and to comprehend, his/her inmost character. Is there an example of intimacy that is more compelling than a pregnant woman and her child; life drawing new life from another? Jesus the Son of God could have reveal his presence to the James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-13128706786243677942023-12-20T15:01:00.000-05:002023-12-21T08:44:47.455-05:00Final Days of Advent - 2023
Christmas 2020 was a most unusual experience. Because of the Covid pandemic the doors to all churches were locked. People had no where to gather and celebrate the glorious feast of Christmas. It was as if in a strange way the faithful had been given a way to identify with Joseph and Mary who came to Bethlehem and found that they were locked out with no worm and James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-31815018883383854942023-12-16T08:34:00.000-05:002023-12-17T09:33:50.095-05:00Third Week of Advent - 2023
The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally referred to as “Gaudete Sunday”. The name comes from the first word spoken in the liturgy for this day, in the Entrance Antiphon: (Gaudete in Latin): Rejoice in the Lord always: again, I say rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.There is a similar theme that recurs in Lent, in the fourth Sunday of Lent, traditionally called “Laetare Sunday” againJames Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-65625668629387762392023-12-09T08:42:00.000-05:002023-12-17T09:36:18.655-05:00Second Week of Advent - 2023
We are about to enter Week Two of Advent, that time when we are preparing for the Coming of Christ the Saviour of the world. We also believe that there will be a Second Coming in which Jesus will bring to an end this order of creation and establish a new heaven and a new earth following the Day of Judgment.But did you know that there is a Third Coming which takes place in time between the James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-59834570219904017182023-12-02T08:36:00.000-05:002023-12-17T09:36:52.030-05:00First Week of Advent - 2023
Time is something we take for granted, ours to use at our discretion. But there in lies the problem. We do not create time; we are only the managers of time. Time is a gift given by God, for a purpose.As servants of the landowner, a portion of the “garden of time” is assigned to us, wherein to plant the works of holiness and reap an abundant harvest, as best we can.The gospels are James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-30029487237399850972023-11-24T09:10:00.000-05:002023-11-24T09:10:56.689-05:00Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe - 2023
No doubt, everyone has faced that dreaded “Zero-hour”. Usually our first experience with “Zero-hour” is exam time in school. And finally, the teacher says, “students, put down your pens, time is up”. Some of you may have done so with a confident smile, but the rest of us where in a panic. “Oh no! Why did I not take more time to study? I know better, but just had to go out and party theJames Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-22210948694972309922023-11-17T09:11:00.000-05:002023-11-17T09:11:16.240-05:00Thirty-third Sunday of the Year - 2023Today we move another week closer to end of the Liturgical Year, and each liturgical year brings us closer to the end of our own personal faith journey . This has been Year A, of the three-year cycle in which the main gospel source has been Matthew.Last week we began chapter 23, the last chapter before the passion narrative of Matthew begins. Matthew concludes Jesus teachings with two James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-55756415902301160052023-11-10T09:09:00.000-05:002023-11-10T09:09:47.453-05:00Thirty-second Sunday of the Year - 2023
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten young women took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.  James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-8937037868734487812023-11-04T08:48:00.000-04:002023-11-04T08:48:45.411-04:00November and all the Saints
November is commonly thought of as the month of the dead. Many cultures around the world observe various rituals honouring the dead. November itself with the dying off of all the beautiful summer plants, the shorter days and longer nights, the many animals migrating away or hibernating out of sight all have a certain resemblance to death.The Church also uses November as a month to reflect James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248736494458215371.post-39825127957583842092023-10-28T08:36:00.000-04:002023-10-28T08:36:44.788-04:00Thirtieth Sunday of the Year - 2023This month our Gospel readings are taken from chapter 22 of Matthew’s gospel account. In it, Jesus is being challenged by his three main opponents. They are the Herodians, the Sadducees and the Pharisees.We began reading this chapter two weeks ago. It begins with Jesus crafting the parable about a King’s grand wedding feast for his son, but the King is stiffed by all the invited guest. The King James Curtinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00125008495271143219noreply@blogger.com0