Most of us modern urban dwellers like know very little about raising sheep – their natural behaviour etc. But in Jesus’ time it would be quite different, most people would be familiar with sheep and shepherds and the way shepherding worked. So it would be a natural image for Jesus to use as a comparison to himself – the good shepherd. Flocks of sheep belonged to different owners but the grazing pastures were common ground, land for many different shepherds to use, all out grazing together. But this had an important benefit, safety for all the sheep – many eyes overseeing their protection. One practice the shepherds used was at night to herd all the sheep into one common gated shelter to protect them from dangers of the night. But how to sort out the shepherd’s sheep from all the others in the enclosure - sheep all look the same? No problem, the sheep were all imprinted on only their shepherds voice and no other. In the morning each shepherd would stand at the gate and with his distinct voice he would call out to the sheep and only his sheep would come out and follow him. This was a perfect way, commonly known, for Jesus to teach how important it was for them to imprint on his voice, the message of the gospel. God’s plan for salvation for the world was not to kill off unbelievers so only true believers remained. The plan was to imprint the message of the gospel on the hearts of people and then gather them together and lead them home to the Father. Is there any better way to characterize this age we live in today, the age of mass communication, endless number of voices calling out to us to follow them just turn on the TV and see right away all the many voices. The question put before us in today’s liturgy of the word, who’s voice am I hearing and following? Jesus wants us to understand there is only one voice that is proclaiming the truth of eternal life – his voice.

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Third Sunday of Easter - 2023

Link to Catholic Productions commentary on Third Sunday

Link to VOICES post on the  Third Sunday

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Special Series on Developing the Practice of Meditative Prayer

 

A Special Series on Prayer Especially for Those Seeking to Develop the Ongoing  Practice of Prayer
1. Prayer Hearing Is Believing	2. A Place to Pray
3. In His Presence	4. First Principle
5. Passage	6. The Heart Knows
7. Who’s Voice Do I Hear	8. Listening
9. Review

Second Week of Easter - 2023

The Church celebrates Easter Sunday day for a whole week. For the liturgy of the Word, the Gospel texts are taken from all four gospel writers and their accounts of resurrection of Jesus. Following the close of this day, the Easter season will continue for fifty days – ending with the celebration of the Ascension and Pentecost. As a preparation for Pentecost, the first reading of the liturgy of the word will be taken from the book of the Acts of Apostles and continue reading through the whole book. Acts of Apostles is the second part of Luke’s gospel. It takes us through the unfolding history of the first generation of the Church. This is our story – it is who we are – where we came from – how we got here and why we have gathered in this way to celebrate the sacred mysteries. There are also a couple other things that make this weekend special. It is Divine Mercy Sunday, established by pope John Paul ll on this day in the year 2000. And on this very Sunday, Pope John XXlll and Pope John Paul ll were canonized, Saints of the Church. I find all this quite significant for us at this time in the history of the Church. It is not uncommon to hear it suggested that the Church is in decline and no longer relevant; that perhaps the Church might even disappear, braking into fragmented pieces, replaced by rational thought and technology. It is because we are surrounded by such a cloud of doubt, that this time in Church is so important for us, and why we must make reading the Acts of the Apostles a central part of our personal faith life, just as the Church makes it so in the liturgy of the Word. When we turn to Acts and the story of Pentecost, we quickly see that our Church was not made up by the design of a group of people, a work of human enterprise. It comes from God and is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ followers were not great revolutionaries, rather they were a group of frightened and confused and very ordinary people. Then comes Pentecost Day and all is changed in a dramatic moment. On that very first day, Pentecost day, Acts shows us clearly, that the Church comes under attack. The joyful and exuberant faith of these Spirit-filled people is written off as nothing more than a product of too much alcohol, they are a bunch of drunks. From that first day up to today, the Church is constantly attacked and discredited. This is our constant history. Acts also shows us how the members of this new Church will be, “a-work-in-progress”, made up of frail humans being, sinners now saved, learning and growing under the constant presence of the Holy Spirit. So here we are today, the latest additions to this long history. I strongly encourage you to take up your scriptures and read and study the book of the Acts of the Apostles. May these Easter days be as powerful days of healing and building of your faith as they were for that first generation of believers, we celebrate through these Easter days.

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Easter - 2023

EASTER WEEK Friday - Med. 12.	They praised in unison your conquering hand, O Lord, for wisdom open mouths that were mute and gave eloquence to the tongues of infants, alleluia.
HOLY WEEK / EASTER MEDIT ATIONS Meditation 01 Meditation 05 Meditation 09 Meditation 02 Meditation 06 Meditation 10 Meditation 03 Meditation 07 Meditation 11 Meditation 04 Meditation 08 Meditation 12

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Holy Saturday - 2023

I was introduced to the Shroud of Turin while in the seminary in the late 1950’s. I found the information about the Shroud to be most intriguing and compelling. Then in 1988 a team of scientists subjected a small sample taken from the Shroud to a carbon dating test. From this test they concluded that the shroud originated some time in the Middle Ages. The headlines in the press announced the “shroud” to be a fake. Since that time up to the present opinion remains divided over the Shroud’s authenticity. One of the major debates is over the carbon dating of 1988, questing whether it was done accurately or not. The question remains, is it an icon or a relic? For me I have no doubt, it is a true relic, the very burial Shroud of Jesus.  I think of the Shroud as having been given to us not so much to be proof of Jesus' resurrection, as compelling is the argument it makes, rather it is meant to take our contemplation of Jesus passion and death to an ever deeper level. And further to this, it is only recently, with the technology of photography that a more perfect image of the figure has been revealed; perhaps to be a challenge to this scientific age which is often so quick to dismiss the value of faith and religion. The following is just one of many articles in the media today. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/17/the-1m-challenge-if-the-turin-shroud-is-a-forgery-show-how-it-was-done

Holy Week - 2023

The following is a set of meditations for Holy Week and Easter Week. The focus of these mediations is the cosmic battle between Jesus and Satan. As we reflect and pray on the scriptures that each meditation lays out for us we deepen or understanding of how all consuming is the power of evil that Satan inflicts on our world. Alone we would most certainly parish. But the power of God manifest in Jesus' death and resurrection is greater and becomes our true hope of salvation. 

The meditation for each new day will be noted in the panel heading.

Good Friday - Med. 06	Christ became obedient to the point of death, death on a cross. Because of this God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name.
HOLY WEEK / EASTER MEDIT ATIONS Meditation 01 Meditation 05 Meditation 09 Meditation 02 Meditation 06 Meditation 10 Meditation 03 Meditation 07 Meditation 11 Meditation 04 Meditation 08 Meditation 12

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