Mass Reflection: Sunday, 25th April 2021

ACTS 4:8-12; PS 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29; 1 JN 3:1-2; JN 10:11-18

On this fourth Sunday of Easter, we hear that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are His sheep. In Jesus’ time, a shepherd was someone who protected and guided his sheep. Jesus does this for us and so much more. He is the Shepherd that lays down His life for His sheep. This message calls us to reflect inward — do we allow Jesus to shepherd our lives?
 
In our Gospel Jesus reveals His radical love for us. He says, “A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep…I am the good shepherd… and I will lay down my life for the sheep.” Jesus tells us that we are His. We can compare this relationship to that of a loving parent to their child. The parent does not receive payment for nurturing and guiding their child. They constantly give without much in return. And if any evil came near the child, the parent would do anything, even lay down their life for the baby that is their own. 
 
We are Christ’s, even more than a child is to a parent. He created us, brought us forth into the world, and sustains our lives each day. Evil persists in our world so Jesus willingly laid down His life for us at Calvary so that we might be saved. He is our Shepherd, whether we remain in His flock or go astray. Whether we accept His care, protection, and guidance or not, He is our Good Shepherd. 
 
But just as a baby is happiest in the arms of a parent, so too are we happiest in the flock of our Shepherd. And just as sheep go astray or try to test their boundaries, we also stray from God, test our limits and even follow false shepherds. Let us look inward and examine our hearts for the times we might have stopped faithfully praying or coming to Mass each week or let money, status, or anything else rule our lives. 
 
Thankfully our Shepherd is a Good Shepherd, and He laid down His life for us knowing every sin we will ever commit. Therefore, let us examine our hearts and return to our flock. We don’t even need to find the way. He is right there always waiting to guide us home. 
 
 As Peter states in our first reading, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” Jesus is our true Shepherd. There is no other way to happiness or salvation than to remain in His flock. At times it will be challenging to do so. Complacency and sin are enticing, yet every moment we choose Him or return to Him, we will experience peace and freedom that no false independence will suffice. It is through dependence on our Shepherd that we will become liberated. 
 
Let us look inward this week and ask ourselves, ‘who is my Shepherd?’ and ‘have I gone astray?’ Name the areas in your life that you have neglected and ask Jesus to bring you home. Pray for His mercy, seek His forgiveness in the sacraments and begin again. Remember that we are His and He is ready for us to come home, as He says, “I know mine, and mine know me.”

The Liturgy of the Word: Sunday, 25th April 2021

First reading
Acts 4:8-12
The name of Jesus Christ is the only name in which we can be saved

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter said: ‘Rulers of the people, and elders! If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today. This is the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone. For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.’

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 117(118):1,8-9,21-23,26,28-29

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
    for his love has no end.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in men;
it is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

I will thank you for you have answered
    and you are my saviour.
The stone which the builders rejected
    has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
    a marvel in our eyes.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

Blessed in the name of the Lord
    is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
You are my God, I thank you.
    My God, I praise you.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;
    for his love has no end.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

Second reading
1 John 3:1-2
We shall be like God because we shall see him as he really is

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation
Jn10:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my own sheep and my own know me.

Alleluia!

Gospel
John 10:11-18
The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep

Jesus said:

‘I am the good shepherd:
the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.
The hired man, since he is not the shepherd
and the sheep do not belong to him,
abandons the sheep and runs away
as soon as he sees a wolf coming,
and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep;
this is because he is only a hired man
and has no concern for the sheep.

‘I am the good shepherd;
I know my own
and my own know me,
just as the Father knows me
and I know the Father;
and I lay down my life for my sheep.
And there are other sheep I have
that are not of this fold,
and these I have to lead as well.
They too will listen to my voice,
and there will be only one flock,
and one shepherd.

‘The Father loves me,
because I lay down my life
in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me;
I lay it down of my own free will,
and as it is in my power to lay it down,
so it is in my power to take it up again;
and this is the command I have been given by my Father.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday, 18th April 2021

ACTS 3:13-15, 17-19; PS 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9; 1 JN 2:1-5a; LK 24:35-48

During this Easter season, in addition to celebrating all that Christ did for us, we are also reminded of how His sacrifice impacts our lives. The knowledge of His sacrifice should not only affect our minds but also our hearts, changing how we live. With that in mind, our readings today call us to reflect on the necessary changes we must make as disciples of Christ. 
 
Our first reading reminds us that we are called to conversion. St. Peter recounts that man put Christ to death as he stated, “You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.” Although many were unaware of what they were doing at that time, many became aware through the preaching of the disciples. St. Peter was calling those individuals to repent and transform their lives. 
 
Through sin, we betray Jesus once again. It is like saying, “crucify Him!” Sometimes we deliberately turn away from Jesus out of pride and selfishness, and other times, we are not even aware of the gravity of our sin. Whether we know our weaknesses or are ignorant to them, let us ask God to reveal the areas of our lives in which we are betraying Him — maybe through addiction, materialism, and how we spend our money or time and putting things above God. And let us ask for the grace to repent and change our ways. 
 
In our Gospel, we are reminded that Jesus should be the central point in our lives. This passage begins with two disciples realizing Jesus had just appeared to them. They had previously spent a day with Him without recognizing His appearance.
 
We can learn a valuable lesson from these disciples. To recognize Jesus’ appearances in our lives, we need to know Him. And the best way to know the Lord is to spend time with Him. It can start with just ten minutes of quiet prayer a day and increasing that time week by week. We might begin by reading Scripture, the lives of the Saints, or even a decade of the Rosary. Yet the goal should be to carve out a specific time or times each day, in a quiet space, for just you and the Lord. As these disciples spent time with Jesus, it says, “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” Through building a routine of prayer and intentionally working on our relationship with Jesus, God will help us better understand His Word and all that He is calling us to do. 
 
As the disciples mentioned in our Gospel, they recognized it was Jesus in the breaking of the bread. We can also better know the Lord through the sacraments, most especially the Holy Mass. The Eucharist is Jesus Himself — Body, Blood Soul, and Divinity. What better way to grow in intimacy with Christ than to receive Him as frequently as possible or to go into the church and talk to Him in front of the Blessed Sacrament? As we make Jesus the center of our lives — through prayer and the sacraments — we will be able to recognize Him in day-to-day moments. 
 
The end of our Gospel reminds us that we are called to evangelize. The disciples in Jesus’ time were witnesses of His life, death, and resurrection. It was their duty to spread it to the ends of the earth. We are also witnesses. We were not physically at Calvary, but we are witnesses of the truth of our faith and the effects that Christ has on our lives. We are called to share the goodness and love He pours out on us to all those we meet. Very simply, we are called to be evangelists by the way we live our lives. 
 
As we are still in the midst of this Easter season, let us take some time to think about what Christ did for us and the changes we should make in our daily lives to help us grow closer to Him.

The Liturgy of the Word:. Sunday, 18th April 2021

First reading Acts 3:13-15,17-19 ·

You killed the prince of life: God, however, raised him from the dead

Peter said to the people: ‘You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him. It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses.

  ‘Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing; this was the way God carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that his Christ would suffer. Now you must repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.’

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm	Psalm 4:2,4,7,9

Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.

When I call, answer me, O God of justice;

  from anguish you released me, have mercy and hear me!

Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.

It is the Lord who grants favours to those whom he loves;

  the Lord hears me whenever I call him.

Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.

‘What can bring us happiness?’ many say.

  Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.

Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.

I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once

  for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.

Second reading
1 John 2:1-5 ·

Jesus Christ is the sacrifice that takes our sins away, and the world's

I am writing this, my children,

to stop you sinning;

but if anyone should sin,

we have our advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ, who is just;

he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away,

and not only ours,

but the whole world’s.

We can be sure that we know God

only by keeping his commandments.

Anyone who says, ‘I know him’,

and does not keep his commandments,

is a liar,

refusing to admit the truth.

But when anyone does obey what he has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation	cf.Lk24:32

Alleluia, alleluia!

Lord Jesus, explain the Scriptures to us.

Make our hearts burn within us as you talk to us.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Luke 24:35-48

It is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead

The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread.

  They were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.

  Then he told them, ‘This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms has to be fulfilled.’ He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday, 11th April 2021

April 11, 2021 — Second Sunday of Easter, Sunday of Divine Mercy

ACTS 4:32-35; PS 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 JN 5:1-6; JN 20:19-31

On this second Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. We celebrate this feast today since God’s mercy was shared with us through the resurrection of Jesus. The access to Divine Mercy has been with us since that time. Many centuries later, in 1931, Jesus revealed specific instructions to a nun named Sr. Faustina to help further spread the message of His Divine Mercy. To put it simply, today, we are celebrating Jesus’ merciful love for us and how we can partake in it. 
 
No matter where we are on our journey as a disciple of Christ, we are all in need of God’s merciful love. There are countless times throughout our day when we miss the mark. For instance, we might fail to respond in kind to our spouse or kids, fall into gossip in our workday, or even forget to think positively of others. These shortcomings call us to humble ourselves and receive the unwavering mercy of God. 
 
As we see in our Gospel, even Thomas, one of Jesus’ apostles, falls short as he doubts the resurrection. We can resonate with Thomas in the ways we might have doubts about the presence of Christ in our day-to-day lives — not believing in His power, doubting His presence in times of suffering, or even doubting His love for us. Yet, there is something valuable we can learn from Thomas. Once he realized his weakness, he cried out, “My Lord and my God.” Surely at that moment, Jesus could see the thoughts of Thomas’ heart and extended His merciful love towards him. When we recognize our need for God’s mercy, let us cry out for Him at that moment, saying, “My Lord and my God, have mercy on me.” 
 
Jesus is Mercy itself. He was born into time to save us from sin. And to ensure His Mercy was always available to us, He gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In our Gospel, Jesus encounters the apostles after the resurrection and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Jesus gave us the gift of this sacrament because He wants to help us reach eternal life. He knows we cannot do it without His merciful love, and a resolve to do better and to follow Him more faithfully. It starts with an awareness of our sins and a humble heart. 
 
In our Second Reading, St. John helps us further understand this message of mercy. He says, “For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments.” We must be careful not to fall under the misconception of a false message of mercy — God’s mercy is abundant and readily available to us; however, we need to do our very best to actively live out our call as disciples of Christ. The times when we fall are the times we must seek God’s mercy, in addition to changing our ways to become a more faithful disciple. One way to tangibly help us achieve this is by doing a daily examen each night. If we take just a few minutes to reflect on our day with gratitude, acknowledge our sins, and pray for tomorrow’s events, surely we will grow on our path of discipleship. 
 
Let us continue to celebrate today, as we are in the midst of our glorious Easter season! As we celebrate, may we recall the precious gift God has given to us through His Son — Mercy itself. May we never forget that, with a contrite heart and a resolution to do better, God is always willing to forgive. And may we never withhold merciful love from anyone we meet.  

The Liturgy of the Word: Sunday, 11th April 2021

First reading
Acts 4:32-35
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul

The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.

    The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.

    None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 117(118):2-4,15-18,22-24

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

Let the sons of Israel say:
    ‘His love has no end.’
Let the sons of Aaron say:
    ‘His love has no end.’
Let those who fear the Lord say:
    ‘His love has no end.’

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
    his right hand raised me up.
I shall not die, I shall live
    and recount his deeds.
I was punished, I was punished by the Lord,
    but not doomed to die.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

The stone which the builders rejected
    has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
    a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord;
    we rejoice and are glad.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.

Second reading
1 John 5:1-6
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has already overcome the world

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ
has been begotten by God;
and whoever loves the Father that begot him
loves the child whom he begets.
We can be sure that we love God’s children
if we love God himself and do what he has commanded us;
this is what loving God is –
keeping his commandments;
and his commandments are not difficult,
because anyone who has been begotten by God
has already overcome the world;
this is the victory over the world –
our faith.

Who can overcome the world?
Only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God:
Jesus Christ who came by water and blood,
not with water only,
but with water and blood;
with the Spirit as another witness –
since the Spirit is the truth.

The word of the Lord

Sequence

Victimae Paschali Laudes

Christians, to the Paschal Victim
    offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ, the undefiled,
hath sinners to his Father reconciled.

Death with life contended:
    combat strangely ended!

Life’s own Champion, slain,
    yet lives to reign.

Tell us, Mary: 
    say what thou didst see 
    upon the way.

The tomb the Living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!

The angels there attesting;
shroud with grave-clothes resting.

Christ, my hope, has risen:
he goes before you into Galilee.

That Christ is truly risen
    from the dead we know.
Victorious king, thy mercy show!

Gospel Acclamation
Jn20:29

Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus said: ‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’
Alleluia!

Gospel
John 20:19-31
Eight days later, Jesus came again and stood among them

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.

‘As the Father sent me,

so am I sending you.’

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.

For those whose sins you forgive,

they are forgiven;

for those whose sins you retain,

they are retained.’

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:

‘You believe because you can see me.

Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Pope Francis' Prayer Intention - April 2021

 

New Bec - Sunday, 11th April 2021