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Displaying items by tag: Celebrating At Home

Wednesday, 09 February 2022 16:57

Celebrating At Home - 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrating At Home - 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Blessings & Woes (Luke 6:17, 20-26)

Over the next three Sundays we will listen to almost the whole of Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. Luke has used Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount but changed and shortened it significantly. It is important to realise that both Sermons are more than only the Beatitudes which begin them.

In Luke, Jesus’ words are addressed to the disciples, not to the gathered crowd, so we might think of the sermon as a teaching about discipleship.
The whole of the Sermon is quite confronting and challenging, especially those verses which form today’s Gospel reading. The Sermon begins with four blessings and four woes.

At first glance it is very odd to call people who are poor, hungry, weeping and hated blessed, fortunate or happy. But we have to hear the words of Jesus in the context of the religious teaching and general thinking which belonged to his time. Then, it was generally thought that those who suffered these things were experiencing the effects of either their own personal sinfulness or that of an ancestor.

Similarly, those with wealth, plenty of food and high status were considered blessed and rewarded by God.

In the beatitudes Jesus reverses this way of thinking and effectively says that the opposite is true: God is, in fact, on the side of the poor and suffering.

They experience suffering through no fault of their own (e.g., sin), it is simply the situation in which they find themselves. As the woes (‘Alas for you…’) make clear, the rich have a great deal to lose. The poor and suffering are fortunate in Jesus’ view because they have a need which the overflowing generosity of God can fill. They are in situations which attract God’s impulse to save. The Kingdom of God is already among them.

All things being equal, being wealthy, well-fed, happy and enjoying a good reputation are perfectly desirable. But in Jesus’ view all things are not equal. Often the poor are poor precisely because the rich are rich. The powerless suffer at the hands of those who have power and influence. ‘The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer’ is a saying that endures even to this day.

Throughout his Gospel, Luke has Jesus insist repeatedly on the need for his followers to embrace poverty and to be under no illusions about the danger of wealth. Those who remain possessed by their possessions and the privileges they bring are unable to receive the gift of salvation, but even they can join the blessed through their care of the poor.

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Thursday, 03 February 2022 13:05

Celebrating At Home - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrating At Home - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Here I am, send me (Luke 5:1-11)

As if to balance the rejection Jesus experienced in last week’s Gospel, this week’s episode tells two stories of people who welcome his message.

Firstly, an enthusiastic crowd has gathered on the shore of the lake, eagerly pressing forward to hear Jesus’ teaching. Jesus seems to be in danger of being crushed or at least being pushed into the sea! He takes the unusual step of teaching from Simon’s boat.

Secondly, Luke tells us that Simon and his companions are washing their nets on the shore as Jesus teaches, no doubt listening to what he has to say at the same time.

When Jesus finishes his teaching he asks Simon to put out into deep water and prepare for a catch.

Simon protests: if they caught nothing all night, the best time for fishing, what hope was there of a good catch during the day? Anyway, what would a craftsman like Jesus know about the art of commercial fishing?

Nevertheless, Simon does as Jesus asks and an extraordinary abundance of fish is caught - enough to almost sink two boats.

Overwhelmed by the huge catch, Simon sense both the presence of the Divine and his own unworthiness and begs Jesus to leave him.

Jesus’ words to him are both a call and a commission. From now on it will not be fish destined to be killed, but living people that Simon and his companions will catch and draw into the community of disciples.

Amazingly, Simon Peter, James and John abandon their thriving business, leaving everything behind, nets, boats and employees, and follow Jesus.

These new disciples of Jesus will use the Word of God to lure men and women to bring about their transformation to new life in Christ. The miraculous catch of such a huge number of fish seems to indicate that a vast number of people will find the way of Life in the preaching of the apostles.

Our call as disciples is not only to personal holiness but also to partnership with Christ in transforming the world and its peoples with words and actions of justice, peace, integrity, forgiveness, mercy, tolerance, hope and love.

First we must allow ourselves to be caught and taught by Jesus. The response that is asked for, it seems, is to be prepared to give up everything in our quest to know Jesus. In spite of our sinfulness, sense of unworthiness and lack of faith in ourselves, it is a call to trust in God’s choice of us and in God’s faith in us. 

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Thursday, 27 January 2022 11:32

Celebrating At Home - 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrating At Home - 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homecoming 2 (Luke 4:21-30)

This Sunday’s Gospel continues Luke’s story of Jesus’ visit to his hometown. The warmth, welcome and approval with which Jesus was initially greeted soon turns into an ugly scene.

Last week, in the synagogue in Nazareth Jesus announced his mission quoting the words of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. He comes as God’s anointed one, filled with the Spirit, to proclaim good news to the poor, liberty to captives, new sight to the blind; to set the downtrodden free and to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

Now, at first astonished by ‘the gracious words that came from his lips’, the people can hardly believe that this message of welcome and acceptance by God could be coming from the boy they watched grow up. He is beginning to sound like a prophet, but, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely?’

Jesus accuses them of wanting him to play the prophet for their benefit: to stay in Nazareth and do miracles and wonders just for them, like some kind of local magician.

The townspeople cannot recognise or respond to God’s word spoken in Jesus. Certain that they know exactly who Jesus is, they cannot hear the message and believe in him.

Using examples from the lives of the prophets Elijah and Elisha Jesus makes plain that God’s offer of salvation is not restricted just to them, nor indeed, even to Israelites. Neither the widow nor Naaman are Israelites. God’s love is unconditional and meant for all.

The people are so enraged that they want to kill him, but Jesus slips away to continue his journey according to God’s plan.

This whole episode reminds us that God’s offer of hospitality and welcome to us cannot be treated just as lovely words, nor God as some kind of personal wonderworker.

It is as though the Nazarenes thought that they had God, Jesus and his message neatly worked out and arranged for their sole benefit. It was a kind of superficial response - ‘What’s in it for us?’

Jesus brings these thoughts out into the open because the salvation he brings cannot rest just on the surface. It is meant to touch, explore and heal the depths of human beings. That is the journey of conversion.

This resource is presented by the Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste at a time when many cannot gather together as we usually do to celebrate the Eucharist. We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own we remain part of the Body of Christ.

In the room you decide to use for this prayer you could have a lighted candle, a crucifix and the Bible. These symbols help keep us mindful of the sacredness of our time of prayer and can help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

This text is arranged with parts for a leader and for all to pray, but the leader’s parts can be shared among those present.

As you use this prayer know that the Carmelites will be remembering in our prayer all the members of our family at this time.

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Friday, 21 January 2022 08:21

Celebrating At Home - 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrating At Home - 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homecoming (Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21)

Homecomings can turn out to be very mixed events. Initial warmth and welcome can turn, surprisingly quickly, to doubt, antagonism and rejection.

In the Gospels for this Sunday and next, Luke tells the story of Jesus’ visit to his hometown of Nazareth.

Before that story begins, however, the Church has included the very first lines of Luke’s Gospel in today’s reading. Here Luke explains, in classical literary fashion, what the purpose of his writings is: to offer an authentic and ordered account of the Christian movement, designed to give Theophilus firm reassurance about the things he has been taught.

After this introduction the first part of the story of Jesus’ homecoming follows. We will hear the second part in next week’s Gospel.
Following his temptation in the wilderness, Jesus returns to Galilee, the region in which he had grown up. He sets about teaching in the synagogues, winning many admirers.

Eventually, Jesus appears in his hometown of Nazareth and attends synagogue on the Sabbath as he usually did. He does the second reading of the synagogue service - the reading from the Prophets, in this case from the prophet Isaiah.

What Jesus reads out becomes and explanation of his mission and ministry. In the Spirit of the Lord, with which Jesus has been anointed, he will bring good news to the poor, liberty to captives, new sight to the blind, freedom to the downtrodden and proclaim a year of the Lord’s favour.

The essential good news that Jesus preaches and enacts is of God’s acceptance and welcome (not judgement) of the people who find themselves bound, trapped and afflicted.

Here Jesus sets the pattern not only for his own life and ministry, but also for those who would wish to follow him. We, too, anointed by the Spirit, are called to be God’s acceptance, welcome and freedom for all who are bound, trapped or afflicted in their lives.

In the broader context of Luke’s Gospel, this message is not to be reduced to metaphor. It is about giving real help for all who are struggling in one way or another with the concrete situations of their lives.

This resource is presented by the Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste at a time when many cannot gather together as we usually do to celebrate the Eucharist. We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own we remain part of the Body of Christ.

In the room you decide to use for this prayer you could have a lighted candle, a crucifix and the Bible. These symbols help keep us mindful of the sacredness of our time of prayer and can help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

This text is arranged with parts for a leader and for all to pray, but the leader’s parts can be shared among those present.

As you use this prayer know that the Carmelites will be remembering in our prayer all the members of our family at this time.

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Thursday, 13 January 2022 11:40

Celebrating At Home - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrating At Home - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The true bridegroom (John 2: 1-11)

Weddings are usually wonderful occasions. Family and friends come together to witness to and celebrate a couples’ love and commitment. The ritual is crowned with singing, dancing, eating and drinking. It has been so for centuries. In Jewish tradition a wedding could last for days, not hours.

It’s interesting that, in John’s Gospel, Jesus begins his ministry in the warm and homely setting of a village wedding in the same region in which Jesus had grown up. Mary, Jesus and his disciples have been invited.

Disaster strikes when the wine runs out. It’s not hard to imagine how acutely embarrassing and humiliating that would have been for the wedding couple and their families. From then on the wedding would have been remembered as, ‘the one when the wine ran out’.

Mary sees what has happened and mentions it to Jesus but he seems reluctant to do anything about it: ‘My hour,’ he says, ‘has not come yet.’ In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ hour will come on the cross, when he will reveal God as God truly is, through the sacrifice of divine love for the world.

Mary is not put off by Jesus’ reply. Perhaps she knows her Son better than he does himself at this point. ‘Do whatever he tells you,’ she says to the servants.

Even though his time had not yet come, Jesus acts with kindness and compassion, saving the couple from acute embarrassment and ensuring that the wedding celebration can continue with plenty of ‘the best wine’.

In telling this story, John is drawing on Old Testament themes which picture God as the ‘bridegroom’ of Israel. The bond of love between God and Israel was meant to be deep and enduring - like a marriage. Such themes led to the expectation that the promised Messiah would restore this relationship.

In Jewish tradition it was the bridegroom’s responsibility to provide the wine for the wedding.

In John’s story it is Jesus who ends up providing an abundance of the best wine, revealing Jesus as the divine bridegroom, come to take Israel back as bride.

At the end of this Gospel passage, John tells us that Jesus’ action in turning the water into wine was the first of the signs he gave. In John’s Gospel there will be six more. All of them to do with healing, saving, restoring, feeding and giving life to human beings.

None are empty displays of Jesus’ power. The ‘glory’ of Jesus lies in revealing the God of love, especially in moments of real human need. The signs show that the power of love which comes from God is always at the service of human beings.

We, too, are called to allow the glory of God to shine out through us in loving, healing, transforming words and actions.

This resource is presented by the Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste at a time when many cannot gather together as we usually do to celebrate the Eucharist. We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own we remain part of the Body of Christ. 

In the room you decide to use for this prayer you could have a lighted candle, a crucifix and the Bible. These symbols help keep us mindful of the sacredness of our time of prayer and can help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

 This text is arranged with parts for a leader and for all to pray, but the leader’s parts can be shared among those present.

As you use this prayer know that the Carmelites will be remembering in our prayer all the members of our family at this time.

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Thursday, 23 December 2021 17:24

Celebrating At Home - Christmas - Nativity Of The Lord

Celebrating At Home - Christmas - Nativity Of The Lord

God is with us! (Matthew 1:18-25)

We began Advent with the cry, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’. Now we end it with the joyful shout, ‘God is with us!’

Reflecting on the historical birth of Jesus, the Church proclaims the truth that God is, and has always been, with his people. And if God is with us, then God is for us. God is on our side.

God has no desire to live in houses made of wood, stone or gold. God’s deepest desire is to live in human flesh. Just as God did that in the human flesh of Jesus Christ a long time ago, God continues to do so now in us.

Like Mary, we accept God’s invitation, allowing Jesus to become flesh in us, too; to be seen and experienced in good thoughts, good words and good actions, in deeds of loving kindness which bring life, not death, to God’s people.

This resource is presented by the Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste at a time when many cannot gather together as we usually do to celebrate the Eucharist. We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own we remain part of the Body of Christ.

In the room you decide to use for this prayer you could have a lighted candle, a crucifix and the Bible. During Advent it is particularly appropriate to have an Advent Wreath in the place where you pray. These symbols help keep us mindful of the sacredness of our time of prayer and can help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities. 

This text is arranged with parts for a leader and for all to pray, but the leader’s parts can be shared among those present.

As you use this prayer know that the Carmelites will be remembering in our prayer all the members of our family at this time.

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Friday, 17 December 2021 13:20

Celebrating At Home - 4th Sunday of Advent

Celebrating At Home - 4th Sunday of Advent

The promise fulfilled (Luke 1:39-44)

The great Christmas feast is almost here. As always in Advent, what is promised in the first reading is brought to fulfilment in the Gospel reading. We began Advent with the cry, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’. We will end it with the joyful shout, ‘God is with us!’

Beautiful words from the Prophet Micah form the first reading today which looks forward to the birth of a leader for Israel who, as a shepherd king gathers the people and feeds them with the power of the Lord and the majesty of God. His powerful reign will bring about an era of security and he himself will be peace.

What Micah looks forward to in words becomes flesh and blood in the person of Jesus.
Luke’s touching story of the meeting of the pregnant cousins, Mary and Elizabeth, is full of joy, warmth and love.

It’s not hard to imagine the joyful greetings and embrace at Mary’s surprise visit. Mary greets Elizabeth with the usual greeting, Shalom (‘Peace!’) which is exactly what she brings with her - the One Micah talks about in the first reading, the Messiah.

In his very first act of witness to the presence of the Messiah, John leaps in his mother’s womb which releases within her the power of prophecy. Filled with the Holy Spirit Elizabeth proclaims Mary as blessed, wonders at why she, herself, should have been found worthy to give hospitality to the mother of the Lord, and blesses Mary’s faith that the promises of the Lord would indeed find fulfilment in her.

Can we dare to imagine that we, too, carry within us the Peace of God? Can we welcome the presence of God within us and one another? Can we find the ways to nourish our awareness of that presence, let it grow stronger and deeper until our whole life is filled with God, immersed in God and overflows in every word, thought and action of ours?

The Season of Advent

The word “advent” means appearing, arrival, to come. Advent is the Church’s time of preparation for celebrating God’s gift of his Son. Our liturgy will gather the great Advent themes of hope, expectation and preparation. During Advent we recall Christ’s coming at Bethlehem and we look forward to his second coming at the end of time.
Advent is a season of joyful expectation.

Advent has two parts. The first two Sundays focus on preparing for Jesus’ return at the end of time. The second two Sundays focus on preparing to celebrate the anniversary of Jesus’ birth.

The Gospels of the Sundays in Advent have four great movements 1. Stay Awake! 2. Prepare! 3. Rejoice! and 4. Receive!

Advent is a journey from
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
to
Emmanuel. God-is-with-us!

...

This resource is presented by the Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste at a time when we cannot gather together as we usually do to celebrate the Eucharist. We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own we remain part of the Body of Christ.

In the room you decide to use for this prayer you could have a lighted candle, a crucifix and the Bible. During Advent it is particularly appropriate to have an Advent Wreath in the place where you pray. These symbols help keep us mindful of the sacredness of our time of prayer and can help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

This text is arranged with parts for a leader and for all to pray, but the leader’s parts can be shared among those present.

As you use this prayer know that the Carmelites will be remembering in our prayer all the members of our family at this time.

Published in Announcements (CITOC)
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Thursday, 09 December 2021 11:02

Celebrating At Home - 3rd Sunday of Advent

Celebrating At Home - 3rd Sunday of Advent

What must we do? (Luke 3:10-18)

We continue to focus on John the Baptist in the Gospel today. Last week we heard about John’s ministry of preaching repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins. The idea of repentance is about turning around and facing in a new direction. John’s call to the people was to turn away from the old ways of life and to turn towards God.

The Gospel opens with the people, the tax collectors and some soldiers, having heard the call to change their lives, all asking John, ‘What must we do?”

These three groups would normally be very suspicious of each other. The Roman soldiers, occupying the country, the locals who collected tax on behalf of the Romans, and the crowd, often the victim of both. Yet somehow John’s preaching has brought them all together in a community of sorts.

Notice how practical John’s advice is. And, at the same time, it is a call to live by the values of compassion (to the crowd), justice (to the tax collectors), and the promotion of peace (to the soldiers).

Values and behaviours opposite to these hinder relationship with God, dehumanise others and ruin life in community.

What results from conversion is a new way of life. In the Gospel, John spells out what that new way of life might look like for these groups of people.

John’s teaching and advice build a sense of expectancy among the crowd. “Is this the One?” they ask themselves.

It would have been easy for John to get carried away with his popularity, but he proves to be a true servant of the Word (like the prophets) and directs the peoples’ attention away from himself and towards the One who is to come.

Feelings of expectation and rejoicing dominate the prayers and readings of this part of Advent as we grow closer to celebrating the Christmas feast.

Our celebration of the historical birth of Jesus is the lens through which we again contemplate the enduring presence of Jesus in our lives.

Accompanied by the beautiful thoughts of the first reading we can be confident in God’s love, which (as the reading says) renews us.

How do we respond to this new awareness of God’s abiding love? We ask the same question as the people asked John, “What must I do?” Our response to that question leads to a reformation of our attitudes and behaviour towards others. To be baptised with the Holy Spirit and with fire is to be baptised ‘from within’, to have hearts and minds re- made in the image and likeness of Christ.

Learning the way of Christ is how we become the wheat in the Kingdom of God, not the chaff in the fire.

The Season of Advent

The word “advent” means appearing, arrival, to come. Advent is the Church’s time of preparation for celebrating God’s gift of his Son. Our liturgy will gather the great Advent themes of hope, expectation and preparation. During Advent we recall Christ’s coming at Bethlehem and we look forward to his second coming at the end of time.
Advent is a season of joyful expectation.

Advent has two parts. The first two Sundays focus on preparing for Jesus’ return at the end of time. The second two Sundays focus on preparing to celebrate the anniversary of Jesus’ birth.

The Gospels of the Sundays in Advent have four great movements 1. Stay Awake! 2. Prepare! 3. Rejoice! and 4. Receive!

Advent is a journey from
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
to
Emmanuel. God-is-with-us!

...

This resource is presented by the Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste at a time when we cannot gather together as we usually do to celebrate the Eucharist. We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own we remain part of the Body of Christ.

In the room you decide to use for this prayer you could have a lighted candle, a crucifix and the Bible. During Advent it is particularly appropriate to have an Advent Wreath in the place where you pray. These symbols help keep us mindful of the sacredness of our time of prayer and can help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

This text is arranged with parts for a leader and for all to pray, but the leader’s parts can be shared among those present.

As you use this prayer know that the Carmelites will be remembering in our prayer all the members of our family at this time.

Published in Announcements (CITOC)
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Wednesday, 01 December 2021 08:42

Celebrating At Home - 2nd Sunday of Advent

Celebrating At Home - 2nd Sunday of Advent

Prepare a way for the Lord (Luke 3:1-6)

The sense of preparing is very strong in our readings this weekend. The Gospel highlights the role of John the Baptist as the one who prepares the way for Jesus. It was John’s ministry of preaching and baptism which laid the foundation for Jesus’ ministry. The idea of repentance has less to do with feeling sorry for individual sins and more to do with turning around and facing in a new direction. John’s call to the people was to turn away from the old way of life and to turn towards God.

The first reading from the prophet Baruch is a call to do the same. It talks about taking off the dress of sorrow and distress and putting on the beauty and glory of God. It’s a call for the people to become God’s people. God will lower the mountains and smooth the way so that God’s people can walk in safety, guided by God’s light and escorted by mercy and integrity.

In the Gospel, Luke refers to a similar text found in the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Making straight paths for the Lord can be understood as the radical change of behaviour away from sin and towards God.


The loving action of God gently fills in the valleys and lowers the mountains and straightens and smooths the roads so that we can be fully open to the living and transforming presence of Jesus so that ‘all mankind shall see the salvation of God’ in and through us.

Our Advent readings help us realise God’s profound love for us and his presence within us through the Holy Spirit. Knowing that God will always treat us with love and tender care helps us to turn again towards him and to trust in the depth of his mercy.

Our Advent journey is showing us how to prepare our hearts for a fresh discovery of God’s presence in our lives; how to recognise the hidden presence of Jesus among and around us; how to turn around and face towards God with faith, hope and love; and how to be the living presence of Jesus in our moment of history.

The Season of Advent

The word “advent” means appearing, arrival, to come. Advent is the Church’s time of preparation for celebrating God’s gift of his Son. Our liturgy will gather the great Advent themes of hope, expectation and preparation. During Advent we recall Christ’s coming at Bethlehem and we look forward to his second coming at the end of time.
Advent is a season of joyful expectation.

Advent has two parts. The first two Sundays focus on preparing for Jesus’ return at the end of time. The second two Sundays focus on preparing to celebrate the anniversary of Jesus’ birth.

The Gospels of the Sundays in Advent have four great movements 1. Stay Awake! 2. Prepare! 3. Rejoice! and 4. Receive!

Advent is a journey from
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
to
Emmanuel. God-is-with-us!

...

This resource is presented by the Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste at a time when we cannot gather together as we usually do to celebrate the Eucharist. We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own we remain part of the Body of Christ.

In the room you decide to use for this prayer you could have a lighted candle, a crucifix and the Bible. During Advent it is particularly appropriate to have an Advent Wreath in the place where you pray. These symbols help keep us mindful of the sacredness of our time of prayer and can help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

This text is arranged with parts for a leader and for all to pray, but the leader’s parts can be shared among those present.

As you use this prayer know that the Carmelites will be remembering in our prayer all the members of our family at this time.

Published in Announcements (CITOC)
Tagged under
Read more...
Friday, 26 November 2021 07:50

Celebrating At Home - 1st Sunday of Advent

Celebrating At Home - 1st Sunday of Advent

Stay awake! Your liberation is near

The great Advent journey begins. The Advent readings are a rich tapestry of images centered on the truth that God has come among us. We do not pretend that we are waiting for Jesus to be born in a stable. That happened once, a long time ago, and it will not happen again. We remember that birth as we remember our own birthdays.

The God who came among us is still among us. Advent’s invitation is to become aware of the all-pervading presence of the risen Jesus as Emmanuel – God among us.

In the first reading this Sunday Jeremiah looks forward to the coming of one who will save God’s people, one who acts with honesty and integrity. In the second reading St Paul encourages the people of Thessalonica in their following of Christ. He prays that their love will grow and that their hearts will be ‘confirmed in holiness’. The early Christians believed that Jesus would return very soon as the Lord of Glory.

As time passed, they had to re-think this belief and work out how to live in the meantime, the time in between the first and final comings of Christ. That’s our challenge, too.

Today’s Gospel from St Luke warns Christians not to be distracted by the cares and snares of the world, but to be ready to stand confidently before the Son of Man when he comes. Remaining constant in love and attentive to our calling we become the living presence of Jesus until he comes again.

...

This resource is presented by the Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste at a time when we cannot gather together as we usually do to celebrate the Eucharist. We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own we remain part of the Body of Christ.

In the room you decide to use for this prayer you could have a lighted candle, a crucifix and the Bible. During Advent it is particularly appropriate to have an Advent Wreath in the place where you pray. These symbols help keep us mindful of the sacredness of our time of prayer and can help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

This text is arranged with parts for a leader and for all to pray, but the leader’s parts can be shared among those present.

As you use this prayer know that the Carmelites will be remembering in our prayer all the members of our family at this time.

Published in Announcements (CITOC)
Tagged under
Read more...
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