Thought for the week 30th Sept 2012

Skilful religion points to the mystery that is God with awe, instead of trying to explain everything with arrogance. You see in Jesus' day, the certainty principle stated that bad things happened to bad people and good people only received blessing upon blessing. So tragic accidents, massacres and any other suffering had to have a cause that lay in the people who suffered in the event. They must have drawn it to themselves! Jesus suggests that there is more going on in the mysteries of living and dying than a simplistic quest for certainty couched in trite dogmatic pronouncements. All that is certain is the mystery. True faith you see, is not belief, it is TRUST.
 Jesus called the people of his time to trust the God of
 the mystery and not try to play God themselves.
Rev Peter Woods

Mark 9.38–50

After Jesus had finished teaching the disciples, John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’

Thought for the week 23rd September 2012

Jesus,
who is the greatest
who is the first?
You were born in a stable
needing everything,
having nothing.
Your death was on the cross
needing everything,
having nothing.
And yet you are the greatest of all.
What do you ask of us?
Carry our crosses?
Serve all?
Oh Lord,
Give us only your grace.
Anne Osdieck

After Jesus had finished teaching the disciples, John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’

Thought for the Week 16th Sept 2012

The “real presence” of Communion is Jesus Christ in his full mystery. He is the sustenance of our lives, the nourishment of our faith. He is our truest food and drink.
John Kavanaugh, S. J.

Thought for the week 9th Sept Patronal Festival

Open to spirit,
gift of new life,
risk set aside,
accept the strife.
Taken in trust,
new family to be,
hands held out open,
love is the key.
Questions to ponder,
challenges to face,
always to wonder,
but strengthened by grace.
Called to a journey
carried alone,
the grief and the sadness
cuts to the bone.
Surprised by the Spirit,
the end is not here;
new life beginning,
surpassing and clear.
JCH


(Luke 1.46-55)

Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

Thought for the week 2nd Sept 2012

Rhythm of Life

Darkness
curling round the edge of space
like mist on a summer morning
meets dancing light,
to touch and separate,
to embrace and part,
on that first day
of God's creating.
So in the rhythm
of our lives
must joy and sadness
weave a pattern
of God's purpose:
touch and tinge
our lives
with sorrow
and gladness.
Kate McIlhagga

Mark 7.1–8, 14–15, 21–23 When the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,

“This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.”

You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’

Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’

Thought for the week 26th Aug 2012

Invitation
The fire is lit,
the table set,
the door stands open.
Come to eat and drink,
come to be part of the community,
come to be part of the worldwide
communion
of those who trust in Jesus.
Come round the table,
saint and sinner,
stranger and friend,
to break bread,
share wine,
prepared and poured for you.
In sharing the symbols
of life blood spilt
and body broken,
become one with Christ
and with all those,
who in pain,
yearn for healing today.
Come, here is food
for your healing,
bread and wine for your journey.
Come to be full-filled,
by God, the Giver and Lover of all.
Kate McIlhagga

Thought for the week 19th August

O
Christ,
be manna
for our journeys,
food that gives us life.
It is infinite love we need
for the source of all our goings,
strength for what comes our way
every moment of every day.
Be our love-source,
our life source.
And we shall
not ever
Die.
Anne Osdieck