John 20:19-23 | Gustave Doré | The Feast of Pentecost

John 20:19-23 The Feast of Pentecost

The Descent of the Holy Spirit, Print by Gustave Doré (1832-1883), Engraved in 1870’s, Engraving on wove paper © Christian Art In the evening of 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.’ READ MORE Reflection on the Engraving Happy Feast of Pentecost everyone! Today we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus. It changed their lives forever. No longer were the disciples confused; from now on they understood the plan of Salvation. No longer were they doubting; now they were bursting with faith. No longer were they timid; now they could preach confidently… So can the Holy Spirit change our own lives, in order to produce the Christ-like character in all of us we are called to. We can’t live up to the character of Jesus on our own or by our own strength. Even with the best intentions or strong willpower, we will always fail. Only through the Holy Spirit can we make the changes God wants to make in our lives. The Holy Spirit, ever present, discreetly, in quiet unassuming ways, but nevertheless gently whispering in our ear… In our engraving today, we have the three classical depictions of the Holy Spirit: the dove (based on the account in Matthew 3:16: As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove);  the rays of light (this imagery for the Holy Spirit  is taken from the Annunciation announcement when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and she was overshadowed with the power of the Most High, Luke 1:35); and the small flames (the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 2:3, describes the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles as tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them). “O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart.  Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling  and scatter there, Your cheerful beams.” St Augustine (354-430) If you haven't watched our Prayer Video yet for Pentecost, you can do so here. by Patrick van der Vorst

The Power of the Spirit

The Power of the Spirit May 31, 2020 Pentecost Sunday John 20: 19-23 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Introductory Prayer: Today, Lord, we celebrate the gift of your Holy Spirit to the Church, which you won for us through your patient suffering on the cross. I believe and trust in his power to make me a better apostle of your Kingdom, to bring fervor where I have grown tepid, to instill detachment where I have become too indulgent, and to perfect the innocence of my baptism, which leaves my soul more pure and worthy to serve and honor you each day. Petition: Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart with your grace and enkindle in me the fire of your love. The Doors Were Locked: What is it that makes a disciple of Christ stop cold in the path of conversion and commitment? Cloaked underneath our spiritual inertia and lack of zeal are not so much our personal defects or our lack of human virtue as blindness to the dynamic power of the Crucified and Risen Lord. We can leave our self-made prisons only by opening our hearts to a faith in Christ that is total: total trust (in spite of the confusion of the present and uncertainty of the future), total hope (by breaking away from having to see the ideal in ourselves before we will act), and total divine confidence (in setting aside the sins of others and our personal failures that keep us stuck in myopic visions of life). Christ comes through bolted doors again today to ask us to unlock them with an authentic experience of the Risen Lord in the power of the Spirit. Peace Be With You: It is vital to examine our “peace” and see if it truly speaks of the peace of the Upper Room. Substitute “satisfaction” for the word “peace,” and see where our hearts have tried to find consolation this past week. Then substitute the word “fulfillment.” This is the peace that Christ brings through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some passing satisfactions are part of life, and we can be grateful for them. When we seek them for their own sake, however, we can easily drown out the life of the Spirit, who comes to bring us deep peace and fulfillment in life. Pentecost must convince us above all about prayer and the order of life that permit us to have constant contact with sources of grace and divine inspiration. Receive the Holy Spirit: In the sacrament of penance, we are forgiven our sins through the action of the Holy Spirit, who makes the actions of Christ present through the priest. We believe that mercy founds hope and change in our soul. Why, then, do we not believe that this same grace from the Holy Spirit can make us heroic saints, victorious in trial, patient in difficult relationships and more effective as apostles? Christ assures us that his power will never leave us, so we have no reason to “slip into neutral” after a few bad incidents in our life. Rather, the Holy Spirit’s goal moves us from mercy to transformation into Christ, permitting us spiritually to carry and reveal his wounds to an unbelieving world. Conversation with Christ: Oh, Jesus, I will trust more in the power of your Holy Spirit to change me than in my own efforts. I will depend on you in that face-to-face encounter I need to have with you every day. Let the sources of divine grace become my true food, and may I move away from feeding my soul on passing pleasures and vain ambitions. Resolution: This week, I will write down daily all the lights and inspirations of the Holy Spirit I receive, and I will try to act on them with promptness, confidence and generosity. Our Daily Meditation is also available with audio: CLICK HERE TO START LISTENING! FORWARD TO A FRIEND

John 21:20-25 | Photograph of my Bible | If all were written down...

John 21:20-25 If all were written down...

Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them – the one who had leaned on his breast at the supper and had said to him, ‘Lord, who is it that will betray you?’ Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come, what does it matter to you? You are to follow me.’ The rumour then went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, ‘He will not die’, but, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come.’ This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and has written them down, and we know that his testimony is true. There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the books that would have to be written. READ MORE Reflection on the Photograph Today I am sharing with you a simple photograph I took of the Bible I have with me in chapel. This is the Bible I use to reflect on our daily writings here. Today’s reading holds the very last words of the four Gospels. I thought there was beauty in the fact that most of the page after that is blank… It is for us to fill in the rest of that page… The Bible is neither a rulebook nor just a collection of nice stories to read… No, the Bible is primarily a story of love. A beautiful, at times heartbreaking redemptive story of how much God loves each one of us… So the blank page at the end of the four Gospels is now for us to write our own personal stories of love and friendship with Christ. I know, that page wouldn’t hold enough space to write our own stories of friendship with Him, past and future… but all I know, is that we have to entrust the pen to God and let Him write our stories… by Patrick van der Vorst

You Follow Me

You Follow Me May 30, 2020 Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter Father Paul Campbell, LC John 21:20-25 Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, "Master, who is the one who will betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus said to him, "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me." So, the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?" It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written. Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you and all that you have revealed for our salvation. I hope in you because of your overflowing mercy. Every single act of yours on this earth demonstrated your love for us. Your ascent into heaven before the eyes of the Apostles inspires my hope of one day joining you there. I love you and wish you to be the center of my life. Petition: Lord, increase my faith, hope and love. The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved: Peter is walking with Jesus along the shore where Jesus has just foretold his future martyrdom. He turns to ask Jesus about John, who was following them. Throughout his Gospel, John designates himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. It is as if the most striking point of John’s life and experience with Christ was that Jesus loved him. It became his identity. How often do I reflect on Christ’s love for me? How often do I cherish it? What About Him? Jesus responds to Peter’s question with a question of his own. What concern is it of yours what happens to John? Christ’s relationship with his disciples is deeply personal. Each has a mission to complete in life. We can get distracted thinking about and comparing ourselves to others, or whether they may or may not be following Christ. However, these comparisons with others (or their gifts, or their mission) can frequently be a sign of our pride. We have our own mission to fulfill, and no one can take our place. We need to concentrate instead on that part of our mission which is still ahead of us, yet to be fulfilled. We Know That His Testimony Is True: John is a witness to all that has taken place in his Gospel. His testimony was entrusted to a community of believers and has come down to us under the guarantee of the Church. The Gospel presents us with what Jesus actually said and did. We need to hold fast to our faith in the Gospel and not get sidetracked by modern interpretations that cast doubt on everything. When we read the scriptures, we hear God’s voice. Do I read them with such faith? Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for the testimony of your life that I find in the Gospel. Increase my faith. Help me to read the Scriptures and meditate on them with greater fervor. I know that you want to speak to me through them. Help me to follow you today. Resolution: Today I will help another person  read a passage of the Gospel prayerfully. Our Daily Meditation is also available with audio: CLICK HERE TO START LISTENING! FORWARD TO A FRIEND

Lights in the Night - A 17 Minute Prayer Video for our World

The Holy Spirit - A Prayer Video for Pentecost

John 21:15-19 | Anton Robert Leinweber | Simon, do you love me?

John 21:15-19 Simon, do you love me?

Peter's denial, Illustration by Anton Robert Leinweber (1845-1921), Painted in 1919, Gouache on paper © Christian Art Jesus showed himself to his disciples, and after they had eaten he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. ‘I tell you most solemnly, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.’ In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’ READ MORE Reflection on the Gouache on Paper Today’s Gospel reading shows how Jesus deals with failure by one of His closest friends, and outright betrayal. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. As we know, after the third denial, the cock crowed and Peter remembered Jesus’ prediction. Peter then began to cry bitterly… he repented. Peter’s denial was probably based on weakness (not standing up for his faith in Christ) and fear (that he too might get killed if he admitted to being a close friend of Christ). In today’s reading, we see God’s grace in action and how Christ is equipping Peter to strengthen his resolve in order to build our Church. We all love Peter, because he is so much like us. He has all the failures and fears we all have. In his faith in his friend Jesus, he overestimates what he can achieve and underestimates his own weaknesses. By denying Jesus three times, he did realise that actually he is much weaker than he thought. It was a crucial realisation. By the time we get to the reading of today, even though he has seen the risen Jesus, Peter is really a broken man. But Jesus continues to put His trust in him… Jesus used Peter’s three denials, to turn him from a weak and fearing Simon, into Peter, the Rock of our Church. by Patrick van der Vorst

Love Demands a Loving Response

Love Demands a Loving Response May 29, 2020 Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter Father Walter Schu, LC John 21:15-19 After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me." Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you and all that you have revealed for our salvation. I hope in you because of your overflowing mercy. Every single act of yours on this earth demonstrated your love for us. Your ascent into heaven before the eyes of the Apostles inspires my hope of one day joining you there. I love you and wish you to be the center of my life. Petition: Lord, help me to respond with love to your self-giving love. “Do You Love Me?” The moment for which Christ has been preparing ever since his Resurrection has arrived. He is alone with Peter. Their last encounter before Jesus’ death was that sad occasion when Christ looked at Peter, forgiving him after his threefold denial. Now Christ takes Peter a little apart from the others and gives him the opportunity to affirm a threefold pledge of his love. The one, supreme condition for Christ to renew Peter’s commission to tend his sheep is Peter’s love for his Master. Love is the one, supreme condition for each of us who aspires to be an apostle. Peter’s love has been purified by his betrayal of Christ during the Passion: It has been chastened and humbled. Now Peter entrusts everything -- even his love -- into Christ’s hands: “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Do my failures enable me to love Christ more, with greater trust? “Can Love Be Commanded?” Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI posed a provocative question in his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love).How can Christ demand love from us in order for us to be his followers, his apostles? In other words, “Love cannot be commanded; it is ultimately a feeling that is either there or not, nor can it be produced by the will” (no. 16). The response to this apparent quandary is twofold. In the first place, love can be commanded because it has first been given. “God does not demand of us a feeling which we ourselves are incapable of producing. He loves us, he makes us see and experience his love, and since he has ‘loved us first,’ love can also blossom as a response within us” (no. 17). In the second place, “it is clearly revealed that love is not merely a sentiment. Sentiments come and go. A sentiment can be a marvelous first spark, but it is not the fullness of love” (no. 17). “Love in Its Most Radical Form” What, then, is the essence of love, that love which Christ first gave to us and which he in turn demands of us as his followers? “It is characteristic of a mature love that it calls into play all man’s potentialities; it engages the whole man, so to speak. Contact with the visible manifestations of God’s love can awaken within us a feeling of joy born of the experience of being loved. But this encounter also engages our will and our intellect. Acknowledgment of the living God is one path towards love, and the ‘yes’ of our will to his will unites our intellect, will and sentiments in the all-embracing act of love” (Deus Caritas Est, no. 17). As Pope Saint John Paul the Great has phrased it so many times, true love is the gift of one’s entire self. Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for helping me to see, through Pope Saint John Paul the Great and Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI, the meaning of authentic love. Thank you for your limitless love for me. Your love is the standard to which my own poor love must rise. Resolution: I will give myself to Christ today in acts of love that embrace my whole person: intellect, will and sentiments. Our Daily Meditation is also available with audio: CLICK HERE TO START LISTENING! FORWARD TO A FRIEND

John 17:20-26 | Robert Indiana | Father, may they all be one

John 17:20-26 Father, may they all be one

ONE through ZERO, Sculpture installation by Robert Indiana (born 1928), Conceived 1966 – 2006, Cor-ten steel © 2018 Morgan Art Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Christopher Stach Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: ‘Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me. I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so completely one that the world will realise that it was you who sent me and that I have loved them as much as you loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Father, Righteous One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me. I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.’ READ MORE Reflection on the Sculpture Installation “People don’t stop to think about how beautiful numbers are. Perhaps for the same reason that they don’t stop to think about how beautiful words are. […] It’s the role of the artist—my particular role, if you will—to make words and numbers very, very special.” —Robert Indiana. In our reading today we hear the word of Jesus, using the number One: ‘may they be completely one’. This oneness Jesus is referring to is telling us that we are all part of one larger whole. Whilst we all live separate, different and unique lives, we are all part of a larger whole. As we evolve and the world around us evolves, we may be tempted to over-stress our own individuality in our separation, but ultimately, we are dependent on the one whole… God. Just like a few days ago we discussed how the branches in the vine together form one vine, today Jesus reminds us in our reading how we as members of a body, are one body and members of one another… Robert Indiana has had a lifelong fascination with numbers, as one of the most fundamental organising principles of the world. We are indeed immersed in numbers from the day we are born. Looking at this photograph, we all probably have a favourite number we zoom in on. A number which is individual and personal to us. Or even merely the colours; we like one colour combination more than another. But ultimately… they are all individual numbers, forming a larger whole… A oneness in the artwork itself… by Patrick van der Vorst

God's Eternal Love

God's Eternal Love May 28, 2020 Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter Father Paul Campbell, LC John 17:20-26 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am, they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them. Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you and all that you have revealed for our salvation. I hope in you because of your overflowing mercy. Every single act of yours on this earth demonstrated your love for us. Your ascent into heaven before the eyes of the Apostles inspires my hope of one day joining you there. I love you and wish you to be the center of my life. Petition: Lord, increase my faith in your love. Who is God? In his first epistle, John tells us that God is love. Before the foundation of the world, the Father loved the Son. Within the Trinity there is a perfect sharing of life and love. Even after the Incarnation, Jesus remained in his Father’s love. At Christ’s baptism, the Father spoke of his love for his Son. “This is my beloved son” (Matthew 3:17). At the Transfiguration he repeated this sign of love: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). These moments manifest God’s inner life. A Share in His Life: God created us to share in the loving relationship of the Trinity. The Father’s plan is to love us, to bring us into Trinitarian love. He wants to love us in his Son with a Father’s eternal love. If we could catch a mere glimpse of the reality of this love, it would transform our lives. God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son into the world (see John 3:16). Love is at the heart of the universe. Sharing in God’s Love: God is love, and if he is in us, it is as love. God pours his love, himself, into our hearts. As he shares his life, he shares his love. This is the love that he wants us to give to others. Jesus gave his disciples the love he had received from his Father and sent them forth to continue his work of sharing that love with all of humanity. Think of the people today who are lonely and lost, starving for love and attention. They have no clue that God loves them with an eternal love or that he has loved them intimately, deeply and perfectly from all eternity. They do not know that this love has given them life and maintains them in existence. People need to hear the good news of God’s love. This is our mission. Conversation with Christ: Jesus, help me to share your love with those around me. Don’t allow me to remain focused just on myself and the circumstances in my life. I need you. I need your love, as do so many others. I need to love in order to give myself to your work, but I also need your constant help and support. Resolution: I will let someone know that God loves them. Our Daily Meditation is also available with audio: CLICK HERE TO START LISTENING! FORWARD TO A FRIEND

In, Not of the World

In, Not of the World May 27, 2020 Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Father Paul Campbell, LC John 17:11b-19 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. When I was with them, I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.” Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you. I believe that you are here with me. I thank you for your loving presence in my life. I place all of my hope in you. I humbly offer you the love in my heart and my desire to continue your mission in the world. Petition: Lord, strengthen my resolve to serve you. He Always Loved Those Who Were His Own in the World: Jesus completed his mission of protecting those entrusted to his care. He fulfilled his vocation as a man; not one of his apostles was lost except the son of destruction. We have his protection still. He sits at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. We have the help of his mother, Mary, and all the saints in heaven. We are surrounded by a great crowd of saints, who support our efforts to live as God wants us to live. They are God’s gift to protect us on our pilgrimage in life. Here For the Spiritual Battle: As Jesus was leaving the world, he prayed for his disciples. He did not pray that they would be taken out of the world, but that they be kept from the evil one. Sometimes we can feel beaten up and broken, and we seek to flee the battle. Jesus needs us in the combat and entrusts us with the fight. He doesn’t keep us from the battle, instead offers us the strength of his help. He is with us, fighting at our side. He is within us, giving us the interior strength to do his will. Just Passing Through: Although we are in the world, we are here as pilgrims. We are passing through on our way to heaven. We have a mission: to save the souls that God has entrusted to our care. It is easy to get distracted, to begin to look for calm, ease or a more comfortable resting place for our weary souls and bodies. The world remains attractive to our fallen nature. Alluring advertisements can leave their mark on us, and we can desire the things of earth more than the treasures of heaven. This is why we must give priority to prayer in our life and contemplate life from the perspective of eternity. Conversation with Christ: Jesus, protect me from the evil one. He is battling me on many fronts. Keep me strong in your love. Don’t let me give in to discouragement or despair. I have the protection of your love and your intercession. Increase my hope in you. Help me to continue your work in the world. Resolution: I will speak to someone about Christ today, sharing with them the love he lavishes upon us. Our Daily Meditation is also available with audio: CLICK HERE TO START LISTENING! FORWARD TO A FRIEND