Peter Blog a few random thoughts

22 nd Sunday of Ordinary time. This year marks for me another important milestone in my life. This year marks 20 years since I first got involved in an organization called the Vincentian Volunteers. IT was a community that I joined when I was taking my gap year out. As a community we followed the rule of St Vincent de Paul and worked largely with the poor of the community weather that be spiritual with retreats for young people or working in Luton and London with the homeless. As a 19 year old the youth work came naturally to me the hardest thing that I found was working with the Homeless. I wondered what I could give them. Then one day a young girl came in about the same age as me who had lived in the streets for about a year. I realised through talking to her that we were all the same. My problem was that I did not see the homeless as human. I had a deep prejudice for them. There are many people in our world who will not give the time of day to certain groups of people bec...

Whenever you watch something like Britain’s got talent or the X factor there is always that moment at the end of the show that you get the sad music the camera pans into a face that looks as if they have been through the mill and back and our heart strings are pulled. They usually have had some great struggle and hardship. You immediately know one thing: They will be good. They in a sense have gone through the narrow gate of their own lives. Through struggling and hardships they have come out the other end a lot better person than before because of the struggle.   We see in today’s gospel that we are asked to enter through the narrow gate. Jesus knows that following him will be difficult with many hardships and that is why only a few will be saved. We are asked often not to take the easy way but to take the hard way. Think for a moment how hard it is for us to keep our Lenten penance and how many times we find it difficult to love those who we do not like or do not like us. ...

20 th Sunday of Ordinary Time On first reading of the Gospel today you would be forgiven to think that these words seem to contradict the Gospel message. Surely you may ask, the Gospel is one of peace and love for all people and here we have something really quite different. I think because it is so difficult it would be worth unpacking it a little. There three challenging statement which we can identify today “I have come to bring fire ” When we look at the symbol of fire in the Gospel we may think of the story of Moses and the burning bush. This was a fire that did not consume the tree but was one that is the fire of God’s presence. We see this again in the New Testament with the tongues of fire on the heads of the disciples. So it is a fire that cleanses and purifies and give the light of God to all people. The next statement that Jesus says is “There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great my distress is till it is over!” This does not mean that Jesus i...

In the scouting movement there is a saying “be prepared.” It is a good subheading for today’s readings.  That is what we must always try and be prepared for the Kingdom of God. But it is not like a readiness when we are going out or going on holiday. IT is a different kind of readiness. We get a clue what kind it is by the phrase “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Our treasures are not whether we have the latest TV or a nice house they are things that only last in this world. We cannot take them with us when we go. So how do we get this treasure how do we achieve it? The Gospel gives us a few clues on how to do this. The first thing we can do is “give alms” help others. When we have our own processions we hold on to them and sometimes want more. I think that sometimes it is important to give the treasure of time rather than money sometime. Then we have to be people of action. Ready prepared awake and alive with the love of Christ in our hearts. ...

The most significant Line in this gospel is the last line. We live in a world where the meaning of our existence is what material treasures we can hold on. Do I have the best? We may ask ourselves. And we all get caught up in it. Just look at the adverts on our tv that tell us that we cannot possibly live without tis new product.  But in the words of the Beatles " money can't buy you love" and sometimes we think it can. We go into retail therapy mode. Do I need it no but I must have it. We as Christians have a treasure that others do not have. A precious gift to give to the world. And that is Jesus. It seems to me that it is a very exciting time to a catholic. The present pope has challenged the whole church to re think  its mission which has not changed since the time of Jesus.  It is one of bringing that treasure  of jesus to the world. I have begun to disappear and get fed up with  some of the attitudes of clergy who hide behind paperwork or their lace. F...