Peter Blog a few random thoughts

Over the last number of years there seems to be a problem in modern society. It is summed up in a title of a book that I have on my book shelf in the office “ The Lost art of listening” The book laments at the fact that in modern society we have forgotten or at least many of us have forgotten how to listen . It stresses that for many people we have been so busy with our lives that we have not slowed down sufficiently enough to listen to the world around us and more importantly to each other. This weekend the readings focus on a new kind of listening. It is listening of the heart but not to meaningless words but to the most important words in the world. The word of God. Jesus uses that beautiful image of the word as seed penetrating different kinds of soil. This soil is us. We are the ones who hear and read the word of God. And yet I am sure that we can see ourselves in all the different kind of soil. We do not hear the Word of God because of who we are or what is happening to us. ...

The Most Holy Body and Blood   Sometime ago I was celebrating a First Holy Communion Mass and when it came to communion I gave it to one chap when I said “ The Body of Christ” he responded “ Cheers Mate” As you can imagine I was quite taken back from this response. When we were clearing up the Church after the Mass we found an array of sweet rappers and even someone had brought in a McDonalds to eat during the Mass. This is an extreme example of what actually is happening in most parishes. Many priests have seen the lack of respect for the Blessed Sacrament in their parishes on the rise. I began to wonder if someone like the Queen or Pope came to their parishes would they keep talking about what they were having for Dinner or leave early when there was no good reason to do so like catching the last bus. I am sure that it would seem disrespectful. And yet here at Mass here is the Church is someone greater than the Pope and the Queen it is God himself on the Altar. We re...