Peter Blog a few random thoughts

Just follow this link his words are amazing https://youtu.be/hrtW4bhPzNw

A few weeks ago a child at a school visit to st. Josephs asked me this question. Why do you go to Church? This I thought was a very good question. I then began to wonder what is it about coming to Church for me is so important to my Sunday. I know you will probably say. Because you have to say Mass Father but, there must be a deeper reason why we or indeed I come to Mass.  For many I guess its the sense of community where we meet friends and Jesus. The invitation for us is not only for us it is for everyone. This invitation then is something that is for us as a community to extend. We welcome here the stranger those on the fringes of society. We ask them to come and join us. For many people the Church is not a place where people can come. It is a place where they do not feel welcome. We need to be a people of welcome.  This involves all of us. Not just speaking to our friends and those who are around us but to extend and welcome those who are maybe visitors.  The...

The readings explore the problems of preaching the Gospel that people do not listen which we hear in Ezekiel. That your message is not accepted by those who know you the most Jesus and trying to be strong when in fact there is much learning in weakness Paul.  Like the modern world there seems to be a frustration in getting the message home. There are three key words that I would like to explore in the readings today: Listen, weakness and accept.  Listen: We live in a fast paced and quick society. Everyone is in a rush. There is instant communication where we can send a text message across the world and receive it in seconds. In the past we would write a letter or two and then expect a reply in a few weeks time. Now you send an email I the morning and are disappointed and worried about what has happened. Because we move so fast, because we perceive that we do not have time we have forgotten to listen. Even sometimes our prayers have become talking to much. I ofte...

Both the characters in the Gospel today show us something of ourselves in the face of adversity. Both Jarius and the woman with the hermerorage were desperate to find Jesus. They had faith in Jesus and so they were seeking him. They both made themselves vrunerable in facing Jesus. The woman reaches out to touch him and the father seeks Jesus and wants him to come with him to her daughter. Both look towards Jesus as their final hope. But through this desperation comes something wonderful a great faith that Jesus.  There are a few things that can help us unpack this story. Jesus when walking through the town gets touched he asks who has just touched him. It is important for him because he has felt that someone is reaching out for him. Jesus does not want to be classed as some sort of walking relic where people just reach out and are cured. Notice that the person they bring forward is scared and frightened but Jesus purpose of his question is not to humiliate but to commended her...

“ What will this Child turn out to be?”  You can understand this question if we realise some basic facts surrounding this story.  For Elizabeth and Zechariah they were filled with joy because they were never expected to have children. John was a real gift from God. The name John means The lord is gracious .  This question then was more poignant this person this baby who they had been given as a gift of God. He would end up being the light for the nations pointing and preparing the way for the Messiah (Jesus)  his mission would be short be vital and important. John is the link between the old and the New Testament the last of the great prophets to point the way to Jesus. He even eludes to the fact that he is unable to walk the same way this was not his mission.  We see the hope of our own Children at baptism as a Church and as parents we see the hope of the future I am sure that many parents ask the same question: “what will this child turn out to ...

Day 1 Charity  The gift of Charity to all people is something that as disciples we should learn from Jesus his compassion and care for the people that he encountered inspires us to do the same:  Day 2: Joy . To live with the Joy of the Resurrection is a real gift of the Holy Spirit. Let our hearts be open to the Joy that the Lord brings Day 3: Peace  Today we focus on Peace. Not just for Peace between nations but also the gift of Peace for ourselves. To allow the Holy Spirit to help become more peaceful people. So that we may walk as bringers of peace to the people we meet.  Day 4: The gift of  Patience We live in a world where everything seems to move so fast that there is no time to think or pray. Because the world moves fast there seems to be an ever greater gift that disciples of Jesus ask for the gift if patience. To walk with another person to listen and also ask the Holy Spirit that we will have thi...

A few months ago I was prayed over. It was a strange experience and felt very uncomfortable. During that time the person who prayed with me said that I was closed. My body language must have said as much. I was angry because I have always seen myself as quite an open person. I came away feeling quite discouraged and felt that there was nothing in this prayer stuff. Over the next few months I tried it again a few times. It seems that although I was running away that something was drawing me to wanting people to pray with me. At three different occasions and with three very different people said the same thing it was this “ You are my beloved Son in whom I am pleased.”  Over March, I think because of the weather and also grief, I was very depressed and also quite needy. I remembering texting my best friend and saying to her I need you please call. So lent felt hard and painful. Easter and Holy Week came and I realised that I was very very tired. I had been invited to Worth t...