After Judas abandoned Jesus, the team of twelve apostles was reduced to eleven. It was important to revive the full team and fill the vacancy, because that number twelve was very significant. Israel consisted of twelve tribes and the twelve selected by Jesus were the nucleus of the new Israel, the revived people of God that would consist of Jews and non-Jews. Matthias was the one chosen to replace Judas and to restore the integrity of the original twelve.
Some experiences of letting go, though painful at the time, can help us to grow …..
Visiting small churches that were struggling in a pagan world, they put fresh heart into the disciples…
The message of salvation belongs to everyone. It cannot be hoarded as our private property. Just as the Father’s message came through Jesus so the message we have received must flow through us to inspire new life in others
Today’s liturgy puts the life-giving words of Jesus before us. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the one in whom we can place all our trust, especially in dark times like these. Because we believe these things, we gather to praise God.
This welcoming God is the one that our church worships, and we renew our trust in Him…
It is time for our church leaders to think again about some of their cherished "red lines" or boundaries that seem to be set in stone….
We “followers of the way” must move beyond and below the creed to refresh our personal encounter with the Lord who speaks to our hearts…
They were arguing about which of them should be in charge and sit at the top table…
Just as the united disciples at Antioch were spurred to mission by the Holy Spirit, so the church continues to seek to unite all people as one family in Christ….
Our salvation is the Lord’s doing more than our own; but we must work with the grace of God and pay heed to his words..
He is the gateway through whom God comes to us and we come to God. He is the open gate into the kingdom of God. People can go freely in and out through him and experience God through him
The fourth Sunday of Easter is often called Good Shepherd Sunday, because the readings are about the care we receive from Christ, our true shepherd. We rejoice that this pastoral care continues in the loviong tenderness extended by many Christian women and men today. Today is also the day of prayer for vocations.
The parish is a priestly people. How will the priesthood of the baptised be exercised in the coming decades?…
We can do no better than to make Peter’s words our own: ‘Lord, you have the message of eternal life’…
We receive the holy Eucharist in order to draw life from Christ, as branches draw life from the vine…
In the church we receive not only sacramental presence of Jesus but also the guidance and example we need to keep our faith strong…
Catherine begged Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome, which he did in 1377. Later, during the Western Schism of 1378 she supported Pope Urban VI, who called her to Rome, where she lived for the final two years of her life…
In his death, Stephen mirrored the trust of Jesus himself, which should be in the hearts of all disciples….
Jesus offers us the spiritual food that can satisfy the hunger of our hearts. Our deepest seeking is leading us towards God for as St Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself and our hearts can never be at rest until they rest in You.”
