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28th May. Thursday in Week 8
The vigorous blind man
A lovely stained-glass window that I’ve seen in a church depicts today’s scene, the healing of the man born blind. At the bottom of the picture is written the exchange between Jesus and the man, “What do you want me to do for you?,” “Lord, let me see again.” Apparently this man almost did not get close enough to Jesus to really talk with him; some friends of Jesus scolded the man and told him to keep quiet…
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27th May. Wednesday in Week 8
On different wavelengths
There are several clashes between Jesus and his disciples in Mark’s gospel, as they make their way to Jerusalem, where Jesus will be crucified. They are clearly on different wavelengths, which finds expression in the very different questions they ask of each other. James and John ask Jesus for glory, honour, status.
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26th May. Tuesday in Week 8
What’s to become of us?
Today’s gospel begins with a question from Peter, “What about us? We have left everything and followed you.” He and the rest of the twelve had given up a great deal to become followers of Jesus. They may have wondered if it was really worth it all. We too have responded to the Lord’s call, maybe not in the same very radical way that those first disciples had answered..
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25th May. Monday in Week 8
Paradox: Gaining by Losing
This imperative echoes in today’s austere message, where in a memorable image Jesus expresses the no pain, no gain philosophy. “It is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God…
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Presider’s Page for 24 May (Pentecost)
Today is Pentecost Sunday, the second climax of the Easter season. We celebrate ‘the great beginning of the Church’, the day the Holy Spirit first came to confused and frightened disciples.
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24th May. Pentecost Sunday
Source of the Higher Impulses
The Holy Spirit used to be the forgotten person of the Trinity. Perhaps he suffered from being a spirit, since for many of us, only concrete things are real. The Father and Son make an impact because one took flesh and the other was given a beard. Have you ever imagined the Holy Spirit with a beard? Whatever the reason, even among devout Christians the Holy Spirit had been overlooked.
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23rd May. Saturday in Week 7 of Easter
Ending on a high note
The readings today are the final verses of Acts and of John’s gospel. “Wait until I come.” Eternity will be the continuation of the final moment in our earthly journey. Jesus comes to us again and again. Our prayer now is a foretaste of heavenly joy.
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22nd May. Friday in Week 7 of Easter
Pastor, par excellence
In the heat of the moment we often fall short of our best. This happened even to the great Peter, our church’s chief apostle and pastor, when out of fear he denied Jesus three times. After the resurrection when Peter had returned to his former fishing vocation, Jesus reappeared to him and three times asked the incisive question, “Do you love me?”
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21st May. Thursday in Week 7 of Easter
Church unity, a difficult goal
Jesus calls unity the most characteristic mark of his disciples, a vital goal of true faith, when he prayed: “that they may be one in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.” Yet in the Acts, Saint Paul defends himself by deliberately stirring up debate, pitting the Sadducees pitted against the Pharisees on the subject of resurrection from the dead. Wherever he went there was controversy.
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20th May. Wednesday in Week 7 of Easter
Giving is more blessed than taking
Paul offers his colleagues both advice and example. They are to remember his example of manual labour and tirelessly preaching the gospel. Conviction and commitment are revealed in his words. Just as he worked (“with these hands of mine”) to support himself and his companions he urges the elders to do the same….
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19th May. Tuesday in Week 7 of Easter
Through the Cross
For the next couple of days we will be reading from Our Lord’s prayer during the Last Supper. He begins by praying for himself, “Father… glorify your Son.” Jesus is aware that the path to glory is through the cross. His lifting up on the cross is the cause of his lifting up in glory…
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18th May. Monday in Week 7 of Easter
Not entirely alone
Jesus is very aware that those closest to him will soon abandon him. Rather than following his way, the disciples will go their own way, leaving him alone. Yet he speaks with the conviction that he is never really alone because God his Father is always with him. What Jesus says of himself we can all say of ourselves…
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Presider’s Page for 17 May (Ascension Day)
The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated today. The Church also calls this Sunday ‘World Communications Day’.
As he left his disciples, Jesus sent them out to spread the Good News. This is our task too. We ask for the grace we need. -
17th May. Sunday. The Ascension of the Lord
Last Will and Testament
The final paragraph of St Matthew’s gospel does not describe the ascension, but reports some of our Lord’s final instructions to his disciples before leaving them. Some of us may know families that became completely divided because someone hadn’t decided to clearly make their will. In today’s gospel, Jesus has little to say, but he is clear about what he has to say. This is in sharp contrast to the fact that, even at this last minute, some of his disciples still doubted.
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16th May. Saturday in Week 6 of Easter
Priscilla and Aquila, Lay Apostles
While the gospel implies our dependence on the Holy Spirit, the Acts takes a different slant: our faith also needs guidance from our fellow human beings. Apollos was certainly on the way toward being a disciple of Jesus and showed great goodwill, but he needed the help of others. In the plan of God, he would be led into the mystery of Jesus through the ministry of the couple Priscilla and Aquila.
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15th May. Friday in Week 6 of Easter
Sorrows too will pass
Jesus knew that the reality of his passion and death would greatly shock his disciples. He said it very clearly, You will be weeping and wailing… you will be sorrowful. They would experience a deep sense of loss when Jesus returned to the Father. We have all known the sharp sorrow that comes from losing people we love…
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14th May. Saint Matthias, Apostle
Filling the vacant place
Matthias came late to be numbered among the apostles. Saint Peter’s words describe the role of this apostolic substitute as one of “those who have been in our company all the time that the Lord Jesus moved among us.” This being-with-Jesus qualified Matthias to become a witness to the resurrection. He had followed Jesus from the start…
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13th May. Wednesday in Week 6 of Easter
Growing in insight
There is only so much that people can learn at each stage of their lives. The great life-truths take a long time to absorb. This is certainly the case with the elements of our faith. We enter into those truths gradually, over time, with the unfolding experience of life. Jesus seems to acknowledge this in today’s gospel.
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12th May. Tuesday in Week 6 of Easter
A Happy Outcome
We can sympathize with Paul’s annoyance in today’s story, but may wonder if some more patience could have saved him a lot of trouble! Perhaps he was stirred with pity for the unfortunate girl being exploited for profit by her boss. In any case, after his protest the situation changed dramatically and Paul and Silas were flogged and thrown in prison. The flogging could not normally be inflicted upon a Roman citizen, so Paul would later demand and receive a public apology..