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Wednesday |
Apr-28 |
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An April prayer………
Lord of the wind and the waves, calm the storms of our life when we are afraid. Lord of the loaves and fishes, be our food when we are hungry. Lord of spring, growth and new life, be our source of new beginnings. Lord of the lambs and the flocks, seek us out when we are lost. Lord of signs and wonders, show yourself when we have doubts. Lord of the blind and lame, take our hand when we falter. Lord of the fields and flowers, care for us when others seem far away. Lord of all that lives, be a source of life when we’re struggling to be alive and active in our daily activities. Lord of simplicity, help us to recognise your gentle presence in everything we do each day. Amen
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Sunday |
Apr-25 |
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The following reflection is by Tom Cahill
Things change during recession. People buy less and bargain-hunt more. They count their change. Supposedly, they go to church more often. Hard times, it seems, remind us of a soft God. A new one for me, however, is an increase in gun sales. American gunmaker Smith & Wesson is aiming for doubled annual sales for the next few years. After a 13 per cent hike in 2009, triggering sales to a whopping $335 million, they were expected to jump 30 per cent in the first quarter of this financial year – an impressive, or depressive depending on your viewpoint, $102 million increase. Throughout the US demand for firearms is rising. The reason? Fear. Fear that recession-induced unemployment will lead to more crime. Fear that terrorism will again strike at the heartland. Fear that government will slap restrictions on gun ownership, and more taxes on firearms.
Today’s Gospel reading opens a fear-free zone. (John 10:27-30) It radiates confidence. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. (v. 27-28) This is not an arrogant boast but a sober statement of fact. The Church knows she’s awash with saints and sinners. Even when lifestyles and attitudes within the Church betray the sorry fact of sin’s influence on its members, the community’s faith holds. The reason? Our God loves: in prosperity as well as in recession, and sinners as well as saints. Maybe sinners that little more, because they’re short on love! Rather disarming, isn’t it?
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Sunday |
Apr-18 |
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The following reflection is by Tom Cahill
Jack has been the most popular name for baby boys in Britain for 13 years running. In Ireland for a number of years it was the second most popular name to … yes, Seán. No playmate leapfrogging from John to Jack. It was up front, plain and simple, in-your-face-from-the-start, Jack. So what, you may ask. Well, it might indicate that the poetry of life has gone out the door for many parents and that a pedestrian prose has replaced it. If so, what a pity! With due apologies to the Jacks of all shades, the name does have its yawn factor.
The equally soporific Charles, on the other hand, can be an intoxicant when followed by the name Dickens for collectors of curios. Proof? Well, a 150-year-old wine bottle of his sold for £1,500. Just the bottle, empty! But then, it did have part of a label on the outside and dried sediment on the inside. But it was the owner’s name that counted. Joe Blogg wouldn’t have got a look in.
Today’s First Reading refers to a name: As they left the council they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the name. (Acts 5:27-32, 40-41) If a famous name can add so much value to an otherwise worthless object how much more so the name of Jesus when branded by baptism on a human heart! It’s important that the ‘brand’ name ‘Christian’ be recognised through its bearer becoming ‘all things to all men’, and not just a Jack-of-all-trades to the few.
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Tuesday |
Apr-06 |
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A little story…
A young boy spent many hours building a little sailboat, crafting it down to the finest detail. He then took it to a nearby river to sail it. When he put it in the water it moved away from him very quickly. Though he chased it along the bank, he couldn’t keep up with it. The strong wind and current carried the boat away. The heartbroken boy knew how hard he would have to work to build another sailboat. Further down the river, a man found the little boat, took it to town and sold it to a shopkeeper. Later that day, as the boy was walking through town he noticed the boat in a store window. Entering the store, he told the owner that the boat belonged to him. It had his own little marks on it, but he couldn’t prove to the shopkeeper that the boat was his. The man told him the only way he could get the boat was to buy it. The boy wanted it back so badly that he did exactly that. As he took the boat from the hand of the shopkeeper, he looked at it and said, “Little boat, you’re twice mine. I made you and I bought you.” Easter is all about God’s love for us, not just once or even twice but every single day all year round.
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Monday |
Apr-05 |
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Thought today Easter Monday is a repeat. Thought For Today back to normal again tomorrow, Tues April 6th. In the meantime Happy Easter!!!
'If Easter is about the cross why all the chocolate eggs? Because no matter how broken or hard boiled you are, once you taste the true meaning of the cross, life is a whole lot sweeter'
~Intercom magazine
Easter is indeed a special time of year. The Easter message is one that gives us all hope and gives us a timely lift. We all have our difficult moments. We carry burdens, darkness, hurts, pain and disappointments. We're not on our own, every single person carries these. But the Easter message reminds us, that right in the middle of them, there is a promise of new life, new beginnings and a sense of hope and promise. Without Easter we would have absolutely nothing but with Easter we have indeed everything. We ask God’s many blessings on each of us this Easter.
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Sunday |
Apr-04 |
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The following reflection is by Tom Cahill
According to The Times newspaper, millions of young people in Britain are lonely despite having hundreds of so-called ‘friends’ on social networking sites. Presumably Britain is not alone in this. Those who seek friends at arms-length are bound to be unhappy. Friendship is intended to be right up close and personal. Virtual reality can’t substitute for the real thing. Surfing the Net may seem cool, bright and breezy, even exciting; but it’s well to remember that it’s not called the ‘net’ for nothing. Being trapped by virtual friendships that may well be just illusionary, if not downright predatory, won’t fill the void within an individual. The survey of more than 2,000 adults found that loneliness was a major worry for 21 per cent of people aged 18-24, compared with only 8 per cent of those aged 55 and over.
Easter Sunday is the Church’s most important celebration. It may seem a bit of virtual reality to some, but not to those of faith. Jesus came right up close and personal to bring us resurrection. Today’s Second Reading (Col 3:1-4) tells us what we should be ‘surfing’ for: the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. The ‘catch’, if you want to call it that, is that resurrection can’t be found in virtual reality. You won’t find it outside daily living with those you like and dislike. Resurrection is rising through reality – even because of reality – to the glory God has in store for those who value real friends in real life.
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