The Way Home

Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’

Jn.14:5,6

Jesus is comforting his disciples, telling them not to be troubled and to trust him. He then gives the key to this peace, himself. 

This statement of Jesus' cuts to the chase. No one can come to the Father except through believing and following him. Even though the doorway to heaven is clear cut, the way we can reach the door is as countless as there are people. For myself, I reached that doorway aged thirty-five after travelling a long and winding road. My mother reached that doorway as a ninety-two year old literally on her death bed. Who can say for certain that doorway can be found even after heart stops beating?

My business is to help others to reach that doorway, that place of decision. That is my motivation for hosting Alpha Courses. There are people I will meet today who need that help.

Jesus, thank you for being my Way, my Truth and my Life. Help me help others to find their way back home to the Father through you.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

It's meant to be Easy

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena 

‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

Mt.11:28-30

Jesus reveals his sonship with God the Father and then makes the irresistible invitation to come to him and unload our burdens in exchange for rest, a deep rest for our souls.

I recall the first time I really heard Jesus' invitation to cast all my cares upon him. Two sisters in a youth group I was leading sung it acapella. I suddenly realised I was carrying a lot of stuff I wasn't meant to be carrying. I was moved to tears, and to relief.

Over the years I've needed to go back and accept this invitation. I need to do it again today. The yoke is meant to be easy. It's meant to be light.

Thank you Jesus. I accept your invitation to take up your easy, light yoke.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

 

Spirit Filled Activist

They sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith.

Acts 11:22-24

Barnabas is sent to Antioch by the Apostles to check on reports of Greeks converting to The Way, not just Jews. Barnabas recognises God's hand at work and he encourages the local Church to continue their outreach. 

Barnabas is pivotal in the growth of the early Church. Known as the "Son of Encouragement", his spirit-filled goodness and faith gave his credentials.

The Holy Spirit seems to resonate within some people. We've all met them, those ones whose faith and love radiate a heat you can almost feel. Age doesn't seem any barrier to this spirit-filled activism. They can be young or old. I want to be one of them,  a "good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith."

Come Holy Spirit, rise up within me so I can be a son of encouragement to those I meet today.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

Fickle or Committed?

Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’

Jn.6:67,68

Jesus has just finished insisting all must eat his flesh and drink his blood for eternal life. Many disciples called this teaching too hard and left him. Jesus asks the Twelve if they want to follow. Peter answers, "To whom else would we go? You alone have the words of eternal life."

It seems Jesus is deliberately sorting the wheat from the chaff among his followers. The crowd that has been clamoring for more bread, more signs, is now thinning. The refined group is going to be those who form the fledging Church. 

Popularity is fickle. It comes and it goes. Loosing followers is not always a bad thing. The remaining team are the committed who can be counted on. Am I a fickle follower or a committed companion to Jesus? To be honest, I swing between the two. Today I choose commitment. 

Jesus, there are days when a miracle would be nice. Just a small one to bolster my faith. But Lord, you and I know that would become insatiable in me. Lord, to whom else can I turn? You alone have the words of everlasting life.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

What a Friend I've Found

A disciple called Ananias who lived in Damascus had a vision in which he heard the Lord say to him, ‘Ananias!’... He replied, ‘Here I am, Lord’.

Acts.9:10

Paul has encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and has been struck blind. Ananias, a believer in Damascus, encounters Jesus in a vision and is told to go and heal Paul.

Saint Paul's conversion experience on the road is dramatic and well known. I'm also impressed by the lesser player Ananias. He is in close enough relationship with Jesus to instantly recognise his voice. In response to Jesus' call Paul says, "Who are you Lord?". Ananias says, "Here I am Lord." He knows the sound of Jesus' voice and is comfortable enough in his relationship to even remonstrate with him, "But Lord..."

There are many ways Jesus communicates. I've never heard his clear voice like Paul and Ananias... yet. But he does communicate with me. I've heard him at Mass. I've heard him in worship music. I've heard him while standing on a mountaintop, literally. The commonest way I hear him is in this morning prayer time.

What I'm hearing now is that Jesus is aching to be close with me, to be in intimate relationship with me now and throughout this day. 

What A friend I've found

closer than a brother 

I have felt your touch 

More intimate than lovers 

Jesus, Jesus 

Jesus, friend forever

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

Explain and Introduce

When Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ ‘How can I’ he replied ‘unless I have someone to guide me?’ So he invited Philip to get in and sit by his side.

Acts 8:30,31

Philip is led by the Holy Spirit to approach an Ethiopian official travelling in his chariot. Engaging in conversation, Philip is invited into the chariot to explain the scripture the official was reading. The official is converted and baptised on the side of the road.

This amazing event shows one way of evangelising. The Ethiopian was ready to believe, he simply needed Philip to introduce Jesus. 

Our Alpha Course is a way of walking alongside people, waiting for them to invite us in and explain the meaning of scripture and then introduce them to Jesus. I can do this with people outside the Alpha Course. What could be more exciting!

Holy Spirit, send me to people ready to hear the Good News of Jesus so I can walk alongside them and wait for their invitation to explain and introduce Jesus.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

My God

I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.

Jn.6:35

The crowd are clamoring for more signs, for more bread.  Jesus says they already have the bread of life. It is he who is standing before them.

No other prophet or religious leader has claimed to be God. Not Mohamad, not Buda, not Confucius.  They all point to God saying don't look to me, look to him. Jesus alone makes the claim that he is God. The most humble and meek man that ever walked the earth says, "I am the way, the truth, the life. I am the bread of life. Believe in me". He is either mad, bad or speaking the truth. 

I look at the evidence and I'm brought to the reasonable, logical conclusion that Jesus is who he claims to be. Truly he is the Son of the Living God. I walk into my day with the surety that Jesus, my God, is with me.  

Thank you Jesus for all you have done and are doing for me. I place my trust in you.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

Essential Spirit

You, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom.

Acts.6:3

The Apostles instruct the fledgling Church to elect men of character to take over the logistical running of their assembly. The criteria for these deacons was to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.

The pressing problem of the Church at that time was distribution of food. A pretty basic and temporal activity. However, it was seen that to carry out these practical duties, those assigned had to be actively spiritual. The Holy Spirit was seen not as an option or a preference but as an absolute essential for the functioning of the Church.

Everything I do for and in the Church is spiritual. Pouring cups of coffee after Mass, washing the cups afterwards, cleaning up broken glass from vandalism. All holy, all spiritual.

Come Holy Spirit. Fill me with your presence and with wisdom that I may serve the Church.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

 

The Sign

Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself.

Jn.6:15

A miracle has just happened with Jesus feeding five thousand from just five barley loaves and two two fish. The crowd want to make Jesus king but Jesus escape to prevent this.

When I stop and really consider the miracle that had taken place, I think I would have been one of the crowd clamoring for Jesus to be ruler and fix everything. Imagine if Jesus was prime minister of New Zealand. No more abortion. No more hungry children. No more poverty. The trouble is I would expect Jesus to be a magician waving his wand over the areas that I think need fixing.  

The miracle of the loaves and fishes was a sign to something greater. It was a sign to God who loves us. Following this sign results in a change of heart. This is an inside out work, not an outside in like filling my belly. Once we all follow the sign, have the inside out transformation miracle, then and only then will miracles start to happen in our country. 

Today, right now, I follow the sign and meet the God who loves me. Then let the miracles begin..

Jesus, you are the way. I receive your love and follow you today as a beloved son with joy in my heart.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Bold

We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.

Acts.5:32

The apostles are on trial for continuing to proclaim the Good News of Jesus' resurrection despite being told not to. Their defense is not to recant but to state they are simply unable to stop proclaiming the truth they know.

The apostles are staring at the very real possibility that they will end up on a cross on Golgotha. This horrible prospect seems to have no affect on their boldness in proclaiming the Good News. It's as though they are compelled. From a fearful, pile of jelly they are transformed into a solid wall of rock. 

Something has transformed them. A hint as to what that something is can be found in Peter's phrase "the Holy Spirit whom God has given..." These are men who have just experienced their Pentecost, their baptism in the Spirit. 

Who can read these early chapters from the book of Acts and not have a desire to be like these first believers. There's something attractive about certainty and boldness. There's nothing stopping me from being likewise today... nothing. 

Come Holy Spirit, fill with boldness and zeal to proclaim the Good News of Jesus' resurrection today.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Lifted

The Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

Jn.3:14,15

Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus his purpose, to bring everyone to belief that they may then have eternal life. 

Night one of our Alpha Course last night and it took off like a rocket! There is a typical cross section of people from regular church goers, occasional church goers, haven't been to church in years non-goers and completely unchurched. In a friendly, non-threatening way Jesus was lifted up. The next ten weeks will see people drawn unto him, guaranteed! 

Lifting Jesus up is as simple as witnessing to him in my everyday life. It's the most exciting thing I've ever been involved in. Why? Because people's lives are changed, eternally.

Jesus, thank you for turning up last night at Alpha. Help those who are being drawn back to you over the next weeks of our Alpha Course.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

Good News!

And he said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.

Mk.16:15

The risen Jesus finally meets with the eleven apostles. He rebukes them for not believing earlier reports of his resurrection and then gives the great commission to go tell the world the Good News.

The Good News for the apostles was simple. Christ died. Christ was buried. Christ has risen. It's the death and resurrection of Jesus from which every other Christian teaching hangs. Most of the Gospels are taken up with describing this. 

Alpha starts Monday. It's time to proclaim the Good News. Alleluia!

My risen Lord Jesus. You are alive, alleluia! Be with me today so I may be Good News to those I encounter.

Saint Philip Neri, Please pray for me.

Alleluia He is Risen!

Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.

Lk.24:41,42

The disciples have gathered to hear the various stories of Jesus' resurrection starting to come in when suddenly Jesus is standing there among them. To prove he is truly alive he asks for and eats a piece of grilled fish.

The risen Jesus was hungry.  He empahsises his flesh and his blood. He was still fully human yet fully Devine. In a sense I stand dumbfounded with the disciples. The paschal mystery is almost too good to be true. Yet there it stands, the central tenet of our Christian faith. 

I reembrace this joyful news as I step out into the Easter Octave. He is risen, he is alive! Alleluia!

Jesus, my Risen Lord. I take the joy you have poured out into my heart to share it with all I meet today.

Saint Philip Neri, Patron Saint of Joy, pray for me.

What Things?

Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked.

Two disciples unknowingly encounter the risen Jesus on the the road to Emmaus. Jesus invites them to share their anguish and turmoil by asking the simplest of questions, "What things?"

Jesus would be the perfect Alpha Course small group leader. The task of the small group leader is to ask short catalyst questions to get the guests opening up and sharing amongst themselves. Responding to Jesus' "What things?" the two pour out their long, sad story. Jesus is then able to speak into their lives and help them see what is really happening.

I find being silent and giving space to others hard. I mean, I have so much pearls-of-wisdom to pour out, right? I need allow less of me more of them, like Jesus.

Jesus, help me be an empathetic listener like you so people will "press me to stay" .
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Sand to Rock

He spoke to them for a long time using many arguments, and he urged them, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation.’ They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised.

Acts2:40,41

Full of the Holy Spirit, Peter boldly addresses the very people who had previously roared for Jesus' crucifixion. The transformation of Peter the sand pile to Peter the rock is complete.

Jesus said it was better he left so power from on high may come. Peter is testimony to that truth. With Jesus, Peter was a fearful denier. With the Holy Spirit he was a courageous proclaimer. 

Our parish Alpha Course is about to start. Come Holy Spirit that we may boldly proclaim the Good News that He is Risen!

Come Holy Spirit. Use my weaknesses to proclaim the strength found in Jesus.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

Champion Slain yet Lives to Reign

Death with life contended: 

combat strangely ended! 

Life’s own Champion, slain, 

 yet lives to reign.

 Easter Sequence

We enter into the joy of Easter, so great that the Church tells us it takes eight days to celebrate the one day. The Easter Sequence attempts to convey the pascal mystery by poetry. 

Death with life contended, combat strangely ended. Life's own Champion slain, yet lives to reign. 

Such wonderful news that contains the message that changes my life forever. 

He is Risen!

This makes sense of everything. Questions that rise from the good, the bad, the ugly of life are all contended when I take hold of this wonderful truth, He is Risen!

Jesus, my risen Lord. my joy today is a gift from you and a gift to you. You are risen indeed. Alleluia!
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Happy Sad Good Bad

Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins. On him lies a punishment that brings us peace, and through his wounds we are healed.

Is.52:5

Isaiah not only prophesies Jesus' passion and death but gives the reason for it. He was crushed for our sins, wounded that we be healed.

Truly today is happy sad, good bad Friday.

Thank you Lord for rescuing me. By your wounds I am healed.

Saint Peter, please pray for me.

The Servant King

If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.

Jn.13:15

Jesus gives what he knows will be his final teaching to his disciples. He uses actions rather than words to give a lasting impression of servanthood. 

If I am to have anything in common with Jesus, I am to be a servant. This has been the hallmark of Christianity throughout the ages. It must become the hallmark of me.

Jesus, my natural inclination is to desire to be served. Give me a servant's heart that I may be more like you.

Saint Peter, please pray for me.