Monthly Archives: January 2018

“Be quiet! Come out of him!”

Every human voice makes a distinctive sound, and we often recognise one another by the sound of the voice that we hear, especially on the phone when we can’t see the person in the flesh.  Our voice is a great expression of who we are deep down, and people are quick to recognise when we try to put on a false voice and pretend.  They soon ‘smell a rat’.

In our Gospel reading this Sunday (Mark 1:21-28) Jesus begins to speak.  He makes his voice heard for the first time as a preacher, teacher and healer.  The listeners quickly recognise that this voice is something new.  They are deeply impressed.

That morning in the synagogue there is a man who is very disturbed and troubled who yet recognises that this Jesus is a powerful man, a man who is able to deal with his troubled mind and in fear he shouts to ward Jesus off.  But in response Jesus, by the power of his word, his voice, quietens the demon of torment and brings the grace of calmness and peace. The voice that speaks to teach us is also the voice that speaks to heal us.

In a world of so many voices raised and often shouting, in a world where human suffering and torment are rampant, here is something new and with authority behind it.  No wonder the fame of Jesus spread and continues to this day!

Here is something for us all to know, to remember and to use. When life is tough, when mind and spirit wrestle in torment of what to do, where to go, how to cope – Cry out to the Lord – ask for his healing power in your life, his peace to calm, his love to heal.  Why go tormented in spirit when the Lord is close at hand? 

“O that today you would listen to His voice.”

Deacon David OLW

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God is Calling You

In the First Reading today from the Old Testament, we hear how God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to call the Ninevites to repentance because they had been leading very sinful lives. Jonah didn’t want to go there because he was afraid the Ninevites might kill him!  However, he eventually went, and upon hearing God’s word announced to them, they responded immediately and changed their ways. This is the main point – on hearing God’s word, they responded straight away, immediately.  This theme is also in today’s Gospel.  Our Lord went to Galilee and called Peter, James and John. They heard the call, dropped everything and followed Him immediately.

So could somebody reading this now be experiencing a similar call from God to follow Him in a radical way as a priest, a brother or a sister?  The call might be less dramatic, but God can still be calling you.  Peter and Andrew were fishermen and they were older men.  But they still left their businesses and followed JESUS.  God can call at any age.  And even if you are younger – you might even still be at school – God could be calling you too.  Many of the saints knew they had a calling from a young age.  But whatever our age, there will no doubt always be a bit of fear involved of putting out into the deep.  We can be a bit like Jonah – we hear God’s call but are afraid of the challenge because we feel we are unworthy or somehow inadequate for the task. But have no fear.  If you are generous enough to offer yourself to God in this way, He will give you all the help you need.  And even if you discover this is not what you are called to, God will surely reward you for having made Him the offer.

However, all of us, by virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation are anointed to bring Christ into the world.  In this sense we all share in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ.  So  Our Lord is asking all of us to answer His call, change our lives where necessary, and follow Him ever more closely.  The moment we begin to change our own lives, we have already begun to change the world.  What is God asking of you?

Fr Paul Gillham IC

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Behold the Lamb of God

Having celebrated the Epiphany and the Baptism of Our Lord last week, we are now back in “Ordinary Time” where the liturgical colour is green. This takes us through to Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on 14^th February.

In this Sunday’s Gospel (John 1:35-42), John the Baptist points out JESUS as the “Lamb of God.” The word for lamb used here in the original Greek, amnos, is a very special type of lamb which was used for sacrifice to atone for sin. As we know, JESUS is the true Lamb of God, because He is the One who was sacrificed for the sins of the world. The animal sacrifices offered by the Jews in the Old Testament were a mere foreshadowing of the sacrifice JESUS would make on the cross of Calvary, and because Jesus is God, His sacrifice was of an infinite value, and thereby He atoned for all the sins of the world, past, present and to come. The fruits of JESUS’ sacrifice on the cross are transmitted to us through the sacraments and especially through the SACRIFICE of the Mass. At every Mass when the priest pronounces the words of Consecration, the sacrifice and death of JESUS is made present on the altar under the appearance of bread and wine, so we are literally present at Calvary. The outward appearances of bread and wine remain, but faith tells us this is the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of JESUS present in even the tiniest particle of the consecrated Host and in every drop of the consecrated wine. We call this the Real Presence. For this reason, before Holy Communion, the priest, in the words of St John the Baptist holds up the Sacred Host saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.”

The Real Presence means that JESUS is present in our tabernacles. He is there waiting for you. Visit Him often when you pass the church even if only for a few moments. It will bring you much spiritual profit. Every Saturday morning at 10am there is Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with Confession available, concluding with Benediction at 11am.

Fr Paul Gillham IC

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Arise, Be Enlightened, Your Light Has Come!

May I begin by wishing you on behalf of all your clergy a very Happy New Year!  On this first Sunday of 2018 we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. This feast is also a mystery of light.  The light that shone that first Christmas night in the grotto at Bethlehem where Mary, Joseph and the shepherds adored is now made manifest to the whole world.

The Adoration of the Magi to the Christ Child also proves that Our Lord is much more than an ordinary created person. After all, there was none of the glamour and wealth of an earthly king present, and yet the Magi bent their knees before the Child and worshipped Him as God.  Thus the prophecy is fulfilled, “The kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring Him gifts.  Before Him all kings shall fall prostrate, all nations shall serve Him” (Ps. 71:10-11).

The light which shone at Bethlehem is the Divine Light because “God is light; in Him there is no darkness” (1 Jn 1: 5).  Unfortunately, many reject the light and many have still never heard of Christ, the True Light that enlightens the darkness.  So our job is to allow ourselves to be converted and transformed by Him into a ‘people of light’ so that we can bring the light to others.  We normally do this in the places we frequent our daily lives, but throughout the history of the Church, many have left their homes and families and devoted themselves more radically to Christ to spread His light and His truth.  Christ is without doubt calling people from this parish to do the same today.  Could YOU be one of those God is calling to serve Him in the priesthood or the religious life as a brother or sister?  If so, don’t close your ears to the call.  As Our Lady responded to the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation, “fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.” “Be it done unto me according to your word.”  Be not afraid.  If God calls you, He gives you the grace to fulfil the task. With Him, ALL things are possible!

Fr Paul Gillham IC

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