This week
‘If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault’. It is not usually something we find too difficult, pointing out somebody’s faults to them, but note the very careful and gradual way we are instructed to do this by Jesus. Note also that we have one aim in doing this – to bring our brother back to right behaviour. We are definitely not seeking to establish our superiority or humiliate our brother.
Jesus says that first we must speak to the person alone, seeking to win them back to right behaviour without involving anybody else at all. Only if that fails do we bring in ‘one or two others’ and only if that fails do we involve ‘the church’. Note, it is not the wider community but ‘the church’. ‘The church’ should be our ‘go to’ community in the event of ongoing difficulties with anybody. We should have the kind of relationship with the church that allows us to do that.
Is that a picture of the church as we know it? Have we sought to promote that kind of relationship within the church? The church is not a place for gossip but a place for trusting, concerned relationships. How can we promote that? Do we ever ask fellow church members to pray for someone? Being church means we are not just a community of believers but also a community of prayers, praying not for ourselves but for others.
Prayer is a key element of what we are about. I regularly pray at Mass for the sick, the suffering, the dying, the dead and the grieving. I'm always conscious of how many people there are in such need and how we can show solidarity with them in prayer. I like to mention names, if permitted, as that helps to focus prayer. I like to have Exposition before Mass as that encourages prayer and many speak of the difference that makes to a parish. We pray not for a specific outcome but for a person. I always say at funerals that we are gathered to pray for the deceased and to remind ourselves that we need to keep them in mind and keep them in prayer in the future, doing the one thing we can now do to help them: pray.
Prayer is rarely about instant or spectacular results but about a Christian way of life that calls for perseverance. We can easily underestimate ourselves and the power of our prayers. I was recently approached by someone who said that since coming to a family funeral here he has been coming regularly and enjoyed (the word he used) coming here to Mass. So, let us continue being a community of prayer, praying not for outcomes, we leave that to God, but for people. Amen.
‘If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault’. It is not usually something we find too difficult, pointing out somebody’s faults to them, but note the very careful and gradual way we are instructed to do this by Jesus. Note also that we have one aim in doing this – to bring our brother back to right behaviour. We are definitely not seeking to establish our superiority or humiliate our brother.
Jesus says that first we must speak to the person alone, seeking to win them back to right behaviour without involving anybody else at all. Only if that fails do we bring in ‘one or two others’ and only if that fails do we involve ‘the church’. Note, it is not the wider community but ‘the church’. ‘The church’ should be our ‘go to’ community in the event of ongoing difficulties with anybody. We should have the kind of relationship with the church that allows us to do that.
Is that a picture of the church as we know it? Have we sought to promote that kind of relationship within the church? The church is not a place for gossip but a place for trusting, concerned relationships. How can we promote that? Do we ever ask fellow church members to pray for someone? Being church means we are not just a community of believers but also a community of prayers, praying not for ourselves but for others.
Prayer is a key element of what we are about. I regularly pray at Mass for the sick, the suffering, the dying, the dead and the grieving. I'm always conscious of how many people there are in such need and how we can show solidarity with them in prayer. I like to mention names, if permitted, as that helps to focus prayer. I like to have Exposition before Mass as that encourages prayer and many speak of the difference that makes to a parish. We pray not for a specific outcome but for a person. I always say at funerals that we are gathered to pray for the deceased and to remind ourselves that we need to keep them in mind and keep them in prayer in the future, doing the one thing we can now do to help them: pray.
Prayer is rarely about instant or spectacular results but about a Christian way of life that calls for perseverance. We can easily underestimate ourselves and the power of our prayers. I was recently approached by someone who said that since coming to a family funeral here he has been coming regularly and enjoyed (the word he used) coming here to Mass. So, let us continue being a community of prayer, praying not for outcomes, we leave that to God, but for people. Amen.
The Order of the Mass
In a new series of videos, Father Michael explains more about the Order of the Mass, covering the Introductory Rites, the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist and Concluding Rites.
In a new series of videos, Father Michael explains more about the Order of the Mass, covering the Introductory Rites, the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist and Concluding Rites.
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To watch other videos about St Catherine's please see our Parish YouTube channel