A Catholic Monthly Magazine

Tag Archive for ‘grace’

The Mind of Christ the Mass and You – Part 2 of 2

Contact with the Mind of Christ What do we need then to ensure that the power of the Mass to transform our minds is in fact efficacious? An intense, constantly renewed desire that Christ’s mind should become our mind, a willingness to seek this, together with a recognition that we depend more on his grace […]

Wednesday 31 July

St Ignatius of Loyola Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; Matthew 13:44-46 Lost Treasure There is always great excitement when divers discover a long-lost ship that has been lying on the ocean floor for years. The forgotten treasure is eagerly brought up to the surface and displayed for all to see. Sometimes our own gifts can lie […]

Tuesday 30 July

Exodus 33:7-11, 34:5-9,28; Psalm 103; Matthew 13:36-43 Images Jesus uses many images in his parables to explain what the kingdom of God is like. How often he speaks of the first book of revelation: the gift of creation. How often does he use images of nature such as harvesting, or ripening, sowing seed, gathering and […]

Saturday 27 July

Exodus 24:3-8; Psalm 50; Matthew 13:24-30 Take time As with all blessings, the double blessing of seeing and hearing are gifts that we tend to take for granted. So, very enthusiastically, Jesus tells the disciples that they are so blessed, for the time of waiting for a Messiah is over and they are witnesses to […]

Thursday 25 July

St James, Apostle Corinthians 4:7-15; Psalm 126; Matthew 20:20-28 Patience Whenever, it seems, that Jesus prophecies his forthcoming passion and death his closest disciples miss the point or interrupt with an immediate, ‘oh, and by the way, response…!’ Jesus rebukes Peter. He chides the apostles for arguing about who is the greatest and, in today’s […]

Saturday 20 July

Exodus 12:37-42; Psalm 136; Matthew 12:14-21 The bruised reed “…The bruised reed he will not break, and the flickering flame he will not quench…” What beautiful words from the prophet Isaiah and how beautifully they are embodied in the ministry of Jesus. When I am estranged from others through quarrels, or through anger or resentment, […]

Sunday 14 July

FIFTEENTH WEEK ORDINARY TIMESea Sunday Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Psalm 69; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37 Being a good neightbour The Good Samaritan is a story engraved upon our hearts for he is the one ‘moved with pity’ for his neighbour in need. Every day we have the same opportunity to be a good neighbour to others, to […]

Saturday 13 July

Genesis 49:29-33, 50:15-26; Psalm 105; Matthew 10:24-33 Jesus the teacher Jesus is often portrayed in the scriptures as a rabbi and a teacher. All of us can surely recall a single teacher that seemed to draw the very best out of us – perhaps even qualities and talents that others had overlooked? That is what […]

Friday 5 July

Genesis 23:1-4, 19-24:1-8, 62-67; Psalm 106; Matthew 9:9-13 Unashamed Like our friend Zacchaeus, Matthew was a tax collector and one despised because he had been recruited by the Romans to collect taxes from his own people. Doubtless Matthew had also become rich by ripping off the poor and oppressed, which is why the money of […]

Thursday 27 June

Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16; Psalm 106; Matthew 7:21-29 Authority It was because he spoke with authority that Jesus’ teachings made a deep impression. We understand that Jesus had authority given him by the Father. He had made that authority his own. Each one of us is given authority by God to make choices about our behaviours […]