Sunday, 01 May 2011
Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday – Solemnity
Introduction to Mass.
The Mass begins with the Blessing of the Water, the Asperges, as will be on every Sunday of Paschal time. It is the reminder of Sacrament of Baptism and of those who received Baptism in the Easter Vigil.
It is Divine Mercy Sunday and full of sign of life.
It is the Month Mind of Brother Aidan. I used water at the cemetery this morning as the turf of the grave has dried in the hot weather.
There are so many of signs of life this Sunday.
The Sacrament of Matrimony has just been celebrated by William and Catherine in the Royal Wedding. It was a celebration of Family – beautiful.
And today in St. Peter’s Square, the beatification of John Paul II is taking place. It is the celebration of the life of holiness. Today is the Second Sunday of Easter, which Blessed John Paul II entitled Divine Mercy Sunday. The date was chosen for today's beatification, in God's providence, he died on the vigil of this feast. Today is also the first day of May, Mary's month, and the liturgical memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker. All these elements serve to enrich our prayer.
We have printed the Regina Caeli of the 3 April 2005, the day following the death of Pope John-Paul II. The copies his last Regina Caeli are on the porch table.
Homily: Fr. Hugh’s words focused on the occasion of the Beatification of John Paul II. He remembers the Papal Visit to Britain 30 years ago concluding in Wales. He said the most important address was actually in Cardiff, especially for the Youth. The Pope spoke wonderfully on PRAYER.
Pope John Paul II 1982
Cardiff: Youth Rally
Dear young people, dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
As my visit to Britain draws to an end, …
I have come to this land as a pilgrim pastor, a servant of Jesus Christ. I have come to proclaim Christ's Gospel of peace and reconciliation; I have come to celebrate his saving action in the sacraments of the Church. I have come to call you to Christ.
Before I go away, there is something really important that I wish to emphasize. There is something very closely linked to the sacraments that I have celebrated, something that is very much a part of the Gospel message, something that is essential to your Christian lives. It is prayer. Prayer is so important that Jesus himself tells us: 'Pray constantly' (Lk. 21:36). He wants us to pray for light and strength. He wants us to pray to his Father, as he himself did. The Gospel tells us that Jesus prayed all night before choosing his Apostles (cf. Lk. 6:12). And later on, in his Passion, at the height of his suffering, Christ 'prayed more earnestly' (Lk. 22:44).
Jesus not only gave us the example of prayer, he actually taught us how to pray. One of the most beautiful scenes of the Gospel shows Jesus gathered with his disciples, teaching them to pray: 'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.' Jesus was showing his disciples the value of praising God: the importance of God's name, his Kingdom and his holy will. At the same time Jesus was telling them to ask for bread, for pardon and for help in trials. 'Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil' (d. Mt. 6:9-13; Lk. 11:2-4).
My dear young people, it is through prayer that Jesus leads us to his Father. It is in prayer that the Holy Spirit transforms our lives. It is in prayer that we come to know God: to detect his presence in our souls, to hear his voice speaking through our consciences, and to treasure his gift to us of personal responsibility for our lives and for our world.
It is through prayer that we can clearly focus our attention on the person of Jesus Christ and see the total relevance of his teaching for our lives. Jesus becomes the model for our actions, for our lives. We begin to see things his way.
Prayer transforms our individual lives and the life of the world.
Young men and women, when you meet Christ in prayer, when you get to know his Gospel and reflect on it in relation to your hopes and your plans for the future, then everything is new. Everything is different when you begin to examine in prayer the circumstances of every day, according to the set of values that Jesus taught. These values are so clearly stated in the Beatitudes: 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God' (Mt. 5:7-9).
In prayer, united with Jesus-your brother, your friend, your Saviour, your God-you begin to breathe a new atmosphere. You form new goals and new ideals. Yes, in Christ you begin to understand yourselves more fully. This is what the Second Vatican Council wanted to emphasize when it stated: 'The truth is that only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light' (Gaudium et Spes, CTS Do 363, n. 22). In other words, Christ not only reveals God to man, but he reveals man to himself. In Christ we grasp the secret of our own humanity.
But there is more. Through prayer you come to experience the truth that Jesus taught: 'The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life' (In 6:63). In Jesus, whom you get to know in prayer, your dreams for justice and your dreams for peace become more definite and look for practical applications. When you are in contact with the Prince of Peace, you understand how totally opposed to his message are violence and terrorism, hatred and war. In him you experience the full meaning of an interpersonal relationship that is based on generous love. Christ offers you a friendship that does not disappoint, a fidelity beyond compare.
Through contact with Jesus in prayer, you gain a sense of mission that nothing can dull. Your Christian identity is reaffirmed, and the meaning of your lives is for ever linked to Christ's saving mission. Through prayer, the commitments of your baptism and Confirmation take on an urgency for you. You realize that you are called to spread Christ's message of salvation (ct. Apostolicam Actuositatem, n. 3).
In union with Jesus, in prayer, you will discover more fully the needs of your brothers and sisters. You will appreciate more keenly the pain and suffering that burden the hearts of countless people. Through prayer, especially to Jesus at Communion, you will understand so many things about the world and its relationship to him, and you will be in a position to read accurately what are referred to as the 'signs of the times'. Above all you will have something to offer those who come to you in need. Through prayer you will possess Christ and be able to communicate him to others. And this is the greatest contribution you can make in your lives: to communicate Christ to the world.
Through prayer you will receive the strength to resist the spirit of the world. You will receive the power to show compassion to every human being-just as Jesus did. Through prayer you will have a part in salvation history as it unfolds in your generation. In prayer you will be able to enter into the heart of Jesus and understand his feelings towards his Church. By using the Psalms, the prayerbook that Jesus used, you will be able to repeat, under the action of the Holy Spirit, the praise and thanksgiving that have been offered to God for centuries by his people. In all the circumstances of your lives, you will find that Jesus is with you -he is close to you in prayer. It is prayer that will bring joy into your lives and help you to overcome the obstacles to Christian living. Remember the words of Saint James: 'Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray' (James 5:14).
. . .
When you go to Jesus in prayer-and through him to the Father - you will always find inspiration in Mary his Mother. With every generation of disciples you will learn to pray with her, and with her to await the action of the Holy Spirit in your lives (cf. Acts 1:14).
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