AMEN

control

chosen

"Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark." - Rabindranath Tagoe

live

know you

question?

Your part is to believe and to trust the Lord. So let go and let God be God! (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The week

In 1997 when I was so ill, at first I gave up on God - why would God let anybody suffer cancer?  An inoperable Brain Tumour.  Why had God not protected me?  I never could have imagined his healing when it finally was there would have been so powerful.  It was Christmas eve 1997 a few days after my oncologist had told me there was nothing else he could do for me.  I asked him for a hug this man had tried so hard to help me beat this evil cancer but to no avail.  That evening my extra maths teacher, Sally Nearhou, came with a prophecy God had sent her.  I would be well again according to her, she had seen a cat rising from it's basket and God had told her that like the cat I would get up and be well again.  It took a while but everything in her prophecy has come true, apart from I do not drive and never want to.   God takes time to heal and answer prayers sometimes because his healing and help is perfect!  Super strong God, I adore you and thank you.
DAVE

The whole of chapter 17 of John's Gospel is
called "the priestly prayer of Jesus'. We are
: allowed to overhear Jesus at prayer with his
disciples at the Last Supper. We catch a hint of what
is dearest to his heart and what is uppermost in his
mind as he approaches his death.
In the early part of the priestly prayer we hear
Jesus addressing God as Father, we hear him
speaking about eternal life, about his mission m
the world, about prayer, about truth and integrity,
about joy and about consecration.
In the section in today's liturgy (vv 20-26) Jesus
prays for us. He prays not only for his disciples
gathered with him but for those who believe in me
through theirword. His prayer is unambiguous: that
they may all be one.
The unity for which Christ prayed is rooted in
and grows from the unity within God: Father, Son
and Spirit. We have learned to express this unity
in God in terms of the Holy Trinity: three persons,
one God. We have learned to recognise a unique
unity in Jesus himself, fully human, fully divine, one
person two natures.
Faith in that unity allows us to work toward
unity in faith.
Faith in that unity allows us great diversity in the
expression of our faith.
For most of us such talk about faith and unity
evokes memories of the ecumenical movement,
the annual week of prayer for Christian unity
and learning to be polite about other people's
religions.
If we try to pray the prayer of Jesus in John
17, we will be carried along past all the different
approaches to Church unity, biblical, theological,
historical, into the heart of the unity of God. We
will discover that the irreversible work of the
Holy Spirit is taking place in ways that surpass
our imagination. We will discover that spiritual
ecumenism lies at the heart of all prayer: oneness
with God.
Undoubtedly the greatest stumbling block in
the path of those who are searching for God is
the scandal of division in religious matters. And
the greatest weakness among Christians is the
divisions into so many denominations. According
to Wikipedia there are approximately 41,000 such
denominations!
Jesus and his disciples predated the radical
division between Synagogue and Church; the
great schism divided Eastern from Western
Christianity and the Reformation started the
unceasing splintering of Western Christianity. As
these divisions harden, the great priestly prayer
of Jesus is more urgent than ever.
The prayer of Jesus at the Last supper ends on
a note of divine-human love: he will continue to
make the Father's name known that the love with
which you have loved me may be in them, and I in
them. It is our prayer that we can share in that love:
the love of the Father for the Son and the love of
the Son for the whole world.
7th Sunday of Easter • Year C • Divine Office: Week III • 12 May 2013

Live the Word
Mon 13 May (Our Lady of Fatima)
Acts 19:1 -8; Psalm 68; John 16:29-33
In the crucifixion, Jesus knew firsthand all that
human beings are capable of, experiencing the
full intensity of our hatred and brutality. Jesus
understands our suffering and knows our pain.
Tue 14 May ST MATTHIAS, APOSTLE
Acts 1:15-17.20-26; Psalm 113; John 15:9-17
While some paths are better than others, whatever
path we may discern for ourselves in life,
God is with us in all of them. Be joyful that God is
with you wherever you are.
Wed 15 May Liturgy of the day
Acts 20:28-38; Psalm 68; John 17:11-19
Whenever we give generously to help others, we
do something good.We are investing in humanity
and supporting a cause much bigger than ourselves.
And when we give we feel uplifted, too.
Thu16May Liturgy of the day
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; Psalm 16; John 17:20-26
God wants us to be safe and well and whole. We
all yearn to know that God is there for us. And
God is - offering us the kind of comfort and reassurance
we get from those who love us best.
Fril7May Liturgy of the day
Acts 25:13-21; Psalm 103; John 21:15-19
In prayerful reflection, replace Peter in today's
gospel story with yourself. How do you respond
to Jesus'question "do you love me"? What commitment
are you prepared to make to Jesus?
Sat 18 May (St John I, Pope & Martyr)
Acts 28:16-20.30-31; Psalm 11; John 21:20-25
Paul used his prison time for prayer and conversation
about faith and trust in God. His body was
confined by bars or walls but not his spirit. Lord,
wherever we are, help us find hope in tomorrow.
Sun 19 May PENTECOST
Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; John 14:15-16.23-26
The Lord comes in might and power, but also in
subtlety and silence. Am I open to the fire God is
lighting in me? Am I open to the intimacy of a relationship
with God that the Spirit is calling me to?

Father God

quote

 "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."  - Mother Teresa

I pray this at the beginning of every day

T H E W E E K A H E A D
Live the Word
Mort 6 May Liturgy of the day
Acts 16:11-15; Psalm 149; John 15:26-16:4
Seek quiet moments, away from the hustle and
bustle, to reflect on your life. Be still before God.
Time always brings changes, but pray that God will
lead you in the right direction.
Tue 7 May Liturgy of the day
Acts 16:22-34; Psalm 138; John 16:5-11
Many people think that they have to go and look for
suffering in order to be closer to Jesus. Not so. Suffering
happens to all of us.The challenge is to accept
the suffering that comes to us with much grace.
Wed 8 May Liturgy of the day
Acts 17:15.22-18:1; Psalm 148;John 16:12-15
In ourjourneys of faith, we sometimes experience
"dark nights of the soul" when God seems nowhere
to be found. But he is in fact always near. Jesus, see
me in the darkness. Show me your light.
Thu 9 May ASCENSION OF OUR LORD
Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Luke 24:46-53
God's timing is not ours to know. We can keep
our hopes, dreams and prayers alive only if we
are willing to deepen our trust in the Tightness of
God's plan, including its timing.
Fri 10 May Liturgy of the day
Acts 18:9-18; Psalm 47; John 16:20-23
Thankfully, there is more to this life of faith than
meets the eye. For with Jesus comes another life
beyond this one, another chance at childlike joy
that no one can ever take away.
Sat 11 May Liturgy of the day
Acts 18:23-28; Psalm 47; John 16:23-28
There is a value to having common goals, and the
only way to create them is to listen to each other
before we push our own agendas or dismiss the
opposition. Harmony is worth it in the end.
Sun 12 May 7TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 97; John 17:20-26
It is easy to see the love and beauty of God in the trusting
ways of a chikd.To grow our bve for one another,
we need only remember that innocent, trusting love
we had as children and then replicate it in our lives.
(KEY: SOLEMNITIES; FEASTS; Memoria; {Optional Memorial
Background colour = Liturgical colour of the day)
Copyright. Do not reproduce without permission. € Redemptorist Pastoral Publications, P O Box 341, Merrivale, 3291. Phone 082 667 3857.
Fax 086 545 4381. Email: janet@rpp.org.za. Internet: www.rpp.org.za. Printed by Intrepid Printers (Pty) Ltd.

may