Parish of Our Lady & Saint David, Cwmbran

“Whom shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life.”

Failure, rejection and isolation: these are the themes of today’s remarkable Gospel ‑ but they are not all. In the face of them we see persever­ance, fidelity and trust. Above all there is an adherence to the truth that is truly amazing. Jesus speaks the truth to all who will listen, and if they find that truth “intolerable” they are free to leave, just as they are free to believe. No one who reads this passage could accuse Jesus of being interested in fame or fortune or the simple accumulation of followers. He didn’t play the ‘numbers game’. Even more amazing is that when his followers seem to be down to their lowest ebb, he turns to the Twelve and gives them freedom to go as well. Peter’s reply, when he speaks of their belief, is the only answer that matters; it is spirit and life that replies, not the flesh, which has nothing to offer.

PSALM

I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad. The Lord turns his face against the wicked to destroy their remembrance from the earth. The Lord turns his eyes to the just and his ears to their appeal. They call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their distress.   The Lord is close to the broken- hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save. Many are the trials of the just man but from them all the Lord will rescue him. He will keep guard over all his bones, not one of his bones shall be broken. Evil brings death to the wicked; those who hate the good are doomed. The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants. Those who hide in him shall not be condemned.

Alleluia, alleluia! Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life: you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!

First Reading: Joshua 24: 1-2, 15-17, 17,18

Second Reading: Eph 5: 21-32            

Gospel Reading: John 6: 60-69

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time 2015 Newsletter

The Almighty has done great things for me, he has exalted the lowly.

This great feast is a twin to the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. Then, if you recall, the preface of the Mass contained these words: “Christ is the beginning, the head of the Church; where he has gone, we hope to follow.” Today we celebrate the first of us to do just that, as we remember Mary following our Lord into heaven. She is the first to follow him – but not the last: this feast should help open our eyes to our final destination, heaven. So this feast pushes us right back to Easter, to thoughts of death and resurrection: it is the second reading which underlines all this. It talks of the “gradual” resurrection of the dead: Christ first, then “those who belong to him”.  Of these, the first is Mary, she who was without stain of original sin, she who was “most blessed of all women.” In her, today, we see the fulfilment of the vision of the first reading: the end of death and the victory of life in Christ.

PSALM

The daughters of kings are among your loved ones. On your right stands the queen in gold of Ophir. Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words: forget your own people and your father’s house. So will kings desire your beauty: He is your lord, pay homage to him. They are escorted amid gladness and joy; they pass within the palace of the king.

Alleluia, alleluia! Mary has been taken up to heaven; all the choirs of angels are rejoicing. Alleluia!

First Reading: Apocalypse 11:19, 12:1-6,10

Second Reading: 1Cor 15: 20-26

 Gospel Reading: Luke 1: 39-56

Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary 2015 Newsletter

“I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.”

The bread that comes down from heaven is not just a bread which nourishes the body, but one which gives renewed life ‑ be this in the form of energy and purpose (as we see in the story of Elijah) or in the form of a gift of eternal life. As Jesus continues his discourse on the Bread of Life, he faces the complaints and criti­cism of the crowd, who take a very short-sighted view of what he says, and affirms for them that true life, a life the will never end, is found in him, he is the one who has come from the Father, and so is the living bread which gives life. Jesus here makes an explicit link between “belief” and “eating the bread of life”: the two lead to each other, and they both bring about that which man most desires ‑ to live for ever. The Response to the Psalm in many ways sums this up: ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’

PSALM

I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad. Glorify the Lord with me. Together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord and he answered me; from all my terrors he set me free. Look towards him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed. This poor man called; the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

First Reading: 1Kings 19: 4-8

Second Reading: Eph 4: 30-5:2

Gospel Reading: John 6: 41-51

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2015 Newsletter

We continue reading from John 6: this is the aftermath of the miracle, and we see the beginnings of a misunderstanding that will develop over the next four weeks. People have seen the miracle, but not the message: they have seen the sign, but not what it points towards. The bread that was given is a sign of the Bread of Life, which is the teaching, the words and the very person of Jesus, as the revelation of the Father. His mission is to draw people back to his Father, to found a New Covenant or relationship. As the weeks go by, we will see that the people’s hunger is simply for spectacle and miracle, not for the much harder teaching of living nourished by God’s word and the presence of his only Son. For us, the People of the New Covenant, these passages must make us think of how we receive the Lord in the Eucharist. Are we nour­ished by his presence, so that all the hunger and thirst of our lives is answered by the One who is the Bread of Life?

PSALM

The things we have heard and understood, the things our fathers have told us, we will tell to the next generation: the glories of the Lord and his might. He commanded the clouds above and opened the gates of heaven. He rained down manna for their food, and gave them bread from heaven. Mere men ate the bread of angels. He sent them abundance of food. He brought them to his holy land, to the mountains which his right hand had won.

First Reading: Exodus 16: 2-4, 12-15

Second Reading: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24            

Gospel Reading: John 6: 24-35

18th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2015 Newsletter

“Jesus gave out as much as was wanted to all who were sitting ready.”

For the next five weeks we take our leave of Saint Mark’s Gospel (since it is not long enough to fill the year) and read Chapter Six of Saint John’s Gospel. This is the famous “Eucharistic Discourse” and begins with the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. A line of the Psalm gives the meaning of today’s readings: “The eyes of all creatures look to you (O God) and you give them their food in due time.” Our God is the God who provides for his people; the prosperity and fruitfulness of our earth and the mysterious cycles of nature ensures that all have what they need ‑ and have some left over. The actions of Elisha and Jesus are in a sense prophetic: many would say that there is not enough food in this world to go round, just as the two sets of disciples complain that there is not enough for the hundred or the five thousand. But the prophetic action states that this is not true: God provides what is needed. This might prompt us to think about the unfair and unequal distribution of the fruits of the earth: the miracle is a sign of the Kingdom of God ‑ what God wants the world to be like. Perhaps we should take the message of the miracle to heart this Sunday and think about the multitude that still sits in hunger in our world today.

Psalm

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord and all your friends shall repeat their blessing. They shall speak of the glory of your reign and declare your might, O God. The eyes of all your creatures look to you and you give them their food in due time. You open wide your hand, grant the desires of all who live. The Lord is just in all his ways and loving in all his deeds. He is close to all who call him, who call on him from their hearts.

First Reading: 2 Kings 4:42‑44

Second Reading: Ephesians 4:1‑6

Gospel Reading: John 6: 1-15

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2015 Newsletter

“They were like sheep without a shepherd.”

“Sheep without a shepherd.” This is the simple theme of today’s readings. It is interest­ing that Jesus’ reaction to the crowd is one of pity – as he sees their great thirst for his teach­ings. This is, in a sense, a clear fulfilment of the prophecy we hear in the first reading, where God promises a true shepherd who will care for the people of Israel. Shepherding is a particularly suitable im­age of God’s love and care. The dependency of the sheep on their shepherd, their wandering and drifting without someone to guide them, is also a suitable image of the people God loves. Our own age also displays sheep without shepherds ‑ a great wandering crowd, seeking something, but not knowing what they are seeking. It is to this flock that the present day followers of Jesus are sent as shepherds.

PSALM

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil will I fear. You are there with your crook and staff; with these you give me comfort. You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

First Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Second Reading: Ephesians 2: 13-18

Gospel Reading: Mark 6:30-34

16th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2015 Newsletter

“He began to send them out.”

Again it is prophecy that is our theme (see last week). Here, we concentrate on the sending of prophets, the entrusting of the mission to them, and most importantly the neces­sary qualifications to be a prophet. The only qualification necessary is an open ear, to hear the mandate from God. We see this in Amos, the simple shepherd, and in the Twelve, called by Jesus from their humble occupations, which no one would have thought qualified them to speak on ‘religious’ themes. As last week, the possibility of rejection and failure is quite explicitly treated ‑ Jesus instructs the Apostles in what to do if they are ignored. When the Gospel simply states, “So they set off to preach repentance…” we can imagine all that was in their minds and hearts as they did so. They had heard the call of Jesus, and allowed it into their hearts: this was all they needed to go out and speak his words.

Psalm

I will hear what the Lord has to say, a voice that speaks of peace, peace for his people. His help is near for those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land. Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced. Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven. The Lord will make us prosper and our earth shall yield its fruit. Justice shall march before him and peace shall follow his steps.

First Reading:   Amos 7:12-15

Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Gospel Reading: Mark 6: 7-13

15th Sunday Of Ordinary Time 2015 Newsletter

A prophet is only despised in his own country.”

A prophet’s job is to open people’s eyes to the reality of their situation ‑ pointing out to them the things they would rather forget or ignore. A prophet is a sort of “national con­science”, always awake to situations of injus­tice and always speaking out about them. A prophet is commissioned to do this by God, who sends the prophet on his mission Jesus is just such a prophet ‑ teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God and the best way to live. Despite the welcome his message has received elsewhere, when he comes to his hometown he is faced with rejection ‑such that “he was amazed at their lack of faith.” It is curious is that they seem to accept his wisdom, and his miracles, but because he grew up among them they cannot accept him as a teacher from God. We should remember that it is often hardest to stand up for the truth among those who know us well.

The Psalm

To you have I lifted up my eyes, you who dwell in the heavens: my eyes, like the eyes of slaves on the hand of their lords. Like the eyes of a servant on the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the Lord our God till he show us his mercy. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. We are filled with contempt. Indeed all too full is our soul with the proud man’s disdain.

First Reading:  Ezekiel 2:2-5

Second Reading: 2Cor 12:7-10

 Gospel Reading: Mark 6: 1-6

14th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2015 Newsletter

You are Peter, and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

Peter and Paul are the two great heroes of the Apostolic Age ‑ Peter for leading the first Christian communities and binding them in unity, a role that springs from his profession of faith in Caesarea Philippi, and Paul for travel­ling throughout the Roman Empire as the Apostle to the Gentiles, ensuring that the Gospel could be heard by all. They both ended up in Rome, the heart of the Empire, where they crowned their lives of witness by shedding their blood for Christ. As the ancient hymn for this feast day (“Decora Lux aeternitatis”) says: “”Rejoice, O Rome, this day; thy walls they once did sign With princely blood, who now their glory share with thee. What city’s vesture glows with crimson deep as thine? What beauty else has earth that may compare with thee?” In celebrating the death of these apostles and martyrs, we celebrate the triumph of life and death offered fully to God.

The Psalm

I will bless the Lord at all times his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad. Glorify the Lord with me. Together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord and he answered me; from all my terrors he set me free. Look towards him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed. This poor man called; the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

First Reading: Acts 12: 1-11

Second Reading: Tim 4: 6-8, 17-18

Gospel Reading: Matt 16: 13-19