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By Lauren Bierer  The postures of participants in the assembly at Mass can feel routine for those who attend regularly: stand for the Alleluia and proclamation of the Gospel, sit for the homily and stand for the Creed, etc. On the other hand, if you’ve ever been to a Catholic wedding or funeral, you have most likely witnessed family and friends who are less familiar with the actions and responses, gathering uncomfortably in the pews, looking around the room for prompts from the regulars.
It is nerve-wracking to be a part of an unfamiliar ritual and not being sure of your role. Some may feel particularly uncomfortable when it comes time to kneel. It is a posture of vulnerability. A posture of penance, where we say ‘I’m sorry for my mistakes’, ‘I know I am an imperfect human’. If you’re a first-time church visitor and the presider says ‘please kneel’, it’s natural to decide ‘this bit isn’t for me, I’ll just watch’.
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By Kathy Horan  ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
These final words of Jesus to the disciples provided them with a significant challenge, a way forward, and the promise of his abiding presence with them for all time – and no handbook of procedures to follow! A concern of the early Christian community was to find a way of sharing their faith in the risen Lord with those who came to them, seeking to become part of the group. In a time of uncertainty and confusion, the disciples and other early Christians knew their need of banding together as a community for support and encouragement to carry out the Lord’s mission. By Dr. Jenny O'Brien  The experience of sickness and suffering can make us feel anxious and alone. We need someone to be with us, to comfort us, to listen to us, to encourage us. This doesn’t apply only to the person enduring the pain or illness, but to those who love them and care for them who wonder, ‘What can I do? What should I do? Who can I turn to?’
Sometimes these questions confront us as we or someone we love is faced with the prospect of a serious operation or treatment. Sometimes they strike us when we are in the midst of deep distress or depression. Sometimes it is as we sit with someone we love who is nearing their death. Sometimes it is as the difficulty of coping with ongoing chronic pain overwhelms us and we wonder how we can cope. And sometimes it is as we endure the sheer frustration of the increasing limitations that come with ageing. By Lauren Bierer  It’s as true for children as it is for adults: faith must be practised. We can teach, certainly, and instruct and inform. But what will be remembered are those tangible, in-the-flesh actions that get God out of our heads and into our hearts and hands.
It’s as true for children as it is for adults: faith must be practised. We can teach, certainly, and instruct and inform. But what will be remembered are those tangible, in-the-flesh actions that get God out of our heads and into our hearts and hands. Life moves fast, though technology isolates us from one another and our busy schedules keep us moving at warp speed. Within this landscape, feeling connected to others and to our faith can be difficult. Extended families rarely live in close proximity, parents work long hours, children are overwhelmed by homework and extra-curriculars and all the while, parents may feel isolated in raising their own children. By Kathy Horan  Since the earliest days of the Christian community, there have been ordinary women, men and children who have made a significant impact on the lives of those around them. The reason they have made an impact is because of their witness to faith in the risen Lord and their desire to be faithful followers of the Lord.
Among those ordinary, everyday people were the first apostles, including those closest to Jesus who denied knowing him, doubted him, ran away from Golgotha when Jesus was dying on the cross, and seriously questioned him in the light of the events of those last days we have recently commemorated during the Easter Triduum. And yet, their failures and shortcomings were deemed unimportant when they experienced the peace of the risen Lord and the knowledge that they were deeply loved and forgiven. By Dr. Jenny O'Brien  Easter is almost upon us. On April 14 we begin the Easter Triduum (pronounced trid-you-oom), the most important three days in the Church’s year, when we celebrate the mystery of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. It is as if the three days are stitched together into a single ‘great’ liturgy as we journey with Jesus from the Last Supper in the upper room, to the cross on Calvary, to the mystery and joy of resurrection. What begins with the Entrance Procession on Holy Thursday night continues seamlessly through Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday morning and only ends with Evening Prayer late on Easter Day. By Lauren Bierer  We each talk about what we are choosing to add or subtract from our day to draw our focus on the Lenten season and essentially our faith.
That could look like screen-free time after dinner to create opportunities for silence or conversation. It could be acknowledging our tendencies to choose words of bitterness or sarcasm and replacing that with words of kindness. It could be as simple as saying a prayer of thanks before dinner. Lent invites us to take a step back and reflect on our life. Many people ask ‘what should I do for Lent?’ or ‘what should I give up for Lent?’ By Kathy Horan  Each year we wonder anew and give praise and thanks to God for coming and dwelling among us, for taking on our human condition and enabling us to come to God as faithful followers of Jesus.
A couple of weeks ago we celebrated the baptism of Jesus, and recalled the words God spoke to Jesus: ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ (Luke 3:22) With these words, Jesus was named and claimed by God, and entrusted with God’s dream for the world, that all people would come to hear and take to heart the profound truth of God’s love, tenderness and mercy for each one of us. Immediately after his baptism, we are told that the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness where he fasted, prayed and discerned his mission, returning then to announce that the time had come, the kingdom of God was drawing near and all were invited to repent and believe the good news. |
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Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
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