Refection
Reflection by Holy Name Church
Easter Sunday
Easter is the feast of feasts, the unalloyed joy and gladness of all Christians.
In the very center of the Mass, the great prayer of thanksgiving, from the first words of the Preface, expresses the unrivalled motive for this joy: if it is right to praise You, Lord, at all times, how much more so should we not glorify You on this day when Christ our Passover was sacrificed, for He is the true Lamb who took away the sins of the world, who by His Death destroyed our death and by His Resurrection restored our life. Easter means, then, Redemption obtained — sin destroyed, death overcome, divine life brought back to us, the resurrection of our body which is promised immortality. With such a certitude, we should banish all trace of sadness.
Good Friday
As the Gospel story of Jesus’ passion unfolds today, we witness the light of the world being led from one interrogator to another and finally condemned to a cruel death, by crucifixion. Drawn like Peter, we follow him who has also befriended us so completely. We are disturbed and inspired at the same time.
Ash Wednesday 2022
Today is Ash Wednesday and Catholics throughout the world are observing this occasion by attending Ash Wednesday services at their parish and fasting, or abstaining from meat. The first reading for mass today from the book of Joel, goes right along with what we are all doing today. God called all of his people together, by asking them to stop whatever they were in the middle of doing and come to the temple, including the priests. He asks the same of us today too. Yes, there are a million other things that we need to do, or want to do, instead of going to church, but God is calling us to set these things aside in order to attend Ash Wednesday services at our parish. It isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation, but God doesn’t try to make anyone love Him either. He simply invites us to a deeper relationship with Him. It’s up to us if we accept His invitation or not.
Prayer for a fruitful Advent
My hidden Lord Jesus, I love You and thank You with profound gratitude for uniting Yourself with fallen humanity. When You first entered into this world, You remained hidden for nine months in the immaculate womb of Your Blessed Mother. She carried You, body and blood, soul and divinity, within the sanctuary of her body. She also carried You within her heart as a result of her perfect love for You and her perfect obedience to the will of the Father.
God Raises the Dying
The healing work of Jesus can give us a false sense that faithfulness means we will not experience suffering, illness, or painful death. This is not true. God’s healing and resurrecting work brings consolation,
community, courage and perseverance to trial, destruction, and death.
Pentecost Sunday
Today, the Church celebrates Pentecost Sunday, a very special day for Christians. We honour this day with great solemnity and festivity. Unfortunately, for two years in a row, we could not properly celebrate this wonderful feast. A year ago, nobody could have imagined what we would experience daily due to Covid-19. This unexpected pandemic has thrown us into an unwelcome ‘new normal’, drastically re-shaping our ordinary lives. For those struggling at society’s margins, its impacts are devastating. As the darkness has gradually engulfed lives, it has become more evident that life has changed into something far different from the normal we remember.
Divine Mercy Sunday – April 11th – 2021
Before we rejoice in the resurrection, we pause with the dying. We cry out, “Hosanna in the highest!” as the King whom we longed for rides in on a donkey. He has a crown, yet it is made of thorns. His body is laid in a tomb by those with the courage to stay by his side.
Palm Sunday – March 28th – 2021
Before we rejoice in the resurrection, we pause with the dying. We cry out, “Hosanna in the highest!” as the King whom we longed for rides in on a donkey. He has a crown, yet it is made of thorns. His body is laid in a tomb by those with the courage to stay by his side.
Second Sunday of Lent – February 28th – 2021
What Is Lent?
Ash Wednesday was a few days ago, starting the Lenten countdown toward Holy Week and Easter. But maybe some of us are not completely clear as to why these weeks of preparation are there in the first place.