Category: Liturgy

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Eastertide Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Resurrection Scripture Visitation

In the joy of God’s presence

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Some thoughts from the archives for the feast of the Visitation. As we celebrate this lovely feast I’m being drawn to these words from the prophet Zephaniah:

“The Lord your God is in your midst… He will exalt with joy over you, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you as on a day of festival.”

I was a little surprised that these were the words that drew me. The quickest of glances at the daily news brings a sharp reminder that whatever direction we look in there is little to inspire joy or hope. So I turned to the gospel. The beautiful encounter of Elizabeth and Mary as they delighted in the discovery of God’s presence deep within them echoed Zephaniah’s words.

Their joy and delight were real and transforming, yet that did not mean their circumstances were easy, comfortable or safe. They both knew suffering, individually and as part of a persecuted community. They both had lives that could be precarious, uncertain and even dangerous. Yet, they could still recognise and respond to the transforming, renewing love of God.

It seems to me that to respond to God’s love in uncertain times is both an act of courage and of faith. Even if we can’t feel it, or see it, God’s love is with us, renewing us whatever we face. Even when joy and hope seem impossible God rejoices in each one of us.

Where is God asking you to allow yourself to be renewed by God’s love today?

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Ascension Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Eastertide Gospel Holy Spirit Lectio Divina Liturgy Resurrection Scripture

Discovering joy

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The Eastertide gospels are very dynamic and active as the disciples struggle to come to terms with all that has happened. The gospels are full of movement, running, traveling, fishing, hiding. With Ascension the mood changes, it’s a quieter, more reflective time.

Jesus, who has been with the disciples in a new and very concrete way since the resurrection, has returned to the Father. This means the disciples have to adjust to another leaving, another loss and another new reality. They have to take time to reflect on all they have experienced, and they have to wait for whatever the Spirit will bring.

In this time we revisit the farewell discourses, reminding ourselves of the things Jesus has promised us. Today’s gospel acknowledges the suffering of life, the sorrow and the pain we all face. But it doesn’t stop there, having acknowledged the pain Jesus reveals another level of reality. He says to them:

“I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy, and that joy no one shall take from you.”

He reminds them that no amount of suffering can destroy the joy he offers or take it away. As I look around our world today, at the wars and conflicts, the poverty, inequality and exclusion that cause so much suffering it’s hard to find sources of joy.

Yet it’s in these challenging time that Jesus promises us his joy. This time allows us the opportunity to reflect, and to acknowledge our suffering, and to open our hearts to the joy he promises.

Where are you being called to take time discover joy this Eastertide?

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Ascension Benedictine Spirituality Christ Eastertide Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Resurrection Scripture

Living up to Christ’s standards.

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Ascension is one of the feasts I find most difficult for a variety of reasons. It’s very easy to see it as otherworldly, focussed more on eternity than on the nitty-gritty of human life. It also has an element of letting go. Once again, we see Jesus leaving the disciples to face an unknown and uncertain future. This compels us to recognise the reality of our own uncertain and unknown future.

In my struggles to ground the feast in the reality of daily life I looked at the Scripture readings. I found two things that helped me. The first was from Matthew’s Gospel. He tells us that when the disciples saw Jesus:

“They fell down before him, though some hesitated.”

So it seems like some of those first disciples were were ambivalent about what was going on. I find consolation in that, and in Jesus’ response to it. He doesn’t criticise them or turn them away. Instead he sends them out with their ambivalence and uncertainty to spread the Good News of salvation.

The second helpful thing was in last night’s vigil reading from St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

“Be humble, gentle and patient always. Show your love by being helpful to one another. Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives, by the peace that binds you together.”

His words call us to strive to live up to the standard God sets not in terms of a future heavenly kingdom, but in very practical ways that we can all practice. If we can find ways of being kind and helpful to those around us we will be able to make the Good News of the kingdom a reality in our lives and the lives of those we encounter.

Where is Christ calling you to live up to his standards in your daily life?

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Ascension Benedictine Spirituality Christ Eastertide Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Resurrection Scripture

Discovering truth.

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In the lead up to Ascension Jesus is preparing his disciples for change. Once again they face a departure that will require them to let go of everything they thought they understood. Jesus says to them:

“I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes you will be led to the complete truth…”

His words touch on something that we both desire and fear, the complete truth. We are surrounded by voices telling us they have the truth that we need. In today’s “post-truth” world it can be especially challenging to discern the truth. We know our need for truth in order to be able to live well and with integrity, yet we struggle to know where we should turn to find it.

Jesus answers that for us, telling us he will send the Spirit of truth who will lead us this truth that we can rely on and trust. But to discover it we need to be open to and prepared. The truth that the Spirit brings us will not necessarily appear obviously and easily. It will require us to be attentive to all that is going on in our lives and our times.

We need to be prepared to do the hard work of listening and discerning its presence in the midst of the myriad of voices that make up our daily lives. To do that we have to be prepared to let go of everything we thought we understood in order to be open to the new possibilities the Spirit brings.

As we move towards Ascension what opens your heart to the coming of the Spirit of truth into your life?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Eastertide Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Prophetic voices Resurrection Saints Scripture

Into the unknown.

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Today we’re celebrating the feast of St Augustine of Canterbury who, somewhat reluctantly, was sent by St Gregory the Great to bring the Gospel to the English. I’ve been reflecting on this from today’s gospel:

“I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals.”

It makes me realise just how vulnerable we become when we respond to Christ’s call to follow him. I imagine that St Augustine felt the full weight of that vulnerability when he accepted the task Gregory set him.

Travelling to a foreign land, which in itself was risky, dealing with unknown customs and practices and uncertain of his reception I wonder if he felt a bit like those lambs surrounded by wolves that Jesus talks about.

Following Christ means that we, like St Augustine, are called to step out into the unknown. We too live in increasingly challenging, dangerous and uncertain times. Hardships such as war, hunger, homelessness and climate change are now affecting daily life for many people.

So we have to face our vulnerability again in a new way, accepting that much of what happens in our lives is beyond our control. It can very easily leave us feeling like “lambs among wolves”.

We can find props to help us avoid that vulnerability, but that is not the call of Christ. Instead, Christ calls us to leave behind those props that would distract us and to follow him once more into unknown territory with “no purse, no haversack, no sandals.”


Where is Christ calling you out into the unknown today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Eastertide Gospel Holy Spirit Lectio Divina Liturgy Resurrection

Living in hope.

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Hope is surely one of the most precious gifts we can have. Like so many other gifts it’s easily taken for granted when times are easy. When life is going smoothly hope comes naturally to us. It’s easy to be hopeful when we feel secure and are sure of the direction our lives are taking. It becomes a much more challenging prospect when we live with the anxiety of caused by uncertain times. Yet it is precisely in the most challenging times in life that we most need hope.

As I listened Jesus preparing his disciples for his departure in today’s Gospel I’m struck by he recognises their need for hope, promising that he will not leave them to face the trials of life alone. He tells them:

“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.”

He knows that they will face trials, uncertainty and persecution. They will face situations that they will not be able to cope with alone, ones that take them beyond the limits of their human resources. It’s in those circumstances that the Spirit comes to sustain them. The Spirit can offer a solid basis for their hope, even when all around them seems hopeless.

As we face a myriad of challenges, uncertainties and struggles the Spirit dwells in us, promising us that our hopes will not be disappointed, offering us a certainty we can rely on whatever storms life throws in our direction.

Where do you need to discover the hope the Spirit promises this Eastertide?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Eastertide Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Resurrection Rule of St Benedict Scripture

Chosen to bear fruit.

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“You did not choose me: no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last…”

We live surrounded by choices that often require a lot of time, thought and effort. This can give us a sense of control, but if I’m honest it can also feel overwhelming and limiting. As is so often the case Jesus’ words draw me to a deeper reality that is both truer and more liberating. Going to the heart of our Christian vocation they recall the words of psalmist quoted by St Benedict:

“Is there anyone here who yearns for life and desires to see good days?”

I find these gospel words both hopeful and humbling. They remind me that my role is to listen and respond. They call me back to humility, telling me that control is not in my hands, but in the hands of Christ. They fill me with hope as they tell me I am already chosen, Christ has already chosen me, and each one of us, and is waiting with love for us to respond to his call to life.

How are you listening and responding to the call of Christ in your life today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Eastertide Gospel Holy Spirit Lectio Divina Liturgy Resurrection Scripture Uncategorized

A promise & a hope.

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Eastertide a dynamic season. From Easter Sunday onwards there’s lots of movement, disciples running to and from the tomb, setting out on journeys as soon as they reach home to share the news of the resurrection, moving around the area sharing this Good News with anyone who will listen.

All this activity is grounded in their intimate, personal and life changing encounters with the risen Christ. For several weeks the risen Christ has revealed the resurrection and deepening our understanding of who the he is. Now, approaching Ascension there is a new movement. Jesus says to his disciples:

“I have said these things to you while still with you; but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.”

Jesus is beginning to prepare his disciples, and us, for another departure. Once again he is leaving them, this time to return to his Father. As we move towards the Ascension he makes it clear that he’s not leaving them emptied handed.

As well as their own personal experiences of him he has broadened and deepened their understanding of who he is. Now he promises them the Holy Spirit, the Advocate.

The Spirit will be with them to teach and support them, to give them the courage to face the challenges that will come. The Spirit will remind them of all Jesus said, all those things that might be forgotten in the emotion of the moment.

This is equally true for us today. In all the challenges we face Jesus promises us that the Spirit will be there with us.

What is your hope for the action of the Spirit in your life this Eastertide?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Eastertide Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Prayer Resurrection Saints Scripture

The Way, the Truth & the Life.

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St Thomas is one of my favourite disciples because he is so direct and has the courage to ask awkward questions. He asked the questions that other people didn’t quite have the nerve for.

There are many reasons why we avoid asking the awkward questions. Maybe we don’t want to be seen as troublemakers, or appear uninformed or unintelligent. Maybe we are scared that there will be no answers, or that they will be too challenging and hard for us to cope with.

Thomas doesn’t seem to have such qualms. When Jesus says something that puzzles him Thomas takes the risk of asking for clarification. His question:

“Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’”

Allows Jesus to clarify who he is and to deepen the disciples understanding of who he is:

“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Far from being a distraction or a nuisance Thomas’ questions gives us a deeper insight into who Jesus is. Jesus’ answer leaves us with some questions of our own. Thomas’ example gives us the courage to acknowledge those and to reflect on them, asking Jesus to show us their significance for our lives.


He gives us the courage and maybe even the “permission” to ask who Jesus is for us. It allows us to ask ourselves what Jesus’ words mean for us, and to reflect on how it might shape our lives.

How does your understanding of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life shape the way your life?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Eastertide Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Prayer Scripture

Welcoming Christ.

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All through Eastertide the risen Christ invites us to follow him. In his actions and words, he shows us how what that means, how to live as Christians. In today’s gospel he calls us to be open and welcoming:

“I tell you most solemnly, whoever welcomes the one I send welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

His words are, of course, a call to open our hearts and welcome him into our lives. It’s a call to allow him to allow him to form us in his image.

But that’s only one part of the call to be welcoming. There’s another aspect to it. He calls us to be open to the circumstances we find ourselves in. He speaks these words at the last supper, already aware that Judas is about to betray him.

In that painful and frightening situation, he doesn’t run away. Instead, trusting in his Father, he opens himself to welcome this most painful situation, accepting all that it brings.

He shows us that even in the most challenging, painful and unlikely of circumstances we can open our hearts to Christ. He challenges us to welcome the painful situations we face. He asks us to welcome him in to even the darkest areas of our lives, and allow him to be there with us.

There’s also more to it than that. It’s a call to be open to others, to offer them the same welcome and acceptance that we would to Christ. Even, and maybe especially, when we find them challenging.

Where is the risen Christ inviting you to be open to this Eastertide?