Hail thee, Festival Day!

Today - the Day of Pentecost, crowns and brings to a glorious finale our Easter Festival.

Let us pray that the flame of the Spirit will descend upon us.

Father in heaven,
fifty days have celebrated the fullness
of the mystery of your revealed love.
See your people gathered in prayer,
open to receive the Spirit's flame.
May it come to rest in our hearts
and disperse the divisions of word and tongue.
With one voice and one song
may we praise your name in joy and thanksgiving.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Well, Ordinary Time resumes tomorrow, and I am off to the Highlands of Scotland for a weeks holiday. My next blog will therefore be on Monday 4 June. Let me end this joyful Easter Season with the special dismissal for this Festival Day:

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord, Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thanks be to God, Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Spirit will be with you forever

During these last few days of Eastertide we join in spirit with Mary the Mother of Jesus, the Apostles, and other holy men and women, as they stay in the upper room in Jerusalem, praying continually for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Although Jesus has now returned to his Father in heaven, he has promised us that we shall not be orphans - he will send us the Holy Spirit who will be with us forever.

Lord,
send the power of your Holy Spirit upon us
that we may remain faithful
and do your will in our daily lives.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Proclaim the Good News to all creation

At my ordination as a deacon in 1997, I was given a charge by the bishop to proclaim and preach the gospel. It is an enormous privilege to do so. But although this task is normally restricted to the ordained minister within the context of liturgical worship, we are all called to be ambassadors of Christ in our everyday lives.

It is often the school pupil telling their friends about Jesus which makes the big impression. Sometimes, when as a clergyman I preach the gospel people think ''well you would say that wouldn't you , you are ordained!' It is sometimes the friend whose witness makes the biggest impression.

I love the Gospel Acclamation which we sang last Sunday:

Alleluia! Alleluia!
Go and teach all people my gospel.
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
Alleluia!

May they all be one

This week we are reading the 'High-Priestly' Prayer of Jesus in the 17th Chapter of John's Gospel. Jesus rejoices that he and the Father are one, and prays that all his followers may be one.

How lovely that report of the early Church which we read in the Acts of the Apostles: 'the faithful all lived together and owned everything in common...They went as a body to the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone.'

Small wonder 'day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved.' We must ask the Risen, Ascended, Glorified Jesus to bring us all together in one Church.

I am the vine - you are the branches

Most of my friends know that I enjoy the 'odd' glass of wine! In fact, I look on wine as one of the great pleasures of life. There is nothing more lovely than a fine bunch of juicy grapes!

Jesus has called us to produce much fruit - fruit that will last. On our own we can produce nothing, but grafted to our Risen Lord - who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life - we can produce fruit in plenty.

It is often the older vines which produce the finest grapes. I have to ask myself - what sort of harvest am I yielding as I advance in years? Perhaps a little more pruning is called for!

I am the good shepherd

During this Easter Season, we are reading from the Acts of the Apostles, and from John's Gospel. One of the distinguising features of John's Gospel is the so called 'I am' passages. One favourite image is found in the tenth chapter, where we read: 'I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine own know me.'

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.

We should get to know the Good Shepherd better!

The Good Shepherd is risen!
He who laid down his life for his sheep,
who died for his flock,
he is risen. Alleluia!

Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia!

I know that many disagree with me, but I am delighted that we are now celebrating the Ascension of the Lord on the Seventh Sunday of Easter, rather than on the Thursday of the Sixth Week!

I am not at work today, and so can celebrate all day - not just at church, but also at the dining table! I like a Holy Day to be a holiday! I have grown tired of minimalist celebrations in my parish, and hope we will celebrate this great feast with every possible sign of festal joy and triumph.

Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia!
Glorious to his native skies; Alleluia!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!
Enters now the highest heaven! Alleluia!

Happy Feast!