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Showing posts with the label Voces8

'Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.' Sunday Reflections, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

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Apostle Peter in Prison Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me  (Matthew 16:24; Gospel). Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 16:21-27  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.   And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”   But he turned and said to Peter,  “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Then Jesus told his disciples,  “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

'Our time needs Christians who have been grasped by Christ.' Sunday Reflections, 2nd Sunday of Easter, Year A

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  The Incredulity of St Thomas Caravaggio [ Web Gallery of Art ] Second Sunday of Easter, Year A Divine Mercy Sunday Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel :   John 20:19-31   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them,  “Peace be with you.”   When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.   Jesus said to them again,  “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”   And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,  “Receive the Holy Spirit.   If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called th

'You have heard it said . . .' Sunday Reflections, 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

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  The Sermon on the Mount Carl Heinrich Bloch [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  Matthew 5:17-37  ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)     Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.   For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.   Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.   For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to those

Sophie Scholl - a Christian martyr and a light to the world. Sunday Reflections, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

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  Sophie Scholl in 1942  (9 May 1921 - 22 February 1943)  [ Wikipedia ;  photo ] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (I Cor 2:2; Second Reading). Reading   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 5:13-16  ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)     Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Léachtaí i nGaeilge   A

'Rachel weeping for her children.' Feast of the Holy Innocents

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  Joseph's Dream Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt (Mt 2:13) . Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs 28 December Gospel   Matthew 2:13-18 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Now when the wise men had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”   And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt   and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time tha

Christmas Memories of my Auntie Madge

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  Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town Written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie Arranged by Jim Clements Sung by Voces8 My Auntie Madge (Margaret Collins) would have been ten or eleven when this song first appeared in 1934. But she never heard the marvellous arrangement above of the song that has just been issued by Voces8, the British choir that I have often used in  Sunday Reflections , singing a different kind of music. Auntie Madge was the youngest of my mother's six sisters Jennie, Nan, Neita, Bridie, Eileen and Madge. I'm not sure where Bridie, who died in infancy, came in the sequence but I often heard my mother, Mary, talking about her. Three boys, Mick, Paddy and Jack, completed the family of my maternal grandparents, William Patrick Collins and Annie Dowd. My grandfather died early in 1945 when I was nearly two but I don't have any memories of him, though I am happy that he knew me, his third grandchild, and that he held me. He was only 59 when he died of lung cancer

'Go and tell John . . . the deaf hear.' Sunday Reflections, 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year A

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  St John the Baptist in Prison Juan Fernández de Navarrete [ Web Gallery of Art ] Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”  (Matthew 11:2-3; Gospel). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 11:2-11 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” As they wen

'So was the Word made incarnation / In Mary’s womb, a son.' The Immaculate Conception

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T he Virgin of the Immaculate Conception El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art ] The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, observed on 8 December, is a holyday of obligation in many countries, eg, Ireland, the Philippines.  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Luke 1:26-38 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,  to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’   But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.  The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a