A few words...…
Sorry, I've lost count now of which week of lockdown this is.
Anyway, hope all's well.
Great getting Monsignor's video posted at last. Thanks to everyone for all their help and suggestions.
Something that can be helpful for us to get to know Jesus better is to place ourself as an onlooker in a gospel scene.
In doing that, ask yourself - What do I see? What do I hear? How do I feel? What would I say to Jesus? What would I say to other people in the scene?
It's a good prayer exercise to do. Try it sometime.
The feeding of the 5000. Place yourself as an onlooker in that scene.
You see something wonderful being done.
You see satisfaction in people's faces.
You hear the sound of eating.
You see bread being broken open.
You see fish bones being discarded.
You hear the chatting among people.
You see a miracle being performed.
You see all the extra food being collected.
How do you feel as an onlooker on the hillside among the 5000?
When you think of it, many who saw the great signs worked by Jesus, including the wonderful episode of the multiplication of the loaves, many failed to understand him.
One of the things the feeding of the 5000 was saying to the people was there's something going on here which is more than meets the eye.
There's a reality here deeper than what you can see.
The people really were being challenged to open their eyes, to look beyond the signs.
Really the people were being invited, and you are as an onlooker, too, to ask and to think what's going on here.
Whenever a sacrament is being celebrated, whether for example it's Mass or a baptism or anointing of the sick, it can be helpful to ask ourselves - what is going on here?
For there is more going on than meets the eye.
The challenge always is to look to the reality beyond the signs, and to look with the eyes of faith.
Not just with the sacraments are we invited to do this, but so, too, with people.
We can see more in people if we take the time and the trouble to really look beneath the surface.
Looking like it will be another sunny day. Lovely blue sky as I look out the window early morning just before I ping these words to our online team.
Hope you have a lovely day.
Take care
Fr Mackle
Sorry, I've lost count now of which week of lockdown this is.
Anyway, hope all's well.
Great getting Monsignor's video posted at last. Thanks to everyone for all their help and suggestions.
Something that can be helpful for us to get to know Jesus better is to place ourself as an onlooker in a gospel scene.
In doing that, ask yourself - What do I see? What do I hear? How do I feel? What would I say to Jesus? What would I say to other people in the scene?
It's a good prayer exercise to do. Try it sometime.
The feeding of the 5000. Place yourself as an onlooker in that scene.
You see something wonderful being done.
You see satisfaction in people's faces.
You hear the sound of eating.
You see bread being broken open.
You see fish bones being discarded.
You hear the chatting among people.
You see a miracle being performed.
You see all the extra food being collected.
How do you feel as an onlooker on the hillside among the 5000?
When you think of it, many who saw the great signs worked by Jesus, including the wonderful episode of the multiplication of the loaves, many failed to understand him.
One of the things the feeding of the 5000 was saying to the people was there's something going on here which is more than meets the eye.
There's a reality here deeper than what you can see.
The people really were being challenged to open their eyes, to look beyond the signs.
Really the people were being invited, and you are as an onlooker, too, to ask and to think what's going on here.
Whenever a sacrament is being celebrated, whether for example it's Mass or a baptism or anointing of the sick, it can be helpful to ask ourselves - what is going on here?
For there is more going on than meets the eye.
The challenge always is to look to the reality beyond the signs, and to look with the eyes of faith.
Not just with the sacraments are we invited to do this, but so, too, with people.
We can see more in people if we take the time and the trouble to really look beneath the surface.
Looking like it will be another sunny day. Lovely blue sky as I look out the window early morning just before I ping these words to our online team.
Hope you have a lovely day.
Take care
Fr Mackle
