Jesus, Mary and Joseph

We named our son Joseph because we want him to love Jesus and Mary. This morning I took my 15 month son to Mass and we did our usual ritual of saying a Hail Mary at Our Lady's statue, praying briefly in front of the Blessed Sacrament and doing a toddler version of the Stations of the Cross where he points and I tell him, "Jesus loves you."

It's both a privilege and an honour to raise a child as a Catholic Christian but hoping that these little rituals help to give him hints of the Faith at an early age. 

On the way to Mass we passed an evangelical church and he points at the cross and said "Jesus". Each time he sees a cross, I tell him that Jesus loves him. Of course he won't understand the concept of sin and redemption at an early age but why not share the good news in any case?

My proudest moments this morning though were when he dipped his hand in the holy water and touched his forehead (has to start somewhere) and when I held him as we knelt down for the Eucharistic Prayer and he actually genuflected!

As Christians we are commanded to evangelise. The family is a good place to start. 

Te Deum Laudamus

Pray the Te Deum today for an indulgence available on the last day of the year. 

The end of 2014 is a good time to remember all that God has done - let us give thanks for everything - joys, sorrows and challenges:

You are God: we praise you;

You are the Lord: we acclaim you;

You are the eternal Father:

All creation worships you.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,

Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of

power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you.

The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church

acclaims you:

Father, of majesty unbounded,

your true and only Son, worthy

of all worship,

and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory,

the eternal Son of the Father.

When you became man to set us free

you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death,

and opened the kingdom of heaven

to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come, and

be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

bought with the price of your own blood,

and bring us with your saints

to glory everlasting.

Save your people, Lord, and bless

your inheritance.

Govern and uphold them now and always.

Day by day we bless you.

We praise your name for ever.

Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.

Lord, show us your love and mercy;

for we put our trust in you.

In you, Lord, is our hope:

and we shall never hope in vain.

Merry Christmas

I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas as we celebrate with joy the birth of our Saviour. 

Of course we recall that some of our friends don't celebrate Christmas and so we have to be culturally sensitive.

An Advent Challenge

What can I do to prepare myself to receive Christ this Christmas?

Advent often seems to disappear into a few weeks of alcoholic excesses with office "Christmas" parties weeks before the season begins and so what can I do differently this year?

Over the next 25 days I shall make a resolution to chose at least one person a day who needs encouraging and reach out to them. It could be a stranger, colleague, friend - but a new person each day. 

By Christmas, this should be firmly ingrained as a habit. What greater gift can I give to Him who gives Himself to us?

Waiting

Advent reminds me that God became a single cell, an embryo, a foetus and a newborn child. All human life is sacred from the moment of conception and God wants to be involved with us in our humanity.

Our faith is more than a call to be spiritual but a reminder that we must be authentic human beings reaching out to one another in love.

Speaking of grace with Baptists

I was asked recently to speak at a lunch in Hong Kong - a Baptist evangelical outreach to non Christians and those who need encouragement in their faith. 

As the time of my talk approached I felt a little nervous. Did they know I'm Catholic?  Would I be booed off the stage or would there be awkward questions as to whether I would renounce propery and accept salvation?

My fears were unfounded. I began by asking prayers of all present and I didn't hide the fact I'm Catholic - quoting heroes from Saint Jerome to others who in more recent years inspired me such as Fr Hilary Carter, an Assumptionist priest in the parish I grew up in and Fr Allen Morris who was my tutor in seminary at Allen Hall. 

It shouldn't amaze me but we asked the Holy Spirit to come and He did. I had baptists telling me that they had experienced and encountered grace in a powerful way and me, a Catholic, felt a little ashamed at by fears beforehand. 

False ecumenism is sometimes about ignoring truth but true unity has to be based on truth and witness combined with love. Every story I shared was summarised by biblical quotations to emphasise the points made. 

My main focus of my talk was to share what the bible teaches us about grace and then to invite people to allow their lives to be transformed by grace. As always when I'm asked to speak to a Christian group, the main person I'm speaking to is myself. 

"Late have I loved You."

Happy Feast of Saint Augustine

"Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!  You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you.  In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created.  You were with me, but I was not with you.  Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all.  You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness.  You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness.  You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you.  I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more.  You touched me, and I burned for your peace."

- The Confessions of St Augustine