Category Archives: Spiritual Reflections

Spiritual Reflections

Holy Thursday . the Last Supper

From the Catecheses by St John Chrysostom

The Israelites witnessed marvels; you also will witness marvels, greater and more splendid than those which accompanied them on their departure from Egypt. You did not see Pharaoh drowned with his armies, but you have seen the devil with his weapons overcome by the waters of baptism. The Israelites passed through the sea; you have passed from death to life. They were delivered from the Egyptians; you have been delivered from the powers of darkness. The Israelites were freed from slavery to a pagan people; you have been freed from the much greater slavery to sin.

In those days Christ was present to the Israelites as he followed them, but he is present to us in a much deeper sense. The Lord was with them because of the favor he showed to Moses; now he is with us, but not simply because of your obedience. After Egypt they dwelt in desert places; after your departure you will dwell in heaven. Their great leader and commander was Moses; we have a new Moses, God himself, as our leader and commander.

In those days Moses raised his hands to heaven and brought down manna, the bread of angels; the new Moses raises his hands to heaven and gives us the food of eternal life. Moses struck the rock and brought forth streams of water; Christ touches his table, strikes the spiritual rock of the new covenant and draws forth the living water of the Spirit. This rock is like a fountain in the midst of Christ’s table, so that on all sides the flocks may draw near to this living spring and refresh themselves in the waters of salvation.

Since this fountain, this source of life, this table surrounds us with untold blessings and fills us with the gifts of the Spirit, let us approach it with sincerity of heart and purity of conscience to receive grace and mercy in our time of need. Grace and mercy be yours from the only-begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; through him and with him be glory, honour and power to the Father and the life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ever. Amen.

Behold the Man

Pointing to Jesus he says: Ecce homo! Behold the man!

But the answer comes back: “Crucify him, crucify him!”
Pilate then tries to buy time: “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him” (Jn 19:5-7). He is increasingly convinced that the Accused is innocent, but this is not enough for him to decide in his favour. The accusers use their final argument: “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar” (Jn 19:12).

This is clearly a threat. Recognizing the danger, Pilate finally gives in and pronounces the sentence. But not without the contemptuous gesture of washing his hands: “I am innocent of this … blood; see to it yourselves!” (Mt 27:24).

Thus was Jesus, the Son of the living God, the Redeemer of the world, condemned to death by crucifixion. Over the centuries the denial of truth has spawned suffering and death. It is the innocent who pay the price of human hypocrisy.
Half measures are never enough. Nor is it enough to wash one’s hands.
Responsibility for the blood of the just remains.

This is why Christ prayed so fervently for his disciples in every age:
Father, “sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (Jn 17:17).

Stations of the Cross led by Pope St John Paul II

our Hope and Refuge

the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Father Razzi, of the order of Camaldoli, relates
that a certain youth having lost his father, was
sent by his mother to the court of a prince.
The mother, who had a great devotion to Mary,
when she parted with him made him promise to
recite every day a “Hail Mary,” and add these
words: “Blessed Virgin, help me in the hour of
my death” The youth arrived at court, but
soon began to lead so dissolute a life, that his
master was obliged to send him away.

In despair, without means of support, he went into the
country and became a highway robber; but even
then he did not omit to recommend himself to
our Lady, as his mother had directed him, At
length he fell into the hands of justice, and was
condemned to death. Being in prison the evening
before his execution, and thinking of his dis
grace, the grief of his mother, and the death
which awaited him, he fell to weeping bitterly.

The devil seeing him so oppressed by melancholy,
appeared to him in the form of a beautiful young
man, and said to him that he would release him
from death and prison, if he would follow his
directions. The convict engaged to do all that
he required. Then the pretended youth made
known to him that he was the devil and had come
to his assistance. In the first place, he ordered
him to renounce Jesus Christ and the holy sacra
ments. The youth consented.

He then required him to renounce the Virgin Mary
and her protection. “This,” exclaimed the young man,
“I will never do,” and turning to Mary, repeat
ed the accustomed prayer that his mother had
taught him: Blessed Virgin, help me in the hour
of my death. At these words the devil disap
peared. The youth remained in great affliction
for the wickedness he had committed in denying
Jesus Christ. He invoked the blessed Virgin,
and she obtained for him, by her prayers, a great
sorrow for all his sins, so that he made his con
fession with much weeping and contrition. On
his way to the gallows, happening to pass before
a statue of Mary, he saluted her with his usual prayer:

Blessed Virgin, help me in the hour of
my death, and the statue, in the presence of all,
inclined its head and saluted him. Deeply moved,
he begged to be allowed to kiss the feet of
the image. The executioners refused, but after
wards consented on account of the clamor of the
people. The youth stooped to kiss her feet,
and Mary extended her arm from that
statue, took him by the hand and held
him so strongly that no power could
move him. At this prodigy the multitude
shouted “Pardon, pardon,” and pardon was grant
ed. Having returned to his country, he led an
exemplary life, and was always most devoted to
Mary, who had delivered him from temporal
and eternal death.

Behold I make all things new

Art by Dino

The New Heaven and the New Earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; 3 and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,[a] and God himself will be with them;[b] 4 he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment. 7 He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son.

Revelations 21 : 1-5

Palm Sunday

From the discourse “On the Palm Branches”
by Saint Andrew of Crete

Let us run to accompany him as he hastens towards his passion, and imitate those who met him then, not by covering his path with garments, olive branches or palms, but by doing all we can to prostrate ourselves before him by being humble and by trying to live as he would wish.

In his humility Christ entered the dark regions of our fallen world and he is glad that he became so humble for our sake, glad that he came and lived among us and shared in our nature in order to raise us up again to himself.

So let us spread before his feet, not garments or soulless olive branches, which delight the eye for a few hours and then wither, but ourselves, clothed in his grace, or rather, clothed completely in him. We who have been baptized into Christ must ourselves be the garments that we spread before him. Now that the crimson stains of our sins have been washed away in the saving waters of baptism and we have become white as pure wool, let us present the conqueror of death, not with mere branches of palms but with the real rewards of his victory. Let our souls take the place of the welcoming branches as we join today in the children’s holy song: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king of Israel.

Love for Mary

Blessed are the merciful, because they shall obtain mercy
says the Scripture. Mercy is not the least of the beatitudes.

Not even night should interrupt you in your duty of mercy. Do not say: Come back and I will give you something tomorrow. There should be no delay between your intention and your good deed. Generosity is the one thing that cannot admit of delay.

Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the needy and the homeless into your house, with a joyful and eager heart.

What a marvellous reward there will be: Your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will rise up quickly. Who would not aspire to light and healing.

If you think that I have something to say, servants of Christ, his brethren and co-heirs, let us visit Christ whenever we may; let us care for him, feed him, clothe him, welcome him, honour him, not only at a meal, as some have done, or by anointing him, as Mary did, or only by lending him a tomb, like Joseph of Arimathaea, or by arranging for his burial, like Nicodemus, who loved Christ half-heartedly, or by giving him gold, frankincense and myrrh, like the Magi before all these others.

Let us then show him mercy in the persons of the poor and those who today are lying on the ground, so that when we come to leave this world they may receive us into everlasting dwelling places, in Christ our Lord himself, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen

from a Sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen