Franco Grech osa

 

Reflections and Articles written by Fr Franco Grech osa

 


 

The Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Dewt. 8:2-3; 14b-16a; Psalm 146; 1Corinth. 10:16-17; John 6:51-58

Read: “I am the living bread who came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever.”

Reflect: Jesus gives himself wholly to us, not only as our daily nourishment, but to enable us to obtain the fullness of life.

“Whoever believes that he has been fed by his Body and by the Blood which he shed for us, will obtain the power so that, on his part, he will be changed into a gift, as St. Augustine says: ‘ Be the one who receives, and receive whatever you are’ (Sermon 272, Pentecost Sunday)” (St. John Paul II)

Pray: Pray that you will always understand and appreciate the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Let us pray for those who find difficulty in understanding this gift.

Act: Recall your experience when God entered your life! Make an act of thanksgiving.


The Most Holy Trinity

Exodus 34:4b-6; 8-9: A God of compassion and pity.

Daniel 52-56: May You be praised and exalted above everything for ever.

2 Corinth. 13:11-13: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

John 3:16-18: Gospel

Read: The Gospel preaches the profound greatness of God’s love when He sent His own son into the world to save humanity.

Reflect: By way of the communion of love, God gives us His own self and also His love. Therefore, like the Trinity, we too are called to be one in union with Him and with others.

Pray: In this globalized but disunited world, there is a great need for unity and solidarity. Let us pray for unity amongst all God’s brethren. Let us also pray daily for the internal gift of grace, love and unity of the Holy Trinity.

Act: How can we be an instrument of unity? By acting as agents of unity when we earnestly work towards building bridges and not walls within our communities.


Pentecost Sunday

Acts 2, 1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3b – 7; 12-13; John 20:19 - 23

Read: Jesus blows the Holy Spirit on the disciples. On Pentecost Sunday the Holy Spirit descends on the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire. In our baptism we too received the same Spirit which binds all of us with the Body of Christ.

Pray: Pray for an increase in you of the power of your faith. Pray that the Spirit will rekindle our passion to live with God and for God. Pray for the gift and fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Reflect: The Holy Spirit is the lifeblood of both the Church and of every Christian. It is He who animates us and gives us the gift of the qualities needed for the benefit of society, helps us that our conduct is that of brothers in Christ, and binds us a one body in Christ. The Holy Spirit instils unity and consent between all people.

Act: Go for a quiet walk in the countryside, and feel close to all creation, whilst you thank the Spirit.


Seventh Sunday of Easter – The Ascension of the Lord

Acts 1, 1-11; Ephesians 1, 17-23; Mt. 28, 19-20

Read: The Gospel ends on a glorious note. The eleven disciples are joined happily together and with Jesus at the summit of the mountain. Jesus has power over everything and sends out the disciples to continue his mission throughout the world. “and see, I am with you always, until the end of time”.

Reflect: What a splendid end to the Gospel! The Church is initiated by Jesus who then passes on his mission to the eleven. Everybody is invited to participate in that mission.

Pray: Pray for the evangelization of all peoples. Pray that the Gospel be made known from one end of the world to the other.

Act: Pronounce the Gospel by the manner in which you live. So that your actions emerge from what you do believe. Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and now entrusted you with his mission. Alleluia!


Sixth Sunday of Easter

John 14, 15-21

Read: Jesus puts at rest His disciples’ minds that, when he is no longer in this world, he will send them help, through the Paraclete so that they will not feel as though they are orphaned and abandoned.

Pray: Let us allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our discernment and in our decisions. Let us be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s inspiration in the normal happenings throughout our life.

Reflect: That we remain faithful to our Christian faith when the world entices us to do the contrary. This is not easy. The Christian is unable to live up to this faith alone but needs help. That is why Jesus answers that he will send the Holy Spirit as a genuine help so as to see that we live the Christian life to which we have been called. Where is my faith and on whom I am relying – on the spirit of this world or on the Holy Spirit sent by God and which is in me? Any why?

Act: Make an examination of conscience daily so as to see where God is leading you.


Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 6,1-7; Peter 2,4-9; John 14, 1-12

Read: The call to and specific mission of deacons. The common call to all Christians is for us to become living stone – spiritual temples – of God. Those who are called to carry out the same mission as that of Jesus.

Pray: So that we will be convinced of our dignity as God’s chosen. That we get rid of any doubts we may have as to the fact that we are called to be instruments in God’s hands so that His redemptive mission will reach all mankind.  Let us thank god for His trust in us.

Reflect: The Christian vocation is different from any other vocation: this because Christians are called by and are given a mission by God himself. The agent of that call and mission remains Him who makes the call. Jesus said: ‘Believe me! I am in the Father and the Father is in me. If for no other reason, do believe because of what He himself did. Believe me when I tell you that whoever believes in me, he too will emulate what I myself am doing and greater things will be done, because I am going to the Father’. Are we courageous and open enough so as to allow God to carry out His mission for us and through us?

Act: Consecrate this day to God and pray that you will be His instrument according to His will. Observe what will happen today.


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