June 2 2024.  Feast of Corpus Christi

GOSPEL   Mark: 12-16, 22-26

 

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading . . .

​

GOSPEL   Mark: 12-16, 22-26

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,

when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples said to him,

"Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

He sent two of his disciples and said to them,

"Go into the city and a man will meet you,

carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,

'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room

where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'

Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.

Make the preparations for us there."

The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them;

and they prepared the Passover. While they were eating,

he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said,

"Take it; this is my body."

Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.

Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine

until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

SUMMARY

On this feast of Corpus Christi we read the account of the preparation and eating of the Passover from St Mark’s Gospel. It is important not to consider the Eucharist as a static entity. Rather it is a participation in the dynamic events of the liberation of humanity by Christ. Jesus tells the disciples to follow a man carrying a pitcher of water who will lead them to the upper room. This is a symbol of baptism, of being transported to a higher level lived according to the perspective of God. The Lord has already prepared the Passover, prepared our liberation, and we are invited to prepare ourselves and enter. The Lord consecrates the bread and wine into his body and blood, but it is our task to prepare the bread and wine, which is done during the presentation of the gifts using an ancient Hebrew prayer of blessing. Our humanity is offered up in that bread and wine and it is transformed into Christ. The Eucharist calls us to live our humanity as a reality consecrated by God. In a sense, we are asked to live out our humanity in such a way that it ascends to the upper room, a higher and more beautiful level. Women and men are never so beautiful as when they live according to the will of God, carrying the invisible God in their every act and thought. We are invited to live this dynamic where our humanity and actions are transformed into Christ. Participation in the Eucharist is a call to transform our human existence into an existence as children of God, no longer simply a biological reality but a spiritual reality. In the Eucharist, the elements retain their properties, and so do we, but spiritually we become the body of Christ. Twice during the Mass, the celebrant calls on the Holy Spirit, once upon the bread and wine, and the second time upon the assembly of people. We celebrate the Eucharist in order to become the body of Christ, to achieve real union between us. His blood courses in our veins because we have received him in Communion. The goal of all of this is that we become the presence of Christ in this world, even in our simplest acts. The basilica of St Clement in Rome has a mosaic with Christ at the centre of a great tree which encompasses saints, martyrs and everyday scenes such as a women feeding the chickens.  Even an everyday act can become something which has heaven inside it! This is the power of the Eucharist which we celebrate this Sunday.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, 

Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

May 26th 2024.  Feast of the Holy Trinity

GOSPEL Matthew 28:16-20

​

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

​

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading ...

​

GOSPEL Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

​

SUMMARY

The Christian message is not about what we are OBLIGED to do. Rather it is a message about the amazing potentiality we have been given, the things we CAN do if we accept God’s invitation.

After the period of Easter we enter Ordinary Time via the door of the Feast of the Trinity. The first reading speaks of the joy of the people that comes from the fact that they have experienced the power of God and heard his voice. This is how it is with all of us. Christians are enabled to speak about the Lord not because of something they have understood, but because of what they have experienced. In one way or another, each one of us has heard a word that has entered our hearts, illuminated us and consoled us, prompted us to be reconciled and to walk in the way of discipleship. God is not a philosophical speculation, but an experience. In the great commission of Jesus in today’s Gospel, there are three commands (make disciples, baptize them, teach them). Two of these commands involve initiation, in other words, personal experience. The Greek word “baptize” means full immersion, to be immersed in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit. This is not an intellectual adherence to God, but a complete immersion in God, following him as our Master. The disciples were not called to found a religion, a system of ethical principles or rituals. Rather, their task was to establish a deep and intimate bond between the believer and God. Perhaps in the Church we have done catechism in an academic way, when what is really needed is that children experience life immersed in the love of God. This is what it is to know the Trinity: to live everything in the light of the merciful pardon of God the Father, the salvation of Jesus Christ his Son and the consolation of the Holy Spirit. The Feast of the Trinity is not the feast of abstract theology but the feast of experience! We must not perpetuate an image of Christianity based on obligation. It is not that we must love, it is the case, rather, than we can love. It is not that we must do good and holy acts, it is the case that we can do good and holy acts. The emphasis must always be on the grace-filled invitation. We can live the very life of God. Our understanding of the Trinity derives from the fact that it is something that touches on our existence in a complete way.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, 

Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

May 19 2024, Pentecost Sunday

GOSPEL  John 15:26-27; 16:12-15

 

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

​

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading . . .

 

GOSPEL  John 15:26-27; 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:

"When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,

the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father,

he will testify to me.

And you also testify,

because you have been with me from the beginning.

"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.

But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,

he will guide you to all truth.

He will not speak on his own,

but he will speak what he hears,

and will declare to you the things that are coming.

He will glorify me,

because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

Everything that the Father has is mine;

for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine

and declare it to you."

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

SUMMARY

The first reading for Pentecost describes the actual events of the coming of the Spirit on the apostles and Mary. The Gospel is from Chapter 15 of John’s Gospel and contains the promises made by Jesus regarding the Spirit. It is essential for the Church to remember that the Holy Spirit is a person, not a thing. The Spirit comes from the Father and bears witness to Christ. Thus, the Spirit introduces us into the life of joy and communion of God. It is actually challenging to describe the Holy Spirit because he does not speak of himself: he speaks to us of the Father and the Son. Like a spouse who cannot stop speaking of the one he loves, the Spirit fills us with the joy of the Father and the Son. Like the child who cries out “Daddy!” to his Father, so the Spirit makes us trusting and self-abandoning children of God in Jesus. If we have a decision to make, the Holy Spirit does not tell us directly what or what not to do; instead, he speaks to us of the Father, and, in this way, we are assisted in discernment. We get bogged down in the details of things, but when we cease looking at things as if they were absolutes in themselves and instead see them in the light of the Father, then we can discern how to proceed. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirt will “lead us to all truth”. This is because he enables us to see things in the context of love, which, ultimately, gives sense and meaning to everything. We are asked to live our lives in relationship with the Father. When the Holy Spirit enters our lives, he does not change the things of our lives, but enables us to meet the Father in these things. He does not eliminate our problems, but teaches us to abandon ourselves in trust to the Father in these very problems. In addition, Jesus tells us, the Spirit will speak to us of the things that are to come. This is a very important element of this passage because humanity is very conditioned by the future. The anxieties we have about the future derive from a distorted perspective in which we try to rely on our own feeble strengths. We will remain anguished by the things that about to happen until we learn to leave them in the hands of God. The Father who created all things, the Son who is his perfect substance and who is pure gratitude, the Holy Spirit who is joy and love – this is the future that we have in front of us! This Pentecost, it is important for our hearts that we contemplate the nature of our God. We have a tendency to carry on as if we were alone and as if our response to things depended only on us. In the account of Pentecost from Acts, the disciples go out and speak to everyone in language they can understand - the language of love – and what they speak about is not themselves but the works of God. It is the merciful works of God that brings hope and consolation to humanity. The Holy Spirit gives to us this knowledge of the Father, illuminating our hearts with confidence in his providential love.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, 

Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

May 12th 2024.  The Ascension of the Lord

GOSPEL: Mark 16:15-20

​

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

​

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading . . .

GOSPEL: Mark 16:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

SUMMARY

At the Ascension, Jesus gives his missionary commandment to the disciples, but his discourse can also be read as a description of the unique characteristics of the Christian way of life. The first thing Jesus says is to preach the Gospel to every creature. Every man and woman was created for the Gospel. As Chapter 8 of the Letter to the Romans states, creation awaits with longing the appearance of the children of God. Humanity was created for the Gospel, to be saved and loved by God. We have a natural compatibility with the Gospel. Jesus goes on to say, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned”. This highlights the seriousness of the Christian message, but it does not follow that the Gospel should be imposed on people to ensure their salvation! The Gospel must be received with freedom. The Church must propose, not impose. The Gospel message proposes the love of God for all humanity, and love by its nature CAN BE REFUSED. It is an incredible thing, but Christ asks our permission before entering our lives. The passage then tells us that those who believe are accompanied by five signs. These signs are not to assist us in our faith but become present as a result of our faith. Let us consider the five signs one by one. Firstly, the driving out of demons. Aside from exorcisms, the fathers of the desert in the fourth century realised that the most common driving out of demons involved the combat against evil thoughts. We see when a person believes in the Gospel because he begins to drive evil out of his heart as he resists the suggestions of the evil one. Secondly, the speaking of new languages. On an ordinary level, this refers to the capacity of the evangelizer to speak in a new way, to speak of new life rather than death. The Gospel, in fact, is naturally apprehended by each person as if it were their native language being spoken to their hearts. Thirdly, they will pick up serpents. Christians will not be a timid race. They will be able to handle difficult things and enter into the horrors of life, as many saints and others have done. Fourthly, they will not be harmed by deadly poison. This refers to the poisonous external circumstances which surround us. John Paul II spoke of a “culture of death”. This culture of death reappears in history but Christians survive in its midst without losing the faith. Fifthly, they will heal the sick. This refers to the capacity of the Gospel to heal interiorly as well as exteriorly. The final lines of the passage speak of the synergy between the Lord and his disciples. In all of these matters – the capacity to speak to the hearts of people, the capacity to bring healing, the capacity to survive in poisonous circumstances, the capacity to handle difficult matters – in all of these, Christ is working with us. We do not do these things ourselves but by the grace of Our Lord Jesus, who has ascended to heaven and given us his power.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, 

Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

May 5th 2024.  Sixth Sunday of Easter

GOSPEL   John 15:9-17

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading . . .

​

GOSPEL   John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:

"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.

Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father's commandments

and remain in his love.

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you

and your joy might be complete.

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

No one has greater love than this,

to lay down one's life for one's friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I no longer call you slaves,

because a slave does not know what his master is doing.

I have called you friends,

because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you

and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

This I command you: love one another."

THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

SUMMARY

This Sunday we continue reading Chapter 15 of St John’s Gospel. This reveals to us the real source of Christian life and action and encourages us to remain connected to that source. In the first reading, we hear how St Peter goes into the house of Cornelius and declares that his healing powers do not come from him but from God. This prepares us for the Gospel reading and its fundamental instructions for the Christian life. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Remain in my love. . . Love one another as I have loved you”. Human love has its limits, the limits of human fragility. How then can the love of God be manifested in us? Our love is always going to be a love of response to God. We do not manage to love because we are capable, or because we apply ourselves so well. Rather, we love because he loved us first. The channel that enables this love to become real in our lives is to enter into a relationship with Christ. All the terms used in this Gospel are intimate ones. We are no longer servants of Jesus but friends, because we know what is in his heart. The fact is that we often fail in our efforts to love because we try to use our own strength and our own initiative. The Gospel is very clear: “You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you”. This “appointment” refers to being constituted or built up by Christ so that we have the same relationship to him as he has to the Father! Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you”. How has the Father loved Jesus? With the complete gift of himself. In this way he has shown himself to be Father. And Jesus has loved and constituted us in the same way! Jesus then instructs us to remain in Christ’s love. Every Christian is invited to rest in Christ’s heart, to be rooted, consoled and nurtured there. We look for consolation and nourishment in so many empty places! Let us discover ever more deeply the resting place that is the heart of Christ. Let us remain there consoled and having constant recourse to his mercy. One of the desert fathers said that his greatest motive for not sinning was the wish not to distance himself from the love of God. In other words, the priority is not to conform to norms or to “be good”, but to stay near the sweetness of the love of God. This is the true secret of Christian love.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, 

Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.