Introduction

Many years ago, I was invited to join the staff of a Catholic secondary school. I went along armed with my guitar and some songs that were part of the liturgical life of the parish to which I belonged.

One song proved to be very popular. It was Jesus, Lover of My Soul, by John Ezzy, Daniel Grul & Steve Mcpherson. More than twenty years later, it was still being sung by students who thought it was not cool to sing at Mass. The song became the de facto College anthem and was even sung at the end of the annual Year 12 and Old Boys AFL encounter. Just picture it: around forty sweaty males standing in a circle, arms linked, singing “Jesus, I will never let you go.”

There is so much we can learn about following Jesus in the Gospel passage presented for this enquiry. How can Jesus be yoked to so many people except through a shared faith and a shared commitment to being accompanied by him and to learn from him? It is only by imitating him that we will be transformed and the world also. We walk together by faith and not by sight.

The Gospel

Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’ (Matthew 11:25-30)

The Enquiry

See

• There are three parts to this reading. What links can you make between the three parts?

• What does Jesus promise to those who follow him? How will life change for those who choose to “imitate” him?

• What do we learn about what motivates Jesus?

Judge

• What does Jesus reveal about his relationship with God? What does he reveal about how to have the same type of relationship with God? What do you think about this revelation?

• What is it like being “yoked” with Jesus? In which parts of your life do you try to imitate him?

• In which part(s) of your life do you avoid thinking “what would Jesus do?” What prevents you from seeking his presence and love in those parts of your life?

Act

• What would change in the world if people with power chose to follow Jesus?

• What small action can you carry out that will contribute to bringing about this transformation in yourself and in the world?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: Lauri A. Hogle (Creator), Casting all our anxiety on Jesus our healer. In Laurihogle.com, CCC 1.0

From time to time, the Sunday Gospels throw up a passage which is somewhat troubling to read. This is certainly true of this text from Jesus’ discourse on discipleship in Matthew. Surely Jesus is not setting up a choice between familial relationships and discipleship. Yet, as the preceding parts of this discourse indicate, the choice of discipleship will indeed divide families and during time of persecution family members may well turn on one another. Jesus is warning his followers that the path they are choosing is a difficult one. For the first time, in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus refers to the cross, a foreshadowing of his own fate and, indeed of some of those who followed him.

The second part of the passage, verses 40-42, sets an inclusive and universal tone. Anyone who welcomes … anyone who ‘gives so much as a cup of cold water’ (Mt 10:42) … will be rewarded. The promise of reward is for anyone and everyone, without distinction. Based on hospitality rather than heritage, creed or status. All who welcome the proclamation of God’s reign will be rewarded. This inclusive tone is reminiscent of Paul’s letter to the Galatians … ‘there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ (Gal 3:28). Both the Gospel text and the letter to the Galatians highlight the radically inclusive focus of Jesus’ message. An invitation without restriction and a community without distinction, proclaiming the love of God whatever the cost.

Gospel Text: Matthew 10:37-42

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.

‘Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.

‘If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.’

See

In this text, what do the comments of familial relationships highlight?

What do we understand from the idea of taking up a cross and following in the footsteps of Jesus?

What meaning do we take from the words ‘anyone who welcomes you, welcomes me’?

Judge

In what ways do the values of the Gospel lead to conflict and discrimination today?

What aspects of our modern societies work against the call to show hospitality?

What types of people may not feel welcome in our Church communities today?

Act

What sacrifices do I need to make in order to live in fidelity to the Gospel?

What actions can I take to show hospitality to others?

What can we change, in our Church communities, to ensure all feel welcome?

Image: https://copilot.microsoft.com/chats/cYzn7haQAToADi866QiFU

Gospel Text https://www.universalis.com/Australia/1100/mass.htm

Further Reading:

https://mbfallon.com/matthew.html

https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/faith/scripture-resources/

Introduction

Recently, an Australian political leader called for a monocultural Australia. She is not alone in promoting the view that in Australia progress can only be achieved through uniformity. It is not a view that I hold. And as I prepared this Gospel Enquiry, I found myself focusing on the gift of human dignity, which God gives to every human being,

Pope Leo XIV wrote in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, that “together … [in dialogue with all men and women of our time], we seek to identify new paths for the common good and for promoting a dignified life for all” (MH, 2).

The Gospel you are about to read provides us with the principle governing the paths we take to ensure the dignity of all people: “the presence of Christ, who comes and guides history toward its fulfilment” (MH,22).

So, may we be courageous people who trust Jesus to guide us and whose Spirit will strengthen us as we speak and act in his name.

The Gospel

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not be afraid. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.

‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.

‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.’ (Matthew 10:26-33)

The Enquiry

See

• What happens in this scene from Matthew’s Gospel? What do you learn about Jesus and his mission from his instructions to his apostles? What do you learn about the society in which he and his apostles live?

• Are fear and courage relevant in this Gospel? What do you know about the apostles that tells you how they were affected by what Jesus tells them?

• Why does Jesus speak to his disciples in this way? What has he experienced about his followers that would lead him to warn them about the people they will meet?

Judge

• How have you been affected by Jesus’ instructions that you have read in this Gospel?

• What is Jesus’ ideal world like? Where and when have you experienced this world?

• What does Jesus say here that makes you feel uncomfortable about how you live your life? What does he say that gives you hope for yourself and for the world?

Act

• Based on what you have read in this Gospel, what is the change in you and in the world to which Jesus commits himself?

• What small action can you carry out that will contribute to bringing about this change in yourself and in the world?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: Adolf Jutz (1887-1045) (Creator), Graphic of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:28). In the National Museum in Szczecin, Poland. muzeach.pl, PDM 1.0

This Gospel text begins with an expression of Jesus’ compassion for the people in their suffering. In earlier chapters of the Gospel it is Jesus himself who responds to this suffering through his ministry of healing (Mt 4:23, 8:3, 9:33). Now, it is the turn of the apostles to continue this ministry, just as they had observed, while following Jesus. The text includes the often quoted reflection on Mission that ‘the harvest is rich but the labourers are few’ (Mt 9:37). The Mission of the disciples is to be twofold – proclaiming that the Kingdom of God is close at hand, just as Jesus had done at the beginning of his ministry (Mt 4:17), and healing the sick, cleansing lepers etc. which had also been central to Jesus’ ministry.

One of Matthew’s key concerns, in writing this Gospel, seems to have been to show that Jesus truly is the Messiah (Christ) promised to the people of Israel. This is often done through quoting texts from the Hebrew Scriptures as being fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus. In this Gospel text, there are two echoes of that motif. First, the naming of the twelve apostles, with the number twelve symbolically corresponding with the twelve tribes of Israel. Second, the instruction to go only to the ‘lost sheep of the House of Israel’ (Mt:10;6) rather than the territory of the Gentiles or Samaritans. Underlining the privileged position of the people of Israel to be given the Messiah is a strong indication of Matthew’s purpose. This restriction on the mission of the apostles seems to be at odds with the evident practice of Jesus and his disciples and, most notably with the final commissioning of the disciples where they are told to ‘make disciples of all nations’ (Mt 28:19).

Gospel Text: Matthew 9:36-10:8

When Jesus saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’

He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows:

‘Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.’

See

What does the commissioning of the apostles suggest about Jesus’ approach to his mission?

Before commissioning the apostles, Jesus is affected by the situation of the crowds. How does his compassion for their plight influence his actions?

Jesus likens the crowds to ‘sheep without a shepherd’. What does this observation suggest about the religious leaders in their community?

Judge

Who, in our own world, are the labourers who are being called to the harvest?

Who, in our society today, are ‘harassed and dejected’ and in need of our compassion?

Who, in today’s world, are failing to be a ‘shepherd’ to those who are harassed and rejected?

Act

What actions am I called to in bringing God’s Kingdom to fruition in my own circumstances?

How do I help others recognise that God’ Kingdom is near to them?

How can I engage others in works of healing and compassion?

Image: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-9-35-10-1-5a-6-8-2024/

Gospel Text https://www.universalis.com/Australia/1100/mass.htm

Further Reading:

https://mbfallon.com/matthew.html

https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/faith/scripture-resources/

Introduction

We celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ on this day. Often known as “Corpus Christi,” the feast is celebrated in many places around the world with much joy and with processions. And no wonder: it is the celebration of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

I have always believed in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and I cherish that brief moment after receiving Holy Communion at Mass when I am united with him and with all who profess belief in him as the Son of God.

The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes) was the final document promulgated at end of the Second Vatican Council. In Chapter Three, which reflects on the human experience, “namely, that the great advantages of human progress are fraught with grave temptations” (GS 37), can be found a statement worthy of reflection by those who engage in this Gospel Enquiry:

The Lord left behind a pledge of this hope and strength for life’s journey in that sacrament of faith where natural elements refined by man are gloriously changed into His Body and Blood, providing a meal of brotherly solidarity and a foretaste of the heavenly banquet (GS, 38).

The “hope and strength” the Council Fathers refer to in this statement can be found in the promise Jesus makes to all who accept him as “the living bread which has come down from heaven.”

The Gospel

Jesus said to the crowd: ‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’

Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said.

Jesus replied: ‘I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day.

‘For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him. As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me.

‘This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’ (John 6:51-58)

The Enquiry

See

• What does Jesus say about life, death and eternal life? What is the significance of his references to flesh and blood, to eating and drinking, and to bread?

• How have Jesus’ words about his flesh and blood impacted the world?

• Why was there a need for Jesus to speak to his followers in this way?

Judge

• Where does Jesus fit into your view of the world? Is he “the living bread … from heaven” in your life?

• If you are committed to following Jesus, how is your life different because of your commitment to him?

• What do you find challenging about Jesus’ message to those who gathered to listen to him?

Act

• Prompted by what Jesus says in this Gospel, what are you being called to change in your life and in the world?

• What small action can you carry out that will contribute to bringing about the change that God wants to see in you and in the world?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: Lawrence Lew OP (Creator), Saints around the Cross (part of the east window of St George’s Cathedral, Southwark - stained glass prepared by Harry Clarke),.Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0

Introduction

There was a time when I did not give any thought to the Holy Spirit, even though I had been confirmed and I had been a sponsor for young people who had asked me to take on that role. And when I conducted research into some religious education teachers’ personal constructs of revelation, I realised that I wasn’t alone in not giving the Holy Spirit a place in my faith. By that time, though, my eyes had been opened, thanks to the opportunity to work on a religious education guidelines project.

I have come to realise that in my faith I have tended to skate on the surface, unaware of the riches below, much like the flat earth image with the elephants below the surface holding the world in balance. How can there be Three Persons in one God without the Holy Spirit?

Curiosity is an amazing gift. Progress is made because people are curious about life in all its forms. Even though the shamrock story associated with St Patrick is often discredited by critics, it makes sense that such an apostolic figure as St Patrick would seek ways of explaining the mystery of the Holy Trinity to people he evangelised.

And so, in this Gospel Enquiry, I find myself wondering about the role played by the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who profess faith in God’s only Son.

The Gospel

Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.’ (John 3:16-18)

The Enquiry

See

• What does this passage tell you about who is in control of what happens in the world? And what does “believe in the name of God’s only Son” mean?

• When I was very young, I was taught to bow my head at the name of Jesus. It is now a reflex action. Is this all that is required to be saved by God? Or is there more to be done? What is offered to those who choose to believe in Jesus? What will happen to those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God?

• Why did God become man? What does this reveal about God?

Judge

• What do you make of this meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus? Where and how does it fit in your worldview?

• What is God’s reason for sending his Son? How is God’s action a reflection of your own involvement with the world?

• Jesus says “God loved the world so much ….” What is the meaning of the word “love” as it is used here? How do you use the word? Is there any difference between the meaning you give the word and God’s meaning? Why?

Act

• What does God want to change in/about the world? Is this how you have viewed the mission of all who follow Jesus? What, then, do you want to change in yourself to align yourself with Jesus?

• What small action can you carry out that will contribute to bringing about the change that God wants to see in the world?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: Sharon Tate Soberon (Creator), “Eternal life” - John 3:16, Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0

The Gospel for the Feast of Pentecost is, in fact, a shorter version of the Gospel for the First Sunday after Easter, which is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. On that occasion the Gospel Enquiry focused on the theme of peace – that reflection can be found here: https://reflections.josephcardijn.com/p/gospel-enquiry-what-if-peace-is-a . On this occasion, the focus will be on the somewhat opposite poles of fear and joy which are both prominent themes in this text.

The setting of the Gospel is the day of the resurrection. Not surprisingly, the disciples are in hiding, afraid that, having killed Jesus, the authorities would now come after his followers. The symbolism of closing themselves in a room call to mind the paralysis of fear where the sufferer is simply unable to act, even for their own good. The appearance of the risen Jesus among them is a transformative moment for the disciples. The text tells us that they ‘were filled with joy’ (Jn 20:20). Immediately after, following his second greeting of peace, Jesus bestows the Spirit on the disciples and commissions them with the gift of forgiveness.

The transformation from a state of fear to one of joy and from a disposition of paralysis to one of mission are profound indicators of the Spirit at work in the lives of the disciples. It is a very pertinent reminder, to today’s disciples, on this Feast of Pentecost, that the Holy Spirit can transform human experience from fear to joy and can impel individuals and communities to act, in the name of God’s Kingdom.

Gospel Text: John 20:19-23

In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you’.

‘As the Father sent me,

so am I sending you.’

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.

For those whose sins you forgive,

they are forgiven;

for those whose sins you retain,

they are retained.’

See

How does the greeting of Jesus, to the disciples, compare to their original disposition?

What is the impact of the presence of the risen Jesus on his disciples?

How is the relationship between the coming of the Spirit and the idea of mission shown in this text?

Judge

What situations lead to a ‘paralysis’ due to fear in my own experience?

How can the actions of others lead some people to experience fear?

What does it mean to have joy in a world which is so often characterised by cynicism and mistrust?

Act

How can I respond, in my own circumstances, to the call to mission from the coming of the Spirit?

How can I contribute to overcoming fear and in others?

In what ways can I bring joy to others?

Image: https://copilot.microsoft.com/chats/8Ce3yZNERXrZsAcKe8mcU

Gospel Text https://www.universalis.com/Australia/1100/mass.htm

Further Reading:

https://mbfallon.com/john.htm

https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/faith/scripture-resources/

Introduction

There was a time when “Ascension Thursday” was part of my vocabulary and experience, just like fasting from midnight before going to Mass and receiving Jesus in Holy Communion. Today, we imagine that seven equals ten and we fast for just one hour before going to Communion; or we realise that the emphasis ought to be on being missionary disciples, not blindly sticking to externals.

One of my blessings that God gifts me is to be invited to join a group of young adults to help them develop their familiarity with See, Judge, Act. What impresses me about them is not their commitment to attending meetings so much as their commitment to putting their faith into action.

At a recent meeting, they reflected on actions that they have committed to and their efforts to draw others into their actions. It struck me as I listened to them, that they were living the message of this Gospel, almost two thousand years after Jesus commissioned his disciples to continue his work.

Yes, indeed, I am blessed. May this Gospel bring you God’s blessings as you engage in this Enquiry.

The Gospel

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.’ (Matthew 28:16-20)

The Enquiry

See

• This Gospel story is sometimes referred to as “The Great Commission.” Imagine that you hear the Gospel being proclaimed at Mass. What do you hear? What do you learn about Jesus from this Gospel?

• What has been the impact of Jesus’ directions to his disciples? How has his meeting with his disciples affected you and those close to you?

• Why do most of the disciples fall down before Jesus? What does this tell you about them? What about the few who “hesitated”? Is hesitation significant?

Judge

• How does this story fit with your experience of being a Christian? Do you see yourself as someone who has been sent by Jesus to be one of his missionaries?

• Does Jesus commission his followers to get involved in social justice situations, eg, the plight of the Lebanese in Beirut, or the people left homeless because of the cost-of-living crisis in your city, or those whose lives have been ruined by some form of addiction?

• Does meeting Jesus in this Gospel make you feel uncomfortable? What does Jesus say that challenges you about how you live your faith?

Act

• How would you describe the mission of the lay faithful (those who are baptised, but who are not priests, brothers or nuns) in the world you experience?

• What small action can you carry out to help to accomplish this mission?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: Lyricmac at English Wikipedia (Creator), The Great Commission, at the Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick in El Paso Wikimedia, CC BY 2.5

This text, from the Liturgy of the Sixth Sunday of Easter, is part of a long discourse in John’s Gospel, from the setting of the Last Supper. It is a discourse replete with assurances from Jesus that he will not abandon his disciples such as: ‘I will not leave you orphans, I will come back to you’ (Jn 14:18). It is also a discourse which focuses strongly on the Holy Spirit, ‘the Advocate’ (Jn 14:16) and the theme of love. Rather than calling for belief from the disciples Jesus asks them to love him, and to keep his commandments (Jn 14:15 & 21). The motif of the Spirit has been prominent in earlier parts of the Gospel including at Jesus’ baptism (Jn 1:32-33), in the encounter with Nicodemus (Jn 3:5-8) and in the image of living water with the Samaritan Women (Jn 4:10-14). Now, in the Last Supper discourse, it takes centre stage.

The Holy Spirit, in this text, is given two titles, ‘the advocate’ (Jn 14:16) and ‘the Spirit of truth’ (Jn 14:17). The meanings behind these two titles shapes the understanding of the Holy Spirit and invites reflection on the role of the Spirit in contemporary discipleship. Many claim that their discipleship is guided by this Spirit of Truth, however, the true test of this claim is in the Gospel text ‘if you love me you will keep my commandments’ (Jn 14:15) and the fundamental commandment given in the previous chapter ‘love one another, as I have loved you so you must love one another’ (Jn 13:34). If love for one another is present, then surely, that discipleship bears the imprint of the Spirit of Truth

Gospel Text: John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.

I shall ask the Father,

and he will give you another Advocate

to be with you for ever,

that Spirit of truth

whom the world can never receive

since it neither sees nor knows him;

but you know him,

because he is with you, he is in you.

I will not leave you orphans;

I will come back to you.

In a short time the world will no longer see me;

but you will see me,

because I live and you will live.

On that day you will understand that I am in my Father

and you in me and I in you.

Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them

will be one who loves me;

and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father,

and I shall love him and show myself to him.’

See

What do we understand by the use of the terms ‘Advocate’ and ‘Spirit of Truth’ to refer to the Holy Spirit in this text?

What examples of discipleship can we see that are clearly reflective of love of God and love of one another?

Where can we see claims of discipleship which seem to be at odds with love of God and love of one another?

Judge

In our contemporary experience, what does it mean to show love, as Jesus called for from his disciples?

How do we understand the role of the Spirit in this Gospel text?

How do we see the relationship between the Spirit, love and discipleship in this text?

Act

What steps can I take to be more receptive to the urging of the Holy Spirit in my own life?

What can I do to show love to those people that I simply do not like?

How can I allow the Spirit be ‘advocate’ through my own spheres of influence?

Image: https://copilot.microsoft.com/chats/AKccC1nvNY8CKgXSS2LEH

Gospel Text https://www.universalis.com/Australia/1100/mass.htm

Further Reading:

https://mbfallon.com/john.htm

https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/faith/scripture-resources/

Introduction

The See, Judge, Act method used in this and other Gospel Enquiries was developed by Cardinal Joseph Cardijn. He gave a series of lectures in 1949, which he titled “The young worker faces life.” His third lecture was about the “mystery of vocation.” I choose this lecture because it relates to the Gospel we are about to read.

Cardijn said to the YCW leaders who had gathered at Godinne, in Belgium,

“God calls everyone without exception … Unceasingly He goes on calling all people.” God’s call is to every person to know, love and serve God, here on earth and to be happy with God in heaven forever.

I memorised this statement when I was in primary school and I have carried it with me ever since as a prayer and as a reminder of my vocation, given to me when I was baptised.

When Cardijn addressed the YCW leaders in 1949, he said, “Witnesses to Christ are needed today in the whole of life, in all the aspects of life, in all the problems of life.” This truth of faith underpins what is often referred to as the lay apostolate: all lay people are called to give witness to Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life.

The Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; if there were not, I should have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am

you may be too. You know the way to the place where I am going.’

Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’

Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.’

Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’

‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me? To have seen me is to have seen the Father, so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason. I tell you most solemnly,

whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself,

he will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father.’ (John 14:1-12)

The Enquiry

See

• Choose one thing that Jesus says to his disciples and let that be the focus of this enquiry. Imagine that Jesus addresses this to you. Put in your own words what you hear Jesus say to you.

• Do you have any friends who do not follow Jesus, that is, they are not Christian, even though they are good people? How is your life different from theirs because of what you believe about Jesus and what he has just said to you?

• If people can be good without following Jesus, why be bothered with Church and sacraments and practicing your faith?

Judge

• What do you think about Philip’s statement to Jesus? And what do you think about Jesus’ response to him?

• How do you interpret Jesus’ words: ‘I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father.’ ? Is this something that you aspire to?

• What does Jesus say that challenges you about how you live your faith?

Act

• What was Jesus trying to achieve through having this conversation with his disciples? Is this the mission given to every baptised person?

• What small action can you carry out to help Jesus achieve this goal?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: Sharon Tate Soberon (Creator), “Increase our FAITH!”, Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0

Worth reading: “The young worker faces life” can be found in Challenge to Action: Forming Leaders for Transformation, a collection of addresses given by Cardinal Joseph Cardijn. The collection was translated and compiled by Fr Eugene Langdale and his translation edited later by Dr Stefan Gigacz. The copy of Challenge to Action used in this Enquiry was published in 2020 by the Australian Cardijn Institute. The ePub version can be downloaded from here.

The references to shepherds and sheep in this text is a continuation of a long used metaphor among the people of Israel that they are God’s flock and, most famously expressed in Psalm 23, that God is their shepherd. It was also common, in the Hebrew scriptures, for those exercising leadership in the community to be referred to as shepherds. The burden of the shepherd’s responsibility is immense as the very life of the sheep is in their hands. The vitriol expressed towards the ‘false’ shepherds (thieves, brigands, strangers) is probably a carry-over from the conflict of the previous chapter where the Pharisees sought to undermine the miracle (sign) of the man whose sight had been restored.

This conflict is an important backdrop to this text as is contrasts the liberating, life giving action of Jesus with the restrictive, oppressive interjection of the Pharisees. Jesus’ has come so that humanity might live ‘life to the full’, an image presented in the metaphor of the sheep finding certain pasture and restated in the famous final verse of this text. ‘I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.’ (John 10:10).

The text raises a number of important points of reflection for us. Among these are the questions of what it means for us to live life to the full, as Jesus intended and, secondly, what does the metaphor of the shepherd and the sheep say to us about how we exercise our stewardship of those in our care. Those in our care may be colleagues in the workplace, members of our family or, perhaps, those who live at the margins of our community.

Gospel Text John 10:1-10

Jesus said:

‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’

Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.

So Jesus spoke to them again:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

I am the gate of the sheepfold.

All others who have come

are thieves and brigands;

but the sheep took no notice of them.

I am the gate.

Anyone who enters through me will be safe:

he will go freely in and out

and be sure of finding pasture.

The thief comes

only to steal and kill and destroy.

I have come

so that they may have life and have it to the full.’

See

What does the text reveal about the relationship between the sheep and the shepherd?

How is this contrasted with the image of the ‘thieves and brigands’?

What might the image of the gate represent in this metaphor?

Judge

What might the image of ‘thieves and brigands’ apply to in our world today?

Jesus says he has come that people may have life to the full. What does life to the full mean in our context?

Jesus’ actions are seen as liberating and reassuring. How does this apply to our own life situation?

Act

What steps can I take to ensure that my actions are life giving and liberating for those in my care or under my influence?

What do I need to do to ensure that I am living ‘life to the full’?

What actions can I take to assist others in living ‘life to the full’?

Image: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-10-1-10-2021/

Gospel Text https://www.universalis.com/Australia/1100/mass.htm

Further Reading:

https://mbfallon.com/john.htm

https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/faith/scripture-resources/

Introduction

It occurred to me as I prepared this Gospel Enquiry that my experience of writing enquiries has often been like the Goldilocks story: it is either too short, or its too long, but in the end, just right. I refer to the length of the Gospel passage chosen for the Gospel Enquiry. In the end, it has never about quantity, but always about quality.

Recently, when faced with criticism from the US president, Pope Leo XIV responded with “I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do.”

As I reflected on the Gospel reading, I came to realise that I am sometimes like the two disciples, so wrapped up in my own little world, that I fail to recognise the presence of Jesus in the Mass … until we are in the Communion Rite.

I am convinced that there are some important lessons to be learned through reflecting and acting on this Gospel event and they are to be found in the celebration of the Eucharist.

The Gospel

Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast.

Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’

Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.

When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’

They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread. (Luke 24:13-35)

The Enquiry

See

• Read the Gospel story and observe the changing emotional state of the two disciples. Then read the story again and focus on Jesus. What is different about him?

• What does the Gospel writer teach you about how to interpret what happened to Jesus? What do you learn about Jesus and his power through this story?

• Why did the two disciples not recognise Jesus when he joined them? What is the significance of them recognising Jesus when he broke bread with them?

Judge

• How does this Gospel story fit with your experience of the Eucharist?

• What do you learn from this story about how to live as a faithful disciple of Jesus?

• What happens in the story that challenges how you live your faith?

Act

• What is revealed through this story about how to cooperate with God’s plan of salvation?

• What small action can you carry out to stay focused on doing God’s will today and tomorrow and the day after?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: James Tissot (Creator), The Pilgrims of Emmaus on the road, a painting held in the Brooklyn Museum, Picryl, PDM 1.0

The first Sunday after the Feast of Easter is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. It comes with a focus on the forgiveness of God and calls upon followers to repent and seek forgiveness. The Gospel account, from the fourth Gospel, is set on two consecutive Sundays, the first is the evening of the day of the resurrection, the second, eight days later. The first scene finds the disciples in hiding for fear that they would suffer the same fate of Jesus, at the hands of the religious authorities. Jesus appears among them, despite the locked doors, indicating the risen Lord is not subject to the same physical constraints as the human Jesus. The presence of the risen Jesus brings an immediate sense of joy among the disciples. He greets them twice with the powerful words ‘Peace be with you’ before commissioning them and bestowing the Spirit upon them. The disciple Thomas, absent from the first scene and sceptical of reports of Jesus’ appearance is, subsequently present, eight days later when Jesus again greets the disciples with peace.

The notion of peace, repeated three times in Jesus’ greetings, is a central notion of Christianity. St Benedict, quoting from the Psalms, urged his community to ‘seek peace and pursue it’ RB Prol, PS 34:14. It has been a frequent theme of Christian writers throughout the centuries and has become a most urgent message from Popes of recent decades, as the capacity for warfare to destroy all of God’s creation has become so apparent. Pope Leo recently wrote “peace is a principle that guides and defines our choices” https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/peace/documents/20251208-messaggio-pace.html highlighting the importance action in pursuit of peace. Peace activists have regularly used the aphorism ‘what if peace is a verb’. Recently, Nigerian poet and spoken word artist Maryam Bukar Hassan popularized the concept of expressing peace as a verb in her 2025 performance ‘Peace is a Verb’. This concept of peace has much to offer today, forcing us to consider peace as an active step, a deliberate strategy and a purposeful plan.

Gospel Text: John 20:19-29

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.

‘As the Father sent me,

so am I sending you.’

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.

For those whose sins you forgive,

they are forgiven;

for those whose sins you retain,

they are retained.’

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:

‘You believe because you can see me.

Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.

See

How is the risen Jesus portrayed in this text?

What does the text say about belief, in the episode with Thomas?

When does the greeting of peace occur in the text?

Judge

What significance can be drawn from Jesus’ commissioning of the disciples and bestowing the Holy Spirit immediately after his greeting of peace?

How do we see the relationship between forgiveness and peace in our own lives?

How does the ‘motif’ of peace, in this text, speak to the current situation in our world?

Act

What steps can we take to bring peace into our own life situations?

What possibilities are within our spheres of influence to bring peace in to the lives of others?

How can we use our personal choices to further the cause of peace in our world?

Image: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-20-19-31-2024

Gospel Text https://www.universalis.com/Australia/1100/mass.htm

Further Reading:

https://mbfallon.com/matthew.html

https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/faith/scripture-resources/

https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/peace/documents/20251208-messaggio-pace.html

Introduction

What did Fr Joseph Cardijn teach young workers about the resurrection of Jesus? It is obvious from published talks he gave to young workers that he believed that Jesus was raised to life three days after he was crucified. But as is consistent in his teaching, his focus was on putting this belief into action.

He made the following reference to the resurrection in a talk he gave on the mystery of vocation at a congress for YCW, held in Godinne, Belgium, in 1949:

The working class will rise again, because it has apostles who, with and by Christ, by their sufferings and prayers, and even by their death on the Cross, merit with Christ this resurrection of working-class youth and of the working class of the world.

Cardijn focused on the three truths of faith, experience and method. His teaching about the truth of faith emphasises the eternal and temporal destinies of each and every worker. These destinies are not separate and distinct; they co-exist to the extent that those who are baptised seek to know and do God’s Will.

The Gospel

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’

So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead. (John 20:1-9)

The Enquiry

See

• Observe what happens in this scene. Who is involved? What grabs your attention in this scene? Why?

• Find out about the burial customs in Jewish culture during the time of Jesus. What prevented Jesus’ family and friends from fully preparing his body for burial after he was crucified? Why did Mary Magdalene go to the tomb on Sunday morning before sunrise?

• Why was Jesus’ resurrection so controversial in his time? How has the empty tomb impacted the followers of Jesus and the world? Why do so many people today take no notice of the resurrection of Jesus?

Judge

• What do you make of this event in Jesus’ life?

• Why wasn’t his resurrection announced with a fanfare and great public celebration?

• How is your life today shaped by the resurrection of Jesus?

Act

• So, having reflected on this story, what part are you being called to play in God’s transformation of the world?

• What small action can you carry out that will contribute to the change God is calling you to make?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: Wannapik Studio (Creator), Palm Sunday Parishioners Carry Palms, Wannapik Studio, CC BY 3.0

Worth reading: The mystery of vocation, Part 3 of “The young worker faces life”: The 1949 Godinne Lecture Series. In Challenge to Action: Forming Leaders for Transformation. You can download a copy of this book from here.

Introduction

One of my New Year resolutions is to write a novel of sorts, featuring a meeting between St Francis of Assisi and three friars (St Bonaventure, Blessed John Duns Scotus and St Maximilian Kolbe). The topic of their conversation is the Blessed Virgin Mary and what each believed and taught about her.

Guiding my research and writing is a statement taken from a Church document that was written after the second session of the Synod on Synodality:

Listening to the Holy Spirit, welcoming the testimony of Scripture and reading the signs of the times in faith, She [the Church] can harmonise differences as an expression of the inexhaustible richness of the mystery of Christ.

Cardinal Joseph Cardijn intended that his Review of Life method (See, Judge, Act) be used by young workers who were seeking to understand how to act in a way that deepened their faith and transformed lives, including their own.

The four verbs found in the statement can be used in this Gospel Enquiry: “listen”, “welcome” (seek unity), “read” (the signs of the times in faith) – Cardijn always began his enquiries with the Truth of Faith as his bedrock – and “harmonise”.

The Gospel

When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,

‘Go into the village facing you, and immediately you will find an ass tied,and a colt with her: untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, “The Lord has need of them,” and he will send them immediately.’

This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘Tell the daughter of Sion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass.’

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon.

Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’

And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, ‘Who is this?’

And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.’ (Matthew 21:1-11)

The Enquiry

See

• Summarise what happens in this Gospel scene. Put yourself in the story, even in just a small part of it, and describe what you see and hear. Are you aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit?

• There are some contrasting responses to the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Which response is closest to how you respond to Jesus? Are there palm fronds in your life that you wave as he enters? Or is his entry a source of puzzlement to you?

• Why did people welcome Jesus to Jerusalem whereas others seemed to not know him? Do you have the same view of Jesus that they had? Or has the passage of time sharpened or dulled your senses and your faith?

Judge

• What do you make of this event in Jesus’ life? Do you act spontaneously when you become aware of his presence in your life?

• Is the public demonstration of your faith in Jesus an ideal that you aspire to have?

• How do the words and actions of Jesus fit with the description of the Church on mission as listening, welcoming, reading and harmonizing? How does he accomplish these in your life?

Act

• So, having reflected on this story, what part are you being called to play in God’s transformation of the world?

• What small action can you carry out that will contribute to the change God is calling you to make?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: Wannapik Studio (Creator), Palm Sunday Parishioners Carry Palms, Wannapik Studio, CC BY 3.0

Worth reading: How to be a synodal Church on mission? Five perspectives for theological exploration in view of the Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

Characterised by errors of geography and continuity, the Johannine account of the raising of Lazarus from the dead is a somewhat peculiar text. Many commentators suggest that it was a later addition, by a scribe unfamiliar with the geography of Jerusalem and its surrounds, as well as the narrative sequence of the fourth Gospel. The event of raising Lazarus from the dead is referred to as a ‘sign’ rather than a ‘miracle’ by the author. It is the last of seven such ‘signs’ found in John’s Gospel. The others are: the wedding at Cana - changing water into wine (2:1–11), healing the official’s son (4:46–54), healing the paralytic at Bethesda (5:1–15), feeding the 5,000 (6:5–14), walking on water (6:16–24) and healing the man born blind (9:1–7)

The text wrestles with the concept of resurrection, drawing together three strands. First, the Jewish expectation that the dead will rise on the last day, second, the notion that Jesus has the power to raise the dead and third, a foreshadowing of Jesus’ own resurrection. The ‘sign’ of raising Lazarus points to the glory of God, manifest in Jesus and the power to overcome all things, even death.

The setting of the story is the town of Bethany, close to the city of Jerusalem. The word ‘Bethany’ means place, or house, of the poor. Lazarus is a figure unique to this story in John’s Gospel, he is conspicuously absent in the synoptic Gospel stories of the household of Martha and Mary in Bethany and is not mentioned elsewhere in the Gospel of John. The name ‘Lazarus’ means God is my help.

The motifs of belief and hope are threaded through the text with six explicit occurrences and a constant undertone evident in the actions of Jesus as well of those of Mary and Martha. As with many other Gospel texts, the texts culminates with those present being moved to believe in Jesus.

Gospel text: John 11:1-45

There was a man named Lazarus who lived in the village of Bethany with the two sisters, Mary and Martha, and he was ill. It was the same Mary, the sister of the sick man Lazarus, who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. The sisters sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’ On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judaea.’ The disciples said, ‘Rabbi, it is not long since the Jews wanted to stone you; are you going back again?’ Jesus replied:

‘Are there not twelve hours in the day?

A man can walk in the daytime without stumbling

because he has the light of this world to see by;

but if he walks at night he stumbles,

because there is no light to guide him.’

He said that and then added, ‘Our friend Lazarus is resting, I am going to wake him.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he is able to rest he is sure to get better.’ The phrase Jesus used referred to the death of Lazarus, but they thought that by ‘rest’ he meant ‘sleep’, so Jesus put it plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there because now you will believe. But let us go to him.’ Then Thomas – known as the Twin – said to the other disciples, ‘Let us go too, and die with him.’

On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:

‘I am the resurrection and the life.

If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,

and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in a low voice, ‘The Master is here and wants to see you.’ Hearing this, Mary got up quickly and went to him. Jesus had not yet come into the village; he was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were in the house sympathising with Mary saw her get up so quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:

‘Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer.

I knew indeed that you always hear me,

but I speak for the sake of all these who stand round me,

so that they may believe it was you who sent me.’

When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what he did believed in him

See

Which characters in the story are shown as believing in Jesus?

Which characters in the story have an evident lack of belief?

How does hope influence the actions of Mary and Martha in this story?

Judge

Belief is often closely related to hope. Where is there need for hope in our world today?

In the Gospel account the actions of Jesus, Mary and Martha are important elements of their belief. What do these actions show?

The situation confronting Mary and Martha would often lead to despair. What can we learn from their response to this situation?

Act

What things can I do, to strengthen my own belief?

What can I do to help strengthen the belief of others?

What steps can I take to provide hope when it is needed?

Image: John 11: 3-7,17,20-27,33-45 (2023) | CHRISTIAN ART | Gospel Reading & Art Reflection

Gospel Text https://www.universalis.com/Australia/1100/mass.htm

Further Reading:

https://mbfallon.com/matthew.html

https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/faith/scripture-resources/

Introduction

The Gospel featured in this enquiry is used in the celebration of the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year A. The Second Scrutiny ritual draws on the miracle of the healing of the man born blind as the prompt to pray that the Elect be freed from slavery to sin, that the desire for good to be stirred within them and that they become “staunch and fearless witnesses to the faith.” This will happen through Christ our Lord.

It is a timely lesson to be learnt, that all good comes from God and in God’s good time. It might seem trite to say that we are creatures of habit, but it is true nonetheless. Just as Google might suggest common ways of stating the obvious, we tend to develop patterns of behaviour that keep us safe, or promise short-term rewards. In this case, the man had grown up being blind and had learned ways of dealing with his blindness. He did not ask to be healed of his blindness. God’s gifts are gratuitous.

Being creatures of habit, we tend to resist anything that threatens to take us out of our comfort zone … unless we are courageous enough to entertain the thought that such change might prove to be beneficial. Miracles do happen. We can change. Conversion is possible … in God’s good time.

The Gospel

As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, for him to have been born blind?’

‘Neither he nor his parents sinned,’ Jesus answered ‘he was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as the day lasts I must carry out the work of the one who sent me; the night will soon be here when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.’

Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (a name that means ‘sent’). So the blind man went off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.

His neighbours and people who earlier had seen him begging said, ‘Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some said, ‘Yes, it is the same one.’ Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am the man.’ So they said to him, ‘Then how do your eyes come to be open?’ ‘The man called Jesus’ he answered ‘made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me, “Go and wash at Siloam”; so I went, and when I washed I could see.’ They asked, ‘Where is he?’ ‘I don’t know’ he answered.

They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. It had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the Pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said, ‘He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.’ Then some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath.’ Others said, ‘How could a sinner produce signs like this?’ And there was disagreement among them. So they spoke to the blind man again, ‘What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?’ ‘He is a prophet’ replied the man. However, the Jews would not believe that the man had been blind and had gained his sight, without first sending for his parents and asking them, ‘Is this man really your son who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he is now able to see?’ His parents answered, ‘We know he is our son and we know he was born blind, but we do not know how it is that he can see now, or who opened his eyes. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.’ His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. This was why his parents said, ‘He is old enough; ask him.’

So the Jews again sent for the man and said to him, ‘Give glory to God! For our part, we know that this man is a sinner.’ The man answered, ‘I don’t know if he is a sinner; I only know that I was blind and now I can see.’ They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ He replied, ‘I have told you once and you wouldn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it all again? Do you want to become his disciples too?’ At this they hurled abuse at him: ‘You can be his disciple,’ they said ‘we are disciples of Moses: we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ The man replied, ‘Now here is an astonishing thing! He has opened my eyes, and you don’t know where he comes from! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but God does listen to men who are devout and do his will. Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a man who was born blind; if this man were not from God, he couldn’t do a thing.’ ‘Are you trying to teach us,’ they replied ‘and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!’ And they drove him away.

Jesus heard they had driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied ‘tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said, ‘You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.’ The man said, ‘Lord, I believe’, and worshipped him.

Jesus said: ‘It is for judgement that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight turn blind.’

Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to him, ‘We are not blind, surely?’ Jesus replied: ‘Blind? If you were, you would not be guilty, but since you say, “We see,” your guilt remains.’ (John 9:1-41)

The Enquiry

See

• Cardijn refers to the Truth of Faith in conflict with the Truth of Experience. Use these categories to analyse this Gospel event. If you are unsure about the meaning of these terms, then read the opening section of Fr Joseph Cardijn’s lecture on the Three Truths.

• Examine the impact of Jesus’ act of healing the man’s blindness. Consider in turn, the man, his parents, the Pharisees, and you.

• Why do the Pharisees refuse to see the miracle as a sign of God’s presence and power in their midst?

Judge

• What do you think about the understanding of faith represented by the Pharisees? Does Jesus’ act of healing the blind man on the Sabbath represent a new spirituality?

• Where would you place yourself in this Gospel? Are you one of the many who witnessed Jesus healing the blind man? Are you one of the Pharisees and you refuse to recognise the work of God in the healing of the man’s blindness? Have you been healed of blindness?

• What is the Christian principle that is illustrated by this story? How would your life change if you lived by this principle?

Act

• So, having reflected on this story, what are you being called to change in the world and in yourself?

• What small action can you carry out that will contribute to the change God is calling you to make?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: juan50300 (Creator), La curation del cie go de nacimiento 2017, Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The full text of the Gospel for the Third Sunday of Lent is a lengthy one indeed, encompassing almost forty versus of John’s fourth chapter. The text is replete with rich and complex themes that would take many volumes to explore. One of the themes, less frequently discussed, is the encounter between the Jewish Jesus and the anonymous Samaritan woman. The Samaritan people were close cousins of their Jewish neighbours, however, the fall of Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom in 722BCE and the subsequent deportation and reintegration of the population at the hands of the Assyrians led to a fracturing of the relationship between the Samaritans of the North and the Jews of the South. So deep was this rupture that, by the first century CE, there was deep enmity between Jews and Samaritans.

The rift between the Samaritans and Jews is reflected twice in the Gospel text, first at the surprise expressed by the woman that a Jew would approach her, a Samaritan, for a drink. Then again with the return of Jesus’ disciples as they puzzled at why Jesus would be speaking to this woman. As the account progresses, not only does the Samaritan woman become an unlikely disciple but she also goes to her own community and, becomes the catalyst for their conversion and for a previously improbable offer of hospitality.

Gospel Text John 4:5-42

Jesus came to the Samaritan town called Sychar, near the land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well is there and Jesus, tired by the journey, sat straight down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘What? You are a Jew and you ask me, a Samaritan, for a drink?’ – Jews, in fact, do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus replied:

‘If you only knew what God is offering

and who it is that is saying to you:

Give me a drink, you would have been the one to ask,

and he would have given you living water.’

‘You have no bucket, sir,’ she answered ‘and the well is deep: how could you get this living water? Are you a greater man than our father Jacob who gave us this well and drank from it himself with his sons and his cattle?’ Jesus replied:

‘Whoever drinks this water

will get thirsty again;

but anyone who drinks the water that I shall give

will never be thirsty again:

the water that I shall give

will turn into a spring inside him,

welling up to eternal life.’

‘Sir,’ said the woman ‘give me some of that water, so that I may never get thirsty and never have to come here again to draw water.’ ‘Go and call your husband’ said Jesus to her ‘and come back here.’ The woman answered, ‘I have no husband.’ He said to her, ‘You are right to say, “I have no husband”; for although you have had five, the one you have now is not your husband. You spoke the truth there.’ ‘I see you are a prophet, sir’ said the woman. ‘Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, while you say that Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’ Jesus said:

‘Believe me, woman,

the hour is coming

when you will worship the Father

neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

You worship what you do not know;

we worship what we do know:

for salvation comes from the Jews.

But the hour will come

– in fact it is here already –

when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth:

that is the kind of worshipper the Father wants.

God is spirit,

and those who worship

must worship in spirit and truth.’

The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah – that is, Christ – is coming; and when he comes he will tell us everything.’ ‘I who am speaking to you,’ said Jesus ‘I am he.’

At this point his disciples returned, and were surprised to find him speaking to a woman, though none of them asked, ‘What do you want from her?’ or, ‘Why are you talking to her?’ The woman put down her water jar and hurried back to the town to tell the people. ‘Come and see a man who has told me everything I ever did; I wonder if he is the Christ?’ This brought people out of the town and they started walking towards him.

Meanwhile, the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, do have something to eat; but he said, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples asked one another, ‘Has someone been bringing him food?’ But Jesus said:

‘My food is to do the will of the one who sent me,

and to complete his work.

Have you not got a saying:

Four months and then the harvest?

Well, I tell you:

Look around you, look at the fields;

already they are white, ready for harvest!

Already the reaper is being paid his wages,

already he is bringing in the grain for eternal life,

and thus sower and reaper rejoice together.

For here the proverb holds good:

one sows, another reaps;

I sent you to reap a harvest you had not worked for.

Others worked for it;

and you have come into the rewards of their trouble.’

Many Samaritans of that town had believed in him on the strength of the woman’s testimony when she said, ‘He told me all I have ever done’, so, when the Samaritans came up to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed for two days, and when he spoke to them many more came to believe; and they said to the woman, ‘Now we no longer believe because of what you told us; we have heard him ourselves and we know that he really is the saviour of the world.’

See

Who are the people, today, who live with the consequences of fractured relationships of the past?

Who are the people, in my own circles, who are treated as outsiders?

What common traits of humanity, faith and community can I identify among those who I see as different to myself?

Judge

Jesus’ response to the Samaritan woman challenged the historical enmity between Samaritans and Jews. What does this tell us about historical enmity in today’s world?

What do I see, in the example of Jesus, regarding people who are different to myself?

The Samaritan woman becomes a bearer of the message of Christ to her own community. In what ways do those ‘outside’ my own faith community carry the message of Christ?

Act

The Samaritan community showed hospitality to Jesus and his disciples. How can I offer hospitality to those who I see as different to myself?

How can I support community endeavours to provide hospitality to marginalised people in my own context?

What can I initiate, to create a welcome space for those who may see themselves as outsiders in my own community/parish?

Image: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-4-5-42-2026/

Gospel Text https://www.universalis.com/Australia/1100/mass.htm

Further Reading:

https://mbfallon.com/matthew.html

https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/faith/scripture-resources/

Introduction

We are reflexive beings. Susie Scott defines reflexivity as “the ability to think about ourselves.” Terry and Hayfield, two researchers who make use of reflexive thematic analysis, state that reflexivity includes our values, backgrounds, decisions and interests. I would dare to add to their list our beliefs and our memories.

But what has this to do with the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Lent? First, the Gospel Enquiry is intended as a means for deepening our relationship with Jesus, which means we take time to reflect on our relationship with him by means of the Gospel. And the method, captured in the three words “See, Judge, Act,” will be effective to the extent that we commit to reflecting on the presence of God in our lives.

Second, Christians have reflected on the mystery of Christ from the very beginning of the mission of the Church. The Gospel account of the transfiguration of Jesus is a proclamation of his divinity and the silence of Peter, James and John in the aftermath of their experience of the divine speaks not only of the reflexivity of the human person, but also of the experience of mystery.

God created us to be reflexive. St Paul reminded us of this when he wrote to the Christians in Colossae: “You must not be moved away from the hope brought to you by the Good News that you heard” (Colossians 1:23). May this Gospel Enquiry help you to hear the Good News and reflect on the mystery of your relationship with God.

The Gospel

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ When they heard this the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear. But Jesus came up and touched them. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus.

As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, ‘Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.’ (Matthew 17:1-9)

The Enquiry

See

• What would you include in the storyline of this Gospel event? Which elements can be used to place the story in its wider religious context or tradition? Which element(s) make this event unique?

• Does Jesus being transfigured change anything in the Gospel narrative?

• Why does the Gospel writer include this event in his account?

Judge

• What do you think about the transfiguration of Jesus: Is it just a story? a theological reflection? a metaphor? Or is it about a religious experience (an experience of the divine in a place we can find on a map)?

• Ideally, how should people respond to the Tabor experience?

• Where would you place yourself in this Gospel? Are you one of the many who have not followed Jesus up the mountain? Have you had your own Tabor experience? With whom have you shared your experience?

Act

• So, having reflected on the story of the transfiguration of Jesus and the purpose of the account in Matthew’s Gospel, what have you concluded about what needs to change in the world and in yourself?

• What small action can you carry out that will contribute to the change God is calling you to make?

• Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?

Image Source: Slices of Light (Creator), Room VIII, Pinacoteca, Vatican Museum; July 2019, Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Of Interest: Scott, S. (2015). Negotiating Identity: Symbolic Interactionist Approaches to Social Identity. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Terry, G. and Hayfield, N. (2021). Essentials of Thematic Analysis. Washington: American Psychological Association.

With the commemoration of Ash Wednesday a few days ago, the liturgy now moves to the first of the Sundays of Lent, leading to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. The Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent (22 February) shares the account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.

The fast of forty days and forty nights is an echo of the forty years that the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt, prior to entering the promised land. An echo highlighting the author’s theme of Jesus as the new Moses. When confronted with each of the temptations, Jesus responds with a reference to the Hebrew Scriptures, highlighting Matthew’s keen interest in showing that Jesus is the Messiah anticipated in these texts.

The forty days of the text is also a foreshadowing, for Christians, of the six weeks of Lent where fasting, abstinence and almsgiving are central themes.

The temptations themselves are essentially a challenge to Jesus’ integrity and fidelity to his mission. By rejecting each of the devil’s overtures he remains true to himself and his mission of proclaiming God’s Kingdom.

Gospel Text: Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.’

But he replied, ‘Scripture says:

Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’ he said ‘throw yourself down; for scripture says:

He will put you in his angels’ charge, and they will support you on their hands in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says:

You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘I will give you all these’ he said, ‘if you fall at my feet and worship me.’

Then Jesus replied, ‘Be off, Satan! For scripture says:

You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.’

Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

See

What is the significance of the forty days of Jesus’ fast?

How does the setting of the wilderness underpin the meaning of the text?

What does Jesus’ use of scripture highlight for the reader?

Judge

What forms do temptations take in my own experience?

What types of temptations are increasingly evident in our society?

How do these temptations seek to undermine my own integrity?

Act

What actions can I take to avoid contributing to situations that dehumanise others?

What steps can I take to uphold human dignity in my own spheres of influence?

How can I act to challenge broader social factors that diminish human dignity?

Image https://interruptingthesilence.com/2023/02/27/lets-not-waste-a-good-temptation-a-sermon-on-matthew-41-11/

Gospel Text https://www.universalis.com/Australia/1100/mass.htm

Further Reading:

https://mbfallon.com/matthew.html

https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/faith/scripture-resources/