SOMETHING BETTER

PRAYER MOMENT Friday 30 January 2015 SOMETHING BETTER Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within. Reading: “For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting.” (Hebrews 10:32-39) Reflection. There are those who say that after this life there is nothing. You just fade away and that is the end. Sickness, death of family members, exile and loss become disasters without meaning. It is hard to get into the mind of people who have no belief beyond this world. They are often very good people who give themselves for others. They probably find it strange that people of faith might say, “something better” is missing from their world view. It is this ‘something’ that the author of the letter to the Hebrews has discovered and wants his fellow Jews to understand. The God who spoke through the prophets has appeared amongst us in the person of Jesus and torn apart the veil between the human and the divine. Prayer. Lord, grant us the joy and the endurance to know that it the midst of the challenges we face there is “something more” awaiting us here and hereafter. Amen. David Harold-Barry SJ

THROUGH THE CURTAIN

PRAYER MOMENT Thursday 29 January 2015 THROUGH THE CURTAIN Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within. Reading: “Thtough the blood of Jesus we have the right to enter the sanctuary by a way which he has opened for us, a living opening through the curtain, that is to say, his body … so as we go in …” (Hebrews 10:19-25) Reflection. We live in a world charged with the presence and activity of God but we are often not aware of it. Some people are never aware of it. It is like with a blind person who moves about in our world the same as the rest of us. But he does not see what we see. He knows all the things are there because he has heard them described or touched them but there is a curtain preventing him from seeing them. The curtain marking off the Holy of Holies in the Jewish temple stood for this veil, this distance, that exists between us and God. The author of Hebrews says we have entered this sanctuary, passed throught this curtain, because of the sacrifice of Jesus “for you.” This is our faith; the curtain is there but it is not there! Prayer. Lord, we thank you for leading us into the presence of the Father even in this life. Give us joy and confidence in the midst of the many challenges and sorrows we face. Amen. David Harold-Barry SJ

SEEING AND NOT SEEING

PRAYER MOMENT Wednesday 28 January 2015 SEEING AND NOT SEEING Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within. Reading: “To those who are outside everything comes in parables, so that they may see and see again but not perceive; hear and hear again and not understand.” (Mark 4:1-20) Reflection. Jesus has just told the parable of the sower which both hides and reveals the message of the reign of God. It hides it by speaking of a farmer going about his work and the different results he gets. One can simply get caught up in that everyday story and go no further. Our daily activities can be absorbing and leave us little appetite to penetrate their meaning. To rinse our eyes and open our ears is to come to understand God at work in all things. “He (is achieving) the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying.” (Hebrews 10:11-18). Prayer. Lord, give us the eyes to see you at work in every event of our day, the ears to hear your word in every sound. Amen. David Harold-Barry SJ

YOU PREPARED A BODY

PRAYER MOMENT Tuesday 27 January 2015 YOU PREPARED A BODY Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within. Reading: “You prepared a body for me. You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifecs for sin. Then I said, ‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.’” (Hebrews 10:1-10) Reflection. The author of Hebrews continues the development of his teaching about Jesus as the priest, the one who offers – not symbolic sacrifices – but his own person. He gave himself, becoming a human being with a body like ours, and entered into the human drama of birth, childhood, maturity, work, skills, fustrations, misunderstandings, condemnation and death. He lived his life with such integrity, such purity, that human life itself was lifted out of its cramped cage into freedom, meaning and joy.We participate in all this because, as our priest, he has gone on ahead of us and all we have to do is follow. Prayer. Lord Jesus, High Priest of our new life in God, help us to know you that we may love and follow you. Amen. David Harold-Barry SJ

FAN INTO A FLAME

PRAYER MOMENT Monday 26 January 2015, SS Timothy and Titus FAN INTO A FLAME Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within. Reading: “That is why I am reminding you to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” (2 Timothy 1:1-8) Reflection. Timothy and Titus were among the many helpers of Paul and they represent the ever widening cooperation of those who first received the good news. Years ago we used to think of the church as being the business of bishops, sisters and priests. Today, especially since the Second Vatican Council, we rejoice in the ever widening cooperation of all the people of God in the the mission of Jesus. There are two ways we can engage in this mission: one is assisting in the pastoral work of our communities and parishes. The other is in the intense application of our gifts wherever we are engaged. This latter work may never have any direct link with the church or religion but in engaging in the world with integrity we are truly cooperating with the mission of Jesus. Prayer. God, our Father, help us to cooperate each day in the great work of bringing your reign, your kindom, to reality in our world today. Amen. David Harold-Barry SJ

OUT OF HIS MIND

PRAYER MOMENT Saturday 24 January 2015, St Francis de Sales OUT OF HIS MIND Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within. Reading: “When his relatives heard of this (that such crowds were gathering Jesus could hardly have a meal), they set out to take charge of him convinced whe was out of his mind.” (Mark 3:20-21) Reflection. Mark is the most blunt and raw of the gospel writers. He does not shrink from giving us a sharp and immediate picture of events and feelings. Clearly Jesus’ family were dismayed by his activities. They could not understand the burning urgency with which he pursued his mission. His every waking moment was devoted to proclaiming the new world that God was creating. I am reading the life of Abraham Lincoln at the moment and you can get a taste of that urgency, that ambition to serve, in his life too. In our complex time we look for that sense of ‘driveness’ in our leaders in the church and in the world - and also in ourselves! Prayer. God, our Father, we see in Jesus one who was absorbed by his mission to announce your reign of justice and peace. Help us too to be intent on witnessing to this mission. Amen. David Harold-Barry SJ

WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS

PRAYER MOMENT Friday 23 January 2015 WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within. Reading: “When those days arrive – it is the Lord who speaks – I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts.” (Hebrews 8:6-13) Reflection. The letter to the Hebrews describes Jesus, the new high priest, as a mediator, a go-between, a munyai, one who fixes things and brings about a new situation. This new thing is described as a new covenant. The old covenant in Sinai was a sign of a reality that has now come. And this new covenant is described as an intimate relationship with God. His laws would no longer be written on tablets of stone but on the hearts of his people everywhere. From now on people will know what to do. The Spirit will teach them. We know what to do! Our difficulty is to find our way to doing it. The Spirit of Jesus helps us. We are called to listen. Prayer. Lord Jesus, help us to listen to the your Spirit speaking to us in our hearts. Amen. David Harold-Barry SJ