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听MUSIC: Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004 (JS Bach)- John Williams (Guitar)

Now that we can attend church, I wonder how many of us still feel more comfortable praying in our homes. Have we broken the habit of joining a community for prayer? And what might the consequences of that be?

At that time the feeling was that after Covid we would get back to what we had considered 鈥渘ormal鈥�; there was even speculation about what the new normal might be.

That鈥檚 what I鈥檇 like to reflect on this morning in the context of the church. I鈥檝e been a Passionist Religious for 60 years and a Priest for over 52 years. I鈥檝e lived through truly astounding changes in that time. Yet I can truly testify that I love the Church of Christ enough to be able to offer criticism as a loyal member.

I don鈥檛 pretend to have all the answers. However, experience has taught me to respect change when it happens. Rather than stubbornly resist it I believe change is the Holy Spirit calling us to a new way of living and praying. God speaks to us 鈥渋n the bits and pieces of every day.鈥�

MUSIC: Father, Father, we adore Thee (Beethoven) 鈥� Altar of Praise Chorale

Lord听God we come into your presence knowing that you accept each of us as we are. Your special gift to us is to be at peace when in your presence. There is no need for pretence since you already know the unspoken longings of my heart. Help me to spend this time with you discerning your will more clearly. Come to me with your spirit of joy; help me to trust you; give me the courage to do what is right. We offer this prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

In some parts of the world the church is thriving and full of life. But not so in the most developed countries where materialism dominates our thinking. One of the reasons I think religion struggles in today鈥檚 world is that in some churches听we seem to be so utterly joyless; and then also听church people frequently seem to condemn more than they encourage. It鈥檚 no wonder then that people often fail to appreciate the value of religion in their lives.

Perhaps we should take Jesus at His word. 鈥淚 have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.鈥� (John 15:11). The world needs a message of hope, especially when there is so much bad news around.

I believe how we live depends on the image of God we have ingrained in our hearts. If I believe in a vengeful God, my relationship with God will be dominated by fear; I will be suspicious of God. I will see religion as a duty rather than a privilege. I will be convinced religion is a prison and not a beacon of freedom.

Jesus though insists the Kingdom of God is meant to be a place of joy and healing where captives are set free and the poor are blessed with Good News.

Reader:

A reading of the letter of St Paul to the Philippians (4:4-9)
I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is close at hand.

There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.

Brian: And we cannot forget what Jesus said: 鈥淐ome to me all who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest for your souls鈥︹��

So, as we enter this post-Covid age, religion can still be a source of joy; giving us a secure foundation and a sense of hope.

St John Henry Newman famously said-: 鈥淭he perfect can be the enemy of the good.鈥� We become so focused on being perfect that we end up unable to do any good because we think we can never attain perfection. But God doesn鈥檛 look for perfection from us. God is content that we do the best we can because God loves each of us exactly as we are.

MUSIC: How deep the Father鈥檚 love for us (Stuart Townend) 鈥� Celtic Worship

Brian: When I think about how we might re-vision the Church in these emerging times, I immediately recall the amazing transformation which took place in the infant church at the first Pentecost.

Reader: 听

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (2.1-4)

When Pentecost Day came round, they had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

Brian: There is a powerful painting of that Pentecost moment by the Irish artist, Nora Kelly. It鈥檚 her new interpretation of a more famous work by El Greco.

In the original, we see an almost begrudging Holy Spirit sending down just thirteen flames on a small, frightened group of believers.

Kelly's work is the complete opposite. It鈥檚 full of life, colour, movement and generosity. 听Her work highlights a life-affirming Spirit, joyously showering down light on a vast, diverse family of excited believers. There鈥檚 an impression of a strong wind blowing which enthuses the women particularly.

Right up front is Peter who is almost bounding out of the painting in his bare feet to some wonderful new and unknown future. At the very centre is a small child with a broad smile pointing upwards. The wind enthuses the new community and is apparently blowing the older men off-balance.

As an older man myself, I admit I am delighted to be blown away to be replaced by a new spirit-driven community. This could be a figurative expression of the kind of new church we need. I often pray the words 鈥淐ome Holy Spirit鈥� but fail to recognise the new life poured out generously by that same Spirit. For believers, the Holy Spirit is already with us since we are, through Baptism, temples of the Holy Spirit.

Spirit people are different. They tend to be loving, exciting, enthusiastic and full of life. They forgive others and forgive themselves for not being as perfect as they would like to be. They want to serve and share their talents.

God鈥檚 Spirit is not just given to those who are worthy, because none of us is worthy.听God freely gives the Spirit to those who want it and are open to it.

The most marvellous thing of all is that Kelly鈥檚 painting is faithful to the description of the original event in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles;

As the brilliant Korean feminist theologian, Chung Hyun Kyun says 鈥渢he Spirit is wild with the rhythm of life.鈥�

MUSIC: Spirit of God unseen as the wind (Skye Boat Song) - Commotio Chamber Choir

Brian:: The question church members have to wrestle with in today鈥檚 world is -: Do we really find much that is life-giving in the traditional image of a church which is presented to us?

The church I know best is the Roman Catholic Church right across Ireland. It would be fair to say that it has been in something of a crisis for the past 30 years - what with clerical abuse scandals and horrific reports of how some people in the church-run institutions were treated. Behind all that there was I think a failure to see the Church as primarily the people of God; we tended to view it in terms of structure and hierarchy, demanding unquestioning and total allegiance. But other traditional denominations also face problems, some have been damaged by abuse scandals and are sometimes perceived as unhelpfully authoritarian, formal and stuffy.

The churches that have been growing right across the UK and Republic of Ireland are the independent and Pentecostal churches Of course independent churches are not free faults either but their informality, their flexibility to respond to social and societal need, and their language and music much more in tune with the times, have been appealing particularly to younger people.

For many disenchanted church members, the Pandemic seems to have presented the perfect opportunity to make the final break.

For others, there was a deep-seated hatred of all things religious which I think has been replaced by apathy. 听I can鈥檛 help feeling that the crucial question facing us now is: how many will return to church on a regular basis and how many will be content to sever links with the church 鈥� links which, for many, have lasted a lifetime.

Personally, I experience nothing but goodness in the vast majority of the people I meet 鈥� especially the young. They want to own their faith and their lifestyles. Some may occasionally have felt bullied by the church. They detest anything which suggests secrecy, duplicity or the misuse of power. And the expression of faith in traditional ways has, perhaps, come to mean less to many 鈥� despite a resurgence of interest in cathedral worship and its 听beautiful music. Formality means little to many people 听who are inclined to express their beliefs in a way that suits their time, their world and their mentality.

It seems to me that it is up to Church people to recognise God working powerfully in these modern times and to be brave enough to admit that our old ways may well have outlived their usefulness. Rather than condemn new ways and new customs, perhaps we should make a better effort to understand them, appreciate them and learn from them.

听MUSIC: Holy Spirit, ever living (CV Taylor) Choir of All Saints Church, Beverley Hills

Reader:

A reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes (3:1-11)
鈥淭o everything,听there is听a season, a听time for every purpose under heaven:听A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck听what is听planted;听听A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;听A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;听听A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;听听A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away;听A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;听A time to love, And a time to听hate; A time for war, and a time for peace鈥� He has made everything beautiful in its time.鈥�

听Brian: Reading a magazine in a waiting room last week I learned that if I live to be 80, I鈥檒l have lived for 4,000 weeks. Time management is an important skill in industry nowadays, but I believe time management is more than just getting the best out of a working week.

Time is a non-renewable resource; so, we should spend it wisely by keeping life in a proper perspective. It means making choices about what is essential and what is not.

Covid gave many of us a renewed sense of our own mortality. It made the possibility of death undeniable. It is one of the contradictions of our culture that we do everything in our power to deny our own mortality; yet by denying death we actually give it increased power over us.

As we continue to integrate the lessons Covid taught us, we鈥檒l acknowledge our mortality in wise and healthy ways. We need to give death its rightful place - and there鈥檚 nothing morbid about that. It helps us to be aware of how fleeting life is. It makes us more grateful every day for the precious time we have and it makes me humbler about the things I might have achieved. 听Since I now know my life is brief I ought to reflect long and hard on what I do with it. How I spend my hours determines how I spend my days and how I spend my days is how I spend my life.

Reader:

So let us reflect together in prayer:

Lord, help me to use the gift of time wisely. 鈥淲hat is life?鈥� St James asks, 鈥淔or you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.鈥� (James 4:15). Guide me to spend less time on social media and more time seeking your truth; less time chasing success and more time seeking your peace.

May I see each day as a special gift from you. I do not know what tomorrow will bring but with your help and guidance, I will become humbler, gentler and more compassionate. Hear and answer this prayer Lord, in your own time.听 AMEN

听

MUSIC I lift my eyes to the quiet hills (Michael Baughen and Elizabeth Crocker) - Orchestra Choir And Congregation Of All Souls Church, London

Reader:

A reading from the Gospel of Matthew (28:1-10)
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene听and the other Mary听went to look at the tomb鈥�

The angel said to the women, 鈥淒o not be afraid,听for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.听听He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.听Come and see the place where he lay.听Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 鈥楬e has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.听There you will see him.鈥� Now I have told you.鈥�

So, the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell the disciples

Brian: Christian churches worldwide are being forced to look at how much they have to offer in today鈥檚 world. The process has been ongoing for years but the Pandemic has underlined the urgency.

For example, my own denomination, the Catholic Church, is beginning a process of consultation with the laity. In some ways it is the fulfilment of something which began with 听the Second Vatican Council, sixty year ago, one of its recommendations being the implementation of this very process.

The results coming in confirm the obvious 鈥� the need for full and meaningful roles for women and indeed for the many other marginalised groups which may have been ignored, or rendered less visible than they could have been, in times gone by.

I have no doubt in my mind that the Church鈥檚 survival depends on the dignity it gives to women and all the other ordinary people, some of whom may have felt taken for granted at times.

After all, it was loyal women who stayed with Jesus as He died on the Cross; women were the first to learn of the Resurrection and it was women who told the disciples of this good news; a woman was chosen to be the Apostle to the听Apostles.听

MUSIC Stabat Mater (Pergolesi) - Camerata Budapest

Brian: I acknowledge that the role of women varies from denomination to denomination; some have women bishops, priests and ministers; others don鈥檛. But I have the uneasy feeling that many of the decisions taken in most churches tend to be dominated by men - who are often clerics.

Pope Francis has been quick to see this and to do something about it.听 He has appointed Cardinal Tobin, an American Bishop, to ensure structures are put in place which will harness the Spirit at work among committed believers everywhere.

Tobin puts it this way:

Reader:

鈥淚n ministry, I have听become acutely aware of why women abandon the Church. They have not been shown the respect they deserve; worse still they have been ignored.鈥�
In the Gospels, Jesus doesn鈥檛 condemn people for overtly oppressing the poor. But he does condemn them for not seeing the poor.鈥�

MUSIC : Arioso from Cantata 156 (JS Bach) Julian Lloyd Webber andJohn Lenehan听听听听听听听

Readers:

听 We pray for people everywhere who are struggling with Faith; may they choose wisely and prudently and may the Holy Spirit lead them to peace, joy and happiness.

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听听We remember the sick and the lonely, especially those who have asked us to pray for them. Bless those who care for the sick at home and in hospitals; renew their spirits; give them hope; reward them in this life and in the next.

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听听We pray for your Church throughout the world, worshipping you in many languages and in different ways; May it always be open to the guidance of your Spirit and so be equipped to meet its challenges.

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听 We ask the Lord to bless us all who plan holidays and time for rest. Give success to all who have completed their exams and guide them as they choose a new way of life

We pray to the Lord.听

Brian: Let us take time to gather our prayers, spoken and unspoken: We beg forgiveness for failing to act as Jesus acted. He courageously overcame the restrictions of his time and bestowed 听on all people听respect, dignity and a place in His ministry.

Help us Lord God to have the insight to put aside anything which demeans the people whom God loves. Let us never fail to have the compassion Jesus showed to the poor and those on the margins. May we never allow our prejudices to hurt the ones we love. Give us the wisdom to cherish the gifts of all your people. Amen. 听

As we come to the end of our time together, I want to thank you for joining me today.

My prayer is that you will find peace in the certainty that God walks beside you every step of life鈥檚 journey. May you always be aware of the promptings of the Spirit in your daily life. Even if you judge yourself harshly, remember that God never does.

Thank you for listening. May God in His Goodness continue to bless you now and always. Amen.

MUSIC: Forth in The Peace of Christ we go (Rosen) - OCP Choir

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