Corpus Christi

Friends in Christ,

Why did Jesus offer himself as "food and drink"? Jesus chose the time of Passover to fulfill what he had announced at Capernaum– giving his disciples his body and his blood (John 6:51-58). Jesus’ passing over to his Father by his death and resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Last Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist or Lord's Supper, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the church in the glory of God’s kingdom. This is the most significant meal of Jesus and the most important occasion of his breaking of bread. In this meal Jesus identifies the bread as his body and the cup as his blood. When the Lord Jesus commands his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he invites us to take his life into the very center of our being (John 6:53). That life which he offers is the very life of God himself. Jesus' death on the cross, his gift of his body and blood in the Supper, and his promise to dine again with his disciples when the kingdom of God comes in all its fulness are inseparably linked. Jesus instructed his disciples to "do this in remembrance of me". These words establish every Lord's Supper or Eucharist as a "remembrance" of Jesus' atoning death, his resurrection, and his promise to return again. "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Cor. 11:26). Our celebration of the Lord's Supper anticipates the final day when the Lord Jesus will feast anew with his disciples in the heavenly marriage feast of the Lamb and his Bride. Do you know the joy of the drinking Christ's cup and tasting the bread of his Table in sincerity?
Mark ties the last supper meal with Jesus' death and the coming of God's kingdom. Jesus transforms the passover of the old covenant into the meal of the "new
covenant in my blood". In the Old Covenant bread and wine were offered in sacrifice as a sign of grateful acknowledgment to their Creator. Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine, who was both priest and king (Genesis 14:18), prefigured the offering made by Jesus, our high priest and king. The unleavened bread at Passover and the miraculous manna in the desert are the pledge of God's faithfulness to his promises. The "cup of blessing" at the end of the Jewish passover meal points to the messianic expectation of the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Jesus gave a new and definitive meaning to the blessing of the bread and the cup when he instituted the "Lord's Supper" or "Eucharist". He speaks of the presence of his body and blood in this new meal. When at the Last Supper Jesus described his blood “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28), he was explaining his coming crucifixion as a sacrifice for sins. His death on the cross fulfilled the sacrifice of the paschal lamb. That is why John the Baptist called him the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Jesus made himself an offering and sacrifice, a gift that was truly pleasing to the Father. He “offered himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14) and “gave himself as a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). This meal was a memorial of his death and resurrection. Do you hunger for the bread of life?
"Lord Jesus, you nourish and sustain us with your very own presence and life. You are the "Bread of Life" and the "Cup of Salvation". May I always hunger for you and be satisfied in you alone."

May I wish you a glorious feast of Corpus Christi,

Ed Bakker

Saint Basil, Bishop of Caesarea & Doctor of the Church

Friends in Christ,

Jesus used ordinary images, such as salt and light, to convey extraordinary truths. What does salt and light have to teach us about God and his reign on earth? Salt was a valuable commodity in the ancient world. People traded with it, like we trade with gold and stock. Salt also served a very useful purpose in hot climates before the invention of electricity and refrigeration. Salt not only gave food flavor, it also preserved meat from spoiling. Jesus used the image of salt to describe how his disciples are to live in the world. As salt purifies, preserves, and penetrates, so the disciple must be as salt in the world of human society to purify, preserve, and penetrate that society for the kingdom of God and of his righteousness and peace.
Jesus also used the image of light and a lamp to further his illustration. Lamps in the ancient world served a vital function, much like they do today. They enable people to see and work in the dark and to avoid stumbling. The Jews also understood “light” as an expression of the inner beauty, truth, and goodness of God. In his light we see light ( Psalm 36:9). His word is a lamp that guides our steps (Psalm 119:105). God’s grace not only illumines the darkness in our lives, but it also fills us with spiritual light, joy, and peace. Jesus used the image of a lamp to describe how his disciples are to live in the light of his truth and love. Just as natural light illumines the darkness and enables one to see visually, so the light of Christ shines in the hearts of believers and enables us to see the heavenly reality of God’s kingdom. In fact, our mission is to be light-bearers of Christ so that others may see the truth of the gospel and be freed from the blindness of sin and deception.
Jesus remarks that nothing can remain hidden or secret. We can try to hide things from others, from ourselves, and from God. How tempting to shut our eyes from the consequences of our sinful ways and bad habits, even when we know what those consequences are. And how tempting to hide them form others and even from God. But, nonetheless, everything is known to God who sees all. There is great freedom and joy for those who live in God’s light and who seek this truth. Those who listen to God and heed his voice will receive more from him. Do you know the joy and freedom of living in God’s light?
“Lord, you guide me by the light of your saving truth. Fill my heart and mind with your light and truth and free me from the blindness of sin and deception that I may see your ways clearly and understand your will for my life. May I radiate your light and truth to others in word and deed”.

May I wish you a blessed day,

Ed Bakker

Feria

Friends in Christ,

What is the good life, and the ultimate end or purpose of life? Is it not happiness, which is none other than the complete good, the sum of all goods, leaving nothing more to be desired? Jesus addresses this question in his sermon on the mount. The word beatitude literally means "happiness" or "blessedness". What is the significance of Jesus' beatitudes, and why are they so central to his teaching? The beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness that God has placed in every heart. They teach us the final end to which God calls us, namely the coming of God's kingdom (Matt. 4:17), the vision of God (Matt. 5:8; 1 John 2;1), entering into the joy of the Lord (Matt. 25:21-23) and into his rest (Hebrews 4:7-11). Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal. God alone satisfies. Do you seek the highest good, the total good, which is above all else?
The beatitudes which Jesus offers us are a sign of contradiction to the world's understanding of happiness and joy. How can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? Poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit. Sorrow and mourning over wasted life and sin leads to joyful freedom from the burden of guilt and spiritual oppression. God reveals to the humble of heart the true source of abundant life and happiness. Jesus promises his disciples that the joys of heaven will more than compensate for the troubles and hardships they can expect in this world. Thomas Aquinas said: No one can live without joy. That is why a person deprived of spiritual joy goes after carnal pleasures. Do you know the happiness of hungering and thirsting for God alone?
"Lord, increase my hunger for you and show me the way that leads to everlasting peace and happiness. May I desire you above all else and find perfect joy in doing your will".

God bless... Ed

For Trinity Sunday, 11 June 2006

Friends in Christ,

+In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.Amen.

When the eleven disciples were summoned by Jesus to the mountain in Galilee to meet him, in Galilee where he had begun his public ministry, they were acting under obedience. The Jesus they met was the glorified Jesus eternally in the presence of God. The passage of Matthew's Gospel (28:16-20) has been described as the climax to the entire Gospel -- a majestic pronouncement and commissioning. And rightly so because it comes from the risen Lord to whom 'all authority' has been given.
The prayer, or formula, in which they were to baptize comes from Jesus's self-understanding as Risen Lord. It is a revelation to us from him of the inner life of the Godhead about which we would know nothing except through his utterly gratuitous gift to us. It expresses a dynamic life understood in John's Gospel as a 'movement', a 'procession'.
The Father has sent his Son and, through the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit which is given to us at baptism. We are literally 'marked', sealed in the Trinitarian life of God.
Through the Spirit we can 'return' with Jesus to the Father. Through the Spirit we are intimately united in Christ and with him can call God our Father. In today's Gospel we are to baptize, teach and observe. The Church has received its credentials from the Risen Jesus. Because he is risen and glorified all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him and has been given to us through him.
This is simply a delegated power. Having been baptized in the name of the Trinity, we become a new creation, carrying within ourselves the word of God to transform our world. The authority which Jesus has received in heaven has been given to us on earth to make disciples of all nations.
Matthew seems to recognise that this is an awesome task and gives us the reaction of the disciples to the commission which has been given to them. First they worshipped him and then they doubted. Do doubt and worship taken together seem an odd reaction in these circumstances? Is it not natural that the disciples would be in a state of shock and confusion at all the events that they had been through?
Shock and confusion express very well the ambivalence of human response in time of crisis. They hardly knew what was going to happen next and they needed reassurance. This reassurance was given to them by Jesus in the form of a promise, 'and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age'.
This promise addressed to the disciples is also addressed to the whole Church, for what is the Church commissioned to teach other than the Resurrection which has such consequences for humanity and for the world. It points to the triumph over death. The Ascension in which Jesus is glorified (and our glorification which will follow), and the sending of the Holy Spirit which forms the Church in the mystical Body of Christ, make us one people in the one Spirit of Christ. In the words of 1 Peter, we become living stones and a temple of the Holy Spirit. These are difficult truths to express and live in a society that is not simply hostile, but worse, indifferent to the Gospel as an irrelevance.
Jesus has anticipated all this when he tells his disciples to 'teach' them and to 'observe' everything. The Gospel message has to be preached in its entirety and not watered down. We are perhaps to reflect here on the compromises we can make and the failures in truth because of human respect and sometimes even cowardice.
But the promise of Jesus to be with us until the end of time is a promise of hope. In a shattered and fragmented world who could not fail to be 'tried' by what is happening in our world? When we think of Israel and Palestine and of Iraq -- suffering caused by human pride and folly -- and when we think of natural disasters that have ravaged whole peoples, we need the hope of the promise of Christ to be present with us.
The virtue of hope is not some vague idea that everything will be all right in the long run. It is the theological virtue that comes to us direct from God at baptism which tells us that God will bring to fulfilment everything he has promised. This promise of hope was made to a handful of 'doubting' and frightened disciples. It is made also to us, as well often doubting and frightened, to teach us that the Church can only continue as a consequence of the presence of Christ and of our dependence upon him.

Thanks be to God.

Ed Bakker

Feria

Friends in Christ,

Turn to Blessed St.Paul's first letter to the Corinthians for a moment, chapter 15, verse 33

Be not deceived : evil communications corrupt good manners.

There is a Latin proverb which says: ' If you always live with those who are lame, you will yourself learn to limp'

Reading this today reminded me of my time as a Manager with the ANZ Bank in Melbourne, in the Information Technology department. We had open plan offices, so the whole day I was exposed to my Senior Manager swearing and cursing and using other foul language. It got so bad that at one stage when I was annoyed with something I resorted to use one of these words. It did shock me and I had to pray for forgiveness. Then I went to see the General Manager of the Project and I explained that I had difficulty with the language of my Senior Manager. Finally something was being done about it. So... as a committed Catholic Christian there is this enormous challenge to be Holy, no matter in which company you will find yourself. You cannot do this alone, this is a matter of solid Prayer.

So may we pray:' Lord make me Holy, as Thou art Holy.

May the Lord bless you today,

Ed Bakker

Feria - Emberday

Friends in Christ,

Today there is a contrast between the Superiority of the Heavenly Food of Christ's Body and Blood and the material food from which we meant to be abstaining by fasting. In the Holy Gospel for today, which comes from Blessed Saint John, chapter 6, the verses 44-52, Jesus reminds us that He is the Bread of Life, which has come down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live for ever. It also underlines the importance to come to Mass and parttake in His Body and His Blood and also to be part of the Body of Christ, being his Church. You cannot be a Catholic Christian by staying at home and just saying your prayers. By receiving this Heavenly Sacrament time and time again, we implore the Mercy of Christ, so that what we fullfill in this life, we may also posess in a Happy Eternity.

May I wish you a blessed day,

Ed Bakker

Postulant TAC New Zealand

Feria

Building Your Prayer Time Quiet Yourself From DistractionsLet us fix our eyes on Jesus; let us throw off everything that distracts us (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Morning tends to be a better time to pray for most people; choose a quiet place - in your home, at work, outdoors, in a church

.Examine Your ConscienceRepent of your sins; ask for forgiveness; believe your sins are forgiven; repent at the Penitential Rite during the liturgy; receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation whenever possible; let God free your conscience (Hebrews 9:14).Enter Into the Presence of GodDwell on the Love Jesus has for us; recite the following truths from the Nicene Creed:a) God is our Father/Creator;b) Jesus is our Loving Savior; c) The Holy Spirit comforts us; d.) The church is one with Jesus; e.) Jesus intercedes for us in heaven. f.) Jesus will come again in glory!Praise God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit • Fix your eyes on the Father; tell the Father you love him; call him “Abba” (Father); thank him for this wonderful Creation and for all the good.• Fix your eyes on Jesus; tell him how grateful you are for his death and his Resurrection; tell him how grateful you are for everything he has done.• Fix your eyes on the Holy Spirit; ask the Holy Spirit to teach you about your sins and how to consecrate your life to Jesus more each day.Let God Move YouTake a phrase such as “Holy Jesus” and softly repeat it without thinking or distraction. Try to give the Holy Spirit the freedom to show you God’s perspective on “Holy Jesus.” You may find yourself in the presence of One Who Is Holy. You may discover new avenues of love toward God.Ask Questions (Matthew 7:7-11)Go to God and ask him; try to learn how to listen to him and enjoy his presence; try to sense what he might be saying in your heart as you pray and read the Scriptures.Bring Your Petitions to The LordPray for your family’s needs; intercede for the sick; pray for the whole Church; ask God for his blessing for you and your family; ask him to give you and your family spiritual protection to do good and to say “no” to evil and sin.Journal Your Prayer TimeA prayer journal will help us recall what we sense God has expressed to us, what we have prayed for, and it will help us carry Jesus through our day.

Have a blessed evening...Ed

St.Boniface, Bishop & Martyr

The Fruits of the Spirit
You need to determine to source of any teaching, doctrine, or instruction.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of Antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. (1 John 4:1-3) There is another way; look at the results of that teaching, doctrine, or instruction. Especially look at the life of the people involved. Do their lives show a witness to Christ?
[Christ speaking] "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. [...]" (Matthew. 7:15-16)
The fruit of the Spirit will show in the life of a teacher or community. (See 1 Corinthians 13) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
If we live in Christ, our lives will bear fruit for him, so that God may be glorified. [Christ speaking] "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." (John 15:4) "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." (John 15:8)
Thanks be to God.
Have a blessed week....Ed

Pentecost - for Sunday 4 June 2006

+In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.AMEN.

A new beginning ( Saint John 14, the verses 15-16, 23b-26
How often do we make the sign of the Cross on a daily basis?Before and after the meal, perhaps with your your Morning or Evening Prayers?When we make the sign of the Cross, the following words come to our minds:'Father, Son and Holy Ghost.'On this Vigil of Pentecost and on the Sunday of Pentecost our attention is focussed on that third person, the Holy Ghost.
Throughhou the years, on the feast of Pentecost, you would like to point to that mystery of God. We believe that God has come closer to us in ourlives, so it must possible to get to know the workings of the Holy Ghost.
Can I ask you a couple of questions:
Are you sometimes bad-tempered, you know those moments, when you dont want to face the work that has to be done, or you dont feel like honouring an appointment with some-one, which you have made. Where does this bad temper come from ?
In a conversation with people, have you noticed moments that the atmosphere goes into the wrong direction?One makes a remark, which causes the other ones to be annoyed. A pleasant conversation turns into a diseaster zone. Have you come across those moments when you try to say something and the other misunderstands you. Or the other way around. In a Marriage these situations can be fatal , indeed quite often.
There is an old saying:' The Spirit is out of the bottle'. You cannot control it, it slips away. But... if one of those present in a group can say something really meaningful and good, which will mean that the trouble makers can suddenly resist to make trouble, then we can suddenly see a change.
Courses of bad temper? I did not sleep well, trouble in the workplace, trouble with my children's schooling, a traffic ticket, illness in the family etc etc. That is why I wont to go a step further. Blessed St.Paul says it in this way:' What I want to do, I dont do and what I dont wat to do, I do. What a lot of misery, you want to do good, you want to make the best of things, but you just do the opposite and then this happens not only once, but repeatedly. Blessed St.Paul calls that Sin. You do know what God requires of you, but you dont do it. That is really Sin. He calls that the greatest misery.
Just imagine that God leaves us to our own devices. The world as such it is, is our responsibility, God has enthrusted us with it and we have all the possibilities to turn it into a paradise, but we dont succeed. What do we have instead? The lack of forgiving others, the lack of trusting others, the lack of tolerating others, no room to create the opposite. Yet we have as human beings so many possibilities, our knowledge, our technology, our ability to learn, what is then really missing ?
You do understand it:' The Holy Ghost.'
What then? How do you receive the Holy Ghost? Is that not the reason why you come to Mass?You can come for the music in Church, which caninspire you, you can come for the silence, the meditation, which can calm down your spirit. But all these are like the entree's of a meal, you do miss the main course!
In every celebration of the Mass, we focus on the Holy Ghost. During the Mass we confess our sins, because we dont always live according to God's Holy Spirit.We hear the Holy Gospel, full of the workings of the Holy Spirit. We pray in the Spirit and turn to God. We ask the Holy Spirit to bless the gifts of bread and wine. We take part of a spiritual meal, why?
To supplement of which we are short, to replace our weaknesses with strenght, to soften the hardness in our hearts, to fill the space that is empty, to restore love, to increase hope and to renew our trust in God.
And then things change, sometimes only a few times, at other times a lot longer. We do understand what the other wants to say to us, we see a better meaning than the words and deeds, which dont come acrosss to us too well. We have patience with the other and we ourselves, we become more tolerant and wiser.
In the Eucharist we are fed and we find this too at home in our moments of Holy Prayer. The Holy Spirit teaches us to set the right priorities, so that we can identify what is the most important and what needs to be given priority. So the question is not how God gives us space to live, but if we give space to the Holy Spirit in our lives.
I pray that this feast of Pentecost may bring us endless joy, so that we are not burdened by our weaknesses, but that God comes to our aid with His Holy Spirit. Now is the hope and trust alive that God's Kingdom of Love will become a reality.
Thanks be to God.

I take this opportunity to wish you and all those you love and pray for every Blessing on this feast of Pentecost.

Ed BakkerPostulant

TAC New Zealand

St.Charles Lwanaga & Companions, Martyrs of Uganda

"What Concern Is It of Yours; You Follow Me."
How often do we look upon another as, say, something like, "What has he or she done to earn such favors from God?" Or, "Why can't I have things like that?"
Jesus says to us today, "What concern is it of yours? You follow me." That is, these things we allow to trouble us are temptations against His grace. We need not concern ourselves with the hows and the whys of who is beloved of God. In fact, in one way or another, we are all resting our heads on Christ, some at different times, some in different ways. People look at us too and say, "Why does he or she have that special gift?"
God graces us with what we need and what we can use. For some it is a gift of hospitality, for some a gift of prayer, for still others a gift for expressing love. It is not our concern to worry about the distribution of gifts, but rather to follow Jesus every step of the way.

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed Bakker.....

St.Marcellinus and Peter - Martyrs

+In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

Amen.

Friends in Christ,

Today the Church remembers two martyrs, namely St.Marcellinus and Peter. They... likemany martyrs lost their lives, because of their Faith in Christ Crucified. The Church rejoyces in their merits,but the legacy they leave us goes a lot deeper then that. Can I and can you be inflamed by their exemples?How far are we prepared to go for our Faith in Christ Crucified? There are a number of Psalms, which give us a lot of encouragement if we are to be tormented because of our Catholic Faith. Psalm 33, verse 18 tells us:Roused by the cry of the innocent, the Lord sets them free from all their afflictions.The book of Wisdomchapter 3, verses 1,2,3 - The souls of the just are in God's hands , beyond the reach of their tormentor's malice.Fools account them dead, but all is well with them. You will find that if you stand up for Christ Crucified and for the Catholic Faith your tormentors are waiting for you as well,but today receive these comfortable words: ' He that endureth.... He shall be saved.'

Thanks be to God.

Ed Bakker

Saint Justin, Martyr

There are times in life when we wonder who we really are. This is especially true in the late teen years, and for many again in mid-life. In fact we sometimes refer to it as a “mid-life crisis.” But for most of us, the question only surfaces from time to time. It is a healthy question to ask and to think through as best we can. In John 17:20-26, Christ answers that question for us for all time. He states, "Father, they are your gift to me."
Have you ever thought of yourself as a gift for Christ, presented by the Father to Him? What a difference it would make in peoples' lives if they knew that, in the ways they respect themselves in all ways. How would they speak, dress, choose their leisure, spend their very lives? If that wasn't enough of an awesome statement, Christ went on in His prayer to say, “I wish that where I am they also may be with me.” (see John 17:20-26) What reassuring words for us to hear in the gospel! This is no distant, cold, figure in history. Christ loves each of us as His special gift from the Father, and He wants us with Him. Do we consider Christ our special gift to us from the Father?
Do our lives reflect that same love that He has for each of us?
May I wish you a good day ! Here is an invitation to join God and His people by visiting my website...... you are welcome!
In Christ,
Ed Bakker

Wednesday 31 May 2006 - The visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Many times we forget the role Our Lady has played throughout history, and still plays in our faith and within the Church. Our Lady is the queen of all the saints and is closest to Jesus and the Trinity. Because of this closeness, Mary has a special power of intercession, such as at the wedding feast at Cana when she said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." (John 2:5) Our Lady has a special ability to pray with us and for us before her Son, Jesus. In times of serious trial and difficulty we need to pray and ask Our Lady to help us, and to intercede for us before God. With our firm will, prayers, and Our Lady's help, miracles happen.

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed Bakker......

Feria - Tuesday 30 May 2006

Acts 19:1-8

Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? (Acts 19:2)
That’s a key question, isn’t it? Have you ever stopped to consider what an amazing gift you’ve been given through your baptism? Many people think of baptism simply as the sacrament that wipes away original sin and brings us into the church. It is that, but it is so much more.
Before Jesus came on the scene, his cousin John was baptizing people for the forgiveness of sins. But he also said that someone would come after him who would baptize in the Holy Spirit. And that someone is Jesus, who commanded his followers to baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As the Catechism of the Holy Catholic Church puts it: “The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification, [and] . . . the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit” (CCC, 1266).
Baptism is meant to be just the beginning of a life lived under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. At its core, baptism is all about coming to know Jesus and experiencing the power of his resurrection in our lives—something only the Spirit can give to us. Only he can bring us to a living encounter with the Lord Jesus. Only he can make us a new creation, adopted children of God, partakers in the divine nature, members of Christ, co-heirs with him and temples of the Holy Spirit (CCC, 1265).
That’s something worth celebrating! If we want to experience these blessings in our lives—and not just be informed about them—we need the Holy Spirit and the gifts that he freely pours out. So today, ask yourself the same question that St. Paul asked the Ephesians: “Into what then were you baptized?” (Acts 19:3). Ask the Spirit to unveil for you the enormous treasure you received on the day of your baptism. You really did receive the Spirit. So ask that Spirit to reveal Jesus to you today in a life-changing way.
“Jesus, your love is amazing! Thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit and giving me a share in the power of your resurrection. Thank you for making me a partaker of your divine life. I love you, Lord, and I want to know you more.”
Psalm 68:2-7; John 16:29-33

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed.......

Feria - Monday 29 May 2006

Feria - Ascension tide 2006

During our daily pilgrimage towards Heaven we are called to grow closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ. To do this we must love humbly, thus repent for our sins. John the Baptist knew this, and as St. Paul explains in the first reading, he baptised in the name of repentance. Those that were baptised by John were ready to receive Christ. Therefore, Paul baptised them in Jesus' name and they received the Holy Spirit to guide them along their earthly pilgrimage.
The Gospel continues this theme. Now that the disciples had accepted Christ into their lives, they will find peace. The same can be said for each one of us who opens our hearts to Our Lord. The peace of which Jesus speaks, can only be received when we're united with Him and the Father. Being united with the Holy Trinity enables us to overcome all the trials of this world. We know this because Jesus said: "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." (John 16:33)

With every good wish in Christ

Ed...

The Sunday after Ascension, 28 May 20006

+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.Amen.

There is an enormous emphasis on the word Comfort in the readings for this forthcoming Sunday. In our daily lives, the word Comfort and the word Comfort zone pops up a lot as well. We like to have comfort and this can mean material things and can also mean food.Those in despair, who are looking for comfort sadly also resort to drugs and alcohol.Then how often do we hear the term : ' so and so lives in the comfort zone' On the media we care constantly reminded how we can comfort ourselves with items we can order by using our Credit Cards.

And yet we find that the comforts of this world are not really the answer, they have nothing to do with our Eternal Salvation, let alone with Christ's commend that the Comforter, i.e. the Holy Ghost, will enable us to bear witness of Jesus and walk into all those good works that He has prepared for us to walk into. In the Epistle reading of today, which comes from Blessed St.Peter the Apostle, His First letter, chapter 4, beginning at the 4th verse. we are encouraged to give comfort to one another. In the Holy Gospel from St.John, chapter 15, beginning at verse 15, Jesus Himself promised the Comforter, from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father. If we freely except this gift, the Power of the Holy Spirit, then Jesus reminds us that our lives are never going to be the same, we will be persecuted because of our Faith in Christ Crucified.

We are once again given the opportunity to swap the comfort of this world with the comfort of the Holy Spirit, which will also exhalt me and you unto the same place where our Saviour Jesus Christ has gone before us. What more then could we ask for ?AMEN.

May I wish you all those you love and pray for a Blessed Sunday,

Yours in Christ,

Ed Bakker, Postulant - TAC New Zealand

Saturday, 27 May 2006 - Ven.Bede of Jarrow

The Venerable Bede"Servant of Christ and Priest of the Monastery of Saints Peter and Paul which is at Wearmouth and Jarrow." These are the words which Bede used to describe himself. Today, we probably know him best as the author of the Ecclesiastical History of the English People which he completed in AD 731. This work is our primary source for understanding the beginnings of the English people and the coming of Christianity. This is the first work of history in which the AD dating system is used.
Bede was born in AD 673 on the lands of the monastery. Of his family background we know nothing, save that he was entrusted at the age of 7 to the care of Benedict Biscop, the founder of the monastery, and then to Ceolfrith who in AD 681 was appointed Abbot of the new foundation at Jarrow. Bede spent the rest of his life in the monastery. He was ordained deacon at the age of 19 and priest at 30. He observed the Rule of the monastery and was punctilious in his attendance in choir at the daily offices. Outside of his time in choir, he worked as scholar and teacher; he records that "It has always been my delight to learn or to teach or to write". And he explains that "I have made it my business, for my own benefit and that of my brothers, to make brief extracts from the works of the venerable fathers on the holy scriptures, or to add notes of my own to clarify their sense and interpretation".
The range of Bede's scholarship was astonishing, going far beyond the" History". Bishop Boniface, who led a mission to Germany, wrote of Bede that he "shone forth as a lantern in the church by his scriptural commentary"; and his commentaries on books of the Bible were widely sought and widely circulated. He wrote also of nature. He knew that the earth was a sphere. He had a sense of latitude and the annual movement of the sun into the north and south hemispheres from the evidence of varying lengths of shadows. He knew that the moon influenced the cycle of the tides. He wrote on calculating time and his exposition of the Great Cycle of 532 years was of fundamental value to the church in the task of calculating the date of Easter. He wrote a textbook for his students on poetic metres.
Bede died in his cell at the monastery in the year 735. Cuthbert, a young monk who was with him later wrote an account of his death. He describes how Bede finished dictating a chapter of a book which he was composing. Then he said "I have a few treasures in my box, some pepper and napking and incense. Run quickly and fetch the priests of our monastery, and I will share among them such little presents as God has given me."

For more information about Bede, the book by Sister Benedict Ward is highly recommended.
Benedicta Ward 1998. The Venerable Bede Geoffrey Chapman, London.ISBN 0-225-66859-9details...
Consult Bede's People: portraits of Northumbrian people of the 7th and 8th centuries.
( Credit: Ven Bede of Jarrow - Charities site )

Friday 26 May 2006 St.Augustine

Augustine was born to a pagan father and Christian mother, St. Monica, in a North African farming village near the border between present day Algeria and Tunisia. In his time, the region was a province of the Roman Empire. Augustine received classical education and training in rhetoric at Carthage. He then held teaching positions there as well as in Milan prior to his conversion and baptism in 387. After returning to Africa, he was ordained and subsequently appointed Bishop of Hippo Regius. He actively tended his episcopate there until his death over 30 years later. Since then, St. Augustine's copious writings have continued to influence Christian dogma and theology.
In this icon, to represent his intellectual contributions and stature as a Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine holds a scroll which is surrounded by flames and bears a quotation from his Confessions, a spiritual autobiography. Augustine's garment reflects those worn in antiquity by Alexandrian bishops. And the swirling golds of the background recall the movements of grace which transform the restless human spirit.
A Meditation of St. Augustine

Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and so new. Too late have I loved you!
You were within me while I had gone outside to seek you. In my unloveliness, I fell heedlessly upon all those lovely things you had made. Always you were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me far from you; yet if they had not been in you, they would not have been at all.
You called, you shouted, you broke open my deafness. You blazed, you gleamed, you banished my blindness. You lavished your fragrance, I gasped, and now I long for you. I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and now I burn with desire for your peace.– Confessions (X, 27,38)

May God bless you...Ed

Thursday 25 April 2006 - Ascension of our Lord

+In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.Amen.
For forty days Christ has given proof of the truth of His Resurrection. Now He seals His triumph over sin and death by ascending to Heaven where His Sacred Humanity takes places at the right hand of God the Father, " ever living to make intercession for us".Christ's Ascension reminds us also that Heaven is our real home and that Christ will come again in Glory to conduct us to our Heavenly home. With these thoughts, let us join in the exultation of our Holy Mother the Church on this glorious feast day.To symbolize the departure of Christ, the Paschal Candle is extinguished after the Gospel of the High Mass on Ascention Thursday.

I pray that you and I will strive to live as people whose home is in Heaven.

Thanks be to God.

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed Bakker

Feria, Wednesday 24 May 2006

John 16:12-15
Amazing is it not ... Our Lord's plan to bring us to His Kingdom and Eternal Salvation.The Lord knew His Disciples well and knew that they were not ready to hear the entire truththat Jesus came to deliver. So He planned to send the Holy Spirit to bring the fullnessof truth to the Disciples and offcourse to all of us.
In this section of the Scriptures we find Jesus foretelling the outpouring of the Holy Spiritat Pentecost. This is an amazing story. We find the Apostles in fear and hiding after theLord's death followed by their amazement and some disbielief at His Resurrection. Then, at Pentecost the Spirit comes and the change in them is more than radical:it is something trule Divine. The entire truth was revealed to them and through them to all Christians across the centures to us today. What a truly exquisite plan that could not fail, that could could only come from the one true God.
Amen.
Have a good day, Ed

Friends in Christ,

Blessed St.Paul wrote in his Second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 6

And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

May we pray:

Lord, create in me that warmth of mercy that shall enable others to find Thy strenght for their weakness, Thy peace for their strife, Thy joy for their sorrow, Thy love for their hatred, Thy compassion for their weakness.

AMEN.

With every good wish in Christ,

Ed

Feria,Friday 19 May 2006

Friends in Christ,
I was reflecting today on how quickly this life passes by.I guess that when you are young , you dont give it much thought, but when you progress on this pilgrimage... yes then from time to time, when you reach another milestone, like in my case my younger brother's birthday. He lives in Holland, quite far away from me and I dont see much of him and he turned 60 today. Where indeed has the time gone?His life has not always been easy, but he is offcourse like all of us, we all have our struggles, year after year. And no doubt from today onwards we face further challenges and difficulties. I looked for a verse from a hymn to accompany this reflection and I chose the first verse of Hymn 420 ( from the New English Hymnal):
'O JESUS, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end,
By Thou for ever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my guide. '

Dont you agree with me, that if you can identify with these words, then the load becomes lighter? I am absolutely convinced that it does. Where-ever you are tonight and you have not made the commitment as yet to serve Jesus Christ in your life, now IS THE TIME.

Thanks be to God

Ed Bakker.....

Thursday 18 May 2006 Saint Dunstan

Friends in Christ,
Reflecting on Saint John's Gospel, verse 17a " Sanctify them through Thy Truth."Sanctify! That is to say, make Holy. And to be made Holy is to be made God as He is revealed in Jesus. "This sounds a bold almost a presumptuous thing to say, but Christ Himself puts it yet more strongly.He says:"Be Ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, which is in heaven is perfect."

A humble, lowly, contrite heart, Believing, true, and clean, Which neither life nor death can part. From Him that dwells within.

There is no offering we can bring to God so precious as personal Holiness. There is no treasure we can gain for ourselves so valuable. There is nothing we can do for others so fruitful of blessing to them as to try for Holiness.

Thanks be to God.

Have a great day,

Ed Bakker

http://www.crossspot.net/ststephenstac/

Feria, Wednesday 17 May 2006

Friends in Christ,
Who are the happy people of today? Who are the men and women who enjoy life? Are they those who have lost faith in religion and allowed the thoughts of God to pass out of their lives? Or is it those, who can still repeat the lovely words of Blessed Saint Peter:"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritane incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you."

My Father's house on high,
Home of my soul, how near
At times, to faith's foreseeing eye,
Thy golden gates appear!
Ah! then my spirit faints
To reach the land I love ,
The bright inheritance of Saints
Jerusalem above.

Connect with Jesus and His people and join us on our website !

Yours in Christ,

Ed...

Feria,Tuesday 16 May 2006

Meditation
Acts 14:5-18
It’s a good thing Barnabas and Paul’s enthusiasm for preaching was grounded in Christ and not in the way their message was received! Imagine the mood swings they would have experienced if they had been going by public opinion when they brought the gospel to Lystra (Acts 14:6). In just one day, they experienced the extremes of praise and persecution.
The two men were on a mission to urge people to turn to the living God. They never intended to turn their audience’s attention to the messengers themselves. This is what happened, though, after Paul perceived that a man who was lame and was soaking in his every word had the faith to be healed. What frustration he must have felt when the crowd took the healing not as a confirming sign of God’s power but as evidence that Paul and Barnabas were gods (Acts 14:11-13)! And how humorous that they pegged Paul for Hermes, the messenger, simply because he couldn’t stop talking!
We may chuckle at the scene where even the priest of Zeus wanted to offer sacrifice to the two missionaries, but it was no laughing matter to Paul and Barnabas. To be idolized was the very opposite of what they sought. “Not to us, O Lord, . . . but to your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1). Soon enough, though, the mood changed. Swayed by outsiders, the fickle crowd changed their minds. Instead of worshipping Paul and Barnabas, they stoned them and left them for dead (Acts 14:19).
In the course of our daily lives, we may not experience the ups and downs of the Christian life to the same degree that Paul and Barnabas did. But their example of stubborn faithfulness speaks to us all. None of us can control the reactions we will receive when we try to witness to the Lord. Some people will love us, others will hate us, some may even idolize us. But the only question we should ask is whether we have held fast to the calling God has given us. God can sort out everything else.
“Lord Jesus, help me to stay always at your feet and to be firmly rooted in you. In season and out, may I receive your words of everlasting life and bring them to others.”
Psalm 115:1-4, 15-16; John 14:21-26
Thanks be to God..
Have a blessed day,
Ed....

The Fourth Sunday after Easter, 14 May 2006

Friends in Christ,
The Calender I use shows the Fourth Sunday after Easter, but the Medition comes from the Catholic Calender:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Catholic Calendar for Sunday, May 14, 2006 Fifth Sunday of Easter
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Acts 14:5-15
Psalm 115:1-4, 15-16
John 14:21-26
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
Soon after the early Church began to grow, a major event occurred. Saul of Tarsus, one of the most feared and hated persecutors of Christians, miraculously converted to Christianity. No one could have predicted the startling accident that befell Saul on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus. He was knocked off his horse, and struck blind by a divine shaft of light that left him blind and helpless. He was directed by a Voice to seek out one Ananias who would give him further directions. The rest is history.
It was surely a miracle of grace that often-bitter fighting between various factions did not split the Church apart and destroy it Furthermore, many were sorely tested when friends and relatives opposed them or even betrayed them to the authorities. What saved the whole enterprise was surely the teaching we find in today’s second reading. John tells his followers "…love not in word or speech but in deed and truth." We must not merely "mouth" the beautiful teaching of Jesus, but work on the difficult task of living those words.
All of the disciples must likewise have found great consolation in the powerful image of today’s Gospel. In the great farewell address of Jesus at the Last Supper, He tells his disciples: "I am the vine; you are the branches." Think about it! As a branch cannot survive if it is separated from the vine, neither can we survive if we sever our connection with Jesus. He is constantly strengthening us with grace, just as a vine gives life moment by moment to its branches.
Sometimes we take to ourselves all the credit for the resulting growth within us. We even try to control the directions in which our faith life is shared. We like to pick our own ministries, rather than allow the Lord to have a say in the decision. Then, when our activities are "pruned" through failure, illness, or other disappointments, we can complain or become bitter.
At those times, we need to be more trusting, and realize that perhaps God’s Providence has broader plans for our growth and the growth of His kingdom. Without pruning, a vine may look flourishing and healthy, but it will produce much less fruit. Likewise, if we are to be fruitful members of Christ, we must sacrifice our own plans and projects for what the Lord has in mind.
After all, Christ is the vine, and we are only branches!

Credit is due to Daily Meditions and the Author

- Msgr. Paul Whitmore
(smartins at frontiernet dot net)

Feria,Friday 12 May 2006

Friday, May 12, 2006
Meditation
John 14:1-6
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. (John 14:1-2)
What a comforting statement! Even more comforting is knowing that Jesus said these words just after he predicted that Peter would deny even knowing him. Imagine the mercy involved here: Jesus promised a place for Peter, even though he knew full well how far this disciple would fall. But that’s always God’s way. He always holds out hope. He always provides a way out. He never abandons us. Don’t you find it amazing that God doesn’t wait for us to become worthy of his love? He knows we fall short—he even knows how we will fall short in the future—and yet he never stops loving us or offering us forgiveness. All he asks is that we turn to him.
Consider Peter: He could have followed Judas into despair and self-destruction, but he chose instead to turn back to Jesus and let his heart be healed by God’s mercy. That’s why he was so transformed on the day of Pentecost. Gone was the man consumed by fear. In his place stood one who would brave arrest, imprisonment, even crucifixion just to spread the good news about Jesus.
Jesus wants none of us to be lost. He wants us all to inherit a dwelling place in his Father’s house. That’s why he didn’t say how many rooms there are. From the moment of his resurrection until the day he comes again, Jesus will continue pursuing us, holding out to us the promise of a transformed life if we would simply receive him. He knows that we will fail him at different points in our lives, but he also knows that his love has the power to draw us back to him over and over again.
Today, let the mercy of God transform your life into a work of art. Let him mold and sculpt you, even to repair the broken parts of your past. Along with all the great saints, you too can be changed from one degree of glory into another, until you enter the Father’s house filled with joy and gladness.
“Lord, bring your mercy. Fill me with your love so that I can know your promise. You are the only way, truth, and life. Come reveal yourself, Jesus, and have your way in my life.”
Acts 13:26-33; Psalm 2:6-11

Have a blessed weekend.

Ed

神聖な週末を持ちなさいエド・バッカー

Feria , Thursday 11 May 2006

Autum 2006 in rural New Zealand

Friends in Christ,
I was working on a website today for a client and used this picture to illustrate it. It reminded me that Autumn is such a beautiful colourful time and it also reminded me of a hymn, which we often used to sing during my time in St.Paul's Cathedral Choir, Wellington, New Zealand:

Hymn 285 from the New English Hymnal
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies:

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light:

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise

( written by F.S.Pierpoint 1835-1917)
This hymn, and I am not sure whether this is the case with you, fills me with joy and thankfullness for what we have. It also brings a need of prayer to my mind, i.e. to pray that we may look after God's Creation to the best of our ability, and we ought to admit that we failed to do so in many ways. Whilst we are all travellers here on earth and we know that our Citizenship is in Heaven, we do need to look after God's gift to us.

Wishing you a blessed day.
Ed Bakker...

Connect with Jesus and His people, visit http://www.crossspot.net/ststephenstac/
ジーザスと彼の人々に連絡して、そして訪問しなさい

Feria, Wednesday 10 May 2006

Meditation Acts 12:24–13:5
It probably didn’t look like much, but the prayer gathering where Paul and Barnabas were singled out for missionary work marked the beginning of journeys that changed the world. From now on, Paul would spend most of his time traveling—preaching the gospel and establishing churches. Do you think that, as he was prayed over, Paul felt like a hero? Do you think he guessed how successful he would be? Not at all! He and Bar-nabas simply responded to God’s word, and from their obedience to the prophetic sense of their local church, there came great fruit for the whole church.
Maybe you don’t feel like a hero or a person with a great mission either. But how do you know that God isn’t calling you to be one of the church’s great heroes and saints? One thing is certain: God has a specific plan and calling for you. He has commissioned you to serve him as an indispensable minister of the gospel—perhaps in your family, at work, in school, around town, in prison, in your parish, or in some combination of these settings. Believe it or not, God wants to use you to build his kingdom!
Of course, not everybody is a pastor or an apostle. But have you ever considered whether God is calling you to other ministries which are important, but less obvious? Take intercession: How would the church survive without people who give themselves to prayer? Perhaps you have a gift for forming young people so that they can come to know God in a personal way. If you have a heart for service, you can inspire others by the way you do even the smallest job in the church with joy.
It doesn’t matter one bit whether God has called you to serve him in ways that seem important or in others that don’t. To him, they’re all important! Young or old, businesspeople or housewives, inmates or college students—whatever we are, wherever we are, each of us has a specific calling and commission. Even in the most hidden life, there will be mountains to move and plenty of room for heroism. Empowered by the Spirit, may we rise to every challenge!
“Jesus, I want to answer your call in my life. Help me to discern your voice, and give me the courage to obey you.”
Psalm 67:2-3,5-6,8; John 12:44-50

May you have a blessed day.

Ed....

Feria, Tuesday 9 May 2006

John 10:22-30
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:So often I find I'm trying to figure out how best to live my life. The pull and tug of this world is strong and a life of prayer sometimes seems pretty dull and empty-feeling. Learned spiritual directors say that "dryness” -- a seeming emptiness -- is often part and parcel of growth toward God. Even though I've heard that, it doesn't always help. "What should I do?” I find myself asking God. In today's Gospel I heard some words that really shocked me. They came from the lips of Jesus after He was questioned about how long He was going to keep the Jews in suspense regarding His identity as the Messiah. Jesus simply said, “I did tell you, but you do not believe." The words made me recognize that Jesus has already told me (and all of us) everything we need to know and do in order to love and serve Him, to be happy even in this world and to have everlasting life. The problem -- my problem -- is that I haven't really fully believed Him; otherwise, there would be no uncertainty. Who would have thought it? Certainly not I! May the grace of this holy season extinguish even hidden and stubborn pockets of unbelief.

"The Lord is Risen as He promised. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia."

Thanks be to God... have a blessed day

Ed.........

Monday 8 May 2006 St.Julian of Norwich

From the writings of Julian:"All shall be well and all shall be wel land all manner of things shall be well.""It is enough to be sure of the deed. Our courteous Lord will deign to redeem the motive." "To me was shown no harder hell than sin." "Thus I was taught that love was our Lord's meaning. And I saw quite clearly in this and in all, that before God made us, he loved us, which love was never slaked nor ever shall be. And in this love he has done all his work, and in this love he has made all things profitable to us. And in this love our life is everlasting. In our creation we had a beginning. But the love wherein he made us was in him with no beginning. And all this shall be seen in God without end ... " "God made it, God loves it, and God keeps it."
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The Third Sunday after Easter, 7 May 2006

My Friends,
So we have come yet at the end of another weekend and another working week looms. Do you feel refreshed, or more importantly do you feel spiritually refreshed to face the challenges and demands of the responsibilities waiting for you on Monday morning ? In this country of New Zealand there are many Catholic Christians of Anglican Tradition, who are just looking for this spiritual refreshment on the Sunday, as they want to attend Holy Mass, but finding the right spiritual home can be so difficult or almost impossible. I can tell you this evening that there are opportunities to find what you are looking for. Take the opportunity to connect with God and His people by visiting our website. As you will understand from the site... I could do with your support, but most of all your commitment to the Catholic Faith is the most important thing. There is no need to stay home on Sunday anymore. If you feel that you want to serve Christ within a Traditional Anglican order, then visit this site, which will give you more information or contact me personally and I can point you into the right direction. I wish you the joy and the tremendous peace of the Risen Lord.....
Ed....
------
This joyful Eastertide,
Away with sin and sorrow.
My Love, the Crucified
Hath spring to life this morrow;

Had Christ, that one was slain,
Ne'er burst his three-day prison,
Our Faith had been in vain;
But now hath Christ arisen.

( G.R.Woodward 1848-1934)

Feria of our Lady, Saturday 6 May 2006

Regina caeli

O Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia;
For He whom thou was made worthy to bear,
alleluia;
Hath arisen again, as He said,alleluia.
Pray for us to God,alleluia.

V Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R For the Lord hath arisen indeed. alleluia.

May we pray
O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Sonour Lord Jesus Christ didst dein to give joy to the world; grant, we beseech Thee, that through His Mother,the Virgin Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ Our Lord. AMEN. Connect with Jesus Christ and His people.


Ed Bakker......

Friday 5 May 2006 St.John before the Latin Gate

The Feast of St.John before the Latin Gate
My friends,
An ancient and reliable tradition tells that St.John the Evangelist suffered for the Faith in Rome in a cauldron of boiling oil, but that his life was miraculously preserved during his torture. Blessed Saint John shared in the chalice of Christ's Passion by his sufferings at Rome and elsewhere. To drink of this Chalice of Christ is the condition for entering heaven.The requirement of drinking this Chalice is confirmed by Jesus in Saint Matthew 20, the verses 20-23. It was conveyed to the mother of the sons of Zebedee, who asked Jesus for easy access for their sons to the Kingdom of Heaven, at the right and left of Him. You and I in too in this life shall surely drink of this Cup, but only God the Father can grant us a place in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thanks be to God.....

The circumstances of St. Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. Although she was a Christian, her parents gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features, but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius criticized his wife because of her charity and piety, but always respected her. Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in 371, one year after his Baptism.
Monica had at least three children who survived infancy. The oldest, Augustine, is the most famous. At the time of his father’s death, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him. In fact, she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted.
When he was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach rhetoric. Monica was determined to go along. One night he told his mother that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend. Instead, he set sail for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine’s trick, but she still followed him. She arrived in Rome only to find that he had left for Milan. Although travel was difficult, Monica pursued him to Milan.
In Milan Augustine came under the influence of the bishop, St. Ambrose, who also became Monica’s spiritual director. She accepted his advice in everything and had the humility to give up some practices that had become second nature to her (see Quote, below). Monica became a leader of the devout women in Milan as she had been in Tagaste.
She continued her prayers for Augustine during his years of instruction. At Easter, 387, St. Ambrose baptized Augustine and several of his friends. Soon after, his party left for Africa. Although no one else was aware of it, Monica knew her life was near the end. She told Augustine, “Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered severely for nine days before her death.
Almost all we know about St. Monica is in the writings of St. Augustine, especially his Confessions. Comment:
Today, with Internet searches, e-mail shopping and instant credit, we have little patience for things that take time. Likewise, we want instant answers to our prayers. Monica is a model of patience. Her long years of prayer, coupled with a strong, well-disciplined character, finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband, her cantankerous mother-in-law and her brilliant but wayward son, Augustine.Quote:
When Monica moved from North Africa to Milan, she found religious practices new to her and also that some of her former customs, such as a Saturday fast, were not common there. She asked St. Ambrose which customs she should follow. His classic reply was: “When I am here, I do not fast on Saturday, but I fast when I am in Rome; do the same and always follow the custom and discipline of the Church as it is observed in the particular locality in which you find yourself.”

( Source of this information: " Saint of the Day"

I wish you a blessed Thursday,

Ed....

Wednesday 3 May 2006 Finding of the Holy Cross

St.Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constaine, undertook a search for the true Cross of our Lord, and her discovery of it is celebrated in today's feast.

Take the opportunity to have a look at today's Holy Gospel, Saint John ,chapter 3 , the verses 1 to 15.
The finding of the Holy Cross was a miracle, Nicodemus told Jesus that He came from God to teach them, because of all the miracles He had done. But Jesus told him, that you cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven unless you are born again. What do we then mean by that? Obviously not a physical rebirth... No it is a spiritual rebirth that is required through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel story also touches on the bronze sperpent, which was raised in the desert to cure the Israelites, it is a figure of the Cross, from which, as we know, flows all grace and salvation. The Son of men, Blessed Jesus must be lifted up, as the serpent was listed up by Moses in the wilderness, so those who believe in Him may not perish, but have eternal life.
Let us pray that we may continually Glory in the Cross of Christ and that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may be reborn again so that we may have a clear vision of the Kingdom of God.

Have a blessed day and take a look at the ' blog ' of my brother in Christ Leo from the USA by going to http://diaryofacityparishioner.blogspot.com/2006/05/tuesday-may-2-2006.html

Tuesday 2 May 2006 St.Athanasius, Bishop

Today we remember St.Athanasius, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church. St.Athanasius was indefatigable in defending the Divinity of Jesus Christ against the Arian heretics. He suffered exile and persecution for the cause of the Faith. He displayed great loyalty to the Holy See and while on a visit to Rome, he was instrumental in introducing the monastic life to the city. He died in 373.

May I invite you to read from Blessed Saint Paul's letter to the Corinthians, chapter 4, the verses 5-14."The Labours of the apostolate. As Bishops, Priests and Deacons in the Church of God, carrying out our Apostolic Ministry, as St.Paul said:" For ourselves, we are being hampered everywhere, yet still have room to breathe, are hard put it, but never at a loss; persecution does not leave us unbefriended, nor crushing blows destroy us; we carry continually in our bodies the dying state of Jesus, so that the living power of Jesus, may be manifested in our bodies too.

It does sound all so familiar, does it not?As Traditional Catholic Christians, we are indeed continually persecuted and battered and yet... we do not give up. Our secret of our perseverance can be found in this particular chapter of Blessed Saint Paul's letter to the Corinthians. The Saints, who have gone before us endured all sorts of tribulations, but they never give up and neither will we.

Thanks be to God....

Ed Bakker

Monday 1 May 2006

Saint Philip and Saint James, Apostles & Martyrs
"Our Souls are restless till we find our home in Thee"The sentiment was from Saint Augustine, 1600 years ago." Our souls are restless till we find our home in Thee."
We gather on the Internet from many places, bringing many needs, joy, sadness, depression, energy and optismism: all those emotions and more are present here at this point in time.Perhaps it is at least true to say that our souls are restless till we do find our home somewhere, in something that feels adequate to our yearnings.

Lord, you have been our refuge forever,
before the mountains were born,
before the earth and the world came to birth,
from eternity to eternity You are God.

You bring human beings to the dust,
by saying, "return children of the earth."
A thousand years are to You
like a yesterday which has passed,
like a watch in the night.

In the morning we are like growing grass:
in the morning we are blossoming and growing,
by evening we are withered and dry.

You have seen our guilty deeds,
our secrets are open to your eyes.

Teach us to number our days,
that we might come to the heart of wisdom.

Let Your favor be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us,
yes, the word of our hands
Do establish it.

May the Lord bless us and keep us all,

Ed..........