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..........