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Our Lady of Lourdes Church


Telephone: 023 9282 8305	Bransbury Rd, Portsmouth, Hampshire. PO4 9JY

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St Swithun’s Church


Telephone: 023 9282 8305	Waverley Road, Southsea, Hampshire. PO5 2PL

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Address: 105 Waverley Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire. PO5 2PL
Telephone: 023 9282 8305

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CHRISTIAN MORNING MEDITATION:Lectio Divina: Luke 19:11-28Wednesday, November 20, 2019Ordinary Time1) Opening prayerFather of all that is good,keep us faithful in serving You,for to serve You is our lasting joy.We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,one God, forever and ever. Amen.2) Gospel reading - Luke 19:11-28Jesus told the following parable because He was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there.Thus He said, "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and then return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds, telling them, ‘Trade with these, until I get back.’”But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, "We do not want this man to be our king." Now it happened that on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made by trading.The first came in, "Sir," he said, "your one pound has brought in ten." He replied, "Well done, my good servant! Since you have proved yourself trustworthy in a very small thing, you shall have power over ten cities."Then came the second, "Sir," he said, "your one pound has made five." To this one he said, "And you shall be in charge of five cities."Next came the other. "Sir," he said, "here is your pound. I put it away safely wrapped up in a cloth because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you gather in what you have not laid out and reap what you have not sown." He said to him, "You wicked servant! Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew that I was an exacting man, gathering what I have not laid out and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest."And he said to those standing by, "Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds." And they said to him, "But, sir, he has ten pounds . . ." "I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has."As for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence." 'When He had said this He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.3) Reflection• The Gospel today presents the parable of the talents in which Jesus speaks of the gifts that people receive from God. All people have some qualities; they receive some gifts or know something which they can teach to others. Nobody is only a pupil. Nobody is only a professor. We all learn from one another.• Luke 19: 11: The key to understanding the story of the parable. To introduce the parable Luke says the following: “At that time Jesus went on to tell a parable because He was near Jerusalem and the disciples thought that the Kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there”. In this initial statement, Luke presents the reasons which led Jesus to tell this parable: proximity to the Passion and the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God, because the people who accompanied Jesus thought that the Kingdom of God would come later.• Luke 19:12-14: The beginning of the parable. “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and then return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds telling them, ‘Trade with these, until I get back’”. Some scholars think that in this parable Jesus is referring to Herod who seventy years before (40 BC), went to Rome to receive the title and power of King of Palestine. People did not like Herod and did not want him to become king because of the experience they had with him. He was the commander who repressed the rebellions in Galilee against Rome, which was tragic and painful. This is why they said, “We do not want this man to be our king!” The last sentence of this parable would apply to Herod: “As for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence”. In fact, Herod killed many people.• Luke 19:15-19: The account given by the first of ten servants who each received one pound. The story also recounts that Herod, after having obtained the title of king, returned to Palestine to take over power. In the parable, the king called his servants to whom he had given ten pounds to know how much they had gained. The first one came in and said, “Sir, your pound has produced ten other pounds.” He replied, “Well done, my good servant! Since you have proved yourself trustworthy in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities.” Then came the second one, and said, “Sir, your pound has brought five other pounds.” To this one also he said, “And you shall be in charge of five cities”.According to the story, Herod the Great and his son Herod Antipas both knew how to deal with money and to promote the people who helped them. In the parable, the king gave ten cities to the servant who multiplied by ten the money he had received and five cities to the one who multiplied it by five.• Luke 19:20-23: The rendering of account by the servant who gained nothing. The third servant arrived and said, “Sir, here is your pound. I put it away safely wrapped up in a cloth, because I was afraid of you, for you are an exacting man, you gather in what you have not laid out and reap what you have not sown.” In this part, we have a mistaken idea of God, which is criticized by Jesus. The servant considers God a severe master. Before such a God, the human being is afraid and hides himself behind the exact and poor observance of the law. He thinks that by acting this way, he will not be punished severely by the ruler. In reality, such a person does not believe in God, but believes only in self and in his observance of the law. He closes himself up in self. He draws away from God and is not concerned about others. He becomes incapable of growth as a free person. This false image of God isolates the human being, kills the community, extinguishes joy and impoverishes life. The king answers, “Out of your own mouth I condemn you, wicked servant!” You knew that I was an exacting man, gathering what I have not laid out and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest. The servant is not consistent in his image of God. If he imagined God to be so severe, he should have put the money in the bank. He is not condemned by God, but by his mistaken idea of God, which renders him immature and fearful. One of the things which greatly influence a person’s life is his image of God. Some Jews, especially the Pharisees, imagined God as a severe judge who treated them according to the merits gained by observance of the Law. This caused fear and prevented people from growing. Above all, it prevented them from opening a space within themselves to accept the new experience of God which Jesus communicated.• Luke 19:24-27: Conclusion for all. “And he said to those standing by: Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds.” And they answered, “But, Sir, he already has ten! “I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more, but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. As for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence”. The king then orders it taken away and given to the one who has ten, because “To everyone who has will be given more, but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has“. In this last sentence is found the key which clarifies the Parable. In the symbolism of the parable, the silver coin of the king are the goods of the Kingdom of God, that is, everything that makes the person grow and which reveals God’s presence: love, service, sharing. Anyone who becomes selfish out of fear will lose what little he has. Therefore, the person who does not think only of self, but gives himself/herself to others, will grow and will receive super abundantly, all that he/she has given and much more: “one hundred times more, a hundred fold” (Mk 10:30). “Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, anyone who has the courage to lose it, will save it” (Lk 9:24; 17:33; Mt 10:39; 16:25; Mk 8:35). The third servant is afraid and does nothing. He does not want to lose anything and because of this he gains nothing. He loses even the little he had. The Kingdom is a risk. Anyone who does not run, runs a risk and loses the Kingdom!• Luke 19: 28: Return to the triple initial key. At the end, Luke closes this theme with the following information: “Having said these things Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem”. This final information recalls the triple key given at the beginning: the acceptance to be given to the excluded, the closeness of the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem, and the idea of the imminent coming of the Kingdom. To those who thought that the Kingdom of God was about to arrive, the parable orders a change in understanding. The Kingdom of God arrives but through the death and the Resurrection of Jesus which will take place within a short time in Jerusalem. The reason for Jesus’ death and Resurrection is His acceptance of the excluded. He disturbs the great, and they eliminated Him by condemning Him to death on the cross.4) Personal questions• In our community, do we try to know and to value and appreciate the gifts of every person? Sometimes, the gifts of others cause jealousy and competitiveness in others. How do we react?• In our community, is there a space where people can show or manifest their gifts?5) Concluding prayerPraise God in His holy place,praise Him in the heavenly vault of His power,praise Him for His mighty deeds,praise Him for all His greatness. (Ps 150:1-2)dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-20112019 ... See MoreSee Less

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Actress in Divine Mercy movie describes spiritual experience preparing for role of St. Faustina

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CHRISTIAN MORNING MEDITATION:Lectio Divina: Luke 19:1-10Tuesday, November 19, 2019Ordinary Time1) Opening prayerFather of all that is good,keep us faithful in serving You,for to serve you is our lasting joy.We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. Amen.2) Gospel reading - Luke 19:1-10Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town and suddenly a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance. He was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He kept trying to see where Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see Him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way.When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and spoke to him, "Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I am to stay at your house today."And he hurried down and welcomed Him joyfully.They all complained when they saw what was happening. "He has gone to stay at a sinner's house," they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, "Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount."And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man has come to seek out and save what was lost."3) Reflection• In today’s Gospel, we reach the end of a long journey which began in chapter 9 (Lk 9:51). During the journey, it has not been easy to know where Jesus is going. Now the geography is clear. Jesus reaches Jericho, the city of the palm trees, in the Valley of the Jordan. This is the last stop of pilgrims before going up toward Jerusalem. He went to Jericho where the long road of exodus in the desert ended. Jesus’ exodus has also ended. In entering Jericho, Jesus meets a blind man who wanted to see Him (Lk 18:35-43). Now, going out of the city, He meets Zacchaeus, a tax collector. He also wants to see Him. Both the blind man and the Publican are excluded from Jewish society. Both bother and disturb the people. The blind man disturbed people because he was shouting to Jesus. The Publican incurs people’s hostility because he collects taxes. Both are accepted by Jesus.• Luke 19:1-2: Jesus enters Jericho and crosses the city where he sees “a man whose name was Zacchaeus, head of the tax collectors and a rich man”. The tax collector was the person who collected the public taxes on selling and buying of merchandise. As head tax collector, Zacchaeus was closely linked to the Roman government which dominated the Israel. Since the more religious Jews believed their king to be God, they regarded Rome’s dominion as ungodly. Anyone who collaborates with the Romans sins against God. Thus, the soldiers who served in the Roman army and tax collectors like Zacchaeus were excluded and avoided because they were considered traitorous and impure.• Luke 19:3-4: The attitude of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus. Being small, he ran ahead and climbed up a tree and waited for Jesus to go by. He really had a great desire to see Jesus. Before, in the parable of poor Lazarus and the rich man (Lk 16: 19-31), Jesus had said that it was truly difficult for a rich person to be converted. However, in Zaccheus, we see a rich man who does not close himself up in his riches. Zacchaeus wants something more. Certainly, an adult who climbs a tree does not care much about the opinion of others. Something more important moves him. He wants to open the door for poor Lazarus.• Luke 19:5-7: Attitude of Jesus, reaction of the people and of Zacchaeus. Seeing Zacchaeus in the tree, Jesus does not ask, nor does He demand, anything. He only responds to the desire of the man and says, “Zacchaeus come down. Hurry, because I am to stay at your home today!” Zacchaeus gets down and receives Jesus, in his house, with great joy. All complained, “He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house!” Luke says that all complained. Jesus is alone in His attitude of accepting the excluded, especially Roman collaborators . But Jesus does not care about the criticism. He goes to the house of Zacchaeus and defends him from the criticism. Rather than calling him sinner, He calls him “son of Abraham” (Lk 19:9).• Luke 19:8: Decision of Zacchaeus. “Look, Lord, I am going to give half of my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount!” This is the conversion produced in Zacchaeus because of the acceptance that he received from Jesus. To give back four times was what the law prescribed to do in certain cases (Ex 22:1;). To give half of my possessions to the poor was the novelty which contact with Jesus produced in him. In fact, sharing was taking place.• Luke 19:9-10: Final word of Jesus. “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a son of Abraham”. The interpretation of the Law by means of the ancient tradition excluded the tax collectors from the race of Abraham. Jesus says that He comes to seek and save what was lost. The Kingdom is for all. Nobody can be excluded. By denouncing unjust divisions, Jesus opens a space for a new way of living directed by the values of truth, justice and love.• Son of Abraham. "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a son of Abraham!” By being a descendant of Abraham, all nations of earth will be blessed (Gen 12:3; 22:18). It was very important for Luke’s communities, formed by Christians of both Jewish and pagan origin, that Jesus calls Zacchaeus “son of Abraham”. For we find the confirmation that in Jesus, God was fulfilling the promises made to Abraham, addressed to all nations. Gentiles are also sons of Abraham and heirs of the promises. Jesus accepts those who were not accepted. He offers a place to those who do not have it. He receives as brothers and sisters people whom the religion and the government excluded. Here is a list of those outcasts in who found acceptance in Jesus: :- immoral: the prostitutes and the sinners (Mt 21:31-32; Mk 2:15; Lk 7:37-50; Jn 8:2-11)- heretic: pagans and Samaritans (Lk 7:2-10; 17:16; Mk 7:24-30; Jn 4:7-42),- impure: lepers and possessed (Mt 8:2-4; Lk 17:12-14; Mk 1:25-26)- marginalized: women, children and the sick (Mk 1:32; Mt 8:16;19:13-15; Lk 8: 2-3)- fighters: publicans and soldiers (Lk 18:9-14;19:1-10);- the poor: the people of the place and the poor who had no power (Mt 5:3; Lk 6:20; Mt 11:25-26).4) Personal questions• How does our community accept people who are despised and marginalized? Can we, like Jesus, perceive people’s problems and give them attention?· How do we perceive salvation entering into our house and our community? The welcoming tenderness of Jesus produced a total change in the life of Zacchaeus. Is the tenderness of our community producing some change in the neighborhood? Where?5) Concluding prayerWith all my heart I seek You,do not let me stray from Your commandments.In my heart, I treasure Your promisesand seek to avoid sinning against You. (Ps 119:10-11)dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-19112019 ... See MoreSee Less

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CHRISTIAN MORNING MEDITATION:Lectio Divina: Luke 18:35-43Lectio DivinaMonday, November 18, 2019Ordinary Time1) Opening prayerFather of all that is good,keep us faithful in serving You,for to serve You is our lasting joy.We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. Amen.2) Gospel reading - Luke 18:35-43Now it happened that as Jesus drew near to Jericho there was a blind man sitting at the side of the road begging. When he heard the crowd going past he asked what it was all about, and they told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” The people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, “Son of David, have pity on me.”Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to Him, and when he came up, asked him "What do you want me to do for you?" "Sir," he replied, "let me see again." Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you."And instantly his sight returned and he followed Him praising God, and all the people who saw it gave praise to God.3) Reflection• The Gospel today describes Jesus’ arrival in Jericho. It is the last stop before Jesus goes to Jerusalem, where His “Exodus”, according to what He announced in the Transfiguration scene will take place. He has also issued similar sentiments along the way to Jerusalem (Lk 9: 44; 18:31-33).• Luke 18:35-37: The blind man sitting on the side of the road. “Now it happened that as Jesus drew near to Jericho, there was a blind man sitting on the side of the road begging. When he heard the crowd going past he asked what it was all about. They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by”. In the Gospel of Mark, the blind man is called Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46). Since he was blind, he could not participate in the procession which accompanied Jesus. At that time, there may have been many blind people in Palestine possibly because of the strong sun and arid conditions.• Luke 18:38-39: The cry of the blind man and the reaction of the people. “Then he began to cry out: Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” He calls Jesus using the title “Son of David”. The teaching of that time taught that the Messiah would descend from David, a “Son of David”. Jesus did not like this title. In quoting the Messianic Psalm, he asks Himself: “How is it that the Messiah can be the son of David if even David calls him “My Lord?” (Lk 20:41-44) The cry of the blind man bothers the people who accompany Jesus. Consequently, “The people in front scold him telling him to keep quiet.” However, “he only shouted all the louder, Son of David have pity on me!” This occurs in our time when the cry of the poor bothers the established society.• Luke 18:40-41: The reaction of Jesus before the cry of the blind man. And what did Jesus do? Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to Him. Those who wanted to stop the blind man from shouting now are asked to help the poor man to get to Jesus. The Gospel of Mark adds that the blind man left everything and went to Jesus. He did not have much, only his mantle to cover his body (cf. Ex 22:25-26). His mantle was his home! Today, Jesus listens to the cry of the poor which we do not want to hear. When he came up to Jesus, He asked him: “What do you want me to do for you?” It is not sufficient to shout or cry out. It is necessary to know why he is shouting! The blind man answers, “Lord that I may see again”.• Luke 18:42-43: Go! Your faith has saved you! And Jesus says, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you”. Immediately he recovers his sight and begins to follow Jesus praising God. And all the people, when they saw that, praised God. When the blind man calls Jesus by a title that was uncomfortable, by the title “Son of David,” he probably bothered people. His faith in Jesus exceeded his ideas about Jesus. He did not demand anything as Peter did (Mk 8:32-33). Healing is the fruit of his faith in Jesus. Once he is cured, he follows Jesus and walks along with Him toward Jerusalem. In this way, he becomes a model disciple for all of us who want “to follow Jesus along the road” toward Jerusalem. This decision to walk with Jesus is the source of courage and seed of victory in the cross, The cross is not something fatal but rather an experience of God. It is a consequence of the decision to follow Jesus in obedience to the Father. • Faith is a force which transforms the person. The Good News of the Kingdom announced by Jesus was a sort of fertilizer. It made the seed of life hidden in people grow. That seed lay hidden like fire under the ashes. Jesus blew on the ashes and the fire ignited. The Kingdom appears and people rejoice. The condition was always the same: to believe in Jesus. The cure of the blind man clarifies a very important aspect of our faith. The blind man had faith and was cured despite his understanding of Jesus. He was converted and left everything behind and followed Jesus along the road toward Calvary! The full understanding of the following of Jesus is not obtained from a theoretical instruction but rather from a practical commitment to walk with Him in the way of service. Anyone who insists, as Peter at one point does, that Messiahship comes without the cross, understands nothing of Jesus. Such a person does not have the attitude of a true disciple of Jesus. Anyone who believes in Jesus and gives himself (Lk 9:23-24), anyone who accepts being last (Lk 22:26), anyone who drinks the chalice of suffering and carries his/her cross (Mt 20:22; Mk 10:38), will succeed in “following Jesus along the way” (Lk 18:43). Walking with Jesus is the source of courage and provides the seed of victory in the cross.4) Personal questions• How do I see and hear the cry of the poor such as migrants, people of color, AIDS sufferers, beggars, refugees, et al. ?• What is my faith like? Am I rigid in my ideas about Jesus?.5) Concluding prayerHow blessed is anyone who rejects the advice of the wickedand does not take a stand in the path that sinners tread,nor a seat in company with cynics,but who delights in the law of Yahwehand murmurs His law day and night. (Ps 1:1-2)dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-18112019 ... See MoreSee Less