Prayer afternoon at St Gregory's:
Reflecting on our Vision Statement
As we gather today, let us pray for a deepening of our relationship with Jesus – that each of us will know the love and friendship of Jesus, powerfully present in our lives.
Let’s also pray that relationship, that friendship with Jesus, will flow into every aspect of our lives and encourage us to reach out to others, to live lives of service of others, especially those on the margins of our communities.
Let’s pray that we will encourage and support one another to become all that our loving and generous God calls us to be – that we will respond anew each day to God’s invitation to be missionary disciples.
Let’s also pray that relationship, that friendship with Jesus, will flow into every aspect of our lives and encourage us to reach out to others, to live lives of service of others, especially those on the margins of our communities.
Let’s pray that we will encourage and support one another to become all that our loving and generous God calls us to be – that we will respond anew each day to God’s invitation to be missionary disciples.
A family - what does this word make us think of?
A secure , loving and supportive unit where the members are cherished and provided for,or a place of strife and rejection where relationships are difficult.
We dare to experience the friendship and love of Jesus as a family where all belong and care.
This is the basis of the family we are trying to be, and so when we see and meet others are we thinking of them as our brothers and sisters in Jesus, or do we instinctively put up a barrier, or close ourselves to those we do not yet know?
A stranger in church is someone who is my brother or sister.
How do I treat my brother or sister?
In a maintenance church people welcome friends.
In a missionary church we welcome strangers as well and make room for them in the family. For God there are no strangers so we too, need to embrace others as our brothers and sisters in God’s family ,and to know that they may not make it to the church building but are out there waiting for us.
I now invite you to leave the comfort of your pew and give the sign of peace to everyone here.
A secure , loving and supportive unit where the members are cherished and provided for,or a place of strife and rejection where relationships are difficult.
We dare to experience the friendship and love of Jesus as a family where all belong and care.
This is the basis of the family we are trying to be, and so when we see and meet others are we thinking of them as our brothers and sisters in Jesus, or do we instinctively put up a barrier, or close ourselves to those we do not yet know?
A stranger in church is someone who is my brother or sister.
How do I treat my brother or sister?
In a maintenance church people welcome friends.
In a missionary church we welcome strangers as well and make room for them in the family. For God there are no strangers so we too, need to embrace others as our brothers and sisters in God’s family ,and to know that they may not make it to the church building but are out there waiting for us.
I now invite you to leave the comfort of your pew and give the sign of peace to everyone here.
Do I, do WE really think we are needed in our Cluster Parish?
If we didn’t turn up for Mass for a couple of weeks do we think anybody would even notice or miss us?
And what about our gifts and talents that God has blessed us with?
Do I really know what they are and do I acknowledge them?
Do I use them to their best ?
Do I share them where they are needed?
Have we ever thought of offering to share our gifts and talents in our Cluster parish?
St Paul, in the letter to the Romans, Chapter 12, v 4-11 says ‘in the same way, all of us, though there are so many of us, make up one body in Christ, and as different parts we are all joined to one another’.
Paul goes on to speak about the different gifts we have according to the grace that each one has been given, and he encourages each one to use their gifts – ‘in the service of the Lord, to work not half-heartedly but with conscientiousness and an eager spirit’.
In our Cluster, we could probably say that it’s about 10% of people in action while the other 90% stays hidden – rather like the iceberg effect. It’s the same people doing everything and this perhaps makes me feel redundant.
We might think that our gifts and talents are not needed; we tell ourselves 'oh, I couldn’t possibly do this or that’.
Yes, that may be true to some extent but – with the Holy Spirit working in and through me, I can do so much more than I can possibly imagine. But I need to be willing to co operate to be open to what God is asking of me and open to the amazing power of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s put it this way – we need each other – in our world which is in such desperate need of kindness and compassion.
People need me but they won’t know it – not until I step up and offer to share my gifts and talents.
The more we become that body of Christ, which St Paul speaks about, where each member needs the other, the more we get to know each other, the better we will be able to care for each other and share our giftedness to the full especially with those ‘who come here that they may find joy peace and love’.
If we didn’t turn up for Mass for a couple of weeks do we think anybody would even notice or miss us?
And what about our gifts and talents that God has blessed us with?
Do I really know what they are and do I acknowledge them?
Do I use them to their best ?
Do I share them where they are needed?
Have we ever thought of offering to share our gifts and talents in our Cluster parish?
St Paul, in the letter to the Romans, Chapter 12, v 4-11 says ‘in the same way, all of us, though there are so many of us, make up one body in Christ, and as different parts we are all joined to one another’.
Paul goes on to speak about the different gifts we have according to the grace that each one has been given, and he encourages each one to use their gifts – ‘in the service of the Lord, to work not half-heartedly but with conscientiousness and an eager spirit’.
In our Cluster, we could probably say that it’s about 10% of people in action while the other 90% stays hidden – rather like the iceberg effect. It’s the same people doing everything and this perhaps makes me feel redundant.
We might think that our gifts and talents are not needed; we tell ourselves 'oh, I couldn’t possibly do this or that’.
Yes, that may be true to some extent but – with the Holy Spirit working in and through me, I can do so much more than I can possibly imagine. But I need to be willing to co operate to be open to what God is asking of me and open to the amazing power of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s put it this way – we need each other – in our world which is in such desperate need of kindness and compassion.
People need me but they won’t know it – not until I step up and offer to share my gifts and talents.
The more we become that body of Christ, which St Paul speaks about, where each member needs the other, the more we get to know each other, the better we will be able to care for each other and share our giftedness to the full especially with those ‘who come here that they may find joy peace and love’.
I have found that my faith and love of God has deepened when I can share my hopes, dreams and worries with people I can trust and know they have my best interests at heart.
People who want also to grow in their faith and are not afraid to question or face up to difficulties they may have with faith, church and the Bible and who are willing to trust that God will bring them through.
In a place where all are listened to and not judged, where there are no competitions to be right, instead there is a desire to be closer to God and to our brothers and sisters. Where love casts out fear.
Over the years I have found this in the faith formation group that met a few years ago, where we shared our own experiences and listened to others, without commenting on what anyone else says. With ground rules of confidentiality and respect, this is a really effective way of knowing God, others and ourselves better.
I’ve also found it on walking pilgrimages with the Sisters of Helpers of the Holy Souls where we live together for a week in caravans and walk together each day. We are immersed in an atmosphere of faith, hope, love, honesty and compassion which enables us to blossom and bloom as the people God created us to be. We learn from wise elders, are inspired by the energy and vision of younger people and surrounded by the beautiful Scottish countryside.
There are ongoing courses on growing in faith in the city which I found really helped me deepen and be able to talk and share my faith. With others I found different ways of praying and sharing my faith. It's a great opportunity to find what helps you grow most in your faith .
Our traditional Catholic prayers I also find really helpful especially when I don’t know how to pray for someone or a difficult situation, I aim to pray the Rosary every night and when I’m with my mum we pray it together which is a special time.
After the courses finished I have the opportunity to meet with a spiritual director on a regular basis and this helps me to notice how God is working in my life and in the lives of those around me.
I have experienced that when you are amongst people who accept you as you are and listen to you and provide a place where you can face up to the challenges of life and overcome them, finding joy and be gently freed from despair, that these are the most life giving experiences of my life. They enable me to be more open and to share what I have with others, freeing me from being closed in on myself and enabling me to trust and love God and my neighbour more deeply .
People who want also to grow in their faith and are not afraid to question or face up to difficulties they may have with faith, church and the Bible and who are willing to trust that God will bring them through.
In a place where all are listened to and not judged, where there are no competitions to be right, instead there is a desire to be closer to God and to our brothers and sisters. Where love casts out fear.
Over the years I have found this in the faith formation group that met a few years ago, where we shared our own experiences and listened to others, without commenting on what anyone else says. With ground rules of confidentiality and respect, this is a really effective way of knowing God, others and ourselves better.
I’ve also found it on walking pilgrimages with the Sisters of Helpers of the Holy Souls where we live together for a week in caravans and walk together each day. We are immersed in an atmosphere of faith, hope, love, honesty and compassion which enables us to blossom and bloom as the people God created us to be. We learn from wise elders, are inspired by the energy and vision of younger people and surrounded by the beautiful Scottish countryside.
There are ongoing courses on growing in faith in the city which I found really helped me deepen and be able to talk and share my faith. With others I found different ways of praying and sharing my faith. It's a great opportunity to find what helps you grow most in your faith .
Our traditional Catholic prayers I also find really helpful especially when I don’t know how to pray for someone or a difficult situation, I aim to pray the Rosary every night and when I’m with my mum we pray it together which is a special time.
After the courses finished I have the opportunity to meet with a spiritual director on a regular basis and this helps me to notice how God is working in my life and in the lives of those around me.
I have experienced that when you are amongst people who accept you as you are and listen to you and provide a place where you can face up to the challenges of life and overcome them, finding joy and be gently freed from despair, that these are the most life giving experiences of my life. They enable me to be more open and to share what I have with others, freeing me from being closed in on myself and enabling me to trust and love God and my neighbour more deeply .
For me personally, prayer particularly to the Holy Spirit, the Alpha course, Divine Renovation and being part of the St Vincent de Paul group (SSVP) has helped me to grow in my relationship with Jesus and understand his message for us.
More opportunities like this for praying together. However it doesn’t have to be in a Church. It can be anywhere. What’s necessary is praying with an open heart.
By coming together and supporting one another on our journey from a maintenance church to a missionary one can help us to grow spiritually. Not just the catholic community but our neighbouring Christians from other denominations.
Conversion and Evangelisation is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s power in action. God sends out his Spirit by projecting his energy to any place to accomplish his will producing visible effects.
More opportunities like this for praying together. However it doesn’t have to be in a Church. It can be anywhere. What’s necessary is praying with an open heart.
By coming together and supporting one another on our journey from a maintenance church to a missionary one can help us to grow spiritually. Not just the catholic community but our neighbouring Christians from other denominations.
Conversion and Evangelisation is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s power in action. God sends out his Spirit by projecting his energy to any place to accomplish his will producing visible effects.
Lord our God,
You made the whole world
And your Spirit is in each and every human being.
Help us to recognise that Spirit in everyone
Especially the poor and those most neglected in our world.
As we bring Jesus’ message to others
Let us remember that you are already present within them.
You are waiting for us to knock on the door of their hearts.
We pray for the wisdom
To let your words come out of our mouths
We pray for the compassion
To let your mercy be shown through our actions
We pray for the courage
To let your love reach into the hardest of hearts
And wound them with the Spirit
Of your unconditional forgiveness. Amen
You made the whole world
And your Spirit is in each and every human being.
Help us to recognise that Spirit in everyone
Especially the poor and those most neglected in our world.
As we bring Jesus’ message to others
Let us remember that you are already present within them.
You are waiting for us to knock on the door of their hearts.
We pray for the wisdom
To let your words come out of our mouths
We pray for the compassion
To let your mercy be shown through our actions
We pray for the courage
To let your love reach into the hardest of hearts
And wound them with the Spirit
Of your unconditional forgiveness. Amen
In the Our Father we pray: “thy kingdom come”
What does it mean to build God’s kingdom?
Well, think about it this way:
Jesus has no body on earth now but ours.
We are his eyes, his ears, his message and his example.
He loves us but he also needs us–we are the body of Christ in SE Edinburgh.
What will it take for Jesus to reign in the hearts of all of the people who live here?
Laying one kind word upon another; keeping an eye out for the marginalised; standing up to injustice; watching one thoughtful action lead to another. We begin to see a culture of prayer and care take shape before our eyes. It will demand a cluster which is so bursting with love, mercy and joy that people will be queuing outside our churches each weekend to have a piece of it. Now there’s a dream...
What does it mean to build God’s kingdom?
Well, think about it this way:
Jesus has no body on earth now but ours.
We are his eyes, his ears, his message and his example.
He loves us but he also needs us–we are the body of Christ in SE Edinburgh.
What will it take for Jesus to reign in the hearts of all of the people who live here?
When I was asked to introduce this and to speak about what building God's kingdom meant to me, I thought that God's kingdom would be full of justice and peace. I also thought that this would be more than just institutions. I went to the bible to seek inspiration and two things jumped out at me as I searched. The first was Jesus saying "I want mercy not sacrifice". I thought of myself and how I give to people or causes and I began to think that I gave as a sacrifice or as a duty. It made me think of how often I had given money or time but felt dissatisfied. I could have given more, I could have spent more time with that person. It made me think that I was giving but my giving was sacrifice, a duty and my feeling of dissatisfaction had something to do with my motivation.
Mercy however is another way of seeing things, another way of giving which doesn't make it a duty but a response. I am going to pray to be able to have a merciful response and try to copy Jesus who gave unconditionally.
The second thing that remained with me was a story about Jesus criticising the pharisees. He said that there was a law which said that all pharisees must look after their fathers and mothers. Failure to do so was a serious thing. However the pharisees got around the law by saying to their parents that the money they had allocated to look after them was now dedicated to God. This meant that they managed to shape the law to suit their own interest, maintain face but their parents weren't helped.
I began to think how sometimes I can shape things so that I do what I want rather than what may be better for other people. I began to think that putting my interest first all the time will not build God's kingdom but the pharisees' kingdom! As I thought about building God's kingdom and seeing through Jesus' eyes I realised he put other's interests first - the lepers, the dispossessed, the prostitutes.
Particularly, at this time of election, I began to think about voting for other peoples' interests - for people who may not even have the vote; for the homeless, for the refugee, the dispossessed. I will pray that I use my vote, not in a self-interested way, not to advantage myself only knowing that building the kingdom of God depends on building justice and peace. So to return to the question - What will it take for Jesus to reign in the hearts of all of the people who live here?
Building God’s kingdom is slow and steady work:Laying one kind word upon another; keeping an eye out for the marginalised; standing up to injustice; watching one thoughtful action lead to another. We begin to see a culture of prayer and care take shape before our eyes. It will demand a cluster which is so bursting with love, mercy and joy that people will be queuing outside our churches each weekend to have a piece of it. Now there’s a dream...