Thankful: always and everywhere

In this part of his letter to the Ephesians, St Paul exhorts us to be ‘filled with the Spirit. Sing the words and tunes of the psalms and hymns when you are together and go on singing and chanting to the Lord in your hearts, so that always and everywhere you are giving thanks to God who is our Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (cf. Eph 5:15-20).  

Beloved People of God, occasionally praising God when we are together is admirable. It is praiseworthy. However, we are being encouraged to go further and to do more. We have to form and adopt the habit of gratitude. We need to learn how to ‘go on singing and chanting to the Lord in our hearts…always and everywhere, giving thanks to him who is the father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist echoes this when he says, ‘I will bless the Lord at times, his praise always on my lips…’ (Ps 33:2-3). 

On the occasion of my 23rd priestly anniversary: 18/8/01 – 18/8/24

I thank you all for the prayers, support, care and love

It is my ardent desire to be able to ‘gratefully, constantly and consistently’ accept and honour the invitation from of old, ‘Come and eat my bread, drink the wine I have prepared! Leave your folly and you will live, walk in the ways of perception’ (cf. Prv. 9:1-9). This invitation is being extended to all of us by our Blessed Lord as he says, ‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever, and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world…I tell you solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you…Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life…’ (cf. Jn 6:51-58). It is whether to adopt a grateful attitude/disposition or persist in an unhealthy argument of: ‘how can this man give us his flesh to eat?  

                    Fr. Ted

All to Jesus – Through Mary our Mother

20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

18^th August 2024