Lk 5:27-32 “Leave all and follow me." Lent 1st Sat.M

Fri, 11 March, 2011 16:36:57

[Dom Donald's Blog] Lk 5:27-32 “leave all and follow the Lord”

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From:	Fr Donald ... View Contact
To:	nivardmcglynn@yahoo.com

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1st Saturday Lent 2011

The call of Matthew

In today’s Gospel, Luke 5:27-32, Jesus says: “I have come to call sinners”. Matthew we overjoyed to be one of the first to answer the call. He at once gave a party to celebrate the occasion.

As sinners, like, Matthew, we can make our own the prayer of St Augustine: "Lord Jesus, our Saviour, let us now come to you. Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours, possess them always and only for yourself." (Prayer of Augustine, 354-430).

What does it mean to “leave all and follow the Lord”? Bede the Venerable, a 7th century church father comments on Matthew’s conversion to discipleship: “By ‘follow’ he meant not so much the movement of feet as of the heart, the carrying out of a way of life. For one who says that he lives in Christ ought himself to walk just as he walked, not to aim at earthly things, not to pursue perishable gains, but to flee base praise, to embrace willingly the contempt of all that is worldly for the sake of heavenly glory, to do good to all, to inflict injuries upon no one in bitterness, to suffer patiently those injuries that come to oneself, to ask God’s forgiveness for those who oppress, never to seek one’s own glory but always God’s, and to uphold whatever helps one love heavenly things. This is what is meant by following Christ. In this way, disregarding earthly gains, Matthew attached himself to the band of followers of One who had no riches. For the Lord himself, who outwardly called Matthew by a word, inwardly bestowed upon him the gift of an invisible impulse so that he was able to follow.” Are you ready to forsake all for Christ?

"Lord Jesus, our Saviour, let us now come to you: Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for yourself." (Prayer of Augustine, 354-430)

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Posted By Fr Donald to Dom Donald's Blog on 3/11/2011 04:36:00 PM

Accept my works if you cannot accept my words

Jesus made two claims in his response to his enemies: He was consecrated by the Father to a special task and he was sent into the world to carry out his Father's mission. Jesus challenged his opponents to accept his works if they could not accept his words. One can argue with words, but deeds are beyond argument. Jesus is the perfect teacher in that he does not base his claims on what he says but on what he does.

Jesus shows us the way to walk the path of holiness. He anoints us with his power to live the gospel with joy.

The Father in Jesus and he in the Father

John 10:31-42

Servile love acts like a domestic servant who is hired to clean out dirty jugs. A child loves a father not with a mercenary love, that is, for any advantage to be had from him. Nor does a child fear to offend a father for dread of punishment, but only for the father's goodness and love.

So it is nature and the power of love that compel a true child to love and serve a father. Nothing else deserves to be loved except in God; but to love all creatures in him and for him is to love the Father.

Jesus says that we must understand that the Father is in him and he is in the Father.

St Catherine of Siena

Fr Nivard's Blog 24 March 10

Monday 15th. March 2010

MEDITATION OF THE DAY John 4:43-54.

The royal official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

We are not alone in the hour of death; we have nothing to fear in the hour of death: because when th e time comes Christ identifies himself with us so closely that fear gives way to trust and anguish to peace. He has lived all of our lives, died all of our deaths; to all of us he has given his peace. It is in the hour of death that our fear, our anxiety, our loneliness, will end ...

Death is too big a thing for anyone of us to face alone. It separates us, for a time, from those we love on earth. It is difficult for us earthbound, rooted crea­tures to want heaven; it is impossible for us to realize what the glory of God will be to us. It is loving God, and that only, that can make heaven, heaven. Here imagination does not help us: we cannot really imagine ourselves loving the "Supreme Spirit" - we even want to cling to our human frailties and comforts, to our human weakness.

It is now that Christ takes over. He has died all our deaths on the cross; now we are going to die his; it is Christ in us who surrenders to God. It is not with our own heart and our own will that we can long for God, but with Christ's. And Christ has given his heart and will to us. In this is the supreme mercy that comes to us in the hour of death ...

Now I love God with Christ's will, with Christ's heart, with Christ's trust; and because he has taken whole possession of me, in the hour of my death I shall at last love my friends too with his love.

Caryll Houselander (+ 1954) was a British mystic, poet, and spiritual teacher.
Magnificat Missalette

Fw: [Dom Donald's Blog] Newminster Abbey Northumberland

Most interesting,

Donald, Br Aiden and I travelled south to the north of England, one hour and a half drive, in glorious weather. But there was a short shower just after the Mass as we walked back to the parish church.

Left: Bishop S. McGuiness, Principal Celebrant, Dom Donald with the Pilgrims. The Walk from the Church in Morpeth to the Site of Newminster could be describe as the Obstacle Pilgrimage, a long pathway including five or six kissing-gates or styles. I was amazed by the walking of one 90 year old lady with sticks among so many elders and also small children. Quite an achievemnt marking the historic event. Right: Within the claustal site, only covering was for the group of the Deaf School. After returning to the St. Robert of Newminster Church of Morpeth, there was a warm welcome to the visitors to the Marque for copious refreshments. The Church itself is a very interesting building. There is a glorious collection of Saints in the Church, the twelve and Apostles and the statues of St. Joseph and St. Benedict. My question was to ask everyone where was St. Robert. Eventually, Fr. John Cooper, PP., lead me and two priests from Germany, to show me the treasures of his Church. Saint Robert of Newminster is rather hidden in a colured window in the side of the Apse. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& --

Easter Joy

May Easter Blessings

Fill you and yours

With Peace and Love

This

Joyful Easter Time

Alleluia!!!

Easter Friday

Dear Friends,

Easter Greetings from all here at Nunraw!

Good news! On Palm Sunday I printed the last page of the master copies for the Antiphonary. Well not quite, the printer started from the last page but after some pages the ink cartridge dried up. I guess I can expect this sort of thing to happen if I work on Sunday!

Good Friday. I’m sorry for the delay in keeping you up to date. However I’ll not send this off until next week in order to give you my impressions of the Holy Week and Easter liturgy here. It is fascinating for me and you might find it interesting. On his return from Nsugbe, in January, Dom Raymond said that their liturgy was out of this world, far better than Nunraw, he modestly added. I suppose he would say the same of Bamenda? The singing here is not bad considering their fewness of numbers. Most of the monks certainly give out their voices.

Most of the community are also involved in liturgical functions. One of the priests acts as cross-bearer! Today, Donald was celebrant and took Christ’s part in the reading of the Passion, At the Prayers of Intercession, The deacon read the introductory paragraph and then the celebrant sang the prayer. This arrangement made life easier for the celebrant. The Abbot played the organ. A lay woman was narrator and a Poor Clare nun took the part of individuals. The congregation took the part of the crowd. During the reading, at certain points, the Refrain of the Good Thief was sung and repeated by All. It was very impressive. The church was packed. Fifty Guests, resident for the weekend, swelled the ranks. Only the celebrant and readers made full prostration at the ‘Eloi lama sabachthani’. The community need the cooperation of the Faithful, but it does give a great sense of solidarity and homeliness in God’s House. Hymn books etc. are provided on Sundays and Feasts. On Holy Thursday the Celebrant washed the feet of monks and a group of lay people, including men, women and children, but not priests. We were not in bare feet, fortunately, as there is still ice on the puddles! Alas! On waking up for the Easter Vigil at 10 pm I woke up with a bad cold. Thus I missed the Easter Vigil that I so much wished to attend.

I’ve been preparing the master copies for printing but, alas, I do not have the ‘Psalms and Third Nocturns for Feasts’. Nor do I have the ‘Ordinary of the Mass’. I think Br Luke sent me one or other of these, or maybe both, but neither have reached me??? If they are ready, please send me hard copy by post, also by email attachment and flash drive or floppy diskette. Only two computers here have floppy drives and neither are reliable so a flash drive is the best option. I will forge ahead hoping that the missing items will arrive in reasonable time. The Bishop’s House will know if some missionaries are going on home leave.

It is a great relief to have finished the editing and be able to follow the Paschal liturgy with a free mind. I was looking forward to attending the Paschal Vigil but when I woke up at 10.00 pm I had my first cold since my arrival so I had to stay put. The weather turned bitterly cold and we had a white Easter Sunday with plenty of snow and sleet. With renewed Good Wishes for Paschal Time and Pentecost to you and all the Brethren. With St Bernard, ‘I miss you all but you only miss one of the family’!

Yours in the love of Our Risen Lord

Br Nivard

4th April. PS. Spring time at last with a fine warm week. We have begun to reduce our winter clothing. However they are still on hand as snowy showers are expected on Sunday!

No news from Bamenda Abbey, no emails, no blogs and no web site update. I do hope your Internet is OK or soon will be. I'll also send this by snail mail to be sure. N. My Blog address: www.fathernivard.org.uk/

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Feast of St John The Evangelist

Introduction to the Mass. Feast of St John the Evangelist.

See, Believe, Rejoice

1 John 1: 1 - 4

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That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life, the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our joy may be complete.

And in the Gospel we see how John, who reached the tomb first, also went in. He saw and believed.

John believed because he had seen, heard and touched. But we have not seen, so John gives us his testimony of all this. Why? He did so because he wants us to have union with him and the Apostles. This union or fellowship is with the Father, with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit, the family of the Holy Trinity.

He tells us these things so that his own joy will be complete and ours also. This peace and joy is a gift from God. We must treasure it, protect. This joy is deeper than our deepest darkness. We may only know it by its fruits, like falling into a blissful, restful, sleep at the end of a trying day. It is the best antidote to the ‘After Christmas Blues’. Even our good sisters and brothers in the world are happy to escape from the boredom of Christmas parties and superficial joys. Our Guest House is over-booked for the New Year by people seeking the peace and joy that lasts. Here in the monastery this joy increases our enjoyment of the innocent joys of Christmas, music, videos and rich food, (brandy soup, gorgonzola etc.!).

This union with God includes our fellowship in God’s Kingdom, a kingdom which comprises the Church Triumphant in Heaven, the Church Suffering in Purgatory and the Church Militant on Earth. Our life here below is a warfare. The devil tempts us night and day but God’s power is greater than Satan. The key weapon against Satan is humility, especially our repentance for sin and our sinfulness.

As we begin this Holy Mass we are blessed because we are aware of our need for God’s mercy. But we also pray especially for those who stand in most need of God’s limitless mercy.