A Moment to Pause - a short daily audio reflection rooted in Sacred Scripture

Hello and good morning and welcome to the Oblate time of prayer and reflection today, on Friday the 22nd of May, written by Mary Tyrrell.
What a lovely scene we are presented with in today’s Gospel, John chapter 21.The disciples eating fish cooked by Jesus on a barbecue beside the Sea of Galilee. Peter must still have been feeling vulnerable knowing he’d denied Jesus three times and wondering if their friendship could ever be salvaged. When Jesus asks Peter the wham bang question , “Do you love me?” and commissions him to feed his sheep thus reinforcing Peter’s role as a leader in the early Christian community. Do you love me not once but three times. I think my reaction would be like Peter’s Lord,“You know all things. You know that I love you.” Maybe Jesus didn’t need to hear the answer but maybe it was Peter who needed to hear himself profess his love for Jesus before he accepted his role as leader of the community. Leadership, which is currently dominating our national headlines, never comes without responsibility.Responsibility involves love, forgiveness and service.  I hope our politicians are aware of that.I know I love Jesus but I also know I have let Jesus down many times. I’m glad Jesus believes that ruptured relationships are never  permanent. Like Peter,I know God can see beyond my actions and value what’s in my heart. I pray that I strengthen my commitment to him and  to gratefully cherish God’s  presence within me. 
Thanks for joining us today.  

Hello and good morning and welcome to the Oblate time of prayer and reflection today, on Thursday the 21st of May, written by Mary Tyrrell.
In the final part of his priestly prayer Jesus prays for the unity of  his disciples which he describes as the most effective witness for promoting the message of the Gospel .Not unity as thinking the same and agreeing about everything but having the same unity of purpose and love among ourselves which binds Jesus and the Father……in his words ….that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.Love is the most effective message we can give.It is said that, in the early Church, people marvelled, “See those Christians, how they love each other.”  And yet they lived in a very divided society.Is that the witness that we are giving today? What do people see when they look at our neighbourhoods or parishes? What do they see when they look at our families? Do I give witness to that statement, “See those Christians, how they love each other.”? Who can you show love to today?
We pray: Glory be to the father and to the son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen. 
Saint Eugene de Mazenod, pray for us. 
Thanks for joining us today.  

Hello and good morning and welcome to the Oblate time of prayer and reflection today, on Wednesday the 20th of May, written by Mary Tyrrell.
Jesus knew his time on earth was coming to its end.He had left himself for his friends to share in the signs of bread and wine. But as we might feel bit anxious when someone we love is leaving us. I’m sure Jesus the man felt the same.We have mixed feelings, we want them to follow their hearts and we trust them but… I know I felt like that when my son went to Sierra Leone. I was glad he was doing what he wanted but I love him and neither of us knew what he’d face or how he’d fare in the new culture.At Manchester Airport I remember saying a quiet prayer “Well God, he’s in your hands now.” And I can honestly  say I have never worried about him since.I can understand why Jesus channeled his concern into prayer “Keep them in your name.”And then leave them to God.Jesus asked God that his disciples be sanctified in the truth as he wanted his disciples to dedicate the whole of their lives to continue giving witness to Jesus’ mission.He knew it would not be easy. They would be persecuted and afflicted and even martyred as many of them were.This prayer reminds is that divine protection is not about being remove from the world but about being guarded from evil while we are living in it. The passage calls is to trust in Jesus to open our hearts to and allow his peace and love to guide our actions and relationship.Pope Leo the Great said, “Jesus was so human, but so human, as only God can be human.” He knows how difficult it will be to live in opposition to the values of the world  but people united around the name of Jesus will never be conquered.

Hello and good morning and welcome to the Oblate time of prayer and reflection today, on Tuesday the 19th of May, written by Mary Tyrrell.
Today at the beginning of chapter 17 we hear the words that Jesus shared with his disciples at the Last Supper. It is said that last words are powerful  because they define a person’s final thoughts and meant to make a lasting impact on those who hear them.Therefore they are very important.Jesus prayed for the disciples: “those whom you gave me”. For although Jesus had chosen the disciples they were ultimately the gift of the Father to continue the mission in the absence of Jesus. Throughout generations innumerable disciples have accepted that same task to continue the missionary work of Jesus. And as we are today’s disciples so Jesus is praying for us too. What a lovely thought!!!                
In this prayer Jesus reveals his deep loving relationship with the Father which he hopes we will share. We hear of his on-going concern for all his disciples who have heard and kept  the word of God and explains the concept of eternal life as more to do with having a personal relationship with God and not merely through rule-following or adherence to doctrine.Aware of leaving his disciples in the near future and mindful of the many pitfalls and dangers they would encounter as his followers, Jesus prays for their protection and unity revealing his constant love and care for them. Love and care that we experience every minute of every day.What a wonderful God we have!!!!
Glory be to the Father to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

Hello and good morning and welcome to the Oblate time of prayer and reflection today, on Mondaythe 18th of May, written by Mary Tyrrell.
In Saint John's Gospel, chapter 16, verses 29 to 33, Jesus outlines the reality of what the disciples lives will be like after he's gone from them, stating, “In this world you will have trouble.” This is a reminder that suffering is inevitable for all men and women. It makes it clear that belief in Jesus doesn't make us immune to struggles, but it does provide us with a source of strength and comfort to get through any difficulties.Though the problems are different today, we too live in a very troubled world. People are despairing of what can be done about poverty, climate change, lack of peace, greed and a lack of faith - I could go on here - Jesus is reassuring his friends that though they, like us, will face trials in the world, we can all have peace.
Jesus gives us all hope and encouragement with this powerful declaration:“But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
These words of Jesus are the foundation and the basis of Christian hope. Christian hope is much more than the optimism politicians promise but seldom provide. Christian hope gives it the disciples and us, the promise that in Christ we can find peace and strength to endure and overcome whatever challenges we may face. We have only to trust in those words of Jesus: “But take heart! I have overcome the world”, to bring us peace when we face challenges. But do we? Let's ponder this today as we bring our time of prayer to a close and we say, Our Lady Queen of peace, pray for us.
Thanks for joining us this morning. God bless.

Good morning. It's great that you can be with the Oblate family again today for our time of reflection and prayer. We join Frankie in Glasgow again this morning on the 7th Sunday of Easter. Let's begin. In the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
And let us remember especially to pray this month of peace. Let's ask Our Lady's help as we say Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Our Lady, Queen of peace, pray for us.
Today's gospel is taken from Saint John's Gospel, chapter 17 and the reading taken from the Actsof the Apostles, chapter one. Jesus reaffirms his relationship with the father and draws attention to the honour given to the father and by default, that all honour should be given to the Father by us. He also confirms that he is going back to the Father. And we know from previous readings this week that he's sending us the Holy Spirit to be with us.And the reading in the acts relates to the disciples are journeying back to Jerusalem to assemble in the upper room with Our Lady and all of those who had remained in Jerusalem in waiting and Pentecost.
Just this as we we're waiting in the descent of the Holy Spirit today, in fact, many of us will begin a Novena to the Holy Spirit in advance of Pentecost to prepare us not only for the Great Feast itself, but to prepare ourselves to receive freshly the spirit into our hearts and the lives and the lives of those that we love. Let us ask that the Holy Spirit brings peace to ourselves and our countries and to all places of conflict. But most of all, into our hearts that we may live as Jesus intends, as God's children, following the Father's will.
Finally, it's been a great privilege to have been with you this week, and as we bring our time together to close, let us ask again for the intercession of Our Blessed Lady today as we seek that peace into our hearts. And remember all of those, especially those who are sick and housebound, at this time and all of those who have asked for our prayers.Our Lady of Lourdes, Health of the Sick, pray for us all.
Thanks again for joining us in our reflection and prayer today.
#faith #prayer #persecution #strong #peace #jesus #religion #christianity #saintpaul #mary #popeleo #feast #apostles

Good morning. It's great that you can be with the Oblate family again today for our time of reflection and prayer. We join Frankie in Glasgow again this morning during this 6th Week of Eastertide.
Let us begin. In the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. And remember especially to pray this month for peace in all areas of conflict in the world, and we seek  Our Lady's help as we say;
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Our Lady, Queen of peace, pray for us.
Today's gospel is taken from Saint John's Gospel, chapter 16 and the reading from the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 18. We’re told in the Acts that Jesus’ message has reached this time Ephesus, which was a bustling city with a fabulous library, an amphitheater. And you can just picture the early disciples addressing the people there. We hear how two of the disciples Priscilla and Aquila, drew Apollos aside and explained Jesus teaching more fully, and therefore gave him a more accurate perspective to his teaching. They didn't call them out or make a fool of them, but they took them aside and gently explained the truth and a peaceful manner, avoiding conflict and dissent.
In other words, they took Apollos under their  wing, and explained much more, that to the depth of Jesus's teaching. The learning point for us all is that there is always something more that we can learn, understand, and bring to bear in our faith. We have access to the resources of our parish and the wider teaching of the church by the Holy Fathers teaching, retreats or prayer groups.
And finally, as we bring our time together to close, let us ask for the intercession of Our blessed Lady today as we seek peace in the world. And remember also all of those we know who are sick and housebound at this time.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us all.Thanks again for joining us in this reflection and prayer today.
#faith #prayer #persecution #strong #peace #jesus #religion #christianity #saintpaul #mary #popeleo #feast #apostles

Good morning again. Thanks for joining the Oblate  family today for our time of reflection, and prayer also as we join Frankie MacDonald in Glasgow this week.
Let's begin our day: in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Now let's remember to pray this month for peace.
And as we see the Hail Mary while asking for peace in our communities, we invoke Our Lady.Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessedis the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Our Lady, Queen of peace, pray for us.
Today's gospel is taken from Saint John's Gospel, chapter 16, and the reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles, also chapter 16. We're given some historical background to the Acts, as we hear that Saint Paul is in Corinth. At that time Corinth was a very cosmopolitan port city, and not only was it given over to pagan worship, but also in morality.
Yet it was in this environment that Saint Paul preached the message of the cross. As he stayed true to Jesus’ teachings in the midst of the threats from the leaders of the synagogue, Paul stood firm even under the scrutiny of the Roman proconsul, and was found without fault, causing his accusers to seek vengeance on some of their own number. The Cross of Jesus is the power behind Saint Paul's words, which reach the proconsul and impelled him to dismiss the accusers that Paul faced, and also the dire consequences for Saint Paul had the charges been upheld.
Can we too have such faith in our dealings in this world? But more importantly, can we ensurethat our dealings in this life are centred around Jesus's teachings? Let's try hard to follow the path that Jesus has set before us, and ask the Holy Spirit to help us now, in all this. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Finally, let's ask for the intercession of Our Blessed Lady today as we seek peace in the world and remember all of those who are actually sick and housebound at this time that we know.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for them.Thanks again for joining us in this reflection.
Amen.
#faith #prayer #persecution #strong #peace #jesus #religion #christianity #saintpaul #mary #popeleo #feast #apostles 

Good morning on this Ascension Thursday and thank you for joining the Oblate family again today for our time of reflection and prayer.
Let's begin. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.And let's remember to pray this month for peace as we say the Hail Mary while asking for peace in our countries as we seek the assistance of Our Lady.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Our Lady, Queen of peace, pray for us.
Today's gospel is taken from Saint Matthew's Gospel, chapter 28.The remaining apostles at this time, and followers of Jesus, must have been completely in aweas they witness all that Jesus had told them he was going to do for us: die on the cross, rise from the dead, and now go ahead of us to prepare a place in heaven.
What's more, as incredible as that sounded to his followers in advance of the events, how much more in awe were they as it unfolded, just as Jesus said it would.
Those early days with Jesus, and hearing his words in the gospel remind us that we too have a home with him in heaven as we trust in him and follow his teaching.Let's try to follow that path that he set before us and ask the Holy Spirit to keep us on track now and always.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Let's ask for the intercession of Our Blessed Lady today again as we seek peace in the world.
We also remember all of those who are infirm and housebound at this time, saying, Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for them.
Thanks again for joining us in our reflection and prayer today.#faith #prayer #persecution #strong #peace #Jesus #religion #Christianity #ascension

Good morning. Thank you for joining the Oblate family again today for a time of reflection and prayer as we join Frankie MacDonald in Glasgow this week.
Let's begin. In the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.And let us too remember to pray this month for peace as we see the Hail Mary while asking for peace in our homes.
As we ask Our Lady; Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us.
Today's gospel is taken from Saint John's Gospel, chapter 16.And Jesus again reminds us that the Holy Spirit is coming.The reading from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 17, reminds us of the challenges faced by Saint Paul when he was speaking to the Athenians and appealed to the Greeks’ belief in the unknown God, and reaffirms this is the very one to honour and obey, and is the very same as the father.I was reminded yesterday of the first encounter with the Holy Spirit that I can remember when my nephew, Patrick made his confirmation. I think we can all still think back to that special moment when we wondered the God's majesty and never wanted to be separated from Him. A  feeling captured deep within us back then can still be ours each time we sincerely and reverently ask the Spirit to be with us.And now as  we bring our time together to a close, let's remember that today is the feast of the Lady of Fatima, who delivered the message of peace to the three little shepherds. Let us ask for their intercession today as we seek peace in the world, where we remember all of those who are infirm and housebound at this time, Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for them.
Thanks again for joining us todayin our reflection and prayer.
#faith #prayer #persecution #strong #peace #jesus #religion #christianity #fatima #mary #popeleo #feast #ourladyoffatima