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

Hello and welcome to the Oblate Family morning reflection - Our Moment to Pause. This week we hear from Pat Hughes from Birkenhead, England.Welcome to a moment to pause on Saturday, the 3rd of October. Today’s  Gospel reading is from Luke chapter 10 verse 17 -24Here we learn about the returning of the 72 disciples. The 72 returned with joy saying “Lord, the devils also are subject to us ,in thy name .”Jesus replied “rejoice not in this that spirits are subject unto you, but rejoice in this that your names are written in heaven. “This is the deepest joy ! “Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see.”The Father reveals the mysteries of the kingdom to “little ones” that is, those willing to receive rather than rely on their own wisdom or achievements. Our faith becomes steady when we stop measuring it by success, influence ,or extraordinary results. We can simply ask for a teachable heart , to receive the light of God’s word ,and remember that belonging to Christ is the lasting gift. Lord Jesus ,reveal your presence in your word and in the quiet work of conversion .Give me understanding to follow your commandments,  courage to serve you ,and joy in the hope that our name is held in heaven. AmenThank you for joining our Oblate prayer today 

Hello and welcome to the Oblate Family morning reflection - Our Moment to Pause. This week we hear from Pat Hughes from Birkenhead, England.Good morning to you wherever you are today, Friday 2nd October.In today’s Gospel , verses 1-5 and verse 10, from Matthew 18 , Jesus is asked by the disciples “Who thinkest thou is the greater in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus took a little child and said “unless you become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”Isn’t it brilliant when you see a child make friends with another regardless of race, colour, disability and so on.: their innocence and trust ! “See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”Father God give me the trusting heart of a child. Help me to recognise Christ in those who are small, dependent, or easily overlooked. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Have a glorious day and thank you for belonging to the Oblate family

Hello and welcome to the Oblate Family morning reflection - Our Moment to Pause. This week we hear from Pat Hughes from Birkenhead, England.Good morning and welcome to today’s moment to pause.In this Gospel we hear of the appointing and sending out of the 72. I used to be alarmed at how little they were allowed to take with them but now I can see that they were given strength and courage and were carrying gifts of peace , healing and the good news that God’s Kingdom has come near.We , too , are responsible for offering Christ’s peace and calling people to Jesus but we are not responsible for how it is received . When we feel weak,  opposed or unable to see the good we hope for ,we need  just to seek God’s face and continue to serve.Lord God , make me a faithful example of Christ’s peace, ready to serve, heal by kindness and to speak of your Kingdom with humility. Let my life point quietly to your presence through Jesus Christ Our Lord AmenHave a peaceful day 

Hello and welcome to the Oblate Family morning reflection - Our Moment to Pause. This week we hear from Pat Hughes from Birkenhead, England.On this last day in September I welcome you to our Oblate moment to pause . Today’s Gospel reading is Luke 9:57-62.In this Gospel Jesus asks that we follow him even though “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay down his head “ thus indicating no promise of security, comfort or permission to sort things out first. Jesus calls for a heart that is free to proclaim the Kingdom of God without continually looking back.Following him means trusting his wisdom more than our need to control . Lord Jesus, keep my heart turned toward you . Give me humility and courage to receive your call without delay. Free me from attachments and may my life quietly proclaim your Kingdom and that through your grace :I am enough .Let us pray the Lord’s Prayer together:Our Father who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom comethy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread,and forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us.Lead us not into temptationbut deliver us from evil.Thank you for belonging to the Oblate family and have a good day 

Hello and welcome to the Oblate Family morning reflection - Our Moment to Pause. This week we hear from Pat Hughes from Birkenhead, England.Todays Gospel is from John 1-:47-51.Good morning and welcome to Tuesday’s moment to pause with the Oblate family .Today is the Feast of Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael , Archangels“Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him and he said ‘Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile .’Jesus goes on to tell him he will see angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Christ is the living meeting place between God and humanity.Nathaniel moved from asking Jesus who he was to believing he was the Son of God and King . We, too, may begin with limited understanding but then Christ sees us and calls us towards greater understanding.We are continually being given grace.Lord Jesus , you see me completely and still call me . Thank you . Through the witness of your angels and the strength of your grace, teach me to praise you with my whole heart. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen Have a blessed day 

Hello and welcome to the Oblate Family morning reflection - Our Moment to Pause. This week we hear from Pat Hughes from Birkenhead, England.Good morning and welcome to Monday’s moment to pause . “And there entered and thought unto them, which of them should be greater.” This was an argument among the disciples in today’s reading . It is important to contrast this with the first reading in which Job, though his world was destroyed in a day, fell on his knees and blessed God’s name showing his relationship with God is deeper than the gifts he had previously received. Jesus reveals greatness through service, welcome and generous recognition of God’s work beyond us. A heart made small before God remains faithful and free.Lord God, you are worthy of praise in abundance and in loss. Deliver me from the desire to be important and to control your work. Teach me to trust you with all that I have and to honour you in the least of my sisters and brothers. AmenHave a blessed day 

Good morning and welcome to the Oblate Family morning reflection - Our Moment to Pause. This week we hear from Mary Tyrrell from Birkenhead, England.Welcome to a moment to pause with the Oblate family.  Today’s Gospel tells us about two sons being asked to do something by their father.  One said yes and then did nothing, the other said no but later decided to do it after all. This story in Matthew 21:28-32 possibly reminds us of people we know or maybe even ourselves.How often might we say we will do something but never actually do it? We may have the best of intentions, design great schemes even make forward plans, but if they’re not followed through, our words are empty. This parable challenges us, as all parables do. We are to examine the sincerity of our actions and to prioritize obedience over mere lip service.It is certainly true actions speak louder than words. So when you say ‘yes’ let your yes mean yes. We pray for people of faith that they will always have obedient hearts like Mary, mother of Jesus. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners. Now at the hour of our death. Amen. Thank you for  joining us to pray on this special Sunday.May it be a blessed one for you.

Good morning and welcome to the Oblate Family morning reflection - Our Moment to Pause. This week we hear from Mary Tyrrell from Birkenhead, England.Welcome to a moment to pause with the Oblate family. The disciples were totally in awe of and applauded the wonderful things Jesus was doing for people in today’s passage from Luke chap 9:43b-45. Jesus, however, dampens the mood when he announces that he will soon be betrayed. The disciples couldn’t understand why anyone would want to betray Jesus when he was doing so much good.Even now people still experience betrayals when their reputations or lives are destroyed by the words or actions of someone they trusted. Some, even, have their lives shortened or they are actually killed because of the malice of people just like Jesus was. It’s funny people don’t seem to change despite all the sophistication of the  modern world. Maybe you have been betrayed by a friend or a colleague and your life as it was destroyed. Jesus knows how you feel. Or maybe you were the betrayer why not reflect on your actions, seek forgiveness from God and the one you destroyed. Today let us pray for those who hurt us and for those we have hurt. We pray: Lord have mercy on usChrist have mercy on usLord have mercy on us. Thank you for joining us on this moment to pause. Be kind and thoughtful to yourself and others today.

Good morning and welcome to the Oblate Family morning reflection - Our Moment to Pause. This week we hear from Mary Tyrrell from Birkenhead, England.Welcome again to a moment to pause with the Oblate family. Jesus asks a vital question in Luke 9:18-22.There’s nothing quite like being asked a straight question which demands an equally straight answer. Who do you say I am ?asked Jesus. Many of those who heard him speak and saw his wonderful works were still unsure. This uncertainty might have  been  caused by confusion, the need to know more before making a commitment, hesitancy, not wanting to seem foolish or maybe just fear.But,Peter, don’t you just love Peter, was immediate in his answer. ‘You are the Christ of God’.How could he, a simple fisherman, get it so right when others  much better educated  than he got it so wrong? The answer has to be Peter was inspired by God which  Jesus  acknowledged.Peter knew Jesus,he had  spent time with him, he knew what Jesus had done for him, he prayed and read the Scriptures. Surely we need to do the same to answer that question today,’Who do you say I am’ when so many do not know how to answer for the same old reasons. Today we  pray for an increase of faith in the world.  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. God’s blessings be showered on you today.

Good morning and welcome to the Oblate Family morning reflection - Our Moment to Pause. This week we hear from Mary Tyrrell from Birkenhead, England.Hello, welcome to a moment to pause with the Oblate family. Today is celebrated as the feast day of Our Lady of Walsingham and is observed in both the Anglican and Catholic  traditions. It was originally a medieval shrine but, it was later in the Middle Ages that Walsingham grew into England's most significant pilgrimage destination.Pilgrims travelled from England,Europe and beyond.The vision of the Virgin Mary to a noble woman is one of the earliest Marian visions in England and was central to the establishment of Walsingham as a pilgrimage site. In her vision  the noble woman was instructed to build in her village an exact replica of the house in which the Annunciation had taken place. This is the link to the Gospel today.The original house was destroyed by the Reformation but restored in 1897 It became the English national shrine in 1943. The shrine was raised to the status of a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2015150,00 people visit the chapel every year. Now we pray for people we know who are setting offor returning from Marian pilgrimages.Our Lady of Walsingham Pray for us Our Lady of Lourdes pray for us. Have a blessed day what ever you are doing.