Reflection

In Sunday’s Gospel we hear Jesus say ‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them’ (Matthew 18:19-20).

In the Catholic Faith we hold that God is always with us, and in a particular way is present in the Community that gathers in His name.  Since the foundation of the Church, Community has been central to our identity.  Somehow, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God is able to manifest Himself in and through the broken and imperfect people who make up His Church and we are given the great privilege of being asked to continue on the very mission of Christ in His Church. 

We are given the assurance that God is with us.  We don’t live out this mission alone.  We have received the Holy Spirit to enable us to be God’s missionaries here on earth.  Things may be tough, we may face struggles, but in faith we have hope and trust that God is with us and calls us to bring His love into the world.

In the present moment there are a lot of challenges for Christians and there can be times when we may be tempted to take our eyes off Our Lord and lose hope.  In our personal lives also we all face ups and downs, challenges and struggles and we can at times feel a temptation to say too hard, to give up, to lose hope. The Gospel assures us that Our Lord is with us until the end of time and we are called to move forward towards Him and to trust in His presence. 

Let us pray regularly, Jesus I believe You are with us, help my unbelief, help me to grow in faith, help me to be more aware of Your presence and love for us.  We also take time to stop, be still in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love, to make them like Jesus and set them ablaze with love for God and for all people.

Holy Family of Nazareth – Be our inspiration and our guide.

Jesus of Nazareth – Help us to grow in faith, wisdom and knowledge.