Faith Reflection and RE News 

Faith Reflection 

John 15:9-17 - No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.

It is easy to pick up the Bible and assume that it was written all at once to give a historical account of what happened. While it certainly does this as well, the entire Bible is mainly a theological text. In other words, it is written to explain who God is. There is a particular focus throughout it on the evolving relationship between God and people. There are different flashpoints throughout this journey where we see God in different ways. 

At first in Genesis, we see God as the creator making the world from the seas and earth. This then changes to a God who watches over a specific people in a specific place, namely the Hebrews in Canaan (Israel). It is a relationship of God as the great protector of the Jewish people saving them from the floods of Noah and the liberator freeing them

 from Egypt.

 But it isn’t without a price – in return for this, God expected total obedience and devotion. This came in the form of the Ten Commandments as well as the long list of rules within the Torah; such as eating Kosher (rules which are still followed by Jews today as its equivalent in the Islamic faith, Halal.) In the final parts written in the Old Testament, the Jewish people have been exiled to Babylon where they would have to understand God in another new way. They discovered that God was not so much a figure for the land of Israel, but for the Jewish people wherever they went. It is after this journey, we meet Jesus.

 In this week’s Gospel, we hear Jesus saying to his disciples, “as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love… this is my commandment; love one another as I have loved you.” This is another change in how God speaks to and interacts with his people. God is no longer a being residing in a piece of land demanding obedience. Rather, the relationship is now seen as one of love. 

For Christians, the old rules of the Torah are thrown away and the Ten Commandments are replaced with a simple but key idea – through loving others you are showing your love for God. By being good people to others, you are following God’s commandment. Years later this would be paraphrased as the “Golden Rule” – do unto others as you would want done to yourselves. It is generally speaking an idea that is reflected in one way or another in all religions. 

So what does all this mean to us today? First, it means we are custodians of a long tradition spanning thousands of years trying to discover who God is. The more that we learn of God, the more that we understand that God is love and seeking for us to care for others in our world. Secondly, it means that we are called to consider our own personal relationship with God. 

This week we are called to reflect on how we interact with God in our daily lives. 

How do you speak to God? 

Someone who protects you? 

A parent figure who made you? 

A friend who cheers you on? 

A friend that you don’t speak to often, but know they are always there for you if you need them? 

Someone to talk to about your problems?

Sacraments

Confirmation -  Sunday 28th July @ 2.00pm 

First Communion -  Saturday 9th November @ 6.00pm 

Sunday 10th November @ 10.00am 

Saturday 16th November @ 6.00pm 

Sunday 17th November @ 10.00am 

Class Mass Timetable